Mystic Worlds

Vacationing in Wizard101

Hello Dragonspyre
A post by Ravious on Kill Ten Rats brought back fond memories of Wizard101.  It’s funny how things turn out.  I expected to dislike Marleybone because of its perpetual nighttime but it ended up being my favorite zone by a landslide.  I was sure I’d adore Mooshu because of is bright zones, flowered landscapes and oriental styling but it was the zone I detested.  It also was taking too long to complete and felt significantly more repetitive than the previous zones.  I eventually gave up and unsubscribed.  The bad press coming out about Dragonspyre, the next zone I'd hit, didn’t help.

With nothing else on my horizon and an urge to play something, I decided I’d rather give my money and micro-transaction purchases to KingsIsle than the Robber Barons of Allods.  After re-subscribing it only took two short playing sessions to finish off Mooshu and depart that zone forever.  What I liked about W101 still stands.  I can jump on and only do a couple of quests or take on some instanced bosses when I have more time.

Bosses everywhere
A lot of new content and features have been added since I last played.  For one, every fight in Dragonspyre is like a mini-boss encounter.  I was VERY surprised the first time I stepped off the side walk to pick a fight.  No matter, I’ve adjusted my short deck accordingly and I’ve yet to die or use paid Henchman.

Allods Cash Shop Prices Reduced

There's an announcement that Allods has reduced the cost of some Cash Shop items for NA version of the game.  Many of the prices players were outraged over have been reduced.  Check Keen’s assessment for more details.  I wasn't worried about the cost of end-game.  The group-only Astral combat meant that I'd probably bow-out at that point.  My concern was the cost of leveling - doing group PVE and casual PVP along the way to max level, without being overly hindered by mechanics forcing me to the cash shop.

I never got to try the respec potions in Closed BETA.  The items are meant to be purchased from the CS but supposedly drop in game.  However, that drop rate was so rare GMs handed them out toward the end of CB3 so players could at least give them a try.  I was too late.  By the time I realized what was going on, they supply was gone. 

Please, no more bears!

No matter what it's still a forest
I’m no overly sensitive animal rights activist but I’m really sick of killing animals in the woods.  For starters, I find killing non-aggro mobs very boring.  There’s no strategy involved.  I get to safely decide where I want to stand within the herd of them wandering aimlessly about, until I take my first shot.  Secondly, sending me off to kill animals almost always takes place in the same sort of location – THE WOODS!!!

I don’t care how pretty or scenic you make a woodland area, doing a dozen or so quests there is monotonous.  It’s lovely the first time I roam through it and do a couple of quests, but once you send me there on a Nesingwary slaughter crusade, I’m bored out of my mind.  A tree is a tree. Grass is grass.  Rocks are rocks.  Flowers are flowers.  And bears are f’n bears!  There’s nothing you can do to make killing animals in the woods feel inspired so give it up already.

Villages, towns, encampments are more engaging
I want to fight humanoids set in cities, towns and villages - whatever.  I want to engage in combat within an area that seems to have a purpose and therefore, my presence is to defend or conquer.  It can even be abandoned areas, where nefarious humanoids are up to no good.  As pretty as the League zone was in Allods, this whole sending me to kill shit in the woods is why I tired of it very quickly.  Luckily, in the case of Allods, I liked the Arisen as an alternative to playing an elf.  More importantly, their Empire zone used Steampunk combined with fantasy which was fantastic.  This is what I enjoy in MMOs – fantasy but given a twist, such as the Steampunk + urban settings found in Allods.