March 2009

Where do the hours go

I have a great talent for taking screen shots – RIGHT – when my character is closing her eyes and blinking in game. I must have taken a good 10 shots of her riding a horse around to various locations and how beautiful everything looked and yet in almost every single shot her eyes are closed which of course draws your eye to that one incident and not the beautiful scenery. I spent almost all day yesterday wandering around Middle Earth with Kasul. He decided to create a warden and I made myself a minstrel (both elves) in the hopes of catching up to Malfi and Tipa some day. With the experience bonus (which I think we are getting?) and working on quests, we managed to get to level 13 without too much trouble. 

I love the quest system, the beta journal is nice as well (reminds me of WAR). I love questing, and I absolutely love the way I feel drawn into the story line as I’m working on the quests. When the edges of the screen flash a dull red and it feels like I’m watching a movie (and in some portions, I was) but my character is still right there. Sure, the story doesn’t change no matter who happens to be watching or making their way through it, and sure I realize that this is just one more cut and paste quest – but it’s presented to me in a method that I’m not used to with previous games I’ve played, and (for now at least) I really enjoy it. 

I didn’t experience a single bug aside from my graphic card going glitchy which I’ve talked about in the past as happening with LOTS of other games. I dusted out my computer yesterday and it didn’t happen again. If it does that will be the final straw for me and I’ll go out and buy a new graphic card. Even though this one is only a few months old (3-4?) and I’d rather not. Since my job relies on me being able to play these games I’d rather only have so many issues to deal with!

Anyhow. I managed to get my minstrel to level 13, had a blast doing it. Also started crafting! I read up on the Wiki after I started crafting but it’s not really that complicated once you find out what the different vocations are and what they all entail. I decided on explorer for now with the minstrel, so I can make light and medium armor, as well as gather resources for other guild mates. 

We actually decided on a schedule for playing, since I also have my group in EQ that I don’t want to neglect – and I would REALLY like to be able to say I stuck with a schedule for once. I keep trying and I fail, utterly. So. It was decided that we’ll play twice a week. One day, and one evening. Since Kasul’s schedule changes we’ll play during the day on one of his days off, and during the evening on a different day. That also allows us to play with Tipa and Malfi too if they happen to be in game (which Tipa was last night, woot). 

I do plan on creating an alt (big surprise) but I’m going to limit it to just one (gasps). I’m not sure what I’m going to go with yet, but I’m thinking Lore-Master. Not sure yet. I don’t know what craft they’ll go with yet either, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Before I knew it, it was time to head back to EQ to play with Ultann and Ninga. More about how that went in the next post!

LoTRO: Exploring (again)

As I mentioned yesterday, Turbine is offering a few “free” days of game play (Lord of the Rings Online)  for people who had accounts previously – and I completely forgot that I actually don’t qualify for it, because I played the 10 day trial and then the 1 month of free game play but had not actually paid for a subscription. Not about to let that hold me back, I subscribed this morning and before too long jumped into game with Kasul to explore what I didn’t get to see the first time around. 

Now keep in mind (yes, stressing the point here because apparently some people still don’t get it) that it was not because I disliked the game that I stopped playing. Only so many hours in a day (main factor) only so much money to be dedicated towards subscriptions (secondary factor). The secondary factor has eased up a little, and I’m working on time management still. With friends playing (Kasul, Tipa, Malfi to name a few Nostalgians) I had been wanting to play again for quite some time. It just never seemed to work out. 

I had logged out in the midst of a bunch of dwarfs, after picking up their quests – as had Kasul. One kill managed to net me level 5 easily enough, and after we meandered our way through more quests we each dinged level 7. We ended up in Celondim (I believe that’s where it is) where I was introduced to crafting and decided that I really like this game – a lot. Then I realized there’s also housing. I know this is all stuff that I should have already realized, but I don’t typically research games a great deal, I’d rather just play them and explore (like I have been) so if I sound like a complete newb here, well. That’s what I am. 

The best part of playing (aside from playing with friends of course) is my new hat. I love this feathered hat. I mean, I adore it so much. It’s completely awesome. 

I’m still getting myself acquainted with the interface again, what commands do what, and I picked up my new skills and am getting into the habit of learning which ones to use and when. Nothing has taken very much time to kill, so a lot of my skills go unused. Then again I’m typically also in a fellowship (I think that’s what the groups are called) so with the added person, things die, fast. 

I know this introduction is not filled with very much information, but I decided to take a break for lunch and write about the experiences so far. I’ll keep posting as I adventure. I’m having a lot of fun though (as I thought I would) and it’s great to get back into it again and give the game a proper go this time around. There are still other games I’d like to play, but I’ll have to figure out a way to work them into my schedule, and still play EQ too. So many games, and just not enough time for them all! How does everyone else deal with this? Especially when people (friends) are scattered across multiple games all at once.

Another Quiet Night

I didn’t get a whole lot of time to game yesterday, I spent most of it working on an article for MMORPG.com, and the rest of it sending interview questions out to the folks at Wizard101, and a few EQ2 players (brigands and swashbucklers) for upcoming articles for Beckett MOG. When I finally did manage to log into EQ for a little bit before bed, I saw there was a guide event going on. Having been a guide myself for EQ2 I love seeing that things are still active, even if it’s not as active as it would have been in its prime. I think a lot about getting back into it – I miss it. I miss role playing as a guide. But, I don’t think I honestly have the time. So for now thinking about it is all I can do.

I cleaned out my banks which were a disaster, because the bank space is so very limited in EQ I end up spending a few hours every week doing this. Deciding what I should keep and what I should just throw away. Being a pack rat by nature is bad, especially when I try to keep every little bit of craft material that comes my way from multiple expansions because “I never know when it will come in handy” I have two craft supply holders I’ve created as well, just to pass materials off to. After I’d finally sorted out what was going where I headed to Stoneroot for a little bit of experience with Ultann and Ninga. Ultann ended up having to go AFK and after a short stint of smacking Drachnid around I decided that I should probably just call it an early night (again) and sleep. I’m typically a morning person and up fairly early, so going to bed around 2-3am leaves me with only 2-3 hours of sleep for a night. 

Hopefully I’ll get a little more gaming in today, I spent a little under an hour patching up LoTRO last night so that it could be ready for today – so far the “free weekend” hasn’t started – or at least my account (which is in good standing) isn’t active yet, so we’ll see how that goes. 

Hope everyone has a happy Thursday!

Can You Handle It?

This has absolutely nothing at all to do with gaming, but it made me burst out laughing this morning when I read it in my email, so I of course had to post it. I’m usually really good about not getting spam in my gmail, but that’s been changing slowly. At least I still have my work email. 

Greetings,
 
I have interest of investing in your country as well as seek your services in a private and confidential matter. I am a senior Auditor heading computing department here in our bank.
 
On my routine inspection I discovered a dormant account that does not belong to anybody with a Balance of ($3.850 Million USD}.I write to seek your indulgence and assistance in transferring this fund to your country through legal means.
I am proposing to make this transfer to a designated bank account of your choice in your country for investment. At the conclusion of this transaction, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 70% will be for me.
 
Let me know if you can handle it.
Regards
Mr Peter Kwesi
Gee, I should go ahead and email this stranger all my bank information right away! Wouldn’t you?

LoTRO ‘Welcome Back’ Weekend

Kasul and I had been talking a bit about playing LoTRO – or rather, I was talking about going back to the game because the little bit I had played was not nearly enough time, and because when I had activated my account, it was smack dab in the middle of my adventure to San Diego and I was quite busy doing a million other things. However, I tend to bounce around games and play more then one at a time (especially since it relates to my job) and I have a lot of time on my hands (typically, minus the two weeks of deadlines I have hanging over my head). Anyhow, I was talking about picking up another game. I’m currently playing EQ full time, and I have EQ2 and VG on the sidelines but there’s nothing really drawing me to them right at the moment. Especially with the new RMT headed to Vanguard. 

I am still playing EVE, but I know I probably won’t stick with it. Nothing against the game at all (I have future posts coming as soon as I find the time to write!) but it’s just not going to hold my attention long term. There are 10-day ‘come back again’  WAR trials (for people who have closed their account) that I’d like to take advantage of some time (I enjoyed that game but was enjoying other games more, so I cut back due to subscription prices). I’m playing Hero Online for a review I have upcoming (F2P so nothing to worry about cost-wise there) and I also still want to give AoC a shot, but again I’ll have to find time for that. I love playing with friends (even though I know I infuriate them with my game bouncing, most are used to it) so anyhow! Kasul and I decided we would play LoTRO – or at least I would reactivate my account, and he would try it since he hasn’t played. 

We decided to start playing on Thursday, and we decided this a few days ago. 

I happen to check Twitter today and saw a post about how Turbine is holding a Welcome Back weekend from March 26th-31st where there will be free game play for former players (who have an account in good standing of course) and a +25% bonus experience boost on mobs you kill!

You can read about the ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ on their site here, and in the mean time – wow is that a sign or what! It really floored me that it starts on the exact day that I was planning on re-activating my account to begin with. Yes, I’m pretty excited about this. 

NOT that I plan on giving up my other games or my adoration of them any time soon, but it’s still always great to get things for free (which reminds me, I should activate WAR for my 10 free days some time.. maybe..) 

Hopefully I’ll have time once all my current articles are completed to post some in-depth bits on my own site. In the mean time – back to work I go!

Nomadic Gamer