A bit brief this week – the gaming world is still gentle rocking in the wake of GDC, with the only big news people are talking about being EA’s attempted buyout of Take-Two. Luckily, there are still a few things not involving stock prices and alleged shadiness, so shall we?

First, Andy Biao of waxy.org has an interview up with Robin Ward, creator of new online game Forum Warz. Actually, “online game” may not be entirely appropriate – in Forum Warz, online is the game. You create a character (you can be a camwhore, emo kid, or troll) and then set off into the mystical land of the internet, earning in-game cash and experience points for nerd baiting, trolling, spamming, and generally behaving like the sort of person who ruins the whole thing for everybody else. It’s an inspired idea, and plays into one of my pet obsessions by building a game around something people do every day. It could also very well be the downfall of mankind. Not for the weak of heart, the easily offended, or the sincere. (via Wonderland)

Elsewhere, degenerate writer Clive Thompson has a look at a recent study by Niklas Ravaja of MIND Labs who’s recent finding indicate that players experience “relief from engagement” when killed in a multiplayer FPS game. I’ve certainly experienced the sort of sensation he describes here in Team Fortress 2: no matter how well I’m playing, the longer I stay alive the more paranoid I get about somebody killing me, up to the point that rounding a corner to come face to face with a Heavy/Medic combo is almost a welcome event. The pause between dying and respawning is exactly the sort of mental reset I need – it let’s me calm down, collect my thoughts, see how my team mates are doing and, above all, remember it’s just a game. Of course, you don’t need to look at videogames to see players get this same sense of relief – consider that murder simulator of old, Hide-and-Seek. While it might have been frustrating when you’re cousin caught up with you, it was also nice to take a break and watch the rest of the game play out before jumping back in with the next round. (via Level Up)

And finally, an older piece I’ve just not gotten around to reading: Jim Rossignol talks a bit about Love, a procedurally generated bite-sized MMO built by one man band Eskil Steenberg. His method of creating the content necessary for running the world and populating it with things to interact with are fascinating, as is his somewhat laid-back attitude towards taking on what should be a staggering amount of work all on his lonesome. Love is still in development, but early screenshots show that it sometimes looks like this:

More screenshots and some early information can be found at the game’s site here. I really can’t wait to see what comes of this – the idea of exploring an unplanned world built entirely on maths feels like exactly the sort of terrain games should be exploring. (via this week’s obligatory Rock Paper Shotgun link)

Filed under: link roundup