Return to Eve Online

A couple of years ago, I tried out the 14 day trial to Eve Online. I remember enjoying the experience but after the 14 day period I just dropped away.

Last week, after hearing a discussion on the game on the excellent Contains Moderate Peril Podcast, I was tempted to give it another go. I rolled a new character and started the training again from scratch. Such is the complexity of the game, even the tutorials, it didn't come flooding back so I trawled through it, itching to get into the game proper.

5 days in and I'm hooked. I can't speak highly enough about how well the game holds together even after ten years. There are many reasons why this game has enjoyed the longevity it has and will continue to have. The world is rich, the graphics and sound excellent and there are so many choices of style of play you can never get bored. It reminds me of my early days in my first mmo, where I didn't see the mechanics and just enjoyed the game, something no other mmo has been able to capture for me since.

If you haven't given the game a go, please do. It's not for everyone, but if you want a complex and frankly unforgiving game experience, something you can throw yourself into and not hit cap in a few days, this may just be for you!

New Class comes to Neverwinter!

I've had an off and on relationship with Neverwinter lately, but the new expansion released this week, Shadowmantle, has dragged me back in with an introduction of a class I've longed for, the Hunter Ranger.

The class plays like a dream, awesome ranged power will the ability to hop backwards to put more space between yourself and the enemy, this actually plays better than my favourite class in Lotro, the Hunter!

I've not played through any of the new content yet, but for the release of this class alone (and Free to Play!) I hail Perfect World for a job well done. If you haven't tried it yet, give Neverwinter a go. It's a blast!.

http://nw.perfectworld.com/

Guess what I'm patching?

Well, as if I didn't have enough games on my plate, listening to the Contains Moderate Peril podcast, I was inspired to dive back into this excellent game. Be nice to play something modern to get away from the fantasy of Neverwinter and LOTRO and sure it will take me ages to understand the thing again.

To min max or not to min max....

Today I got into a heated debate with my guild leader in Neverwinter. Now this guild has always been described as casual, which fits my play style, however today the leader was suggesting he would be basing recruitment on people's stats, suggesting that if they didn't know how to build a character 'correctly' he had no wish to 'carry' them.

This stuck in my craw no end. I have never been a fan of min maxing. I have no interest in researching a cookie cutter build, especially to satisfy another player who does not contribute to my game playing budget. For me it removes all individuality and if The game designers wanted me to play the game like that, they'd just set my stats and skills as most solo games of ten years ago used to.

I also made the point that not everyone is in a game to play its hardest content and what he was doing was essentially discrimination. he didn't like my opinion at all.

Sadly if this is the way the guild will go, I'll be forced to look for another home. If all you recruit are hardcore gamers, then that's the kind of people you'll socialise with in game and I have no interest in that at all.

What are your thoughts on min/maxing? Leave a comment below.

Neverwinter - Masquerade of Liars Event

Neverwinter have released a very interesting event for the Halloween season. Running from 10th October to 4th November it consists mostly of collecting tokens to convert to cosmetic gear with a Skeleton Warrior companion up for grabs for the most dedicated of grinders.

What impressed me most about the event though, is the makeover they've given to the main city hub.

Introducing Pinestro of Landroval

Recently I read on Lotroplayers that there will be a Hobbit Warden 21 spear salute in honour of Pineleaf, a veteran player on several Lotro servers, including my own, Windfola.

Pineleaf, if you're not aware, has written a number of excellent skirmish guides for CSTM which you should definately check out. As part of the start of this years Fellowship Walk, a charity event on the roleplay server, Landroval, there will be a gathering of hobbit wardens to line up and salute in her honour.

So I rolled another toon...

Pinestro of Landroval, a distant cousin of Jestro, has taken up spear and shield and become a warden to join the festivities! My original intention was to get to minimum level required to get through the intro but it's been so long since I played in the Shire, I got hooked in. I decided I would take my time, do all the quests and deeds in the zone before moving on, I even had my eye on the Undying title, a deed for surviving to level 20 without dying.

 I went AFK at level 16 in Bindpole Wood and you can guess the rest.

Not put off though, I intend to continue levelling him. It's refreshing to be on an RP server and as much as I love my kinnies on Windfola, it's nice to be able to play from scratch without the backup a ton of crafting alts affords.

Ode to Skyrim

Oh Skyrim, how I love thee, and how you frustrate the hell out of me.

I have now been playing Skyrim on the PS3 for over a year. Access to the PS is limited compared to PC games, so it's slow going, but sometimes I get so frustrated with a quest, I don't touch it for months at a time, despite it being an amazingly beautiful game.

To me, Skyrim is an MMO without having to deal with other players. Questing, crafting, levelling all standard fayre for an MMO player but allowing you to not only go at your own pace but not being forced to group to complete content. On the downside, get stuck and you're on your own (unless you can be bothered to confer with the million and one walkthroughs online)

My character, a kind of warrior mage (gotta love those self heals in the middle of a combat) has just hit 25 and I finally got through the maddening part of the main storyline quests, to find the Elder Scroll. I am so satisfied now I've completed that quest, I am keen to throw myself back into the game as much as I can.