A Pixel Nomad

The Legacy Family Continues (Alonzo Does Not)

Ah, my poor neglected legacy family. With rumors of a careers update just around the corner, I decided it was well past time I returned to the Sims 4 and see how everyone was doing. When we last visited, the family consisted of Jessica Little (founding sim), Alonzo (her elderly husband) and Emily Little, their daughter. At some point I decided to scrap their entire home and start them over new. The place I created for them was a disaster. Jessica works as a writer, Alonzo a programmer, and Emily was just going to school and doing whatever it is that kids do.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before Death came to visit the family due to Alonzo’s age, but what I wasn’t prepared for was Emily’s quiet acceptance of the death, and befriending of Death himself. Screenshot above shows the two hanging out like best mates, discussing cartoons on TV. I haven’t decided at this time if Jessica will remarry, or if her and Alonzo had the sort of relationship that lasts through the ages. I did begin a graveyard in the back yard, I figure when possible all legacy family members should have a grave there.

Emily is focusing on her creative talents and spends a lot of time with her violin. At those times I turn the volume down because dang that kid just does not play well AT ALL. The home that I eventually remodeled for them includes 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and while that may seem like an enormous home it actually only cost $27,000 and is quite small (especially compared to their gigantic plot of land). I’m hoping to get some time to have Emily age up and begin on the second generation of legacy family members, but I’m enjoying the slow progression.

As always, happy gaming no matter where you find yourself!

Content Locked Behind Levels?

In games (especially in MMOs with linear progression) I expect that certain content will be ‘locked’ behind levels. Things like raid content especially. Then there are games that seem to lock everything behind obtaining some magical number, and those games I’m not quite as fond of. I feel that locking content, behind levels in specific, deters a certain group of gamers who may otherwise enjoy that aspect of the game and continue to play because of it.

Lets take housing for example. In WildStar housing is locked behind obtaining level 14. Now, that’s not a huge amount of leveling in the grand scheme of things, but then there are fabkits and other useful housing items that are also level locked. Even some decor is locked behind a level. Motivating people to play your way is one method of doing things, sure, but for the truly casual gamer all this will do is deter them from sticking around.

In games like EQ2 housing (in specific) is not restricted by level. Casual and hardcore alike are free to decorate to their hearts content starting at level 1. Aspects of housing, are of course locked. For example if you want the best of the best, you’ll need to work towards it. Working towards it does not always include leveling or adventuring. It could include finding methods of earning in-game currency in order to afford the items you want, or hiring players who are level appropriate to obtain rare items for you. There are workarounds to getting what you want.

How do you feel about games locking content behind levels? Does it have to be this way? Does it not matter to you any more because it’s simply the way things have always been? When World of Warcraft released Warlords I was pretty excited about garrison, but then I saw how locked behind leveling they were. It’s great for your main and your first run through the content, but what about all those alts who wanted to have a garrison too.

Is there a point to playing games where everything is just handed to you and there is no progression locked behind levels? Even Sims 4 has gone the rout of locked content where you need to level up your skills before obtaining certain house items – though this can be bypassed with cheats at least.

Thoughts?

What’s Your Favourite Type of Crafting?

I love crafting. It doesn’t matter what game I play, chances are I’m going to get involved. That doesn’t mean I like every type of crafting though. One of my least favourite crafting methods is the one you find in World of Warcraft, where you click one button to combine, and wait around until everything in your inventory is used up. It feels very hands free, and it’s meant to be that way. The ‘hard’ part involves collecting the resources, usually through combat (if you’re going to collect it yourself) and adventuring.

My absolutely favourite way to craft, was in Vanguard. Crafting was its own sphere, and did not rely on adventuring at all. You could do work orders where you were given the supplies you needed and only had to purchase the vendor sold components, and this was the ideal way to level, saving your hard earned harvests for actual useful items. It was difficult, complicated, and you would take pride in your creations. Through the use of powders and dusts you could customize every piece a bunch of different ways, and of course you could make pieces more rare than others. One of the best things about this system for me personally was that it wasn’t timed, like it is in EQ2. In EQ2 I feel like I have to constantly sit at the craft bench and not step away to answer the phone or go get the door, because my craft will fail. It’s a timed mechanic, and while I enjoy the process of crafting, I dislike being so tied to the desk as I craft. Sometimes I need to step away.

Crafting in WildStar is complex, but I feel it leans too much on the side of RNG rather than skill. I don’t like having to compete with RNG, because I typically (always) lose. ArcheAge crafting matches that of World of Warcraft, where it’s just a finger click to combine items in your inventory, so long as you have the materials available. There is a bit of RNG as you have a chance to “auto upgrade” an item as you craft it, but the system isn’t complex by any means.

So what are your favourite methods of crafting? Would you prefer to buy from crafters and not create your own items? Players who choose to harvest and sell those goods to crafters can make a nice amount of money in a balanced game, spending the money they earn from selling craft components back on crafters for their finished goods. Of course if you’re like me you have to DO ALL THE THINGS and so you’re both a crafter and an adventurer.

A Very Gaming Weekend

I decided it was time to make an alt in WildStar, my esper is great but I was getting a bit tired of my chua (I know, how dare I). I ended up creating a human medic. Oh my. I’m only level 12 so far but I already adore the class and have been having lots of fun. Of course it helps that I have a small handful of friends who still play the game and they decided to create new characters too.

One thing I don’t like is that it’s impossible for me to get 100% zone completion in some areas because they require people to have a specific path in order to bypass things like a locked door. Northern Wilds, I’m looking at you. I asked in zone if anyone was able to help out, but apparently the path I required was not one anyone felt like playing. That’s the only thing I’m missing from the zone and it was really hard to move on without having completed it. Grumbles.

I saw a LOT of new players bouncing around doing their thing, which was great! I’m currently playing on Entity, which is the NA PvE megaserver. I expect that the reduced box price has a bit to do with that, but hopefully it’s also because folks are eager to check things out. Of course my main ‘goals’ are to get level appropriate for housing (so addictive) but aside from that I haven’t decided what I want to do. I haven’t joined a guild yet, but I am enjoying myself. It was nice to actually have a bit of time to play. Of course the reason I had any time was because I put my back out and all I can do is lay or sit still and not move, but hey, I’ll take it.

I hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend, no matter where you found yourself! Happy gaming!

ArcheAge? ArcheAge.

What ever happened to ArcheAge? It released not even three full months ago, and already there are far less players than when I first started out. Since I still have patron access thanks to being a beta supporter, and a friend was talking up the game over the weekend, and I actually had time to game for once, I decided why not explore once again. I had previously lost most of my desire to play when the guild I was in decided to implode due to a whole lot of drama. This time around I was starting fresh on a new server, and though I miss my old ‘mains’ (a lot, I really wish we had character transfers) at least there were some good friends around.

I’m nearing level 19 at the moment, and managed to find a spot for my small farm right away. Prices for items have skyrocketed to a degree that I would have never guessed. Just last month APEX were selling for 40 gold, those are now 200 gold. 16×16 plots of land were 300-500 gold, and those are now 1200-2000 gold depending on location. Even the 8×8 plots of land are going for huge amounts of gold, and it seems like only a small percent of the population controls the housing areas. I would still love to see all patrons be granted 1 16×16 and 1 8×8 – and then leave open spaces where people could battle for extra land. In any case, I was glad to get my small piece. I’m not sure what the chances are for me ever obtaining a 16×16 (especially not if I have to pay for it) but the 8×8 will suit me for now. Instead of picking up on a specific craft, I have just been harvesting and selling my goods on the AH. I’ve got a nice little store of coin, and I’m hoping that as I level up I can make use of that for gear and weapons.

I started out as a daggerspell, but at level 17 I decided I wasn’t really enjoying myself and I swapped over to a templar which has been my class of choice so far. I completed a few trade runs, and things are very much as they were when I stopped playing approximately a month ago (aside from the rise in prices). How long I stick things out this time will depend on a number of things (like how long my friends are around for) but I wouldn’t play at all if I didn’t have at least some fun doing it. I enjoy the world and the quests, I just don’t enjoy the mad property dash that seems to dictate every action in the game.