Kanomi Pikajuna Reviews Second Life's Most Promising Games
- Title: The Crack Den
- Released: 2006
- Genre: Urban Roleplaying
- Age Category: Mature/Adult
- Summary: Story-driven, text-based roleplaying in a gritty, urban world
- Estimated Play Time: Weeks+
- Where to Play: The Crack Den
- Developer: Nadir Taov and BeBe Pink
- Web Resources: The Crack Den
Don't Taze me bro! Text me instead
Recently the Crack Den has gained some notoriety for being mentioned in a lawsuit by TASER International Inc. that targets Linden Lab for trademark infringement.
After reading the actual complaint (PDF link), I can say the connection to the Crack Den game itself is tenuous and the game's creators are not named as defendants, nor is the Crack Den in any danger of dissolution because of it. On the other hand, there has been some impact on the player base already: at least one merchant has already closed shop because Linden Lab "came in and deleted everything anyways, including our guns." [1] Then again, the Crack Den was just one of many places where these knockoff Taser guns were sold; they were primarily available on Linden's own Xstreet SL -- although they are no longer there.
So what is the Crack Den? What kind of crazy game involves stun guns and crack cocaine? Is this Grand Theft Auto in Second Life? Should Linden Lab sweep these sickos off the grid? New World Notes investigates!
First of all, you can stop typing that angry email to your elected representative. There's no need to call the police or the tabloids, yelling and crying that kids in Second Life are smoking crack and shooting each other with Taser guns for sick kicks.
The game takes place in a virtual city called Hathian, which has the bombed-out look of post-industrial Detroit. Graffiti covers the walls and rubbish strews out into the streets. The corners are occupied by hustlers, hookers, stalkers, gangsters, and corrupt cops. It's not a nice place to be, but it has to be understood as roleplaying setting. It's not any more dilapidated than the settings of Fallout 3 or Grand Theft Auto, and there's far less actual violence going on than in the killing fields of Call of Duty or World of Warcraft.
The Crack Den is not an action game, nor a combat-based sim requiring the use of a HUD and a coded combat system. Nor does it primarily revolve around, despite the name, the drug trade, although criminality certainly features significantly in the setting.
All roleplaying is handled through text-based emotes. Let me give an example. This is something you'd see in text chat, and how you'd respond -- what I mean by text-based roleplaying:
Bunnypet Hugsalot: The streetwise streetwalker slips up to the innocent tourist from Japan with a cruel smile on her painted lips. As the na?ve girl hands over her camera, she lunges forward with her switchblade, trying to stab the dummy. "Ha ha take that!" she yells, knowing nobody will help.
... a few minutes pass ...
Kanomi Pikajuna: /me backs away from the knife-wielding hooker, crying out for alarm. The knife catches the strap on her camera and it falls into the gutter. "Help me!" she cries out, hoping the brutish looking police officer up the street notices the altercation going on and comes to her aid.
The takeaway here is that there are is that the roleplay is consensual. You describe in one text pose, or "emote" what your character is doing, and trying to do to the other player. And then you wait for the other player to respond. Even combat can be handled this way.
The key is consent. You don't power-poser another character into a situation they are not comfortable with. You should always give them an out. There are nuances, like characters who voluntarily identify as 'victims' and so can be preyed on a little more freely, while other players -- newcomers, mostly -- can tag up as 'observers' and simply watch what is going on, without interfering. They're not really there.
This form of roleplay isn't unique or original with the Crack Den, either within Second Life or without. In fact it hearkens back to older MUSH-style roleplaying games. The prims of Second Life serve more like 3D props and sets, bringing to life much more vividly the scene than the old text-based games could. No need for an elaborate description of your character when your avatar is worth a thousand words. It's a great leap forward in that sense.
There are a lot of strong points unique to the Crack Den which do recommend it for those interested in such roleplaying games. There's an excellent website with forums for the community to talk OOC and arrange roleplays. There are in-world guilds and groups dedicated to the different factions or communities within Crack Den to help you find like-minded roleplayers: police, criminals, workers, college students. Before you can carry a weapon to menace other characters with, you must apply for one of the criminal or police guilds.
And there's the setting itself, which sprawls across five sims and offers almost any kind of roleplaying setting you'd need within the overall theme.
At the same time, the Crack Den is not for the faint of heart. Rape is allowed; people die. There are child avatars walking around too, although they are specifically forbidden from adult play.
You also have to consider that joining this game involves a significant commitment of time. This isn't Zyngo. You have to learn the ropes and meet other people you want to roleplay with in the world. Finding other players with styles, interests and time windows similar to yours can be a challenge in any environment. The Crack Den uses it online and in-world presence well to help you in, though.
Conclusion
As for what kind of impact this trademark lawsuit will have on SL, I leave it for others to judge. I do recall though that Marvel sued NCSsoft and its game City of Heroes several years ago over a similar complaint: that users were creating Marvel characters in-world, but that suit was eventually settled. A key difference would be, however, that the City of Heroes users were not profiting from their creations.
More interesting to Crack Den players current and prospective will be how the new content rating system will affect their game. Although hosted across privately-owned sims, if the content is considered violent and adult enough it might merit an adult rating, keeping the game away from easily-offended eyes but hurting the number of players in the long run, since most newcomers will never have heard of it or know how to search for it.
- Strengths: Gorgeously detailed sims; sensible and traditional pose-based RPG rules; large and active player base; significant helpful and useful web resources; access to roleplay themes and styles that just aren't available in commercial games.
- Weaknesses: Significant time commitment; there are similar games (Dead End, Dark Alley, Dark Den) diluting the potential player base; some of the adult themes will be too strong for a lot of people.
- Helpful Hints: Good typing skills, experience at roleplaying, and a knowledge of the etiquette of text-based roleplay will all help you enjoy your time in the Crack Den.
- Rating: *** out of five
Kanomi Pikajuna is the author of Tiny Dancing, a twisted take on the metaverse. If you have any suggestions for future games to review, please write to kanomi.pikajuna[AT]gmail[DOT]com.
Previous Kanomi Plays reviews: En Garde, The Kaaos Effect
[1] Footnote: Citing user post on the Crack Den forums.
Top image credit: Crack Den's homepage. All other screenshots by Kanomi.
Crack Den is fine if you're elite and in their inner circle of people.
Problem is, you can never attain the level you need if you're not mates with them. I tried and tried to be a part of this but even my emails went ignored let alone my complaints.
They're looking for new blood to entertain the crew. Don't waste your time.
Andrea
Posted by: Andrea Mizser | Saturday, September 01, 2012 at 09:21 PM