Category: Gaming

Computer issues are not resolved yet, but should be soon. On the plus side I’ve become very good at guessing when the connection is about to bump (approx every 10 minutes) and I’ve been playing around it. It’s not enough of a bump to dump me off of EQ2, just enough to cause a minute or so of nothing happening on my screen. Apparently it’s a known issue though. Since it’s happening to both my pc (wireless adapter) and my laptop – but NOT the 2nd pc that’s plugged in with a cable, it was easier to search for. 

I’ve been questing Stargrace and Ellithia (78 illusionist and 72 defiler) around Kylong Plains lately. They make a fairly interesting duo, I typically mentor down and have the illusionist call her pet, then it’s just a matter of root and nuking. The defiler debuffs and casts her heals, sets her pet on the encounter as well. If root breaks it’s not such a big deal since the healer is close at hand – and so far encounters have been blue and below. I’m actually looking forward to playing the monk with the defiler, or perhaps (oh noes!) creating even more alts. We’ll see how it goes. I guess it’s fairly safe to say EQ2 has a fairly good grip on me as of late, and the best part is that I’m happy with that. 

Tipa and I were talking about how EQ2 is “home base” for both of us. We may play other games, and I certainly do wander but when all is said and done we both end up back in EQ2 – and happily so. 

I’m hoping once the computer issues are fixed I can get the defiler the rest of her level. I have a very lofty goal of trying to hit 80 before The Shadow Odyssey releases next month, but that’s 7.5 levels I’d have to gain before release and I think that’s a little much in less then a month. We’ll see how it goes in any case. I also want to level my necromancer, and my monk, and my paladin. Ahh good times. 

Nostalgia gained some new members last week via the guild recruitment tool. Surprised me because our guild rarely ever actually shows up on the list of guilds recruiting. I keep mine turned on “just in case” someone happens to think Nostalgia may be what they’re looking for. More members is never a bad thing!

Thanks to a series of random events, I didn’t get to play nearly as much as I had wanted this weekend. When I did get a chance to play a good portion was spent screaming and cursing at the computer and everything related to computers. When my other half and I bought the laptop, we also decided that we should have my pc wireless since it’s across the room from the router, leaving his PC plugged in. So we bought a USB adapter that would work as a wireless card or what not. Remember, I am not exactly a computer person here. Anyhow, he fiddled with that for a good while, trying to secure our network without kicking any of the three computers off and what have you. I was surprised to see how many people in my apartment building have an unsecured / open wireless connection that anyone can tap into. 

After a short while of playing, I started losing connection every 10 minutes or so, and it would take me roughly 3-4 minutes for all of that to straighten out. It always happened at the most inopportune times too of course. At the end of Veksar we’re working out a plan to take down the final encounter and I go run off and lag into the room agroing him. Thankfully I was able to backtrack into the previous room and no one died. 

Then later that night I offer to help Kasul get some epic updates, Shadowgeist, Kasul and myself on Petites (76 templar) are running through Sebilis when what should happen – we get to the fearing encounters and I have a good solid 40 seconds where I see no one moving, nothing happening and can’t cast spells. Gah! I got frustrated and decided to take it as a hint and just log off. I decided to watch two and a half men in bed for the rest of the evening, which was a lot better then dealing with Internet issues. 

The little bit of time I did get to spend in game was fun though. Veksar was not too bad until the final encounter where we tried a handful of methods that didn’t seem to want to work. I played my enchanter, and didn’t realize they changed the encounter (again) so that now you CAN mesmerize the adds. I guess people complained that it was too difficult the other way around. Our first attempt involved me mesmerizing the named before we entered the room and then standing on his small platform to prevent adds from spawning, but for some reason even when he was mesmerized he still spawned them, so instead we just did it the good ‘ol normal way. Tank rushed in, grabbed adds + named, and I locked them down. Recast my mez when the adds respawned, which they did at least 5 times. 

Kasul got a few upgrades I believe, or at least one. Albrta got an upgrade too but nothing else was really of any use. The day before I had taken Ellithia to heal for Vaults of Eternal Sleep, a lot of fun since she was only level 72 and the only healer. Worked out great though. The only difficulty with bringing in low level healers is that they are unable to cure any of the dots. So you need a zone where dots won’t mater. After we had cleared Vaults I relogged to Arysh and we did Maidens, where I actually got a pair of gloves that were an upgrade. 

Later last night I also tried my hand at a little boxing this new way with two computers. Right now I almost wish I could go back to the old way of two accounts on one machine but that’s simply because I’m used to it. It’s weird for me to be able to watch both at once, and remember what to cast. On the plus side it also allows me to actually do more healing and debuffing which is a good thing. I’ve been planning out all the alts I want to level up that I haven’t yet. Having Ellithia (72 defiler) on the second account is nice, because the majority of my characters are on the other account and having a healer is always a good thing. Though I’m sure eventually I’ll make a tank class on her account that I can play my other healers with.

I hope everyone else had an amazing weekend. Screenshot is of Veksar, having an Indiana Jones moment (I’ve never actually seen any of the movies, someone told me this is in one of them though).

I turned off multi core support and attempted to box like I used to be able to do on balanced settings. This is apparently what happens when my video card over heats. 

Sort of interesting graphic, no?

Turns out no matter what settings I set my computer at, whether multi core is on or off, I can’t box like I used to. Not sure why, but it sucks. Looks like I’m buying a laptop in my near future. I miss boxing, and both my accounts are active. One account runs like magic and I can play on the highest settings and the game looks beautiful. I used to box (two accounts on one machine) on balanced settings with no issues, it was a lot of fun but stressful when I started to raid with both accounts. 

I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a laptop anyhow, and this seems like a good one.

I own a lot of houses in EQ2. Aside from crafting it’s one of my “I want to relax” hobbies that I dedicate a lot of time to when I don’t feel like adventuring. When guildhalls came out I knew I’d still be keeping my homes (and thus far I have) but I also knew I’d probably be downsizing some what. It’s not really because of the halls themselves either, but moving Silhouette from a 5-room Gorowyn home to a 3-room (and then yesterday to a one room) was something I’ve wanted to do for a bit and just had not been motivated.

The one room Gorowyn homes are absolutely huge and more then enough space. I did purchase the item expander, so I can have 200 items instead of 100 (and I’m at 150 currently, lots of room to grow) and I also bought the vault expander so I have 3 vaults for broker sales. Since each one of my characters has their own home, none of them fill up more then three sales crates with goodies, typically. 

I built the house loft style, since the Gorowyn homes have the highest ceilings I’ve ever seen. You could probably stand 6 sarnak on top of one another and still have room left over for a dwarf. I built a library and desk area on the main floor, along with the kitchen (pictured in the first screen shot) and then upstairs I have a little seating area with a bedroom. 

It’s not exactly fancy, but it suits my character just fine. 

The screen shot above is looking down from the loft area into the main room. Since I had downsized first from a 5 room to a 3 room, and then finally to the one room, I had a LOT of spare items left over. I stuck them all on the broker to try to make back some of the coin I spent decorating this past little while. A thank you to Kasul for fixing the stairs properly for me, those are simply not my strength. 

Aside from this one room in Gorowyn, I own two 5-rooms in South Qeynos that need an overhaul. Stargrace and Arysh have had their homes for a few years now with no updates aside from adding new little knickknacks to their collections. I also own a two room in Qeynos Harbor, and in East Freeport. Both of which need decorating. I haven’t really focused much on getting those done (obviously) but hey it’s all one big ongoing work in progress.