tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40577182792045800462024-03-14T00:10:53.308-03:00Ground ZeroWinged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-36868387452720375142009-08-09T10:25:00.005-03:002011-11-15T19:39:12.771-04:00Fade to Black - Mystic WorldsBlogging quantity and quality is pretty hard to sustain unless you are a really talented individual. You must be armed with enough learned literacy to get your point across succinctly; as well as creative desire to put to words the topics you feel are most relevant to you and any audience you might think you have. Then you need to do this over and over enough that said audience will take it for granted.<br /><br />I don't even pretend to think that I am such an individual. I know my quantity is spotty at best and the quality is workmanlike. But Lauren/Saylah/Alysianah/Illianah/Suri of <a href="http://notadiary.typepad.com/mysticworlds/">Mystic Worlds</a> is one such individual. Her ability to describe worlds never visited prompted me to try out Wizard 101, a game I still keep installed to this day. She brought her wit and insight to so many posts over the years that we did just take it for granted. Which is why her decision to shut it all down saddens me. But not as much as finding out the real-life details of what prompted her to start blogging in the first place. <br /><br />I was lucky enough to be in the same guild as Alysianah (that's what I'll always know her as) in WAR. She was one of the first guildies I encountered ingame and on Vent as my (I think level 9) Warrior Priest went on a guild run to get the <a href="http://www.wardb.com/item.aspx?id=192316">Shawl of Spring</a>. Her Bright Mage was higher level at the time (level 11 I think) and we ended up running around the Chaos side of Ostland by ourselves before finally joining up with the rest of the guild group. I wrote about it briefly in this <a href="http://wingednazgul.blogspot.com/2008/09/becoming-casualty.html">post</a>. The memories of this and other Casualties of War events are why I will always remember WAR fondly even if it's a game I doubt I will ever return to.<br /><br />The final post on Mystic Worlds has comments disabled which is understandable. I felt like I needed to thank Lauren for the many years of quality blogging as well as wishing her the best of luck with any future endeavors. So this post is my way of doing so. Don't be such a stranger, you know where to find my comments page and email.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-35522339242692019642009-07-27T06:18:00.009-03:002009-08-19T17:48:01.039-03:00Abyss Siege HD VideosUp to now, my enthusiasm for Aion Online has been based on theorycraft. I've read all the information and I've experienced a bit of the low-level content first-hand. I've noted the game engine's superior handling of the number of people needed for mass PVP. I projected this onto what I knew about The Abyss and speculated that epic fights could be had. I just didn't know until these videos exactly how epic they would be.<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/qeY21opDK6M&hl=en&fs=1&" width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qeY21opDK6M&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded" /></object><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/VcpFDS9hMDg&hl=en&fs=1&" width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VcpFDS9hMDg&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded" /></object>Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-85737358200262408342009-07-24T07:57:00.005-03:002009-07-24T09:38:08.096-03:00This is my Gauss RifleIt seems there is a celebration going on to commemorate the 6th anniversary of Planetside. Anyone who has ever had a paid account was given 45 free days and a whole host of new features were unveiled...including upping the BR cap from 25 to 40. The bad news was, their email notification service failed to notify me about it. Fortunately, I got wind of it in plenty of time to partake in the festivities.<br /><br />I had played Planetside <a href="http://wingednazgul.blogspot.com/2009/01/from-one-war-to-another.html">recently</a> with the fine folks at Rock, Paper, Shotgun when they had their contest against two other gaming sites. But I noted back then that my inability to remember which of my accounts held my old PS character resulted in applying the RPS code to the wrong account. So basically, I had to level a character up from scratch. While fun in its own right, I couldn't help but wish I was able to access my BR20 CR5 toon of old.<br /><br />So what was it like logging on to a character I hadn't played in about 5 years? Pretty strange. The first thing I noticed was triggering all sorts of new certs that proclaimed my tenure. I got a total of 6; one for every year of service. Ironic that I hadn't played the game in most of that time. Digging around the UI looking to see exactly which term of service cert I had, I noticed Planetside now had an achievement system which also allowed you to display the earned badges on your uniform like medals. Pretty neat.<br /><br />The next thing I noticed was some old stuff was still saved server side. Opening up my locker and looking at the stuff I had stored away like a packrat brought back some fond memories. There were miscellaneous items like captured enemy weapons brought home as trophies of war. I also noted some macros I had made and put on my hotbar were still there even though some of their functionality were not anymore.<br /><br />It's good to be back. Time to head on out to the war.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-25840617969931890232009-07-20T16:43:00.005-03:002009-07-20T17:11:09.978-03:00Fourth and InchesAion Online's CB4 comes to a close and I thought I'd post my thoughts on it. I really wanted to level up my Cleric to 25 in order to gate through to the PvPvE content in The Abyss but I wasn't really willing to kill myself over it. I figured I'd see how things developed naturally instead of forcing myself to do stuff I didn't really enjoy.<br /><br />I got as far as level 23 this weekend. I absolutely could've dinged 25 with a little more effort and with the help of a good guild maybe. But since I was soloing, 23 was as far as I was willing to go. No regrets as I was able to accomplish everything else I wanted to do including doing some more crafting and raising both my gathering skills up over 100.<br /><br />Level 22 proved to be a watershed level for the Cleric as I spent almost 100k kinah on what must've been 10 new skill books. One of those was a 30 minute self-rez <a href="http://www.aionarmory.com/spell.aspx?id=1169">buff</a> further reinforcing the similarity between this class and the WoW Shaman. There was also a great skill called <a href="http://www.aionarmory.com/spell.aspx?id=1071">Divine Touch</a> that chained off a basic move which provided some much-needed DPS.<br /><br />I can't wait for future Beta Events and finally being able to step foot in The Abyss.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-67358245016779446202009-07-11T18:20:00.004-03:002009-08-19T17:44:16.955-03:00Aion Eye Candy HD VideosThanks to Mithoron for pointing these pair of videos out to us in <a href="http://www.aionsource.com/forum/questions-answers/23421-how-smooth-aion.html">this AionSource thread</a>. Taken during the CB2 and CB3 events, some great looking shots of both the Elyos and Asmodean zones. Pump up the HD option for maximum enjoyment.<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/bqbF8rEjV-k&hl=en&fs=1&" width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bqbF8rEjV-k&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded" /></object><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/8cMQwepj9G0&hl=en&fs=1&" width="400" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8cMQwepj9G0&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded" /></object>Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-19851877144093206992009-07-08T11:28:00.004-03:002009-07-08T12:00:18.466-03:00They Call Me Tim<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SlS0TIOIvVI/AAAAAAAAAk4/-vqlqJcUR2g/s1600-h/1148888627_tim.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SlS0TIOIvVI/AAAAAAAAAk4/-vqlqJcUR2g/s320/1148888627_tim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356104097567653202" /></a><br />So what's in a name? If you're one that bases class choice on the name rather than doing some actual research, it can be a lot. Case in point my desire to play a Paladin/Warrior Priest type class in Aion. Since there were only two healing subclasses, my choice was obviously limited to Cleric and Enchanter. From just the names alone, the Cleric sounded like what I wanted. Based on knowledge of Cleric classes from previous MMO's, this would obviously be a front-line fighter who could also heal. An Enchanter sounded like some finger-waggling, cantankerous, staff user who would hang out in the back and do whatever it is they do back there.<br /><br />I couldn't have been more wrong.<br /><br />The revelation started when I grouped with an Enchanter who had a penchant for pulling mobs and meleeing in the front lines even though we had Templars and Gladiators in the group as well. This guy had a shield equipped so I just figured maybe my UI was just giving me the wrong class info. Further research proved my UI and the guy playing his class was working as intended. It turns out Enchanters were designed to be the Paladin/Warrior Priest class and Clerics were the back row finger-wagglers. Enchanters have auras designed to augment the melee abilities of those around them which definitely cements their place in the front lines. They make credible off-tanks in the absence of a Warrior subclass.<br /><br />I have a feeling that I'll still go with a plate-wearing class in retail but I'll probably roll an Enchanter alt. I think I shall name him Tim.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-11639362250450505462009-07-07T13:38:00.003-03:002009-07-07T13:47:04.586-03:00Aion Online ScreenshotsAs promised, you can go <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/wnazgul/AionOnline#">here</a> to see my meager collection of screenshots taken during CB2 and CB3. Believe me when I say that there were quite a few more screenshot-worthy events that I failed in capturing. I'm surprised I even took this many, to be honest, as I'm really not on first-name terms with my Print Scrn button. <br /><br />Included in the limited play I did of the 20+ zones was a little PVP which was quite unexpected and a nice change of pace. Let's just say if you're trying to run away from the enemy, you better hope there isn't a Priest class nearby. I love having a root on my Cleric.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-81533339361781323252009-07-06T11:38:00.004-03:002009-07-06T12:52:27.699-03:00Third on the FourthThe third Beta Event for Aion Online is still going on as I post this title. But as I am currently at work and the event will be done by the time I get home, it is effectively over for me. So here are some thoughts about the event which transpired over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the US.<br /><br />I had previously planned on trying to level up my gaggle of level 10's to the level cap of 20 imposed by this beta round. But this turned out to be highly optimistic when confronted with the increased leveling curve of 10-20. Even with the additional day added to the usual time frame of these beta events, I was only able to get just my Cleric to 20 in that time. I chose to use the time left after that to grind up my crafting and gathering skills as well as repeatable coin quests which awarded some kick ass weapons and an unexpected bonus later on.<br /><br />Still undecided on what my main's class will be in retail and the experience in CB3 only added more uncertainty not less. Cleric turned out not to be as Paladin-like as I had hoped but more like a pre-TBC WoW Shaman. I should've picked up on the similarities with the chain-wearing, shield-equipping, healing class that relied on melee for its DPS but had some nukes as well. But it took learning a spell, <a href="http://www.aionarmory.com/spell.aspx?id=1066">Summon: Divine Energy I</a>, which gave me a non-mobile pet with a limited duration which spat out some holy fire to augment my DPS. Hmmmm...that sure does look like a totem, all right.<br /><br />Remember those repeatable coin quests I mentioned earlier? In the Impetusium region of the Altgard zone, there is a repeatable quest that has you killing 22 mobs in order to get 1 coin reward. You can turn in either 2 or 4 of these coins at once to either of two NPC's which gave out random rewards for melee or magic classes. I opted to turn in 4 coins for my first try to the magic guy as that was what my Cleric was classified as. He rewarded me with a mace I could equip right off the bat, the Mace of Asmodian Army Soldier Level 9 (I really hope they localize the item names a bit more come release). Eager to repeat my fortune, I ground up another 4 coins but was awarded with a spellbook I couldn't equip so I threw that on the auction house for a fair price. I guess I was just lucky the first time and random really is pretty random.<br /><br />So the unexpected bonus came as I ran to Pandemonium, the capital city, for some errand or other and there was a guy with a quest waiting for me. His first words were that he noticed by my Mace of Asmodian Army Soldier Level 9 that I was ready for this quest. Now I had read something about there being some quests that could only be triggered by wearing a particular set piece somewhere; most likely the loading screen tips. But I had no idea they could lead to important quests like this turned out to be. It was the quest to gain the ability to equip Stigma Stones, which are the equivalent of WoW talents for character customization. <br /><br />I once again totally failed to take screenshots as usual but I will post my meager collection from the beta events later.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-89408139679673040942009-07-02T11:39:00.002-03:002009-07-02T11:55:52.766-03:00Waiting For AOWith apologies to Samuel Beckett for the post title. Today is the start of another Beta Event for Aion Online. This time the focus will be on the Elyos and Asmodean levels 1-20. Can't wait to get started as I am starting to second-guess (or was that triple-guess) my decision to roll Warrender as a Cleric. I'm a sucker for plate armor and Aion has some end-game designs that would make me regret my choice to roll a Chain-wearing class. Fortunately, I have both a Gladiator and Cleric at 10 that I can level to 20 which should provide more insight into which class would be the right fit for me. Also looking forward to playing more with the Assassin and Spiritmaster as well. <br /><br />Doing some crafting in LoTRO last night and so glad to get back to a game which has a craft all button. No offense to those who enjoy the crafting in EQ2 but the minigame is really not my cup of tea. I wasn't a big fan of it either in Free Realms. I suppose those who just craft exclusively in EQ2 might appreciate the added involvement but it did nothing for me aside from the initial "well, this is different" moment.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-24398743605735604382009-07-01T12:10:00.003-03:002009-07-01T12:52:44.039-03:00Having and Eating Your CakeNCSoft proved that it is possible to have your cake and eat it too with the <a href="http://www.aiononline.com/us/news/general_news/aion_launch_version.html">announcement</a> yesterday that the US and EU release of Aion Online would be at version 1.5. There isn't a single MMO that has shipped that couldn't have used additional development time for bug fixes and additional content. Even the venerable World of Warcraft. Think WoW at release was pretty good? How about if it released with the stuff that got patched in a year later?<br /><br />Unfortunately, the real world often dictates that MMO's ship before they are ready for prime time. Companies don't have the luxury of waiting a whole year without a revenue stream just because a product isn't fully polished yet. Look at the recent releases of AoC and WAR, for example. I daresay their user retention rate would've been higher if they had released a year later with the fixes and content that they have now.<br /><br />Ncsoft got around this problem with the staggered releases. They originally released Aion Online in Korea November of last year and plan to release the US/EU version this September. While staggered releases are nothing new, what is novel about this one is the order and understanding of the different market expectations in the different regions. Rather than release the western version a short time later, they opted to wait until there was enough additional content to satisfy western palates. Pretty crafty there, NCsoft.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-29106310055257196842009-06-30T15:42:00.004-03:002009-06-30T18:13:53.497-03:00Paladin with a Pet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SkqACrgXZWI/AAAAAAAAAeI/Ip4BYyoPUrE/s1600-h/ScreenShot00002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SkqACrgXZWI/AAAAAAAAAeI/Ip4BYyoPUrE/s320/ScreenShot00002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353231890609825122" /></a><br />My plans to level my Champion up came to an abrupt halt when I found out about the Captain class in LoTRO. From the descriptions, it seemed to be a Paladin type class...with a pet. Since the two classes I had played the most in my halcyon WoW days were the Warlock and Paladin, the opportunity to try out a class that combined the best features of both could not be ignored. Peanut butter in my chocolate? Hells yeah.<br /><br />Rather than deleting Warrender, I opted for the comedy name route and rolled an homage to Captain Liberty from the great defunct TV series, The Tick. Turned out someone already had the same idea as that name was already taken so Liberti, the kickass female Captain was born. Too bad I couldn't sneak BatManuel through the lore filters. I had to settle for naming my Herald Manuel once I leveled up enough to gain that ability.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-70456123767363980912009-06-29T12:36:00.006-03:002009-06-29T15:41:58.832-03:00Winged Nazgul Comes "Home"I'm in the middle of the subscribed month in EQ2 and already my MMO eyes are wandering. It's not the title itself; EQ2 is a polished, accomplished MMO with more features and options than you can shake a stick at. It just doesn't grab me viscerally. I had planned on grabbing the discounted price of the Mines of Moria package for Lord of the Rings Online before the offer was up this month but it turned out I couldn't even wait that long. When my EQ2 Paladin dinged 30, I said enough and started the long process of downloading, installing, and upgrading the LoTRO digital purchase. <br /><br />First off, I'd just like to say that even with my nom de internet being what it is, I've never seriously given thought to buying and playing LoTRO before now. Sure I checked it out during its Open Beta and there was even a trial sometime last year, but only recently has the "buy" word crossed my mind. It first started when they slashed their subscription price from $15 to $10 a month. Then there was this offer which found its way to my email and lodged itself into my subconsciousness offering the latest expansion and complete game for $10. That it also included a free month's subscription was just too much value to ignore and even if I ended up completely hating it, heck, it was only $10 spent.<br /><br />Tried rolling a Champion named Warrender on Landroval which is where the Casualties are playing but it came back with a name already taken error. Since this almost never happens for some reason, I can only assume this is my Beta character which I dimly remember creating with that name. A quick check on the forums revealed Brandywine as the most populous so I went with plan B and rolled my Champion on that server.<br /><br />Damn, this is a beautiful game. I had that reaction with the trial last year and it was the same one after I got my Champion up and rolling this time around. Having the game auto-detect the graphics settings, I was quite pleased when it came back and recommended Very High with DX10. There's a little bit of hitching sometimes since I chose my native monitor resolution of 1680x1050 but not enough to make me want to downgrade any of the options just yet. Really enjoying the eye candy and playing in Tolkien's world so far.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-23625749376400013312009-06-28T13:59:00.003-03:002009-06-28T14:06:47.953-03:00Aion Online Video Walkthrough<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="480" height="418" id="VideoPlayerLg37487"><param name="movie" value="http://g4tv.com/lv3/37487"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://g4tv.com/lv3/37487" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="VideoPlayer" width="480" height="418" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><div style="margin:0;text-align:center;width:480px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#FF9B00;"><a href="http://g4tv.com/" style="color:#FF9B00;" target="_blank">Video Game</a> - <a href="http://g4tv.com/e3" style="color:#FF9B00;" target="_blank">E3 2009</a> - <a href="http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/tags/3326/Videogames.html" style="text-decoration: none;color: rgb(255, 155, 0); " target="_blank">Videogames</a></div><div style="margin:0;text-align:center;width:480px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#FF9B00;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 480px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "></div><br />Some fine folks from NCSoft West take the time to go over the features of their upcoming MMO, Aion Online. A great introductory video for those who might not know anything about the title. Although there is an option to watch it in HD, that feature is not currently working at the moment. Enjoy!Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-12619193420593330292009-06-25T21:22:00.003-03:002009-06-26T08:39:55.102-03:00Mark Jacobs SpeaksOn his very underused blog, Mark Jacobs <a href="http://onlinegamesareanichemarket.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/all-things-must-come-to-an-end/">comments</a> about recent events.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-61240877171272447472009-06-22T09:31:00.003-03:002009-06-22T11:25:50.343-03:00Aion Priest 1-10I started out with my plan in the CB2 event in Aion to roll an Asmodean Cleric when I finally could get on Friday. Despite reading of queues and other horror stories while at work, I was able to get right in after login. <br /><br />The first thing I did was go through what would eventually become a ritual after creating a new character which was click through the options to make my gaming life easier. I enabled all the extra hotbars, disabled click-to-move, and enabled displaying monster names. The latter option was particularly handy as it meant I didn't have to mouse over and click on every single mob to find the one I needed for a particular quest.<br /><br />At one point, I was a bit puzzled over my character's inability to equip chain armor and shield as a Cleric. Then I realized he wasn't exactly a Cleric yet and wouldn't be until he Ascended at around level 10. For now, my Priest was stuck with leather armor and no shield. Not that he even needed the extra survivability of the heavier armor. With a HoT that cost a pittance of mana to upkeep, he was a grinding machine with little to no downtime. <br /><br />There was some definite differences between the Elyos and Asmodea zones. In Elyos, the player starts out as a benign mercenary in the employ of the peasant NPC's. In Asmodae, the player starts out as a warlike raider who has subjugated the peasant NPC's. This tone was reflected in the quest text and content as well. My fears that the zone scenery would reflect such a dark race proved groundless. If anything, there were some areas which looked more bright and colorful than their Elyos counterparts. I think I'll stick with my plans to go Elyos, though. I just can't get over the long, flowing back hair typical of the Asmodean models.<br /><br />There were some amusing harvesting experiences. The first happened while harvesting some Angelica in the newbie zone - I actually dinged. Yes, that's right; you get XP from harvesting in this game. It's not much (60 XP or so) but every little bit helps especially if you're a gathering fanatic like some folks I know. The other happened after I got my wings at level 10. It's what happens when you pair a limited flight timer with floating resources placed high in the sky. Now I know how Icarus felt.<br /><br />I'd go on to level 3 more characters to level 10 which was the cap imposed by NCSoft for this beta event. Doing this enabled me to experience the differences at the early levels between the Priest, Mage, Scout, and Warrior archetypes.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-3631320980715815302009-06-19T10:00:00.003-03:002009-06-19T10:53:44.551-03:00Anticipation<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SjuNZdDQ92I/AAAAAAAAAaU/9fMB2D3G1Aw/s1600-h/anticipation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349024450867165026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SjuNZdDQ92I/AAAAAAAAAaU/9fMB2D3G1Aw/s320/anticipation.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Props to those old enough to remember what this image has to do with the title. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Aion Online is getting ready to start another of their Beta Events today. This event is scheduled to run through the weekend and anticipation is pretty high judging by the state of the Beta forums. I have access to this and all upcoming Beta events due to my pre-order and I have to admit I'm starting to feel a little excited about the event myself.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Despite having participated in numerous MMO Betas by now, I still feel the same excitement over a AAA title every time. There will be those that will say participation in Betas will only accelerate the feeling of burnout by the time the game releases. I counter that some of my most lengthy stays in MMO's were titles in which I also participated in their Betas as well. I would even go so far as to say that content in games is not the determining factor for me anymore as to whether it's time to move on or not. I'd say it's the people you meet and play with on a regular basis in MMO's that determines this. A good guild can go a long way towards hiding any perceived deficiencies in a game. For a while, anyways.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>I'm still unsure which class to start out with in Aion. I usually go with a Paladin class type; being a heavily-armored melee fighter that can heal covers up a lot of typical newbie mistakes. Initially I thought this would be the Templar class but some research on the forums suggests Cleric might be the class I'm looking for. Hopefully the Betas will provide ample opportunity to mess with various alts and find the perfect fit for me.</div>Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-55661332320805567602009-06-17T10:11:00.002-03:002009-06-17T10:53:09.442-03:00And the Winner is...So it seems like the next big thing gaming-wise for me is going to be Aion Online. It's got everything I want in an MMO plus it runs like a champ on my system. For those who might scoff at the choice, I offer a paraphrasing of an old adage about art:<br /><br />I might not know much, but I know what I like.<br /><br />The only problem is Aion isn't going to be released until sometime in September which leaves a few months between now and then. I could use that time with a filler MMO but the trouble is deciding on which one. I could go back to AoC or WAR and see if my time away has improved the game any. There's also the freemium choices like Atlantica Online or Wizard 101 if I feel like eschewing the monthly subs. I could even use the time to explore more of Guild Wars or a new title like DDO.<br /><br />I actually went through the trouble of installing the trials and poking around all the above games before I made my mind up. AoC and WAR still ran like slugs in molasses on my system and there was no way I was going back to those games after experiencing what Aion had to offer. Not even the hype surrounding Land of the Dead was enough to entice me back. The other games were definite contenders when suddenly a dark horse appeared in the form of a Steam sale last Friday.<br /><br />Everquest II - so now I have a level 22 Paladin on the Antonia Bayle server. <br /><br />Who would've thought I'd finally get around to giving EQ2 a serious try after all these years. Certainly not me yet even I could not resist the siren call of the Steam sale for $9.95. Even more amazingly, I'm having fun in this game despite my preconceived notions about it. EQ2 always seemed like a game with features I would enjoy but there was something about the art direction that just turned me off. Even with the graphic options turned all the way up, it still couldn't hide character models that all looked like they were beaten severely with ugly sticks. But I've been able to get over that initial distaste to give the game the chance it deserves. So far so good.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-24158600185210900072009-06-12T09:59:00.002-03:002009-06-12T10:30:10.379-03:00Can't see the Forest for the TreesThere's an event currently running in Atlantica Online that celebrates the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. From April 21 to June 16, guilds can build and plant their own cherry blossom trees in their towns for possible added revenue and aesthetics. Unfortunately, after the initial "neato" impression the particle graphics of the cherry blossoms that greet you upon visiting a town soon wears on you. I'm sure June 16 can't come soon enough for some of the regular AO players. I can't even imagine what a newbie's impression would be of these blossoms if he has no idea why every town he visits has these stupid pink blossoms flying around everywhere.<br /><br />But I'd like to examine the actual mechanics of the cherry tree and appreciate the thought that went into its design. From the <a href="http://www.atlanticaonlinewiki.com/index.php?title=Cherry_Blossom_Festival_Event">wiki entry</a>:<br /><blockquote>Spring has sprung, so let’s have some fun, like they do in the land of the rising sun! The Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival, is a highly anticipated time in Japan to get together and view the beautiful scenery of the Cherry Blossom Trees. If you can’t make it to Japan, don’t fret! The Cherry Blossom Trees are now available to view in Atlantica!<br /><br />From April 21 to June 16, town owners will have the opportunity to build a Cherry Tree. Visitors of towns that have a Cherry Tree will enjoy some very pleasant scenery along with the chance to grab a Cherry Tree Fruit once a day at the cost of 100% will and 200,000 gold (half the gold will go directly to the guild fund). Eating the Cherry Tree Fruit will grant the player an additional 10% increase of experience for two hours. The Cherry Tree can only be guild-crafted and requires building craft to be at level 5 or higher.<br /><br />Some new items that are required to build the Cherry Tree, such as the Cherry Tree Leaf, Cherry Tree Stem and Cherry Tree Root can be purchased on the market. All new items relating to the Cherry Blossom Festival event will be removed after the event is over. </blockquote>Guild crafting, town customization, guild revenue, and XP booster all in one tree! That's some impressive multi-tasking.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-54570749267953380852009-05-18T14:01:00.009-03:002009-05-18T20:06:40.408-03:00Lack of ContentIt's not only MMO's that can be accused of lacking in content. Sometimes, player blogs can run through dry times as well. But I've always been a quality over quantity kind of guy so you won't ever see me posting if I don't feel like I have anything worth posting about. Which is what I've been feeling lately.<br /><br />I've been running around in Free Realms indulging my inner child. I <a href="http://wingednazgul.blogspot.com/2009/04/job-security.html">opined</a> a few weeks back that I didn't feel like a release was likely anytime soon considering the unfinished state of the Beta I was currently in. Then SOE announced it was going to release shortly afterwards which goes to show my knowledge of such things. The fact that they got 1 million registered users so quickly shows that there was an audience salivating over the chance to play this game for real. I'm afraid the unfinished parts I saw in Beta are still gumming up the works of an otherwise polished product.<br /><br />But even still, it's hard not to have fun with this game if only because there is just a multitude of activities available. Don't feel like questing? Try some minigames or the virtual Trading Card game. Go complete some collections or explore the entirety of the Realms. Speaking of which, this game really caters to Explorer types as there are hidden delights waiting to be discovered beyond every bend.<br /><br />So I've been pretty casual about my playing time which is definitely the way to go in Free Realms, I think. If I start feeling the grind especially when I'm leveling up a combat job, I'll switch to a different activity. Sometimes, I'll exit the game and go do something else. This would be a huge mark of failure for a typical MMORPG but not so for FR in my opinion. I don't really see myself playing this game long-term. But, for right now, it's a breath of fresh air as I replenish my stores of hardcore in preparation for the Next Big Thing™. Whatever that may be.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-34152814368850570832009-04-28T14:53:00.005-03:002009-04-28T17:00:35.155-03:00You Say It's Your Birthday?April 28 seems to be a good day to launch a MMO. Both City of Heroes and Guild Wars launched on this date and now SOE's Free Realms hopes to join those two titles sometime today.<br /><br />I celebrated Guild War's impending birthday by buying the Guild Wars Trilogy a few days ago. When this title first came out, it was competing with the then-hot World of Warcraft for my attention. WoW won that first skirmish but I'd kept my eye on this game and its development over the years as something I would really like to try. A Trilogy trial a few months back confirmed this and I was set to buy it then. The lack of a digital distribution option made me change my mind though. I was interested, but apparently not interested enough to go out to a store and buy a copy.<br /><br />The recent move to Steam for the NCSoft titles renewed my interest and, this time, the Trilogy was available. When I found out they were offering free storage as part of the birthday celebration, that was enough for me. Nothing gets me to impulse buy quicker than if I think I'm getting a good deal. So far so good and am enjoying making my way through another MMO as a clueless newbie.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-29639478423056098372009-04-28T13:35:00.002-03:002009-04-28T13:51:48.952-03:00First Time For EverythingEven being a new father hasn't stopped <a href="http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/mmo-firsts-a-meme/">Syp</a> from rolling out some interesting memes. <br /><br /><strong>First MMO Played?</strong><br />Planetside - before this game came out I was heavily into First Person Shooters and never really gave regular MMORPG's a second thought.<br /><br /><strong>First Character Class/Role Played?</strong><br />My Planetside character was a Vanguard-driving, Phoenix-shooting, mine-laying son of a gun.<br /><br /><strong>First MMO Subscribed For More Than A Consecutive Year?</strong><br />World of Warcraft. I think I missed the one year mark in PS by about a month and I don't remember playing CoH that long before WoW came out and I jumped ship.<br /><br /><strong>First MMO You Fell In Love With?</strong><br />Planetside, natch.<br /><br /><strong>First Guild You Really Felt Attached To?</strong><br />Sturmgrenadier in Planetside.<br /><br /><strong>First Character/Game You Leveled To End Cap?</strong><br />WingedNazgul in Planetside.<br /><br /><strong>First “Wow” Moment In A MMO?<br /></strong>Coordinated outfit ops in Planetside. Nothing like hotdropping from a Galaxy into a tower full of hostiles.<br /><br /><strong>First MMO You Burned Out On?</strong><br />World of Warcraft. <br /><br /><strong>First MMO You Followed Avidly Prior To Launch?</strong><br />City of Heroes<br /><br /><strong>First Time You Felt Truly Noobish In A MMO?<br /></strong>Playing the Free Trial of Eve Online. <br /><br /><strong>First MMO You Went Alt-Crazy In?</strong><br />City of Heroes.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-73402853921556146392009-04-23T11:18:00.003-03:002009-04-23T11:33:44.186-03:00Job SecurityI've never been a chef, brawler, race car driver, miner, or ninja in real life. So when I got the chance to try out the Free Realms Beta and dive in, guess which job was the most appealing to me?<br /><br />Trading Card Game Duelist.<br /><br />Pretty ironic as it's one I have had plenty of experience with in real life. It's not as if the other jobs don't have their fun moments (well except for race car driving which I apparently stink at) but that the questline and the TCG itself is probably the most polished content currently available in Free Realms. Which is not a knock on the game. It's still pretty early in the Beta process and, despite the lifting of the NDA, I don't see release as being anytime soon. At least, I hope not as there is quite a bit more work that needs to be done before they open this up to the general public.<br /><br />But I highly recommend any veteran card-floppers out there to check out the TCG in both virtual and real-life versions.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-44616231629907997302009-04-22T11:38:00.004-03:002009-04-22T12:19:32.159-03:00Clash of the TitansAtlantica Online was recently patched with a huge content update. Not the housing or 100v100 battle system patch that was recently revealed at this year's GDC. They're still busy working on those items. This patch updated the North American English servers with the content that has been live on the Korean servers for months now. Full patch notes can be found <a href="http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/center/news/notice_view.asp?page=1&list_seq=1053">here</a>.<br /><br />There's quite a number of changes and additions documented on that page but the centerpiece of the update has to be the new Titan server. This enables interaction between characters of different servers. For now, it's only limited to sharing info and PVP but there are future plans to enable trade between the different servers. Future content is also planned which will utilize the unique aspects of this intra-server gathering place.<br /><br />It's the PVP that has most people excited though, as finally we can find out who is really the best of the best. There is already a Free League ranking system that ranks players according to accumulated fame but there has never been a way to determine how players from different servers would match up against each other. Until now. You can Challenge other players on the Titan server to duels and there will be a weekly Grand Championship held there every Sunday. The <a href="http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/center/news/notice_view.asp?list_seq=1046">rewards</a> for participating and winning this GC are very nice to say the least and I imagine the inaugural event to be held this Sunday will have a very festive air to it. Hope to see you all there!Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-38383162374835492512009-04-18T14:49:00.005-03:002009-04-20T08:30:05.532-03:00Back in the Beta Saddle AgainAfter a relatively long drought of not participating in a Beta of any kind, I found myself playing two high-profile ones over the weekend. The Chinese Open Beta of Aion Online and Sony's Free Realms. I got an invite to Free Realms and sneaked into the Chinese Beta through nefarious means. <br /><br />There's one piece of advice I would like to give to NCSoft: Please change your mind about not having a North American/European English Beta for Aion Online. You might not feel you need one for technical reasons given that this game has already been released in Korea since November of last year and the various other Betas since then. But the buzz surrounding such Betas can't hurt especially given the unique combination of early level gameplay in this title. Seriously, CoH level of character customization, gorgeous graphics and animations based on the Crytek engine, and engaging quests with cutscenes is a potent mix. I don't know if you have enough to keep people around for the endgame and reports are a lot of grinding will be needed to get there in addition to the quests provided. But a NA/EU Beta would hook an awful lot of people for a couple of initial months at least.<br /><br />As for Free Realms, I can't say a lot about it. SOE has a chance to reach the rest of the world's gaming population that doesn't really think it likes MMO's. Plus it has enough fun activities for jaded MMO vets as well. It will make SOE money but how much depends on how free Free Realms turns out to be.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057718279204580046.post-36886992177167657672009-04-14T10:17:00.004-03:002009-04-14T10:30:32.654-03:00Losing Our Voice<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SeSNAl7qR8I/AAAAAAAAAaI/A4khJY4oy44/s1600-h/image4941512g.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324535700780632002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_197DDCiU6Zs/SeSNAl7qR8I/AAAAAAAAAaI/A4khJY4oy44/s320/image4941512g.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rest in Peace, Harry. Your voice will live forever in our hearts.Winged Nazgulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918542014509855076noreply@blogger.com0