Sunday, February 17, 2008

What Else Am I Playing?

One of my favorite subjects is to talk about the games I'm playing. You are probably all doing the same thing amongst your friends. I used to write this kind of thing in Livejournal, but to tell you the truth, alot of those friends are not all that interested in what anyone is playing unless it involves Alterac Valley and really outdated graphics.

In a previous post I wrote that I was spending time in Tabula Rasa, but that has slowed almost as quickly as the frenzy began. I want to give it another shot, but I'm not sure if I have the time. I have to choose my gaming time wisely, as I have to balance a career, a wife, and pair of dogs. I just can't do 12 hour gaming binges like I used to, and this is the kind of game that requires that kind of attention from someone like me who is on the fence. I either have to jump with both feet in, or just get out of the pool altogether.

I still play EVE Online from time to time. They really nailed it with the offline training, because I feel like I'm still getting somewhere even if I'm not actively logging in and playing every day. I moved on from mining in that game and decided it was time to do some ratting and got myself up to L3 missions in a battleship. While it's enjoyable, I am going to hit a wall if I don't start pvping in that game exclusively. The battleships are very slow, and for the most part I jump into instances and just sit there firing guns, I don't even bother trying to fly around anymore, it's kind of sad and boring when you do that.

I don't know why, but I do like to play some Maple Story from time to time. I think it's my console playing roots coupled with the facination of reading that these people have to say in chat all the time. The game is very simple but cute, and it's not much more than a platformer game with leveling, but the level carrot is enough to keep me playing so far. I'll be interested to see how Free Realms measures up in the free mmo space against a huge game like this, because it has better graphics and more social stuff (I can't tell you much more! I think they have some good info on it here: http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/sony-online-whimsical-mmo-untitled/845023p1.html).

I've also been playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero III just like everyone else in the universe, but I have to admit I'm heard Maps one too many times now, and I think I might snap if I hear it again. Part of the problem is I used to share an office with Greg Spence, one of our programmers who is really into the game. So much into the game that he bought a real $800.00 electronic drum kit and modded it to work with his 360. Between him and Josh in the next office to us, I would pretty much hear about these two games every day for the past year now. On top of that, SOE has these games running at just about every event we have for some reason, and it's become the defacto replacement for Karaoke, so I hear the songs even when I'm not playing them at home, or hearing them at work, or going by as people show youtube videos of their performances, ect...

Warbook on Facebook has a space in my gaming mind for some reason as well. I generally don't like web based number games like this, but I consistently log in every day and make sure my kingdom isn't being ravaged. Generally, it is being ravaged, because I picked a really crappy class (necro) unknowingly, and I'm too stubborn to start over as a visionary with 8 (EIGHT!!) times the defense capability. Why the developers made a class that essentially no one will attack, I will never know. All I know is that when I go to pick kingdoms to conquer, 9 out of 10 of them are visionaries and I can't damage them.

That's it for now, I need to run to the store. My JL 10W0 subwoofer exploded a couple weeks ago, and now I have to buy my first subwoofer in like 8 years. I have no idea who or what is good now lol.

5 comments:

Nick McLaren said...

"I have to choose my gaming time wisely, as I have to balance a career, a wife, and pair of dogs. I just can't do 12 hour gaming binges like I used to"

DUDE! I can completely relate, except of course I have a pair of kitties and one dog, but STILL! My WoW-addicted friends think I'm insane that I don't play WoW and can only squeeze in maybe 2-4 hours per WEEK of EQ2.

Btw, I only *just* bought Guitar Hero III for my PS3 this weekend and am loving it, but I'm late to the game so I'll spare you the raving. Let's just say that I have my work cut out for me if I'm to get better at it =)

Steve Kramer (a.k.a. Saavedra) said...

Yeah, I have to admit the physical gymnastics of actually playing guitar hero takes some getting used to.

Nick McLaren said...

Yeah, but it really IS an amazing game! Now, you know what I would like to see? I'd like to see a special "professional edition" that utilizes a real guitar interface =) I would pay a couple hundred for that.. maybe not the $800 that Greg spent on his drum-kit, but definitely up to $200... assuming I could use my Ibanez. =)

Nick McLaren said...

As another update to my earlier comment..

This week... 2 hours EQ2, 3 hours GH3.. LOL!

Maybe if you made crafting a rhythm game.... *evil grin* LOL! =)

I laugh, but in a sense, it kind of IS.. Except when the lag mucks with your beat =)

Nick McLaren said...

No sooner do I make that comment of "real guitar interface" and Raph posts a link to THIS on his blog, discovered at GDC.

My interest is peaked.. Looks a little tough to read quickly with it's current UI, but I'm sure it will suffer through several iterations before release.