Category: Gaming

A Brief Look at Fable 3 (No Game Spoilers!) #Fable3

As I knew I would, I spent most of last night playing Fable III, exploring the world of Albion. I don’t want to give away spoilers to those who have not picked up the game yet or who are holding off (why, why?! Go get it!) but I do want to talk about some of the changes compared to Fable II. Hopefully I don’t actually give away the story. If you’re worried that I might then please feel free to skip this post!

First of all the graphics are amazing. Characters look a little meh but the scenery is fantastic. It looks far more robust to me then the previous version of the game, and the character models are improved (but not quite as well done as I’d personally like). I also LOVE the new sanctuary which basically is a re-designed menu (except this time it’s a room that you access via the start key) where you can choose your outfits, weapons, save game, and any other options you’d have normally selected from the menu in Fable II. The best part about this sanctuary is that you can invite your XBox friends over to hang out and view your trophies and other goodies. I love viewing my “outfits” on mannequins in the sanctuary, and the quick travel and zoom features of the map are a huge improvement.

Combat, and training skills has also been greatly improved. Some hardcore gamers may think that they’ve simplified things a little too much but since I am not one of those hardcore console gamers, it’s a great thing to me. In fact Fable is probably the only console game I’ve actually stuck with and played through besides the older Mario games (We’re talking regular nintendo here). You earn guild seals which are spent towards unlocking chests and inside of these chests are upgrades like improved weapon damage, and interactions with towns folk (in other words new emotes). As far as I can tell you can’t actually progress to the next section of chests without first purchasing everything in the previous area, so it’s temporary customization as you decide which skills you want first (and eventually you end up with them all).

Just like Fable II you’re faced with incredibly difficult moral decisions that affect your character in numerous ways. I’ve always been a proud supporter of giving gamers CHOICES and Fable III has this in spades. I played for roughly five hours last night and the story is just incredible. It grabbed me from the get-go and just improved as I progressed. Again, I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I’m VERY glad I picked up this game, and am looking forward to playing more. If you want to add me to your XBox friends list feel free to, my gamer tag is: stargrace05.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Stinky – No. Not me. The Pet! #WoW

I have to apologize for the upcoming lack of posts, today Fable 3 comes out and I’ll be playing that for a little before NaNoWriMo starts for the month of November. No doubt I’ll still be around, but just not as much as usual. I’m really excited about both events, needless to say.

Last night I logged into WoW wondering what to do. With Cataclysm not too far off I don’t really feel like starting (yet another) character. I haven’t felt like questing, and I’m done grinding for justice.

My time in game last night was spent collecting companions (the little pets that don’t actually do anything) to earn the achievement “Shop smart. Shop Pet smart” for collecting 50 of them. I need more for the final achievement, but for now I’m happy with this little bit of progress.

I also noticed something a little interesting. I’m not sure when it changed, but my 69 death knight was gaining 3124 experience for harvesting herbs via herbalism in Northrend. I was only getting 2k or so experience for defeating the mobs right beside the nodes, and I found this amusing. While I was there a 71 rogue attempted to squash me, but we both died at the exact same time and they left me alone to my harvesting after that. My mining character is 80 but I noticed that the level 16 I was grouped with was gaining experience when I mined nodes in Wailing Caverns. Interesting.

Anyone else looking forward to Fable 3 releasing today? I sort of wish it were releasing for the PC today, but I’m quite happy with the XBox version, as I played Fable 2 for XBox extensively. In fact, it’s probably the only console game that I’ve ever really played to any extent, even though I own a wii, XBox, and PS3. Go figure.

Happy gaming no matter where you find yourself!

A Crafting Adventure #LotRO

I really enjoy crafting, in pretty much any MMO (and real life, for that matter). I enjoy how complex the crafting is in games like Vanguard and how simple it is in games like World of Warcraft. I enjoy being able to step away from the game while I craft, unlike games like EQ2. When it comes to the Lord of the Rings Online I have a love/hate relationship with crafting – in specific the mastery system. On one hand, it’s fantastic. Once you have leveled through a tier you have an option to master it. This basically involves leveling through it again but you need more combines (points) to do so the second time around. You also have a chance to get critical combines, which auto upgrades the item that you’re creating. You can up this chance through various means such as improved tools, scrolls, and dropped items.

The dislike comes from the amount of combines required to master something and in specific the lack of tin that I found while trying to master apprentice metalsmithing. See, my 35 Minstrel happens to be an Armourer. This means she can create not only metal gear and shields, but tailored. She also has the prospector harvest skill. I’ve reached artisan rank in each of these three arch types – however I never bothered to master anything as I leveled up (and of course you have to master things in order). I spent almost all of my in game time yesterday meandering through the bogs of the shire looking for tin. Lots of tin. I found approximately 1 tin node for every 6 copper nodes, and it took a long time to FINALLY master apprentice metalsmithing, but I did it.

I also managed to master apprentice jewelcrafting, and cooking (on alts). The purple items I created were very worth this endeavor, and I eagerly filled up my broker with items hoping for sales. It was a nice peaceful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and I really didn’t mind it that much. I am looking forward to mastering the rest of the tiers, so I can make myself some pretty purple (or even blue) named gear in the future.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Adventures in Gridania

I played some of the Final Fantasy XIV beta – but I didn’t get very far. I liked the look of the game, and when Square Enix decided to offer 60 days instead of the regular 30 day trial, I figured why not pick it up. The game plays unlike any of my ‘typical’ MMOs and I can see how that would scare (and annoy) some players. You really have to slow down your pace and enjoy the game for what it is, instead of trying to rush off and grind to the top of the food chain.

I first created (after dealing with an incredibly complicated registration process) A Miqo’te Thaumaturge. I quickly discovered that spells were probably not going to be my forte, and I got lost and frustrated, so I gave up. I deleted and recreated as a Moqo’te Archer. This time around things went much better. I managed to make it to the first camp located just south of Gridania and even completed my first quest which was to smush some mushrooms. I got to invoke a neat little card to help me do the battle, and selected solo for the quest itself. Once that was done it was back to Gridania to see about this “woodsin” I had acquired from the mean nasty tree that chased me in the opening scenes. I had two options, head to Fen-Yll the Leatherworkers guild and see if I could sell them some little piece of tree I had procured – or head to Stillglade Fen, and talk to some people there  who may be able to remove the woodsin. I went to the leatherworkers guild first – who were so kind as to tell me that they felt bad about buying an item that the tree hadn’t really given to me in good faith, and that I could probably get more if I tried to sell it elsewhere.

Alright then.

I still haven’t ventured very far, or attempted crafting yet – but I am exploring a lot and as long as I keep a nice slow pace it doesn’t frustrate me. I have to keep reminding myself that not all games play the same, and while a lot of people may not “approve” of this particular game, so far, I’m at least having fun.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!