2011

Telling Stories is Just One More Way to Play The Game #EQ2

stargrace August 16, 2011 2Comments

It’s no secret that I consider myself to be a well-rounded MMO player, especially when it comes to EQ2. I have 12 level 90 characters and while you may hear me posting on this site about how I skipped content and reached 90 in the shortest amount of time – that’s not all there is to do in game, nor is it even what I spend most of my time doing. After you’ve leveled a handful of characters up the ‘regular’ way, it’s just one more method of playing. Again, that’s not the ONLY way of doing things and there’s no right or wrong way to go about how you spend your free time.

And thus Haidie was created. A guardian from Neriak, and a roleplay character for me to explore Norrath with “the good ol fashioned way”. Unlike my last few characters, this one won’t be power leveled. I won’t be twinking her out in gear that’s impossible to obtain, and she has a lengthy history associated with her being where she is, which I look forward to telling (I haven’t fleshed everything out quite yet). My only channels are roleplay ones, and I intend on taking her along to some of the (many) public events found on Antonia Bayle.

If you haven’t spent any time in the beginning zones, you may be surprised to learn that they’ve added some items to the quests found in Darlight Woods (I assume Gorowyn and Kelethin have experienced the same sorts of changes, but I can not confirm personally) including a lot of house items. Haidie is already the proud owner of an elemental plushie, campfire, tent, and Neriak sign which she has hung in her humble two room apartment. I’m excited about having a character to re-explore Norrath, and even more excited at the prospect of playing her as a roleplay character, it’s been a while since I’ve had one.

Remember, the best part of any MMO is not always the basics of what the developers have given you, but how you choose to make use of the tools they’ve given you.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Productive Gaming Weekends #EQ2

stargrace August 15, 2011 0Comment

Another Monday here, and a productive gaming weekend under my belt. Well, mostly productive. The warlock is now level 90, although she has barely 100 aa and that’s always annoying to deal with. I’d much rather level lock (as I have with my ranger) and grind aa for a while before leveling. The 35 ranger has 160 aa which is a great amount to have and as I level her to 90 she’ll at least be past the 200 mark. Probably more since I plan on leaving her at 35 until she reaches 200-250 aa first. I don’t remember the /played time on the lock, but it’s not that much, I’d be surprised if it was a full day. Plus there’s all that time I spent AFK and hanging out in hall with her. I can’t afford the 15 plat per kaborite cluster at the moment, so she’ll sit in the background until I can properly gear her up.

I wasn’t in the mood to deal with PUGs yesterday, so the guild decided to do the weekly without looking for any extras. This consisted of Pools, Ascent, and Spire. The group was myself boxing my 2nd account, Ibeogur, Nocturnous (boxing his 2nd account) and Shamah. We cleared the zones with ease, and then after doing the weekly once decided to do it again with alts because I had forgotten to drag my 2nd account along for Pools and Ascent. The end result was a LOT of shards (we also did the first Kael zone, since it was the supposed hot zone) that I can use towards more ry’gorr. I’ve got the complete set on my swashbuckler, and bits and pieces of the set on my warden, defiler, and bruiser. I’m thinking of starting on the set for my coercer, but I’m undecided at the moment. I’m also going to start replacing some of the gear my shadowknight on the second account is sporting. SF raid gear is fantastic, but the stats missing hurt some what.

I’m eagerly waiting for GU61 to be implemented. One of the down sides I find with EQ2 is that there’s too much time between their updates and unique events. It’s one of those things that I really appreciate with Trion and Rift, where there are updates frequently and live events constantly.

Still, it was a good weekend. I’m contemplating getting into some roleplay with a character or two of mine, but I haven’t decided who yet. They all have background stories, and I know of numerous weekly rp locations on Antonia Bayle, it’s just a matter of taking the plunge. We’ll just have to see.

As always, happy gaming no matter where you find yourself!

One More Reason to Love Player-Written Books #EQ2

stargrace August 13, 2011 1Comment

It’s Not Up To The Game To Entertain Me #EQ2

stargrace August 11, 2011 14Comments

I never really understand some of the conversations that go on in the public channels of EQ2. Last night for example, the auction channel (which is the global 1-9 channel for those on the Antonia Bayle server) was filled with how much everyone dislikes EQ2. They talked about how there was no challenge, and how it was a horrible game. The part that always confuses me is – they’re talking about a game they supposedly hate, while paying and playing for it. It just doesn’t make sense to me. When I played WoW the channels were filled with childish rantings as well – but – I very rarely ever saw someone complaining about the game they were currently playing. I always saw insults to other players, and very minimal insults to other games.

For myself, the choice is pretty simple. If I’m not enjoying myself I won’t be playing. I’ll move to a different game, or go do something else. As far as what’s ‘fun’ in a game, that is completely up to the individual. Two guild mates and I decided to run through Deathtoll (which is quite a few expansions old now) just for the fun of it. We had a great time, many many MANY deaths (we took lowbies along who were power leveled without any real gear or spells above apprentice) and it was a blast. Some evenings I just want to decorate, and others I feel like doing DoV instances. While the game provides numerous tools for me to make use of, it’s up to me to figure out what I want to do as far as entertainment goes. Sure, not all games appeal to all people. It’s rare I’ll stick with a game long term if all there is to do is quest and blow stuff up. But the act of being entertained ultimately comes down to what I find appealing and that switches on a nightly basis depending on my mood.

I suppose at the core people just like to complain, and it doesn’t really matter WHAT they’re complaining about so long as they meet some sort of secret quota. It’s still something I just don’t seem to understand no matter how hard I try.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!