Hello from the void

I’ve been dabbling in MMOs again as time allows.  When last we chatted, I was playing Aion. I’m still subscribed but I haven’t played in a few weeks.  Strange thing about Aion is that I rarely have an urge to play but once I actually do log in and play, I always have a good time.  And while you can’t fly most places once you master gliding, which I did, it is the bomb!  Jumping off a cliff to get to another zone instead of running all the way around is a sweet deal.  Jumping off small hills, rock formations and alike is also very convenient for coasting down LONG stretches of road.  I swear I don’t know why I saw so many players walking while I was floating above their heads.  *shrug*

A couple of weeks ago I had an urge to revisit my multi-boxing experiment in World of Warcraft.  I re-subscribed just the trio I had been leveling.  Within a few days of casual play they reached level 51.  Just seven levels and they can cross the Dark Portal into Outlands.  I haven’t liked playing a Mage this time around anymore than I had before.  It’s obviously not my style and would be the reason why I’ve abandoned them in the past. 

On a dark and brooding day in November, I re-subscribed to EVE Online.  I played for all of three days before calling it quits – again.  I think I’d mentioned this before but now I know it for sure.  I enjoy EVE best when I’m stressed or depressed about work and need more alone time.  It’s during those periods that I find the darkness of the deep space comforting.  When I’m resolved once again to my life on the rock – under the rock, in between the rock, rock on my head,  rock in my face, rock shoved up my #1& or wherever it is they’re thrusting it that week,  I simply can’t resist sunshine and fantasy.

One weekend when my nephew was here visiting and looking for something to play, we downloaded the perpetual free trail for Warhammer Online.  Ah the glory days of Tier 1 & 2 are fondly remembered.  I was impressed by the streaming download but surprised by how dull the graphics looked after playing Aion.  T1 Public Quests and Scenarios are still fun.  Erratic mob-pathing and RVR lag remain.  I haven’t read anyone that complained about T4 saying it’s gotten any better so...  When my nephew went home, WAR was uninstalled.  I wish them well and hoped for so much more but it’s not to be.

Reading Keen’s posts on Allods has piqued my interest.  I’ve seen nice videos and the screenshots look good.  I sense a hint of Steampunk which is always desired.  I also read that there will be player manned vessels.  It’s going to be F2P which makes it a must try in my book.  Runes of Magic proved to me that a F2P MMO can be entertaining and polished.

Lastly, catching up on posts at Ardwulf’s Lair, who has apparently also sprung a podcast, I saw that Sony has activated former accounts for 23 days of free game time for EQ2.  Oh EQ2, the MMO I WISH I LOVED but didn’t.  So many of the things I wanted minus the boring combat zones, LOOOONG ASS QUEST CHAINS and stuttering lag that made me nauseous in the cities.  I’m not exaggerating either.  I had motion sickness as a child and the stuttering of the graphics in the cities literally make me feel sick.  Anywho – I wanted to give it a try but the godforsaken two-day download/patch of the EQ2 client made me turn away from the idea.

The next day something made me say, screw it, download the damn thing.  It’s two days out of 23 free ones.  Whoa – to my delight, I found that Sony implemented a streaming download.  I assume it’s based on what they developed for Free Realms.  Long download and patch?  Hell naw!  I was in game in 10 minutes!!!!  I changed zones three times to get to my little abode in Willow Wood and only experienced a few minutes of download/transition each time I zoned.  Color me impressed at the difference a year makes.  Something is different about the graphics too.  I had them on ultra high and while they still have the realistic style, they appear softened somehow.

In the writing arena I’m still battling it out with time, attention span and learning the craft.  As much as I wanted to take time off in November and complete my first draft as part of NaNoWriMo, there was too much going on at work.  Instead I baked in a couple of weeks right after the Christmas holiday where I WILL lock myself away and put this first draft to rest.

Comments

[Julie Whitefeather]

Could it be? Mystic worlds back up again? Welcome back! As for me I finally tired of Aion Online and unsubbed. I was having a good time in EQ2 until all those people I saw regularly left and I was alone most of the time. Ah the glory days of Warhammer Tier 1...I wish Tier 4 were more like Tier 1 - after the going through the 4th guild I said enough is enough. Fallen Earth still has my interests firmly in place, especially with all the new social updates.

So, how about being on the show again some time?

Julie Whitefeather

[Tipa]

Hi, Saylah :)

[Saylah]

*waves* Hi there! Your EVE blog posts make me so jealous Tipa. I thought about going back to W101 and move beyond Mooshu which really took the wind out of my sails. I found that zone uninspired for all the prettiness.

Sister Julie, I'd be honored. If we can do something while I'm on vacation, I'd be at your disposal except 12/28 to 12/31 when I have guests. But I'm off from this Friday until the New Year

[Sleepysam]

I am happy to see the return of this blog! A nice surprise.

[Tesh]

Ah, good to *see* you again, Saylah! Here's hoping you can find something fun in this train wreck of a genre again. ;)

I've been mucking around in the Allods Online closed betas, and I'm impressed. They might get money from me when they go live, and that's something most MMOs can't boast of. (Well, assuming they care to boast about what money I give them...)

I have the writing bug, too, after reading a few other folks promoting the NaNoWhatever. Making time is hard, though.

[Joshua Kriegshauser]

Thanks for the kind words about EQII's new streaming client. We did it for players like you. Welcome back! :)

[Saylah]

@Joshua - I wish it would become the standard. If EQ2 can be retrofitted to do a streaming download other games shouldn't have any excuse to work on it. The only thing faster to download is EVE Online. :-)

[Yarrnath]

Welcome back! I had just finally removed your blog from my list at the beginning of December and just now found out you had returned, so have now added it back. Yay!

[Saylah]

Thanks!