Category: MMORPG

Episode 2 of Leprekawn plays ESO went up the other day.  Last week I think, I can’t keep track of these things.  I digress. [embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVWf5pKR_0[/embedyt]

I’m finding enough momentum and entertainment to keep my wheels spinning for at least another week or two.  You’ll see about one video a week as I document some moments in the game.  Nothing special as I’m not recording everything and some things I encounter I think “Gee, this would look great on camera.” but alas, no camera is present.

I’ve come to realize one of the things I like about ESO is the pacing.  World of Warcraft sorta makes you feel like Batman.  You have a utility belt with so many powers you have to really know your class to use them all effectively.  Here in Elder Scrolls Online it’s more about knowing how the game is played, knowing how fast you can put off attacks.  When I swing my swords I really feel like those swords have weight.  The draw of the bow is closer to reality making my arrows feel significant.

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I’m not far into the game so I can’t say much. (That usually means I’ll write two more pages..)

ESO is shaping up to be an interesting venture into the MMO marketplace.  This comes from the same company that made the other Elder Scrolls games with each set in it’s own period of history surrounding an empire.  I ventured into this world with Daggerfall and thoroughly enjoyed it’s deep and rich roleplaying experience.  I skipped Morrowwind unlike many of my friends but I came back for Oblivion and then Skyrim to wander the land and hunt monsters and treasure.

ESO takes the single-player focus from Skyrim another notch, holding onto tropes they built into their past ventures such as a compass marker telling you where the quest objective is, while changing the completely open class-mechanic from Skyrim.  Here like and unlike other games you’ll pick a base class with it’s own abilities and mix with whatever abilities you happen to cross.  Heavy Armor Wizard? Done.  Archer with a dash of magic? Done.  There are limitations but the range of expression is there but there’s little hand-holding when it comes to The Trinity or pursuit.  I’m leaning towards Argonian Sorcerer, or as I call it “Leezard Weezard”, much for my own drive to build a character who can nail down the opposition while someone else cleans them up.

Differing from other games you have to wear or use the powers and abilities and equipment you want to improve in.  Experience rewarding activities improving those items you setup leaving unexperienced in things you never use.  So, while I can pop on some heavy armor and go wade into combat with a greatsword, don’t expect it anytime soon.

I was caught right at start with the beauty and detail layered into the game.  Things for you to loot, crafting materials and the environment is well-blended leaving me often just staring at a room without realizing i’m being attacked.  Bottles and books and food and ingredients for various crafts are just laying around in plain sight.  No sparkle, no magical highlight to draw my attention.

If nothing else this will prove to be a beautiful example of another game in the Elder Scrolls series though I expect so much more out of a chance to join other players like this.  There are group dungeons and regions to explore, conquest to be had and stories to be told.

ESO comes in with a box price and a monthly subscription so while I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Morrowwind, Oblivion or Skyrim I would do so with some caution.

Stay tuned to my youtube channel for some footage of various characters as I try to zero in on my personal drive in this game.

YouTube

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My amusement moves back and forth regardless of where I want it.  Sometimes the same thing can amuse me for six hours and sometimes I can’t stand it for six minutes.

I like to blog what I’m doing but then I feel bad when “What i’m doing” is six hours of this game every week with no variations.  That being said I moved in January and I’ve got time on my hands in volumes I’m not sure I know what to do with.

So here I am, blogging again.  Let’s talk?

Before January I did a solid run around WoW as my roommate and I brought her boyfriend into the game.  Leveling characters and running dungeons with great amusement.  You’ll see some pictures and some comments in- or out-of-character as I see fit.  This turned into some GW2 (Guild Wars 2) and from there I figured out why I play GW2 and drop it two weeks later.

As I was salvaging and collecting parts for what they call an Ascended Staff, I ran more than a few dungeons for money.  It’s the players I encountered, the way they treat playing the game that ruins it for me.  A sadness gripped me as I realized this and that I probably won’t go back anytime soon.  It’s a very pretty game and you can see some pictures I made over on my tumblr site (I’m sorry, I was just testing out some ideas.  I wasn’t cheating on you.) http://egoprovince.tumblr.com/

I’ve been in World of Warcraft again for almost a year now.  After a friend threw 20 bucks at me to fish him up some pets ingame.  After that it was just easy to leave my account on and join him for a weekly raid.  Raiding isn’t my most favorite but I enjoy it enough to return once a week for 2.5 hours.  Imagine if you will ~12 half-drunk people doing dumb things and getting killed and trying again.  Amusing, yes?  And that’s why I go back.

My new roommates play Star Trek Online and moving in started an amusing approach to STO and for two months I played the hell out of it.  I’ll play again and again but I’m taking a break to do other things.  Notably, Minecraft.  Star Trek Online is a solid game and they’ve added and are adding more missions and story, players are building more stories for you to play and the ships are very Star Trek.  I recommend it highly as it’s quite a good game (still).

I was playing a phone game, Hay Day, when the farming ideas there kept whispering to my brain.  And so I turned my attention back into MC to run around my server and do some farming and exploration.

inFamous: Second Son released, after playing the first two I was an am excited to play it.  I’m hoping to have my hands on a new Playstation 4 soon, but regardless you’ll hear my thoughts when I venture there.  I’m tweaking some mental ideas about recording some of these games I play, posting to YouTube.  We’ll see where that goes.

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Here we have a new game coming upon the horizon.  Wildstar catches my eye almost immediately for t he tongue-in-check characterization and evil villainy.  I swear I watched this cartoon some years ago.

Bundled with the bright colors World of Warcraft was known for will be action-combat, secondary class mechanic choice and <gasp> player housing.  I’ll touch on a few of these points, what so we’re sure to be on the same page later when I say “OMG, this is AMAZING..”

Action Combat is new variation in the approach in gaming.  Where you can dodge the big red ring of “OH CRAP”, you can sing and dance your way through combat as you wish.  Where you’re not arbitrarily locked to one place to finish casting your magick spells.  It’s there in Guild Wars 2 and some other games where it shakes up the conventions nicely.  The downside in some games is that you -have- to move a lot to avoid getting trounced in combat.  It remains to be seen how bad Wildstar will be but in exchange for quality character animation I’ll happily endure the never-ending Dodge’em Up.

Class mechanics are an animal I study in every game I play.  It’s almost scientific study with the subtle variations in character development having their own nuances and offshoots.  Here in Wildstar you’ll pick a basic class what dictates how you trounce monsters and a profession that dictates what kind of quests and content you’ll encounter.  If you go soldier, you’ll see a lot of combat missions and very few exploration, or so I’m reading.  An interesting system as they’re tying in armor rewards and abilities to people who delve deep into their profession missions.

All in all an interesting sounding experience.  The two great questions arise.. How Much and How Soon?

 

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