Game on

Hello? Is this thing still on?!

Eeek, that means I should write something deep and meaningful about my current gaming crush I guess. Ok, I can do that…

Firstly, it’s worth noting that my time in Azeroth has come to an end. The guild has new owners, the website has been handed off and my characters are enjoying thier well earnt retirement. It was about time really. The cancel v resub time was getting ever shorter, and honestly, content was thin on the ground. I have fond memories, and nothing to stop me picking it up in the future should the desire take me

There is a new kid on the block. A kid that is doing things a bit differently.

SWTOR – Star Wars : The Old Republic

 When I first heard about this MMO, my pre-order went in as fast as I could type my credit card information. I mean, it’s Star Wars! Even better, it’s Bioware. Better yet, it’s not Lucas! Then the screen shots and info came along, and honestly, I cancelled the pre-order thinking “Meh, I’ll see what happens”. Time passed, until some gameplay footage came along. Ooooh, oh wait, no…still a bit “Meh”.

Then came the Beta. Specifically, the stress test weekend. I got in, as did a good friend, who was also a bit struck with the “Meh”.

Lets just say, at the end of the weekend the pre-order was hastily re-submitted!

We’re just about starting month 2 of the live game, with characters around the 45 mark (50 being the current level cap). I say “we” because the afore mentioned friend was also smitten during the stress test weekend, and we’ve been very good and levelled together all the way so far.

I can’t say yet if SWTOR will be “it” for me, it’s still too early. I can say however, I feel the need to log on, to level, to craft. The addiction is building, and I’m enjoying feeling excited about the game I’m playing. The endgame is to come, but I’m hopeful

2012
01/23
CATEGORY
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Up in Flames

Perhaps I should go outside some more?

Warcraft : Firelands is an odd one. It’s a content patch, but it’s triggered the expansion blues in a lot of people…”oh no, more points to grind, and more gear to acquire”. I’ve started slowly, and poked about at it. I’ve not been doing the new daily quests with any enthusiasm, but have enjoyed the raid content thus far. Maybe a little too much random in some things, but we’ll get there

In order to get raids off the ground, I dusted off my DK’s tanking spec the other evening and, after some hasty regearing, gemming and enchanting, spent a fun evening as 2nd tank. We didn’t kill anything bar trash, however we did a good go at 2 bosses. A few wipes on the spider were clearly my fault, falling in holes, but other than that and stressing my healer a bit, I seemed ok

Two of our 4 tanks have drifted away leaving us with a little shorthanded, especially as on of those spends quite a lot of time over in the Americas unable to join us. This has meant the inevitable…

I’m now Tank / dps instead of DPS / tank. It’s a learning curve, but it’s actually been aided by the other change, you see one of the exiting tanks was also the guild GM so it now falls to me to ensure folk are entertained. No pressure

It’s going ok though, leading a guild, leading raids and managing. I guess we’ll see how it goes when we get to 4.3 and the Deathwing fights. Hopefully I’ll be fully geared up by then

It’s all good fun

2011
10/17
CATEGORY
Gaming
Moan
Ramble
World of Warcraft
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Unique

Tyler Durden educated us to fact that we are not each “are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”

Well, that’s depressing

I am one of around 11 million players of the World of Warcraft, a good percentage of who strive to acquire ‘uniqueness’, be that rare mounts, unusual armour or weapons or even titles. A smaller group spend real hard cash getting items from the trading card game…all with uniqueness as the goal.

Yet, given that even I know this, we find that the items on offer are usually far from unique. The current trend seems to be the ‘recolour’. You dps? You get red. Heal, here have the same looking armour but in blue…humm. Did the art department go out for lunch and not return?

Help is apparently going to come in the shape of dyes for kit, but honestly, isn’t that a little late guys? And really, I can buy a massivly powerful 2 handed sword for half mooted price of a bottle of dye! (I might have been lied to, but I’m rolling with the info I have)

But unique can come from my character in other ways can’t it? Surely I have unique abilities that other classes don’t? Ah no, I’m replaceable by about 4 others in any given situation…damn. So perhaps my choice of talents is unique to my specific requirements…oh no, wait, I have no flexibility in point now either…joy!

Oooh, wait here’s an idea…if there are 11 million of us, I can come much closer to unique with just button press!

/quit?

We’ll see…

2011
06/01
CATEGORY
Gaming
Moan
Ramble
Rant
World of Warcraft
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Role?

Roleplaying

Old faithful Wikipedia says this about Roleplaying:

 ”A role-playing game (RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development. Actions taken within the game succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.”

Thanks Wikipedia. Now, let’s look at the bit I’m focused on…’assume the roles’. In by playing both MMO’s and Tabletop, we are playing a role, within a framework of rules that constrain our actions and freedoms to what is accepted, or what is ‘fair’. We accept that, and work with what we have.

Now, think about the last quest you did…what was your motivation? Did you HAVE motivation?

Ah yes, the shiny loot, gold or rep…yes yes, but really?! You agreed to get on a flying mythical beast, which could clearly swallow you in one bite, fly to some dangerous part of the land, slay untold quantities of dangerous monsties…likely gutting them open for their spleens, which you pop gleefully into your backpack. You’ll then return on the afore-mentioned flying deathtrap for some likely useless gear, you’ll choose based on vendor price and almost but not quite enough gold to buy a haircut?

All of your ‘characters’ do the same, don’t they?

“But”, I hear you cry, “if I don’t do the quest I can’t progress!” I know…I know. Do you remember Neverwinter nights, or more recently Fable, by any chance? Where your actions changed people’s reactions to you, and your alignment? Consequentially, the rich rewards sometimes had a price you didn’t want to pay…

 Can an MMO go to this cause / effect paradise, usually the preserve of the single player game? If it can, do we want it to? I don’t know.

Given the in-game choice of kill small fluffy animal: receive purples, save small fluffy animal: receive a warm feeling…are you sure your ‘good guy’ would stay on the path?

Maybe this game exists, and I just don’t play it?

2011
04/07
CATEGORY
MMO
Ramble
World of Warcraft
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STO revisited

Hello folks,

I’m boldly going somewhere again. Yes my faithful reader, I’ve  reactivated my Star Trek Online account, pulled my finger out, and started levelling with enthusiasm!

If one scrolls down a way, you’ll come across my previous (re)views of STO. An astute reader will also notice that right after my review came the ‘I reactivated wow for Cata’ post.

So now I’m playing both, but for different reasons. Wow is endgame, it’s raiding and teamwork. STO is hooning about the galaxy being nice to people and shooting the grumpy ones.

They seem to have been busy while I was away. It’s more polished, crafting is better and (at the moment) it’s got Q in it! We like Q, he’s random :-) Even ground combat feels better. Bravo!

I’ve discovered the ‘Episodes’ too, quite late to the party I’ll admit, but better late than never. Episodes are story arcs with more plot, more mission design and even some voice acting! The last one has me sneaking around a huuuuge Romulan space station in my Delta Flyer, trying to find what they were up to without bumping into anything my puny ship couldn’t handle. Very clever and well thought out! Each episode is broken down into weekly parts, which apparently have a bonus for doing them during the release. Part 2 of episode 3 is out this weekend, so I’ll there, thwarting Romulans

On the Wow front, logging on is down to raid days only, with the odd evening if something needs doing…I am, after all, Guild quartermaster. Duty sometimes calls. The new endgame is fun, but I’m not feeling like I have anything else to do in the world outside of raids. Ho humm, I’m sure Blizz are busy making me new toys to play with. Until then, I’m on short shifts.

I can’t place whether Wow created the need to play STO, of if STO’s siren call made me play less Wow…and I’m not sure it matters really. Both are their own brand of fun, and I like fun!

Live long and prosper

2011
02/09
CATEGORY
Gaming
MMO
Ramble
Star Trek Online
World of Warcraft
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Shadows

I’m running a tabletop game at the moment, every Sunday (baring plague and festive commitments). It’s going surprisingly well I think, but then as ‘GM’, one should feel that way I guess.

I’m running Shadowrun 4th edition, which is as wonderfully dice heavy as its previous editions, but with a slightly more controlled power level. Still, we do have someone chucking 17 dice right out of the starting gate!

My players seem to be enjoying it too, although I suspect there has to date been less gunfire and mayhem than they were expecting. That is sure to change very soon, we’d not want people’s combat skills getting rusty, would we!

It’s an odd thing, tabletop roleplaying. As a player, I always have a fun evening immersed in whatever nefarious plot is afoot, being all heroic etc. But, I also seem to have fun when on the other side of the fence, running the world! Maybe I’m megalomaniac at heart, but I do enjoy plotting their downfall…while trying to ensure everyone has fun

A very long time ago, a good friend wrote a tongue in cheek ‘Beginners guide to roleplaying’, in which the role of GM was described as ‘Games Master. Most work, least enjoyment’. But I’m not finding that at the moment

Yes, ok it can be a bit of work, and spending a few of ones precious weekend hours planning, plotting and mapping for a game can seem a bit like a chore, but it’s usually worth it.

Rules seem a little of an issue at the moment:

 You see, I could (many moons ago) run Shadowrun 2nd edition in my sleep. I could tell you the dice modifiers and stats and drain codes for pretty much anything in the system. We played it pretty much constantly for about 5 years, even when briefly reduced to 1 player!

So, I’m learning (slowly, my brain is 17(?) years older and perhaps needs oiling) the new ways to do stuff, but it’s difficult, as many things that are hardcoded into my mind have changed!

This has created an odd situation where a couple of the players, endowed with their own books now, actually know the rules better than me. I’ve not yet been 100% tripped up, but I can see it on the horizon. That dark day is coming where the players are right, and I am wrong <doom><doom><doooom!>

So yeah, best read the rules hey?

2011
02/09
CATEGORY
Gaming
Ramble
Shadowrun
Tabletop
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Distractions

Readers who are playing attention will recall a little while ago (last post even!) I had the chance to poke the beta of Rift. Results where pretty ‘meh’, but no harm trying it. It has however caused another problem.

Readers who are paying even more attention my remember I poked Star Trek Online some many months ago, finding it 50% fun 50% frustrating. For some reason that I’m struggling to identify, I reactivated my subscription, patch the heck out of it and fired it up again.

They have been busy it seems! Ground combat isn’t quite as annoying, the maps seem better and even the AI is a tad less stoopid! It’s helped along my the shiny new PC I treated myself to before xmas, but the improvements are there.

All this means I’m distracted from spending every wife given moment on warcraft, to choosing where to spend my time…hooning about in the USS Xenophobe blowing up Gorn and Klingons or Flying about Azeroth exploding mobs.

Part of me feels a little traitorous, not spending the time improving my wow minion or contributing to the guild etc, but another part of me is having loads of fun…and it’s all about fun at the end of the day, isn’t it?

I’m still a wow junkie, but I get to dabble in other distractions too. I feel naughty.

2011
01/17
CATEGORY
Star Trek Online
World of Warcraft
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Base camp

Amazon and I fell out

Game.co.uk came to the rescue

Christmas was filled with levelling and dungeoning (and Turkey etc), but this is not that story

We, my guildmates and I, have started raiding under the new regime that is Cataclysm. Being a small guild, aimed at 10 man achievements, we’re a little behind at the kickoff, and feeling a little rusty from the break in our stride.

No matter, things are starting to happen, with a couple of bosses down and people starting to pull together. The well oiled machine is starting to turn once again.

Back in the saddle (all be it with a different onscreen minion) brings home where I (we?) stand on the gear face. We’re at base camp, checking we’ve got our mint cake, oxygen bottle and that everyone has cramp-ons. Looking up, it’s a hell of a long trek, which will surely test everyone.

It’s at this time when those that can’t face it again start to get twitchy and look elsewhere for their MMO fix. There is a marketing guru somewhere who is clapping his or her hands with glee that they can launch Rift at almost the exact moment the wow faithful are being tested the most. I’m thinking supreme prize for cleverness

Rift is a pretty good Methadone to Wow’s Heroin. The interface and abilities fit into the same brain slots plus it’s stable and as smooth as any title could ask for (in Beta). Being a Beta player who ‘might’ have only skim read the EULA, I’ll shut up at this point, before someone slaps me :-p

Personally, I don’t feel the need to replace my Wow with anything very similar though. If I was to wander off on another break, it’d be to STO or LotRO, for the change of pace…or to the PS3 and Xbox for instant gratification, or the Real World(tm) for, err, Real World(tm) stuff.

Being an EU player, I’m just about to see the end of my 6th year in Azeroth. That’s one heck of an investment of time, even given my 16 months worth of breaks. It’s also an investment in the world and it’s lore. I’m not sure any shiny new thing can ever steal that, at least while Warcraft and I are on good terms.

So, I’ve checked my stove gas, fitted the cramp-ons and even remembered lip balm. Let the hike to the top begin.

2011
01/10
CATEGORY
Expectations
Real Life
World of Warcraft
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How did it come to this?!

It’s in the post!

It’s like waiting on Christmas morning when you’re 8! It can’t arrive fast enough <glee!>

Deep breath…ok, I’ll explain

My Warcraft : Cataclysm collectors edition is in the hands of Royal mail, winging it’s was to me as I type. Somehow this has me in a state of gleeful impatiance! I think partially because the other 2 guys I know how ordered from Amazon uk have yet to get ‘We’re shipped it’ notifications.

There is a tiny voice inside me that keeps telling me th future. It’s not very good at lottery numbers, so don’t ask, but it is predicting the following:

Cata arrives and get’s installed

The server crap out and the new zones are chaos

I grump off to Outland and grind rep, as far from the shit storm as I can get

Sometime next week I finally poke my nose into Hyjal

This prediction, I don’t like! Because it’s quite likely…unless Blizz have some super secret ‘make server no crashy’ thing in place. We shall see.

For now, I’m excited about the new toy, currently sat in Milton Keynes. Bring it to me, Royal minions!

/bounce

2010
12/06
CATEGORY
Expectations
Real Life
World of Warcraft
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Life

“Persistent world” is an interesting concept. Good old Wikipedia says a persistent world is:

“A persistent world (PW) is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent”

For the past 6 years, give or take the odd few months off for good behaviour, I’ve been making changes to the World of Warcraft. I’ve saved lives, returned lost belongings, slain dragons and generally hero’d about, making the world a better place for anyone who mouses over as green.

I’ve levelled 4 ‘heroes’ to max level and many others to 40+, and yet every time, the same farmer needs saving, the same beastie is terrorising the lands etc. But that’s the way of thing in a world that serves thousands. We all get about the same game experience.

Now cometh the aspect of Death, Mr Deathwing!

The world is changed! Yes, we know that. Rents in the landscape, volcanos, floods and all manner of calamity has befallen the world…but look closer and in the details are some fantastic little changes too. Changes that make me smile:

Things have moved on finally. Battles that raged for 6 years have been won or lost. People are rebuilding. Other people who were once safe, now find themselves under siege.

Better still, the extensive use of zoning now means places can evolve as we play, changing for us to reflect our actions!

The World has turned. It is finally a new day. It’s no longer Groundhog day in Azeroth, and technology now means in might never be truly Groundhog day again

Love it!

2010
11/26
CATEGORY
MMO
World of Warcraft
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