I'm quadriplegic (C4/C5 complete) due to a swimming accident in 2005. Before my injury, one of my favorite hobbies was playing video games. I'm thirty, and have been a gamer practically my entire life. The first gaming system I ever owned was a color computer, that hooked up to the TV and used huge eight track like cartridges. This was back around my kindergarten days, and I can remember using a simple joystick to play the Sesame Street educational games and a face maker game that I had for the system. My dad's a computer programmer. He had built his own hard drive at the time (1985), as well as owning an Amiga computer. I can remember being one of the only kids with a computer at home, in those days. We even had a color printer, with the old fashioned style paper, that had the holes down both sides & the perforated edges.
I remember learning "Basic" language in school, and using actual floppy (6 inch, skinny, floppy & square) disks to store our information. My second computer was a Comodore 64, which my brother handed down to me. TheComodore used floppy disks and Basic commands to "run" each game. It used simple joysticks to play the games, with one button. Some of my favorite games were: Quix, Friday the 13, Mission Impossible, B.C. Quest for Tires, Up & Down and Apple Cider Spider. At the time, my brother had the original NES. Both systems had hundreds of eight bit titles. Between the two of us we had dozens of games for each system. I can remember my best friend and I playing video games for hours! Growing up my friends and I also played outside a lot, played board games and with toys. Although we liked video games, our time glued in front of the television was more well balanced than it is for most kids today.
By the time my brother gave me his NES (around 1990), most of friends had one too. I fell in love with many of the Nintendo characters (Mario Bros., Yoshi, Toad, Princess Toadstool, Kirby & Zelda), and have been a loyal customer and fan ever since. When Super Nintento came out, my parents refused to buy it. I saved up my two dollar a week allowance and bought it for myself. I remember being so proud going to ToysRUs and handing over my huge wad of singles! SNES was a 16 bit console with a four button controller. It's funny, looking back, at how amazed I was by the graphics. I can actually remember saying how "real"' the graphics looked, which seems silly, compared to today's graphics. SNES remains to be my favorite console of all time, with some of my most loved games: Earthbound, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Super Mario RPG, Tetris vs. Dr. Mario, Mario Kart, Bubsy and Donkey Kong Country. I've owned almost every Nintendo gaming system and/or handheld, with the exception of the most current system, the Wii.
At the time of my accident I had the three most current gaming systems at my apartment (I owned Gamecube & Xbox and my ex-boyfriend owned Playstation 2). I enjoyed playing games by myself and with friends in my spare time. In fact, the night of my accident I had been playing my Gameboy Advanced SP, just hours before I was injured. Gaming has been a favorite pastime practically my entire life. Despite my disability, I continue to enjoy gaming, by playing games with a mouth-stick.
Last year, I read about an amazing paralyzed professional gamer, named Randy that plays with his chin and mouth. Like me, Randy has been a gamer almost his entire life. Unlike me, Randy was born with his disability, and has only ever played by chin & mouth. Being a fellow gamer, and having had the experience of gaming with two hands, versus playing by mouth, I'm completely blown away by Randy's level of skill and the complexity of the controllers he uses. I consider myself to be a pretty good gamer, but certainly not good enough to go toe to toe, or in mine & Randy's case, mouth to hand, versus professional gamers. I'm in total awe of his amazing skill! "I'm not worthy" *bows head* LOL!
Personally, not being able to use my hands limits me to certain type of games. Given the fact that I can't hit multiple buttons at once (using a mouth-stick), I can no longer play most console games. The modern controllers have way too buttons and the games rely on complicated combinations. The way Randy plays is a bit too much work for me. I'm satisfied with the balance and selection of games I've found. The mouth-stick I use to type and use the computer is about twelve inches in length, with a plastic mouth piece and rubber tip (like a pencil eraser). Most of the PC games I play rely solely on the mouse (I use a trackball style mouse. The rubber tip of my stick makes rolling the ball easy). I use built in short cuts, like "sticky keys" and "click lock" in the control panel settings, to allow me to be able to drop, drag and highlight.
I started using a mouth-stick to play video games during my stay in a nursing home (2005-2007). A buddy of mine turned me on to a MMORPG (Massivly Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game- other examples include: World of Warcraft, EverQuest & Guild Wars) called Maple Story. For those of you not familiar with MMORPGs, they are games in which you create a character/avatar, usually a specific class within the game, in which you play with other people, in real time. They are like virtual worlds, where you can explore, form guilds, complete quests, chat, and play with friends, or people you meet within the game. They usually have loose story lines, that allow you to have freedom to play the game how you want. In fact, quite often people end up meeting up in the game just to chat & socialize with fellow players. I've met a lot of nice people, over the years playing Maple Story and even met a few of them in person (My friend Naama-aka Jane-stayed with me and went to one of my exhibits, back in 2009, traveling all the way from Israel).
As cheesy as it might sound, playing Maple Story contributed greatly to me being able to survive my stay in the nursing home, and keep my sanity. For starters, the style of the game is a classic side scroller, that uses the keyboard for controls. Allowing for customization of commands, let me arrange my keyboard so that I can hit the "jump" & arrow keys at the same time. The graphics are very animesc (I just invented that word) and reminiscent of many of my favorite Nintendo games. The whole look and feel of Maple Story fit right in with my tastes and playing gave me a much needed escape from the harsh realities of my life. Being able to socialize, and vent to real people, also helped to keep me distracted and helped keep me from becoming totally withdrawn and depressed. In the Maple Story universe, I don't look any different, from anyone else. When I meet people in the game, they have no clue that I'm playing by mouth, unless I tell them. As insignificant as that might seem, the fact that I could blend in and feel "normal" again, helped give me a confidence boost to be more social, and interact with people. Having been able bodied for the first twenty four years of my life, my disability brings with it a huge amount of body image issues, and I struggle a lot with how different I look in appearance, since my accident. To have the luxury of not standing out, actually made it easier to break the ice and talk about my injury, and my disability (in the article about Randy, it mentions him having similar feelings and about the sense of freedom that he feels, while gaming). It makes me feel good to be able to keep up and compete with my able bodied peers, within the game. Everyone I meet is always stunned and surprised when I tell them I'm paralyzed. It's hard for the average person to imagine how it is that I can type so fast, and how well I play the game. I usually jokingly say, "you should've seen me when I could use my hands!" I can only imagine how amazing a gifted player like Randy would be, if it were not for his disability.
Like I said earlier, for the most part, on the PC I stick to games that only require a mouse to play. There are tons of games that fall into this category, including many of the popular social networking connected games, likeFarmville, Bejeweled and SPP Super Poke Pets. My favorite genres include, hidden object (like Huntsville Mysteries), match three (like Jewel Quest), and simulation (like The Sims). Many of the games I play are for free, with optional features for purchase. Another great invention (besides the trackball mouse- which stays stationary, and requires you to move just the ball, instead of the entire mouse) that has widened the selection of games I can play, has been the touch screen. There are two types of touch screens, pressure and capacitive. I have games for both. The Nintendo DS uses a pressure based touchscreen, on which I use a knitting needle, attached to the end of a traditional mouth-stick. The hand held system comes with a small plastic stylus, however it's way too short & thin for me to use. The knitting needle tip, mimics the stylus tip and gives me the same amount of accuracy. I have over thirty games for my DS, that for the most part, rely totally on the stylus and don't require pushing any buttons (some have annoying microphone or button requirements, that I basically ignore, or get help with, if I can't, but that don't hinder overall game play).
The iPad uses a capacitive touchscreen, which uses the electricity in our bodies (literal touch) to work. Given the fact that my hands no longer work, I use a special stylus (called a Pogo) attached to the end of a mouth stick, which mimics touch. The capacitive fibers wear down over time, and need to be replaced, depending on how much you use them. There are tons of games available for purchase (many have "lite" version for free, to test games out) in the Apple apps store. As an artist, I also use my iPad to create digital art, in addition to using it for writing, reading and gaming. My iPad is almost as versatile as my PC, and I love the fact that I can sketch and create art on it. As far as the games go, the graphics and sound on the iPad are superior to that of the DS, and uses a much larger touch screen surface.
Below I've listed some of my favorite game titles/gaming websites, for each platform:
PC-
1. Maple Story MMORPG- http://maplestory.nexon.net/
2. Farmville- http://www.farmville.com/
3. SPP SuperPoke Pets! https://secure.superpokepets.com/spp/login
4. Big Fish Games- You can download & pay per game, or pay a subscription for full games. I enjoy playing "match 3" games & "hidden object" games. I enjoy: Huntsville Mysteries, Bookworm, Asami's Sushi Shop, Fishdom, Puzzle Quest 2 & 7 Wonders. All the titles I listed are mouse driven. http://www.bigfishgames.com
5. The Sims Series- http://thesims.ea.com/
6. Spore- http://www.spore.com
Nintendo DS-
1. Animal Crossing: Wild World- http://ds.ign.com/articles/673/673671p1.html
2. Mario vs. Donkey Kong series- http://ds.ign.com/articles/113/1134070p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/735/735297p1.html
3. Final Fantasy IV- http://ds.ign.com/articles/887/887583p1.html
4. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light- http://ds.ign.com/articles/112/1125729p1.html
5. The Cooking with Mama series- http://ds.ign.com/articles/733/733555p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/837/837283p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/103/1038659p1.html
6. Disney Princess: Magical Jewels- http://ds.ign.com/articles/831/831424p1.html
7. The Professor Layton Mystery series- http://ds.ign.com/articles/851/851856p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/101/1017161p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/111/1119632p1.html
8. Chrono Trigger- http://ds.ign.com/articles/932/932438p1.html
9. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon- http://ds.ign.com/articles/954/954421p1.html
10. Wario's Warehouse series- http://ds.ign.com/articles/587/587217p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/107/1079712p1.html
11. Brain Age series- http://ds.ign.com/articles/702/702057p1.html, http://ds.ign.com/articles/813/813780p1.html
12. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky- http://ds.ign.com/articles/110/1104879p1.html
13. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hour Glass (was very disappointed that Zelda: Spirit Tracks uses a button/stylus combo)- http://ds.ign.com/articles/822/822825p1.html
14. Pokemon Diamond (have to use buttons, but it is a turned based RPG, which makes that doable)- http://ds.ign.com/articles/782/782443p1.html
15. Yoshi Touch & Go- http://ds.ign.com/articles/595/595523p1.html
16. Age of Empires Mythologies- http://ds.ign.com/articles/933/933525p1.html
17. Harvest Moon DS Cute- http://ds.ign.com/articles/864/864320p1.html
18. Ninjatown- http://ds.ign.com/articles/924/924068p1.html
19. Gardening Mama- http://ds.ign.com/articles/969/969213p1.html
iPad-
1. Final Fantasy- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/final-fantasy/id354972939?mt=8
2. Crystal Defenders- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crystal-defenders-for-ipad/id379052382?mt=8
3. Chaos Rings- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chaos-rings-for-ipad/id384090103?mt=8
4. Puzzle Quest- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-quest-hd/id398190768?mt=8
5. Color Cross HD- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/color-cross-hd/id383300986?mt=8
6. Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jewel-quest-mysteries-curse/id337188077?mt=8
7. Chop Chop Ninja- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chop-chop-ninja/id346877580?mt=8
8. Angry Birds series- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/angry-birds/id343200656?mt=8
9. Smiles HD- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smiles-hd/id364871736?mt=8
Related Info:
1. Article about Randy- http://www.asylum.com/2010/04/13/amazing-pro-gamer-nom4d-plays-with-just-his-lips-and-chin/
2. Randy's YouTube channel- http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealN0M4D
3. Video demo of me using my iPad (with Pogo stylus)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H85Lb8Pyu9U&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Slacker
Lately I've been feeling like a complete slacker. Mostly because I have painted in a while, and have nothing concrete planned. It's important to me to feel like I'm contributing to society, especially now, since I'm no longer teaching. I want to be working. I miss my job terribly. Sometimes I think teaching full time, on an elementary school schedule would be near impossible for me, in my condition. On the other hand, I'm confident that I could still do my job, if I had the assistance I needed. Realistically, I'm just not sure that I'd have the health or stamina to handle a forty (more like sixty) hour work week. So I've tried my best to compromise and still feel like I'm giving something. I never want to feel like I'm just leeching off the system. There are already too many people out there that choose to be selfish and lazy and abuse the system. That's not me.
The past two years I've had something to prepare for, every couple of months. Starting with the fundraiser, I sat for several newspaper interviews, did several online interviews, prepared for the three exhibits, painted for MFPA, went to an artist forum & did the two television shows. Now that it's all finished, I feel like I'm just sitting around. Part of the problem is the fact that I just don't feel well a lot of the time. My tolerance for the chair has been weakened, ever since I had that really bad bedsore on my upper thigh. After three or four hours I often feel feverish, have the chills or this weird tingly sensation I attribute to my catheter being pinched, or going to the bathroom. Either way, they are uncomfortable symptoms that often have no visible cause. I think it's just my body's way of letting me know I need to lay down. During the past six months or so, I've also been dealing with mysterious chest pains. It's not so much pain, as it is discomfort, but it is very annoying and makes it hard to relax. It started out as a tightness in between my ribcage and has since migrated to my left breast. At times, it feels like I have a huge boulder on top of the area. Other days, it feels like a giant is squeezing me with all its might. The worst is when it combines with my neck/shoulder pain. Most recently, I've been getting a throbbing pain all through my back, especially in my lower back. It's all very odd and frustrating, because I can't feel the exterior; I only feel the interior. Could I really be feeling my bones and muscles? I doubt it. Regardless, I've had all kinds of tests done in hopes of finding a cause and haven't had any luck. All my major organs are fine. My breathing is good and my blood work is fine. That leaves me with, "it could be stress or neurological pain." Great.
Long story short, is that I've been staying in bed quite a bit, these past six months or so. Mostly because I don't feel it's worth getting up, if I'm only going to feel crappy and crave being in bed the whole time. My painting has taken a back seat, as it is the one thing I can't do in bed. Even when I do get up, it's so few and far between that I usually don't feel like using the time to paint. However, then I feel guilty, like I'm being lazy. I have ideas ready; I just need to get started. It's especially hard to force myself when I know I don't have a set deadline or schedule. The shows kept me motivated. On the other hand, I start to think, if I got my butt in gear and painted more, I'd have more work to potentially exhibit. Instead, I've been trying to work on my website and I got some really nice color business cards printed up. I thought it would be more professional and an easy way to share my information. They're a custom design with one on my paintings on the front, along with my website address and a statistic about spinal cord injuries on the reverse side. Luckily, there are a million ways to promote yourself and/or a cause using the internet. I plan to continue working on computer stuff, but I really do need a push to paint!
In efforts of motivating myself, signed up to participate in something.called "the sketchbook project." It's run by a group called the "arthouse co-op, out of The Brooklyn Art Library. I just happened to click on a Facebook ad for it the other night, because it looked interesting. Basically, you sign up, they send you a sketchbook, you fill it & send it back. All of the sketchbooks then go on to exhibitions as part of a cross country tour. Each sketchbook gets abarcode, which can be used to track the book & see if people looked at it. The tour includes exhibits in a bunch of major cities: Brooklyn, NY Austin, TX San Francisco, CA Portland, MEAtlanta, GA &Chicago, IL. Once it's over, people will be able to look at them in the Brooklyn Art Library. I also paid a small extra fee, for the book to be digitized and added to an online library. It sounds like a really cool idea and I'm excited about participating. All I have to do is choose a theme, use the book & not change it's dimensions. I chose the theme "Help!" I thought it was perfect for the purpose of advocacy. I plan on making my sketchbook about paralysis and my hope for a cure. The cool thing is, I can sketch everything on my iPad and then print and transfer them to the book. So staying in bed is no excuse! It'll be interesting to document my progress and follow the book, on its travels. I'll definitely blog about it once I get started.
Speaking of blogs, I had read this article about a paralyzed pro gamer (Randy) & thought it would make for an interesting blog, if I could interview him. I took a chance & contacted him through his youtube site. He agreed & most likely I'll be talking to him soon, through Skype.It'll be cool to compare notes with Randy & hopefully make an interesting blog. I'm sure there are people out there that think they can't play video games, because of physical disabilities. I'm hoping by sharing mine and Randy's techniques and stories we can inspire some new gamers. I've always been into gaming, but it's been especially helpful in coping with my situation. Gaming provides a much needed escape and source of enjoyment.
Long story short, is that I've been staying in bed quite a bit, these past six months or so. Mostly because I don't feel it's worth getting up, if I'm only going to feel crappy and crave being in bed the whole time. My painting has taken a back seat, as it is the one thing I can't do in bed. Even when I do get up, it's so few and far between that I usually don't feel like using the time to paint. However, then I feel guilty, like I'm being lazy. I have ideas ready; I just need to get started. It's especially hard to force myself when I know I don't have a set deadline or schedule. The shows kept me motivated. On the other hand, I start to think, if I got my butt in gear and painted more, I'd have more work to potentially exhibit. Instead, I've been trying to work on my website and I got some really nice color business cards printed up. I thought it would be more professional and an easy way to share my information. They're a custom design with one on my paintings on the front, along with my website address and a statistic about spinal cord injuries on the reverse side. Luckily, there are a million ways to promote yourself and/or a cause using the internet. I plan to continue working on computer stuff, but I really do need a push to paint!
In efforts of motivating myself, signed up to participate in something.called "the sketchbook project." It's run by a group called the "arthouse co-op, out of The Brooklyn Art Library. I just happened to click on a Facebook ad for it the other night, because it looked interesting. Basically, you sign up, they send you a sketchbook, you fill it & send it back. All of the sketchbooks then go on to exhibitions as part of a cross country tour. Each sketchbook gets abarcode, which can be used to track the book & see if people looked at it. The tour includes exhibits in a bunch of major cities: Brooklyn, NY Austin, TX San Francisco, CA Portland, MEAtlanta, GA &Chicago, IL. Once it's over, people will be able to look at them in the Brooklyn Art Library. I also paid a small extra fee, for the book to be digitized and added to an online library. It sounds like a really cool idea and I'm excited about participating. All I have to do is choose a theme, use the book & not change it's dimensions. I chose the theme "Help!" I thought it was perfect for the purpose of advocacy. I plan on making my sketchbook about paralysis and my hope for a cure. The cool thing is, I can sketch everything on my iPad and then print and transfer them to the book. So staying in bed is no excuse! It'll be interesting to document my progress and follow the book, on its travels. I'll definitely blog about it once I get started.
Speaking of blogs, I had read this article about a paralyzed pro gamer (Randy) & thought it would make for an interesting blog, if I could interview him. I took a chance & contacted him through his youtube site. He agreed & most likely I'll be talking to him soon, through Skype.It'll be cool to compare notes with Randy & hopefully make an interesting blog. I'm sure there are people out there that think they can't play video games, because of physical disabilities. I'm hoping by sharing mine and Randy's techniques and stories we can inspire some new gamers. I've always been into gaming, but it's been especially helpful in coping with my situation. Gaming provides a much needed escape and source of enjoyment.
Friday, April 23, 2010
iPad Review (with people with disabilities in mind)
I've had my iPad for a week now & have to say, I'm loving it! I haven't gone nuts downloading a ton of apps, but I do have a variety that I think are worth mentioning. There are a few things I'd definitely like to see in the next generation of iPads and a few flaws, that Apple could probably address with software updates.
Overall, the functionality is pretty intuitive and I can do most things that anyone else could. There are a few multi-finger gestures that I can't do, but for the most part, I've been able to navigate quite well, using my stylus. Certain functions can be done in multiple ways, for example, you can enlarge or shrink pages by pinching and pulling at the corners or you can double tap. I have noticed that the iPad is very particular and is programed to sense tiny differences in movement, pressure and the duration of your finger or stylus is on the screen. Because it is so sensitive, it does seem to work more accurately and consistently with fingers, versus the stylus. There have been many times that I've been using it and I have to try to push the same area two or three times, before I get it just right. It can be annoying at times. I think the easiest solution would be, for Apple to design a capacitive stylus with a more precise tip. All of the capacitive styluses that I've come across (including the Pogo that I'm using) have a thick tip, about the circumference of a pencil eraser. If they could somehow narrow the tip to a point, it would make it easier to be accurate.
As far as accessibility to goes, I really think Apple should include some sort of override setting for the stylus. It would solve the problem of not being able to do multi-finger gestures and it would help the iPad to recognize the difference between stylus and fingers. I haven't tried the Voice option yet, but the ability to change font size and adjust the volume and brightness, in the settings menu is helpful. I'm very pleased that there aren't many external buttons. The only other "problem" I've come across in concerns of accessibility is that, some apps rely on movement and/or do not self adjust the orientation. In terms of being accessible, Apple should consider the fact that many people with disabilities cannot pick up, or move the iPadthemselves. I realize that there are only a small amount of iPad users with this unique problem, however, it is a concern to those of us dealing with paralysis and motor skill deficiencies. It's a minor issue that could most likely be easily resolved by giving users the option of shutting of kinetic features and/or individual apps could give users alternative means of controlling the device.
The iPad technically, has no "correct" orientation, and is supposed to adjust itself based on the movement of the iPad itself. You can choose to lock the orientation if you wish, however some apps (mostly games) rely on kinetics, such as Nintendo Wii. In the game Sims3, for example, you need to shake the iPad as part of earning cooking skills. Since I can't shake, or handle my iPad, I'm destined for virtual cooking failure. It would be simple for creators to allow tapping as an alternative; just as lazy people have the choice to play their Wii from the couch. Kinetic gaming features are cool, but I don't see any justification for them being absolutely necessary. Many of the current apps already allow for customization, so I don't see why Apple couldn't make the kinetic features optional.
A lot of the iPad apps are iPhone apps that Apple has tweaked for use with the iPad. The one glitch I've encountered in several apps, is that they are only setup to work in the "portrait" position. This means, you're forced to use the iPad vertically, and depending on how you have to position the iPadin order to use it, vertical might not be the most convenient orientation. I for one, use my iPad in the horizontal orientation, because the height is shorter than the width, thus making it easier for me to reach/touch the entire surface.The current apps that only work vertically, could easily provide updates to rectify the issue. Some of the TV sites like, ABC, TLC and Discovery Channel do not (yet) automatically self adjust, or the home page is vertical, while the videos can be watched in either portrait or landscape. I'm hoping more apps will update the iPad apps to work in both orientations. I find it ironic that there are (at times) unnecessary kinetic features embedded into games and yet, apps that should respond to movement, to auto-correct the orientation of the iPad don't always work.
My only other complaint is the inability to view or use anything to do with Flash. I think this is a big mistake, as tons of very popular websites use Flash and aren't accessible on the iPad. No Flash means only having a limited access to the web; which stinks. I'll be using my iPad primarily from home, so I rely on my existing wireless network for internet access. However, I'd be ticked off if I was one of the thousands of people that are paying extra for 3G (access on the go) service. I can't see paying full price for internet services, if you don't have full access. Some of my favorite sites rely on Flash, like HULU and Facebook games (like Zynga and Slide games). You can also forget about playing huge multi-player games, like World ofWarcraft and Maple Story. I can't even access the social section of my own website, because it uses Flash. If I really want/need to access Flash websites, I can switch off to my laptop. Apple would like you to think that the iPad is a smaller, more convenient version of a laptop PC, but that isn't true. The iPad has the potential to replace traditional laptops in the future, but currently, there are too many missing capabilities to make the switch from a PC to iPad alone. Right now, iPad's capabilities are stuck in between the versatility of a PC and the limitations of specialized mobile gadgets, like e-books. That said, the things the iPad CAN do are pretty sweet!
Two of the best features of the iPad are it's compact size (smaller than the average magazine) and its full touchscreen. The iPad is definitely easier to lug around than a laptop, and easier to read, and operate than smart phones. My dad is always complaining about the ever shrinking size of electronic gadgets; he says, "they're designed for Leprechauns." I know myself, that trying to use my cell phone or other electronic devices are difficult to use, because of my limited mobility. I no longer have the dexterity or fine motor skills required to push buttons that are a quarter inch in size. I'm sure many people with disabilities, and the elderly, find it frustrating, not being able to read or accurately press buttons. The iPad is great, because it allows for customization. You can increase the size and type of font of text and easily zoom the screen in and out, which makes for much easier reading. The lack of buttons is also a plus. The touch screen is far easier to operate than pushing keys or having to scroll and select things with a mouse. If I want to type on a PC, using Microsoft's on-screen keyboard, I have to use mouse to select and press each key. The process is so tedious that it's not worth it for me to use. My iPad's on-screen keyboard is huge and I touch each key directly, as if I were using a traditional keyboard. Being able to type laying down gives me more time in the day to write, answer emails and surf the web. Before I owned the iPad, I was limited to only typing if I was sitting and only being able to use the mouse, if I were laying down. Now, I have more options to how I spend my day, because I have extra time to write.
The other great features of the iPad are: e-reader, social networking, productivity, gaming, music, videos and creativity. Even though there are limitations to surfing the web, it's great to be able to check e-mails and keep up with social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook. The e-reader feature is awesome, and has all the best qualities of the top three competitors. iPad gives users the freedom to download and purchase books from a variety of sources, so you can shop around for deals and freebies. The fact that it has a full color touchscreen, makes it feel more like you're reading an actual book or magazine. The advantage is, you can store thousands of books into it's small size, customize the font and look up words, with it's built in dictionary and search features. Not to mention, for someone like me, that has to turn pages with a stick and has an elaborate set-up (tables and book stands), every time I want to read, the e-books are a godsent. My iPad has taken out all the stress that comes along with reading and made me more motivated to want to read.
If you get tired of reading, there are tons of fun games, which are all operated by touch, similar to the Nintendo DS. You can also save space withiTunes, since you can store tons of your CDs and movies. It's pretty amazing how much stuff you can carry around in such a small device. There's also lots of great productivity apps, that give you the ability to work on the go, manage/organize information and jot down ideas. One of my favorite apps is Sketchbook Pro, which lets me create art. I haven't had the freedom to sketch in a long time. For me, the annoyance of having to ask for help every two seconds, (for an eraser or changing colors) takes away the enjoyment of drawing. The iPad sketch book gives me the freedom to switch colors and textures, as well as to make corrections on my own. It's amazing how well the program simulates different mediums and it gives you the ability to create work in layers. I'd say it's a must have for any artist.
I realize the iPad is a bit pricey, for the average middle class person. The good news is that it does come in several versions; the cheapest runs around $500. If you already own a smart phone, you might want to wait and see what (if any) changes they make to the next generation of iPads. The originaliPad is sure to drop in price as newer versions get released. If you don't own a laptop or a smart phone, you really should take a trip the Apple store and check out the iPad. Also, if you're thinking about investing in an e-reader, it's well worth the extra $100-200, considering everything the iPad can do. I'd highly recommend the iPad for people with disabilities, especially those people that enjoy reading and/or writing. It can take the place of bulkier, assistive devices, that aren't as versatile or easy to use. Plus, the iPad gives the user freedom to switch between tasks independently. I'm always grateful to have anything that gives me back a sense of freedom or independence.
Overall, the functionality is pretty intuitive and I can do most things that anyone else could. There are a few multi-finger gestures that I can't do, but for the most part, I've been able to navigate quite well, using my stylus. Certain functions can be done in multiple ways, for example, you can enlarge or shrink pages by pinching and pulling at the corners or you can double tap. I have noticed that the iPad is very particular and is programed to sense tiny differences in movement, pressure and the duration of your finger or stylus is on the screen. Because it is so sensitive, it does seem to work more accurately and consistently with fingers, versus the stylus. There have been many times that I've been using it and I have to try to push the same area two or three times, before I get it just right. It can be annoying at times. I think the easiest solution would be, for Apple to design a capacitive stylus with a more precise tip. All of the capacitive styluses that I've come across (including the Pogo that I'm using) have a thick tip, about the circumference of a pencil eraser. If they could somehow narrow the tip to a point, it would make it easier to be accurate.
As far as accessibility to goes, I really think Apple should include some sort of override setting for the stylus. It would solve the problem of not being able to do multi-finger gestures and it would help the iPad to recognize the difference between stylus and fingers. I haven't tried the Voice option yet, but the ability to change font size and adjust the volume and brightness, in the settings menu is helpful. I'm very pleased that there aren't many external buttons. The only other "problem" I've come across in concerns of accessibility is that, some apps rely on movement and/or do not self adjust the orientation. In terms of being accessible, Apple should consider the fact that many people with disabilities cannot pick up, or move the iPadthemselves. I realize that there are only a small amount of iPad users with this unique problem, however, it is a concern to those of us dealing with paralysis and motor skill deficiencies. It's a minor issue that could most likely be easily resolved by giving users the option of shutting of kinetic features and/or individual apps could give users alternative means of controlling the device.
The iPad technically, has no "correct" orientation, and is supposed to adjust itself based on the movement of the iPad itself. You can choose to lock the orientation if you wish, however some apps (mostly games) rely on kinetics, such as Nintendo Wii. In the game Sims3, for example, you need to shake the iPad as part of earning cooking skills. Since I can't shake, or handle my iPad, I'm destined for virtual cooking failure. It would be simple for creators to allow tapping as an alternative; just as lazy people have the choice to play their Wii from the couch. Kinetic gaming features are cool, but I don't see any justification for them being absolutely necessary. Many of the current apps already allow for customization, so I don't see why Apple couldn't make the kinetic features optional.
A lot of the iPad apps are iPhone apps that Apple has tweaked for use with the iPad. The one glitch I've encountered in several apps, is that they are only setup to work in the "portrait" position. This means, you're forced to use the iPad vertically, and depending on how you have to position the iPadin order to use it, vertical might not be the most convenient orientation. I for one, use my iPad in the horizontal orientation, because the height is shorter than the width, thus making it easier for me to reach/touch the entire surface.The current apps that only work vertically, could easily provide updates to rectify the issue. Some of the TV sites like, ABC, TLC and Discovery Channel do not (yet) automatically self adjust, or the home page is vertical, while the videos can be watched in either portrait or landscape. I'm hoping more apps will update the iPad apps to work in both orientations. I find it ironic that there are (at times) unnecessary kinetic features embedded into games and yet, apps that should respond to movement, to auto-correct the orientation of the iPad don't always work.
My only other complaint is the inability to view or use anything to do with Flash. I think this is a big mistake, as tons of very popular websites use Flash and aren't accessible on the iPad. No Flash means only having a limited access to the web; which stinks. I'll be using my iPad primarily from home, so I rely on my existing wireless network for internet access. However, I'd be ticked off if I was one of the thousands of people that are paying extra for 3G (access on the go) service. I can't see paying full price for internet services, if you don't have full access. Some of my favorite sites rely on Flash, like HULU and Facebook games (like Zynga and Slide games). You can also forget about playing huge multi-player games, like World ofWarcraft and Maple Story. I can't even access the social section of my own website, because it uses Flash. If I really want/need to access Flash websites, I can switch off to my laptop. Apple would like you to think that the iPad is a smaller, more convenient version of a laptop PC, but that isn't true. The iPad has the potential to replace traditional laptops in the future, but currently, there are too many missing capabilities to make the switch from a PC to iPad alone. Right now, iPad's capabilities are stuck in between the versatility of a PC and the limitations of specialized mobile gadgets, like e-books. That said, the things the iPad CAN do are pretty sweet!
Two of the best features of the iPad are it's compact size (smaller than the average magazine) and its full touchscreen. The iPad is definitely easier to lug around than a laptop, and easier to read, and operate than smart phones. My dad is always complaining about the ever shrinking size of electronic gadgets; he says, "they're designed for Leprechauns." I know myself, that trying to use my cell phone or other electronic devices are difficult to use, because of my limited mobility. I no longer have the dexterity or fine motor skills required to push buttons that are a quarter inch in size. I'm sure many people with disabilities, and the elderly, find it frustrating, not being able to read or accurately press buttons. The iPad is great, because it allows for customization. You can increase the size and type of font of text and easily zoom the screen in and out, which makes for much easier reading. The lack of buttons is also a plus. The touch screen is far easier to operate than pushing keys or having to scroll and select things with a mouse. If I want to type on a PC, using Microsoft's on-screen keyboard, I have to use mouse to select and press each key. The process is so tedious that it's not worth it for me to use. My iPad's on-screen keyboard is huge and I touch each key directly, as if I were using a traditional keyboard. Being able to type laying down gives me more time in the day to write, answer emails and surf the web. Before I owned the iPad, I was limited to only typing if I was sitting and only being able to use the mouse, if I were laying down. Now, I have more options to how I spend my day, because I have extra time to write.
The other great features of the iPad are: e-reader, social networking, productivity, gaming, music, videos and creativity. Even though there are limitations to surfing the web, it's great to be able to check e-mails and keep up with social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook. The e-reader feature is awesome, and has all the best qualities of the top three competitors. iPad gives users the freedom to download and purchase books from a variety of sources, so you can shop around for deals and freebies. The fact that it has a full color touchscreen, makes it feel more like you're reading an actual book or magazine. The advantage is, you can store thousands of books into it's small size, customize the font and look up words, with it's built in dictionary and search features. Not to mention, for someone like me, that has to turn pages with a stick and has an elaborate set-up (tables and book stands), every time I want to read, the e-books are a godsent. My iPad has taken out all the stress that comes along with reading and made me more motivated to want to read.
If you get tired of reading, there are tons of fun games, which are all operated by touch, similar to the Nintendo DS. You can also save space withiTunes, since you can store tons of your CDs and movies. It's pretty amazing how much stuff you can carry around in such a small device. There's also lots of great productivity apps, that give you the ability to work on the go, manage/organize information and jot down ideas. One of my favorite apps is Sketchbook Pro, which lets me create art. I haven't had the freedom to sketch in a long time. For me, the annoyance of having to ask for help every two seconds, (for an eraser or changing colors) takes away the enjoyment of drawing. The iPad sketch book gives me the freedom to switch colors and textures, as well as to make corrections on my own. It's amazing how well the program simulates different mediums and it gives you the ability to create work in layers. I'd say it's a must have for any artist.
I realize the iPad is a bit pricey, for the average middle class person. The good news is that it does come in several versions; the cheapest runs around $500. If you already own a smart phone, you might want to wait and see what (if any) changes they make to the next generation of iPads. The originaliPad is sure to drop in price as newer versions get released. If you don't own a laptop or a smart phone, you really should take a trip the Apple store and check out the iPad. Also, if you're thinking about investing in an e-reader, it's well worth the extra $100-200, considering everything the iPad can do. I'd highly recommend the iPad for people with disabilities, especially those people that enjoy reading and/or writing. It can take the place of bulkier, assistive devices, that aren't as versatile or easy to use. Plus, the iPad gives the user freedom to switch between tasks independently. I'm always grateful to have anything that gives me back a sense of freedom or independence.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Hacked
I’ve been playing this online game called MapleStory (MS for short) since 2006. A friend introduced me to MS when I was still living in the nursing home. I was big into gaming before my accident & it stinks that I can no longer play 95% of my console games. At the time of my accident I had Nintendo Gameboy SP, Gamecube & Xbox. Since I can’t use my hands I’m limited to hitting one key at a time with my mouth stick. Most modern games require multiple button combos to play, so when I found MS it was awesome to be able to adapt the controls and be able to play with my mouth.
For those of you that aren’t gamers, MS is what you call a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). MMORPGs consist of thousands to millions of players. You create a character and name and you can play with and interact with other real life people. Most MMORPG have loose open ended storylines that allow you to choose from a variety of things to do and allow you to customize your experience. The game worlds are online social communities which allow you to meet new people, play with friends and work as a team, to meet objectives, win achievements and/or complete quests. Typically there are specific class types, which you choose from early on such as; warrior, mage, archer, bowman, ninja and pirate. Some games offer subclasses as well. Your class determines what kind of equips, weapons and items you’ll need and which skills you’ll acquire. You advance in level and skills through gaining experience, which is usually given in points that correlate to the monsters you kill or as rewards for completing quests. Each subsequent level requires more experience points than the last level and special abilities and skills are usually increased with each level. Some MMORPGs charge subscription fees to play (like World of War Craft), while others offer free access. Although MS is free to play, there are tons of optional items you can buy to enhance your game play. In both types of MMORPG you gain an in-game currency, which you need to buy equips, weapons and items. In MS the game currency is called “meso.” In a free access game like MS it becomes increasingly harder to rely solely on game currency alone, so many people buy the optional currency to take advantage of the specialty items. In MS the cash shop items are purchased with “NX” which you can buy on the company game site or in gift card form.
Maple Story is unique in that it is a 2D side scrolling format; similar to the old 16bit systems, like SNES and Sega Genesis. Its cute anime inspired look and overall game design make it a family friendly game. The monsters and environments are adorable (most) and although you kill monsters, there isn’t the guts, gore and realism of other contemporary games. For the most part teamwork is promoted over competition, as there is little player versus player game play.
As I mentioned before, I was still living in the nursing home when I started playing MS. My time spent at the nursing home was the hardest and darkest period of my life. I was extremely depressed. Maple Story provided me with a much needed escape from reality. As corny as it sounds, MS played a huge role in helping me retain my sanity that first year post accident. It was a distraction from my sad situation. It gave me the opportunity to meet new people and hang out with friends, without ever leaving my room. In Maple Story I am the same as everyone else; no one can tell I play with a mouth stick unless I choose to tell them. Given my situation, it’s a good feeling to be able to fit in and feel equal to everyone else. MS gave me a few hours every day where I could escape reality and not focus so much on my sadness.
Gaming can be very addictive and there was a time when I played MS at least five or six hours every day. I don’t play nearly as much now, but it is still an enjoyable part of my life and I often use my time online to simply socialize. I’ve met some wonderful friends through MS, from all over the country (as well as a few other countries) that I would’ve never met otherwise. I have a lot of free time, being unemployed. Since I’ve been back in my own apartment I’ve become more involved with advocacy work, for finding a cure to paralysis. I’ve had opportunities to exhibit my art and have to split my time in the chair between work & play, so to speak. Overall, if I were to calculate all the time I’ve spent playing MS this past 3 ½ years, I’m sure I’ve easily invested several weeks of my life online. That probably seems excessive, but you have to keep in mind that I have way more free time than the average person and the first year I played I used MS as an escape. Being newly paralyzed and living in a nursing facility is a reality I’m sure anyone would like to escape.
I know a couple of people that play MS without spending money on NX, but on a whole, I’d say the vast majority of players invest in NX. It is near impossible to keep up with friends (level and skill) without NX. When I first started playing in ’06 the game environment was much smaller and most NX items were just covers for in game equips and weapons that didn’t have a functional purpose; purely cosmetic. As the game has grown, so has the cash shop. There are now certain aspects of the game that can only be accessed with NX (such as Amoria party quest). Most NX items expire in 90 days, so if it’s something you feel you need you basically end up spending what you might spend on subscription to other games. Since I can only hit one key at a time with my stick it has become increasingly more difficult to play without NX. There are certain items which I buy regularly to be able to play on par with traditional players (people that play with 10 working fingers). I rely heavily on my pet and pet equips to pick up items, mesos and use potions. If I had to pick up items myself or heal myself it would be too frustrating to play once I reach a certain point. Fighting monsters gets harder with each level and I can’t hit two keys at a time, so without NX items I’d have to constantly switch between attacking and healing. Not only would it slow me down, it would force me to waste tons of mesos on extra potions. Without a pet, I’d die very often, which is frustrating and wastes time and experience points. I keep a regular stock of safety charms; in the event I do die my charm saves me from losing experience. At high levels (120+ out of 200) it can take hours, if not days to gain a level, so if you die without a charm you waste a significant amount of time. There are special tickets which double points and drops. I buy double experience regularly. I level much slower than most players as is, so 2xs experience helps me to keep up with friends. On average, I spend $40-$60 every 90 days, which is comparable to subscription fees. There are times where I’ve been playing more often and I tend to spend even more during those periods. I like NX items; they make the game more enjoyable for me. On a whole, I don’t mind buying NX. I look at buying NX like buying console games, which I used to spend just as much on, if not more.
You gain game currency (mesos in MapleStory) by killing monsters, doing quests and selling rare game items. Many people (including me) make tons of mesos selling equips, scrolls and rare items. Some rare items are monster drops, while others are won in gachapon (a lottery type game feature which requires NX tickets to play); both methods rely solely on luck. Rare items and good equips (give high status boosts) can cost several hundred million mesos! Since the prices are set by players the prices/value of items fluctuates. You also use mesos to buy potions to heal or boost stats, as well as use certain in-game services, such as; transportation between areas and item creation. I’ve easily made and spent billions of meso over the past several years. I’ve had a few lucky sales (most recently I sold an elemental wand for close to 900mil meso) which in turn, allowed me to buy really good equips and rare collector items like chairs. My account consists of a 4th job level hero (133/200), 3rd job level priest (114/200), two 2nd job characters and a low level character for storage.
The difference in buying a game outright versus subscribing to game access or buying digital items is that there is a much higher risk of losing your investment with online games. I can hold a Gameboy DS game in my hands. I know my console games are here, safe in my home, available to use at anytime and only cost me a onetime fee. Since I started playing MS I’ve easily invested hundreds (maybe even over one thousand) of dollars over the past 3-4 years. Again, that might seem exorbitant to a non-gamer, but keep in mind that console game systems cost $200-400 for the system and $20-60 per game. The good news with console game systems is that you can trade them in for a little cash towards a newer model and short of a burglary on my home, my investment is safe and sound.
Maple Story is the first and only MMORPG I’ve ever played. It is also the first online game I’ve invested real money in (buying NX). In terms of overall investment, I’ve dedicated almost 4 years of time and had built up an impressive collection of equips and items. I’ve always known that hackers existed in MS. In fact, they were everywhere when I first started playing. You could see them fighting with no damage, vacking all the monsters and items off of map, botting or stealing drops. My second year playing there was a massive hack of most guilds, in which most guilds in my server (Windia) were disbanded. Since the guild hack I’ve been paranoid to accept trade requests, I avoid hanging out in the free market and I disable my chat and trade abilities. MapleStory security has improved a lot since I began playing and I actively take my own precautions. At least six months to a year ago I switched from using Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox because I read about hack threats and a few friends suggested the switch as well. I’ve changed my password and pin over time and I stay away from sketchy websites. I seldom use instant messages & when I do it’s with people I know. I don’t add random buddy requests. I have a pop-up blocker and subscribe to Trend Micro antivirus software, which in theory, gives me my own firewall and protection.
All that said, I sign in to play MS today, only to discover I’ve somehow been hacked. Needless to say, I’m devastated. I could see if I was completely naïve and didn’t take any proactive steps to protect myself; the fact that I do and yet I still got hacked makes me furious as well as crushed. How much more do I have to do to protect myself? What is my antivirus doing? It’s designed to provide me with “internet security,” but given this incident, clearly my information is not secure. Putting the time factor aside, the hacker stripped my account clean off any/all equips worth meso, including (off the top of my head because 1- I didn’t keep a running inventory of my things, 2-I’m too flustered at the moment to try and make a comprehensive list & 3- It’s highly doubtful Nexon will reimburse or return anything); two devil sunrise swords (mine being 116attack), toy maker equips, round pink chair, Olivia chair, countless scrolls, all the inner tubes, another 100+ sword, all the holiday even equips I collected (which is almost all of them since Halloween ’06), priest equips that gave me +50int stat boost and the 700mil mesos I had in my storage. So in essence, I was robbed of at least $300 in permanent NX items/modifications, easily 1-2bil mesos worth of equips and 700mil in fluid mesos.
I sit here scratching my head at how I was hacked and whether or not the theft will only include my MS account. Should I be panicking because I paid bills online today? Are my bank accounts next? I feel overloaded of mixed emotions and many questions. Most importantly, is the invasion over? Although they might seem like pointless pixels to some, I was robbed of items that were rightfully mine. Unlike a house robbery or mugging, there is no insurance to cover my virtual property. I feel just as violated. It doesn’t matter that the stolen goods were virtual. They were my equips, my items, my account; paid for with actual time and money. What if anything can be done? I’m going to report it to Nexon (company that owns MS), but what will they do about it? Given how easy it is to trade, drop or sell items, is there any way to trace my things? Even if they could find all my things, what happens to the person that buys them thinking the seller is a legit player? Will they return my 700mil mesos, if nothing else? How can I prove what I lost? Then of course there’s the bigger concern of all the other potential info and virtual things I own. Why is it that I use a paid antivirus program and hackers still broke through?
I was on MS just last week and all was well. Whenever the account was hacked has got to be in the last 10 days (at most). In terms of my actions, the only thing I can come up with is the fact that I used Internet Explorer this past week. The Trend Micro software and a couple other programs use it as a default browser and a couple of flash games I like work better. I did a manual scan (right after I discovered I’d been hacked) & sure enough, it found a bunch of cookies; thanks to Explorer. Why is it that threatening things are blocked on Mozilla and get through on Explorer? I’d gladly take Explorer off my computer, but I tried that once in the past & Windows did not react kindly. Besides, the damage is done.
This whole experience has left me angry & feeling vulnerable. It saddens me to quit playing MapleStory. I’ve had a lot of fun playing. I’ve seen dozens of players come and go these past four years. If my buddy list, guilds and general experience are representative of the MS community, I’d say I’m one of the few (out of millions) that have stayed relatively active for that long. Nexon will be losing a reliable, dedicated customer; whether or not they care is questionable. I’m wondering what to do next. Regardless that it’s a bunch of pixels, it was a collection of things I worked hard to get (Hard in terms of gaming; I realize it seems trivial in terms of life and importance in general.). Legally speaking, I paid for quite a bit of it with real money. With everything I’ve been through in my life; divorced parents, the death of my sister, my accident and subsequent paralysis, this doesn’t rate as super high in terms of trauma. It is the principle. MapleStory has played an important role in my life post accident and everything taken represents a collection of things that has given me a bit of happiness, despite my lowest times. It’s not the first time important things have been stolen from me. Lord knows, my accident robbed me of an entirely different life.
The computer empowers me and gives me freedoms to control my personal info, shopping, banking, socializing, advocacy and bill payment. If I can’t trust “secure” sites like Facebook, Yahoo, Best Buy, Bank of America or Internet Explorer at all, how can I safely use the internet? I’m shaken, disappointed and confused on where to go from here, in terms of my virtual life.
For those of you that aren’t gamers, MS is what you call a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). MMORPGs consist of thousands to millions of players. You create a character and name and you can play with and interact with other real life people. Most MMORPG have loose open ended storylines that allow you to choose from a variety of things to do and allow you to customize your experience. The game worlds are online social communities which allow you to meet new people, play with friends and work as a team, to meet objectives, win achievements and/or complete quests. Typically there are specific class types, which you choose from early on such as; warrior, mage, archer, bowman, ninja and pirate. Some games offer subclasses as well. Your class determines what kind of equips, weapons and items you’ll need and which skills you’ll acquire. You advance in level and skills through gaining experience, which is usually given in points that correlate to the monsters you kill or as rewards for completing quests. Each subsequent level requires more experience points than the last level and special abilities and skills are usually increased with each level. Some MMORPGs charge subscription fees to play (like World of War Craft), while others offer free access. Although MS is free to play, there are tons of optional items you can buy to enhance your game play. In both types of MMORPG you gain an in-game currency, which you need to buy equips, weapons and items. In MS the game currency is called “meso.” In a free access game like MS it becomes increasingly harder to rely solely on game currency alone, so many people buy the optional currency to take advantage of the specialty items. In MS the cash shop items are purchased with “NX” which you can buy on the company game site or in gift card form.
Maple Story is unique in that it is a 2D side scrolling format; similar to the old 16bit systems, like SNES and Sega Genesis. Its cute anime inspired look and overall game design make it a family friendly game. The monsters and environments are adorable (most) and although you kill monsters, there isn’t the guts, gore and realism of other contemporary games. For the most part teamwork is promoted over competition, as there is little player versus player game play.
As I mentioned before, I was still living in the nursing home when I started playing MS. My time spent at the nursing home was the hardest and darkest period of my life. I was extremely depressed. Maple Story provided me with a much needed escape from reality. As corny as it sounds, MS played a huge role in helping me retain my sanity that first year post accident. It was a distraction from my sad situation. It gave me the opportunity to meet new people and hang out with friends, without ever leaving my room. In Maple Story I am the same as everyone else; no one can tell I play with a mouth stick unless I choose to tell them. Given my situation, it’s a good feeling to be able to fit in and feel equal to everyone else. MS gave me a few hours every day where I could escape reality and not focus so much on my sadness.
Gaming can be very addictive and there was a time when I played MS at least five or six hours every day. I don’t play nearly as much now, but it is still an enjoyable part of my life and I often use my time online to simply socialize. I’ve met some wonderful friends through MS, from all over the country (as well as a few other countries) that I would’ve never met otherwise. I have a lot of free time, being unemployed. Since I’ve been back in my own apartment I’ve become more involved with advocacy work, for finding a cure to paralysis. I’ve had opportunities to exhibit my art and have to split my time in the chair between work & play, so to speak. Overall, if I were to calculate all the time I’ve spent playing MS this past 3 ½ years, I’m sure I’ve easily invested several weeks of my life online. That probably seems excessive, but you have to keep in mind that I have way more free time than the average person and the first year I played I used MS as an escape. Being newly paralyzed and living in a nursing facility is a reality I’m sure anyone would like to escape.
I know a couple of people that play MS without spending money on NX, but on a whole, I’d say the vast majority of players invest in NX. It is near impossible to keep up with friends (level and skill) without NX. When I first started playing in ’06 the game environment was much smaller and most NX items were just covers for in game equips and weapons that didn’t have a functional purpose; purely cosmetic. As the game has grown, so has the cash shop. There are now certain aspects of the game that can only be accessed with NX (such as Amoria party quest). Most NX items expire in 90 days, so if it’s something you feel you need you basically end up spending what you might spend on subscription to other games. Since I can only hit one key at a time with my stick it has become increasingly more difficult to play without NX. There are certain items which I buy regularly to be able to play on par with traditional players (people that play with 10 working fingers). I rely heavily on my pet and pet equips to pick up items, mesos and use potions. If I had to pick up items myself or heal myself it would be too frustrating to play once I reach a certain point. Fighting monsters gets harder with each level and I can’t hit two keys at a time, so without NX items I’d have to constantly switch between attacking and healing. Not only would it slow me down, it would force me to waste tons of mesos on extra potions. Without a pet, I’d die very often, which is frustrating and wastes time and experience points. I keep a regular stock of safety charms; in the event I do die my charm saves me from losing experience. At high levels (120+ out of 200) it can take hours, if not days to gain a level, so if you die without a charm you waste a significant amount of time. There are special tickets which double points and drops. I buy double experience regularly. I level much slower than most players as is, so 2xs experience helps me to keep up with friends. On average, I spend $40-$60 every 90 days, which is comparable to subscription fees. There are times where I’ve been playing more often and I tend to spend even more during those periods. I like NX items; they make the game more enjoyable for me. On a whole, I don’t mind buying NX. I look at buying NX like buying console games, which I used to spend just as much on, if not more.
You gain game currency (mesos in MapleStory) by killing monsters, doing quests and selling rare game items. Many people (including me) make tons of mesos selling equips, scrolls and rare items. Some rare items are monster drops, while others are won in gachapon (a lottery type game feature which requires NX tickets to play); both methods rely solely on luck. Rare items and good equips (give high status boosts) can cost several hundred million mesos! Since the prices are set by players the prices/value of items fluctuates. You also use mesos to buy potions to heal or boost stats, as well as use certain in-game services, such as; transportation between areas and item creation. I’ve easily made and spent billions of meso over the past several years. I’ve had a few lucky sales (most recently I sold an elemental wand for close to 900mil meso) which in turn, allowed me to buy really good equips and rare collector items like chairs. My account consists of a 4th job level hero (133/200), 3rd job level priest (114/200), two 2nd job characters and a low level character for storage.
The difference in buying a game outright versus subscribing to game access or buying digital items is that there is a much higher risk of losing your investment with online games. I can hold a Gameboy DS game in my hands. I know my console games are here, safe in my home, available to use at anytime and only cost me a onetime fee. Since I started playing MS I’ve easily invested hundreds (maybe even over one thousand) of dollars over the past 3-4 years. Again, that might seem exorbitant to a non-gamer, but keep in mind that console game systems cost $200-400 for the system and $20-60 per game. The good news with console game systems is that you can trade them in for a little cash towards a newer model and short of a burglary on my home, my investment is safe and sound.
Maple Story is the first and only MMORPG I’ve ever played. It is also the first online game I’ve invested real money in (buying NX). In terms of overall investment, I’ve dedicated almost 4 years of time and had built up an impressive collection of equips and items. I’ve always known that hackers existed in MS. In fact, they were everywhere when I first started playing. You could see them fighting with no damage, vacking all the monsters and items off of map, botting or stealing drops. My second year playing there was a massive hack of most guilds, in which most guilds in my server (Windia) were disbanded. Since the guild hack I’ve been paranoid to accept trade requests, I avoid hanging out in the free market and I disable my chat and trade abilities. MapleStory security has improved a lot since I began playing and I actively take my own precautions. At least six months to a year ago I switched from using Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox because I read about hack threats and a few friends suggested the switch as well. I’ve changed my password and pin over time and I stay away from sketchy websites. I seldom use instant messages & when I do it’s with people I know. I don’t add random buddy requests. I have a pop-up blocker and subscribe to Trend Micro antivirus software, which in theory, gives me my own firewall and protection.
All that said, I sign in to play MS today, only to discover I’ve somehow been hacked. Needless to say, I’m devastated. I could see if I was completely naïve and didn’t take any proactive steps to protect myself; the fact that I do and yet I still got hacked makes me furious as well as crushed. How much more do I have to do to protect myself? What is my antivirus doing? It’s designed to provide me with “internet security,” but given this incident, clearly my information is not secure. Putting the time factor aside, the hacker stripped my account clean off any/all equips worth meso, including (off the top of my head because 1- I didn’t keep a running inventory of my things, 2-I’m too flustered at the moment to try and make a comprehensive list & 3- It’s highly doubtful Nexon will reimburse or return anything); two devil sunrise swords (mine being 116attack), toy maker equips, round pink chair, Olivia chair, countless scrolls, all the inner tubes, another 100+ sword, all the holiday even equips I collected (which is almost all of them since Halloween ’06), priest equips that gave me +50int stat boost and the 700mil mesos I had in my storage. So in essence, I was robbed of at least $300 in permanent NX items/modifications, easily 1-2bil mesos worth of equips and 700mil in fluid mesos.
I sit here scratching my head at how I was hacked and whether or not the theft will only include my MS account. Should I be panicking because I paid bills online today? Are my bank accounts next? I feel overloaded of mixed emotions and many questions. Most importantly, is the invasion over? Although they might seem like pointless pixels to some, I was robbed of items that were rightfully mine. Unlike a house robbery or mugging, there is no insurance to cover my virtual property. I feel just as violated. It doesn’t matter that the stolen goods were virtual. They were my equips, my items, my account; paid for with actual time and money. What if anything can be done? I’m going to report it to Nexon (company that owns MS), but what will they do about it? Given how easy it is to trade, drop or sell items, is there any way to trace my things? Even if they could find all my things, what happens to the person that buys them thinking the seller is a legit player? Will they return my 700mil mesos, if nothing else? How can I prove what I lost? Then of course there’s the bigger concern of all the other potential info and virtual things I own. Why is it that I use a paid antivirus program and hackers still broke through?
I was on MS just last week and all was well. Whenever the account was hacked has got to be in the last 10 days (at most). In terms of my actions, the only thing I can come up with is the fact that I used Internet Explorer this past week. The Trend Micro software and a couple other programs use it as a default browser and a couple of flash games I like work better. I did a manual scan (right after I discovered I’d been hacked) & sure enough, it found a bunch of cookies; thanks to Explorer. Why is it that threatening things are blocked on Mozilla and get through on Explorer? I’d gladly take Explorer off my computer, but I tried that once in the past & Windows did not react kindly. Besides, the damage is done.
This whole experience has left me angry & feeling vulnerable. It saddens me to quit playing MapleStory. I’ve had a lot of fun playing. I’ve seen dozens of players come and go these past four years. If my buddy list, guilds and general experience are representative of the MS community, I’d say I’m one of the few (out of millions) that have stayed relatively active for that long. Nexon will be losing a reliable, dedicated customer; whether or not they care is questionable. I’m wondering what to do next. Regardless that it’s a bunch of pixels, it was a collection of things I worked hard to get (Hard in terms of gaming; I realize it seems trivial in terms of life and importance in general.). Legally speaking, I paid for quite a bit of it with real money. With everything I’ve been through in my life; divorced parents, the death of my sister, my accident and subsequent paralysis, this doesn’t rate as super high in terms of trauma. It is the principle. MapleStory has played an important role in my life post accident and everything taken represents a collection of things that has given me a bit of happiness, despite my lowest times. It’s not the first time important things have been stolen from me. Lord knows, my accident robbed me of an entirely different life.
The computer empowers me and gives me freedoms to control my personal info, shopping, banking, socializing, advocacy and bill payment. If I can’t trust “secure” sites like Facebook, Yahoo, Best Buy, Bank of America or Internet Explorer at all, how can I safely use the internet? I’m shaken, disappointed and confused on where to go from here, in terms of my virtual life.
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