Missing Out #LotRO

If there was one game I really wish I had of purchased a lifetime subscription to, it would be the Lord of the Rings Online. I kick myself every time I log in that I didn’t take advantage of it while I had the time, but I just couldn’t afford it. Every so often I get an itch to dive into the game, and this week was no different. I own all of the latest expansions, but my main character is only level 43 (almost 44!) and that’s not high enough to really take advantage of Mirkwood or the most recent expansion, Isengard.

Toargo and I delved into game without too many issues, and as a sort of refresher course we decided skirmishes would be the way to go. Great experience, and a safe fighting environment that wouldn’t have other players cursing our name. Most of the time, at least.

We completed a handful of them without any issue while I got reacquainted with my Minstrel. Before I knew it two hours had passed and it was time to head to bed. Funny how those moments sneak up on us.

LotRO is one of the few MMOs I’ve played for any length of time where I haven’t managed to get to the ‘cap’ in game. In fact I’ve never even been close to maxing out the level of one of my characters. I find leveling quite slow, but then again I don’t dedicate as much time to playing as I do other games either. I’m not quite sure why. The game is (and always has been) breathtakingly beautiful, and I suppose all of the fall colours if Rivendell makes me a little nostalgic since it’s my favorite time of the year. I haven’t subscribed to the game (yet) and am still playing it in the ‘free to play’ form, but I imagine that will change before too long.

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

 

The Life of a Crafter #EQ2 #EverQuest2

Last week a patch came that would change the price of Kael gems forever – that’s right, the removal of shards required for Thurgadin and Ry’Gorr armor. I was lucky, I purchased gems that were relatively cheap (at the time at least) and stockpiled them for my alts. I had enough of the two common gems to supply all of my characters with Ry’Gorr helms and gloves, and enough gems left over to gear up a few of the neglected characters. with 12 level 90 alts, that’s a lot of crafting. I don’t quite understand the decision to remove shards as a component, I think it reduces players incentive to do the zones that drop shards. Although they are still required in order to purchase adornments. I know this is probably just preparation for the “features” expansion coming out in November, (can it even be called an expansion?) preparing players for any new content that may be released.

Despite my feelings about SoE’s direction with EQ2 on the adventuring side of things, I still think the crafting side is very well taken care of. I spent most of my weekend working on crafting quests,working faction for Sentinel’s Fate factions (there are four dailies, one for each crafting faction) completing my Sentinel’s Fate crafting epic (a very nice carpenter hammer) and doing my Thurgadin daily so that I can obtain my 3rd shawl some time. I also completed the crafting chains that take players through Butcherblock Mountains and Steamfont Mountains, gathering a nice supply of rares and some cheap crafting books at the same time. I love the idea that players can choose this aspect of the game to play and not have to bother with adventuring in the traditional manor if they so choose. You can complete a crafting version of the leaper and glider mounts, as well as the flying mounts.

There isn’t as much for crafters to do in game as adventurers, but there’s a fair amount none the less. Particular factions to work on with their own crafter related rewards and all sorts of goodies.

Speaking of goodies. If you haven’t done the starter quests in the beginner zones recently, and you’re a fan of housing items – you may want to check them out. A while back rewards were revamped to grant housing items, so I went and completed the Darklight woods quests and came out with a handful of new items. If you’ve already completed the quests on your character it’s too late to get the newer rewards now, but you can always run through with an alt or a higher level character who hasn’t done them yet.

How did everyone else spend their weekend? I actually spent less time in game and more time working on a cross stitch – real life crafting is always a great fall pass time. Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

P.S. Trying to fight an urge I’ve had lately to play LotRO. But I think I’m losing that battle.

 

Nights of the Dead Returns to EQ2 (And So Do I) #EQ2 #EverQuest2

Oh EQ2, what a fickle beast you are. I took a break from the game for a little while, playing Rift and WoW along with some other games (like Glitch and LotRO) which is pretty common for me. Everyone needs a break after all. Now with Nights of the Dead upon us I’ve returned, and the first thing I’ve started doing (aside from the Beastlord prelude quests) is decorating the much neglected guild hall. I’ve spent a couple hundred plat in furniture, even with a level 90 carpenter, mostly for those city festival items that I can only seem to find at particular times of the year. I built a stage with a small private members only room in behind it, along with a large bar (you can barley make out the end of it in the screen shot above) along with a library, and in another section I built a large pool with some chairs for relaxing. Upstairs I’d like to create some sort of forest, and downstairs core members each have their own room to decorate so I’ll have to work on that eventually. Ibeogur has been busy at work re-designing the crafting area. I was uninspired when it came to that section but it DOES need some work, so he decided to take over.

I’m once more faced with the decision of who to play. I have so many EQ2 characters that this is always a daunting task and I still haven’t completely decided. I typically play three ‘main’ characters:

  • 90 defiler
  • 90 swashbuckler
  • 90 bruiser

These days I feel very little motivation to play the swashbuckler because she has max aa and is fairly well geared according to my play style. Her and the defiler also have all of their master spells and have for some time now (one of the few benefits of the level cap remaining at 90 for so long). I could work on achievements, but without earning some form of character progression (a la alternate advancement) it feels pointless. There is supposedly an expansion coming in November, but it feels incredibly odd that there has been so little said about it. I know this expansion is more of a ‘bug fix’ and the implementation of Beastlords then anything else, but EQ1 has had their beta going on for a month now already and also releases in November (forgive me if I’m off with dates here, it happens). On a side note, I’m very excited about the EQ1 expansion.

It seems like quite a lull before awesomeness follows, Skyrim is out in November, the sims 3 pets is out in a few days (I know, not exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but I am excited) SWTOR is out in December and a handful of other much anticipated games. So for now, we wait.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

 

Here Piggy Piggy, and Home Sweet Home #PlayGlitch

what is it about Glitch that has me waking up every morning to check on my pigs, butterflies, and chickens? I couldn’t tell you. This little browser game has captured my attention in a way that very few games ever have, and I’m really enjoying myself. This morning I got incredibly lucky, I found a 15,000 currant home listed for sale in Groddle Meadow, UR which is an incredibly desirable place to live. This house came with 6 piggies, 2 fruit trees, 3 spice plants, a 32 slot storage cabinet, trophy case, and 16 crop garden plots. I was ecstatic, the 30,000 currant home I had been looking at came with 3 patches (2 less then my current home), the same storage, and 18 crop garden plots instead of 16. For twice the price! It paid off for me to be frantically checking the real estate listings periodically in the mornings. I saved a bundle of money and came away with an amazing home.

What have I been up to in Glitch? Well the past two days I’ve been doing nothing but trying to save up enough money to upgrade my home. Had I known I was going to purchase this (far) cheaper abode, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard, but now I’m resting on a pretty little sum of extra cash. In the mean time I’m working on my cooking skills, having completed all of the skills that involve animals. This is how I make most of my money at the moment, chickens reward me with a lot of mini radios which I can sell or donate to the Giants, and when I get a super harvest on a pig that’s 20 meat I can sell. I’ve been doing a bit of mining as well, but I need to get my skills up a bit higher before that will be a money making endeavor for me. Meditation has become a very useful skill, and I’m thinking of raising my tinkering higher. Being able to fix my tools instead of having to completely replace them is a blessing.

I’ve been lucky in game, too. I’ve come across some tools others have abandoned on the ground (free money!) and I’ve been exploring a lot. I came across this really neat desert area filled with sand, dunes, and the spirits of my ancestors. There was a time limit on how long I could stay in this area, and along the ground were sign posts that would grant me extra time as I passed them if they were standing up, or other goodies like drinks. If they were face down on the ground then they would reward me nothing.

I’ve climbed my way to level 14 (I have no idea how many ‘levels’ there are) and have barely noticed myself doing it. You earn a handful of xp for completing quests as well as earning new achievements. It’s still very much a ‘make your own fun’ game, I’ve been leaving notes around the zones I visit for other players to read. I found a few yesterday that were filled with star wars quotes. There’s so many little things hidden out of the way that players are forced to explore on their own to encounter.

You can find me playing as Stargrace if you want to add me to your friends list, in the mean time, happy gaming no matter where you find yourself!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, a lack of posts this weekend – however it’s Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I have plenty to be thankful for. I’ve also been spending most of it with family (understandable) and getting up at 5:30 am to catch the sunrise in the Gatineau Hills.

I’m thankful for everyone in my life, whether we get along or not. I’m thankful I’m surrounded by fantastic people, I’m thankful for my health even if it (at times) fails me. I’m thankful for video games, of course! I’ve met some wonderful people through them. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t realize how lucky I am, and I try to be thankful for this life at every opportunity. I hope all my fellow turkey-day comrades enjoy the day, and don’t fill up too much! Save some room for desert.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself.