Rick's blog

My son and I have been having an absolute blast in the Warzones.  I highly recommend everybody spend some time getting the feel for them.  All three of the scenarios offer different strategies and tactics, each is different from the other two, and I think all are VERY well-balanced.  That doesn't mean I win half the time--it means I always feel like I'm contributing and competitive.

I encourage everybody to read the following two forum posts.  Very educational.

Resolve Guide

Huttball 101

Phil--do you greatly prefer your Shadow, or do you enjoy the Commando (as Healer) enough to catch up?  If you like the Commando, maybe you and I can do some playing this week if you have the time to get caught up with the other two.  If you really prefer Fajio, I'll have to consider going healing spec.  One of us has to be a full-time healer for the Boss fights.  Your thoughts?

I would like to know how many (or if any) people would like to commit to a weekly SW:TOR game.  We can work out the details (level caps/classes/time/days/etc) once we find out who is interested (or if anybody is interested).  If we have more than four, we can set-up multiple groups and combine them when we get to raid content (8 or 16 man groups).

Please respond to this post if you are interested in participating.

I'm working on Synthweaving, Archeology, and Underworld Trading with my Consular.  I will probably have the time (while at work) to provide pretty good armor to Jedi-types (Heavy, Medium, and Light). 

My I commend these to you:

http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers

In particular, watch the two trailers of class combat: Jedi Knight vs. Bounty Hunter and Trooper vs. Sith Inquisitor.

I gave in and played a lot over this weekend. I have advanced a Consular to 10th and tried out one of the two Advanced Classes. The game continues to impress. I entered one Battlezone, a PvP instance which is inside a Casino-like structure, with ramps, fire traps, acid pools and a Ball in the middle. Both sides zerg to the middle and try and score a "goal" by taking the ball to the other side and scoring. You can throw the ball (it's a clickable ability like any other power) to teammates and it can be intecepted by the enemy. There is full combat, no restrictions. Powers in Star Wars are far more interesting than WoW powers at 10th level.

There are really only two questions you should ask yourself when deciding whether or not to give the game a try. Do you like the Star Wars mythos? And do you have any further interest in the MMO game model? If the answer is, "Yes, if the game is good enough," then don't hesitate. Get the game.

I have played a Jedi Consular for about 4 hours now and have a pretty good idea of how Star Wars The Old Republic will play.  I'm bound by the NDA, so can't discuss specifics, but here are a few general impressions.

1. Polished.  Amazingly so.  I'd heard bad things about the game from other beta testers, so I was pleasantly surprised to play a game that seemed months past release.  The only problems I encountered were the initial queues when the beta went live.  No server lag, no game bugs, nothing to complain about on a technical front.

2. Pretty.  The art is very appealing.  Somehow it captures both the cartoon feel of WoW and a more realistic style I really like. Animations are nothing special, but fun and help create the illusion of force powers and abilities.

3. Easy.  There is nothing challenging about the game at all, in the early going.

4. Standard.  Game structure, development, and style is pure traditional MMO fare.  There is nothing new in the underbelly of the game that I encountered.

5. High quality.  The quest presentation is the best I've ever seen in any MMO.  Period.  No comparison.  You'll see why when you play.

This looks pretty interesting--nothing unique or original, but interesting:

http://reckoning.amalur.com/

I came across three new videos for Skyrim--well worth watching... this game looks amazing...

http://elderscrolls.com/

At the risk of being forever banned from Guild Avatar, I found this little clip extremely amusing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkkYHH7oYp4&NR=1

Here is a map of Rift Dungeon locations.

If you have not seen this one season anime, and you have Netflix, I highly recommend it.  26 23 minute episodes, and it is a complete story.  I am no expert and have not seen that many anime, but this is my favorite, by far.  Yes, it's based on The Seven Samurai, so if you are familiar with that movie or it's Hollywood remake, The Magnificent Seven, you are familiar with the plot.  However, there is enough Anime influence to create much that, at least for me, was new.  It was funny, heartbreaking, exciting, and features excellent animation and voice acting.  The characters are the main reason for viewing, and I envy anybody who has not yet seen it.

One disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of the Western, so I was predisposed to like it.  That aside, I'm pretty sure most people who like Samurai Anime will enjoy it.

They replaced my motherboard, video card, and cmos battery, free, all under warranty.  Sheesh.  Runs great, Rift on Ultra is smooth as glass.  Interestingly, the computer runs much cooler while dealing with graphics intensive applications.

This is all of most interest to my wife, who gets her computer back.  Be happy for her...

Here is what I consider the best Soul Tree Calculator.

I just talked with Noble Fist and they are excited to run the Shroud with us--tonight!  They are expecting us at 9 and are east coasters, so--assuming everybody is happy with this and will be here tonight--it would be good if we get started as close to on-time as we can.  If you know you can't make it, will be late, or don't wish to do this, please post as soon as you can.

See you tonight.

So we've been without a 6th man for quite some time now.  We have a player, Chris, who would probably join us in that spot if he had a character to play.  Also, adventures at our level have gotten a bit... unenjoyable lately.

Does anybody think forming a new 6 man group with Chris and playing that group on Sundays in addition to/instead of the high levels would be fun?  I have no agenda here, merely tossing out something that might not have been considered.  I'm happy to keep playing Valtar, but I thought Chris might appreciate getting in on the fun, and everybody else might enjoy a new role.

This is in no way intended to exclude Mel; if he returns we can alternate groups so he can play his Cleric, or he can play in the alternate group if anybody else doesn't want to participate, or we can take turns rotating with him.

To be clear, I'm talking about a dedicated group who play together and stay on the same quests, with each role taken by one of us: healer, tank, caster, rogue, and two others (hopefully a Bard will be one of them!).

If people are too burned out on DDO, no worries.  Just a thought.

So DDO is still fun once a week, but I've been finding myself wishing there was something else on the horizon a few of us could agree on and play once a week or so. Possible choices are Aion, Star Trek Online, Warhammer, Conan, LOTRO, or EQ2. None are particularly appealing, and I know Phil, Doug, and Griffon all have multiple committments already, so this may not inspire any interest. I know a couple of people weren't too impressed with Lotro as a solo game, but I thought it had real potential for a regular full group once a week.

...or whichever seasonal festivity you prefer!

...no Reincarnation. Here's the scoop:

http://www.ddo.com/ddogameinfo/developer-diaries/709-a-letter-to-players...

We will be trying to get an extra game going to get Borrin and Obsidean some experience. I plan to play my Paladin, and if he's able to play Mike will probably bring his Ranger. If you can join us, the time is 9pm on Wednesday, 10/14.