Mystic Worlds

Runes of Magic - Upcoming Content & Summer Expansion

Massively has returned from GDC09 with lots of fun and interesting news about the future of Runes of Magic.  Don’t go deleting that account or re-rolling a new main based just yet.  I know some of you are unhappy about the release patch class changes.  I was going to finish my main then select something else but now I’ll wait a bit longer.  I'm going to hold out for details about the new races and classes before selecting an alt.

Some of the upcoming changes are polish as expected like additional audio - ambient noises, NPC dialog and mob combat effects.  They’re also working on visual enchantments – underwater effects, adding celestial bodies, etc.  Of course, more things to tempt you in the item shop like new mounts, mounts that support multiple players and new pets. 

Then there’s the free stuff that’s extremely exciting like two new races, two new classes, the ability to raise and train pets that you can sell to other players, underwater combat, completion of guild castle sieges, just to name a few.  Whew, this all sounds like a lot of fun.  The only thing missing from the list is a review of the crafting system, which I find too much grind for the value, and worth of the items.  I hope that they will get this tweaked in the near future.  Oh and a bit more documentation on the features wouldn’t be amiss either.

Yeppers – good things are coming so hang in there.  *smile*

Persisting High Level BETA Characters

What obligation do developers owe to players when they allow BETA characters to persistent through to release, have no levels caps restrictions and RMT upgrades may have taken place?  I have been thinking about that question a lot this past weekend.

Bundled into the Runes of Magic official release content was a whirlwind of class changes. A more detailed look at the impact to my own class, Battle Monk, is coming later in the week.  The Battle Monk class has a petition going to help save the class.  As it currently stands, this class is now pointless for group play.  Being pointless in a group is not that upsetting to me.  I’d already planned on healing end game since the other option, tanking, isn’t my thing. 

However, I can also feel the changes while solo questing too.  I’m going to use one of the free respec runes sent to all characters, once I decide on a new spec.  My previous behavior of spending talent points on buffs, heals and passives will have to change if I want my old DPS back.  The partial healing spec that was more off-healer than main but still do-able, is now doo-doo.  I’m going to have to make some tough choices that can't be overcome with gear stats alone.  I'm going to have to change my Talent Point allocations.

EVE Online: Fat Man PVP Setup

Reading the BattleClinic and EVE Online forums I found common themes in the suggestions for equipping the Tristan for PVP.  The updated version of EVEMon let me open a suggested fitting and listed the skills I needed to configure a Tristan in that manner. I added those to the list of skills I keep in the EVE Online Notepad, which helps me keep things organized.  I added a few of the core skills I wanted to have regardless of equipping the Tristan and used the Skill Queue to get my training underway.

I’ve never fitted a ship explicitly for PVP before so comments and suggestions are welcomed.  Specifically, I have questions about the two items with red comments. If there are more cost effective options, I’d appreciate knowing them since it goes without saying that I’m going to lose ships. 

Before even engaging in any actual Faction Warfare combat the first thing that comes to mind is that the is an "all expenses on you" trip.  You have to have ships, ship components, ammunition and insurance, all of which cost ISK.  The 10 million ISK in training not included, a single decently fitted Tristan is going to run around 300K + insurance per ship.  You have to be engaged in income generating activities in addition to PVP, to foot that sort of bill in an on-going capacity.

Runes of Magic: Monthly F2P Allowance

Free-2-Play (F2P) isn’t free, if you’re spending a lot of money in the game’s item shop.  Just because you don't have objections about engaging in RMT, it doesn't mean you should do it with wreckless abandon.  Even when I have the diamonds available for a purchase, I translate the cost into dollars and ask myself, "Is this particular item worth that cost to ME?"  How important is it to the way I'm approaching the game?  Based on the answer I buy it or not.

Clearly, I’m not playing Runes of Magic because it’s free.  I’m playing because it’s fun and it’s fantasy.  It’s my alternative to having become worn out in World of Warcraft, unhappy leveling in EverQuest II, bored by the early questing in Lord of the Rings Online and disgruntled in Warhammer Online.  Finding out Runes of Magic (ROM) fit my gaming tastes was a surprise.  The fact that it’s free is a boon.  Regardless, I know that the game isn't made and maintained for free so I have no qualms about spending money in ROM’s Item Shop.

Runes of Magic: Mystery Revealed – TP & XP Charms

See editorial note at end of article

One of the more unique aspects of Runes of Magic is the dual class system. Dual class specs have only been supported in three MMORPGs I’ve played – Asheron’s Call 2, Guild Wars and Runes of Magic.  I find the opportunity this system offers for customizing your character to suit your play style a huge advantage.

Like other games, class abilities can be tuned by investing Talent Points in the skills that are important for the way you play your class, and the role you prefer to play in groups.  The amount of Talent Points (TP) received is finite so you must spend them wisely.  ROM's twist to employing dual classes is that you must level each of the classes separately – they don’t share XP or TP.  In an earlier post, I described how I keep both of my classes nearly equal in level without having to quest on them separately.

Gamers' Fiction Podcast Episode 4

Another episode of Gamers' Fiction Podcast is in the proverbial can.  A new section called, Fiction Sightings has been added to highlight other game related fiction on the Internet.

EVE Online: Education is Expensive. Even in a Virtual World

I’ve started working on my plan to join EVE Online Faction Warfare (FW) as my return to space adventure.  FW was supposed to lower the bar for getting players engaged in PVP.  I’m about to see how well it works.  My methodical mind won’t allow me to jump in headfirst.  No, I must have a plan and strategy.

The Plan

My plan is a three-pronged approach.  First, I need to plug up a few holes in my skill training.  I’ve had an account off and on for several years and am bumping up against having 4 million skill points.  Yet I’m still a neophyte in EVE.  When I re-subscribed a few months ago, just how many holes became evident from a couple of conversations and an in-game rendezvous with Letrange.  I’d been taking care of the obvious while also squeezing in production training.  I recently stopped that production training to focus on rounding out my combat skills.  Namely, I need certain skills to fit my PVP ship of choice, the Tristan.  This brings me to my second priority, equipping “The Fat Man” as best I can for FW PVP. 

MMO Fashion - I'm a chick. I love choices

It’s easy to tell I’m a chick in a game.  I’m all about the killing and leveling but fashion is equally important.  I might use something with less than optimal stats if I look really good wearing it!  In World of Warcraft you didn’t have to worry about that very much.  From day one you looked good.  At the higher levels you looked awesome – sparkling, shining, larger than life and ready to kick some ass in a serious way.  In Age of Conan you looked drab and that’s fine for the setting.  However, you also looked exactly the same.  I was in the same gear model for 30-freakin-levels.  In EverQuest II you looked rather dull and hack for many levels.  In Lord of the Rings you looked like a buffoon.  Both of these games eventually released appearance tabs that let you wear one set of items for the stats while displaying a different item.

Runes of Magic (ROM) is more like GuildWars where everyone looks good out of the gate.  What I really like about ROM was my character wearing a long dress.  It fit the theme and mood of the newbie area I was in at the time.  Plus there’s something comical to me about kicking ass in a long flowing dress.  With that in mind I was enviously staring at a guild-mate.  I’ve been wearing the short sex-kitten outfit as gear for several levels and miss having something more medieval themed.  Unfortunately the stats on my gear set are too good to break up on a whim and survive while soloing.

MMO Progression: Vertical Climb Conditioning

I approach things systematically.  Doesn’t really matter what it is, that’s just me.  Analytical thinker, habitual like a cat, planner, loner like a wolf - I tend to go my own way and welcome others to do the same.  When it comes to playing MMOs I have my character goals that I pursue.  I want to hit max level at my own pace.  I want to make stuff (craft).  I want to feel like my character is an active part of that world (quest and see things).  And like every responsible citizen, I want to feel a productive member of that society.  I’ll join a guild and find my place in the economic circle.  This is what I do in every game and I find it entertaining.

With the exception of EVE Online, every MMO I’ve played has character level as a primary form of advancement, and I’m cool with that.  EVE has skills which dictate what ships you can fly and how well you can equip them but in my mind, it’s all the same thing.  I don’t approach EVE any differently than the other games I’ve played.

EVE Online - Why Casual is Difficult when not Consistent

Responding to a post on Ardwulf's Lair about EVE, my comment brought up another topic that I feel is interesting to discuss some more - expanding EVE's passive game via out-of game-web client tools.  You'll see my comment did tie into the original posting and his thoughts of going jumping back into EVE Online.  I didn't derail his post.  *Smile*  I'd like to continue the conversation about what I think will add RTS-like options to EVE Online.

my comment there...

I didn't quite buy Karen's impressions that the antics they pulled in EQ1 were in any way near the possibilities and consequences of what takes place in EVE Online on a daily basis.  Espionage or not, the most you could do was cause guild drama and interrupt encounters.  Pfft.  Every game has guild drama of epic proportions.  That’s old news now and NOTHING – no sort of guild drama in another game can equal the impact of a huge corporation being broken in EVE, unless it leaks into real life and people end up on Cops.  In my mind, the two cannot be compared.