Brenlo at his Side Job
stargrace 
Caught Brenlo at his side job this Frostfell. That is all.
January 2010
Beckett MOG Readers Choice Awards
It’s that time of year again, when Beckett MOG hosts their Readers Choice Awards. I’d really appreciate and love it if everyone went over and cast their vote for the survey, I realize there are a few glitches within the survey at the moment, they’re being ironed out by my Editor Doug (I didn’t have anything to do with creating the survey, but I was asked to promote it). So please head over to the site and complete the survey for your favorite games of 2009! The results will be posted in our next issue of Beckett MOG, which is due to hit shelves mid March.
Click here to head to the survey.
Thanks!
Making it my own
How important is it to you to be able to make an MMO ‘yours’ in a very literal sense? I’ve been thinking about this lately, and for me, it’s almost key in me playing it full time. In order for me to really fully enjoy a game, I have to be able to call a little piece of it ‘mine’ or play in my style, or be able to customize enough options to feel that I have invested some time and effort into it.
Of course EQ2 has this in spades, with appearance gear (for that ‘unique’ feeling), housing, achievements, and numerous other functions. Sure, I may be doing exactly what every other player out there is doing (ie questing, raiding, leveling) but I’m doing it my way, which is where things start to get interesting. Pictured above is one of the main rooms to my Norrathian museum. It’s actually a 6 room house in Freeport, with granite walls – not that you can see them in that picture. I’ve effectively covered them up with re-sized furniture that I’ve flipped around to show their back and create a wood grain texture. When SoE added the ability to re-size items, a whole new world of housing opened up to players. You gain the ability to shrink or grow almost any piece in game and your imagination really is the limit when it comes to what you want to create.
One of my favorite things to do is check out the Norrathian Housing forums on the EQ2players site, and see what everyone has created for the week. I’ve seen some absolutely astounding creations, stuff that puts my own housing experiments to shame.It’s amazing what people can come up with if they’re given the proper tools.
As we approach the release date of Sentinel’s Fate (it seems at a snails pace!) I can’t help getting a little excited. Ok, a lot excited. 10 extra levels, and while some people may not be looking forward to that – I am. I really am. I’ve got way too many level 80’s and I’m really looking forward to thinning them out a little with the new expansion, and focusing on a ‘main’. Even if it’s for a short time.
Anyone else out there excited? Let me know! Hopefully I’ll get a little more game time in today, and in the mean time, see you in Norrath!
Reaching 60 in World of Warcraft (finally)
This weekend was pretty productive when it came to MMOs, and I had a great time which is always an added bonus. It started off with me doing some dungeon runs in world of warcraft on my priest. I’ve been pretty eager to reach level 60 (for obvious reasons) but even before that I was trying to inch my way to 58 so that I could finally experience some new zones and all of this fantastic gear I kept hearing about. Dungeons are pretty stressful to me, even though I’ve been playing healers for quite some time. I have no idea why, I don’t find myself stressing nearly so much in EQ2, and I’m not sure why I care so much in games about how well I’m doing. I mean, it’s supposed to be a game, right?
Dire Maul was relaxed and easy, but then I headed to another zone (pictured above) and while the group started out wonderful (seemingly) with a rogue who was pointing us in ‘all the right places’ the truth of the matter is that they were there for one particular kill. So they lead us to that kill (ignoring the vast majority of the zone) and when their item didn’t drop they bailed on the group. None of us had been there before and the experience quickly turned frustrating. We stuck with it and managed to complete the zone after a few mishaps, but it was still a sour experience for me personally. I’m still trying to find my ‘niche’ as a healer, it’s difficult when the groups are so much different then what I’m used to. in EQ2, things are orderly, and I have a lot of group heals for the times when they are not. In WoW I don’t have nearly the same affect with my group heals, and it seems like everyone is constantly running off on their own and pulling mobs towards the group. So instead of a group with one tank, I have four tanks to keep healed at the same time, and while normally I’m a fairly good judge on my tank and I can ‘tell’ almost like a 6th sense when I need to cast a heal in order to prevent a death, in WoW I find that a lot harder to judge. I’m sure it will come with time, and maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but I pride myself on playing my characters very well, and having people die in a group (be it their fault or mine) is not something I enjoy.
After two instance runs myself and Manos (troll warrior) were ready to head to that magical portal that would take us to better gear upgrades – and more levels. I was excited. Sure, burning crusade is an old expansion now, but I have never stepped into the zone, despite having owned it for a few years.
Well, they certainly weren’t kidding about the gear upgrades. It was great. Everything was an upgrade. In a few hours we both managed to inch our way to level 60 – my highest level character in all my years of playing.
Of course WoW wasn’t the only game I played this weekend, and I’ll make sure to post about those other experiences in my next post this morning. It was still a fantastic milestone for me to reach, and I’m quite happy about it. Now I just need to work on my tailoring and enchanting, earn some more cash for mounts (I decided to dual spec the priest in a dps and heal spec, so I’m quite broke) and I’ll be set.
I hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend no matter where they found themselves, and happy gaming!
Book of the Day – Darkness Comes by Zanadi
(( Every weekend I like to post one of the books I have in my Norrathian Library on the Antonia Bayle server for others to read who may not be able to visit in person – you can donate to my library by sending a book to Ellithia, or if you’re from another server I will gladly donate a blank book to you so that you can send it back to me. The library itself is located in North Freeport at the mage tower (bottom floor) under the magical housing. Please feel free to stop by! ))
Darkness Comes – By Zanadi
book 1The sunset was beautiful this night with the warm reds and oranges. The breeze blew just right stirring the warm air. On a hill sat a young looking woman in a faded blue cotton dress. Her dark brown hair pushed back behind Ayr’dal ears.She was picture perfect, smooth skin just tan enough to proudly show her ruddy red markings. She brushed her hand gently through the lush grass she was sitting in. A warm smile creased her face as a man quietly approached her from behind, settling himself beside her.
“Hello my love.” Her voice was a sweet as honey. She leaned over, resting her head upon him. He grinned back at her, encasing her tiny hand in his.
“What brings you out here dearest? You are a long ways from the wagons.”
“Oh aye but I wanted to see the sunset. Beautiful isn’t it?”
He looked right at her totally ignoring the hues that crested the land. “Yes, she is.”
She looked over at him and her smile grew. There was no place she’d rather be than content within his arms. She always had found it funny how opposite they were. She preferred the night while he preferred the day.
He hated to break the moment but something weighted heavy on his mind. “Maynace, someone came by the house looking for you today.” Gone was the light hearted feel to his words, replaced by something more serious.
“Hrm? I wasn’t expecting anyone. Who was it?”
“It was Tishnar. Nace, the old man isn’t going to give up.”Her face fell and she sighed. “He means no harm Ryac.”
“That is what you say. You do not see his eyes. The old necromancer wants you for his own. I told him to leave.”
She sat up and turned to look at him. “You didn’t.”
“I did. I’ll not having him bothering you.”They settled back down together their hands intertwined. It was the perfect moment as the last of the sunset faded. Darkness began to creep over the land. One may have thought it from the absence of the suns but as it creeped over the hill and along the land the cold came with it. As it touched each blade of grass, it wilted. Each flower succumb to the absence of light dropping it’s beautiful petals and dying. The darkness here had a purpose.
Maynace…Slowly it killed everything in it’s path, creeping along the ground. Maynace and Ryac stood in disbelief as it called out to her.
Maynace…
“She’s not yours necro!” Ryac screamed out to the dark nothing as he grabbed her hand and then they were running. They ran and ran until their lungs burned and Maynace thought she’d collapse. Yet still the darkness followed behind them leaving a trail of death in it’s wake.
They ran for what seemed like hours but in truth was more of mere minutes as the darkness licked at their feet. A branch pulled up before them catching Ryac’s foot. He went down hard with a thump.
“Ryac!” She screamed and grabbed at him, pulling for all she was worth.
“Run Nace! Do not stop!”
“I won’t leave you!”
“GO!”She looked back at the darkness. It would be on them in seconds. “Never forget I love you Maynace. Never. Live for me.”
She was still holding his hand as the dark nothing creeped up his legs and over his body. It tickled at her fingers as she screamed forcing her to release him. She watched horrified as his body decayed and died before her eyes. He was still calling her name as his jaw fell from his rotting corpse.
“Ryac!” There was no time to stop to weep and once again she was running. The darkness called out to her again.
Maynace…
“You won’t have me! Never!” She screamed as she ran. A high pitch shrill filled the black of night. The nothing surged forward surrounding her tired worn feet.
“NEVER!”
But it held her fast in place, tripping her to the ground. She gasped as it first crept over her legs to her hips. Her dress rotted and fell apart. She clawed at the ground to pull herself away, kicking until her legs became dust. Panic screamed in her eyes. Slowly it made it’s way up her body until it consumed her. As it took in her innocence it stops. A saddness replaces the cold and in an instant the darkness is gone.