Addictive Games: Facebook Vampire Wars

For those of you who love Myspace Mafia Wars (and there are many), it has spawned several sequels of particular interest. Among the best is Vampire Wars, a bloodthirsty, battle-filled RPG for your inner Dracula.

As in Mafia Wars, the point of this game is to amass an army of the strongest warriors (in this case, vampires) to create an all-powerful empire. Points are awarded for completing various tasks, including "Feasting on a Human's Blood"; "Destroying a Renegade Vampire"; "Eliminating a Street Gang"; and "Raiding a Blood Bank." As you progress in rank and gain power, the missions become more difficult; in turn, the reward is higher.

Your Vampire army is affectionately referred to as your "Clan." The larger and more powerful your Clan, of course, the more chance you'll stand against stronger Clans in combat. (Combat abilities include such actions as Soul Annihilation, which increases your attack power by 85, and your defense power by 35.) Victory over another Vampire Clan always results in a handsome reward, namely massive amounts of blood and experience points. Naturally, the stronger the enemy Clan, the higher the payoff.

As in practically all online RPGs these days, you have the opportunity to choose an avatar for your character. In the case of Vampire Wars, the more points you earn, the cooler and more appealing items you can purchase for your wardrobe. For example, in the pants department, you can try on everything from Tweed Suit Pants to Steampunk Shorts (very He-Man villain chic).

OK, I Know the Basics Already!

If you've already earned your fangs in this game and are looking to reach the next level of vampiric skill, fellow AC Source Donald Pennington is quite the deadly vampire (hopefully not in real life), and has written a number of great pieces on the subject.

In particular, you'll want to read "How to Send Facebook Vampire Wars Invitations Lazily with These Four Tips!" and "Facebook Vampire Wars: How to Decimate Opponents in Combat and Win Millions in Blood." Besides advice on ripping other vampire clans to pieces, Pennington offers several great bits of counsel that can keep your fangs sharp.

Any game in this genre, of course, is going to require some amount of free time. Getting caught playing Vampire Wars at your job may get you fired, unless of course your boss, too, is a bloodthirsty creature of the night.

Should I Join VA?

Believe it or not, there really is a film out there entitled Vampires Anonymous, but I digress. The enjoyable and mentally demanding nature of this game can make it easily addictive.

As you may have seen with MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, the fantastic setting in which they take place sometimes reaches the point where it's more exciting than real life. Whether this says more about the game or the people who play it is a matter of opinion. So remember, kids (and more importantly, adults)...it's only a game!

That being said, it is also a chance for social interaction, albeit a text-only one. Because Facebook members can live anywhere on Earth, virtually anyone can join Vampire Wars. Next thing you know, there will be vampire bars and FangMatch.com, for those among us who can't seem to separate the bloodsucker from the businessperson.

If none of these "warnings" deter you, then please join in the fun.

Where Do I Sign Up?

The top link at the end of this article will lead you into Vampire Wars. No joke: there are literally thousands of people participating in this bloody mayhem. So, if you have the free time and the Facebook account, join Vampire Wars and release your virtual Nosferatu!