Hello, Ability Powered gamers! Friday we checked out Ghost Master on our Accessibility First Look. We ran into some issues though. First off, we were stuck in full screen. We were able to start the game since you enter your name by point and clicking letters on an Ouija Board. While the majority of the game is point and click, the tutorial is really big on teaching you controls that you don’t really need for game play. This can be annoying depending on your ability to use your middle mouse button. The game is borderless and fullscreen, but the game kept insisting that I zoom my camera with my middle mouse button. I tried using the keyboard button to zoom. but nothing happened in-game.
Ghost Master Accessibly Friendly
Eventually, the tutorial did let me pass without zooming and we moved on to gameplay. I suggest turning off the tutorial to skip the required zooming if you have problems with the middle mouse button. The gameplay itself has been point and click friendly and playable with one mouse button so far. You bind ghosts to objects, and haunt houses with point and click user interface buttons. I completed the first level only using left click. The game does have a ton of customizable keybinds, but due to it not accepting my on-screen keyboards commands I am unsure how keyboard only gamers will fare.
Gratifying Ghost Master
All and all the game was fun, though at times frustrating due to lack of windowed mode and its refusal to play nice with the on-screen keyboard. But don’t take my word for it, if the game still sounds interesting to you check it out on Steam! If you already have played Ghost Master let me know what you thought about it in the comments below! Check out our other Accessibility First Looks!
Hello, Ability Powered gamers! This week’s Addon for Accessibility is a nice World of Warcraft automated notification for anyone casting a resurrection. It’s called Announce Resurrection. It does exactly what the name implies. It types out a text alert to tell your party and raid members that you are casting a resurrection spell and who you are casting it on. This addon isn’t just for healers though! It works perfect with the spell Mass Resurrection too. The reason I think it makes a good accessibility addon is because it speeds up communication with your group without having to type things out. Typing out messages can take a lot of time if you are using an on-screen keyboard. With Announce Resurrection your party instantly knows who you are resurrecting the moment you cast it!
Don’t You Die on Me!
Don’t take my word for it! Check out Announce Resurrection on CurseForge! Do you have an addon that you would like to see on Addons for Accessibility? If so leave me a comment, and find more addons here!
I recently had the pleasure of meeting another Ability Powered gamer who emailed me with a ton of really fantastic resources to share with you guys. I would like to introduce you to Pro-Able. Pro-Able is a World of Warcraft (WoW) gamer from Spain who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She made a video to share her WoW setup and show how different accessibility software can really help make navigating Azeroth even smoother for Ability Powered gamers. Links to everything will be after our interview with Pro-Able!
Tell us about your character.
“My first character was a Night Elf. She was a balance druid. I chose that class and spec because I liked the fact that they could transform into beasts. But when I saw mages in action, I immediately changed my mind. So I decided to create a Draenei mage (I like the way they trot!) and she’s been my main since then.”
How long have you played WoW?
“I started in 2009. A friend of mine used to play occasionally and I decided to try it out myself. That was the best decision I could have made at that time. My grandma passed away one month later and WoW helped me to cope with my grief.”
What sort of disabilities are you playing with?
“I have a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It weakens my muscles progressively. I never walked, so I always had to use a wheelchair. I don’t have much strength in my arms and just a little dexterity in my hands, so playing with mouse and keyboard is sometimes difficult. In addition, I get tired a lot quicker than a non-disabled person.”
What is your favorite part of the game?
“I love the feeling of freedom, to feel that my condition is not a handicap anymore and I can walk, run, jump and fight. And yes, fly! I also like to be part of a huge community. I love to find other players wandering Azeroth when I go questing.”
What are the aspects of the game that you, as a player with a disability, struggle with the most?
“The hardest for me is the social part of the game. Some people seem not to understand that population in Azeroth is diverse, and that most of us are in the game for disconnecting from the real world and have fun, not to be the best WoW player. I love going in groups to dungeons and raids, but they eventually get too demanding and I get too tired.”
Are there any aspects of World of Warcraft that have gotten easier because of things Blizzard has added?
“Interacting on left click is a significant improvement, so I do have not to right click as frequently as before. Move Pad is also a great feature that reduces muscular fatigue since it moves your character automatically.”
Are there any changes Blizzard has added that have made it more difficult to play?
“I have mostly played solo the last two expansions, and I didn’t find any change that made it more difficult in this mode. However, I did try out some dungeons which were a little bit harder than expected. Also, I watched some scenarios’ gameplays and they seemed pretty hard to play because of the amount of movement involved, too.”
Are there things you think Blizzard could implement that could be a significant help to disabled players?
The most important thing they could add is rotate buttons to the Move Pad. That would make movement so much easier. Additionally, solo dungeons and raids -or playing with Blizzard‘s staff- would be interesting since we could play at our own pace and fatigue would be less. Pausing the game would be a good implementation as well.”
Do you have any advice for other disabled gamers in Azeroth?
My advice to them is that they never give up. There are many apps and devices out there that can make the game more accessible and playable for them. They just have to look for on-screen keyboards, macros, and switches.
When you’re not playing WoW, what do you do?
I basically study. I’m getting a degree in Art History. When I’m not playing WoW or doing some homework, I play Hearthstone and other games, read books, write, watch my favorite shows & series, and listen to music.
Hello, Ability Powered gamers! I am excited to share a new series on its way to Ability Powered. Since I started this accessibility website, I have met a lot of gamers who think outside the box when difficult mechanics pop up. While we all wish games were always completely accessible to everyone, challenges do arise. When they appear these gamers find alternative ways to get past obstacles and still play the games they love. They also share with others when they run into issues or find solutions. Sometimes collaborating with others or just sharing your story helps other players come up with ideas to improve there own gaming experience.
Our First Spotlight!
I recently got an email from an Ability Powered gamer who shared with me how she plays World of Warcraft. She shared the accessibility programs she uses in addition to in-game settings to make moving through Azeroth super easy. There were programs I had never heard of, but once I tried them I was amazed at how well they worked. I thought if I introduced her and shared her setup with you guys maybe her system might give you ideas for yours. So watch for my interview with Pro-Able this week! I can’t wait for you to meet her! Also, if you are an Ability Powered gamer and are willing to be featured, please send me a message via email (abilitypowered@gmail.com), Twitter, or Facebook. I have met so many great people these past few years and hope to introduce more of them to you guys!
Head over to our Newscolumn for more Ability Powered updates!
Hello, Ability Powered gamers! This week we are checking out a fun Steam game perfect for October called Zombie Bowl-O-Rama. It starts in fullscreen mode, but can easily be switched to windowed mode for quick access to your desktop. Mouse only gamers should have an easy time since the game can be played with only your mouse and the left mouse button.
Mouse Only Must Have
Move your mouse left and right to line up the ball. Hold down the left mouse button and pull front or back to power up the roll, then turn loose to release. A word of warning, however, if you accidentally move your mouse while your ball is traveling you may soon find yourself in the gutter. The mouse can be used to steer the ball once released and trust me it’s sensitive. The game is not timed, so you can take frequent breaks if fatigue is an issue. There is no colorblind mode or subtitles.
Zombie Bowl-O-Rama Conclusion
It’s definitely a fun little game to play especially this time of year, but don’t take my word for it! Get your pumpkin spice and check out Zombie Bowl-O-Rama on Steam today! Do you have this game? If so leave a comment and let us know how you liked it! Be sure to check out more of our Accessibility First Looks!
All and all the game was fun, though at times frustrating due to lack of windowed mode and its refusal to play nice with the on-screen keyboard. But don’t take my word for it, if the game still sounds interesting to you check it out on Steam! If you already have played Ghost Master let me know what you thought about it in the comments below! Check out our other Accessibility First Looks!