Gaming – Page 327 – A Pixel Nomad

Trying to Focus

I’m still having a lot of fun in World of Warcraft, but I’m finding it difficult to focus and decide what I want to work on. There’s still just so much to do. I enjoy working on achievements, but I also enjoy running dungeons and raiding. Then there’s my garrison, and working the menagerie and my fishing shack to level 3. Then there’s crafting, I still need 15 points in tailoring to reach 700. That’s just my main character, I still don’t even have any other characters at level 100 yet, and I have a lot of them (im)patiently waiting at level 90 for a bit of action.

What’s a girl to do?

I’ve been running the Valentines daily instance but so far the mount hasn’t dropped for me – or anyone else in my instance runs. I knew it was rare, but I don’t think I figured on just how rare it is. I did manage to pick up the new pet that’s available this year, along with the toy that goes in your toy box (am I the only one who giggles every time I say that?) but I don’t really have much more use for the tokens so the instance is all I tend to do.

I’ve also been trying to figure out which spec to focus on. I’m a disc / shadow priest, and I seem to spend equal times between both these days. It’s frustrating to gear up for each, especially when they each have their own enchant requirements. For now I’m thinking of swapping my PVP set of gear into my DPS set, so I can at least enchant it with DPS enchants, and keep my heal gear with heal enchants.

I’ve also been thinking of leveling a warrior up and trying tanking in an experiment. I’d like to do a weekly post where I talk about my encounters as a tank, and invite friends along for the crazy ride while I learn how to play. I could invite people from my friends list to run instances with me since it’s cross server, and hopefully it would go a bit better than a complete pug where people would grow frustrated with my antics. Why punish myself this way? Well, it’s just something I have always wanted to learn. Something I’ve talked about on this blog before in fact. We’ll see if it goes anywhere.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, and happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Heartbreak Games (Formerly SOE)

I’ve been trying to figure out what I was going to write in this post for a few hours now, and nothing seems good enough. I can’t find the appropriate words to convey just exactly what I’m feeling. I’m hurt. Angry. Frustrated. Stunned. Of course this has to do with Daybreak Games letting go pretty much everyone I ever liked from the company formerly known as SOE. Currently known as Heartbreak Games to many of us.

I owe the people of SOE a lot. Back in February 2009 they flew me out to San Diego (my first time there) to interview their EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Vanguard teams for Beckett Massive Online Gamer. It was hectic and exciting. I was barely there for 24 hours. I had lunch with Christie (Kiara), Alan (Brenlo), and Aimee (Ashlanne). None of them are with the company any longer, and neither are the other people I met. Tiffany (Amnerys), Lydia (Zatozia), heck most of the teams I interviewed are no longer there either. It would have been easier for me to have asked who was staying, instead of who was leaving.

Out of all the messages I saw from those who were being let go, none were angry. None were spewing hatred at their fate. They were all thankful. They were sad, of course, but they assured everyone they would move on to better things. That they had gained so much from their jobs. They had bonded with friends that were more like family. As I read comments from people who had been there for 6, 12, 14 years and no longer had a job, it made me think about how much these people had affected lives outside of their own. Outside of their workplace. It made me think about all of the good they have done over the years. How thankless their job could be some days.

I hope they realize just a fraction of the good they did. I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.

A Return to EVE Online

For a month or two now I have been missing my days in EVE Online. You may remember back when I used to play I was heavily involved in PI (which was relatively new at the time), invention, and my mining operation. I had just learned the skills required to fly a Tengu, which is a Caldari strategic cruiser. Beautiful ship, I had had my eye on it for months. In order to fly one you need a lot of skills and of course just flying one isn’t going to be enough, you’re going to want to find a fit for it, too. For me that took a bit of time, I had absolutely no skills placed in missiles, and the Tengu has 4 launcher slots (called hardpoints on the UI) and one turret hardpoint. It would be pretty important to be able to fit it with something useful. In my case I decided to go with a PvE fit, for flying missions. While the ‘main’ part of EVE Online that people tend to hear about is PVP, I don’t usually spend a lot of time in that sector. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy the game, it’s pretty open to what you decide you want to do.

Anyway. Before I left I had queued the skills I would need, and was just waiting on them to complete. Probably the reason I took my ‘break’ (I dislike waiting on skills). I’m pretty sure before the Tengu I was flying a Dominix, which is a great starter ship but I was using drones as my major offensive. Swapping from drones to missiles was an interesting change, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Things have changed since last I played. Most notably, the UI. Invention (manufacturing, etc) is much easier to understand, and far more welcoming for newer players. The learning curve is still there, but not nearly as bad (IMO) as it used to be. When I returned to the game I tried to re-familiarize myself with everything without knowing what I was working on last time I was in game. It was a bit disorientating. With that being said, it was also much like riding a bike. Once you remember the basics you just get right back on. I decided to ease into things by doing a very easy L2 mission for Astral Mining Inc, security. I can’t do higher missions because I don’t have the faction required yet. The Tengu blew them away (they were simple kill missions, nothing fancy) and I felt a wee bit over powered. I then noticed that my faction for CreoDron was quite high, and noted that my Research & Development agents were all with CreoDron. You need faction to work with those ranks of agents as well, so I had probably been working on that at some point in time. You use R&D agents to earn RP, a currency that I spend to get datacores, which is used in crafting. There are lots of different types of datacores, used for everything in game from ships to ammo. I have enough faction with CreoDron to fly L3 missions (that’s level 3) which reward a great deal more than L2. Previously I would fly mining expeditions or delivery ones. Now that I’m flying a Tengu I decided I would try my hand at some security.

It took some time, but my first mission was an easy success. I had three points of enemies to destroy, and none of them got close enough to me to matter. I was able to heal myself just fine, salvaged and pillaged all the wrecks afterward for goodies that I can use in crafting, and had a lot of fun doing it. I know this is child’s play for many EVE Online players, but as a player just returning, and one who has never been in the thick of much combat before, I was pleased.

I believe probing has changed too, and there are now icons in the sky that I’m not familiar with, so I still have quite a bit of learning / refreshing to do. I miss my wurmhole expeditions, and I’m already contemplating re-activating my second account. For the time being I think I’m good with just the one, but it would certainly make mining operations smoother to have my miner / hauler duo going. I would typically run a hulk or ice miner on my 2nd account and run my Orca on the main account. In any case, it’s nice to be back, and I’ll be posting about my adventures (minus specific details of course, that’s just the way EVE is) here as always.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

An Expansion In the Works (Sims 4)

It was only a matter of time before EA released information about the first Sims 4 expansion, and now we finally have those details. Their first expansion will be called “Get to Work” and includes three new careers for your Sims.

I was personally hoping for a pet expansion, but I don’t think we’ll get one for some time. The expansion releases in April of this year, only a few months away. Players will be able to choose from careers like doctor, scientist, and investigator. One feature that we started seeing at the tail end of the Sims 3 is the ability to create retail businesses, and that is included in the first expansion of the Sims 4. You’ll be able to create bakeries, clothing boutiques, art galleries, bookstores, and basically whatever else your little sims heart desires.

Aliens will also be making a return, but this feels like less of an expansion feature and more like something that should have been included in the base game that is finally ‘done’ and they decided to tack it on as a feature.

Of course I’m excited about the expansion, even if it isn’t pets. I’m hoping EA also goes through and eliminates some of the bugs we’ve had since release, and I hope the expansion gets off to a good start. I’ve been afraid to patch lately because of the latest fiasco, and EA doesn’t exactly have the best of track records.

Do you plan on picking the expansion up? Are you sticking with Sims 3 for now until 4 has a good backing behind it? Let me know in comments!

Too Little Time

A lot has been going on and keeping me busy, so of course something had to give. In my case it was gaming and updating this site. I’m hoping things are under control now, but we’ll just have to see.

With the announcement of a Guild Wars 2 expansion on the horizon excitement started to flutter past my typical means of social media. A few friends were playing here and there, and I decided to get in on the excitement. I’ve always enjoyed playing GW2 but my problems with the game are two fold. First of all, I have no idea what you’re supposed to do at level 80. I can understand the leveling process and earning gear and crafting, but once I hit 80 I couldn’t figure out how to keep myself interested. On that same note, I have no idea what has changed and what the story is and what I have missed in the history of the game. For example, Lion’s Arch is a huge disaster. There are NPC scattered all over in small groups crying. The place is in ruins. I have no idea why or what happened. I wish games better handled those who are returning.

I did pick up a second account when they had the $10 weekend sale, because that was just too good to pass up. It gives me some room to make new characters when the expansion comes out along with giving me some extra bank space. I love buy to play games where you get to play the entire game for the simple cost of the box. Of course GW2 also has a shop, but I haven’t really felt pressured to use it.

I deleted two of my older characters off of my main account (they were low level and characters I had never played before) and re-created them on my 2nd account. I have more potions (especially experience ones) than I know what to do with, and I figure these will come in handy down the road.

Have you recently returned to GW2? How are you finding it? How do you find motivation to continue playing once you reach level 80? Let me know in comments!