MMORPGs - Playing Without Power

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In the span of a single weekend, Hurricane Irene swept across the eastern coastline of the United States, leaving million of Americans without power or a stable cellular connection. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail can keep loyal gamers away from their favorite role playing games in times of disaster, even if just to keep others apprised! In the RPG game Imperian, the person behind Dranor, God of Imagination was one of these people. Despite lack of a reliable internet source, he managed to enter the realm long enough to create a news post informing others of his situation.

Less than a week before Irene’s unwelcome visit, an earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale not only rocked the nation’s capital but also muddled cellphone reception and other manners of technological communication. More importantly, it left online rpg gamers within those areas without a convenient way to check in with their friends in Iron Realms rpg games via their cellphones. If a national disaster wipes out power in your area, could you survive without logging into your favorite Iron Realms Entertainment game to check messages, read organizational logs, or just catch up on the latest gossip? I know I sure couldn’t!

PHONE APPS

Thanks to the MUD Android app for Iron Realms role playing games, players who own these devices no longer require a computer and a full internet connection to log into their favorite RPG game. Other apps like Blowtorch for Android, PocketMUD for iPhone, and others also allow players to log into the rpg game. Depending on the type of app, you can get everything from basic game access to more complex aliases and triggers. If you can access the internet on your phone, try logging into the Iron Realms Entertainment website where you can stay up-to-date on messages and news boards without having to actually log into the games!

PORTABLE COMPUTERS

Whether it’s called a laptop, netbook, macbook, or any other trendy trademarked term, these devices can hold a battery charge lasting eight hours or better, and that’s plenty of gaming time! Thanks to coffee shops and fast food restaurants, depending on the size of the town where you live there could be a wifi hotspot on every corner. That’s especially useful if the establishment is running a generator or if it’s in a section of town that still has electricity. If this isn’t available to you and you’re really desperate, some smart phones now feature the ability to act as a mobile hotspot, allowing you to tap in for optimal RPG game access during times of trouble.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Power outages are the perfect times to evacuate your current residence and drop in on friends and family; especially ones forced to work long hours and leave their computer or wireless router unattended. If they really love you, they will want you to be safe, and happy, even if it means letting you leech wifi to play your favorite RPG games until it’s safe to return to your own home. If they act grouchy after watching you stare at your computer screen for a day or two, don’t worry. They’re just jealous of the solid connection you’ve formed with your online friends and virtual family.

There are a lot of technical terms associated with the internet and power outages, like infrastructure and smart grids, but who has time to learn about that? What truly matters is that you can connect to your favorite Iron Realms Entertainment RPG games! Hopefully the next time the lights go out, you can stay plugged into all the latest happenings. And if all else fails, sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and write out some background about your role playing game character. When the power comes back, you’ll be completely refreshed, totally ready for a new and exciting roleplaying game adventure!

Written by: Becky James as Penelope Swain

Edited by: Tony Celentano

Read this article and more like it on the Iron Realms website!