31 December 2005
30 December 2005
My Most-Anticipated Games of 2006
HellGate: London
Voodoo Extreme (via Kotaku]) ranked this at #2. I am not an experienced FPS player (I couldn't finish the F.E.A.R. demo!), but the game looks awesome. I've been drooling over graphics, trailers, and news bits for months. Demons, London, post-apocalyptic setting -- what's not to love? It's meant to be first-person for ranged combat and third-person for melee combat, so I don't think I will fare too badly. I hope.
Guild Wars: The Second Chapter
There is very little news about this. It doesn't even have an official title yet, but most people are calling it The Second Chapter at the moment. What we do know so far is that, in addition to new areas, new monsters, and new quests, there will be a new Profession, the Assassin. This will be adding the roguish element to the game, and I am interested to see how they implement this. I quite enjoy Guild Wars so this is my second most-anticipated 'game' of 2006.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
The Xbox version was released in late 2005, but no signs of the PC version yet. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, one of my favourite video games, had very strong Lovecraftian influences, which rocked. I want my dose of unspeakable, cyclopean horrors, and eldritch gods from the far reaches of space, damn it!
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
I'm not sure on whether I will get this, but I am keeping tabs on this one, as I have an interest in D&D. It is similar to Guild Wars in that it relies on instanaces heavily. Some speculate (via MMORPGDot) that this partially due to the fact that Rogues will be almost indispensible to a party. With instances, the group does not have to wait for traps to reset and monsters to respawn, and gameplay won't have too many pauses.
Voodoo Extreme (via Kotaku]) ranked this at #2. I am not an experienced FPS player (I couldn't finish the F.E.A.R. demo!), but the game looks awesome. I've been drooling over graphics, trailers, and news bits for months. Demons, London, post-apocalyptic setting -- what's not to love? It's meant to be first-person for ranged combat and third-person for melee combat, so I don't think I will fare too badly. I hope.
Guild Wars: The Second Chapter
There is very little news about this. It doesn't even have an official title yet, but most people are calling it The Second Chapter at the moment. What we do know so far is that, in addition to new areas, new monsters, and new quests, there will be a new Profession, the Assassin. This will be adding the roguish element to the game, and I am interested to see how they implement this. I quite enjoy Guild Wars so this is my second most-anticipated 'game' of 2006.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
The Xbox version was released in late 2005, but no signs of the PC version yet. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, one of my favourite video games, had very strong Lovecraftian influences, which rocked. I want my dose of unspeakable, cyclopean horrors, and eldritch gods from the far reaches of space, damn it!
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
I'm not sure on whether I will get this, but I am keeping tabs on this one, as I have an interest in D&D. It is similar to Guild Wars in that it relies on instanaces heavily. Some speculate (via MMORPGDot) that this partially due to the fact that Rogues will be almost indispensible to a party. With instances, the group does not have to wait for traps to reset and monsters to respawn, and gameplay won't have too many pauses.
My 2005 Game of the Year
My most satisfying game play experience of the year was Guild Wars. I bought the game because I wanted to play an online RPG and did not want the committment or expense of a monthly fee. An expected outcome of such a game is that the content would be mediocre. I did not have many expectations or too many pre-conceived notions, as I am a relative newbie to PC gaming. Really, the only PC RPG that I had played up to that point was Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (which I need to complete sometime). I had never played an online game before. I found that Guild Wars was definitely a good gaming investment.
Guild Wars is fun and challenging. I have not reached the endgame, but despite having this game for months and months I still enjoy it. I haven't yet experienced the apathy that often sets in when I play a game, or the feeling that I'm working too hard to enjoy myself. Example: more than a year on, and I have not completed Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and I am supposed to be a huge a Metroid fan. There were some periods when I didn't play Guild Wars as much, but it was more to do with a desire to play with guild mates (and scheduling problems), as well as other committments, that caused long breaks, rather than dissatisfaction or boredom with the game.
What follows is... I guess you could call it a "detailed review".
Graphics
I am in love with the graphics in Guild Wars. Sometimes I just wander around looking at the scenery and the surroundings. I'll have to post more pictures of my Tyrian travels on Flickr. Bloom lighting is gorgeous.
Most of the possible character templates are good-looking, though some Professions have more attractive options than others. The exception, in my opinion is for the female Mesmer. I created a lady Mesmer a few months ago, and I could not, for the life of me, make a combination that I was completely satsified with. I ended up using her as a mule and deleting her as soon as she got to Post-Searing. I admit that her appearance played a small part in her deletion. I am contemplating creating another Mesmer, this time a male, because I want to try out a Mesmer Primary. The male Mesmers look like such dandies, which I love!
Skills
The reliance on tactics makes for an interesting play experience. Since players are limited to using 8 Skills in battle, you have to think strategically when preparing to quest. You have to think about your party composition, what Skills will complement the other members, and about what sorts of enemies you expect to encounter in that area. It would be idiotic to have a questing party with two Necromancer primaries who both specialise in raising Minions from the dead. The competition for enemy corpses would be irritating. For PvP, character builds are supremely important, and communicating strategy with your teammates is imperative.
The two Profession (character class) system gives players flexibility to experiement with character builds. Some combinations are more complementary than others, and some better-suited to PvE or PvP than others. None of the Professions are 'throwaway' or useless, in my opinion. Each Profession has a role to play in a party, and ArenaNet have done a good job at balancing them out so that one Profession doesn't become insanely powerful (and thus really overpopulated) in the game.
Social
The way I see it (and I think very few would argue), online games such as Guild Wars are primarily meant to be played with others. ArenaNet called Guild wars a "Competitive Online Role-Playing Game" (CORPG), because the game is tuned for PvP. Most people list it under the MMORPG category, despite key differences between Guild Wars and other online RPGs. Some people also call it a "Co-operative Online RPG". Whatever category Guild Wars is grouped under, the emphasis, like other online games, is on social interaction and community. Games like this are designed to be played with others. What's the point of making it online-enabled if you don't interact? World of Warcraft players tend to dismiss Guild Wars as being less immersive and having a less tight-knit community. The immersion factor critique is fair in many respects, but I think the other point is incorrect. There are passionate Guild Wars communities if you know where to look.
I will permit myself a digression: I hate the fanboyishness of some WOW players. Having to listen to, "OMG you play Guild Wars? Guild Wars sucks!!!111one" is tiresome. I don't expect the same play experience from both games, and it doesn't make WOW players look intelligent or better if they compare kumquats to Valencias (Very different citrus fruits in the orange family, in case you didn't know.). Trying to convince me that Guild Wars sucks, when I've had such a good time playing isn't going to work either. I am not an uninformed gamer. I know that WOW has intricacy that GW lacks, but do you know what? I don't care.
I have been plying in the PvE part of the game, and I have enjoyed it. Instancing makes PvE feel more of a single-player game, unless you're questing with guildies or friends, but that isn't a complaint. I think the only people who feel cheated out of a "proper" MMORPG experience are those who expected Guild Wars to be like the other massive online RPGs, and that certainly wasn't me. Gamers should do some research before making purchases, instead of buying a game, and then complaining that it isn't like World of Warcraft or EverQuest. And it's possible that less-knowledgeable retail staff can be blamed as well.
My PvP experience is limited to the snowball fights in the Snow Arena, which is a temporary feature of the Winter season. However, I found the Snow Arena PvP to be a lot of fun, so perhaps I will wander into a regular PvP arena for non-snowy matches.
I have had good times questing with friends and (recently) randoms. When the people in PUGs (pick-up groups) know their roles, it's a very nice experience. I have only been in two PUGs, but both of them were positive experiences.
I have also had some funny experiences in towns. One time, in an effort to cheer me up, one of my guildmates suggested we flirt with the ladies in Pre-Searing Ascalon City. He insisted that I use my male Elementalist. We ended up having a small pool party (Everyone stripped to their skivvies!) with an Elementalist and a Necromancer. We were chatting and dancing and emoting all around. At one point, another woman wandered up, and for some reason, she got into a cat fight with the Necromancer. Insults flew back and forth, and the Necromancer whispered me, asking whether the newcomer had said something bad about her. I asked the Necromancer if she knew the other girl, and she didn't. It was amusing. Of course, I knew that whomever controlled those characters had the potential to be male, female, old, young, ugly, attractive etc., but it was still fun to pretend. I don't think I did a good job at flirting though, and my wingman said as much.
I like the fact that I only have to deal with people in towns, and that there is no player-killing unless you're in PvP. Whilst questing in an instance makes you feel more detached from other players, there is no chance that some random person will come up to pester you or kill you. There are pros and cons to the use of instances, and in this case I'll count it as a pro.
I can 'hire' computer-controlled NPC Henchmen when I don't want to play with people, or if I can't find a group. Henchies are less effective than (good) players, but they also don't talk, which can be a blessing. They can also be used to fill out a party.
PvE
The PvE campaign is linear, but it's not unenjoyable. The story is compelling and keeps me playing. Players are introduced to key figures, factions, and events in Tyrian history in the background lore contained in the instruction manual. As the game progresses, the player is immersed and enmeshed in the world's events.
Districts
Another great feature is that I am not restricted to playing on American servers. Currently, all of the people I regularly play Guild Wars with (when time permits) are located in Europe (most of the time). I don't know about other MMOGs, but World of Warcraft would not allow me to choose a European server to play on. With Guild Wars, I could choose to have my account 'located' in America or in Europe. Regardless of which location I chose as my account's home, I can go to the International District, which all players have access to. So whether my friends' Home Districts are American or European, we can still play together. This is a big plus in my opinion.
One of my American friends questioned why I play in the International Districts almost exclusively. Apart from the reason I jut gave, the International Districts are less crowded, so when I keep Local Chat enabled, it's less troublesome to follow conversations. It's easier to find people as well. I also have the possibility to interact with non-Americans, which I view as an advantage.
When I first started playing, which was just after he started, the International Districts did not have Traders. Traders are NPCs who buy goods (Rare Crafting Materials, Dye, Runes) from characters, and sell at the market rate. I was too new to care about Traders, so it wasn't an issue for me. And if I needed a Trader, I could just warp to my Home District with very little effort. He thought this was stupid. About a week after he criticised me for playing in the International Districts, Traders appeared there. Apparently Traders had been in International Districts before, and they had disappeared for a little while. With the return of Traders, there became no real reason for me to even visit the American Districts anymore.
Technical Matters
I have had no technical problems with the game. I use a broadband connection, so this is a factor. One of the things I love is that I don't have to spend 30 minutes or an hour downloading the latest patch. The updates stream to my computer whenever they're needed. In the case of the Wintersday update, the stream took less than a minute to download at login, and when I went to the Snow Arena, it took another half minute to get that area downloaded.
ArenaNet seem very responsive to player feedback. Although they don't have official forums on their website, their Community Relations staff participate in forums on Official Fansites. They have game updates every week, the details of which are posted on the official website. Whilst it's true that some players may not agree with the changes, like nerfs or buffs to Skills, at least the developers try to keep the game as balanced as possible.
There is also the Frog of Tyria, an amusingly cryptic method by which ArenaNet communicates (unoffially) with players in-game. The Frog gives hints of the future, and generally asks for feedback.
ArenaNet customer service has been great in my experience. After I looked in the FAQ for information, and failing to find my answer, I contacted customer service. I had my question answered in less than 24 hours.
For these reasons, Guild Wars is my favourite game of 2005.
Honourable Mentions
Most of them were not released in 2005, but I played them this year, so they count. Somehow.
Ico* -- Atmosphere like no other. Lives up to the hype, so far.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater* -- Best game qua film I've played to date. Despite some frustrating game play moments, it delivered on story.
Tekken 5 -- The best Tekken yet. As of Tekken 5, I've switched from playing as Nina Williams in previous editions to playing as Asuka Kazama. And sometimes Raven.
* Check The Game Chair for my progressive reviews of these games. I am currently reviewing Ico.
Guild Wars is fun and challenging. I have not reached the endgame, but despite having this game for months and months I still enjoy it. I haven't yet experienced the apathy that often sets in when I play a game, or the feeling that I'm working too hard to enjoy myself. Example: more than a year on, and I have not completed Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and I am supposed to be a huge a Metroid fan. There were some periods when I didn't play Guild Wars as much, but it was more to do with a desire to play with guild mates (and scheduling problems), as well as other committments, that caused long breaks, rather than dissatisfaction or boredom with the game.
What follows is... I guess you could call it a "detailed review".
Graphics
I am in love with the graphics in Guild Wars. Sometimes I just wander around looking at the scenery and the surroundings. I'll have to post more pictures of my Tyrian travels on Flickr. Bloom lighting is gorgeous.
Most of the possible character templates are good-looking, though some Professions have more attractive options than others. The exception, in my opinion is for the female Mesmer. I created a lady Mesmer a few months ago, and I could not, for the life of me, make a combination that I was completely satsified with. I ended up using her as a mule and deleting her as soon as she got to Post-Searing. I admit that her appearance played a small part in her deletion. I am contemplating creating another Mesmer, this time a male, because I want to try out a Mesmer Primary. The male Mesmers look like such dandies, which I love!
Skills
The reliance on tactics makes for an interesting play experience. Since players are limited to using 8 Skills in battle, you have to think strategically when preparing to quest. You have to think about your party composition, what Skills will complement the other members, and about what sorts of enemies you expect to encounter in that area. It would be idiotic to have a questing party with two Necromancer primaries who both specialise in raising Minions from the dead. The competition for enemy corpses would be irritating. For PvP, character builds are supremely important, and communicating strategy with your teammates is imperative.
The two Profession (character class) system gives players flexibility to experiement with character builds. Some combinations are more complementary than others, and some better-suited to PvE or PvP than others. None of the Professions are 'throwaway' or useless, in my opinion. Each Profession has a role to play in a party, and ArenaNet have done a good job at balancing them out so that one Profession doesn't become insanely powerful (and thus really overpopulated) in the game.
Social
The way I see it (and I think very few would argue), online games such as Guild Wars are primarily meant to be played with others. ArenaNet called Guild wars a "Competitive Online Role-Playing Game" (CORPG), because the game is tuned for PvP. Most people list it under the MMORPG category, despite key differences between Guild Wars and other online RPGs. Some people also call it a "Co-operative Online RPG". Whatever category Guild Wars is grouped under, the emphasis, like other online games, is on social interaction and community. Games like this are designed to be played with others. What's the point of making it online-enabled if you don't interact? World of Warcraft players tend to dismiss Guild Wars as being less immersive and having a less tight-knit community. The immersion factor critique is fair in many respects, but I think the other point is incorrect. There are passionate Guild Wars communities if you know where to look.
I will permit myself a digression: I hate the fanboyishness of some WOW players. Having to listen to, "OMG you play Guild Wars? Guild Wars sucks!!!111one" is tiresome. I don't expect the same play experience from both games, and it doesn't make WOW players look intelligent or better if they compare kumquats to Valencias (Very different citrus fruits in the orange family, in case you didn't know.). Trying to convince me that Guild Wars sucks, when I've had such a good time playing isn't going to work either. I am not an uninformed gamer. I know that WOW has intricacy that GW lacks, but do you know what? I don't care.
I have been plying in the PvE part of the game, and I have enjoyed it. Instancing makes PvE feel more of a single-player game, unless you're questing with guildies or friends, but that isn't a complaint. I think the only people who feel cheated out of a "proper" MMORPG experience are those who expected Guild Wars to be like the other massive online RPGs, and that certainly wasn't me. Gamers should do some research before making purchases, instead of buying a game, and then complaining that it isn't like World of Warcraft or EverQuest. And it's possible that less-knowledgeable retail staff can be blamed as well.
My PvP experience is limited to the snowball fights in the Snow Arena, which is a temporary feature of the Winter season. However, I found the Snow Arena PvP to be a lot of fun, so perhaps I will wander into a regular PvP arena for non-snowy matches.
I have had good times questing with friends and (recently) randoms. When the people in PUGs (pick-up groups) know their roles, it's a very nice experience. I have only been in two PUGs, but both of them were positive experiences.
I have also had some funny experiences in towns. One time, in an effort to cheer me up, one of my guildmates suggested we flirt with the ladies in Pre-Searing Ascalon City. He insisted that I use my male Elementalist. We ended up having a small pool party (Everyone stripped to their skivvies!) with an Elementalist and a Necromancer. We were chatting and dancing and emoting all around. At one point, another woman wandered up, and for some reason, she got into a cat fight with the Necromancer. Insults flew back and forth, and the Necromancer whispered me, asking whether the newcomer had said something bad about her. I asked the Necromancer if she knew the other girl, and she didn't. It was amusing. Of course, I knew that whomever controlled those characters had the potential to be male, female, old, young, ugly, attractive etc., but it was still fun to pretend. I don't think I did a good job at flirting though, and my wingman said as much.
I like the fact that I only have to deal with people in towns, and that there is no player-killing unless you're in PvP. Whilst questing in an instance makes you feel more detached from other players, there is no chance that some random person will come up to pester you or kill you. There are pros and cons to the use of instances, and in this case I'll count it as a pro.
I can 'hire' computer-controlled NPC Henchmen when I don't want to play with people, or if I can't find a group. Henchies are less effective than (good) players, but they also don't talk, which can be a blessing. They can also be used to fill out a party.
PvE
The PvE campaign is linear, but it's not unenjoyable. The story is compelling and keeps me playing. Players are introduced to key figures, factions, and events in Tyrian history in the background lore contained in the instruction manual. As the game progresses, the player is immersed and enmeshed in the world's events.
Districts
Another great feature is that I am not restricted to playing on American servers. Currently, all of the people I regularly play Guild Wars with (when time permits) are located in Europe (most of the time). I don't know about other MMOGs, but World of Warcraft would not allow me to choose a European server to play on. With Guild Wars, I could choose to have my account 'located' in America or in Europe. Regardless of which location I chose as my account's home, I can go to the International District, which all players have access to. So whether my friends' Home Districts are American or European, we can still play together. This is a big plus in my opinion.
One of my American friends questioned why I play in the International Districts almost exclusively. Apart from the reason I jut gave, the International Districts are less crowded, so when I keep Local Chat enabled, it's less troublesome to follow conversations. It's easier to find people as well. I also have the possibility to interact with non-Americans, which I view as an advantage.
When I first started playing, which was just after he started, the International Districts did not have Traders. Traders are NPCs who buy goods (Rare Crafting Materials, Dye, Runes) from characters, and sell at the market rate. I was too new to care about Traders, so it wasn't an issue for me. And if I needed a Trader, I could just warp to my Home District with very little effort. He thought this was stupid. About a week after he criticised me for playing in the International Districts, Traders appeared there. Apparently Traders had been in International Districts before, and they had disappeared for a little while. With the return of Traders, there became no real reason for me to even visit the American Districts anymore.
Technical Matters
I have had no technical problems with the game. I use a broadband connection, so this is a factor. One of the things I love is that I don't have to spend 30 minutes or an hour downloading the latest patch. The updates stream to my computer whenever they're needed. In the case of the Wintersday update, the stream took less than a minute to download at login, and when I went to the Snow Arena, it took another half minute to get that area downloaded.
ArenaNet seem very responsive to player feedback. Although they don't have official forums on their website, their Community Relations staff participate in forums on Official Fansites. They have game updates every week, the details of which are posted on the official website. Whilst it's true that some players may not agree with the changes, like nerfs or buffs to Skills, at least the developers try to keep the game as balanced as possible.
There is also the Frog of Tyria, an amusingly cryptic method by which ArenaNet communicates (unoffially) with players in-game. The Frog gives hints of the future, and generally asks for feedback.
ArenaNet customer service has been great in my experience. After I looked in the FAQ for information, and failing to find my answer, I contacted customer service. I had my question answered in less than 24 hours.
For these reasons, Guild Wars is my favourite game of 2005.
Honourable Mentions
Most of them were not released in 2005, but I played them this year, so they count. Somehow.
Ico* -- Atmosphere like no other. Lives up to the hype, so far.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater* -- Best game qua film I've played to date. Despite some frustrating game play moments, it delivered on story.
Tekken 5 -- The best Tekken yet. As of Tekken 5, I've switched from playing as Nina Williams in previous editions to playing as Asuka Kazama. And sometimes Raven.
* Check The Game Chair for my progressive reviews of these games. I am currently reviewing Ico.
28 December 2005
Funny World of Warcraft Guild Names
WOW Insider has a list of the funniest guild names they have spotted. My favourites from their list are:
Riders of Lohan
Holy Ramen Empire
The Lollipop Guild
"The Lollipop Guild", in particular, cracks me up.
You can add funny guild names that you've seen in the WOW Insider comments section.
"The Lollipop Guild", in particular, cracks me up.
You can add funny guild names that you've seen in the WOW Insider comments section.
22 December 2005
Wintersday in Guild Wars
17 December 2005
Bounty Writers
I am helping to judge this competition. The quality of the entries is very high. I am having a difficult time narrowing down my top picks. It's great. I'm enjoying myself.
16 December 2005
In My Hot Little Hands
Apparently my friend didn't get the bulletin about not getting me games for Christmas. I thought I was going to reimburse him for hooking me up with a cheap copy of World of Warcraft, but instead he gave it to me! Cheers, mate! I'll be installing this thing tomorrow later today. The instruction manual? It's fucking huge. Geez. I'll give it a glance through.
People are telling me not to play on PvE Realms because there's nothing to do after you hit Level 60. I promised to play Horde on Eldre'thalas (PvE), though, so the first character I create will live there. After I get bored with her, I'll create a new one on Magtheridon (PvP), but I'm not sure whether I'll be Alliance or Horde on that server. On Magtheridon, I have one friend who is Alliance, and another who is Horde. I'm torn!
People are telling me not to play on PvE Realms because there's nothing to do after you hit Level 60. I promised to play Horde on Eldre'thalas (PvE), though, so the first character I create will live there. After I get bored with her, I'll create a new one on Magtheridon (PvP), but I'm not sure whether I'll be Alliance or Horde on that server. On Magtheridon, I have one friend who is Alliance, and another who is Horde. I'm torn!
14 December 2005
One Word or Two?
This question has been puzzling me for a while, but I didn't think anyone else considered this issue worthy of debate or thought. Dave Thomas, posting about Jesper Juul's new book, Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds, holds that it is "videogame" and not "video game". Europeans commonly use "videogame" and the North American folk use the two-word variant.
Thomas continues:
He states that he is working on a style guide with the International Game Journalists Association and that it will use the single word. He then calls for international consistency.
So what is it? Is it one word or two words? Which is correct? Which is preferrable? Should I be using 'videogame' instead of 'video game'? I'm so confused!
Thomas continues:
I like the single word because it helps clarify the world of videogames as a certain type of game, and not just a qualified class of games like puzzle games or word games. And even more to point, "videogames" Googles better. It's easier to search for the single word term.
He states that he is working on a style guide with the International Game Journalists Association and that it will use the single word. He then calls for international consistency.
So what is it? Is it one word or two words? Which is correct? Which is preferrable? Should I be using 'videogame' instead of 'video game'? I'm so confused!
12 December 2005
Heather Graham: MMOs A-OK
OGaming: What’s your opinion of the massively multiplayer online gaming crowd as a whole?
Heather Graham: I like them a lot! For the most part, they’re just normal people who are really passionate about their hobby. They also tend to be more social than most gamers are made out to be, because they have to talk with each other and cooperate to get ahead in most cases. It sounds like a contradiction: they’re dedicated gamers who are really talkative and outgoing.
Wait. I agree that most gamers are depicted as socially-crippled shut-ins, and that the reality is much different -- gamers are everyday folk. It isn't limited to MMO gamers. Anyway, it's a mildly interesting read.
She also said, "I’m the type of person who feels they missed out by not getting to play Dungeons & Dragons and stuff like that as a child". To which I say, "Me, too, Heather. Me, too".
[WONDER WOMAN: Actress Heather Graham on Role-Playing, MMOs and More via MMORPGDot]
09 December 2005
WoW, Inevitability
Erm. Well. A friend made me an offer I found hard to refuse:
I'm going to be playing an Undead Warlock to start. I like Undead because they can eat people. Muahaha. And from reading a little bit, and talking to one of my friends, Warlocks sound cool because they have many DOT spells and they can have pets as well. My main character will be on Eldre'thalas (PvE), hopefully, because a certain person was so persuasive, and it is one of his cohorts that is hooking me up with WoW on the cheap (excluding the monthly fees). I know someone on Magtheridon, and I have a friend who's friends are on there as well, but that's a PvP Realm and I don't want to go there right now. Are there any other good (North American) Realms for characters to live in?
My D&D DM made a very convincing case/justification for the monthly cost of WoW. This, coupled with being harrangued from all sides to play a game that I already know is good has proven too much. I am weak.
For the Horde!
Dear World of Warcraft Subscriber,
It's hard to believe it's been a year since World of Warcraft first opened to adventurers. As a thank you for your loyalty, we'd like to present you with 3 special coupons that you can use to purchase gift copies of World of Warcraft for only $19.99 after rebate. Just click on the link below to print your rebate coupons, purchase a World of Warcraft retail box at your favorite retailer, and mail back the completed rebate forms, along with your original receipt. It's that simple.
The rebate offer is for subscribers only, so for verification purposes, you will need to legibly write your World of Warcraft Account Name on each coupon, as well as the new Account Names of your gift recipients. We hope you're enjoying World of Warcraft and that this makes it a little easier to share the fun with friends this holiday.
Best Regards,
The World of Warcraft Team
I'm going to be playing an Undead Warlock to start. I like Undead because they can eat people. Muahaha. And from reading a little bit, and talking to one of my friends, Warlocks sound cool because they have many DOT spells and they can have pets as well. My main character will be on Eldre'thalas (PvE), hopefully, because a certain person was so persuasive, and it is one of his cohorts that is hooking me up with WoW on the cheap (excluding the monthly fees). I know someone on Magtheridon, and I have a friend who's friends are on there as well, but that's a PvP Realm and I don't want to go there right now. Are there any other good (North American) Realms for characters to live in?
My D&D DM made a very convincing case/justification for the monthly cost of WoW. This, coupled with being harrangued from all sides to play a game that I already know is good has proven too much. I am weak.
For the Horde!
Things to Get Me for Festivus
Not video games!
Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds by Jesper Juul
Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby
Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson
I'll end up buying these books for myself, I'm sure. *mutter* You cheap bastards. (That was a joke. I do not require or expect Christmas presents. :-P)
Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds by Jesper Juul
Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby
Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson
I'll end up buying these books for myself, I'm sure. *mutter* You cheap bastards. (That was a joke. I do not require or expect Christmas presents. :-P)
05 December 2005
Group Success
Over the weekend, I grouped with a couple of random people on a long-ish mission in Guild Wars. Normally, I play with one of my guildmates (the Guild Officer), but her coursework, shoddy wireless network connection at her hall of residence, and other committments, as well as my own time limitations, have conspired to prevent us from questing together for the past several weekends.
I had decided that I wanted to finish the Ruins of Surmia Mission, which had been taking us far too long for the reasons I highlighted above. I was planning on using Henchmen for the mission, however I received a Join request from a couple of players who were 5 Levels below me, a male Warrior/Monk and a male Necromancer/Monk. I was playing as my main character, my female Necromancer/Mesmer. I questioned the other two whether the party was slightly unbalanced, having two Necromancer primaries, but they didn't seem to care. We took an NPC Henchman, the (usually) useless Alesia the Healer (a Monk).
All we had to do was to act as a protective escort for Prince Rurik as we searched for and freed POWs. The mission was going smoothly. Despite the Profession imbalances, we were working quite well. My Necromancer, for the moment, doesn't specialise in Death Magic, and neither did the N/Mo, so there was no competition for corpses from which a Necromancer Primary could raise a small army of Bone Horrors. Anyway, during a main Mission, there is usually a Bonus Mission, a side quest that you have the option of completing for more XP. The Bonus Mission involved us following a bunch of Charr to their Flame Temple, killing them all, and extinguishing the flames. I told them that I hadn't finished this mission before, so I would follow them. The N/Mo seemed to know what was going on, moreso than the W/Mo, so I followed his lead. N/Mo made very good use of the compass to draw directions and issue commands. We had to follow the Charr Ember Bearers to their temple, and beyond the locked wooden gate that we passed earlier on. It was important that we follow them far away enough that we didn't aggro them, otherwise they'd be killed and they couldn't open the gate that barred the path to their temple.
When the Charr passed beyond the gate, the N/Mo gave the command to attack kill them all. We were doing fairly well, until the Henchman, myself, and the War/Mo got killed. That left only the N/Mo alive to face two Charr Shamans. They kept using Heal Area on each other, which was annoying. They were both the same level as the N/Mo, he didn't have an advantage of being more powerful. The N/Mo was able to get one of them down to less than 25% health, but the other one kept healing his friend, and the N/Mo was also taking damage. He had no Resurrection Signet (or he had already exhausted its one charge prior to this point) or a spell that could resurrect a party member, even if he could get close enough to our bodies to rez one of us. Eventually, he had to flee. He went back to the drawbridge where Prince Rurik waited (for us to pull a lever to lower the bridge). I thought he would go get Rurik over the bridge, and then bring him back so that he and Rurik could kill those Charr Shaman. Since I guess the N/Mo couldn't rez anyone, he just kept with the main mission objective and he eventually died. Mission failed!
We respawned at the fort, and everyone decided to go get food (IRL) before attempting the mission again. By the time everyone had returned from food, my Guild Officer (E/Mo, same level as me) was online and ready to do the Ruins of Surmia Mission. The N/Mo left, and the W/Mo was game for joining us, along with the NPC Monk.
This time, the E/Mo balanced the party out, adding her (Area of Effect) AOE and mass damage dealing capabilities to the W/Mo's tanking and my (Damage Over Time) DOT support skills. I changed my Skill set slightly, adding the Resurrection Signet just in case one of us died. I also added the Mesmer Skill, Chaos Storm. Chaos Storm deals 7 damage per second (at my current level) to any enemies located in the AOE, and deals additional damage if the enemy hits party members who are casting spells. This spell has become one of my favourites, because it does a good job of taking enemy melee pressure off of the healers or casters. I was impressed (and annoyed) that the enemies actually ran away from the location of the (stationary) effect.
We hit a small snag in the Bonus Mission and had to restart, but once everyone was on the same page, we pwned those Charr mightily. I, perhaps, should have taken the lead in the mission, since I knew what had to be done and the W/Mo wasn't doing much in the way of leading. Oh well. It all turned out fine in the end. The main mission was completed without any problems.
What was cool about grouping with randoms was that these two particular people were not assholes. They only seemed to care about getting the job done, which was fine with me. It was actually fun. I think I'll be less apprehensive about grouping with strangers from now on, if/when the opportunity presents itself. I'm still wary of the jerks lurking around the corner, though.
I had decided that I wanted to finish the Ruins of Surmia Mission, which had been taking us far too long for the reasons I highlighted above. I was planning on using Henchmen for the mission, however I received a Join request from a couple of players who were 5 Levels below me, a male Warrior/Monk and a male Necromancer/Monk. I was playing as my main character, my female Necromancer/Mesmer. I questioned the other two whether the party was slightly unbalanced, having two Necromancer primaries, but they didn't seem to care. We took an NPC Henchman, the (usually) useless Alesia the Healer (a Monk).
All we had to do was to act as a protective escort for Prince Rurik as we searched for and freed POWs. The mission was going smoothly. Despite the Profession imbalances, we were working quite well. My Necromancer, for the moment, doesn't specialise in Death Magic, and neither did the N/Mo, so there was no competition for corpses from which a Necromancer Primary could raise a small army of Bone Horrors. Anyway, during a main Mission, there is usually a Bonus Mission, a side quest that you have the option of completing for more XP. The Bonus Mission involved us following a bunch of Charr to their Flame Temple, killing them all, and extinguishing the flames. I told them that I hadn't finished this mission before, so I would follow them. The N/Mo seemed to know what was going on, moreso than the W/Mo, so I followed his lead. N/Mo made very good use of the compass to draw directions and issue commands. We had to follow the Charr Ember Bearers to their temple, and beyond the locked wooden gate that we passed earlier on. It was important that we follow them far away enough that we didn't aggro them, otherwise they'd be killed and they couldn't open the gate that barred the path to their temple.
When the Charr passed beyond the gate, the N/Mo gave the command to attack kill them all. We were doing fairly well, until the Henchman, myself, and the War/Mo got killed. That left only the N/Mo alive to face two Charr Shamans. They kept using Heal Area on each other, which was annoying. They were both the same level as the N/Mo, he didn't have an advantage of being more powerful. The N/Mo was able to get one of them down to less than 25% health, but the other one kept healing his friend, and the N/Mo was also taking damage. He had no Resurrection Signet (or he had already exhausted its one charge prior to this point) or a spell that could resurrect a party member, even if he could get close enough to our bodies to rez one of us. Eventually, he had to flee. He went back to the drawbridge where Prince Rurik waited (for us to pull a lever to lower the bridge). I thought he would go get Rurik over the bridge, and then bring him back so that he and Rurik could kill those Charr Shaman. Since I guess the N/Mo couldn't rez anyone, he just kept with the main mission objective and he eventually died. Mission failed!
We respawned at the fort, and everyone decided to go get food (IRL) before attempting the mission again. By the time everyone had returned from food, my Guild Officer (E/Mo, same level as me) was online and ready to do the Ruins of Surmia Mission. The N/Mo left, and the W/Mo was game for joining us, along with the NPC Monk.
This time, the E/Mo balanced the party out, adding her (Area of Effect) AOE and mass damage dealing capabilities to the W/Mo's tanking and my (Damage Over Time) DOT support skills. I changed my Skill set slightly, adding the Resurrection Signet just in case one of us died. I also added the Mesmer Skill, Chaos Storm. Chaos Storm deals 7 damage per second (at my current level) to any enemies located in the AOE, and deals additional damage if the enemy hits party members who are casting spells. This spell has become one of my favourites, because it does a good job of taking enemy melee pressure off of the healers or casters. I was impressed (and annoyed) that the enemies actually ran away from the location of the (stationary) effect.
We hit a small snag in the Bonus Mission and had to restart, but once everyone was on the same page, we pwned those Charr mightily. I, perhaps, should have taken the lead in the mission, since I knew what had to be done and the W/Mo wasn't doing much in the way of leading. Oh well. It all turned out fine in the end. The main mission was completed without any problems.
What was cool about grouping with randoms was that these two particular people were not assholes. They only seemed to care about getting the job done, which was fine with me. It was actually fun. I think I'll be less apprehensive about grouping with strangers from now on, if/when the opportunity presents itself. I'm still wary of the jerks lurking around the corner, though.