Category: Gaming

The Nomadic Gamer

I believe it was Petter who first used the term (to me in chat) that I now see springing up in games everywhere, you can call it what you will, but we’ve all basically turned into ‘nomadic gamers’. To be more specific: “communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location” – in fact I think this would make a fantastic blog name, so I went and created a new site on wordpress in preparation for an idea I have for 2010.We’ll see how it goes, if it goes anywhere. I haven’t fleshed everything out quite yet.

Anyhow. There’s no denying that as we approach 2010 we’ve turned into nomadic gamers. I know VERY few people who play ONE game and ONLY one game these days. Sure maybe you only play one game at a time, but how long do you play for before you move on to something else? Are you constantly applying to betas and hoping to check out ‘the next big thing’? Maybe you enjoy free to play games which rarely hold your attention for any length of time. Or maybe, like me, you’re writing for work and it’s incredibly important to be up to date on everything that’s going on and to have a wide variety of game experiences under your belt.

When I was playing EverQuest I didn’t play anything else. I’m not sure why. Was it because I was content with the game, or maybe just because I didn’t know about any other games out there (remember, still relatively new to this whole scene). Was the MMO industry so small back then that there simply was no other choice (I know there were other choices, I’m just listing off potential reasons here).

So why is it that we’ve become SO intent on trying every single game out, and while we may return ‘home’ we spend a good portion of time trying out new things. I’m not bashing this method at all, I just find it very interesting.

One thing that really interests me is the fact that while we used to look for communities IN GAME we’ve taken to finding our gaming buddies elsewhere – perhaps in order to compensate for the lack of community we feel within the games themselves. With everyone playing everywhere, it can be hard to find that solid community of long time friends. I, for example, turned to twitter, where I can be friends with a whole slew of gamers no matter what game they’re playing in. Before that I used Xfire to connect to my friends who were all over the place, and Raptr, and other programs that are similar. It’s a method for me to still feel a part of the gaming community, even if I don’t actually have a ‘home’ within the games themselves any more, because I’m all over the place. It’s hard to make friends when you’re not sure if you’re playing a particular game for a week, a month, or maybe just that day.

No matter where you find yourself, the key of course is to have fun. If you’re not having fun doing what you’re doing, then don’t do it (unless of course it’s work related, we can’t ALL enjoy every aspect of work all the time, other wise they’d rename work into happy fun time or something similar). I’m still getting used to this nomadic life style of gaming, but it’s been enjoyable. I’m looking forward to what 2010 may bring, and I hope everyone has a great year, no matter what game they find themselves in.

My Game Year in Review

It’s been a pretty good year as far as games go, of course I say that every year. I stuck with my basics.

On the MMO front:

EQ2: I played steady throughout 2009, I attempted some TSO raiding on Oasis but the hours were just too much for me and I resigned myself to the fact that I’m just not able to be a raider any more. I closed down my second account, but kept the 12 characters on my main account. For the first time this year I managed to get myself three mythical updates, and ‘complete’ a character before the next expansion comes out in February. New events were added, and I keep on blogging about EQ2 on a fairly frequent basis. I don’t see that changing over 2010, but I am eager for some new content.

EQ: I went back a few times over the year, did some old school raids and even did some videos. My main (necromancer) is 82, and since the latest expansion did not raise the level cap, there’s a chance that in 2010 I may actually manage to get there (there being level 85). I went on an Underfoot tour for work which was a lot of fun, and was reminded once more why I love the communities in games more then anything else.

Vanguard: I didn’t play nearly as much as I wanted to, but I did play every so often, leveling up my blood mage as well as my smaller characters. The level cap went up to 55 and a lot of free content was added. Of course then that very ‘down’ post showed up on the forums and now everyone is doubting the future of Vanguard. Personally, I think it will keep on through 2010 even though players are quite disappointed by the key features that have been shelved.

Aion: Playing this game specifically for work, it’s beautiful but every single aspect is a grind, from leveling to crafting to harvesting. Thankfully having someone to play with makes these tasks far more bearable. I don’t regret playing, there’s still some fun to be found, but it reminded me about how completely different people can be with their play styles. Of course the future was revealed for Aion in a video and we’re all eagerly wondering when and if any of those features will come true. Me? Looking forward to seeing some housing, but I’m not holding my breath.

Champions Online: I was given a 3 month trial of the game for free (due to work) but barely played. Through no fault of the game, I’m just not the super hero type it appears. I did love the character creation process, it was detailed  and I absolutely loved the customization options. Once I got past that there was nothing to keep pulling me in to play.

Wizard 101: I played this game off and on all of 2009 and loved it just as much as ever. It feels like I’ve been stuck in Krokotopia forever, and I’m looking forward to moving on to the next world. The problem is finding the time to actually sit down and play. I also started up a second account so that I could box my characters together, hoping to make some of the fights easier. Since I play mostly for work related articles, I tend to play during the day time when the population has decreased because everyone is at work and school. School specific houses came out, and they’re absolutely incredible. Housing has always been a big pull for me, and it’s great to see some of my favorite games still dedicating themselves towards creating content for that.

Age of Conan: I got two weeks of free play time, and I think I logged in once or twice. It just doesn’t appeal to me, too many other games I play offer the exact same things (and nudity / gore are not things that appeal to me at all).

Warhammer Online: Another one of those ‘if I only had the time’ games, I did sneak in here and there. I’ve always enjoyed WAR, and just wished more people would play. I can’t play this game constantly, because I don’t enjoy PvP constantly. I felt the PvE was lacking, but there have been some amazing revamps and things have changed a little. My account is currently open until the 25th of January, and I’m going to try to squeeze in some more time where I can. We’ll see how that goes.

The Lord of the Rings Online: My little Minstrel is climbing up the levels. This game is just so beautiful to me, and I love the gameplay – not to mention the crafting. I debated whether or not to pick up the life time membership when it dropped back down to $199, but decided to just stick with a three month plan (which also happened to get me Mirkwood for free, when I purchased the $20 adventure pack). I don’t imagine I’ll be giving this game up any time soon, I love the PvE, and I have a lot of friends currently playing, which just makes it a huge bonus.

Fallen Earth: I played the trial to this game, twice. While the genre was not something I typically am interested in (that whole post apocalyptic feeling) the game is a lot of fun. I had a huge learning curve to try to master in a short amount of time, as the game combines FPS and melee combat, crafting is some of the most involved I’ve seen. The graphics are incredible. I’ve been debating whether or not to purchase the full version, especially this holiday season because steam has it on sale for half price. My problem is whether or not I’ll actually be able to make use of the 1 month of play time before it expires, simply due to time limits. In the mean time I’ll keep thinking about it.

World of Warcraft: I didn’t play much WoW over the year, but I kept my account active simply because. It’s one of those games I play for a short while and bore of it before moving on to something else. On the plus side, I did recently manage to make it to level 56 on my main, which allowed me to promptly make a Death Knight who surpassed my four year old character in three hours, reaching level 58. Ouch.

This year is the first year I’ve actually played numerous non-mmo games, and it was great. I purchased an XBox to go along with the PS3 and Wii that are already in the house, and played some fun mario games as well as a lot of Fable II. I bought Torchlight which I love, and Dragon Age when that came out. Sims 3 came out with an expansion and I spent lots of hours lost in both.

I still keep meaning to pop into DDO more often since it’s gone free to play, but again making time is never easy. I also still have EVE sitting on my steam account unactivated because I simply don’t have the time right now to get over that huge learning curve. Then there’s also Guild Wars that I’ve got on the computer, and haven’t played in quite some time. I DO plan on playing all three a lot more in 2010, but when I can’t be certain. Speaking of steam, have you seen all of the amazing deals? It’s a wonder I have time to play anything at all when they keep putting some classics there for sale. I can’t even remember what it was I picked up but I keep telling myself I’ll get to it, eventually.

I hope everyone else had an amazing year, and I hope 2010 brings great things to all of my family and friends. Many hugs!

My First Death Knight Adventures

Alright, I realize that I haven’t written for a few days but it’s been EXCEPTIONALLY busy this year as far as holidays go. Thankfully I have some quiet time now, and I’ll be spending a few days at home. I’ve got other posts scheduled to talk about all of the holiday goodness, and games I enjoyed in 2009 and what not. But for now before my head hits the keyboard I’m going to write about my first experience with the Death Knight in World of Warcraft.

First of all, it was a huge milestone for me to even reach level 55 on my priest main. I’ve had the character for four years now and never managed to actually play the game longer then a month at a time to get anywhere. Then I’d start up again (most of the time with a new alt) and manage to just barely hit 50 and I’d stop playing. Plus, I didn’t own Wrath of the Lich King. Now I do.

After hitting level 55 I of course decided to make a Death knight. It sort of goes hand in hand, especially if you’ve never played one before and this is the furthest you’ve ever gotten in the game. It was awesome, I was happily going along doing the story line, learning things about the lore, and a few new (to me) quests came up that I really liked. Especially the almost-end when I got to ride a huge dragon around and blow things up. That was neat.

Then I got thinking about it.

It wasn’t so neat after all. Here I was, a few hours old, my gear is all blues, I have a mount, lots of bags, flight paths all over the place, and numerous other things that I don’t even have on my main yet. That’s where I started having a problem. My actual main is no where near as good as this level 55 Death knight I just created today. The only thing my main has above and beyond this Death Knight aside from some achievements, is her crafting.

I really wish there had of been an option for those non-DK classes to at least complete the same quests. Not only is my Death Knight pretty well geared – she’s level 58, three levels higher then my main, and it took barely any effort to get there. Of course, I love my priest and I have every intention of going back to her but how do you fight that sort of pull?

It was a very well done script, and I had a lot of fun doing it. The atmosphere was fantastic, the story intense, and the music outstanding. Everything I love about games came through. There were barely any other people around which always makes my leveling easier and now I just wish I could have experienced all of that on my actual character rather then (yet another) alt.

Why not give everyone the choice (once they’ve reached level 55 as that’s the starting level to create a Death Knight) to skip ahead in levels if they want it (and once they’ve reached 55 on one character ‘naturally’) if they’re going to allow one specific class to do it? Why not create (yes, I realize it would take a lot of time and work) a separate story line that some how ties in the Death Knights to ‘everyone else’ and give them the option to help out – gaining levels and equipment that’s just as nice. A choice for players of course.

Anyhow, that’s my rant. Fun, but made me feel like I’d put all that effort into my main for nothing. Hopefully I’ll be back to playing her soon, although I can certainly see why the Death Knights are so awesome.

Happy Gaming!

Book of the day – Ode to the Badger: A Miner’s Tale

(( Every week or so I try to include a player-written book here on my web site, one that I’ve got gathered in my Norrathian museum. You can donate books to me on the Antonia Bayle server, and I’ll send you a blank book or cash in return for helping me out. If you’d like to visit the museum in person, head to the North Freeport Mage tower, bottom floor where the magical housing is, under the name of Ellithia. ))

Ode to the Badger: A Miner’s Tale – By Llamo

I grab my pick and head for the hills,
to gather metals to pay my bills.
Feet hitting the grass and the sun in my face,
I know that I’m in the right place.

I look out and about far and wide,
to spot those nodes where they may hide.
I see one, tiny little grey lump,
I run up and chip off a little bump.

Horray!  I found a bit of ore,
I must keep going to find some more.
One node, two nodes, three,
I am finding metal everywhere I can see.

Alas, the day grows long,
the amount I’ve gathered worthy of song.
My bag is heavy and my strength grows short,
I’m thinking it’s time for a port.

I begin to cast a spell to return home,
I then spot another node all alone.
I check my bag and yes, there’s room,
I charge off for riches are soon.

With revived vigor, I raise my pick,
downward I thrust and the pick does stick.
This was different, I did not hear the usual sound,
I look down and yes, the object was indeed round.

It was grey small and stayed in place,
this little node was not the usual case.
The node began to bleed,
my pants I almost peed.

The node had a head and looked up at me,
It let out a scream and tried to bite my knee.
I pulled up on my pick but it would not give,
blood was leaking like water through a sive.

I think my pick was lodged in it’s spine,
I paniced and said, “All is fine.”
It was enraged with the pick in his spine,
I held onto my pick for it was mine.

It lept forth and bit my ore filled sack,
I grabed it and pulled it back.
A hole tore open and my ore hit the floor,
wrath filled my soul and I let out a roar.

I made up my mind this would end now,
I needed the coin that ore would endow.
Reaching out I grabed my pick,
I laughed as a person whose mind was sick.

My foot was then pressed on the back of it’s neck,
freeing my pick I said, “What the heck.”
Gripping my pick tight, I gave it a thrust,
through the back and out the bust.

The scream was horrible, it was going to die,
with rage I yelled out, “Tonight, Badger Pie!”
Screaming mixed with snapping bones,
shortly quieting down to simple moans.

I gave it one last strike,
from my pick and the tip of the spike.
It was then dead and the struggle came to an end,
I felt calm for my ore I did defend.

I gathered up my ore from the ground,
thinking about the badger I did pound.
The ground was mushed into mud,
from all the thrashing and wet with blood.

I cleaned off my bits of ore,
vowing this would happen no more.
Oh what a stupid badger that was,
all squishy and covered in fuzz.

Why would nature play such an evil trick?
If this was meant to be, why is she all so sick?
I stay up at night wondering about these,
Nature is suppose to be sweet, about the birds and the bees.

What a twisted sick wench she has to be,
to play such a trick on me.
To make badgers look like an ore node
ones you see along the Antonican road.

No doubt this will happen a second time,
now I coat my pick with posionous slime.
Next time my pick hits something alive,
it won’t be like kicking over a bee hive.

O’ badger who’s life I did snuff into death,
you strugged with your very last breath.
I write this tale to honor your soul,
but you may have lived if you didn’t tear open that hole!

New Danger Hound!

Wizard101 ran a contest not too long ago where if they met the goals of followers on Facebook, members who had also joined up with Wizard101 central would recieve a Danger Hound, as well as gold for additional members. Codes started being emailed out on the 21st of December, and this morning I logged in to find my own Danger Hound as well as 5500 gold!

Pictured above is my little Angela Ravendust, 27 life wizard (still trying to finish up Krokotopia, which has been slow going since I’ve been trying to get my 2nd account caught up).

This is my first pet that actually has a purpose aside from looking neat – it actually adds a card to my deck (which I of course forgot to get a screen shot of). Looking forward to testing it out though!

Hopefully since I’ll be away from the PC this holiday season I’ll be able to sneak in some Wizard 101 time while on my laptop at my parents place, I’m VERY eager to start exploring Marleybone and get away from all of this sand!