Mystic Worlds

EQ2 DIY Decorating - Simple Corner Bar

Every home that I’ve decorated or visited on behalf of potential customers contains a bar.  Is that a little odd since very few people I know in real life have bars in their homes?  I suppose that’s part of the fantasy coming out but I’ve never wanted one myself. I had a very simple bar in my original Halas starter home and the equivalent set I sold to players was extremely popular.

Before the holiday rush, I configured a new bar in the showroom. I used the same basic counter, one that the average player can afford to purchase.  The fancier ones made from Ironwood and above are extremely expensive since they require rare woods.  I find players more willing to pay that price for kitchen configurations more so than bars.  And because I was placing this bar alongside my lowest priced kitchen set, I wanted it in a similar price range.

Drat - Real Life Hits for 500K Damage

I've traveled 60% of the time since I started my new job.  I’m not complaining though because it’s all been enjoyable.  I’m working for someone I respect highly and am meeting lots of really nice people.  Besides which, I’m never alone when I’m gone because we’re performing group oriented activities, so the evenings are spent in pleasant conversation over a good meal.

However, the result is that I’m not gaming much at all and the game that has to take the biggest hit is the one that required the most attention, EQ2 Extended.  I can’t run a furniture shop if I’m not around to craft items, much less advertise the shop and take on orders for the custom décor items I enjoy building.  I will be downgrading my account to Silver come the New Year, but I’m not abandoning my home in Halas permanently. No sir, I still have big crafting plans.

I’ve decided to combine my love of building custom décor items with publishing the DIY articles and guides.  Instead of showcasing items I can make and sell, I’m going to showcase the items with instruction booklets so players can make these creations themselves.  I’ll replace my price books with links to DIY articles on here or the full blown magazine as appropriate.

EQ2 Extended: Feasting Tables

Lets Eat!
This is a time of year when many Americans begin planning three of the biggest food consumption holidays of the year.  I've personally been on Epicurious for the past two weeks preparing for Thanksgiving. And all too quickly, Christmas will be here, necessitating the preparation of another tasty family feast.

Feasts Feasting Tables
As I started redesigning my EQ2 Extended furniture showroom, I decided to create two "Feasting Tables". It's a timely inclusion for the season and satisifies a request I'd received a few weeks ago to provide an estimate for creating one.  At the time, I'd never considered it and had nothing to display for options. Worse, I had no idea what was possible from a crafting perspective.  

My search revealed that recipes for craftable food and tableware was very thin.  The vast majority of items in this category are provided as quest rewards and holiday events, which means I can't mass produce them to sell. Daunted but not defeated, I decided to press on using what I could make or creatively devise.

The Darker Side
Halloween decorating being the exception, I've avoided crafting the more sinister looking carpentry items.  I don't even make one for the bonus crafting XP since my levels come quickly just by producing customer orders.

I know sinister themed items appeal to a portion of the players, especially in a game with "evil" races living in sinister style zones but it doesn't appeal to me.  That being the case, I don't feel as though I possess any knack for styling those types of displays but decided to include a mild one for display.

EQ2 Decorating DIY Issue 3 - Building Aquariums

The November issue of EQ2 Decorating DIY is now available.  This month we explore how to put all those aquatic plushies to good use by building your own aquarium. Visit my companion blog to read all about it.

Couldn't Resist 2nd Breakfast

Hitting the Streets on my Main

I’m hitting the streets of Norrath on my main this weekend.  My level 59 Illusionist has been on the shelf for several weeks.  I’m actually ready to do some questing/leveling on her.  I will be accompanied by one of my readers who joined me on EQ2X and liked it enough to sub gold.  He’s been leveling like a demon to catch up to my main while I’ve been crafting like a fiend.  Now that we’re close enough in level to do some duo runs, we’re going to hit Sinking Sands.  First stop for me is to get a few of the aquatic plushies.  *Smile*

This weekend is also Moonlight Enchantments in EQ2/X.  I so have to participate this time.  It will be the first one I’ve been around for since I went crafting insane. Must have me some preeecious items for more – yeah, decorating. LOL I honestly can’t help myself!  

EQ2 Extended: You Can’t Have it Both Ways!

To many MMO players cash shops are an abomination.  They don’t want people to pay their way to the top of a game.  Although I’ve never understood why anyone cares how someone else got to the “top” of a game, unless it’s in an e-sport.  As long as it’s within the confines of the EULA, I honestly can’t give a damn about how someone else chooses to play a game.  I’m neutral on the topic.  

I’m completely supportive of people who choose not to play games with cash shops.  I also agree with players who don’t believe cash shops are the debbil.  Given the option, I'm more than likely to purchase items that make sense for my play style and value system.  In EQ2X, the first thing I did was cover up that horrid stat armor I was wearing with something that matched.  And even though I already had a mount previously purchased with in game currency, I bought a prettier one from the cash shop.  *Smile*

For the record, cash shops don’t ruin games.  Badly implemented ones do.  Wizard101 has had a cash shop and subscription options from day one.  They’ve managed to do this successfully without calling forth the four horsemen of the apocalypse to destroy life as we know it.  Cash shops aren’t a black-n-white issue.

Quick Update

I'm on the road

I started a new job last week which I'm very pleased about.  Now that I'm gone, it's probably okay to say that I had been working for Motorola Mobile Devices for the past 10 years.  I'm completely out of the telecommunications industry and very happy about it. I've joined my former Executive Director and two other members of our former team. The first day was pretty darn funny.  Same boss and core team mates altogether at different company, in different state but it immediately felt like home. Everyone I've met so far is very excited for us to be with them and I'm equally enthused about taking on new challenges and opportunities.

I will still be classified as a full-time telecommuter but I'll need to travel more than I've had to in recent years.  I'm fine with travel. I don't have any small children at home.  I also find hotels a nice opportunity to focus on personal projects without the fear of being interrupted or more aptly, being too easily distracted.  I want to use that time to get more engaged with writing fiction again.

New Customers and Friends

Add-ons Seriously Needed

I could really use some in-game tools or add-ons to help manage the furniture shop I’m running in EQ2 Extended.  An in-game calculator, notepad and permanent wallet history, ala EVE Online accessories would be very nice in deed.  I use the player made notebooks to keep track of inventory, customers and orders but it’s a hack attempt at best.  I was using a spreadsheet but I didn’t like alt-tabbing out of the game.  It breaks the RP feel of what I’m doing.  Not that I’m some big RP person but I like how connected this character feels to the world of Norrath – like she lives in that world.  As a result, I don't want the jarring exercise of popping in and out of game using programs.

Besides having something like the WOW add-on, Auctioneer for seeing the range of prices for an item, a permanent list of your sales crate information would be very useful.  Right now what we have is a scrolling log of past sales where things fall off the list as new items are sold.  The information provided such as the item sold, cost and purchaser is very valuable.  First off, it helps me to understand my optimal price points so I can adjust accordingly.  I rarely price items based on what everyone else is doing even though I often check our of curiosity.  I prefer go by the tier, whether or not there was a rare component and the uniqueness of the item.  If I went by what I see many others doing, I’d be selling for less than the fuel costs, which I simply do not understand.

EQ2X: Busy Bandit

It’s been extremely busy for me in game the past couple of weeks.  This is a good thing since I’m running a furniture shop in EQ2 Extended.  I’m still trying to strike the right balance between making and setting up new showroom displays when I learn more recipes, managing custom orders, executing house design projects, farming components and leveling my main.  *Whew*  At times it’s very daunting and I question my ability to sustain this endeavor.  I also have other projects mapped out that will require a significant amount of effort.

Everyone Needs Personal Space

One such project is my “House within a House” which is almost finished.  Here’s a sneak peak - an aerial view of the exterior. I will blog the whole crazy idea soon.  In a nutshell, because my Erollisi Manor is really a showroom for Alysiaa’s Friendly Furnishings, I didn’t feel like she had a home of her own.  I considered having an alt purchase one for her but she actually needs to be on the premises so much that it didn’t feel like a good solution. When the patios were added, I decided to build a small private residence behind the store for her instead. I’m extremely happy with the results.  It feels like "her", whereas the shop is decorated and styled for the masses. Once I finish landscaping the exterior, it will be job complete!

Talking EQ2 Extended with the Sisters on show #71

I've been so busy crafting I forgot to mention that I'll be doing several "after shows" with the Sisters from No Prisoners No Mercy podcast.  They've had one of my favorite game related podcasts for a long time now.  You should listen to the whole show because they're terrific!  If you just want to catch the EQ2X info, my segments will be at the end.  Enjoy!