Dizzarian.com

News :: Upgrade this... Month :P

2008-06-27T19:52:46+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: Upgrade this... Month :P
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:52 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 8

Starting today I will begin work on upgrading us to a new version of PHPBB. During this time time there may be outages, the site may look funny or any other hosts of problems. I'm just one man and I have a RL so I can't do this all at once or set up lots of test sites etc I just need to do it when I can.

Why? good question. Spammers are running wild here lately. At first they were simple bots that posted so I created hurdles so they had to actually be a human an register. Well they kept coming and actually registered and such. So I put up spam word filters for new users, but they kept coming so I started looking in phpbb 3.

With the new version we will have a few new features to help us fight them. First we will have a reporting feature so that anyone will be able to report a post as a problem. Next we will be able to have a moderation queue so that we can choose if we want to allow a post before it has been posted. I'm hoping some of these new features will allow us to easily control the spamming here.

There's a lot of other really good features along with this so if you're interested check them out here http://www.phpbb.com/about/features/

Update: it's safe to continue posting here for another week or so. This was a much bigger and badder project than I anticipated. I need to do a lot more research and test before going live with it. I'll keep everyone up to date on how it's going
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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: Integrated voice chat coming to EQ2

2008-06-25T13:11:41+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: Integrated voice chat coming to EQ2
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:11 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 3

I'll be interested to see if this will replace our vent server or not. It has a lot of potential to be sure

http://blog.gregsplace.com/2008/06/integrated-voice-chat-coming-
soon-to.html

Quote: I'm very excited that this week we're rolling out an update to the Test Server that will include our integrated voice chat. This feature is due for release with GU47 in about a month. Pushing an update to Test this early is something we don't do very often, but for a feature of this magnitude, we want the community to have plenty of time to try it out and give us feedback.

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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: War is coming

2008-05-16T16:14:22+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: War is coming
Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:14 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 6

Eve is about to go to war, they have a great new site here that explains it all.

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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: Warhammer - Living Guilds

2008-05-08T13:37:30+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: Warhammer - Living Guilds
Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:37 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 16

oh.. I just got excited about this game

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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: Vanguard - A Melee soloer's look at levels 1-25

2008-01-14T15:58:06+00:00

Author: Amokk
Subject: Vanguard - A Melee soloer's look at levels 1-25
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:58 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 5

Over the weekend I hit the midway point in Adventure levels, the magic 25. While this may mean I am 50% of the way to the level cap I know I am not 50% of the way done the game. Far from it. I don't think I have even scratched the surface. SO what has the first 25 levels been like? LEt me just say I am goinf to subscribe to VG.

Vanguard - First Contact
I played VG when it was first released. Rico was big on it and even Dizz was liking it quite a bit. And with Liithe playing I figured might as well try it. Of course I had no idea beyond melee what class to play so I did like alway and became an alt-a-holic. Bit of a mistake on my part. I ended up with 6 characters all around 8-10 in level and no clear winner. I liked them all. Rico kept saying play till 14 or so, the class will come alive then. Nice idea but when you can't decided between this awesome class and that awesome class its kinda hard. I tried the crafting and it just seemed so tedious boring. I pushed on but EQ2 ended up calling me back. Thus my first venture in VG was a dismal failure.

Fate Intervenes
Rico kept saying how good a game it was, just a couple of smart patches to fix the big stuff then watch out. After a few months Sony actually went forward with the updates Rico had been hoping for. Just before Christmas he started praising all the fixes. Vanguard was a whole new game. Guess Sony felt the same way because they offered a free month for returning gamers. Fate or whatever, it was around this time I cancelled my EQ2 sub. Even after the expansion with just me in game, the rest of the guild on hiatus it got boring. So with Rico praising the changes and with Dizzarian back in VG I figured what the heck, nothing to lose with the free month.

Vanguard - The Second Voyage
Of course I log in to all my alts with no idea how to play them. It was here I had my first big decision. Keep playing my old characters and try to relearn or pull the trigger on one of them and delete and start over. Along with this decision I also had to settle on a class. I knew from last time that playing all the classes would only end up driving me nuts. So I visited TenTonHammer and read up on the classes. I knew caster class was out. I love big damage but hate paper bag armor. I don't mind ranged but prefer up close and personal. I also love pets. This narrowed the field down quite a bit but still left me wanting to play all the classes I had before. But with Rico's words in my head about playing to 14 I persevered and chose Shaman for the class that would be my main. With heals and medium armor they can take the beating I want. they melee as well as cast so I have some ranged ability. And of course they get a pet. Covered all my desires.

Out In The World
With class chosen and created I ventured forth once again into the VG world. As before the quest were plentiful. They moved me along in the direction of higher levels and new areas very smoothly. The world is gorgeous. Grass blows in the wind, trees sway, the water looks awesome. The mobs were varied and cool to fight. Progress seemed slower than EQ2 but that could just be me. One of the best parts was the free flying mount we got for the Christmas season. Randolf enabled me to go places fast and do some things I could not have done without him. I miss him. But I digress. Right off the bat Shaman seemed the right choice. I pulled with spells then wacked away with my hammer. I felt good, powerful. But never got cocky because there was alway a mob waiting around the corner to put you in your place.

As I leveled one nice thing became evident. In EQ2 you zoned from area to area as you leveled. Everywhere you went you zoned. This made the world in EQ2 seem chunky rather than huge. In Vaguard you zone from continent to continent but that is it. The whole continent you are on is one big area, no zoning as you go. This combined with the fact that while running around I could possibly enter a zone of higher level mobs made the world a very big and scary place. Imagine being a level 15 and coming over a hill and finding level 25 mobs. Of course this brings the death penalty into play. Up to level 10 death meant little but after 10 it means you die you run to your tombstone to recover XP and items. At first I was afraid this might deter me from playing but so far it has not. It can be a pain but that is part of the game.

Thru the first few levels I mostly adventured. I remembered the crafting system and was a little wary of trying it again. But I did take up harvesting. Might as well do it from the start because it levels with you. So I became a lumberjack and Quarryer. Harvesting in VG once you get use to it is fun. You just have to realize where stuff can be found and that some areas are barren.

I should also mention at this point the Aurora Spirits. This is the Guild Rico was in and has become the Dizzarian's home in VG. I could not want for a better bunch of people. Everyone is very helpful and friendly. Yay is simply outstanding and has done so much for me that I can never repay. Mind you he is a slave driver as far as harvesting.

Level 14
On my way to level 14 I had been trying to decide which way to take my Shaman. At 14 he does a quest to get is patron. Bear = Tanking, Wolf = Tank/DPS/Speed, Phoenix - DPS/Caster. Phoenix while cool was caster and that is not me. Bear seemed the popular choice because the pet can tank so well. The wolf had taken some nerfage and seemed the runt. But it did offer a runspeed boost and stealth at level 26. So after much reading I became a Rakurr Shaman. With the wolf at my side I suddenly became uber. Or at least more powerful. Like Rico said play the class to 14 or so, that is when they start to shine. And he was right.

Crafting
With level 14 finally reached I decided I had avoided Crafting long enough. Since Ogek was a level 8 Outfitter I decided to go a different route and to Artificer with the idea of eventually Carpenter and then Shipbuilder. So I started with the Crafting Quests and started off making stuff. I am not entirely sure what they did to the crafting system because it looks basically the same but it is no longer tedious and boring. Progress can be slow but the system has definitely had a rework since I tried it last. The options are nearly mindboggling when you get into the recipes. I can add dust and orbs to items to add attributes to something. A weapon can have say extra health or energy depending on the dust I add in. Also even at lower levels I feel as if I am accomplishing something. Again in EQ2 other than my guys making spells for my alts crafting seemed useless. In VG you can make stuff from early on that people want. So the crafting system has really improved.

Onward and upward to level 25
Whew! Getting to be a long post. Hope there is no word limit. hehe
Anyway, with level 25 over the weekend I am one level away from the next big step for my Shaman. At 26 I get a couple of cool spells. Levitate which I have no idea what it could do for me other than look cool. And Stealth which will hopefully come in as handy as it has in past games. Especially if I get killed deep behind enemy lines. hehe

Looting
Guess I should mention the loot system as it has some cool features. First off quests are providing some very nice armor for me atm. So what becomes of the loot I find on mobs? Typically you hope to sell it on the AH otherwise you sell to a vendor for coin. But in VG you have another option. You deconstruct it into the components required to craft it then you can use those components to make something else.

Cool items
I almost forgot. I have a house and a sloop!!! You don't just buy a house in VG. You buy the plot and then you gather the materials for the house and build it. Same with the Sloop. Again thanks to Aurora Spirits and Yay I have both well before I would have had them.

Conclusion
Vanguard has come a long way since I tried it many months ago. It has pulled me in and kept me amused for the month and probably a lot longer. Being in the Aurora Spirits is probably a big part of the fun VG has been. So far I have been able to solo my way to 25 without a problem. Sure I may have gotten here faster in groups but I just find it easier to solo. Then I can come and go as I please when RL intervenes.
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"This is a test of the Pure Bezerker Lifestone Confirmation System. The Lifestone is STILL there. This concludes the test."

My multitude of Characters

News :: SOE bought out, moving to India

2007-12-23T04:43:29+00:00

Author: heartless_
Subject: SOE bought out, moving to India
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:43 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 2

Put your tinfoil hats on.

Quote: Apparantly, Zapak Digital entertainment, an India-based online gaming company, is set to buy out Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for around $300 million.

This acquisition is in line with the future plans of Zapak Digital, which is planning to enter the gaming space in China by early next year. This makes perfect sense for us, as around 80% of content in the gaming industry is manufactured internationally. Buying out Sony, will not only give us access but also expand our reach in the global market, said a senior Zapak Official.

Zing!
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http://hgamer.blogspot.com

News :: best mmo of 2007

2007-12-16T16:36:01+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: best mmo of 2007
Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:36 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 10

Alright time for our own little best of poll for 2007. my qualifications for getting on this list is that the game had to be new or had a major expansion released this year.

Please feel free to give your opions and runner ups, this could be a fun discussion.
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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: WARNING -Do Not Upgrade to Trinity

2007-12-06T06:35:32+00:00

Author: Zonomar Xisle
Subject: WARNING -Do Not Upgrade to Trinity
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:35 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 4

It may erase your boot.ini (happenned to me - luckily I checked alliance message board to learn this).

Back the file up first - then go ahead.

*update - seems to be just the client upgrade on XP - ok to do ful install

http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=651679

News :: Killer Pumpkin Man On the Loose

2007-10-11T19:18:20+00:00

Author: heartless_
Subject: Killer Pumpkin Man On the Loose
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:18 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 1

That picture was annoying. Halloween is over
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http://hgamer.blogspot.com

News :: toyota wow comercial

2007-10-08T13:51:04+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: toyota wow comercial
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:51 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 1

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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: Tabula Rasa Delayed

2007-10-03T02:32:02+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: Tabula Rasa Delayed
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:32 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 5

Wow last minute delay for Tabula Rasa.

Quote: Many of you have heard my mantra for game development: "Stable, Fast, Fun. In that order." We need a little more time to make that happen.

To this end we are moving our Pre-Order headstart date to 10/30/07 and our commercial service start date to 11/2/07. This short but critical amount of time will give us time to address several issues including stability and balance as well as allowing our players to test the continent of Ligo (L38+) and our major changes to crafting for a few weeks rather than a few days. Our entire development staff feels this extra time is needed as does our beta community. We feel confident that this extra time will make a difference on launch day.

That said we are excited about launching the game and moving into a "live" environment where the entire future of the AFS is ahead of us. Expect more posts from Richard Garriott, Paul Sage, and other dev staff over the next few days as they discuss plans for elder content and content updates both long and short term. One of us will also be posting to the website every Friday in order to directly address your feedback, which you can submit via the Feedback Form found here on the RGTR.com website.

See you in game as we wrap up this final leg of testing and get ready for the end-of-beta blow out!

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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: Players crashing WoW servers

2007-08-28T03:53:47+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: Players crashing WoW servers
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:53 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 1

Amazing, a new bug is crashing wow servers left and right and now that it's public people are doing it on all servers. reported by gameriot

Quote: Players of World of Warcraft have discovered an exploit that allows them to crash any realm in WoW, and they are now wreaking havoc on all servers. The exploit crashes the main worlds and all instances associated with the realm, including dungeon and arena servers.

There has been no information coming from blizzard on this and it will be interesting to see how long it will take them to respond. Everyone always says they are polished and reliable but are they fast? It's not like it's hard to cause this crash either. All it is is something like having a level 70 character form a team and do some log outs and joining and boom no more server (see comments at gameriot).
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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: No Conan this year

2007-08-10T15:37:24+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: No Conan this year
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:37 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 0

Well surprise or not it's delayed till March 25, 2008

Quote: We naturally regret that we have to push back Age of Conan. However, after careful consideration, and analysis of recent Beta feedback, we believe that the new release date is in the best interest of the gamers, our company and our owners, said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. We are fully committed to delivering games with absolute qualities, and in the current MMO marketplace we know that only the best is good enough to truly succeed. With the new release date we have therefore given ourselves more time to meet and deliver on the massive expectations for the game. We are certain that our choice will ultimately pay off, and that all Age of Conan players will get a special online experience."

Hmm beta feedback caused the push back? Intersting I guess that it's partially because of microsoft. Also this is good though maybe Funcom learned from their pre-release of Anarchy Online. Another intertesting side note is that it's a specific, definite date that's over 6 months in the future that's pretty unusual in the MMO world.
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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: EQ1-2 Free Online Card Game

2007-08-04T16:41:40+00:00

Author: dizzarian
Subject: EQ1-2 Free Online Card Game
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:41 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 12

This rather shocking.. SOE is going to be releasing an in game and out of game card game for free. Not only that but there will be in game items that are available through the cards and you will be able to buy booster packs and such if you so desire.

http://legendsofnorrath.station.sony.com/

Quote: EverQuest® and EverQuest®II Interactivity: Catered specifically for the EverQuest and EverQuest II gamer, Legends of Norrath has been specially designed to work both with and within your existing EQ and EQII games. Launch LON from either game or individually via the stand alone client.

Earn EQ and EQII In-Game Special Rewards: Earn special loot cards from Legends of Norrath including mounts, potions, baubles, cloaks and more! Redeem these cards for your in-game loot items and deck out your EQ and EQII character.

Single-Player Campaigns or PVP: Test your skills against a sophisticated, re-playable AI system and earn special reward cards by completing campaigns or challenge players all over the world in online game lobbies where you can play both casual games and high-level tournaments.

Sophisticated Online Play: Featuring tools perfected through five previous collectable trading games, utilize the Deck Builder, Collection Manager, Trade Lobby, Tournament Lobby and numerous Casual Games Lobbies where you can find opponents any time of the day or night.

Multiple Ways to Win: Win by completing a series of four quests or reduce the health of your opponent's avatar to zero. Be the best ultimate strategic mastermind as you choose your path towards victory.

Original Fantasy Artwork: Featuring original interpretations by experienced fantasy artists, players of EverQuest and EverQuest II will find themselves reacquainted with legendary EverQuest and EverQuest II characters, creatures, locations, and items. In addition, witness new avatars and minions introduced for the very first time.

I'm impressed and surprised by this, not for sure how it will all play out but should be a welcome diversion.
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The Defenders in EQ2

News :: I know a lot of us are bored... so here!

2007-07-11T20:31:28+00:00

Author: heartless_
Subject: I know a lot of us are bored... so here!
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:31 pm (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 7

I know a lot of us are bored... so here, go play one of these 4,000 games!

Quote: Twin Galaxies, the as-official-as-it-gets record keepers of the videogame realm, recently printed a revised edition of its Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. The tome details 4,000 arcade games with current high scores for each one. Gamer Rocky Howard is convinced many of those records are there simply because no one can be bothered to find the arcade machine to play (emulated game scores are not allowed). As a result, Rocky's new life goal is to play every game listed to see how "feasible the scores listed are", then seek out the arcade machines to have his name plastered throughout the book.

Enjoy.
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