I downloaded and played The Pitt this past weekend. In general, I enjoyed it. Even more than I did the first DLC for Fallout 3, Operation: Anchorage. But in both cases, I think the downloads are overpriced for the amount of content they provide. If a consumer buys both expansions for $20, that's roughly a third a cost of the original game but not even close to a third of the content. I think it took me longer to play through The Pitt, but it still went very fast. No more than four hours I guesstimate. That's a stark difference from the original's deep and substantial offering.
Yes, yes, $10 for four hours is a good value, you pay that much for a two hour movie, not including the popcorn and babysitter, blah, blah, blah. I just can't subscribe to that argument here, mostly because I'm not comparing the expansion to an evening at the movie theater, but to the game itself. And the bottom line is I kinda feel shortchanged by Bethesda at a $10 price point.
The next expansion promises to raise the level cap to 30, but despite the prospect of more leveling fun, I may not pick it up. At least not before first verifying it offers some weighty gameplay.
Showing posts with label PC Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PC Games. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Have Mountain Goat, Will Travel
Lukenbach made great strides this past weekend. My dwarf minstrel not only blew past level 58, well on his way to 59, he also accrued enough miner reputation to get the entry level Moria mount, the Red-horned mountain goat. It's slower than U.S. economic recovery, but still faster than walking. The next goat travels as fast as a normal horse, but takes the top miner reputation, kindred, so I won't see that goodly beast for a long time.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Lukenbach, Post Book 7
I took my minstrel, Lukenbach, for a spin this morning and indeed he benefits greatly from LotRO's most recent patch. I was most pleased to find that Turbine switched Call of Fate from a level 60 skill to 56, making Lukenbach an instant qualifier. Call of Fate is a more robust version of Piercing cry, with high crit potential and the highest raw damage in a minstrel's arsenal.
So after training the Call of Fate, I took Lukenbach down to Gazatu-ru, the scene of much fleeing and death before Book 7. Deep in the central halls of Moria, Gazatu-ru crams mobs within feet of each other. Smart pulls are a must, without which soloing is impossible. Lukenbach needed to kill eighteen orcs in Gazatu-ru and before Book 7, he couldn't do it. Most pulls involve two mobs and frequently incur a third patroller. And as tight as space is in Moria, fleeing almost never succeeded.
This time around, however, Lukenbach easily dispatched two mobs at time. He even fended off ganks of a third mob, though often just barely. This patch bodes well, I think, for my bard. Couple that with the easement of xp restrictions and I'm getting even more inspired to level up Kammris and then work on my hobbit warden, Smaur.
So after training the Call of Fate, I took Lukenbach down to Gazatu-ru, the scene of much fleeing and death before Book 7. Deep in the central halls of Moria, Gazatu-ru crams mobs within feet of each other. Smart pulls are a must, without which soloing is impossible. Lukenbach needed to kill eighteen orcs in Gazatu-ru and before Book 7, he couldn't do it. Most pulls involve two mobs and frequently incur a third patroller. And as tight as space is in Moria, fleeing almost never succeeded.
This time around, however, Lukenbach easily dispatched two mobs at time. He even fended off ganks of a third mob, though often just barely. This patch bodes well, I think, for my bard. Couple that with the easement of xp restrictions and I'm getting even more inspired to level up Kammris and then work on my hobbit warden, Smaur.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Dawn of War: Gold Edition
I've been having so much fun with Dawn of War II, I fired up Steam and tried out the demos to the original, Dawn of War. They turned out to be even more fun, so much so I bought the gold edition. I've never made a Steam purchase before, but the experience was a good one. What I like most about the service is that once you purchase the game, its key is permanently linked to your Steam account. If you uninstall the game, you want always download and install it again later. It also means you can download and play the game on another computer.
I always think of myself as the type of person that needs that physical copy in my grubby little hands. But as less and less shelf space is devoted to PC gaming, it could be that digital purchasing may turn into the only viable method for distributing PC games. At first glance, that seems a shame. But with a service as good and dependable as Steam, perhaps it's not.
I always think of myself as the type of person that needs that physical copy in my grubby little hands. But as less and less shelf space is devoted to PC gaming, it could be that digital purchasing may turn into the only viable method for distributing PC games. At first glance, that seems a shame. But with a service as good and dependable as Steam, perhaps it's not.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Dawn of War II
I picked up the latest Warhammer RTS because I'm a glutton for punishment. It's a well-documented character flaw that I like playing real-time strategy games, they just don't like me playing them.
A slew of critical reviews perked my interest in this latest installment. Gamespot in particular mentions numerous times that the game's single player campaign plays more like an action RPG than a RTS, right down to looting gear off conquered mobs. I know GS meant that as a criticism, but I took it as a selling point. As much as I enjoy building a base, upgrading units, and then churning them out like gummy bears in a candy factoring, I never strike a good balance between the building aspect of the game and the part where you steer your army towards an opponent and kick some ass. I always mobilize too soon or too late, mostly erring towards the latter. I think it's a patience thing. I have enough to painstakingly build a base, but not enough to coordinate that with strategic and tactical real-time combat.
But DoW II seemed a departure. There's no base building in the campaign, only squads and a main hero unit. And Gamespot is right, the single player aspect plays almost like Diablo, except a bit more tactical. Launching all your squads headlong into battle sometimes (but not always) leads to swift slaughter. So I'm enjoying the game so far and getting my RTS fix to boot. I guess this means I might thing about picking up Starcraft II, rumored to be coming out sometime in June.
A slew of critical reviews perked my interest in this latest installment. Gamespot in particular mentions numerous times that the game's single player campaign plays more like an action RPG than a RTS, right down to looting gear off conquered mobs. I know GS meant that as a criticism, but I took it as a selling point. As much as I enjoy building a base, upgrading units, and then churning them out like gummy bears in a candy factoring, I never strike a good balance between the building aspect of the game and the part where you steer your army towards an opponent and kick some ass. I always mobilize too soon or too late, mostly erring towards the latter. I think it's a patience thing. I have enough to painstakingly build a base, but not enough to coordinate that with strategic and tactical real-time combat.
But DoW II seemed a departure. There's no base building in the campaign, only squads and a main hero unit. And Gamespot is right, the single player aspect plays almost like Diablo, except a bit more tactical. Launching all your squads headlong into battle sometimes (but not always) leads to swift slaughter. So I'm enjoying the game so far and getting my RTS fix to boot. I guess this means I might thing about picking up Starcraft II, rumored to be coming out sometime in June.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Arrrggghhh Virtues!
I did a bit of research on Champions and it turns out I’ve assigned Kammris all the wrong virtues. Well, not all. I’ve got him slotted with Justice and Valour, but all classes seem to take those two. But the other three were totally wrong and too my complete dismay, the other three traits he needs are all bottomed out at one. That’s right, Kammris did not follow Lukenbach’s policy of clean up a zone’s deeds. As a result, I have my level 47 toon running around lowbie areas beating the hell out of level five mobs.
/sigh
The good news is that the earliest deed requirements start with 30 mobs for the title, 60 for the virtue. Those requirements tend to double as you venture farther out into higher level zones. The highest I’ve seen so far is Angmar, 150 for the title, 300 for the virtue.
Luckily, Kammris is a champion and he chews through stuff pretty quickly. The biggest barrier is finding an area with a high concentration of the needed mobs. The higher the density, the faster the grinding goes as you don’t waste as much time waiting for respawns. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an onerous process. It’s fine when you grind these things as you level, but most painful when you don’t. Kammris was my first toon, however, and at the time, I underestimated the importance of virtue selection.
I’ll be paying for my naiveté with a few weeks of mindless grinding.
/sigh
The good news is that the earliest deed requirements start with 30 mobs for the title, 60 for the virtue. Those requirements tend to double as you venture farther out into higher level zones. The highest I’ve seen so far is Angmar, 150 for the title, 300 for the virtue.
Luckily, Kammris is a champion and he chews through stuff pretty quickly. The biggest barrier is finding an area with a high concentration of the needed mobs. The higher the density, the faster the grinding goes as you don’t waste as much time waiting for respawns. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an onerous process. It’s fine when you grind these things as you level, but most painful when you don’t. Kammris was my first toon, however, and at the time, I underestimated the importance of virtue selection.
I’ll be paying for my naiveté with a few weeks of mindless grinding.
Monday, February 16, 2009
A Minstrel's Best Spell Rotation
Perusing the Lord of the Rings Online forum boards, I stumbled upon a thread entitled “Solo Mob Spell Rotation,” or something to that effect. Curious, I took a gander and got quite an eyeful. Turns out (surprise, surprise) I have not been soloing with Lukenbach my minstrel as effectively as I could be. But first, here’s the general consensus among minstrel players of the best solo mob spell rotation:
1) Call of echoes – DoT, but more importantly lowers the mobs resistance
2) Ballad of Resonance – Buffs light damage
3) Call of Erome – AoE, but more importantly significantly lowers mob’s resistance to light damage
4) Piercing Cry – Best minstrel damage spell, best applied after Call of Erome
5) Noble Cause – Melee attack
6) Call of Second Age – AoE. Almost everyone includes this spell in the rotation, but it gobbles up a lot of power.
7) At this point, mob should be dead or close to it. Rinse and Repeat.
I tried this rotation and noticed immediate improvement in raw dps. I started seeing Piercing Cry crits in the 700s, where previously I had them peaking at no higher than 500. My old rotation included getting my three tier one ballads up and running, followed by Piercing Cry and Noble Cause. I only used Call of Erome and Call of Second Age for multiple mobs.
Big mistake.
Even though it’s an AoE attack, Call of Erome significantly decreases the chance a mob will resist a light based spell attack. Since mob resistance got jacked up for Mines of Moria, spells fizzling harmlessly of monsters emerged as one of the biggest new challenges facing minstrels in the expansion; it’s especially heartbreaking and frustrating when the best crit and damage spell a minstrel has, Piercing Cry, bounces off a mob’s hide.
But it need not be that way if the minstrel properly employs everything in his arsenal in the most advantageous order.
So I’ve got Lukenbach following this new solo spell rotation and really like his newly discovered killing efficiency. Even so, I’ve gone back to playing Kammris, my champion. Kam is almost 47, which puts him at the minimum level requirement for the teal one-handed swords I made months ago. I can’t wait to see Kammris turns into a human chainsaw with a pair of those beauties equipped.
1) Call of echoes – DoT, but more importantly lowers the mobs resistance
2) Ballad of Resonance – Buffs light damage
3) Call of Erome – AoE, but more importantly significantly lowers mob’s resistance to light damage
4) Piercing Cry – Best minstrel damage spell, best applied after Call of Erome
5) Noble Cause – Melee attack
6) Call of Second Age – AoE. Almost everyone includes this spell in the rotation, but it gobbles up a lot of power.
7) At this point, mob should be dead or close to it. Rinse and Repeat.
I tried this rotation and noticed immediate improvement in raw dps. I started seeing Piercing Cry crits in the 700s, where previously I had them peaking at no higher than 500. My old rotation included getting my three tier one ballads up and running, followed by Piercing Cry and Noble Cause. I only used Call of Erome and Call of Second Age for multiple mobs.
Big mistake.
Even though it’s an AoE attack, Call of Erome significantly decreases the chance a mob will resist a light based spell attack. Since mob resistance got jacked up for Mines of Moria, spells fizzling harmlessly of monsters emerged as one of the biggest new challenges facing minstrels in the expansion; it’s especially heartbreaking and frustrating when the best crit and damage spell a minstrel has, Piercing Cry, bounces off a mob’s hide.
But it need not be that way if the minstrel properly employs everything in his arsenal in the most advantageous order.
So I’ve got Lukenbach following this new solo spell rotation and really like his newly discovered killing efficiency. Even so, I’ve gone back to playing Kammris, my champion. Kam is almost 47, which puts him at the minimum level requirement for the teal one-handed swords I made months ago. I can’t wait to see Kammris turns into a human chainsaw with a pair of those beauties equipped.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Dragon Age Slips to the End of the Year
I'm late reporting this, but my intention isn't to report, but to bitch.
In most circumstances, I could give a rat's ass when EA elects to release its games. But when they bought Bioware last year, I cringed that they would apply their asshat business tactics to a company I not only respect, but dearly love. The dudes at Bioware have made some of my favorite games and Dragon Age looks to be another classic waiting in the wings.
That being said, EA can kiss my hairy ass. Delaying Dragon Age to coincide "with the release of the console versions of Dragon Age: Origins?"
What. The. Frankincense.
If this shit river flowed both ways, I wouldn't be so incensed. But a ton of titles release console first, with the PC version following months later. I've never heard of a console game being delayed for a simultaneous release with its PC sibling. So why give PC the shaft now? Because the PC is the thinking man's machine, inaccessible to the masses, and thus a poor marketer of goods and services. God save a country whose citizenry can't master a technology more complicated than opening a tray and placing a shiny disc inside it.
This irks me even more because I watched an X-Play interview of a Bioware employee bragging about how much Dragon Age payed homage to the PC platform by getting its version in advance of the console crowd.
The very definition of talking out of your ass.
In most circumstances, I could give a rat's ass when EA elects to release its games. But when they bought Bioware last year, I cringed that they would apply their asshat business tactics to a company I not only respect, but dearly love. The dudes at Bioware have made some of my favorite games and Dragon Age looks to be another classic waiting in the wings.
That being said, EA can kiss my hairy ass. Delaying Dragon Age to coincide "with the release of the console versions of Dragon Age: Origins?"
What. The. Frankincense.
If this shit river flowed both ways, I wouldn't be so incensed. But a ton of titles release console first, with the PC version following months later. I've never heard of a console game being delayed for a simultaneous release with its PC sibling. So why give PC the shaft now? Because the PC is the thinking man's machine, inaccessible to the masses, and thus a poor marketer of goods and services. God save a country whose citizenry can't master a technology more complicated than opening a tray and placing a shiny disc inside it.
This irks me even more because I watched an X-Play interview of a Bioware employee bragging about how much Dragon Age payed homage to the PC platform by getting its version in advance of the console crowd.
The very definition of talking out of your ass.
Grind the Good Grind
After feasting at the tables of Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3, I've once again returned to some MMO fare, namely Lord of the Rings Online. I spent a good chunk of Saturday splitting my time between Kammris and Lukenbach, both of whom are sliver close to leveling, 46 and 56 respectively.
I've learned something valuable from this past month's MMO respite. Right before I took a break from LotRO, I had been grinding Lukenbach's traits. Early in my minstrel's career, I had done a remarkable job of keeping his traits up to date. I had a zone-clear policy whereby Lukenbach wasn't allowed to exit a zone until he had completed every trait that region offered. With that policy in place, Lukenbach's traits scaled right along with his leveling.
Now, that plan is all well and good for those early zones; entry level traits have modest grinding requirements, 60 mobs for the title, another 60 for the trait. But later zones grow just shy of exponentially, 150 for the title and300 for the trait. Such numbers track well past my MMO gaming patience and faced with such daunting numbers, Lukenbach quickly abandoned his high horse policy and placed trait grinding on the back burner at every opportunity.
That catches up with you at higher levels. And after the recent expansion, along with new content, Turbine applied some different mathematics to Mines of Moria. It's beyond the scope of this entry to outline the changes. Suffice to say, every class got a dose of nerf, made even more painful by those players who had neglected their traits.
So in the late days of December 2008, Lukenbach reluctantly turned his attention back to trait grinding only after getting his ass kicked over and over again in the Mines. The problem is that trait grinding always precipitates me dropping the game for extended periods of times. Which is too bad because when I played again last Saturday, I marveled anew at the scale, detail, and fun inside Moria.
I have more trait work to do (like the slaying of 200 more hillman in Angmar). But that will have to wait else I stop playing again. I'm not sure how or when I'm going to get those 200 savaged killed. Maybe when minstrel's get the new skill, Nuclear Chord.
I've learned something valuable from this past month's MMO respite. Right before I took a break from LotRO, I had been grinding Lukenbach's traits. Early in my minstrel's career, I had done a remarkable job of keeping his traits up to date. I had a zone-clear policy whereby Lukenbach wasn't allowed to exit a zone until he had completed every trait that region offered. With that policy in place, Lukenbach's traits scaled right along with his leveling.
Now, that plan is all well and good for those early zones; entry level traits have modest grinding requirements, 60 mobs for the title, another 60 for the trait. But later zones grow just shy of exponentially, 150 for the title and
That catches up with you at higher levels. And after the recent expansion, along with new content, Turbine applied some different mathematics to Mines of Moria. It's beyond the scope of this entry to outline the changes. Suffice to say, every class got a dose of nerf, made even more painful by those players who had neglected their traits.
So in the late days of December 2008, Lukenbach reluctantly turned his attention back to trait grinding only after getting his ass kicked over and over again in the Mines. The problem is that trait grinding always precipitates me dropping the game for extended periods of times. Which is too bad because when I played again last Saturday, I marveled anew at the scale, detail, and fun inside Moria.
I have more trait work to do (like the slaying of 200 more hillman in Angmar). But that will have to wait else I stop playing again. I'm not sure how or when I'm going to get those 200 savaged killed. Maybe when minstrel's get the new skill, Nuclear Chord.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sarah Palin Is My Operation: Anchorage
I bought Operation: Anchorage, the new downloadable content for one of the best games of 2008, Fallout 3. Tycho from Penny Arcade does a great job of complaining about the Games for Windows interface needed to buy and download the add-on, so I won’t dwell on how counter-intuitive that mechanism is. Except to say I find it unbelievable that Microsoft couldn’t come with something better FOR THEIR OWN OPERATING SYSTEM.
It’s also pretty lame that Operation: Anchorage costs 800 Microsoft points, but Games for Windows only sells the points in 500 point blocks. In other words, if you’ve got a zero bank of points, you’ll have to spend $12.50 for 1000 points rather than $10.00 for 800. $2.50 isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s pretty clear that Microsoft’s marketing scheme is to get people to buy excess points they don’t need or want. That doesn’t do much to improve my opinion of Microsoft; I’m sure the company is wringing its hands with guilt and worry over my displeasure and drying their tears with wads of cash.
But the add-on itself is hella fun. Not long after you resume your game, you start to receive a radio distress call that summons you to the southwestern DC metro area. There, you meet some Outcasts battling super mutants and defending a curious military installation. Inside the base, a pod hooked up to a super computer shines brightly. You climb inside the egg and the computer runs a simulation of the battle for Anchorage, the major offensive to push the Chinese out of Alaska.
The simulation plops you down in the middle of an Alaskan mountain range. You have a partner that abandons you in favor of climbing the side of a mountain. He promises to meet up with you later and I have to admit I enjoyed watching him scale the cliff face. Like watching Stallone in Cliffhanger, without the melodrama.
The goal is to take out some artillery guns the Chinese have strewn throughout a mountain base complex they’ve built. The graphics are stunning, mostly because the sky is blue and the complex appears relatively shiny and new. It’s a stark contrast from the usual devastation of Fallout 3.
As a simulation, you still take damage and you can still die—something about going into cardiac arrest, blah blah blah. But your Chinese enemies fade to a blue glow when you kill them and metal dispensers instantly replenish your ammo. It’s a computer game within a computer game, so you can backtrack and hit health and ammo replenishers as often and as much as you like.
I don’t know how far I’m in yet, having just rendezvoused with my fellow soldier. I can say I love the new Gauss rifle. Ammo for it is scarce, but for good reason, as I one-shot just about everything I aim at. However it ends, I’d really like to see an appearance by my favorite Alaskan hottie, Sarah Palin. I know it’s set 77 years in the future, but it’s also a simulation; Bethesda could go hog wild and plop her in there no problem. Like maybe on a frozen mountain peak, clad in nothing but a bikini and a smile.
Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.
It’s also pretty lame that Operation: Anchorage costs 800 Microsoft points, but Games for Windows only sells the points in 500 point blocks. In other words, if you’ve got a zero bank of points, you’ll have to spend $12.50 for 1000 points rather than $10.00 for 800. $2.50 isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s pretty clear that Microsoft’s marketing scheme is to get people to buy excess points they don’t need or want. That doesn’t do much to improve my opinion of Microsoft; I’m sure the company is wringing its hands with guilt and worry over my displeasure and drying their tears with wads of cash.
But the add-on itself is hella fun. Not long after you resume your game, you start to receive a radio distress call that summons you to the southwestern DC metro area. There, you meet some Outcasts battling super mutants and defending a curious military installation. Inside the base, a pod hooked up to a super computer shines brightly. You climb inside the egg and the computer runs a simulation of the battle for Anchorage, the major offensive to push the Chinese out of Alaska.
The simulation plops you down in the middle of an Alaskan mountain range. You have a partner that abandons you in favor of climbing the side of a mountain. He promises to meet up with you later and I have to admit I enjoyed watching him scale the cliff face. Like watching Stallone in Cliffhanger, without the melodrama.
The goal is to take out some artillery guns the Chinese have strewn throughout a mountain base complex they’ve built. The graphics are stunning, mostly because the sky is blue and the complex appears relatively shiny and new. It’s a stark contrast from the usual devastation of Fallout 3.
As a simulation, you still take damage and you can still die—something about going into cardiac arrest, blah blah blah. But your Chinese enemies fade to a blue glow when you kill them and metal dispensers instantly replenish your ammo. It’s a computer game within a computer game, so you can backtrack and hit health and ammo replenishers as often and as much as you like.
I don’t know how far I’m in yet, having just rendezvoused with my fellow soldier. I can say I love the new Gauss rifle. Ammo for it is scarce, but for good reason, as I one-shot just about everything I aim at. However it ends, I’d really like to see an appearance by my favorite Alaskan hottie, Sarah Palin. I know it’s set 77 years in the future, but it’s also a simulation; Bethesda could go hog wild and plop her in there no problem. Like maybe on a frozen mountain peak, clad in nothing but a bikini and a smile.
Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Slash and Burn
Coming off the news that Funcom is consolidating its Age of Conan servers from 40 some down to 18, I pondered the status of the few people I personally know who still play a MMO. Two friends strike me in particular, a (now) married couple whom I met back when I played Everquest II. Around the time I quit EQII, they did too. Whilst I wandered back to World of Warcraft, they cranked up the then recently released Lord of the Rings Online. Some months later, I read of their heroic antics on the old EQII guild board and got inspired to try the game. At that time, both had toons in the low 40s, some ten levels shy of the cap. I ran with them and their tiny guild for a couple of weeks, but it turned out their interest was waning just as mine waxed. One day I noticed neither had logged in for a days. Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months. They never did return.
I kept following their exploits though. They continued posting on the same forum board, this time under the then newly released MMO Tabulas Rosa. They chewed through that Sci-Fi game pretty quickly, moving on to Pirates of the Burning Sea. And then Age of Conan. And then Warhammer. They threw in some WoW somewhere in the middle of that mix, I couldn't honestly tell you when. Or how. And with each new MMO, they created a matching guild or clan.
I kept following their exploits though. They continued posting on the same forum board, this time under the then newly released MMO Tabulas Rosa. They chewed through that Sci-Fi game pretty quickly, moving on to Pirates of the Burning Sea. And then Age of Conan. And then Warhammer. They threw in some WoW somewhere in the middle of that mix, I couldn't honestly tell you when. Or how. And with each new MMO, they created a matching guild or clan.
I'm not sure what my point is here. I'm not criticising them for playing multiple MMOs because I do the same thing. The difference, I guess, is I don't continually form and reform guilds. Guild management, everything from formation to maintenance, smacks too closely to that of a real world job. It puzzles me to no end that the couple never seems weary of the chore.
Scratch that.
They do weary of it, but then turn around and start the whole process anew with a brand new shiny MMO. I'm guessing they crave character creation and early leveling over end-game content; they have a blast at early to mid levels, but then grow jaded with the game (or MMO gameplay in general) toward the cap. Which is fine in and of itself. It's perfectly natural, even healthy, to play a variety of games. But constantly hammering together guilds with each flavor of the month MMO? That's not so good.
As often as they've created and abandoned guilds, I guess my advice to couple would be to continue trying the latest and greatest of the MMO genre, but forgo founding their own guilds and instead join something already established. There are plenty of casual guilds across all MMOs and most don't mind adding anonymous folk to their ranks. A fan of early to midland MMO content could play to their heart's content and then walk away when the experience sours, all without one single drop of sweat devoted to guild creation. It could be they get satisfaction from creating and running guilds, but I'll bet my highest level WoW toon that their membership likely tires of their inevitable abandonment.
Which makes MMOs some of the strangest, most frustrating social experiments of the last decade. I'd advise a budding sociologist biding to make a name for themselves to tackle this topic; I think it's ripe with critical analysis.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Carjacking and then Bedtime Stories
It’s more than a bit jarring to swing from carjacking innocent Liberty City citizens to reading Hallie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. One minute I’m pulling some slack-jawed yokel out of his sports car, the next I’m narrating Hermione chewing out Harry and Ron. My girls yell and scream and wrestle as much as a citizen being robbed of their automobile, so some similarities prevail.
It rings hallow to read me gush about Grand Theft Auto IV, especially after recently heaping praise after praise upon Fallout 3. My only defense is that 2008 saw an especially exceptional string of PC titles. That, and GTA IV exemplifies the pinnacle of art and design in gaming today. I can’t say I like the console saving system that prohibits hedging your bets immediately after starting a mission. But the gameplay more than makes up for any gamebox design flaws.
What I like most about GTA IV is the feel of the game, even more so between missions. I can’t describe the immersion of barreling down the streets of Liberty City, Independence Radio FM blasting some of my favorite bands like Interpol, Vast, and The Killers. It might seem a chore to drive halfway across town to pick up Roman for darts or to see Brucie about assassinating a drug dealer. But I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, and going in, I thought car driving was going to be the game’s Achilles’ heel. There’s just something liberating about driving like a total maniac without consequence; LCPD will squawk their lights at your traffic violations, but they only pursue you when you jack someone’s car, shoot someone (including a cop), or blow through a toll lane. Other than that, I drive with a reckless abandon I can only dream about in real life.
Not to mention GTA IV has the finest acting and voice acting of any game I’ve played. That’s saying quite a lot, since I’ve dated quite a few games. Brucie tops my list for funniest, most interesting character not just of GTA IV, but of any game. I go out of my way to do Brucie missions because the cutscenes entertain like nothing else. And Brucie excels at his stereotype.
But Nico is nearest and dearest to my heart. He’s a cold-blooded killer, mostly remorseless for his past acts, and more than willing to engage in a variety of nefarious acts. Sometimes for the money, other times for revenge. Even so, Nico comes across as a real person in the game’s myriad cutscenes. He’s not as funny as Brucie, but he often brings a smile to my face with his rash bluntness and thick Eastern European accent.
I know X-Play awarded Fable 2 as their game of the year choice. Gamespot picked Metal Gear Solid IV. As much fun as I had playing Fallout 3 these last few months, I have to admit that GTA IV narrowly wins my personal game of the year selection. It’s just that good.
It rings hallow to read me gush about Grand Theft Auto IV, especially after recently heaping praise after praise upon Fallout 3. My only defense is that 2008 saw an especially exceptional string of PC titles. That, and GTA IV exemplifies the pinnacle of art and design in gaming today. I can’t say I like the console saving system that prohibits hedging your bets immediately after starting a mission. But the gameplay more than makes up for any gamebox design flaws.
What I like most about GTA IV is the feel of the game, even more so between missions. I can’t describe the immersion of barreling down the streets of Liberty City, Independence Radio FM blasting some of my favorite bands like Interpol, Vast, and The Killers. It might seem a chore to drive halfway across town to pick up Roman for darts or to see Brucie about assassinating a drug dealer. But I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, and going in, I thought car driving was going to be the game’s Achilles’ heel. There’s just something liberating about driving like a total maniac without consequence; LCPD will squawk their lights at your traffic violations, but they only pursue you when you jack someone’s car, shoot someone (including a cop), or blow through a toll lane. Other than that, I drive with a reckless abandon I can only dream about in real life.
Not to mention GTA IV has the finest acting and voice acting of any game I’ve played. That’s saying quite a lot, since I’ve dated quite a few games. Brucie tops my list for funniest, most interesting character not just of GTA IV, but of any game. I go out of my way to do Brucie missions because the cutscenes entertain like nothing else. And Brucie excels at his stereotype.
But Nico is nearest and dearest to my heart. He’s a cold-blooded killer, mostly remorseless for his past acts, and more than willing to engage in a variety of nefarious acts. Sometimes for the money, other times for revenge. Even so, Nico comes across as a real person in the game’s myriad cutscenes. He’s not as funny as Brucie, but he often brings a smile to my face with his rash bluntness and thick Eastern European accent.
I know X-Play awarded Fable 2 as their game of the year choice. Gamespot picked Metal Gear Solid IV. As much fun as I had playing Fallout 3 these last few months, I have to admit that GTA IV narrowly wins my personal game of the year selection. It’s just that good.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV
Ever so recently, I wondered why more press hadn't connected Grand Theft Auto IV with Far Cry 2. After playing GTA IV for a couple of hours, I now know why.
The two games share some common game mechanics, but employ very different narrative vehicles. FC2 has the barest frame of a story wrapped around a traditional first-person shooter. Its characters are underdeveloped, its dialogue read too quickly, and its storytelling limited to one basic goal, finding the Jackal. GTA IV tells a compelling story. Missions often begin and end with cut scenes that are rendered in-game, but rival the feel of a Hollywood movie. Character development reigns supreme, not just for Nico, but for all the supporting cast. GTA IV uses elements of shooter, but running and gunning doesn't drive the game like it does in FC2. And for that reason, the games feel and play quite differently.
And that's why hardly anyone drew a comparison between the two.
Incidentally, I heartily appreciate GTA IV Independence FM. I transferred three Interpol CDs within the Rockstar game folder and now drive around Liberty City listening to music I like. It's a bit surreal to drive in this game. Traffic ebbs and flows like that of a major city. Since I drive in that muck daily, it's so satisfying to ram my stolen car through red lights, stop signs, and lallygagging drivers. Since the car is "borrowed," I have no problem smashing it into stationary and mobile targets alike.
It's like chicken soup for the commuter soul.
The two games share some common game mechanics, but employ very different narrative vehicles. FC2 has the barest frame of a story wrapped around a traditional first-person shooter. Its characters are underdeveloped, its dialogue read too quickly, and its storytelling limited to one basic goal, finding the Jackal. GTA IV tells a compelling story. Missions often begin and end with cut scenes that are rendered in-game, but rival the feel of a Hollywood movie. Character development reigns supreme, not just for Nico, but for all the supporting cast. GTA IV uses elements of shooter, but running and gunning doesn't drive the game like it does in FC2. And for that reason, the games feel and play quite differently.
And that's why hardly anyone drew a comparison between the two.
Incidentally, I heartily appreciate GTA IV Independence FM. I transferred three Interpol CDs within the Rockstar game folder and now drive around Liberty City listening to music I like. It's a bit surreal to drive in this game. Traffic ebbs and flows like that of a major city. Since I drive in that muck daily, it's so satisfying to ram my stolen car through red lights, stop signs, and lallygagging drivers. Since the car is "borrowed," I have no problem smashing it into stationary and mobile targets alike.
It's like chicken soup for the commuter soul.
Monday, December 22, 2008
10 Day Free Trial of Wrath of the Lich King
Watching X-Play the other day, I observed scrolling across their news ticker that Blizzard was offering a free 10 day trial to Wrath of the Lich King. Up till now, I haven't been motivated to buy and play the new expansion. But I am curious enough to try it for free.
After I downloaded all the necessary files and updates (which went flawlessly, by the way), I immediately logged in my mage, headed for Undercity, and took the zeppelin to Northrend. I grabbed some quests and completed them and then . . . got bored, logged out, and played Lord of the Rings Online.
The next day, I spurned Scepter my mage and rolled a death knight, the new hero class. I played all through the death knight story, right up to the last quest that sends you to Orgrimmar to throw yourself on Thrall's mercies. As you walk through Orgrimmar (you can't ride because you've been mysteriously silenced), the denizens of the city throw rotten fruit, spit, and shout out insults until you finally reach Thrall. The orc leader sympathizes with you, however, and commands the Horde to accept you into their fold.
All that was a lot of fun, but when I then made my way to Hellfire Peninsula, my interest faltered again. Not to mention that the death knight absolutely chews through mobs. I can see the nerf bat coming down on this class hard from a mile away. My mage can't kill stuff as fast as my dk can, and the latter is clad in plate and can heal himself!
I've got seven more days to play for free. I'll decide after break if I want to actually buy the game. It seems doubtful though. For every hour I play of WoW, I quit and play two of LotRO. We'll see though.
After I downloaded all the necessary files and updates (which went flawlessly, by the way), I immediately logged in my mage, headed for Undercity, and took the zeppelin to Northrend. I grabbed some quests and completed them and then . . . got bored, logged out, and played Lord of the Rings Online.
The next day, I spurned Scepter my mage and rolled a death knight, the new hero class. I played all through the death knight story, right up to the last quest that sends you to Orgrimmar to throw yourself on Thrall's mercies. As you walk through Orgrimmar (you can't ride because you've been mysteriously silenced), the denizens of the city throw rotten fruit, spit, and shout out insults until you finally reach Thrall. The orc leader sympathizes with you, however, and commands the Horde to accept you into their fold.
All that was a lot of fun, but when I then made my way to Hellfire Peninsula, my interest faltered again. Not to mention that the death knight absolutely chews through mobs. I can see the nerf bat coming down on this class hard from a mile away. My mage can't kill stuff as fast as my dk can, and the latter is clad in plate and can heal himself!
I've got seven more days to play for free. I'll decide after break if I want to actually buy the game. It seems doubtful though. For every hour I play of WoW, I quit and play two of LotRO. We'll see though.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Just Like Michael Jordan
I blew up Megaton the other night. I also snuck into an underground warren and murdered a revolutionary ghoul. In his sleep. The ghoul proved sturdy, as a point blank head shot failed to take him down. A couple more plugs after he leaped out of bed did the trick though.
I’m playing Fallout 3 evil now and am surprised at how hard it is for me to do the bad thing, even under simulated circumstances. As fun as it was pushing the red button that detonated Megaton’s nuke, I felt guilty pangs of regret afterwards. I got urges to reload to the point before planting the remote charge and save the town, even though I had already played through that way. Same thing with stealing. I’ve been passing phat lewtz up, for no other reason than they rightfully belong to someone else. WTF? That’s no way to play evil, and I better shape up if I want to explore new moral territory in Fallout 3.
I’m still having fun mind you. It’s just playing evil is like trying to write left-handed; I have to stick my tongue out and concentrate while I do it.
I’m playing Fallout 3 evil now and am surprised at how hard it is for me to do the bad thing, even under simulated circumstances. As fun as it was pushing the red button that detonated Megaton’s nuke, I felt guilty pangs of regret afterwards. I got urges to reload to the point before planting the remote charge and save the town, even though I had already played through that way. Same thing with stealing. I’ve been passing phat lewtz up, for no other reason than they rightfully belong to someone else. WTF? That’s no way to play evil, and I better shape up if I want to explore new moral territory in Fallout 3.
I’m still having fun mind you. It’s just playing evil is like trying to write left-handed; I have to stick my tongue out and concentrate while I do it.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Far Cry 2 = GTA IV
I’ve played a bit more of Far Cry 2 and thoroughly enjoyed roaming the African landscape as a mercenary hired to hunt down The Jackal, the region’s most powerful gun smuggler. The game is like a cross between Fallout 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, open-world sandbox play from the former, hardcore first-person shooter from the latter.
Actually, Far Cry 2 resembles more closely another recent release, Grand Theft Auto IV. In fact, other than setting, the two games could almost be fraternal twins. FC2’s core game play model is almost lifted directly from GTAIV. I’ve read numerous reviews of FC2 and am surprised that no one mentioned the uncanny resemblance between the two games. For instance, my Irish mercenary receives missions via his cell phone. And when I need to get from point A to point B, I simply jump into the nearest abandoned vehicle. There is no currency in the game but diamonds, which I can use to buy equipment—mostly guns, but later in the game I think I can buy other stuff too.
I’m not criticizing FC2, just pointing out that many reviewers hailed it for its open-ended game play and sandbox nature without mentioning the obvious inspiration the developers got from other bestselling material. I mean, even the game’s cover art looks like that of GTAIV!
Be that as it may, the game is a lot of fun and now that I’m done roaming the Wasteland, I plan to hunt this Jackal down.
Actually, Far Cry 2 resembles more closely another recent release, Grand Theft Auto IV. In fact, other than setting, the two games could almost be fraternal twins. FC2’s core game play model is almost lifted directly from GTAIV. I’ve read numerous reviews of FC2 and am surprised that no one mentioned the uncanny resemblance between the two games. For instance, my Irish mercenary receives missions via his cell phone. And when I need to get from point A to point B, I simply jump into the nearest abandoned vehicle. There is no currency in the game but diamonds, which I can use to buy equipment—mostly guns, but later in the game I think I can buy other stuff too.
I’m not criticizing FC2, just pointing out that many reviewers hailed it for its open-ended game play and sandbox nature without mentioning the obvious inspiration the developers got from other bestselling material. I mean, even the game’s cover art looks like that of GTAIV!
Be that as it may, the game is a lot of fun and now that I’m done roaming the Wasteland, I plan to hunt this Jackal down.
Fallout 3's Ending
***Spoiler Alert***
I finished Fallout 3 yesterday. Well, the main campaign at least. Even with 50+ hours with the game, I’m left with entire sectors unexplored. I did enjoy the ending, including the final cut scene; it was Hallmark poignant, but moving nevertheless.
My character dying in the very end was fitting with the story as a whole, especially coming off the heels of the father’s death under very similar circumstances. The only problem is the game ends right there! The cut scene starts, the credits roll, the game stops despite large tracts of the Waste I have left to explore.
Sure, I could load a previous save game and continue on my merry way. I just find it curious that Bethesda put a game ending climax to their main campaign in the midst of the most open ended game on the market today. The two seem at odds with each other and as much as I enjoyed the ending, I felt disappointed to be plopped back to the game’s main menu.
Small quibble to be sure because Fallout 3 will be contender for game of the year across platforms. I’ve already rerolled. I plan on playing as diabolically as I can, starting with the nuclear denotation of Megaton’s megaton.
Muhahahahaha.
I finished Fallout 3 yesterday. Well, the main campaign at least. Even with 50+ hours with the game, I’m left with entire sectors unexplored. I did enjoy the ending, including the final cut scene; it was Hallmark poignant, but moving nevertheless.
My character dying in the very end was fitting with the story as a whole, especially coming off the heels of the father’s death under very similar circumstances. The only problem is the game ends right there! The cut scene starts, the credits roll, the game stops despite large tracts of the Waste I have left to explore.
Sure, I could load a previous save game and continue on my merry way. I just find it curious that Bethesda put a game ending climax to their main campaign in the midst of the most open ended game on the market today. The two seem at odds with each other and as much as I enjoyed the ending, I felt disappointed to be plopped back to the game’s main menu.
Small quibble to be sure because Fallout 3 will be contender for game of the year across platforms. I’ve already rerolled. I plan on playing as diabolically as I can, starting with the nuclear denotation of Megaton’s megaton.
Muhahahahaha.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
WTB More Will and Fate
Lukenbach fought off the Watcher in the Black Pool last night. Upon finishing the Book, I got a minstrel class slot item, a teal medium armor headpiece, and access to the Mines of Moria. I spent just enough time in Moria to tag the stable hand before exiting immediately; I’ve got a ton left to do Eregion before I’ll return to Moria.
While questing, the flow of new gear pieces has been steady. But in the process of replacing key pieces, I managed to gimp Lukenbach. Before, he had around 2.4k health, 2k power. I’ve been selecting pieces that favor morale and might over will and fate. As a result, my in-combat power regeneration went from healthy and robust, to almost non-existent. Somewhere along the line, I shed too much will and fate and now I’m running out of power towards the end of fights.
It’s a problem easily fixed as I haven’t sold any of the old gear for just such a contingency. My goal is to strike a balance between morale and in and out-combat regeneration. Ideally, I’d like to be left with at least half power left at the end of average fights. Otherwise, I spend too much time waiting for out-combat regeneration to fill before my next pull.
While questing, the flow of new gear pieces has been steady. But in the process of replacing key pieces, I managed to gimp Lukenbach. Before, he had around 2.4k health, 2k power. I’ve been selecting pieces that favor morale and might over will and fate. As a result, my in-combat power regeneration went from healthy and robust, to almost non-existent. Somewhere along the line, I shed too much will and fate and now I’m running out of power towards the end of fights.
It’s a problem easily fixed as I haven’t sold any of the old gear for just such a contingency. My goal is to strike a balance between morale and in and out-combat regeneration. Ideally, I’d like to be left with at least half power left at the end of average fights. Otherwise, I spend too much time waiting for out-combat regeneration to fill before my next pull.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I Am Legendary Weapon
Lukenbach got his first legendary weapon last night, a shimmering mace. I had a host of one-handed options, but unfortunately none of them an axe. I earned the mace after the thing in the Black Pool attacked the mining party of dwarves trying to unearth Durin’s collapsed door. The waters of the Black Pool were an eerie calm until they erupted violently and the tentacled thing lashed out, grabbed a dwarf, and ate him. Lukenbach fled the scene and reported back to the main encampment. The dwarf there speculated that only a weapon of the Old Age could possible defeat such evil. And so I quest on.
Before the incident at the Black Pool, I relived the Fall of Moria. Session play in Lord of the Rings Online involves taking over another avatar to tell a story. In this case, I assumed the role of Nafni, an assistant to King Durin VI. At this time, mithril was running scarce in Moria and the dwarves were mining ever deeper to find more. At the same time, King Durin received elven emissaries to discuss mithril trade. The session play outlined all of this, culminating in a sight-seeing tour of the latest mithril find, dug deep within Moria. I won’t spoil what happens next, other than to say the party finds both mithril and the Lord of Fire and Shadow, all 513,000 health of him.
I’m still not finished with Book 1, Volume 2. I have to level my legendary to 10 before I can proceed. I peeked ahead and can expect to add a legendary class slot item, a book of songs for minstrels. And a teal headpiece. I hope to wrap up the rest of the book tonight.
Huzzah!
Before the incident at the Black Pool, I relived the Fall of Moria. Session play in Lord of the Rings Online involves taking over another avatar to tell a story. In this case, I assumed the role of Nafni, an assistant to King Durin VI. At this time, mithril was running scarce in Moria and the dwarves were mining ever deeper to find more. At the same time, King Durin received elven emissaries to discuss mithril trade. The session play outlined all of this, culminating in a sight-seeing tour of the latest mithril find, dug deep within Moria. I won’t spoil what happens next, other than to say the party finds both mithril and the Lord of Fire and Shadow, all 513,000 health of him.
I’m still not finished with Book 1, Volume 2. I have to level my legendary to 10 before I can proceed. I peeked ahead and can expect to add a legendary class slot item, a book of songs for minstrels. And a teal headpiece. I hope to wrap up the rest of the book tonight.
Huzzah!
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