Warhammer Online: The Reckoning Goes Semi-Free

Mythic had gone a new route to increase interest in their MMO title, “Warhammer Online: The Reckoning.”  It seems they’ve decided to take that 10-day free trial they were offering players and extended it to an unlimited time.  There is a catch, however, as they’ve locked the free version at a Level 10 cap. 

This seems much like a business model that the “Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron Unlimited” MMO has been having massive success with.  I look for Warhammer to go free to play within a years time and add a companion store to sell wares and bonus content for paying players.

Warhammer Online Free Trial Link

12 Hottest Geek Girls

Manolith has posted their list of the 12 hottest geek girls.  I’ll have to agree with pretty much all of them :)  The list includes the likes of Veronica Belmont, Oliva Munn, Jessica Chobot and Jolie O’Dell.  There are even a few I wasn’t familiar with!

Run over to 12 Hottest Geek Girls / Manolith to check them out and make your thoughts heard!

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne

I usually skip past the Blizzard Launcher for WoW, but I noticed a link today that caught my attention.  For anyone that hasn’t seen it yet, Blizzard posted a brief description of their next raid instance: Icecrown Citadel, home of the Lich King himself.

You can read the full “story” by clicking here. 

In a nutshell:

• Fight along-side Highlord Tirion Fordring, High Overlord Saurfang, Muradin Bronzebeard, Highlord Darion Morgraine and King Varian Wrynn. 
• 10- and 25-player versions
• each version has 12 encounters that can easily be toggled to either Heroic or Normal using a new interface
• rewards start at level 251 in normal mode 10-man’s and increase to level 264 in heric 10-man and normal 25-player encounters.  Heroic 25-player mode items reach level 277.
• shortly into the instance, you end up outside fighting the Horde/Alliance from the airships, Skybreaker or Orgrim’s Hammer depending on your faction.  You’re trying to protect your gunship while destroying the other.
• and, of course, the final boss is … The Lich King himself.

It sounds great and I’m sure players will be complaining about how easy it is in no time.  Sadly, I doubt I’ll ever see this content in anything other than Youtube videos and pictures.  But just knowing it’s there is enough for me ;)

A Year Later, And Death Knights Still Rule

Blizzard released the second “World of Warcraft” expansion, “Wrath of the Lich King,” on November 13th, 2008.  Now, almost a year later, the Death Knight hero class is still kicking butt and taking names.  Despite balancing issues in the beginning, and even now seeming to be a little OP (over powered), the DK is (in my opinion) one of the more fun and fast characters to play in the “World of Warcraft.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Hunter man, myself.  I do play other classes, as well, so I’m not a strict Death Knight aficionado.  I have an 80 hunter, 72 warlock, 61 paladin and, of course, my 63 death knight.  So, I’m no stranger to other classes, but when I just want to tear through a zone, kicking butt and taking names with practically no down-time, I can log in to my death knight and go to town. 

Of course, if you look at my other, higher level characters, you’ll see I have a love for “pet classes.”  The hunter has a pet, the warlock has a demon, and … for my death knight, I spec’d Unholy so I could have a full-time ghoul running by my side.    I’m a sucker for companions during my solo quests through Azeroth. 

This isn’t a long post, I won’t bore you with the same statistics, lore or mechanics as to what a death knight is, his/her roles and how best to play them.  Simply, I just wanted to comment on how much fun they still are.  I realize that some people still refuse to play a death knight for their own personal reasons.  Maybe it’s because they start out at a higher level, it doesn’t fit their story (for those rp folk), or maybe they have a problem with the kinks in the lore.  Those people are out there, and all I have to say to them is: you’re missing out on half the fun, brother!

Death Knights, be it an alt or a main, should be tried by everyone at least once.  Heck, it took me three tries to get one I was happy with!  I finally settled on Mogathorn.

Mogathorn Armory Link

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited

Free to download!  Free to play! 

This is what captured my attention, along with the Dungeons & Dragons name.  So, I downloaded the client and have started playing this “free” MMO.  I’ll post more of my thoughts as I play a little more of the game.  Right now, it is impressive in design, though a little clunky in execution.  I say this as a loyal fan of Blizzard Entertainment’s “World of Warcraft,” mind you, but also as someone that is always looking for something else to pass my time. 

So far, DDO has promise.  The catch to it being a “free” MMO, though, is that it puts more wanted and beneficial items in a store and makes them available for purchase using a “points” system, similar to XBox Live’s Microsoft Points. 

Here are a few images from my gameplay as a Cleric-class (Level 1, Rank 5).

The DDO Store, offering upgrades for armor, weapons, potions, cosmetic features and even leveling and xp gain!

 

Each quest “instance” offers 4 skill levels.  “Solo,” “Normal,” and if you upgrade to a premium plan, “Hard” and “Elite.”

As you move along on your quests and come upon places of interest, a “DM” reads related text that can prove useful.

Character Sheet features your stats.

A separate screen features your equipment and bonuses from said equipment.

Facebook Is My Gaming Platform

Okay, so it really isn’t a gaming platform.  But, what Facebook, as well as other venues such as Myspace and even the iTunes App Store, offers is quick, easy gaming.  These social games are easy to jump in to, play and get back out of, as long as you don’t go overboard with the number you become involved with.  With huge fan numbers, these games must be doing something right, and doing it hand over fist. 

Zynga, Playfish, SuperPoke!, these are just a couple of the publishers you can find applications listed under.  The games range from restaurant management, fish care, farm sims, mafia control, word and puzzle games … the list of genres is endless.  But what is it that makes them so popular?  The fact that they are free?  They can be played with friends and strangers alike without need for a pricey membership?  They’re simple and easy to step away from without missing something?  I’d say all of the above and more!

These games do not come without the established community, either.  There are fan pages where players can get together and join each other (friend or stranger) as neighbors, crime family members, servants, etc, to help build your status, wealth and power.  The games aren’t all shallow and simple, either.  There can be complex, multi-level games with “add-ons” that expand your regular game play to new areas with matching abilities and items to find, win or purchase. 

Allow me to take one example that happens to be my favorite.  Mafia Wars, by Zynga.  In Mafia Wars, you are basically playing something along the lines of an rpg.  You do quests, known here as “jobs,” to gain experience, money, sometimes loot and eventually level up so you can do more complex jobs for bigger rewards.  Add to your party, or “mob” and you can take on even bigger jobs and puchase more powerful items.  It all sounds very complex and involved, but in reality, you have a set number of moves you can do per visit. 

You are limited to your actions based on your Energy, one of the three main components your actions are based upon.  The other two are Health (hit points) and Stamina (how many times you can fight).  Each time you gain a level of experience, you are awarded 5 points to distribute among these areas as well as two others, Attack and Defense.  But, back to Energy.  You may log in to play Mafia Wars, but how long you play in any particular session will usually depend on how much experience you have and what jobs you are doing to consume that energy.  If you have 100 Energy, and each job costs 25 energy to perform, then you are only going to play for 4 turns.  A turn, mind you, consists of simply clicking a single button.  There is no action to this particular game.  It’s text-based.  You read it, click a button and it displays the results of your actions. 

Maybe I’m not doing this game justice, but it really can become addicting.  The Mafia Wars game itself has seen two expansions.  One taking you to Cuba and the latest to Moscow, Russia.  Each has its own currency and jobs you must perform to expand your influence and outfit.  But this isn’t the only type of game.  If you aren’t into mobsters, you can be a hero, a dragon slayer, a race car driver, a band member looking for the perfect gig … the imagination is endless in these games!  You have to try it for yourself to really “get” it.  But you should at least try it once. 

This may not be the next generation of gaming, but it does give the casual player a bit more of a feeling of being a “gamer” and gets them involved in a large community of players that more hardcore people are already experiencing.  And, it also lets hardcore gamers step away from their shooters, action rpgs and hack n’ slash adventures to relax in a simpler world that doesn’t require as much button pushing and foul language.

It’s just fun.  And, really, isn’t that what gaming is all about?

Brewfest ‘09!

I’m only 4 days late, but in case you haven’t logged in or heard, by now, it’s Brewfest time in Azeroth!  That’s right, every alcoholic’s favorite holiday has come ‘round once again to the World of Warcraft.

Brewfest is based loosely on the Bavarian Oktoberfest.  It is celebrated between September 20th and October 4th of every year in Azeroth, outside the major cities of both factions.  The main event, including the various quests and games, are held outside Ironforge and Orgrimmar.  The official description for the event reads:

Celebrated by both the Horde and the Alliance, the Brewfest is a time to enjoy the fruits of the harvest: pretzels, cheese, and brew! The competing breweries Thunderbrew, Barleybrew, and the Ogres, all come together outside of all the major cities in a bid to outdo each other with their special ales, meads, and beers. Brave adventurers are invited to sit back, take a pull, and sample the finest wares these brewers have to offer!

Aside from free beers and ales, players can also compete in various quests to receive rewards (mounts, Brewfest gold coins, etc) and earn achievements.  For more detailed information on all events, check out the World of Warcraft’s official Brewfest Page.

As far as achievements go, there is a couple of news ones to go along with last years goals.  Wowhead has a nice Brewfest – Achievement page to go along with the event, as well as the usual comments from regular users to help one should you become confused, lost or just don’t understand what you need to do.

This years achievements include:

Strange Brew – “Drink the Brewfest Beers listed below.”  This quest, along with The Brewfest Diet, were the most frustrating to do the first day of the event.  There were so many people gathered around the vendors that you could hardly find the person to click on.  Even then, if you were lucky enough to get a coinbag and click, the items you needed, they would display a, “Item is Busy” error.

Brew of the Month – “Join the Brew of the Month club.”  This requires 200 Brewfest coins, which are earned through quests.

Direbrewfest – “Kill Coren Direbrew.”

Disturbing the Peace – “While wearing 3 pieces of Brewfest clothing, get completely smashed and dance in Dalaran.”  Again, this quest requires Brewfest coins to buy the various garments from vendors in Ironforge or Orgrimmar.

Have Keg, Will Travel – “Obtain a Brewfest mount, or transform yours into one using Brewfest Hops.”  If you can’t get a mount to drop from killing Coren Direbrew, then you have the option, this year, of buying Hops from a vendor.  These will automatically transform your own mount into something more … festive.  Of course, this will require Brewfest coins from quests.

The Brewfest Diet — “Eat 8 of the Brewfest foods listed below.”  See my comments concerning Strange Brew.

Drunken Stupor — “Fall 65 yards without dying while completely smashed during the Brewfest Holiday.”  Similar to the regular achievement of falling 65 yards without dying, except you have to get hella drunk and do it.

Down With The Dark Iron — “Defend the Brewfest camp from the Dark Iron attack and complete the quest, “This One Time, When I Was Drunk…”  This happens randomly, as far as I can tell.  The quest in question doesn’t pop up until AFTER the event is over.  Dark Iron Dwarves will start drilling up out of the ground in tunneling machines.  Once they do, go to a table, grab a refillable mug, drink and then chuck the mug at them by clicking on the mug.  It’ll hurl itself automatically.  This goes on for awhile, but once it is complete, look for the broken cog wheel laying on the ground with the exclaimation point over it.  It will give you the quest in question and you’ll then need to turn it in to the main events dude at the front of the vendors area.

Does Your Wolpertinger Linger? – “Obtain a Wolpertinger pet.”  This was my first and only achievement for Brewfest last year.  You can simply buy these from the vendors … for Brewfest coins, of course.

Brewfest is another great way that Blizzard keeps players entertained and involved in the game.  Social events such as this are an outstanding feature that allows for a nice change of gameplay, good interactions with guildmates and other attendees and lets you take a break from the usual grind of leveling or “end game” mechanics. 

So, put aside your leveling, save your rested xp and go grab a big old mug of ale from that Ogre over there.  It’ll be worth the hangover the next morning.  Oh, and as a side note, Drunken Vomiting is a channeled effect that leaves you dazed and immobile for a few seconds.  No, no I’m not making it up …

The Abyssal Maw

Without so much as a peep, that I’ve heard of, Blizzard updated their “Cataclysm” page September 14th with The Abyssal Maw.  Aside from lore and a little hint at what it could mean for “Cataclysm’s” story, there is nothing about what this content will be.  Of course, I’m guessing a raid instance.  Check it out for yourself to learn some good old Warcraft history.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm – The Abyssal Maw

The Shadow Complex “Controversy”

From Kotaku: “In Moral Debate About Shadow Complex, Both Sides Have Their Say”

To sum up a rant I could go on and on about, I’ll simply repost my reply to a message board thread pertaining to this:

I would do the same for a video game as I do a movie, television series, novel or anything else. Just because a movie may have an idiot actor that is a complete loon (Tom Cruise for example), doesn’t mean I won’t go see it. If it’s a good plot, has decent actors in it and the overall story catches my attention, I’m gonna blow some cash on it. Same for this game. If it catches my attention, is a game I will enjoy and replay, then I’ll buy it. You could argue anything against pretty much anyone, but honestly, this is a video game. Unless they allow you to bust into a home, grab a guy up out of his bed, drag him into the street and then blow his brains out while proclaiming you’re doing it because he’s gay … then I’m not going to hold the game company responsible for one man’s opinion or beliefs.

This whole agenda of different parties to draw attention to their "cause" is nothing new. You see it in politics all the time. But really … first it was "Don’t buy the game, it’s too violent." Then it was, "Don’t buy the game, it’s too addictive." Now its, "Don’t buy the game, the guy who wrote a novel it’s based on speaks out against gay rights." Please, a lot of damn folks need to get a life. Hell, I may go purchase and download the game just because of the controversy, which is what most people do anyways. So, actually, thanks to these folks speaking out, I figure the game will do better than it originally would have if they hadn’t said anything. Way to go!

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (In Which I Drool a Little)

Blizzard is hosting it’s annual Blizzcon event in Anehaim, California right now.  Today, Saturday, should be Day 2 … and already, on the first day of the event – yesterday – they made major announcements right off the bat.  I wonder, will they end the show with a bigger bang?  Is it too soon to bring out any information on their second mmo that is being kept under tight wraps?  I wish I knew.  To start off with major announcements such as Cataclysm and then end on a whimper would be kind of sad.

So, the biggest announcement so far is the new changes coming in the next (third) expansion pack for World of Warcraft.  Titled Cataclysm, the game will – by all means and measures – turn the virtual world upside down.  The official page has been launched with art, screenshots, trailer and faqs – all viewable by clicking here.

Just to post a bunch of stuff you’ve already seen, but that I want to post anyways because I enjoy it so much, here’s a rundown of the major selling points.

Two new Playable Races: Worgen (Alliance) and Goblins (Horde)

These aren’t the same Goblins we’re use to.  These are a race of creatures from a new island being revealed in the expansion.  So while they play for the Horde, they shouldn’t affect the normal Goblins of Booty Bay and Ratchet and so forth.  The Worgen we will be able to play are from the land of Gilneas, the people hidden behind the Graymane wall all this time.  Can’t wait to play these.

Level Cap Increased to 85

5 new levels to grind through.  Joy! 

New Race/Class Combinations

An awesome deal that’s been a long time coming.  You can now have that human hunter or tauren warlock?

Archaeology a New Profession

Always need new professions.  Where’s my woodworking at?  I could make totems and bows and whatnot!

New PvP & Rated Battlegrounds

Not big on any of this.  I’m not a PvP, BG or raiding person, myself.

Guild Advancement

Sort of interested in learning more about this.  “Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.”  I get the feeling, though, that there are going to be some high-strung and bitchy guilds out there due to this change.  They are going to be extremely picky and pushy and I look for some folks to be guildless or maybe even find it hard to be recruited into a guild.

Classic Zones Remade / New High-Level Zones

Familiar zones in the old worlds are getting overhauls.  Some are even being split in two and having their level requirements raised.  I know there is no “specific” level requirements for zones, but I mean on a mob-type level.  For instance, the Barrens is being split in two.  One area will be the normal level and the other will be for higher level players with new content. 

As for the other new higher level zones, new parts of the world will be opened.  Uldum, Grim Batol and the Sunken City of Vashj’ir.

More Raid Content than Ever Before

Like I said, no big raider here.

Flying Mounts in Azeroth

With all the new content their adding, all the new areas, there is now either a complete world to fly around in, or it is all going to be “phased” or instanced, like several areas in Northrend with the Wrath release.  They have already admitted that they haven’t decided if or what the restrictions on flying will be, so for all we know right now, unless they go in and overhaul the entire world, we may not even be able to fly over certain mountains or go over particular areas for one reason or another.  “No Fly Zones,” if you will

So yeah, I’m extremely excited about this expansion and can not wait!  Too bad they didn’t even release a date for it.  I’d like to think it will be this year, but I highly doubt it.  Early next year if we’re lucky, or knowing Blizzard, it might be still a year or more away. 

All we can do, as with any Blizzard product, is … yup, you guess it … wait.