a group of adventurers on an epic quest
I only recently started playing a Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. I just logged out after spending time in Thorin’s Hall. Simply amazing. I can’t say enough about how beautiful this place is. I grabbed some screenshots to share, even though my graphics settings were not as high as they could be. I still think it looks fantastic.
Up first is the view from the courtyard outside. You can see Thorin’s Hall up the stairs to the right.
I am taking the weekend off, so instead I direct you to one of our dear friends, the most influential blogger on the internet, who explains why these here tubes are so full. Excerpt:
For a mere moment, think about that. No web. And they don’t care.
As a note, a similar analysis applies to goldfarmers. “Americans are too lazy to play their games, and they will pay me to do it for them?” Yes, Americans will pay you to help destroy the games they play. Who cares if you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? You can get a lot of gold while it is alive, and people keep breeding those geese. Apparently, we think it is a feature not a bug if you can reach up the goose and just yank eggs out. Keep reaching further, and if you yank out a vital organ, well, there will be Yet Another Fantasy MMORPG published in a few weeks.
Has anything helped the gold sales industry more than WoW mount prices? The World Bank wishes it could cause as much money to be sent to the developing world as WoW does.
A few people at IMGDC asked me about my background, and a few others I have met recently at some other events wanted to know what I have worked on. My answer is usually “nothing you have ever heard of”, but I *have* been around for a long time, just under the radar. But really…what have I worked on? What the hell was I doing in the early 90s? What is so amusing?
Continue reading ‘Turning on the wayback machine…for your amusement!’
Since I already have one topic going about the changes to the most popular healers in WoW today, I thought I’d take a different angle to it - i.e. fix instead of nerf. The main reason Paladins (and Shammies and Druids to a lesser, more specific extent) are the main healers is they simply have a better healing tree. So I’m going to try my very amateur hand at redesigning the Holy and Disc trees. This will be a bumpy ride. More after the cut.
Another example of the ugly side of MMOs just occurred.
In World of Warcraft, a member of a guild is claiming his brother was one of the victims at Virginia Tech. He announced that he is taking over his brother’s character and that the one thing his brother wished for was to have a mount. Therefore, this “person” is asking for donations to buy one. Now, if true I certainly feel for him and his family. But why would you turn your grief into asking people for gold? Even if I believed him, I think that action is way out of line. I assume this guy is using a tragic event for a personal gain and it makes me sick. Worse yet, the guild is pooling funds for this guy. If I was in that guild, I’d be so out of there. But maybe that’s just me.
- Ethic
I have seen several posts and received several messages about that lawyer from Florida. Fox even gave him air time. I encourage you to deal with him as you would any other troll. Ignoring the bad eggs and blocking them from your life is the only way to make them go away.
This is the opposite of Voldemort. Saying his name grants him more power (publicity). Resist the urge. Don’t feel the need to mention every time the monkeys at the zoo fling poo — that is just what monkeys do.
: Zubon
Over at Tobold’s place. Check it out.
If I can recommend a mini-game variant from A Tale in the Desert: actually craft the item. If you are a blacksmith, you get a blob of metal and a hammer. Go nuts. Some players worked out how to make pretty good shovel heads in 10 seconds or less; other people specialized in getting that last bit of quality out of tapping the metal into just the right shape. You could determine the output by the final shape created or have a set “perfect shape” for a pre-picked output and determine item quality by its similarity to that Platonic ideal.
: Zubon
Hail adventurers! I have a task I need done, but alas I am unable to do it myself. You see, my feet have become permanently connected to the ground here where I stand. I would be so very thankful if you could help me out. Are you too busy to help? No? Good. Oh yes, I do have a reward for you should you complete my task well, but first let me tell you what I need.
I am gathering information about the great heroes that travel through my little town. What I need is for you to gather up the story or make a sketch of one of these brave guardians of our lands. Perhaps even you qualify? I will choose one of the many tales or sketches that will hopefully be shared with me by you and the other adventurers willing to help. The best will be rewarded.