Elder Scrolls Online: Lore Tidbits for New Players

The fearsome creature above is a mudcrab and in previous games they were deadly.  No seriously, first thing you’d do in Oblivion after escaping the prison and sewers was go beat up on mudcrabs.  They were more than capable of killing you as you leveled up hand-to-hand combat or if you were running around without clothes.

Elder Scrolls Online has removed the mudcrab threat from Nirn, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that mudcrabs haven’t yet become the dangerous and fearsome creatures of games set later in the timeline.  Mudcrabs are now non-hostile, peaceful creatures and a companion pet for those that purchase the Imperial Edition.

The Slaughter Fish or the Chihuahuas of the water, swim to deep or too far and you will be fighting slaughter fish.  Buried treasure at the bottom of the lake or river, safe bet it will be guarded by slaughter fish.  Not really paying attention and swimming, be prepared to be slaughtered by the slaughter fish.  They exist in fresh and salt water bodies and usually your first indication that they are there is the bright red bloom of blood as they take a chunk of your flesh as payment.

 

Don’t be surprised if you come across a player in ESO that stares down at formations like this and looks baffled.  In previous games, this formation would net you loot that sold for a decent amount of gold when you first escape the prison.  Many a time I would be low on cash in Oblivion and I would never fail to stop of loot the seashells.  Now, they are very fond memories of the hundreds of hours I’ve spent in Elder Scrolls games.

Books are scattered about Tamriel all over, in dungeons, in bookcases, on top of barrels, etc.  Don’t blindly pass them by for you never know what book might contain a skill up or amazing and consistent lore throughout all the games.  Reading in Elder Scrolls games is important, only a fool passes up the chance to pick up a book and read.

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Elder Scrolls Online: PvP & the Rest

PVP

I haven’t had the opportunity to participate in PvP the last couple of betas, however I can honestly say it is incredibly enjoyable.  I don’t have any PvP screenshots to share either but the battle are huge and intense. There are quests to do in Cyrodiil in addition to battling the other factions. 

PvP is a viable alternative to leveling via questing but that is something I will skip.  You can enter PvP at level 10 and begin your quest to become Emperor.

The Rest

The game isn’t perfect, but then again it is still in beta and I expect to discover and report bugs.  I have stumbled across and reported more than a couple and I’m fine with that.  Unlike the so-called “professional” reviewers who gave every impression that the game was all but unplayable.  That being said I have not run across any bug that was game breaking or that has caused me to rethink the purchase of collector editions.

I have a wish list, like most players, but nothing on my wish list is so earth shatteringly important to me that it will prevent me from playing and loving the game.  Sure, I’m love a cosmetic armor slot and armor dyes but I won’t find my game diminished if they aren’t included.

I don’t have problems with the combat either.  I don’t get all of the complaints that the combat is “floaty” or fails to connect to the enemy.  I’ve experienced none of that.  If I push a button, the game always responded in a timely manner as expected. I love being a Dragon Knight wielding a restoration staff while effortlessly killing enemies or my heavy plate wearing, damage over time Nightblade battle mage with duel daggers of doom. 

Classes are more of a starting point then anything else.  Oh the complaints and moans from alleged healers that tried to heal standing back and standing still.  Let’s be clear, that healing style doesn’t work in this game and hallelujah for that.  Healing is mostly area of effect based and in melee ranged.  It is a blast to play to be honest.  Mages are incredibly powerful and again a blast to play.  Bow skills are fun and overpowered.  Healing on my Nightblade is fun  and a breeze.  To be honest, healing isn’t complicated or magicka intensive if you think and understand that standing back and healing is the path to failure.

The game is so immersive and challenging that it has brought out my inner role player that I didn’t know existed.  No I won’t be roleplaying in game, but I will definitely be chronicling my characters adventures and exploits.  I’ve got the blog space reserved already (just not set-up yet) and now I just need the ability to reserve character names to get started.  It’s a journey I can’t wait to begin! 

So, ignore the negative reviewers who don’t know what they are talking about.  Journey to Nirn and discover what Molag Bal has planned and experience Elder Scrolls Online for yourself and decide.

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Elder Scrolls Online: Crafting & Economy

Economy

Let’s be clear, stuff isn’t inexpensive and frankly it shouldn’t be.  Armor, weapons, and potions can be purchased from NPC vendors but you will pay the price for having access to NPC produced goods.  Prices aren’t unreasonable but they aren’t meaningless either. 

So you didn’t purchase the Imperial Edition and you want to buy a horse?  Then be prepared to save all your gold because the most basic mount will run you 17,500 gold.  That price does not include the price to feed your one active mount once a day either. 

There has been a lot of complaints about the economy in beta and honestly I think it is all bunk.  In single player Elder Scrolls games, having a horse was a luxury and a rarity.  That same behavior should carry over to the MMO game, failure to do so diminishes the franchise as a whole.  Horses are actually more of an impediment to immersion then they are a necessity in ESO in my experience.  You are MUCH more like to miss lore books, hidden quests, etc. when on horseback then if you are out and about wandering the countryside on foot.

There has also been a lot of talk about the lack of an auction house/broker system.  I have no problem with this being “missing” from the game.  A character can join up to five guild (this does NOT include guilds like Fighter’s or Mage’s) and guilds can establish guild stores.  Guild stores allow you to purchase things from other guild members who may be willing to sell you stuff at prices lower than NPCs. 

Crafting

Crafting is not the over-simplified creation of meaningless goods that exist in other games.  Crafting has six choices: Alchemy, Enchanting, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, Woodworking, and Provisioning. 

So far in beta weekends, you can have every crafting profession.  However, crafting is resource intensive for all skills expect Provisioning.  It is much easier to acquire goods to craft food and beverages because these items are easily located in the crates and barrels all Elder Scrolls players know to scavenge whenever they can.

Nodes do not magically glow out in the wild, until you place a skill point in the profession to make a node glow.  If you fail to pay attention to your surroundings you will miss that maple log or jute plant you could have harvested.  And just because you harvested the raw materials doesn’t mean you can open the crafting menu out in the middle of nowhere and make yourself an upgrade.  No, you need the appropriate crafting station to even open the crafting menu in the first place.  Once again, planning ahead and thinking are required.

Crafting is very fulfilling.  It is complex without being overly so.  It pulls goods from your shared bank storage to craft which is extremely nice.  There is also the chance to fail when crafting an improved item.  That’s right, there is no guarantee that when you go to improve an item it will be successful unless you put enough of the raw component to improve the item into the recipe.  That chance of failure makes the successes all the more sweet.

Crafting will keep you in weapons and armor appropriate for your level that will allow you to succeed, even with the common white level weapon or armor that isn’t improved.  Ignore crafting at your own peril my friends.

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Elder Scrolls Online: Questing

And thus begins your questing experience in Elder Scrolls Online.  Simple, clean and minimal to begin with and yet perfect for the setting of the first quest of the game. 

The prison setting is being called trite and over used by critics but the setting fits with the Daedra at the heart of the main story line.  If Molag Bal were the villain and the story began anywhere else, it would just instantly not make the game an Elder Scrolls game.  So, yeah the game begins in a prison environment but get over it, that’s where it should start.

A common complaint among gamers is that quests boil down to nothing more than, as my husband likes to phrase it, do my laundry bitch quests.  I have yet to run into a single quest that had me go kill ten of this or fetch ten of that.  Quests are far more involved than fetching and retrieving.  I’ve saved a village from a father determined to protect and feed his vampire son.  I’ve acquired tomes of arcane knowledge to help free a mage.  I commune with spirits and defied the express wishes of the undead. 

Quests are varied and unique and make the world and environment come to life.  Do you stop and aid the merchant along the road?  The environment is filled with quests that will never be discovered by standing in town waiting for the quest givers to come to you.

There is no central quest hub crowded with players trying to grab quests and run.  Sure places like the Fighter’s and Mage’s Guilds can be crowded at times with players but stop and think about it.  If your home was under attack from the god or gods that were regularly worshipped and were known to take personal interest in the lives of the world’s inhabitants wouldn’t you be rushing to the nearest organization you thought could help to protect the one’s you love?  So, yeah congested quest givers isn’t a problem for me on those rare occasions it does occur.

The quest dialogue is fully voice acted and isn’t overly long but isn’t too short.  The quests don’t hold your hand and led you from point A to point B.  Players have to think, listen, and figure things out on their own.  There is a directional pointer on the HUD to aid the player, identical to Skyrim in fact, but that is the only “help” in questing that exists in the game.

Immersion in the game is complete and total because of the quests.  They suck you in, they make you care about not only your character but the NPC characters.  The quests are by far the best I’ve experienced in any MMO to date and questing is my thing, it is something that makes or breaks a game for me.  I cannot stress how well done the quests are or how well they’ve managed to completely immerse me in the content.

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Elder Scrolls Online: User Interface, Graphics, & the User Experience

The User Interface

There is the User Interface while fighting.  Minimal, non-intrusive, non-immersive breaking, and clean.  There is a complete absence of clutter on the screen, which is how the single player Elder Scrolls games play and look.

No mini-map, no numbers flying by, just simple and clean interface.  The beauty behind this clutter free UI?  Players are more involved in what is going on than they are concerned with the amount of damage or a mini-map which points out every little detail for them.  To be honest, more than once I’ve forgotten to hide my UI when taking a screenshot and it hasn’t diminished the beauty of that screenshot.  That says A LOT about the quality and functionality of the UI.

Just like the single player games, ESO rewards the player for exploration.  Chests tucked away in far off little corners of the world, Skyshards in unexpected locales, or on object or NPC that leads to some amazing quest chain you wouldn’t have discovered just standing around in town.

This is the UI when you have your inventory open (yes, I’m riding my Imperial Edition horse.)  This interface too is simple to understand and uncluttered.  I cannot begin to tell you how much the clean and simple UI has grown on me, every other game’s interface is now cumbersome and tedious.

Graphics

The game is stunningly beautiful.  More times than I can count I stopped just to take a screenshot, just because it was so pretty.  The environments are amazing, details like snakes slithering through grass or frogs and toads frolicking in the water or swamp.  The world is a living and breathing place and your character feels like an integral part of that world.

The User Experience

The user experience is fantastic if you understand that this isn’t your typical MMO.  If you play ESO and expect everything to be face-roll easy with everything handed to you then you will be extremely displeased and disappointed.  ESO expects their player base to think and be willing to explore and figure things out.  Do not expect to play ESO and be able to spam a dungeon finder queue to level your character, and may Zenimax Online never make the mistake of placing a dungeon finder system in the game.

Questing is awesome but more on that in an upcoming post.  The overall user experience is superb.  NPCs are humorous or having their own petty squabbles that do not involve the player at all.  There has been a consistent concern that given the MMO aspect of the game, how is it possible that your character can rise to be the hero?  To be honest, my experience has been that I forgot that the other player characters are doing things similar to my character. 

There are fights that are vastly more difficult than others, and the assumption that you should be able to kill a quest level boss because you are of equal level is an invalid assumption.  Fights can be quite challenging and I love it.  I love that if I’m lazy or careless my character will die.  I love that failure to think strategically or tactically results in a far more difficult fight than if I thought about it or paid attention to boss mechanics during a fight.  Any game that rewards the careful and intelligent player is doing it right.

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Elder Scrolls Online: Does it feel like an Elder Scrolls Game?

Simple answer is yes.  More detailed answer is that it has all of the components of an Elder Scrolls game that make Elder Scrolls games so immersive and compelling.  The  grandeur of Ayleid ruins is present, the lives of NPCs is present, the environments are lush and alive, the interesting little clues about the lives surrounding you that you know nothing about, and the presence and interference of the Aedra and Daedra in the lives of citizens of Nirn.

You just know that there is a story behind this items, left out in the wilderness by some unknown NPC on the starter island for the Aldmeri Dominion.  My characters who have gone through the starting area for the AD are intrigued and wanted to know more.  There are little touches like this all over the place, just like any single player Elder Scrolls game.

Humor is everywhere throughout the game.  More than once hubby and I would bust out laughing at something a NPC said.  The sarcastic, dry, humor is present all over the place, not just in quest dialogue.  I love the NPC in the first village in Morrowind named Fetches Glitter. 

Next up, the graphics, UI, and user experience. 

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Entitled Gamers: Stop the Insanity

Zenimax Online and The Elder Scrolls Online have gotten nothing but hate and flames for keeping their NDA for all but a select few in the media, not having an open beta, selling copies of the game, and going with a subscription model.  Well, those are just a small portion of the recent whines that have been flying around in the last week or so.  And then there is a praise Sony is getting for selling ALPHA access to Everquest Next: Landmark. 

Sony is basically selling ALPHA access and thereby getting free game designers to build their next game instead of hiring and paying talented game designers and artists a decent salary and benefits.  Sure, Sony improves the bottom line but in the process becomes a bad citizen, deprives the local economy of growth, nickels and dimes their “customers” to death and consistently produces crappy, bug filled games.  Everquest 2 still has bugs that were there upon release, Planetside 2 was almost unplayable upon release, and Sony just announced the closure of four games this year.  Why on earth would any reasonably intelligent gamer invest money in any product Sony tosses out there? 

Zenimax on the other hand, hasn’t sold beta access and has refused to release the NDA to the overwhelming majority of their beta testing community.  This isn’t hiding what may or may not be a crappy game, it is controlling the out of control entitlement of the gaming community that is notorious for vomiting hate for any game that doesn’t meet preconceived notions.  ZOS is in a no-win situation no matter what road they travel down.  The majority of released media reviews are less than favorable but a careful read of those opinion pieces makes it clear that the reviewer had their review written prior to ever playing the game.  If ZOS lifts the NDA for those who have been included in the beta but aren’t press, the positives reviews will undoubtedly increase but so will the incessant whining.  Keeping the NDA in place allows ZOS to build and create TESO and let the market decide upon release.

Now for the real problem, the gaming community is the problem.  The never ending demands for content and then the accompanying complaints when the content is buggy; the hardcore versus casual ceaseless debate; the end game is all the matters crowd; and the refusal to let game developers and publishers design, build, and test the game they spent all the time and money producing.  Gamers are responsible for being nickel and dimed to death by free-to-play games because they are too eager to buy their way through content rather than relax and play the game.  If you can’t afford the box fee and a monthly sub of a mere $15 dollars (which by the way hasn’t changed in over a decade) then you shouldn’t be gaming.

NDA’s exist for a reason and betas are not free previews to play until the game releases.  Betas exist to track down and quash bugs, problematic combat, typos, etc.  They are not there for gamers to play for free, trash, and then move on to the next beta to wash, rinse and repeat.  If you play a beta and are under NDA and aren’t enjoying yourself, then move and and go spend your time doing something you enjoy.  There are always plenty of beta testers who are willing to test, report, and live happily under the terms of the NDA.

Gamers are responsible for buggy games and rushed content releases because of their incessant drive to burn through content as quickly as possible and then demand yet more new content.  Gamers, not gaming companies, are responsible for the state of games today.  The sense of entitlement and personal hurt when the game isn’t exact what they envisioned it to be is an endless black pit cesspool of garbage.  Unless you are a game designer and work for a gaming company, no game will ever meet your expectations completely.  If you don’t like a game, then move on and play one that suits your play style.  There is no reason to demean those that enjoy something you don’t. 

Look, I strongly, no vehemently, oppose the selling of alpha or beta access by any company but if there are gamers that enjoy what they pay for great.  Just don’t expect sympathy from me when the game doesn’t meet your expectations.  I will support any game I play with my monthly subscription, when I stop enjoying it I will cease to pay for the game.  I will also support any gaming company that keeps their beta locked down and their testers under NDA.

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Xbox: Fable Anniversary, Hit or Miss?

Yesterday we picked up Fable Anniversary, is it worth the $40 bucks?  Well, that is a matter of opinion but overall no, skip it.  Sure the graphics have been immensely improved from the original game released ten years ago but otherwise, the game is better suited to a phone or tablet.

Picture on the left is from 2004 and the one on the right is from Fable Anniversary.  There is no denying that the game is beautiful.  However, improved graphics and lighting cannot save simplistic and linear game play that is heavy with load screens.  I’m only a couple of hours in and I’m bored.  Bored with endless needless clicking on loot cards, through dialogue statements, and quests that are poorly written.

Sure, the interface changes are nice and the smart glass integration is the best done in any game so far.  But UI changes and tablet integration aren’t enough to keep you from falling asleep while playing.  So, take that same $40 and go have a dinner out with the one you love.

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XBox: Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD

Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD is  port from the PS Vita to the Xbox 360 and PS3.  Earlier this week I tweeted that I was undecided with the game being somewhere between utter crap and almost decent.  Now that I’ve completed the game, has my opinion changed?

Actually it is still middle of the road on the fence opinion.  Gut reaction is that the game should have been released on the consoles as a full game and ported to the PS Vita.  There was more than a sufficient  potential story line for a full game but Ubisoft failed to take a risk and release a full Assassin’s Creed game with a female protagonist.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The ugly first, the graphics are muddy and are very obviously retextured from a much smaller screen.  This is particularly obvious with the sequence involving Connor from Assassin’s Creed III. The game undoubtedly looked much better on a handheld device than it does our large screen television.

Now for the bad and there is a lot of bad to report unfortunately.  The story is all over the place and often times makes no sense.  There is no backstory on how Aveline came to be an assassin and that isn’t remedied as the game progresses either.  Story threads are often poorly written and incomplete.  Don’t get me started on the weird, uncomfortable, and awkward relationship with her “business” partner.

Then there is the whole issue with her triple personas. It is an interesting game play idea and it could have worked but it doesn’t unfortunately.  It forces Aveline into one of three roles in pre-American Revolution New Orleans: Assassin, lady, or slave. 

Time for some brutal honesty, it is incredibly unlikely that given her parentage and complexion Aveline would have been accepted as a lady in New Orleans social circles.  It requires a LARGE suspension of reality to believe acceptance of Aveline as a lady.  Now for the slave persona, really Ubisoft?  Slaves running around New Orleans with weapons visible and not one guard gets suspicious and citizens act like it’s no big deal?  Again, requires a huge suspension of belief to play.

Aveline, our heroine, suffers from the same caped crusader problem that Connor suffers from in AC III.   Game play is often frustrating and often I wanted to throw my controller across the room.  Invisible walls, sticking to stuff for no good reason, jumping when you don’t intend to and incurring notoriety for it, and desynchronizing more often than I ever have an any previous installment in the franchise.  The Assassin persona is always restrained because she can never lose twenty-five percent of her notoriety.  The male characters do not suffer from this same handicap so why does the only female character Ubisoft created? 

Now for the good, Ubisoft gets a lot of credit from me for making a mass market game with a female lead.  Yes, it is a highly flawed game but it is one of the few games with a female lead.  I’m by no means a raging feminist but it is so damn nice to play a female lead on a character not created by me.  There is lot of potential in the Aveline story and I hope the Ubisoft doesn’t relegate her to the dustbin never to be heard from again. The good is mostly potential however.  I wish it were otherwise.

Overall, I give the game a two and a half stars.  It isn’t so horrible that it is a two star game and it is too much of a mess to warrant middle of the road status.

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Elder Scrolls Online: Oh the Angst & the Humor of Pre-Order Bonuses

 

Yesterday, The Elder Scrolls Online released the pre-order bonuses and the hate immediately began to flow.  People are outraged over complete nonsense and I am enjoying their tears immensely.  The majority of the tears go something like this: “OMG they destroyed faction pride!”  or my personal favorite, “It is a money grab by ZOS and it destroys the lore!”

First off let’s deal with the race issue.  Past Elder Scrolls games, you fire it up pick the race you want and you are on your adventures in Tamriel.  No restrictions, no artificial barriers.  ESO had artificial barriers in place, and still does for those that do not pre-order.  Those barriers restrict your race choice to one of three factions.  That severely limits role playing opportunities for those that want to actively role play in game.  You cannot, without pre-ordering, role play an Orc Sorcerer orphaned and raised by childless Khajits in Elsewhyr nor can you play an Altmer who disapproves of the blatantly racists and elitist attitudes of the Aldmeri Dominion and decides to go fight for the personal liberty ideals embodied by the Ebonheart Pact. 

The pre-order bonus allowing players to play any race in any alliance gives players more freedom, more creativity, and the personal choice that has always been present in Elder Scrolls games.  Racism has always been a part of Elder Scrolls games too.  The blatant racism of the Nords and High Elves in Skyrim for example.  I do not believe the pre-order bonus in any way fundamentally alters that racism of the game.  A Breton Dragonknight that sells his sword to the Aldmeri is going to be paid and utilized but not respected.  The Orc Nightblade that matures in Ebonheart territory will always know she is different that those around her.  The Argonian that choose to heal the valiant warriors of the Daggerfall Covenant will be accepted and thanked for her efforts.

Now for my second favorite complaint, the lore destroying money grab.  I think the lore can be easily handled by players.  Zenimax Online did nothing to destroy the lore yesterday.  I am at a loss to understand the concept of the pricing being a money grab.  The box price for the digital and hard copy is the industry standard of $60.  The fact that anyone was surprised by this is funny.  The digital collector’s edition is a mere $20 more and it includes the Imperial race, mudcrab pet, a HORSE, and Rings of Mara.  The physical edition of the Collector’s Edition is underpriced at $100.  No seriously, for that additional $20 bucks you get a statute, a map, and a lore book in addition to the items that come with the digital collector’s addition.

I think the money argument is based on consumers expecting far too many things for free this days.  There is a blatant attitude of entitlement that is rampant and out of control.  Truth be told, if the initial buy-in (which includes 30 days of free game play) and the monthly subscription is too much then perhaps playing a video games isn’t the wisest decision you could be making.  Everyone has different finances and priorities but the sense of entitlement is outrageous.  ZOS spent their investment money on the title, and are entitled to see a return on that investment.

I can’t wait for the game to be released.  I will utilized my Rings of Mara and enjoy my horse while my playing against the race-alliance barrier.

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Elder Scrolls Online: The Arrival

This morning the new cinematic trailer and pre-order bonuses were released for the Elder Scrolls Online.  Mudcrab pet and early access?  Here take our money, please take it already!  Ritual of Mara and the ability to play any race in any faction?  No seriously, excuse me while we place our orders.

The best part about an amazing cinematic, the female character saves the day.  I want her incredibly awesome whip spell!  Seriously, she kicks serious Molag Bal and daedric minion asses in the video. 

There is no doubt what I will be playing once ESO releases. 

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Weekend Activities: SWTOR and Xbox

SWTOR got a lot of play Thursday and Friday, easy stress escape and I got caught up in leveling my bounty hunter.  What is really irritating me is that since the last time I played the fine folks over a Bioware have for some unfathomable reason disabled the ability to take a screenshot during a dialogue scene with a NPC.  I’ve missed countless great shots of humorous lines or facial expressions as a result.  Hell, I’ve just missed great shots of my characters up close.

I have a plethora of screenshot for the wildlife or environment but not one of my character.  I am going to have to remedy that next time I log on.  I fell into the crafting trap this weekend, you know the one.  You spend more time logging in and out of various characters to craft items or send raw materials.  I wish they would release an app for one of the mobile platforms to let gamers do that stuff while away from their gaming rig.  I would definitely spend more free time in SWTOR or any game to be honest, that let me get some of the more mundane but vital activities, like crafting, accomplished while waiting at the doctor’s office or watching television.

I fired up the Xbox demo for Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD before I had my first cup of coffee on Saturday morning.  It left a bad taste in my mouth and I quickly moved on.  Hubby woke up and he tried it thankfully and I was instantly charmed.  So a couple of cups of coffee and a trial by hubby and AC: Liberation wound up on my game rotation for the week.  A full review when I am more than a couple of hours of game play in and more than one cup of coffee consumed.

Thanks to the fine folks at Gamefly I also played some Diablo III on Saturday.  I created a female barbarian and set off on my single adventures.  I got to New Tristam and learned that there was no way to link my battle.net account to my Xbox account and was instantly frustrated.  All those fine goodies from virtual Blizzcon tickets are going to go to waste because of my platform choice?  Seems like a oversight that should not have happened.  Diablo III never felt like a PC game to me and there is no way I’m paying PC prices for it when I can rent it or buy it from Gamefly.  The one thing I do really like about the port to the console is that cooperative game play isn’t fouled up by a split screen which drives us both bonkers.

Hubby fired up Mass Effect and started the ugliest character he has ever created on Insanity.  No seriously, the Shepard he created was so ugly I cringed every single time I looked up at the television and caught a glimpse of him.  He took pity on me and recreated Shepard as Sheldon Cooper and started over on Insanity.  All I have to saw is that Insanity is a difficulty setting I will never be attempting!

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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Plague breaks out on Alderaan

Rakghoul Plague has infested the peaceful planet of Alderaan and I’ve participated in the event for the first time when the event went live yesterday.  The last time the Rakghoul event was in game I was playing something else and didn’t participate.  However, I jumped in with both feet on two Republic characters yesterday.

My consular, Laughlynn, took the opportunity to further explore Alderaan and pick up some bonus series quests.  I particularly love the taxis on Alderaan that are non-mechanical.  There is just something so peaceful and majestic about taking a taxi on Alderaan.  I’m a little biased admittedly since Alderaan is my favorite planet to date.

First off, the Rakghoul tunnels on Alderaan are beautiful.  I spent a lot of time just enjoying the beauty of the environment yesterday while exterminating the affected victims.  There is a definite challenge to the event when you aren’t at maximum level and at the low end of the level range for the planet.  However, I love the challenge and had fun yesterday. 

Laughlynn did great even against the level 55 creatures when others were around.  They were hard to touch at level 39 but so long as she wasn’t fighting alone they were fun and a challenge.  Now those elite level 55 creatures and bosses were impossible to touch, every once in a while I’d manage to get a hit one of the but it was rare.  Still it was a blast!

Abi’gail had a much more difficult time at level 28.  The tunnels and the infected were definitely a challenge for Abi’gail.  More often than not her light sabers were nothing more than flashing purple sticks of ineptitude as they failed to land a hit.  Against the level 25 Rakghouls she was successful but those level 34 plus creatures were an exercise in misses.  But you know what?  I didn’t care, the tunnels were beautiful and I still managed to complete event quests and gain reputation while having fun.

This morning I logged on to my level 15 bounty hunter, Steph’ana, who has been stranded on the Imperial Fleet for a year now.  However, she is getting play time these days and she contracted the plague while on fleet.  Steph’ana is now on Balmorra and setting out on the great Hunt.  I got this great picture of the effects of the plague before she purchased a vaccine from the medical droid in Sobrick.

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Mobile Gaming: Rule the Kingdom

Rule the Kingdom from GameInsight is available for free on idevices, Android, Windows, and Facebook.  Knowing my love of the RPG genre and games focused on questing I downloaded it to my Windows 8 tablet as soon as it became available.

The game is charming but it suffers from what I consider a fatal flaw: over monetization.  It is possible to play the game and not spend a cent but to do so you would have to have the patience of a saint.  Seriously, should your character die you have to flee to the castle and wait on hour before your can resume playing or your need to spend real world money to continue playing.  While I don’t mind spending money on good games, I do mind when every possible action almost in a title is possible to complete with cash.

So, while charming it isn’t going to get a recommendation from me despite the wide number of platforms the game is available on.  I would much rather have a small purchase price associated with a mobile game than have every move in the game monetized.  If you have children, then this game is a definite pass.

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2014 Gaming

2013 and 2012 I was a MMO tourist.  I couldn’t find and settle down in any one game for any length of time.  Instead, I’d play game X for a couple of months while “cheating” on it by playing a couple of other games on the side.  2013 isn’t going to be touristy for me.  I know what games I want to play and what games just hold no interest for me any more.

WOW is off of my SSD and my subscription cancelled once again.  I’m not going to jinx myself and say I’m never going to play it again but that’s how I feel.  BlizzCon left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth and I honestly don’t want to continue to support Blizzard economically via gaming.  I prefer my WOW lore in book format where actual stories can be told and finished.  I loaded up on several WOW novels when they were last on sale as an Amazon Daily Deal.  Raiding isn’t enough to keep me continually paying a subscription, hell let’s be honest it is as boring and trite as running the same five-man instance repeatedly.  End game boredom is the reason I first “cheated” on WOW and nothing has changed since I started playing the game back in 2008.  I’m a woman over forty-five who doesn’t enjoy raiding, clearly WOW doesn’t care about what interests me and thus I’ll spending my gaming dollars elsewhere.

Games that I’m “Quitting”

Guild Wars 2, Rift, and SOE games are definitely no longer on my radar. 

GW2 was a huge disappointment for me and every time I pop back in and retry it my initial disappointment is reconfirmed.  There is no one playing the game and thus the whole “events” theory of gaming is utter crap. 

Rift is still enjoyable but I still can’t stand my questing being interrupted by rifts.  I do thoroughly enjoy Rift’s PVP but that isn’t enough to keep me interested in playing the game. 

SOE has its own particular set of issues.  I love Everquest 2 but I do not love the artificial blocks they have established to character progression.  Also I’m not going to spend money on SOE games when the benefits of subscribing are constantly in flux and are detrimental to the gamer but highly beneficial to SOE.

2014 Games

This year, the MMO’s I am going to playing Elder Scrolls Online, Lord of the Rings Online, The Secret World and Star Wars: The Old Republic.  The one thing these games all have in common?  Fantastic story telling and characters I am utterly invested in. 

TSW is a game I can play for small doses at a time but I love every moment of that play time.  TSW has expanded my reading base and thus my knowledge and I cannot fault any game that pushes me to become a better read individual.

LOTRO may not be a perfect game and it may not be hundred percent pure for the lore purists, but it is more than reasonably close for me.  The cosmetic system and the stunning screenshots I get are worth minor inconveniences like purchases not being account wide from the cash shop for almost every purchase.  I admit, I lose complete track of time while playing LOTRO and that alone is an endorsement for me.

Elder Scrolls Online releases on 4 April 2014 and I am eagerly looking forward to the official release.  I fell in love with Oblivion on the Xbox360 and have been a fan ever since.  Elder Scrolls games will always hold a special place in my heart, with the exception of Skyrim, and based on developer statements and interviews ESO will be a game that perfectly fits my play style.  I will also admit the Skywind mod for Morrowind has me intrigued.

SWTOR is going to be my guilty pleasure this year.  I have characters with unfinished stories and I will admit that bothers me immensely.  I may pop in and out of SWTOR this year as a break from high fantasy games like LOTRO and ESO and I’m ok with that.  I will complete story lines and enjoy myself immensely doing so.  I am a complete sucker for anything Star Wars, Yoda slippers & Jaina Solo shirt I’m looking at you, so it shouldn’t be a complete shocker that unfinished stories in a Star Wars game is driving me bonkers.

Console & Mobile Gaming

I will still be playing games on the 360 and the One this year.  Fable Anniversary releases next month and I’m looking forward to it.  I still have several games to finish on the One purchased on release day.  I like the titles just fine, I’ve just been in the reading mood and not the gaming mood the last month or so. 

Mobile gaming caught my attention in the last couple of weeks.  Games like Dungeon Hunter 4 and Royal Envoy 2 have me engaged and interested.  It is safe to say that mobile gaming reviews and impressions will be forthcoming this year. 

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