Mystic Worlds

Rift, SWTOR & Crafting in Real Life

I'm stil taking things rather slow.  I knew the holiday season would be very difficult with my mother having passed so recently.  We did what we could for the little ones in our immediate family to enjoy themselves.

Duoing Rift with a Buddy

I've been back in Rift for a few weeks leveling the content with a gaming friend who hadn't played before.  Kudos to Trion and how well the content stands up for the 4th time around.  I'd leveled several characters up to Perspice and it's almost as much fun now as the first jaunt.  There were still so many quests I'd not done before.  With the options of questing, doing rifts, PVP, instances and grinding, I tended to out level zones without doing many of the quests which is a good thing!  It really makes replayability rather stellar.  We're a stone's throw from level 50 and I never felt like OMG, I've done all this before. SWTOR needs to take a queue from that and make it possible for players to mix up how they level without missing "required" quest chains.  More on that in a minute.

The only thing missing from Rifts are the big crowds.  That intense level of heightened excitment is missing from the zones unless there's a zone wide event.  I wish my friend had been there to see the meyhem and madness of the earlier days.  He really enjoys rift chasing and doing the events. Regardless, we've had fun and are looking forward to doing the new level 50 content that I haven't seen yet myself.

Dabbling in SWTOR

Star Wars isn't a favorite IP of mine.  I've seen all the movies but I don't own a single one.  I wasn't excited about the game.  My only intent was to check it out and play for the first free month.  So far it's okay.  The settings aren't my thing being a die hard fantasy fan.  The questing is rather meh for me since I don't really care about the story and I'm not a huge questing fan.  I tend to mix it up with grinding mobs which isn't grinding to me.

What I do enjoy are the class quest lines, group quests and instance content (Flash Points).  For me, that's where the game really shines.  The story in those feel more compelling.  It's like playing out a part in a movie - it's fun!  My class is also diverse and interesting to play.  I've chosen Inquisitor > Sorcerer for ranged DPS, utility and healing.  She feels pretty bad ass in a group.  I've only clocked a few hours. It's something I log into as a late night diversion.

My Son Digs SWTOR

After watching me play for a bit my son decided to get a copy too.  He's also more of a fantasy person but is rather bored with Rfit.  After a few days, he came to the same conclusion - love the class quests, PVP and instances, wishes he could skip the rest.  Unfortunately, you can't.  There are necessary quest chains for picking your advanced class and getting the ship you'll need to access the higher level Flash Points.  Moreover, there's nothing that overtly leads you to these NPCs to get the quest chains.  You run across them if you're doing all the quests.  Both of us initially missed the quest to choose the advanced class.

I had to search on the web to figure out why I was level 12 but couldn't purchase the level 10 spells I could clearly see on the Class Trainer.  We weren't alone.  I found many threads and links where people were asking the same question.  My son ended up having to back track through content to get his ship for the very same reason.  I think that needs some tweaking.  Other than that, he's really enjoying it now that he's 20-something.  For me, it's still just something to do if I'm in the mood.  My money is waiting on GW2.

Still Crafting in Real Life

I'm still crafting in real life.  In fact, I had a nice little jump in activity the couple of weeks before Christmas.  It tickles me when people purchase or "favorite" the two rings inspired by my love of fantasy.  The ring called Rose of New Eden, inspired by EVE Online has done well.  The Inara Serra III ring has sold nicely when seen in person - flea market and jewelry showings.

I recently revamped my Nomadic Eclectic website to be more of a showcase.  With Etsy picking up steam for me, I couldn't see implementing the disabled ecommerce features that were part of that original theme. I moved to something designed to just give people a taste of what I'm doing before hushering them over to my Esty Shop.

That's all I've been up to the past couple of months.  Hanging in there as best I can.  I have my good days and my bad days over my mother's passing.  I've found making jewelry to be much more relaxing than sewing so I've sidelined that for the most part.  I lost the tip of a finger, sewed through another one and was accumulating more cuts and gashes that necessary.  My mind wanders a bit too much at the moment for the intense concentration needed to sew safely.  Plus I feel more creative freedom and contentment making jewelry so am sticking with it.

The Rose of New Eden

I have good days and bad days since my mother's unexpected passing.  The "immediate must do activity" is over and it's back to picking up your life.  I try not to think too far ahead.  Like to the other dreadful things to follow, like dealing with her house and personal possessions.

I haven't been motivated to play anything since re-subscribing to EQ2.  I think about playing and am excited about building my Wizards' Sactum.   At the end of the day when it comes down to it, I'm just too drained.  It would take me longer to log in and get started than my current attention span.  I've also slacked off lots on sewing for the same reason.  Well that and the fact of using a sewing machine with your mind wondering leads to lots of nasty little injuries like the couple I'm sporting now.

What has wrangled more of my attention recently is creating wire wrapped rings.  I'd already experimented with button rings as part of crafting in real life.  Expanding into wire wrapped has revealed even more avenues of creativity.  The real boon is that a ring can be started and completed in an hour or less, which is about all the enthusiasm I can muster some evenings.  In a small burst of crafting expression I created two rings based on sci-fi fictional settings - one MMO and one television series.

Rose of New Eden
Rose of New Eden is based on EVE Online and the characteristics that draw me back to that game in cycles.  I miss the striking contracts of its stark beauty, darkness, serenity and lurking danger.  EVE is as simple as or as complex as, its beholder.  Finishing this ring reminded me of the serial fiction I'd started here, "Shadows of New Eden".  More than adding to the storyline, I've become intrigued by the idea of creating a ring named, Red Alice.

 

Inara Serra III, Firefly Inspired
I worship Firefly and Serenity.  This is an upgrade to an earlier ring I created.  This version uses a Swarovski pearl and includes an insert band for more impact.  I could totally see this as her wedding ring.

 

 

 

Am I crazy to be fashioning rings after sci-fi settings and/or characters?  I certainly could be insane. But it was fun and in the end, I have two real-life items to appreciate.

Incoming shameless plug… You can purchase your own copy from my Etsy Shop.  *smile*

Rifting the End Game. WTF Happened in New Eden?

Not Gaming Over Health Reasons

I haven’t blogged in a while because I haven’t been gaming.  Over the past several weeks I’ve had health concerns that were leaning toward a very scary place – again. Thankfully, after weeks of tests it doesn’t appear to be cancer.  An outpatient biopsy this Friday will hopefully confirm that it’s just an unusually large hemangioma on my liver.  They’re not a health risk and normally go undetected.  Mine just happened to form in a spot and develop to a size where I was experiencing pain, discomfort and a persistent state of nausea - not fun.

I'm still dealing with the symptoms but the overwhelming panic and depression over it are gone.  I feel much more in the “clear”.  Even knowing it will have to be treated, it’s several orders of magnitude away from liver cancer. For people who spoke to me here and there, in game or email, sorry.  It was just easier to say I was busy with work and stuff than explain when there was still so much uncertainty. Crossing my fingers for the biopsy results.  The doctors feel confident so I do too! 

Update 7/1: Biospy went fine.  Had a decent 4th. Have consult for results on Friday 8th.

 Update 7/8: BENIGN!!!!!!  Dodged a bullet.

Hit Level 50 in Rift

I returned to actively playing Rift again last weekend.  In two days I hit level 50 – FINALLY!  I’m such a scrub.  Most of the Casualties of War guild members have multiple 50s at this point.  They’re such a great bunch.  The night I hit level 50, they organized back-to-back Tier 1 dungeon runs to help me upgrade my gear.  My accessories, staff and shoulders were all replaced.  I cringe at using LFG tool to do some runs but I might have to in order to catch up.  My one good experience was quickly followed by a bad one.
 

Not Abandoning EVE

I need my wider blog layout for a few upcoming posts so it's back to the original Mystic Worlds format until my next installment of EVE adventures.

Spreadsheets and Stars

Many Hats in New Eden

I’ve played EVE Online off and on over the past four years and in all that time I’ve never needed to dig out the ole spreadsheet until now.  The first time I played the game I attempted mining as a career and wanted to gouge my eyes out after just a couple of weeks.  It was a long time before I tried the game after that experience.

The next time I poked my head back in I decided to stick with running missions and salvaging.  That was probably my longest stint in the game.  It’s casual, quiet and back then, prices were such that I earned a very decent living between the two. Still corp-less however, the game gets a bit too quiet after a while and I returned to whatever fantasy MMO I was playing at the time.

My next trip into EVE was by leaps and bounds the most exciting.  I was invited into a newbie corporation where the conversation and cooperative industry activities were fun.  I did my own thing most days – missions and salvage.  When I was on during mining operation events, I flew among the escort squad guarding the miners.  There was lots of entertaining banter, killing rats and more salvaging opportunities.  The excitement came a few weeks in when we were wardec’d.  And if the rapid unraveling of the corporation hadn’t been happened so quickly, it might have been funny in retrospect.  Unfortunately, the way things played out it just made me decide to remain solo and that’s the way I’ve played ever since.

Shadows of New Eden: Fallen – Part 3 of 3

“Nice,” was all Silas said after giving the interior of my frigate the once-over.   We both knew that nice meant, “What a shithole you got here.”  He didn’t waste time after that.  “I want to see Reya.”

“Sure.  She’s in a passenger pod just forward on the main deck.”  I pointed in the general direction on the ceiling.

“After you,” he said, waving me forward.  “You have the advantage here.  Your ship.  Places to hide weapons and spring an attack.  You’ll have to forgive me not wanting to be jumped from behind.”

I made like it didn’t matter to me who went first and headed toward the stairs.  I kept my eyes on him, looking down as I climbed upward.  I walked the short distance in the narrow passageway, slightly turned in his direction the whole time.  When we entered the chamber with Reya, I moved to stand against the far wall.

I watched as he meticulously checked her vitals.  I started forward when he adjusted two of the settings.  He held his hand up for me to be silent or stay where I was, I didn’t know which.  I wasn’t ready to attack and there was no sane reason for him to risk his safety coming on board, if all he wanted was to hurt her.  He could have done from the safety of his ship.

Shadows of New Eden: Fallen – Part 2 of 3

The green LED of my communication module flashed.  I flipped the switch to accept the incoming message.  Silas’ face appeared.  He was seated in the co-pilot’s chair.  I could tell by the surrounding instruments that he was in one of the interceptors.

“This is very unfortunate business, Gilles.”  His tone was calm and unhurried.  “I was expecting – hoping for better from you.”

Stay cool I told myself.  Stall for time to think.  “Sorry to disappoint - nothing personal.”

“Stealing from me is personal,” he retorted.

“Freeing” I said emphasizing the word, “isn’t the same as stealing.”

Silas smiled.  “I’m willing to concede that is perhaps what you believed, however misinformed.”  He paused and leaned forward into the console, his face filling the screen on my end.  “If you return her to me right now we can end this without violence.”  He leaned back and crossed his legs.  “The scanner identified an active passenger pod.  Spit her out.  We’ll scoop her up and be on our way.”

I had to laugh, I wasn’t that stupid.   “Just like that?” I asked.

“There is the small price of being banned from Prime and regions under my control or jurisdiction.  You should probably avoid Jita too.  I have friends there.  But yes, that’s it.” He became speculative.  “I had plans for someone with your background. You could have been a valuable asset.”

“My loss I’m sure.”  I surreptitiously checked my gauges.  The ship was still snared .  The capacitor was holding at fifteen percent.  I sounded calm but my mind was running all the angles, looking for an escape.

Sticky:  Regularly scheduled programming has been temporarily interrupted to bring you, Shadows of New Eden, serialized fan fiction inspired by the subtle beauty, vastness and infinite possibilities of EVE Online, where I’m currently flying as Alysianah Noire. 

Shadows of New Eden: Fallen – Part 1 of 3

Essence Region – Peccanouette
Aeschee System
Near Aeschee IV – Moon 4

12-03 YC 112 | 20:30

 

“Gilles,” I chided myself, “what the hell were you thinking?”

It was suicidal, attempting to smuggle someone out of Serpentis Prime.   I wasn’t prepared for space combat.  I activated the microwarp drive a millisecond too late.  Now we were being scrambled like eggs in a skillet.  There was no way in hell we were warping away from this situation.  The damage control unit was engaged but not for long.  They were slowly draining my ship’s capacitor.  In a little while we’d be sheep for slaughter.  We were alone in this fight; the drones I’d deployed when the ships first appeared had long since been destroyed.

Adrenaline surged through me.  My nervous system tingled, groping for the cauterized metallic capsuleer comm-ring embedded at the base of my skull.  Dead - no live signals there.  Yet like an amputee, my body kept searching for the cybernetic connection to the ship it had previously known.  The base of my skull burned.  A blinding pain, like white lightening ricocheted through my cerebral cortex – phantom synapses firing.  I swallowed down bile.

All three targets were locked and my hand hovered over the controls to start firing at one.  I pulled my hand back.  Could I clear a path? I thought better of it.  My Imicus couldn't blast through or evade two Ares-class interceptors and an Eris-class destroyer.   Good news was that they weren’t firing – not yet anyway.  It was probably better if I didn’t ignite a shootout I wouldn’t win.  If they blew the ship to bits and her pod, she could still escape if she had a clone in a system not under Silas’ control.  For me, it would be permanent lights out. 

Mommy, what's a rig?

I’ve played EVE Online off and on for about 4 years.  In terms of skill points, I’m still a noob.  I have however, had my share of adventures where war decs, the bane of new corporations, provided most of the excitement.  Since then I’ve come and gone solo which is fine.  I like company in game well enough but EVE is definitely a game that caters to my frequent need for quiet isolation. I’ve found the PVE encounters diverse enough that when combined with salvaging and making money for bigger ships and better equipment, I’m entertained while I’m subscribed.

I often use BattleClinic as a source for finding good ship configurations, commonly referred to as loadouts. To date my focus had been on PVE frigate and destroyer configurations.  Given these are ships for newer players I’d never seen any with items in the rig slots.  I recall wondering what they were but since they were always empty I never dug any further – until now.

Fitting a Noctis

The first loadout I saw with items fitted into the rig slots was returned in my search on the Noctis, a ship recently introduced specifically for salvaging.  Like many players, I’d been doing salvage in a destroyer class ship.  In my case that was a Catalyst.  Even though I’m not planning to do as much PVE and hence less salvaging this time around, the range bonuses on the Noctis were good enough that it was worth buying since I could easily afford to have one.  

There are some obvious fitting choices for a Noctis and I had a good idea of what I wanted/needed to do in the other slots but I like to validate my ideas some because I’m still very new in the scope of things, playing EVE.  When the highest rated loadout showed rig fittings, it became time for me to figure out their purpose.