What do video games inspire you to do?

Have video games inspired you to undertake other activities outside of gaming?  It might be podcasting or figuring out how to make in game food in real life?  For me, it is reading and writing but only specific games invoke those impulses in me.

Reading

Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of those games that drives me to bury my nose in a book.  It isn’t that SWTOR is so boring that it drives me to read, rather the storytelling is so good that I want to continue once I log off for the day.  I loved the books that were published with the release of the game and am sad that there are no more planned novels to be released.  But that’s alright, I have plenty of other books to read to keep me busy for a lifetime.

Neverwinter is also another one of those games that compels me to read.  For the first time ever, I’ve read novels set in the Neverwinter universe and I’ve loved them.  There is something magical about novels that I haven’t put my finger on yet.

Writing

The Elder Scrolls Online inspires me to write unlike any other game I’ve ever played.  Everywhere you look there are scenes and settings that make you want to log off and start writing.  I don’t just mean role play writing or stories but real writing from the characters and ideas that float around in my head.  I’ve found that when I get writers block I just have to log in to ESO and soon enough my fingers are itching to write once again.

So what has gaming inspired you to do?

Freedom of Speech

First off, this is a topic I am so passionate about it will be posted on my non-gaming blog as well.  I woke up this morning and read a post from Belghast from my Twitter gaming feed.  So far nothing unusual there but the first half of his post made me grind my teeth which is unusual.  In response to a blog piece written by someone he follows, he re-tweeted the blog twice and there was some long involved Twitter chatter about it yesterday. 

All well and good, nothing abnormal so far but then apparently the chatter devolved when another person chimed in to state that the author of the original blog piece was “pretty”.  Apparently, this became objectification of women as sexual objects and the man (presumably) was lectured, instructed, on why this was inappropriate.  I freely admit I didn’t read the conversation because quite frankly, I am so incredibly tired of this victim thread/conversation types.

I’m a woman and by God I am sick of this crap from women!  A man pays you a compliment and instantly you are a sexual object?  Whatever happened to taking the compliment gracefully and moving on?  If the behavior is so offensive, then you could have just muted or blocked the offending user instead, as I understand it from Belghast’s blog this morning, the poor bloke got called out on social media for being male. 

Yes, it can be uncomfortable as any person when someone else pays you a compliment that is unexpected, unsolicited, and out of left field.  But that doesn’t mean you’ve become a sexual object by any means.  It used to be a simple act of common courtesy to pay compliments to others.  Now it has become grounds for harassment, “objectionification”, and more.

Free speech isn’t just speech that makes you comfortable.  Free speech means everyone is free to engage is speech regardless of the feelings of others.  You have the choice to engage those whose speech you disagree with either verbally, written, or by ignoring said speaker.  You do not have the right to shut down the speech of others because it makes you uncomfortable. 

Whatever happened to civil dialogue between those that disagree?  Whatever happened to difference of opinion that where freely expressed?  Whatever happened to the knowledge that differing ideas are what founded this country and once made Her great?

Oh yeah, political correctness and hurt feelings run amuck happened.  If you don’t like the speech of another, then there are better options than playing the victim card.  Learn from the differences, engage the other person to see if you can find common ground, ignore them, or just walk away for a while.  But please, for the sake of sanity and common dignity don’t play the victim card and deny someone else the right to their freedom of expression.

Technorati Tags: Games,Gaming Lifestyle,gaming sexism,Free Speech,blogging,Twitter,Belghast

Daybreak Games Restructuring

Unlike many on my Twitter feed, I am not surprised and far from upset at the announced personnel changes at the newly acquired and renamed Daybreak Games.  I’m not so heartless that I don’t feel for the people who went into work this morning employed and left work today without a job.  I wish them all the best and hope they find positions they excel in and love sooner rather than later.  I’ve been laid-off, I know how unexpected and scary it is.  I’ve been through a corporate acquisition where the new bosses seem to be blindly making decisions for no regard for people loved and cared about by many.

That being said, I think shaking things up over at the former SOE is a good thing and will result in positive changes for the community and the games.  New ideas and change needs to be blown through the catalog of titles over at Daybreak.  Some games need to go, others need resourced poured into them to make them more than the niche game they currently have become. 

There is no fathomable reason that truly solid games like Everquest and Everquest II did not succeed far more wildly than they did.  SOE failed, repeatedly and often, over the years to spend time, money, and resources on their continued development.  Bugs that have existed since launch should have been squashed by now.  A graphics update for a game that is over fifteen years old, and still supported with an active community, is unforgiveable. 

Instead, SOE felt free to spend time and resources flitting from game to game, developing half-finished crap and expecting gamers to be satisfied.  SOE repeatedly, under the leadership of Dave Georgeson and Linda Carlson (among others), said one thing publically and did the exact opposite later.  SOE and now Daybreak have too many games in their catalog, too few resources, and no true vision or commitment.

Look I like who Linda Carlson is on Twitter but she wasn’t the best Community Manager I’ve ever encountered.  At events, she was far more accessible to drinkers and those willing to buy a round in a bar.  I’m no teetotaler but I as a gamer shouldn’t have to buy the public CM of your gaming division a round to get a chance to speak with you.  And while that may not have been your experience, it was definitely the experience I walked away from SOELive with.  Dave Georgeson has devoted much of his career to the Everquest franchise but completely ignored long time Everquest fans and players who objected to the cartoon graphics of Everquest Next.   John Smedley is still at Daybreak but he too ignores Everquest players and concerns for the new “hotness” game in development.

We pay for two yearly All Access subscriptions to Daybreak which is a terrific value.  That being said, as Everquest II players we are tired of having long standing bugs not being squashed, outrageous prices for digital only expansions every year, cash shop changes that make no sense or contradict public statement made earlier, and those are just a few examples. 

I am hoping that Daybreak gets the financial house in order and speaks to players with a consistent and honest voice at events, on social media, in game, and on the forums. 

Technorati Tags: Daybreak,SOE,SOELive,gaming,Everquest,Everquest II,Linda Carlson,Dave Georgeson,John Sedley

ESO: Patch 1.6 First Impressions

Patch 1.6 just hit the PTS so I realize it isn’t ready for prime time, let alone release, but overall what were my first impressions?  Mixed at best, some things very well implemented and others not so much.

Provisioning Revamp

Provisioning Revamp VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

All of the sudden there are a plethora of food and beverages never before seen in Tamriel, Mint Chai or Banana Surprise anyone?  The food and drink system has completely been revamped and replaced with food and drinks you’d easily find in any first world country.  It makes zero sense and is completely lore and immersion breaking.  Food and drink is now faction specific but if released in it’s current state you will be selling a lot of provisioning items that are stored in inventory.

Justice System

Justice System VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Those barrels and baskets you’ve looted in every Elder Scrolls game for lock picks, food items, random gold?  They are all now considered theft.  Every items I moused over this morning was theft and this is a huge departure from other Elder Scrolls game. 

Certain NPCs and all guards now have a weird glow outlining them when moused over, presumably to be a visual clue for your current outlaw status.  I did witness one guard chasing and killing a wanted player.  Towns and cities will soon be littered with living NPC’s standing over their dead corpses if the PTS is any judge.  Obviously this is immersion breaking as well.

Also there was no introduction to the Justice System that I ran across this morning.

Collections

I am going to be upfront, I was the most excited about the Collections tab.  It would get the pets, treasure maps from Collector’s Edition, and trophies/trinkets out of my inventory.  So, I am incredibly sad to report that this isn’t true.

Collections VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Pets are out of my inventory true enough, but that is all.  Still there are all those treasure maps and the quest reward trinkets/trophies.  Your inventory woes have not been addressed, alleviated, or reduced.

Removing five pets from my inventory isn’t even a drop in the bucket compared to those treasure maps and trinkets hogging space.  I am incredibly disappointed with the collections implementation as it currently stands.

Appearance Armor

When this was mentioned in the live stream last week my heart sang with joy.  I’ve dreamed of appearance armor since beta.  Try as I might to equip armor in the appearance/costume slot this morning nothing worked.

So if it is only certain armor that gets to be slotted in the appearance slot then how am I getting to play my way?  What if I really like a robe that is low level but some developer never flagged it as being appearance appropriate?  Having an appearance/costume slot that is limiting is pointless and frustrating.

Mounts

Mounts are now shared across the account with stats being shared among mounts.  Yes, I’m cheap and only have the one mount but now it doesn’t matter since stats are shared.  You can still buy the other mounts at a stable but the cheapest mount I saw was 42k but I also didn’t check every stable this morning. 

In no way am I disappointed in mounts or the implementation.

Overall

First impression of the patch was a very mixed bag for me.  Hopefully, there will be improvements based on feedback.  The PTS went live yesterday and I know it is early in the testing but some of these things (TREASURE MAPS & TRINKETS) should have been thought of and implemented by developers since they have been a sore point for almost a year now.  Appearance armor needs work and by god, whatever development team though lore breaking provisioning was a grand idea needs to be replaced!

Technorati Tags: ESO,Elder Scrolls,Elder Scrolls Online,Patch 1.6,PTS,lore,provisioning,appearance armor,mounts,Justice system

XboxOne: Assassin’s Creed Unity Dead Kings

Disappointment is an understatement to put it mildly.  The only DLC to be released for this installment in the AC series and it is buggy.  It is inconceivable that after the fiasco that was the release of AC Unity, Ubisoft failed to go over the code for the DLC with a fine tooth comb multiple times.

I finished the main game early this morning and was looking forward to completing the DLC today.  Then I ran into not one, but two game breaking bugs.  Luckily I found a work around for the first game breaking bug.  The second game breaking bug is just so damn frustrating that I’m not interested in trying to work around the bug. 

Allegedly, there is yet another patch in development for Unity.  No details on what the patch will contain or when it will be released.  As usual, Ubisoft is dead silent on the bugs in Dead Kings and their social media feed is focused on multiplayer for Unity AC Rogue on last gen consoles.

I might, time and life permitting, go back and finish Dead Kings but it isn’t very likely.  I have lost faith with Ubisoft, it’s ability to find and correct bugs, upfront and honest communication with customers, and their willingness, or rather lack thereof, to adapt and change based on consumer feedback.

Technorati Tags: AC Unity,Ubisoft,Dead Kings,AC Rogue

Xbox: Assassin’s Creed Unity

Veteran’s Day saw the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity here in the States.  The long awaited next-gen and PC game installment in the franchise.  Does the game fall down or does it hit the ball out of the park?

Honest answer?  Neither unfortunately.  It does some things extraordinarily well and then it turns around and fails just as spectacularly at others.   FYI, we play on the XboxOne.

Let’s get the abysmal failures out of the way first. 

1. Frame Rate: the game can flat out freeze for seconds at a time or it can quickly become slide show theatre for a few seconds.  These don’t last very long or occur very frequently but the fact they occur at all is a problem.
2. Sound Cuts Out: this is annoying beyond words.  Walking along and boom Paris goes silent, or mid sentence all sound cuts off.  Again happens for seconds and then everything returns to normal but once again, not something that should occur period.
3. Story:  Massive, unforgivable story holes that if you’ve never played the franchise before would leave you confused and unclear what Arno was doing or why.  Also, since when did the Brotherhood Oath change?  There are just massive issues with the way the Brotherhood was written.  And since when did an Assassin become so well known that he is casually greeted walking down the street by strangers, commoners and noble alike?  The Templar vs. Assassin tension is flat out missing.
4. External Integration: AC Initiates is a complete mess as of this writing.  It fails to show whole games not being played and has lost levels compared to when AC IV was the new game.  AC Initiates also does not have new content ready to go for Unity despite the game being released which is just poor implementation.  Uplay is spotty in it’s connectivity and usefulness.  It too is missing games previously played.  The Companion App is wonderful, that is if it hasn’t lost your Nomad Brotherhood entirely.  The App works perfectly for me and is useless for hubby because his Nomads have proven their French heritage and gone on strike.
5. Micro Transactions: Really?  Just Really?  Pay to Win transactions for a game that doesn’t have true multiplayer and would be even worse if true multiplayer existed.
6. Co-Op: Failure to include split screen co-op or co-op similar to Diablo III is unforgivable.
7. Rebecca and Shawn:  They’ve been there for every game since AC II and now they are suddenly missing?  No seriously, where are they and why are these strange people talking to me about Abstergo?  Am I an Assassin or am I just some tourist in an amusement park ride?

Here are the things that AC Unity has gotten incredibly right.

1. Story: There is a story once again, almost worthy of the glorious story telling of the three AC II installments.  Yes, there are glaring holes and gaps in the story but by god there is a story.  I can run around Paris and meet people and help them out once again.  I helped Mme. Tussaud yesterday.  I actually like Arno, compared to my disdain for Edward Kenway. 
2. Companion App: Kudos to Ubisoft for offering the companion app on more than just a couple of devices and kudos for the app itself.  The rendering of Paris and real time updates are incredible.  The ability to read the database outside of the game at my leisure is something I truly appreciate.
3. Paris: The city is huge.  There are less viewpoints in this game but you can see much, much further on each and every viewpoint.  The streets are crowded, the crowds react to you and the environment, and the tension between the factions is evident.
4. Co-Op: It isn’t reliant on you having a friends list populated by friends also playing the game.  It utilizes the matchmaking system to let solo’rs play the co-op missions.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I undoubtedly will at some point.
5. Paris Throughout History: Helix rifts are a new type of game play that allow the player brief glimpses of alternate history of Paris throughout the ages.  Some of these are stunningly gorgeous.
6. No SAILING: no seriously, no sailing is a huge thing for me.  AC IV was unplayable for me because of all the damn sailing required.  AC Rogue might have a great story but it has sailing, so if we get it I’ll watch the story unfold as hubby plays.
7. Micro Transactions:  Kudos for Ubisoft for recognizing that fools and their money are soon parted.  We won’t be buying any of the micro transaction currency but hey if Ubisoft can make money from stupid people, go for it.

For me, the game is completely enjoyable.  I loose track of time.  None of the failures of the game have detracted from my enjoyment.  Sound and frame rate issues are hiccups but haven’t caused me to cuss or hurl my controller in frustration.

Overall, Ubisoft did well but not amazing.  They need to hire more QA staff and not release games until they are ready rather than sticking to the “every fall” time table.  Unity and the external companions could have benefitted greatly from another quarter or two of polishing.  Instead, Ubisoft rushed the game to market and risked customer goodwill.  They’ve earned some of my trust back with the story once again being present.  They need to vastly improve their customer communication about fixes and problems.  They are all over Twitter when it suits them but when there are problems they fall silent.  Silence in today’s market place will kill a game far quicker than bugs.

Technorati Tags: Ubisoft,Assassin's Creed,Assassin's Creed: Unity,Assassin's Creed: Rogue,Co-Op,Xbox,Xbox One,Companion App,AC Initiates

Shift in Gaming focus

Last week I canceled the last monthly revolving subscriptions we had to MMOs.  It wasn’t because of expenses but rather out of a complete lack of desire to log in and deal with the MMO environment.  Tired of developers that flat out lie, constant skill resets, communities of various games, and the endless grind for faction or gear.  I would rather curl up on the sofa, turn on the console and play a single player game or co-op game with hubby. 

MMOs are a great value for the money you spend compared with a dinner and movie once a month but given all the other choices of entertainment, MMOs aren’t cutting it anymore.  I’m tired of paying money for content that I have no interest in (i.e.. “end game” raids) and then losing access to that content once I’ve canceled my subscription (i.e.. Lord of the Rings Online).  Give me a single player game where the content I purchase is available to me whenever the mood strikes me to log on and play.

I’ve been burned out before but this time just feels different.  Usually news from Blizzcon interests me or sucks me back in, but this year I could care less: zero interest, haven’t read a single blog or tweet about Blizzcon.  Finding out who the Prophet was in Elder Scrolls Online so early in the story killed it for me, why bother to log-in the remainder of the story was just killed for me.  Everquest 2, and SOE games in general, are routinely killed by the stupidity of their marketing and accounting departments.  Their pricing structures and lack of appreciation of their customers, oh hell their failure to recognize that their pricing is completely out of whack with their competition, is just aggravating and infuriating.

I won’t claim we will never again sub to a MMO but honestly, much like my warden above I believe we are riding into the dawn toward console (XboxOne) and single player PC games.  I’ll still share impressions from games but they won’t be MMOs.  Up first on the console are Halo: Master Chief Collection, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, and then finally DragonAge: Inquisition.  It is truly an excellent week plus of game anticipation.

If you follow on Twitter I will probably be much more active on my other account @stitchersflock or on @Path, send me a DM if you want to add me on Path.  Have fun gaming!

Technorati Tags: MMO,gaming,Lord of the Rings Online,BlizzCon,Sony Online Enterrtainment,Everquest 2,Elder Scrolls Online,video games,XboxOne,Halo,Halo Master Chief Collection,Assassin's Creed,Assassin's Creed: Unity,DragonAge Inquistion

Disincentives to Play is Piss Poor Game Design

We all know I’ve had an ongoing love-hate relationship with The Secret World over the years.  The lifetime subscriptions we purchased prior to launch means I can pop in and out as the mood strikes me. 

Well, it’s Halloween and the mood struck.  TSW should be a game which does Halloween with gusto and welcomes and HOOKS new players this time of year.

Instead, it has piss poor design flaws that mean Halloween quests cannot be completed by new or low level characters.

A quest particular up my alley and it is marked devastating, meaning I have no chance to complete it.  I love old time radio programs, grew up listening to them, and still do today.  I was looking forward to the quest chain involve old time radio programs.  But because I’m a casual player, I have zero chance of completing it.

Apparently Funcom likes missing out on cash expenditures from casual players.  I would be much more likely to stop in more frequently (and SPEND real life dollars on fluff) if the game was friendlier to casual players on holiday events.  I in NO SENSE want the quests to be dumbed down or made less difficult.

I want Funcom to pull their heads out of their corporate asses and realize that casual players are much more likely to spend money when they stop in and play as their free time allows.

Technorati Tags: Funcom,The Secret World,TSW,MMO,holiday events

Abuse of the Gamergate Hashtag

https://twitter.com/femfreq/status/522204937178976257

This is utter and complete nonsense by a media whoring individual determined to keep the spotlight on herself rather than the issues.  Utah is a right to carry state and demanding that state officials break the law for her to give a "talk" at Utah State University is hypocrisy personified.

To carry a concealed firearm in any state in the Union requires a background check by state and federal governmental bodies.  Not any crazy can legally carry a concealed weapon.

Look it is horrible that some nut job or nut jobs called in threats against Ms. Sarkeeshian.  If she didn't feel her personal protection or the security measures taken by Utah State and local authorities were sufficient then cancelling her speech was her only choice.  However, that doesn't give her the right to act indigent and angry that state law was enforced.

If the threats made were real, and I admit I have my doubts, then any violence would most likely have been perpetrated by individuals that did not have a concealed weapon permit.  The leaked details of the threat clearly indicate no intent to use a concealed weapon to carry out the threat.

It is much more likely that the "threats" were made by some lunatic fringe supporter of Ms. Sarkeeshian to keep her name in the spotlight and thus "relevant" in gaming.  She by no means speaks for the whole gaming community or for women in the gaming community.  She is one voice among a chorus but the difference is her voice is the loudest and most strident.

https://twitter.com/femfreq/status/522218360763731968

This tweet is just utter crap and nonsense.  I haven't been a vocal supporter of #Gamergate and honestly I believe that gamers should realize that all journalism, not just gaming journalism, is corrupt and opinionated.  Supporters of #Gamergate are the furthest thing from supporters of violence against women.  They are striving to improve the journalism ethics from gaming journalists, companies, and bloggers.  They are not trying to perpetuate an atmosphere of harassment, hate, or fear for any gamer.

For any of you confused about Ms. Sarkeeshian she does not represent all women in gaming by any stretch of the imagination.  She in no respect speaks for me or my views in gaming.  Her continued use of the Gamergate hashtag is to keep herself relevant and in the public eye.  She wants to diminished and tarnish the supporters of #Gamergate so that her voice, and those of her cronies, are the only voices heard, reported, and published by mainstream media.  She is nothing more than a bully in feminist clothing, the flip side of the coin of the misogynist bully who fears women in video games.  Expose her for the bully and media spotlight junkie she is.

Elder Scrolls Online: Enjoying Life Immensely

We stopped playing Elder Scrolls Online within a month of launch, mostly because the little things were so highly irritating they were driving both of us bonkers.  We resubbed two weeks ago and while Hubby hasn’t had much time to play, I’ve been enjoying the game once again.  I’m fully immersed in the word, loving every quest and off the beaten path I find. 

As reported by Tamriel Foundry this week from the guild summit meeting with Zenimax, there are upcoming quality of life improvements coming to the game.  A collection system for maps, pets, and trophies immediately springs to mind.  I have so much inventory space that will be freed up with this implementation.  There are also changes coming to crafting which will result in non-faction specific foods and fewer ingredients.

Admittedly, there was no discussion of housing coming and I’m still waiting (impatiently admittedly) for an announcement about housing.  I’m pleased with the state of the game.  The world is full, community is friendly, and there is no pressure to rush to the end game.

I’ve gotten three characters, one per faction, to approximately the same level where they can move on to the next zone.  I am undecided about which character to concentrate on moving forward, so undoubtedly I will continue with my normal play style and play what character and faction I want on any given day.  I’ve taken the pressure off myself with my RP blog and now all my characters are free to write glimpses of their lives.

I am having fun, and after all isn’t that why we play video games in the first place?

Technorati Tags: Elder Scrolls Online,ESO,The Elder Scrolls Online. TESO,Zenimx,Tamriel Foundry,Exploring Nirn,MMO,video games

Gaming & the Decisions We Make

So, darling hubby has had this theory for years that gaming turns us all into virtual mass murderers on a horrific scale.  We log into the game of our choice and set about questing, battling, destroying the enemy and/or the other side.  And what do we have to show for it at the end of the day?

Now, this isn’t going to turn into some anti-gaming, politically correct piece, or a rant against the current state of games we all play.  Rather, it is more about the decisions we make as parents and families when we aren’t gaming. Do we offset the hours spent slaughtering the enemy in pursuit of videogame justice with acts of kindness and beauty in the real world?

It is easy to lose yourself in the world created by video games, there is always something just over the next rise that needs to be done just before logging off.  I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to regulating game time sometimes.  However, I’ve decided to take a moment or two each day from here on out to make the world around me a more positive and beautiful place. 

Will one gamer doing a a positive, personal thing for those around her change the world?  Nope, it won’t change the world at large but it will change my immediate world which is enough.  If every gamer stopped and took a couple of moments out of the day to improve their immediate world, imagine how much positive change would be wrought in the world at large.

Positive changes don’t have to be large, showy acts.  Make dinner or do the dishes, pick the kids up from school, pick up flowers for someone you love, or stop in the elderly neighbor down the street and see what you can do to make their life more enjoyable.

So, what am I going to do to make my immediate world better?  Well, I’m starting with returning to my first and second, albeit frustrating, loves writing and stitching.   I’ve stopped writing every day and that needs to change.  It seems trivial and small but I’m a better person to live with when I write daily.  Stitching is also integral to the health and happiness of our home.  Stitching forces me to relax no matter how stressed life around me might be and keeps my fingers limber preventing the possible onset of arthritis.

So, small steps but they will make a difference in my immediate world.  Does it make me any less of a mass murderer in video games?  Not in the slightest, but it will offset the pile of digital bodies I leave in my wake.

Technorati Tags: Games,Gaming,Gaming Lifestyle

ArcheAge: Our Impressions

Server queue at 4AM on a Sunday morning, and that’s after already being in the queue for over ten minutes.  Look I understand the positives and negatives of launching with too many or too few servers.  However, the amount of hype ArcheAge has received in the west for the last two years should have been an indication that servers needed to be able to hold more characters at a time or megaserver technology.  Now, all that happens is potential paying customers are waiting and this is after the reported horrendous wait times during headstart last weekend.

Our impressions overall were no favorable.  I first rolled on archer and it was flat, stilted, and uninspired.  No, seriously holding down the auto-attack key while your one skill refreshes is NOT good game play for a first impression.  Hubby rolled an occultist and his gameplay was better.  I gave the game another shot by rolling first a sorcerer and than a vitalist, both were better than the archer.  But that being said, I could care less about any of the three characters I tried. 

Yup, I stand out as unique among all these characters don’t I?  When every character looks the same in the beginning, why even bother picking a starting skill set?  A magic user should be distinguishable from a melee character, etc.  Instead it was mini-skirts, bouncing boobies, and covered up males in a pond (literally) of sameness.  Look I have nothing against boobs but really if you give me the opportunity to make a character that has wrinkles and is aged, then dammit give me the opportunity to not have unrealistic bouncy, round anime boobs!

The UI is a mess.  The mini-map takes up far too much of the screen which can’t be resized or removed and the chat window is filled with gold spam with no obvious method to ignore or report.   The options menu is non-intuitive and a mess.  Good luck finding the info you want, like screenshots or hiding the UI (I found them by trial and error).

Then there are the creepy quest cut-scenes, similar to  Guild Wars 2, only there is no sound and yet sometimes the lips of the NPC move.  Truly it’s just creepy and unnecessary.  Made me despise the game more rather than caring or feeling immersed in the world.

The only bright spot was character customization, it is fairly extensive.  However, it isn’t unique looking but rather looks like your typical Korean MMO.  Same faces, choices, and hairstyles appear to have been lifted directly from Guild Wars 2.

Overall, nothing about the game impressed either of us.  It certainly isn’t free-to-play friendly.  It isn’t unique.  It isn’t cutting edge.  Sure I probably could have played longer and maybe found something I could tolerate but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered to continue to play a character I didn’t like.

Technorati Tags: ArceAge,Trion Worlds,F2P. Free to Play,MMO,Guild Wars 2

“Gamer Gate” & Why I Could Care Less

For the last month of so, social gaming media has been in a self-induced uproar over “Gamer Gate”.  Both sides of the issue have their view points and opinions, and neither side has a chance of convincing the other that their side is correct. 

Synopsis of the issue, as I understand it, is that it was revealed that a woman indie game developer was sleeping with a reviewer of her game.  Suddenly gamers are in an uproar over gaming journalism ethics (or lack thereof) and it becomes blown completely out of proportion.  Sexism, sloppy ethics, paid reviews, favorites, elitism, misogyny, hard core, casual, ad nauseam are all words and phrases bandied about by both sides of the “debate”.

Look, it’s pretty simple gaming journalism is as corrupt and biased as non-gaming journalism.  Developers buy favorable reviews, games that step out of the box get little to no coverage, the face of gaming is changing, and much more are all easy to understand truths about gaming.  Here’s an even easier truth, the best way to change gaming and the gaming community is to vote with your wallet.

Don’t like the manner in which women are portrayed?  Don’t buy the product, no matter how much social pressure is applied.  Don’t approve of how a gaming site conducts itself? Stop visiting the site and its sponsors.  Learn to ignore people in games, don’t be afraid to talk because of who you are.  Your voice and opinion matter just as much as the rude, screaming, foul mouthed child on the other end.

I could care less about Gamer Gate.  I am smart enough to support games, sites, and sponsors that fit who I am as a gamer.  Question is, is the rest of the community smart enough to do more than just make a splash on social media?

Technorati Tags: gaming,Gamer Gate,journalism,ethics

Xbox: Upcoming Indie Games

 

The Fall/Winter gaming season is chock full of games on the XboxOne from AA publishers, also coming to PS4 consoles.  Games like Shadows of Mordor, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Halo: The Master Chief Collection (XboxOne only), Assassin’s Creed: Unity & Rogue, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will all be released between now and the end of the year. 

However, the indie developers (other than Project Spark) get little to no love from either gaming “journalists” or console manufacturers prior to the release of the game.  Well, so far the tripe AAA titles have all been lackluster or vastly disappointing, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition being an exception.

There are three games very high on my radar from independent developers that look interesting and worth the investment. 

Lords of the Fallen by Ci Games as gotten the most coverage from gaming press and websites and releases on 28 October 2014.  The game looks to have a decent story and challenging gameplay without the penalties found in Darksouls. 

Crimes and Punishment: This is Sherlock Holmes from Frogwares releases this month on the One, PC, and the 4.  I admit it, I’m always interested in game play of this type since I’m an avid reader of mysteries.  The game play looks immersive and interesting.  I will post our review after we’ve had a chance to play and experience Holmes and Watson on the One.

Styx: Master of Shadows from Cyanide Studios releases in October for PC and next-gen consoles as a digital releases.  Game play looks interesting and much truer to the origins of the Assassin’s Creed franchise than the last several releases from Ubisoft.  Besides who can resist playing as a Goblin?

What I find fascinating, is that all three indie game developers are located overseas (Poland, Lithuania, and France to be precise).  So, is the future of good, unique gaming coming from Europe while North American developers languish and turn out tried and true games that no longer push the envelope?

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World of Warcraft: New Character Models

I admit it, I resubbed for a month of WOW, but I haven’t purchased the expansion.  I will wait until the “boys club” put it on fire sale after release before picking it up.  There are simply too many good XboxOne releases this fall and Alter of Malice also releases in November.

I went onto the PTR to look at new character models.  Keep in mind, almost all of my characters are Alliance and all are female.  I must admit they are all awful.  No strike that, they are ugly as a drunken hookup with serious morning after regret.

Pippa, one of the two characters I always come back to play.  Admittedly in the “real” picture her face is a little angular but she has a smile and she looks like a woman.  In the “new” picture, which Blizzard considers true to the previous face, she looks hung-over, flat nosed, and miserable.

Gone is the sweet faced Gnome warrior of the “real” photo and in her place is the overly bug eyed, heavily made-up Gnome with a sour face in the “new” photo.  Seriously, those eyes swallow her face completely.

Gone is my feminine Paladin and in her place, is a dopey looking face playing dress-up in Paladin clothing.  Worse part is the “new” picture gives no evidence of the ungodly, never-ending eyebrow wiggle that now accompanies female human faces.  She looks like she got caught playing dress-up in her mother’s closet!

Sure the “real” one has angular face issues and poor lighting but that “new” face is just dopey looking!  Same eyebrow waggling issue and she looks like she’s fifteen and incapable of controlling the fire and curses that fly from her fingertips.

Same issues, this face is at least a little better but she still looks like she’s sucking a sour lemon or two.

Overall, the new facial models on the Alliance side are downright bad.  Updating character models was a risky move and I give them credit for that, but it is like they failed to even look at the older models when doing so.  It will be a game breaking change for a lot of people I’m sure.

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