Raids week 26

Micki's Delirium

I was a bit late logging on, and apparently this week people were waiting for my post, since as soon as put the post up, people started clicking the lfm and we filled in like 5 minutes. I started with Tempest’s Spine reaper 2. The run was a lot better than last week, but we did have a few deaths, and I got kicked off and had to run back. Luckily I ended up close to the short cut entrance and didn’t have to worry about running into any mobs on the way back. We finished TS in 25 minutes.

The the plan was to do Riding the Storm out LH. I had a good group of people, but I didn’t want to attempt the raid short manned, so we waited. I was looking for people on the who, but the few names I recognised were busy doing other things…

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Troll Country III

Ilyana's Tomb of Doom

I just dinged 30 in a game that offers 40 glorious levels. Yes, I’m sure there’s more than all of that, but I feel especially happy so far because I soloed 99% of this experience on my magus. And yes, there were the ninnies along the way who always tell people on chat, “Ummm, it’s a game about grouping,” and yep, I’m sure they have a particular point of view–just like Ben Kenobi.

And I’m sure it’s all that and a box of chocolates, but since most people online are basic boobs, I refuse to group in order to reach level 40 because I’m in no great rush. Yes, I’m sure there’s an “end-game” to see and drool over, but here’s the thing about me: I’ve never seen WoW’s end-game, and I’ve never seen DDO’s end-game. Nope. I’ve never seen the all important jizz splatter end-games for Guild Wars 1 or…

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Gaming Question Sunday #5: Only One Console

The Joy of Local Co-Op Gaming.

mrluvvaluvva

…. two can play that game.

A couple of years ago I posted an article about my choices for the best choices when it came to local Co-Op gaming. Sadly, shortly after that my local co-op time fell apart as live took over and meant me and Luvva could really no longer find the time to do that with each other anymore. Sad, sure. Like everything in life though, it has come full circle and I have found a replacement! My nephew! So, what have we been playing and how have we been getting on?

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Interesting Game News Roundup (4/24-4/29)

Stutheithland and the Goliath Isle

Dyson's Dodecahedron

Named after the primarch of the faith that once unified the region (at least religiously if not politically), sages from afar call the region the Stutheit Peninsula but to those who live here, it is “the Land” and occasionally “Stutheitland”. Tales of the peninsula generally focus either on the main trading city of Groveler’s Port, the strange “moving mountain” in the interior that seems to have broken free of either the northern barrier mountains or the central mountain range (depending on the story), and the hexagonal basalt isles to the south. Tales also focus on the giants of the land – not true giants but a human-like race of great size and might who are rare among the people of the Stutheit Peninsula, but unheard of elsewhere.

Stutheithland and the Goliath Isle

Groveler’s Port is the biggest city of the peninsula – the trading capital of the region that deals…

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Social items in MMORPGs

GamingSF

It occurred to me over the weekend that MMO’s by their design can encourage socialising, or not, by even simple little design choices. One of the Mage features in Legion is to summon an image of Archmage Vargoth who will dole out an hour-long buff to adventurers who talk to him.

It’s a lovely example of a social item, and not the only one in the game. The various versions of Blingtron offer both a once-per-day present to all of the same faction as the engineer who created him. It’s a great item, and apparently quite popular as I regularly see a 6000 or older 5000 series standing in Dalaran or a class hall.

A Blingtron ‘scrum’

I love design choices that reward players for using public spaces like this. WoW doesn’t have the monopoly on this, of course. I remember fondly the campfire system in Tera, which allows players…

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On Pet Classes

Superior Realities

Pet classes in RPGs tend to provoke strong reactions. Most people either love pet classes and play them at every opportunity, or hate pet classes and avoid them like the plague.

I’m a strange case in that both of those are true of me. Depending on the game, I either love or hate pet classes.

For example, you’ve probably heard me complain bitterly about pet classes in World of Warcraft. Yes, one of my most played characters is a warlock, but I started her as a leveling challenge to see if I could play a lock without pets, and once Grimoire of Sacrifice became a thing, I’ve used it as much as possible. The pets have always been my least favourite part of being a warlock.

Similarly, pets are one of the bigger reasons I haven’t spent much time playing a hunter, and it’s not entirely a coincidence I started…

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Games With Gold May 2017

mrluvvaluvva

I can’t believe I missed the announcement of this! So I apologise for the delay!

The battle for the best value monthly subscription continues into May and like PS Plus; Games with Gold has been very, very good this year. However, May looks like a weaker month with one cracker and 3 games that are above average collectively and individually – that’s not to say that there isn’t fun to be had with these titles though, because there most definitely is.

Here they are though; May’s Games with Gold offerings.

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Crossing the MMORPG emote barrier

Bio Break

A few days ago I was watching a video of a single-player RPG — Witcher 3, I think — and what really caught my attention was how expressive and natural the various NPC characters were with their body language and emotes. Just little things, like hands fluttering to different areas, eye contact, leaning against things, but instantly I had this connection with the game world and felt that it was more “real” than what I’ve been used to in MMOs.

I love MMOs, don’t get me wrong, and one of the things that I love the most is how I get to inhabit a world populated by many other people. Even if they’re running by or standing around or being silly, it’s all the difference to me between being in an empty room and hanging out at a coffeeshop with like-minded people.

But what’s subtlely bugged me over the years…

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