MMO worlds are stagnant. They have cardboard cutout monsters and NPCs that stand in their assigned space. Players knock the monsters down like a fantastical shooting range, but after a few minutes, the pulleys whir, the monsters stand up, and the world reverts to its static state. On a micro level where thousands of players are sharing the same game space, this is to be expected. The problem is that it also exists at a macro level and constantly echoes in the background, "This world is not real... this world is not real..."

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks at the options RPers have when dealing with the old MMORPG standby - the expansion pack.

Turbine let us know that they'll be taking the Asheron's Call servers offline to do a quick update to the game next week:

The Asheron's Call Game Servers will be brought down on Tuesday, September 30th from 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Eastern (-4 GMT) for an update to the game. Thanks for your patience, and we'll see you back in the game soon!

Ok, 7 hours isn't a 'quick' update, but maybe somethings will get fixed that are bugging a few players!

In this week's "RoleCraft," Jim Moreno looks at the difficulties of scheduling RP events with an established group, and some of the solutions involved.

Turbine's published the release notes for this month's free update to Asheron's Call (the 101st, for those who are counting). The update includes some miscellaneous changes, including this one:

Casinos have received some long needed attention. Some of the new attractions include Carenzi races and monster fights that players can wager on.

Click below to read the entire list. The event goes live tomorrow, September 23.