2017

I’m Good With LFR, Thanks

stargrace June 30, 2017 0Comment

I don’t like grouping with strangers very much – but there’s one very odd exception to that rule, and it’s in LFRaid in WoW. I have absolutely no problem doing any of the raids, and even have a few favourites. I try to get a handful done each week (I just don’t have time to do everything) especially when the extra incentive options roll around.

So why is it that I have no issue in a raid but I almost always absolutely refuse to be in a group? I suppose it’s because I feel a lot less pressure in a raid. You can still get called out, still get kicked out of the group, and still be commented on – but there’s also a lot more people around, and chances are unless you’re doing something that’s causing large scale wipes, you’ll be fine.

Tonight I ended up doing a few rounds of dailies along with a handful of raids. I didn’t get any gear upgrades but I did get an item for my holy weapon. I’m only at 859ilevel right now and there’s still raids that are blocked to me until I hit 860, plus I haven’t even completed the previous four (I’ve done some of them but not all of them). I’m working my way slowly through the broken shore quest chain and I still have my class hall chain to complete, too. Problem is trying to find the time for everything. I’ll get there. Eventually.

I suppose that’s one of the huge pluses of not having any time. There’s no way I’ll run out of content any time soon. I’m also contemplating leveling up a druid on the new server I play on, because why not. I love druids and I miss mine (and I don’t want to move her). We’ll see if I go anywhere with that. In the meantime I’m having an absolute blast on my priest.

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

Gaming

Short and Sweet (Dailies in WoW)

stargrace June 29, 2017 0Comment

It had been a few days since I logged into World of Warcraft, but my priest was right where I left her. I jumped into some dailies because I was out of resources (again) and sold a BoE chest I found for 35k, not too shabby. I wanted to do another round of dailies, but alas, the clock was ticking and it was nearing bedtime. That’s the trouble with there being only so many hours to a day.

I’ve been thinking of setting up a Minecraft server to play on in between my rounds of WoW but so far I haven’t decided on a mod pack to use (or if I even have the time). When I do have a few seconds I’m typically diving into some game that requires zero thought to play it, like Hell Girls.

My adventures this week have been short and sweet, so this post shall be the same way.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Gaming

EQ2 Has a New Progression Server (But it’s Not for Me)

stargrace June 28, 2017 2Comments

EverQuest 2 opened up a new server yesterday, a timelocked progression called Fallen Gate. I have such a sweet spot in my heart for EQ2 that I jump in pretty frequently even though the game has changed well beyond what I enjoy these days (and beyond what I have time to play). Even though I said I wasn’t going to play any new MMOs and I was going to settle (has it only been a week?) I found myself creating a ratonga necromancer and before I could help myself I was on the Isle of Refuge.

After completing a few quests I realized that I wasn’t really having fun. Chat was different, people were harping on one another depending on whether they played on live servers or had just returned to check out the fun. You do need a subscription to play on the TL servers, but there was a lot more animosity than I remember. There were lots of folks around and it was a joy to see, but I wasn’t feeling it. Every time previous that I had returned the rose coloured glasses that I wore lasted at least more than one play session – but not this time.

Maybe it’s because I myself was overly tired, maybe it’s because I find myself having a hard time getting into anything these days besides quick little games that I can easily jump out of, but the traditional lure that I counted on being there just wasn’t.

I logged out and spent the rest of my evening playing a silly little clicker game I picked up from the steam sale. Sometimes you just need to know what you’re in the mood for, and what you’re not.

I hope those who are playing have a fantastic time, even if it wasn’t for me. I’m sure I’ll still stop into EQ2 on occasion, but until I have more time it’s easier to just live those events vicariously through someone else.

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

Gaming

Steam Sale Results

stargrace June 27, 2017 2Comments

I ended up buying 8 new games during the steam sale (so far) this year. Since I’ve been pretty good at holding off during the previous sales there were quite a few games that I actually wanted. Plus, I don’t have a lot of time to game lately so my current selection of games was a bit outdated for my lifestyle changes (ie: I have a kid and no time, but still want to game).

My Lady was a gift from a friend, it’s a cute (short) little Otome, perfect for a few minutes of play here and there. The winners that I ended up buying were Shoppe Keep, Tabletop Simulator, and Cosmochoria. I also ended up returning one game, Junk Jack. The game felt clunky and was more suited to a tablet than it was a PC (which makes sense, because it was an import). Shoppe Keep is hilarious even though there’s not a lot to it (and it looks like the developer is calling it done even though there are some.. issues.. with it). It’s not a game I would suggest paying full price for, but on sale it’s a winner (at least to me).

Cosmochoria is adorable, and I can’t wait to dive into the other little games I bought. I was pleased that I came in around my budget for the sale (remember I said $20 total) and walked away with so many games. Not everything I buy has to be a triple A title, there’s tons of little gems out there.

Anyone else walk away from the steam sale with some gems? Let me know in comments!

Real Life

11th Anniversary

stargrace June 26, 2017 3Comments

11 years. That’s how long I’ve been writing here at MmoQuests. When I first started it was to collect my stories of EverQuest 2. Over the years I’ve added a lot more games to those posts, and I’ve written a total of 3,028 (3,029 with this one) articles. That’s not bad, for 11 years. If you had of asked me if I thought I’d still be writing here, 11 years later, I probably would have laughed. Shrugged. Not known the answer. I’m proud that I’ve managed to keep the blog going for that long.

Things have changed a lot in that time. I volunteered for SOE (back when they were SOE). I wrote for a video game magazine. Wrote for video game web sites. Got to travel to California to interview some wonderful people. Started working for Carbine Studios. Worked for NCSOFT.

Things have changed a lot for me in my personal life, too. I moved across the country. I got married. I’ve got a little boy. I grew up, in other words. Despite the fact that a lot has changed, a lot also stayed the same. I still have a ton of passion for video games. I know a lot of the same gamer’s. I still write as frequently as I can, which lately is once a day, but that’s still pretty new. I’m making up for lost time.

I’ve never written for an audience, I’ve always just written for myself. I get comments here and there and they’re absolutely wonderful when I do, but whether or not I get a comment doesn’t decide if I’ll continue writing and I think that’s been the one thing that has kept me going. Writing is just something I do, whether you enjoy it or not, whether you take a minute to read it.

So here’s to 11 years and here’s to 11 more. It’s been absolutely lovely.

I’m Good With LFR, Thanks

Short and Sweet (Dailies in WoW)

EQ2 Has a New Progression Server (But it’s Not for Me)

Steam Sale Results

11th Anniversary

You Missed

The Search For Hrada-Oki Bivouac

Personal EVE Economic Update (October)

Expensive Month (preparing for fun)

Locked Out (again)