October 2, 2008

Lets talk about what games DO have, Instead

Lots of people spend time writing about what games don’t have. What’s wrong with them, what doesn’t work for them, I do it myself too. Before WAR released, most of my posts were about what games DO have, as opposed to what they do not have and I’d like to pick up on that again. There’s lots of negative vibes out there and like a bad accident, it’s hard to look away as you’re driving past. 

There’s one aspect to Vanguard that is probably key in keeping me coming back for more since release and that is the feeling that Telon is a world. An entire world. 

If you’re not used to the world, or you’re unsure of where to go I can see how the shear size of Telon would seem daunting – but. Is that not how it works in real life as well? The rifts allow for easier movement between hubs and quest areas, but a mount is really needed to get from point A to point B. Each ‘chunk’ covers a significant amount of land, and I absolutely love that you can explore every inch of it. 

In so many worlds it feels like the scenery is tacked on, that if you saw a glimmer off in the distance you’d be unable to reach it because it’s not really there, it’s just part of the background. However, enter Telon and when you see something way off in the distance, it’s actually there. I realize I’m doing a pretty poor job of explaining this concept and just how profoundly it affects me and my game play, but I’m trying. 

Each one of the three continents has a distinct feeling to it. Each one (minus Kojani which lacks content) lets adventurers travel from 1-50 with no trouble. Whether you’re battling undead in Thestra, or taking on tribes of cyclops in Qalia, it feels like you are a part of an entire world. The fact that Vanguard has ‘seamless’ zoning is fantastic. I realize it’s not quite as seamless as we’d all like. You still tend to hiccup as you cross over into another chunk, but it doesn’t distort the feeling of a world quite so much as having ‘zones’ to go everywhere does. I truly hope this is a feature that Vanguard is going to keep up with in the future, I’d hate for the game to lose that feeling. 

Owning an actual house, a plot of land that I pay ‘rent’ on in game is fantastic. I can see how it would not exactly be practical for popular games, after all you’d run out of land (maybe). Since plots of land are limited by account and not character, it makes things a little easier. Each character has a global ‘recall to house’ button if you own a home. Being able to walk down the hill from my house on Kojani and into the backyard of someone else’ house is just neat. Looking across little towns and collections of homes (remember, if you don’t pay your rent on your house it WILL get repossessed and you’ll lose the plot) and finding other people wandering through these areas is something I really enjoy. 

Kanad and I finally waved goodbye to the Isle of Dawn and took our adventurers elsewhere. I’m not sure what’s next, There are chains of quests for armor in both Thestra and Qalia, but I’ve done them a few times now so I’m thinking perhaps a change of pace may be nice. Then there’s working on crafting and getting faction up for recipes… and diplomacy.

The craft channel and dip(lomacy) channel are typically filled with chatter and people helping one another, while the continental channels are filled with.. well, what every other game has on their channels. The subjects don’t differ between games. It’s still a shame that the launch was absolutely horrible, and then spiraled for a time before finally at least slowly rising. The changes that have been implemented over the past few months have been fantastic. Character models, flying mounts, racial mounts, broken quests fixed, etc. At least there’s progress being made and for me, that’s enough.

Please don’t step on me Mr. Rhino!

While I may have a good number of level 80 characters myself – there are still reasons to explore content aside from working up (yet another) alt. One main reason of course is friends. Kasul was 20% away from level 78, a huge accomplishment on his part. I offered to help him get the last 20% he needed, and gladly relogged to Petites, my 76 templar. Templars (as most people who play know) can rarely dps their way out of a wet paper bag, and that’s when the bag is wide open. Sure, it can be done, but it’s VERY slow. It’s better now that there are a few dps spec’s out there and some better gear, but I follow the age old tradition that a healer, heals (unless they’re morphed into some hybrid class such as the blood mage from VG or the disciple in WAR etc). Anyhow. 

We made our way through Fens of Nathsar, pinging off a few heroic quests each of us had. One attempt left us both dead and licking our wounds. Did you get the name of that truck? The mob may have been blue ^^^ heroic to us, but he hit like an epic. After clearing out a few simple quests we headed to Kunzar Jungle – where I had not finished a single quest in the entire zone. I grabbed some sokokar posts, and thankfully Kazul was patient while we ran around getting various updates that I needed. 

Petites managed 20% of experience in the same amount of time that Kasul got his, which was great. I really didn’t want to linger in RoK for too long, those quests still bring back horrid memories. Hey, it can hardly be blamed, I do have an 80 warden dirge coercer, 78 illusionist, 76 templar, 61 necromancer and 47 monk. Not to mention 5 level 80 crafters. I’m so eager for the next expansion just so that I have something to do other then leveling alts. Oh, and I’m eager about those guild halls, too. Kasul and I managed to complete a few writs while we were adventuring, although now 15,000 personal experience (1,500 guild) is barely moving us .8% each time. Ouch. Going to have to get back to grinding out those last two levels!

Ishbel’s Sex Change

Ishbel knew there was a way around her situation. The fact that women could not enter combat in the front lines for Chaos in heavy armor bothered her. It had bothered her for years now and she had finally reached an age where she was almost free to do as she wanted. As free as anyone was who lived under Chaos. She was going to do something about it. Something drastic. 

So she headed to Mount Bloodhorn and met with a goblin Shaman, who whispered to her about an orc illusion spell he had been working on in secrecy. The illusion would only work for a few short hours at a time but it would give off the impression that she was an orc to anyone who happened to look at her. The shaman contained the illusion in an inking along her flesh, the sharp needle digging into her. She had only to say the incantation, and she’d have the appearance of an orc – for a short while at least.  The rest would be left up to her. 

Ishbel went about her daily chores, preparing for her transfer to an orc. She gave excuses for her absence, not that any would mind. She pretended to be working on some special healer formula that would enable her to cast at a longer distance and required hours upon hours of quiet meditation. 

Fools.

When the time came, Ishbel ducked into an empty cave in Mount Bloodhorn, and murmered the incantation. Looking at herself, she felt repulsed. It was necessairy though. She had wanted this for so long. Willing to obtain it by almost any means possible. 

Ishbel tentatively peeked out of the cave and looked around. Orcs and Goblins were going about their routines, whatever those were. Now or never, she thought to herself. 

No one gave her a second glance. Squigs ran around and loud booms could be heard in the distance – but no one noticed Ishbel. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She was noticed by one Skarzay. 

“Get in line!” He yelled at her. 

“Uh.. ” She tried to sound like an orc, and simply grunted instead. She took her place behind the others and when it was her turn she picked up a handful of work orders. 

“Name!” Skarzay snapped at her. 

Ishbel had not planned that far ahead. She was so excited that she had forgotten she would even need a name. 

“Zuh…. uh… ” She stammered. 

“Zugug it is!” Skarzay snapped at Assistant Librarian Gruzuk, who stood a few feet away. “Get Zugug recruit clothes, and send him on his way!” Ishbel was shoved forward with the other new recruits. She glanced around. 

“Yo dude!” one orc beside her spoke up, “Put ‘er there!” he held out his hand and Ishbel had to swallow hard to avoid throwing up all over the ground. Green pus oozed from an open wound, and his hand was covered in what looked suspiciously like feathers. 

“Uh… ” She grunted again and closed her eyes, shaking the orcs hand and ignoring the sounds.

“I’m Gorenutz!” He shouted proudly. 

Men. Are. Stupid. Was all Ishbel could think to herself. 

“Zugug.” She said out loud. 

Suddenly a wave of voices started repeating a chant – a chant she should know, she realized. She could have slapped herself for not preparing for all of this. She would have to fake it. 

“Time to… tear.. and smash.. time to .. laugh.. and slash?” She stumbled through the verse some how, mouthing the words and making up those she didn’t know. She made notes to remember it before it was repeated a second time. It wouldn’t do any good to have her cover blown so early. 

She read over her forms, and noticed she was being sent to Da Slop. She had no idea where that was. Looking at her map she found a crude drawing of a bubble bursting and ‘slop’ scribbled across in chicken scratch. Alright then. She hefted her axe to her side, shield on the other and whispered a silent thanks that she had watched her brothers training all those years, it was going to pay off. 

When she reached ‘Da Slop’ she just about turned around and gave up pretending to be an orc right then. Words could not even describe the disgusting view before her. Burping and belching, orcs and goblins alike scratching in places that she wouldn’t even dare touch in public. 

Ew. Gross. 

She held her breath and walked through the green muck, it clung to her feet and she bit her tongue to avoid making any extra sound. This was going to take a lot more effort then she thought. 

As she came across the moving crates along the beach she remembered why she was doing it. The thrill and blood thirst that ran through her veins that healing could not satisfy. The ache and longing to smash in a dwarfs face with her shield, and the sound of bones splintering into a thousand pieces. 

Ah, yes. THIS was worth it. For now, at least. 

 

(( New little Rp story, since women on the Destruction side can’t be tanks, I found a roleplay method to be one. Works for now. I had fun doing the Orc starter quests. We’ll see where this goes. )) 

Edit: Title changed slightly as per Tipa’s wisdom

Nomadic Gamer