Waiting for Rift Solo Dungeons, Reckoning and Buttons

Gaming Drought

The evenings of sitting around watching each other play Fable 3, Red Dead Redemption and Halo have long since ended.  None of us play The Sims much anymore.  And although my son and I are still subscribed to Rift, we’re not actually playing.  I tell myself that I’m waiting for the next content update and Trion’s introduction of the first solo dungeon.  It’s not that I like Rift any less – not it at all.  I just have too many other irons in the fire.  

I have 30 minutes here-n-there to play something.  Unfortunately, that sort of short AND sporadic availability isn’t conducive to MMO end game – STILL!  That reality simply sucks because the whole MMO gaming experience up until end game IS VERY conducive to it.  I like Rift’s events but I’m not drawn overly much to the rewards and if you can’t accumulate enough tokens during the events scheduled and fixed duration, you’re ass out anyway.

A couple of weeks ago I pre-ordered the Xbox 360 version of Reckoning, the RPG from 38 Studios. Reckoning is the pre-cursor to their upcoming MMO code named, Copernicus.  This is the IP where famed Sci-fi author, R. A. Salvatore, is writing the lore.  It looks REALLY GOOD.  I’m excited about the RPG as an opportunity to play something again with my kids.  Well - they’re not really kids anymore; they’re in their low to mid 20s and gaming is the one common thread across their ages and genders. We are all gamers!  I include my two teenage nephews and pre-teen in that bunch.  I also baptized them into gaming, and drag them along for every excursion.

Making Stuff with Buttons

In the meantime, we have few interests that bring us all together. Even with just my daughters.  Our tastes in music, movies and hobbies are very different.  My youngest daughter has taken up sewing but her focus is the opposite spectrum of mine.  My oldest wants a sewing machine for Christmas to make home décor items, something neither of us currently sewing cares about.  *sigh*

Imagine my happy surprise when I stumbled across an activity recently that has gotten at least us females all huddled up in my living room together.  Of all of the things to do it, it’s button crafs!  I’d been looking into creative uses of buttons to adorn handbags and ran across ideas for button jewelry.  

Have Girls?  Give it a Whirl!

It's so easy to do that I'd invited my daughters along when I went to pick up some supplies.  No special equipment is required, it's inexpensive and a creative outlet for making jewelry or home decor items for yourself or as gifts.  Walking up and down the aisles of various craft stores it was like being in a candy shop.  

Buttons have come a long way baby - variety, colors, shapes and textures have been transformed. Getting started costs so little that both daugthers decided to pick up items and give it a whirl which resulted in a weekend long on-and-off group crafting sessions at my house.  I had a great time and wrote a two part tutorial for others who may be interested in giving it a try.

If you’re looking for a fun pastime the next time your favorite MMO is down or you don’t have enough time to play.  Or are searching for something quick and easy to do with girlfriends or daughters you should give button crafts a try.  It yields immediate results and you don’t have to be someone who is crafty in real life to produce attractive items.

Comments

[bhagpuss]

We went back to EQ2 from Rift a couple of weeks back intending just to take advantage of the double xp and double station cash. We spent the SC on the Destiny of Velious expansion, Mrs Bhagpuss started putting her houses up on the new rating system, then we got flying mounts, then she started making new houses...
and we don't seem to be playing Rift any more.

It was entirely unintended and I'm at least still popping in to do my dailies most days, but there does seem to be a bit of a lull over in Telon. I'm subbed for another 6 months and planning on going back as soon as the next big patch hits, but with the November expansion and GU for EQ2 looking so very exciting, and with Fallen Earth going F2P, Rift is going to have to fight for time in the schedule.

There's just SO much good stuff around in MMOs at the moment it's almost painful. And I fear it will only get harder to choose.

[Saylah]

I've intentionally not gone back to EQ2. I'd do just what your wife did. Put up my houses, re-open my store and it would be what I want to do whenever I have free time. And that's not a bad thing, except that I realized I emptied too much of my creative energy into MMO crafting when I'm still hoping to find an avenue into a creative profession as a second career.

I don't want to think about how well the crafting and housing system supports short and sporadic play schedules. Harvest in spurts, craft in spurts and customers buy whatever you happen to have available. I couldn't go back to doing custom house decorating. Don't tempt me. I must stay away a while longer. But I have thought about it quite often. :-)

Glad you two are still having fun.

[HTC In Pakistan]

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