If you saw my blog from yesterday you know I was talking about how money might not buy happiness but with enough in-game currency there are a few purchases you could make that would cause you a certain amount of joy. I also mentioned I might return to talk about the inspiration for that blog - gold! And so here I am...talking about games, gold and link between the two.
Gold is such an integral part of gaming (and real life too, I suppose...but who wants to talk about that) and dates back to the earliest games. Even before video games, I can remember playing Dungeons & Dragons and the joy I felt whenever I rooted through the pockets of my fallen enemies (and occasionally comrades) and found a gold piece or two. It wasn't the most valuable coin you could find - I think platinum held that honor. But platinum was pretty rare (not that gold wasn't) and I found far more gold than platinum. I found far more copper and silver than gold of course, but gold was always like the mainstay treasure I sought after.
In the many years since the days of tabletop roleplaying games I've been pursuing gold in some form or fashion. Whether it was gold coins in any number of the Super Mario Bros. games or gold rings in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, gold or golden objects often spring up everywhere. Some games are cleverer (is that a word, MS Word assures me it is) with how they inject gold into their game. A gold coin or ring is one thing, but when you find golden items in other games, it's typically a noteworthy moment. Uncharted remains one of my all-time favorite games, and I've discovered all sorts of golden trinkets from that game...everything from golden spoons and toothpicks to a golden llama...and hey wait...a golden skull. Creepy.
Far Cry 3...Far Cry 3 had gold...among the cigarette butts and used needles, you could find a gold necklace, described as "a gold chain that went out of style decades ago."
But that's not the gold I'm talking about...did you know there was a golden Sumatran Tiger? I didn't.
"Few animals are more rare or more dangerous, than a golden Sumatran tiger. The hide of this creature will sell faster than the Russian government." - Survival Guide
Who can forget the legendary Golden Gun in GoldenEye 007 or the many different golden guns you could get in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series? You were large and in charge if you had a golden gun.
Yep...gold is definitely a popular item in the world of gaming. Even one of the most important elements of gaming refers to gold - most gamers know what the expression "gone gold" means, right?
Odd, that a precious metal so highly sought after and valuable, is available in abundant quantities in so many of our games. I guess that's the difference between real life and the virtual world, where you can forge as much digital golden ore as the game allows.
Like yesterday's blog where I listed a few games I spent a ton of in-game currency on for very expensive items, I wanted to devote today's blog to a few games, some favorites of mine (mine, pun intended...get it, mine. MINE!) where gold is a precious commodity and plays an important role in your existence.
Minecraft:
I've mined countless blocks in Minecraft and I'm always excited when I discover a vein of gold. I don't know why, I don't think gold is nearly as important as diamonds. But usually you find one or two diamonds in close proximity whereas gold you'll sometimes find patches of it. Whenever I go exploring caves or dungeons, I always have this "Eureka" moment when I see gold glimmering off in the distance. I like the diamonds more than gold for making weapons and tools, but gold does have some important purposes, like powered rails and the coveted golden apple. Maybe that's why I enjoy it when I find it.
Telengard:
This is going way back and some of my long time readers may recall when I've mentioned Telengard a time or two... it is a really really old game and very basic by any stretch of the imagination. It is kind of like one of the first Dungeons & Dragons games. I always remember how the game translated the value of everything into gold. I suppose this might be why I added this game to the list is because I was fairly young when I played this game and always wondered how a fully encumbered warrior wearing armor and carrying a sword would discover (and carry) thousands of pieces of gold. Ah, but the joke would be on me...because not long after...when games became more advanced, encumbrance became a reality and not something we only worried about with the tabletop games. I wonder just how heavy 2,000 gold coins really are.
World of Tanks:
Whether it's the PC version of the other version, I always thought it a bit odd the currency in this World War II era tank game was gold and silver. You can use either but you typically have to buy (with real money) the gold. Of course you can progress through the game by grinding and earning silver, or you can spend money, buy gold and get your new tank or goodies with it. But why gold and silver? That remains a mystery to me. I will say it is definitely a game where the more gold you have the better off you are. Don't plan on hording it - it'll take a bunch of it if you plan to purchase the higher tier tanks. I've spent thousands and thousands in gold on new tanks.
You can't hardly talk about gold and video games and not think of World of Warcraft - the game that put the gold in gold farming. The first time I ever heard of gold farming was actually not World of Warcraft, rather, it was EverQuest. It was probably 1999 or 2000 when a co-worker told me he was buying in-game currency with real currency on eBay. Who knew it would become this epidemic that would have countries from around the world passing legislation to regulate (or ban) this practice. Speaking of Warcraft, the last of my gold games I'm going to mention (I've already run on long enough).
Warcraft: Orcs& Humans:
Even though I'm not very good at them, I have also enjoyed a good Real Time Strategy. And one of the first ones I remember playing is Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. Like so many other RTS games (or so many other RTS games are like this one) - you collect resources, one of which is gold, and deliver it to the Town Center. These resources are then used to build other structures and by more units. So many RTS games use a similar mechanic, but the very first one I remember was this game. Ah, I loved it. I loved when an Orc was working and you clicked on him...he'd look up at you and say, "What!" Or, "Stop poking me!"
Ah, need I say more!
Anyway...if you have any games with gold you want to share, please do!
Cheers.