Beckett MOG in game WAR Item

stargrace October 4, 2008 3 Comments

I posted previously about how Beckett MOG (Massive Online Gamer) had an in game item for those people who purchased Issue #15 for EverQuestII – but didn’t mention at the time (since I wasn’t playing WAR) that it also comes with an in game item for WAR. It’s a bracelet (shows a graphic ‘n everything) that’s purple – no idea if it can be salvaged. I was expecting to have some sort of /claim option to use it, but instead once I added the code to my WAR subscrption, logged into game and it was in my mailbox on the first character I logged in. I have no idea if that means it will be waiting there for all characters, or if that was a one time deal.

Like most ‘free’ in game items, it’s not that impressive to me. Or rather, aspects of it are not. It’s a 2 charge 5 minute buff for PvE. The +2 to all stats is pretty nice though. 

A huge thank you to Kasul who gave me his WAR code since he’s not playing. Since I can’t seem to find the dang magazine for sale up here in Canada yet. I am supposed to be on their mailing list, or so I was told when I started to write for Beckett, but the mail here seems to be slow, drawn by polar bears or some such. 

In any case, neat little item for those who bought the magazine. Combine that with the EQ2 in game house item, and a 3rd item that’s for a game I’ve never heard of before, and they’ve got quite a nice deal going on – not including the wonderful articles.

The Kindness of Strangers

stargrace October 3, 2008 4 Comments

Yesterday while I hung out in Adunei working on my cultivation skill (basically I watch plants grow) and my apothecary skill – Torellis opened a trade window with me, and out of habit I closed it. Typically when people open a trade window with me and I don’t know them I assume it’s a mistake and they meant to click a vendor or trainer. Actually this time I thought it was me who had opened the window by mistake.

However, he opened it again, and in it placed a blue staff for me. It looked far nicer then the one I had been using for a few levels now. 

I don’t know who Torellis is, and I’m not sure I’ll ever come across them in game again but it really made my day. People talk about how kind their guilds are all the time – which is a given because, well who wants to be in a mean and stingy guild. Saylah from Mystic Worlds chattered some with me last night about how she’d gotten a few items from fellow CoW members and I think that it’s great that people are kind and generous. 

But there’s something oddly satisfying and special about being nice to someone you don’t even know, especially in a pvp game where you spend a grand portion of your time layin’ the smack down on the other side. (hey look, I’m trying here ok?) I sent Torellis a tell saying thank you (wow a real tell NOT from a gold farmer?!) and they replied with ‘np’ and that was the end of the conversation. They may have just been rolling around in tears laughing over my gimp gear, who knows. I like to think they were just being friendly. 

After spending a week and a half floundering around trying to decide what I wanted to play and where, I’ve come to the conclusion that my first attempt was the right one (for me). So I’ll be sticking with Stargrace on Averheim (In CoW) to level up, archmage seems fairly comfortable. I love being able to make potions, I use them all the time for all sorts of situations. It’s nice to be able to replenish health, or action points, or give myself extra buffs. Hopefully I can find a few talisman along the way to fill in those gear slots, or find a guild mate who’s doing it (or perhaps I’ll just start an alt for that). I’m level 8/7 as of yesterday, I’m hoping to inch my way closer to T2. I’ve got multiple characters hovering around that level range now, and it would be nice to stretch my legs and explore a bit more.

Ishbel’s Sex Change

stargrace October 2, 2008 6 Comments

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

Why She-Ra never joined Destruction

stargrace October 1, 2008 1 Comments

My Chaos Zealot, and She-Ra. I know, too much time on my hands today.

Squig Bait

stargrace October 1, 2008 9 Comments

What an unfortunate nick name to get stuck with. At times though, that’s exactly how my Archmage feels, especially in scenarios. The first few times I run one it goes fairly smooth, I stand at range, slap on some DoT’s to up my heals, and then heal until there’s a lull, then put out more dots. Things go fairly quietly for me until they (destruction in this case) realizes that the person they’re fighting keeps getting healed – how annoying is that! 

Exceptionally, apparently. Because before I know it, a whole swarm of destruction has come swooping down, ignoring the one they were fighting only to pummel me into the ground. Ah, such is the life of a healer. Once destruction has figured out who the healers are things can quickly go downhill. Especially if there are no tanks playing on the order side of things. Last night I had a scenario with 5 healers and a bunch of dps – but no tanks. No one to stop the swarms from attacking us and be out there in the front lines. We were vanquished, easily. 

I’m still dissapointed that females can’t be tanks on the destruction side. I understand all of the roleplay reasons behind it (( and LORE reasons.. I get it, 25 year old game yada yada )) but I think it’s really just… I want to say stupid but that’s not the right word. It’s really not nice. I realize there shouldn’t be such an issue with me playing a male character if I want to tank destruction THAT bad, but call me weird, I don’t want any danglie bits. I also realize it probably won’t be THAT much of an issue because lets face it, there are just less female gamers then there are male. 

I started a Zealot on Ostermark, which is a heavily populated Rp server. I didn’t get to play much last night since I had other things to attend to, but it was still fun even though I’m not particularly fond of the Chaos starting area. I hear it’s one of the more popular. 

Despite some bad comments about the Tome of Knowledge – I think it’s fantastic. I love to keep track of things, be they quests or roleplay stories or whatever else and this little thing does it all. I love the fact that there’s a built in bestiary and a way to check my titles, and more importantly – a place to read the chapter stories. They’re categorized not only by chapter and ‘main’ story, but also by public quest, and the stories associated with them. I don’t have the most amazing of memories, and it’s nice to be able to flip back to chapter one and read about what was going on. 

A few other people have mentioned this – it’s one of the QUIETEST games I have ever played. Do people all talk on some channel I’m not aware of? No one says a peep. Where’s the general chat? Maybe I have it turned off but it says I’m joining and leaving channels each time I move to a new section of land. I’ve barely heard anyone say anything, unless it was the roleplay stories I’ve stumbled onto simply due to the servers I play on. Who knew one day I’d actually complain that a game is too silent. I’ve heard a handful of people talking in scenarios but even then it’s typically quiet. 

I know I’ve been writing a lot about WAR lately, but keep in mind that I’m waiting on the newest game update for EQ2 as well as the expansion – I have multiple level 80’s there and I’ve just been slightly burnt out. So for those EQ2 readers, no worries I’ll be back, always am. Should get some time to play Guild Wars again this weekend too, which I’m excited about.