Avakin – Exploring A New World
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
Have you ever watched the birth of something? It is always fascinating and a bit amazing to watch something new being born and grow. However, there are always growing pains to go through. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about a living thing or a concept, or a virtual world like Home. It has been a very interesting couple of years since the great outage of 2011. Home has had its ups and downs like all growing things, and we who have been here through it all have watched it grow into something we had hoped for, but could have never dreamed of, and it isn’t done yet.
I was recently included in a new venture of Lockwood Publishing that is outside of Home on my laptop computer. It is appropriately called Avakin, as you make an avatar, much like the one you have in Home, and socialize with others you meet in game, just like Home.
Now many might think, “Oh no, another Sims game, big deal!” But this isn’t like any Sims game I have ever encountered. I tried Sims Social on Facebook and I must say I wasn’t really impressed at all. The avatars are very cartoonish; they looked like they were drawn on a piece of paper with no depth at all, and it was the same with the scenery you inhabited. The movement was a bit awkward as well there, but I guess I am spoiled by the seamless movement we have in Home.
Social room
In Avakin the avatars are very 3D as are the environments. It is a very new place and like a newborn infant it is just laying there waiting to be fed and taken care of. There are only a few people at this time, so your chances to play are hit and miss at best unless you make actual dates and times to get together. I am lucky so far, I have been able to meet and friend some of the others involved and a good friend of mine got in as well, so we make those times to be together.
That is all about to change though with the open beta just announced. All you have to do now is go to Avakin.com and join to get into the fun. It will be a bit like getting in Home when it was first opened up, so expect all of the problems that a beta can bring with it. In order to become a part of the solution, please have respect and just go to the forum to report any issues you may encounter there without an attitude.
Wardrobe area
I have met some interesting people so far, people who come into Home as well as here; people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. This will also serve as a place where you can deepen relationships already started in Home, it has already for me with those I know already.
Avakin has all the markings of something that could grow to be a huge casual social game. It has one of the most popular games on the planet, Texas Hold’em, built in, and I think that was a smart move on Lockwood’s part for a starting point. The biggest killer of any type of entertainment is boredom. Having fun chatting while playing a game has always been a staple for any gamer, and this provides that for users. There is also a social room to get together for talking without play. Right now these are the only available environments, much like Home had only few places to go when it was created.
When you first begin Avakin you will be allowed only one avatar. There are a multitude of controls to help you make them unique and your own, much like Home. There is default clothing as well, but this is Lockwood, so it’s very stylish and nice compared to what we get to start with in Home. The clothing is very adaptable though as you can change the colors of most of them with a large palette of choices (the girls are going to love that!).
Poker menu screen
As you progress in the game you will gain points or in game currency to use to buy more things, clothing being the main one right now. There are also some different chairs to purchase for sitting at your poker table. There is even a toilet for those with a sense of humor.
The point system is called “progression” and is done by fulfilling several levels of tasks. Some are very simple and easily done while others are much more of a challenge. There are tiers of these challenges, each a bit more difficult to do. These different objectives are available in both the Avakin and the Avakin Poker areas of the game, and of course they are related to things you can do in each of them.
Progression chart
HSM has always said that one of Home’s great flaws is the lack of any direction. People are just dumped into the Hub (or in the old days, Central Plaza) without purpose and left to figure it out for themselves. Here in Avakin you are immediately given a direction. That will help to sustain and grow this new idea as long as those kinds of things are continued and expanded as this new online world grows up.
If I could compare Avakin to a child, I would say that it is still in its infancy, and with the open beta now here it is just learning to crawl. We have been told that there will be a large content release for this newborn later in the year, and when that happens, I hope to see it learn to walk then run as fast as the wind. I am really liking this new idea from Lockwood Publishing, and though it remains to be seen how others accept it, I think that as long as Lockwood continues to feed and nurture their new child it will grow and prosper.
July 10th, 2013 by Burbie52 | 1 comment
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
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Great read, Burbie! I can’t wait to try out the Avakin Life!