Hardcore Casual

Goodbye and Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Any regular readers out there must know something is up.

First, I call out Blizzard.

Then, I start talking about other games.

It has been almost three weeks since I last wrote about the game. (Aside form that letter, of course)

I must admit, my interest in the game is at an all-time low. As such, there is very little to write about. Sure, starting next week, I'll have LOTS to post about Aion. But, I feel it would be a bad move to take a WoW blog and switch focus to a different game. Going back and forth between the two is just going to confuse and upset people.

So, this will be my final post here on Hardcore Casual.

Fear not! I am not disappearing.

I have started a more general-purpose blog, Massive Nerd. There I will write about many subjects, including Aion and, yes, I will still post about WoW.

To those who are only looking for Warcraft coverage, that's cool. There's a whole list of blogs off to the left that are worth your time. I'm not making this switch to increase readership. Hell, I'll probably LOSE readers. I'm doing this for myself. I wish to explore other aspects of writing and creativity.

To all my loyal readers, both of you, thank you for your support. I enjoy interacting with the community more than the writing itself, and you guys have hooked me on blogging. I hope to see most (or all!) of you at my new home.

See you, Space Cowboy

Machinima Monday: Into Divinity

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Oh boy, some of you are going to hate me for this.

Hardcore Casual presents... its first Aion Machinima.

A nicely edited video showing off some of the low-level gameplay available in the second Closed Beta event, which had a level cap of 10.

Nerd Life Movie Review: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Allow me to start with the simple: This is NOT a good movie.

That being said, you should still see it.

The story is a complete mess. Way more complicated than it needed to be. As such, the middle portion of the movie drags on for waaaay too long. Then, once everything comes together, there isn't enough time to give the final battle the screentime it deserves. The whole final few scenes feel very rushed.

In the end, it doesn't really matter, we're all here to see giant robots, Megan Fox and/or BAYSPLOSIONS!

In all the chaos, unfortunately, many of the Transformers get lost. Megatron and Starscream get much more characterization in this movie, but the rest of the Decepticons are just cannon fodder. The filmmakers reused many models for different characters, and some are even characterless drones.

The Autobots fare little better. Optimus Prime returns to his 80s-era awesomeness. Bumblebee, Ratchet and Ironhide are all just... there. Arcee and ideswipe are very cool in the few scenes they're in, and Jolt is a complete ghost for almost the entire film. The only new bots in the movie that get any screentime are Skids and Mudflap, the Twins. I must admit, I didn't hate them as much as I thought I would. They are, however, still stupid and annoying. The point of having immature characters is to watch them grow over the course of the story. They're idiots at the beginning, and still idiots at the end. Also, for characters created to appeal to kids, they're language is nothing that I would want to expose my kids to. The way they talk fits the characters, sure, but be warned if you take your little ones.

Aside from Optimus' nerdgasm-inducing scenes, the only bots to stand out are Wheelie and Jetfire. Wheelie is a fun little character that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Jetfire, an old Cybertronian hiding on Earth for ages is also a blast. His difficulty transforming and "old man" talk and thought process mirrors the audience's own confusion with the storyline.

As for the human characters... who cares? Most of the cast is acceptable. Nothing bad, nothing great. Sam's parents are funny in their scenes. John Turturro's Agent Simmons COMPLETELY steals every scene he's in. I will say that Shia LeBouf nailed his "Allspark freakout" scenes, though.

So, all this talk about story and acting. What about the ACTION?

Optimus Prime... holy crap. Every scene he's in is so mindblowingly awesome, your eyes will vomit from being overwhelmed. Bring buckets.

Lots of other great fight scenes, BAYSPLOSIONS abound. The effects are unimaginably amazing. You see every freaking gear on the Transformers. They feel real. Devastator is a marvel of modern special effects, with more moving parts than a carnival. Unfortunately, the character is very underutilized. Again, a warning for the parents: This movie is very violent. Sure, they're CGI robots, but some of the scenes can be a little intense.

So, again, is it a good movie? No
Is it a bit too long? Yes
Is it worth your time and money? Absolutely

Nerd Life Mid-Week: A True Hero

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:15:00 +0000

"A True Hero" or "Everthing I Know About Being a Man I Learned from Optimus Prime"

Two years ago, some kid sat in a movie theater, bouncing up and down, clapping his hands when Optimus Prime first appeared on screen.

That kid was me.

Inside every grown man beats the heart of an 8-year-old.

Transformers were not just a part of my childhood, they WERE my childhood. The series premiered on American TV during my formative years. If you do not understand just how awesome cars, trucks and planes turning in to giant robots and doing battle is, I feel very sorry for you. To a very young child in the 80s, life could not have been any better.

The first true hero I ever worshiped was the leader of the brave Autobots, Optimus Prime.

He was strong, brave, intelligent, honorable, dependable and selfless. As a young boy growing up without a father, Optimus Prime was everything I needed in my life.

At the age of 5, I was treated with a trip to see Transformers: The Movie in theaters. Early on in the film, the Autobots are on the brink of defeat. Many soldiers have fallen, and the Decepticons are about to take Autobot City and end the war.

Then, Optimus Prime enters the battle.

Stupid Hot Rod, getting in the way, allowing the Decepticons to escape. That's OK, Prime will recover and lead the counterattack!

...

I was inconsolable. I cried through the movie. I cried on the way home. My hero, my idol, had fallen. Life would never be the same.

I grew up a lot that day.

Sure, they would realize how bad they screwed up and bring Prime back, to lead all Cybertronians into the Golden Age. But things would never be the same.

Now that I'm older, I understand that the movie was nothing more than a marketing tool, used to end one version of the toy line and launch another. As such, Transformers would see many iterations over the years. Optimus Prime would see many incarnations over the following 20+ years, giving future generations of little boys a hero they could be proud of.

Initial Aion Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:47:00 +0000

I had no idea yesterday's post was going to be so popular. Apparently, many of you are anxiously awaiting what I have to say about Aion.

I'll keep this post relatively simple, to expand upon my thoughts later.

Beta

Fist of all, Aion is not undergoing a full Beta. The game has been out for some time overseas, so NCSoft knows the game works. The NA Beta is more to stress test the servers and test out the localization.

It's not 24/7, but rather a small selection of days every couple weeks. Last week's event ran from Friday-Sunday. The next Beta event is July 2-6.

Technical

This game is gorgeous. It runs on a version of the CryEngine. However, it is no Crysis. If your PC can run WoW on anything other than bare minimum settings, it can run Aion.

Even at very low settings, I've been told the game still looks stunning. I'll try to provide some screenshots in the future.

You can "fix" your FPS. In other words, when entering a crowded area, the game will automatically scale down the graphics to maintain smooth performance until everything can load fully. A very nice feature. No major city graphics-lag lockups.

Customization

The main draw of this game is customization. The character creator gives you free reign to design your character any way you want. Skin tone, hair color, hair design, facial structure, height, build, you name it.

I have heard that there is a robust crafting feature that can create mind-blowing armor sets. I have seen the images, but not tested the system yet, myself. Dyes exist so you can customize the appearance and be somewhat unique.

Now, let's say you LOVE the way your level 30 armor looks. (And you will) However, you get an item at level 38 that has better stats. For a fee, you can transfer the stats from the new armor ONTO the old, and keep the appearance. If you cannot grasp how brilliant this is, I feel sorry for you. Imagine how happy Paladins would be running around in full T2 at Level 80.

Classes

At the start you select from 4 Archetypes: Warrior, Scout (Thief), Mage and Priest. These lower-tier classes allow you to learn the basic gameplay mechanics of the full classes.

At level 9, you unlock a quest to choose your ACTUAL class. These are Gladiator, Templar (Paladin), Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster (Shaman/Summoner), Cleric and Chanter (Some sort of super-support class, I believe)

Each class is varied and unique. While Gladiator and Templar both stem from Warrior and do share some skills, they are nothing alike once you get your hands on them.

Combat

Combat starts off awesome at Level 1. You gain several cool skills early on. While the total number of skills isn't as high as in WoW, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

You can combo your skills together. Unlike other games *cough*FinalFantasy*cough* Aion shows you in your skillbook which skills Chain. For example, on my Scout, Quick Slash combos with Soul Slash.

Let's say I place Quick Slash on my hotbar at number '2.' I press or click 2 and Quick Slash goes off. The game automatically moves the next skill to your bar. I can then simply press 2 again to finish the combo. Quick Slash will then return to its place, awaiting its cooldown.

Additionally, Scouts learn a skill called Counterslash, which can be used after a Dodge, similar to skills like Rune Strike. The nice addition, though is you don't have to watch your combat log and action bars like a hawk waiting for the skill to proc. After a Dodge, a button appears RIGHT ON THE SCREEN letting you know the attack is available.

Flight

At level 10, you earn your wings.

Let me repeat that:

WINGS

Yes, you can fly in Aion. It helps with travel exploration and...

COMBAT.

Aerial combat is a major selling point of the game. Imagine a Ranger raining arrows down from above, or a Gladiator knocking an enemy to the ground to get wiped up by an Assassin. Aerial combat looks to be a major focus in the PVP game, but very integral to PVE, as well.

I think that's enough to whet your appetites for now. I'll give more detail as I play more of the Beta.

Until then, here's some links:

Aion: The Tower of Eternity - Official site for the game
Aion Source - A great fansite
djjdiss - Youtube channel for very in-depth coverage.

An Open Letter to Blizzard

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Dear World of Warcraft Design Team:

I would like to thank you for providing over 4 years of quality entertainment. When World of Warcraft entered the market, it turned the genre on its head. Never before had there been such a vibrant, beautiful and, most importantly, accessible world to play in. While I initially scoffed at how "easy" the game was when compared to my current subscription-based game, I soon came around.

Allow me to tell you a story.

Early in 2005, I was thoroughly engrossed in the world of Vana'diel. I had been playing Final Fantasy XI for a couple years. When World of Warcraft came out, I was completely uninterested. However, something about your game buried itself in the back of my head. I kept going back and reading about it. I realized that the long, boring grind that EVERYTHING in Final Fantasy XI had become was no longer for me. There was a better way.

What led me to realize it was time for a switch?

When I was paying $15 a month for one game, and spending more time reading about ANOTHER game than playing the one I was paying for, I knew it was time for a change.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of your fine product on the shelves of my local game store and was soon a welcome resident of Azeroth. I spent the next four-plus years loving World of Warcraft. I brought friends to join me. I even started up this blog to write about my love of this game.

However, recently, things have been changing. I don't play any more because it's fun. I find myself playing just because it's what I do. If I don't play WoW tonight, what else would I do with my time? With each patch that comes along, I find myself less and less excited.

As my fellow blogger, Big Bear Butt stated in a recent post:

"Honestly, they do this, and even though a lot of the new stuff excites me, the way they make sweeping class changes with a sledgehammer, over and over and over, this ’change for the sake of change’ s***, just makes me want to log off, and not come back."

This really got me thinking. I greatly respect BBB, he was one of the ones who motivated me to start blogging in the first place. I realized that some part of me agrees with this sentiment. Now, back in the day, there were entire content patches dedicated to class changes. At the time, I thought this was awesome. What other company cares about its game so much that it dedicates valuable development time to improving existing gameplay elements?

However, another thought has come to mind. Why were Feral Druids, Protection and Retribution Paladins, Elemental Shamans and any number of other specs completely useless for the better part of two years?

Okay, okay. I'm no game developer. I have no idea how hard it is to balance a game of this scale. Fair enough. However, FOUR years after release, you're telling me you STILL don't have a handle on Paladin tanking?

Since the release of Burning Crusade, we have seen a dropoff in the number of major patches. Or have we? I don't remember massive changes in "minor patches" like we've seen in 2.3.2 or 3.1.3 back when we were receiving "major patches" every 2 months. You're trying to make it look like you're not overhauling the game every month or so while that's exactly what you're doing.

Of course, that's the Butterfly Effect. A small change to one skill or stat completely throws off the precarious balance you're trying to maintain between all the various classes and specs, both PVP and PVE. It's a daunting task, I'm sure. However, somewhere along the way, you stopped developing the game YOU wanted, and started developing the game the FORUMS wanted. I do not like this change in direction.

I don't raid, I don't seriously PVP. I don't care if a Demonologist is 0.3% higher in DPS than my Affliction. But, oh no, there are too many people out there who do.

When you start trying to make everyone happy, you end up making nobody happy.

What did I enjoy about this game? I loved building a character up from scratch.

I loved trying out a new combination of talents. However, now it's all but impossible to attempt anything other than a cookie cutter build.

I loved making gear decisions, figuring out which item would benefit me the most. Now, who cares? I'll outgrow these items in a couple hours.

I loved LEVELING. That has now become a complete joke. Who wants to bother with all this wonderfully designed content when there's EPICS waiting at the end of the road?

Well, I do.

And I accept that World of Warcraft has passed me by.

Do you know how I have come to accept this? Even though you're still getting my fifteen dollars, I have been spending more time researching an falling in love with another game than I have playing yours.

Sound familiar?

Now, I'm not one of those people who jumps ship any time something shinier comes across. I stayed true through Everquest 2, D&D Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Age of Conan and many other new games. However, this weekend, I participated in a Closed Beta event for Aion, and I completely fell in love with it.

I would like to once again thank you for endless hours of enjoyment. I truly believe that World of Warcraft is one of the most brilliant games ever conceived. Twelve million people can't be wrong. It's just that, taking many recent design decisions into account, I no longer find myself enjoying the game as much as I once did.

Your fan,
Samodean

Note: Fear not, dear reader. This does not mean I'm canceling my subscription... yet. This does not mean I've stopped blogging... yet. Even if I decide to switch focus, I'm enjoying blogging too much to completely abandon it.

Lost Week

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts. Work has been insane this week.

Posting will resume next week.

Machinima Monday: Wrought

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:17:00 +0000

A Horse of a Different Level

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:46:00 +0000

In case you didn't hear, Blizzard is changing mounts again.

Look around the internet, you'll see plenty of posts both for and against this change. Currently, I'm leaning towards slightly against, but I'll wait until next week to collect my thoughts and elaborate.

Until then, enjoy this conversation in Guild Chat last night between myself, my 2 Officers and our True-Newbie friend.

I'm Good

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:44:00 +0000

You have no idea just how hard this was for him to say.

So, now seems like a PERFECT time to plug Sam's Argent Tournament Strategy!

Guild Life Part 2, Striking Out

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:15:00 +0000

That title can be interpreted two different ways. I was striking out on my own in the world, as well as... plain ol' striking out.

This is a continuation of this post.

When I left off, Bound by Honor had imploded completely. The GM transferred off server, leaving the Guild in the hands of her subordinates.

At this time, I was leveling my Hunter through Outlands. The Guild banded together, we did 5-mans for the first time in... well... a while. There was chatter, playing the game was FUN again.

Then, it happened.

The Guild that the instigators joined for their raiding completely dissolved within weeks. Big surprise there. They all retreated to their "alt" Guild. However, they did not have enough people to fill a whole raid. Guess who they came to for help? Yup... BBH.

We decided that anybody who wanted to run with them was welcome to, but there would be no alliance between our two Guilds. While we had major issues with those in charge, there were plenty of long-time friends who were just along for the ride, not knowing exactly what was going on.

Of course, I refused any contact whatsoever with ANYONE from that Guild because, well... I'm bitter. I lost a very good friend because of their stunt.

So, those that still wanted to raid tagged along with the other Guild. Then they started jumping ship, as well. At this point, Guild membership started dwindling. Others were leaving for greener pastures. Honestly, I have no ill-will towards them. If I were more aware of what was happening, I would have started looking elsewhere. But, I'm stubborn. I've been in this Guild for over 3 years, I am NOT leaving.

So, here I am in a dying Guild. Most members have either joined up for Raiding Guilds or just moved on to other Casual Guilds. And then... the leaders started disappearing. Not leaving, just... not logging on.

So, I carried on, in my empty little Guild, proudly carrying the Bound by Honor banner. When suddenly, I found myself with options. My playing time expanded from 2 days a week to basically whenever I wanted, but still limited. I could start my own Guild, inviting like-minded individuals.

Or, I could take over Bound by Honor!

I instantly sent an in-game mail to our 3 Guild Leaders. I did not want our Guild to die. If they're not playing often anymore, PLEASE give me ownership! I've been there since the beginning, I can bring it back. I had two RL friends on the server, one of which had been in BBH for almost 2 years, they could be my Officers.

A month goes by. The mail comes back. I send it AGAIN. Then, I gave up. I saw one of the Leaders had FINALLY logged on while I was at work, ignored my request, and disappeared again.

FINE. Screw you guys, I'll do it myself.

That weekend, Denarian was formed. I brought in my buddies to be my Officers. A few of the charter signees liked the concept and decided to stick around. I set up rules. We had an awesome bank. Denarian was going places. I did it. BBH would be reborn under my leadership. I even sent mails to all the still-active BBH members, inviting them to join us.

What comes after the top of the hill? The drop.

A week after forming Denarian, I recieved a mail from another of the BBH Leaders. It was basically, "Sorry I haven't been on. I would have loved to give you ownership, but I see you went in your own direction. Good luck, nice knowing you, I'm leaving the server."

Well HELL.

Okay, that's cool, I've still got my Guild... except all the charter members already bailed.

No problem... we'll just recruit! Well, the release of Wrath has essentially killed non-raiding Guilds. EVERYBODY with a little dedication and time can progress now. Well, what about those of us who don't?

Oh yeah! We're also cursed! Anyone who DOES join the Guild seems to completely forget their login information within a week. We have several Initiates in their 50s who haven't logged on in months.

So, here I am with my (now) three coworkers, filling out the Guild Roster with an army of alts.

Honestly, I'm not sure where we're heading. I've almost given up on recruiting in the game. Message boards are completely ineffective. Has the game really changed so much in recent times? Is the concept of a small, family-friendly, casual, play-when-you-feel-like-it Guild completely dead?

Internet! What are my options at this point? Transferring is not one of them. I am not leaving my friends behind, and I'm most definitely not paying to transfer a half-dozen characters.

Additionally, e-cookies to anyone OUTSIDE the Guild that can catch the reference in the Guild name.

Machinima Monday: The Culling of Stratholme

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Nothing very original here, basically just a cinematic version of the Caverns of Time scenes. However, the editing is so fantastic that Alexander is a machinima creator to keep an eye on.

Weekend Warrior 18

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:38:00 +0000

In this Weekend Warrior, we are treated to Denarian completely destroying Northrend. Junior and I needed the group quests so we could get the achievement and our Deathchill Cloaks. We grabbed Blue Knugget and went to town.

There are very few things two Warlocks and a tank-specced Death Knight cannot demolish.

This guy doesn't seem so bad

This guy... oh...

Hey! I know him!

The first of many 5-man quests we rocked that night, The Admiral Revealed. This is a bit of a hard quest to find, as the chain starts from an item that can only be picked up during the Intelligence Gathering daily.

You know he's important if the Lich King shows up for no reason

Banshee's Revenge, another 5-man. This guy was tough and took us 2 tries. Our tank dropped early on in his first phase, but was able to fly back and bandage during the cutscene. Thanks, Bliz! This then leads to the Battle at Valhallas chain. We were able to complete all but the last fight there with just the three of us.

Several more 5-mans later, Junior and I had our Achievements.

I still need to do the freaking Amphitheater of Anguish before I get the meta.

However, I did manage to get my Inscription up enough to make my Iron-Bound Tome!

I also managed to get my Ebon Blade reputation to Revered, grabbing the Sterile Flesh-Handling Gloves.

All in all, a fantastic weekend!

Links! 6/5

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000

A Philosopher's Work is Never Started - Euripedes over at Critical QQ gives great insight into the various Mage trees, and the personalities associated with each. Fun read!

Remember to Wear Sunscreen - BBB gives the worst (or greatest?) commencement speech ever.

Roll Credits - Goodbye Stop

Guild Life Delayed

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I wanted to finish my Guild Life story tonight, but I am not feeling well. Apologies, but it will be completed next week.

Guild Life Part 1, The Fall of Honor

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:01:00 +0000

I've been meaning to tell this story for a while now. Writing about it, I can finally cleanse my soul.

Way back in the Spring of 2005, I was a young Dwarf. The game was new, it was fresh, everyone was excited to play. While slugging my way through Dun Morogh, I made a friend. The next day, said friend started a Guild and invited me. We were your standard group of newbies, just having fun in this new world.

Several days later, the Guild Master joined up with another Guild to be with friends, and invited me along for the ride. I was Ralken of Bound by Honor. I even had a GUILD TABARD. Back in those days, that was a pretty big deal.

BBH was an adults-only Guild. We were a mature, friendly, welcoming place. We helped each other out. We cheered each other on. When our first member reached Level 60, it wasn't just a personal accomplishment, we all shared his joy.

We were a family.

In those early months, I tried other servers, I tried Horde, but I could not stand to be away from my Guild. There was so much insanity flying around chat back then, it was nice to have a quiet home where I could be myself and enjoy conversing with my fellow players.

We knew how to have fun. We would have races and holiday parties. One night, when all the boys were PVPing at Southshore, the girls decided it would be a great prank to change the Guild Tabard to pink with teddy bears. Oh yeah, that was a blast.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I feel we had some of the best players on the server. We had the best Paladins and Priests I've ever seen, even to this day. I learned everything I know about playing a Hunter from my "elders." Knowledge I have passed on to other players over the years. I loved rolling in and smashing Scholomance, Stratholme and Blackrock Spire. I felt I had beaten the game when we took out Araj and his goons with 8 players.

As an adult Guild, we were not big raiders. We had jobs, we had families. We did what we could, when we could. In time, we graduated to running Molten Core Fridays and Saturdays, co-raiding with another Guild. It was good, it was fun.

Many developed a taste for more.

To make things easier, we merged with that second (and later a third) guild. Of course, as with all Guilds, drama ensued. The "top raiders" wanted more progression, better loot faster. The core of BBH was not down with this. Arguments were had, friends were lost, feelings were hurt. It was decided that the raiders could keep the name "Bound by Honor" and all the respect that came with it. The rest of us, most of the BBH originals, including the Guild Leader and most officers left to form Awaken.

Awaken was all the fun of BBH without the stress of raiding.

Awaken was a solid guild. It started growing. And growing. AND GROWING. In time, we surpassed 500 members, including alts. Now, there is a "glitch" in the system that causes major issues when a Guild surpasses 500 members. It's kind of hard to plan a raid when you can't even tell who's online. Well, we had a second Guild sitting around that noone was using. Shortly after the split, BBH imploded, leaving the original GL's bank alt as the only member. It was decided to split into a "Raiding Guild" and an "Alt Guild." A joint chat channel was set up and we functioned as two halves of a whole.

As a non-raider at the time, I remained in Awaken. As a long-time member, I was given the seniority of joining BBH, but I stayed where I belonged.

Some time later, shortly before the launch of Burning Crusade, my account was stolen. I lost everything. A week later, I had a mailbox full of Hellfire Greens and Gold. Mind you, BC Greens were a substantial upgrade over Old-World gear, and worth a significant amount of Gold at the time. Even though I only played a couple days a week, I was still a member of the BBH family. We leave no man behind.

Burning Crusade carried on. The most motivated among us reached 70 quickly. Karazhan runs were started, with a little success. Prince was downed a couple times. Some wanted to move on to Gruul, but we weren't ready. Of course, just try to stop the stupid from trying. Yup, more drama. Raid attendance was down, Kara runs were less and less successful.

There was an increasing number of members who grew frustrated. All the casuals were holding them back. Over a holiday weekend, when the Guild Leader was away, they staged a coup. They started kicking people, telling them BBH was becoming a full-time raiding guild. They invited all their big-time raiding friends. Of course, I have no idea what they hoped to accomplish. Once the Guild Leader logged on, they were all booted, regardless of Officer status.

The damage, however, was done. The Guild was in shambles. Many disgruntled members had already moved on. Awaken was merged back into BBH and we tried to carry on. We started having fun again for the first time in ages. However, the GL's heart just wasn't in it anymore. She wanted to continue with the game, but BBH was not the place to do it. After 3 years of playing Mom to a bunch of adults, she wanted to start playing for herself. She transferred off server, leaving the Guild in the hands of other long-time members.

I turned down an Officer spot. With my extremely limited schedule at the time, I felt I could not put in the time that would be required of an Officer. In retrospect, that was a bad decision.

To be continued in Part 2 here.

Druid Karma

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Way back in the 1.0-something days, one of my first alts was a Druid. He was fun, but back then Druids were painful to level. Cat Form was a total waste and Bear Form was nowhere as good as it is now. Boomkins were not even an option. Needless to say, I gave up on him.

Over the years, several more Druids were born and abandoned. I never really liked Cat Form, for some reason. I'm not terribly fond of the Balance spells, either. I just filed Druid under "classes I'll never level" alongside Priest and Mage.

Well, a couple weeks ago, BBB posted a bit of awesome that rekindled that old flame.

That weekend, I rolled up a new Druid, Drux, finally ditching the name I've used for the past 7 or 8 failed Druids, thinking that would help break the cycle.

The next week, what do I see? NEW DRUID FORMS! I take this as a sign from the Heavens to continue with Drux. I'm rather partial to the brown-and-green model, myself.

Yes, inspired by BBB, I'm leveling as a Bear. An offensive Bear, but a Bear nonetheless. I figure if I spec solidly into Feral and gear for Strength and Crit, I can be rather effective. Not as much offense as a Cat, not as much defense as a true Bear, but a nice combination of the two.

Of course, now I'm on that brutal doubleheader of the Poison and Sea Form quests.

Machinima Monday: WoW 101: The City Life

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:50:00 +0000

Part 2 of the video I posted a couple weeks ago.

Nerd Life: Comics are Fun Again

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Any comic fan can tell you, comics these days are growing more mature with each issue. Granted, their core audience is growing older, and the medium is growing with it.

However, what about new readers? What about bright-eyed little 8-year-old boys (or girls)? Many major comics are becoming exactly what moms everywhere feared they were years ago.

Then, Marvel made one of the most brilliant and controversial moves in their long history.

**WARNING! SPOILERS FOR THE PAST YEAR OR SO OF SPIDERMAN COMICS INCOMING**

For the past 40+ years, Spiderman has been the flagship title for Marvel. Sure, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man and others may have exceeded it in sales at times. Avengers has always been the core of the Universe's story. But Spiderman has always been the company's heart and soul.

We've grown up with him.

We've seen him fall in love.

We've had our hearts broken.

We were invited to his wedding.

We were together at the worst time imaginable.

Over the years, as with many books, Spiderman's universe was growing complex. Writer J. Michael Straczynski was introducing some interesting plot developments, but between joining the Avengers and all the big Marvel events like Civil War, he was unable to really bring them together.

Like many comics before, Spiderman was due for a relaunch.

This started in Amazing Spiderman #538, when, in an attempted attack on the now-public identity of Peter Parker, his beloved Aunt May is shot. This leads to the "Back in Black" event where Peter goes after those responsible, seeking vengeance.

Amazing Spiderman #544 starts the "One more Day" storyline, where Peter does anything and everything, legal and illegal to save Aunt May. His last resort is Mephisto, a near-omnipotent demon trickster. In exchange for saving May, mephisto wants one thing in return.

Not Peter's life.

Not his soul.

His love.

Peter and Mary Jane agree and Mephisto changes all of history. Peter and Mary Jane never got married. Spiderman's true identity was never revealed. It was a "Brand New Day"

Many fans were outraged by this. They canceled the subscriptions they've had since childhood. I thought it was brilliant. If Stan Lee says it's a great idea, then who am I to judge?

At the time, there were 3 regular monthly Spider-books, Amazing Spiderman, Sensational Spiderman, and Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman. Marvel took a huge chance and CANCELED the latter two, deciding to publish Amazing Spiderman three times a month.

"Brand New Day" started in Amazing Spiderman #546, and was the beginning of the almost-weekly publishing schedule. Instead of several writers and artists working on several titles, Amazing Spiderman features a team that collaborates on the issues.

Let me say, this change has made comics fun again. Spiderman is single again, hurting for money, trying to have relationships, work, pay the rent AND fight crime. It's a long overdue return to his roots. The schedule allows them to run one-issue stories without "wasting a month," while still doing larger, 6-issue "trade-sized" stories. Additionally, they can create large, branching, drawn-out underlying stories that would take YEARS to tell in a normal format. You can tell even the staff is having fun. The lost art of "editorial balloons" has resurfaced. Used to remind readers where plot threads came from, the editors and writers now actually use them as a storytelling device. They inform and entertain, even telling jokes and poking fun at each other.

If you're someone who has loved comic books in the past, but lost interest, do yourself a favor. Go to your local bookstore, buy a big cup of coffee and sit down with the Trade Paperback edition of "Brand New Day." You'll fall back in love all over again. I know I did.

Links! 5/29

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

The Purple Kodo: 13 Points of Blogging - Matticus, blogger extraordinaire, gives some great tips on how to own a successful blog. Granted, I fail at many of them, but "success" isn't really my goal, anyway.

What's Your Mage Bad At? - Even though it's his weakest skill, Gnomer gives some great explanation in how to use Amplify and Dampen Magic.

Stupid Mages and their Spawning - Fulguralis has one of the best posts ever.

Exp-LORE-ation: Prepare to Die

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Exp-LORE-ation will be a recurring, but not regular feature on Hardcore Casual. I absolutely love the story created by Blizzard and the wonderfully crafted world we play our game in. I will use this theme to explore some of the lesser-known aspects of the in-game lore.

Today's Topic: Father Inigo Montoy

When I first happened across the Father at Light's Hope Chapel in Eastern Plaguelands I laughed at the joke and continued with my business.

Several years later, while working on the Wrathgate questline, an interesting plot unfolded. Wintergarde keep is under siege by the Scourge, led by the Lich, Thel'zan the Duskbringer.

During the quest An End and a Beginning, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon shows up and converses with Thel'zan, saying, "So how, then, did Father Inigo Montoy, bastion of virtue for the Argent Dawn, become the embodiment of that which he hated most?"

Wait, what?

A further look at Thel'zan's Phylactery shows that indeed, this Unholy servant of the Lich King once used to be a Priest.

What happened there?

Back in the old days of Naxx-40, those strong enough to defeat Kel'Thuzad were given the quest to bring his Phylactery to the Argent Dawn. Yes, you give this item to none other than our friend, Father Montoy. He seems to be quite impatient to get his hands on it.

Some time later, (Remember, the expansions in WoW not only advance the story, but the timeline, as well.) Kel'thuzad is resurrected and Naxxramas relocated to Dragonblight. But, that's impossible. Without the phylactery, the Lich King has no way to bring Kel'Thuzad back.

Unless...

Father Inigo Montoy, member of the Argent Dawn, Priest of the Light, betrayed us all to his true master.

As Thel'zan tells Fordragon:

Our lord, Arthas, saw in me the frailty of man.
"Serve me in life and i will promise to rend the weakness from your soul. To erase it from existence!" To be chosen... blessed by the Lich King in such a way.
So seve him I did... Were it not for me the glorious dead citadel of Naxxramas may never have returned to Northrend.

A wonderful bit of lore that those who have not been playing for years or those who don't read carefully will miss.

The Reason I Hate Night Elves

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Okay, maybe not the only reason.

While slacking off this weekend, I once again attempted one of my greatest WoW hurdles: leveling a Druid. While doing this, I had an epiphany.

I think I may have figured out just WHY I dislike Night Elves so much.

Teldrassil is an exercise in frustration.

First of all, let's look at Teldrassil itself:

See all those mountains and caves? Yeah, that's a pain to navigate. Since there are quests that have you running back and forth all over the place, you can't just point down the road and autorun while playing Peggle.

Dun Morogh is complicated as well, but more compact. Goldshire is frakking huge, but very easy to navigate. None of the starting zones are perfect, but Teldrassil seems to be the worst, at least on Alliance side.

Next, most of the Elves I've attempted to level have been Leatherworkers. The Leatherworking Trainer is just outside Darnassus. That's a heck of a haul every 5-10 skill levels.

So far, minor annoyances, but really no reason to discriminate against an entire species, right? To be honest, the Elves THEMSELVES should be enough of a reason, but it's easier to justify this way.

Let's look at the classes available to Night Elves, and how well they perform at very early levels.

Warrior - No worse at low levels than anything else. Anybody can become one, so you rarely see Elf Warriors.
Priest - Can Priests do ANYTHING before level 20+?
Rogue - Terrible survivability without the damage to make up for it yet.
Hunter - Playing a Hunter before level 10 is one of the worst things anyone can do. Thankfully, my Dwarf Hunter was my first character, so I didn't know it COULD be any better.
Druid - Same as Hunter. Sure, you have spells, but nowhere near enough mana to use them much.

So, with the exception of Warrior, all these classes are brutal to play at Teldrassil level.

Finally, the quests. I despise these quests.

EVERY time through, one of the species flat-out refuses to drop one of its body parts. And it's a different headache each time!
Practically EVERY enemy in this zone either can heal, will run away at low health, or be completely impossible to pull less than 2 or 3. Usually all of the above. I don't mind multiple pulls every now and then, but every darn time is a bit annoying.
Too many "bosses" are completely impossible to solo pull. Since they're even tougher than the USUAL annoying enemies, this becomes very frustrating.
Then there's that place.

Sure, Hunters get their pets, Druids get Bear Form, Rogues become awesome and you can always just group up. But I don't want to wait. I don't want to grind. I don't want to deal with your average low-level NIGHT ELF player. A newbie zone should be quick and easy. I should be able to do the quests in whichever order I please, without needing to wait until level X to be able to attempt it. I should be able to just go on autopilot by this stage of my WoW career.

At Level 8, I should not be this frustrated. At Level 8, I should not want to just stop playing. At Level 8, I should not already be considering making it a Free Realms night.

How in the world did ANYBODY who made I Night Elf their first character continue playing this game?

Oh yeah, it only gets worse.

Machinima Monday: Crank Dat Druid Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:02:00 +0000

A bit of an old one, but I've been feeling rather... Druish... lately.

Links! 5/22

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Threat Generation - A (Brief) Discussion - BBB gives some great info on Threat. All tanks, DPS and healers should read this.

Going on Sabbatical - Saresa gets points for using "sabbatical" correctly. Sadly, we're losing too many good bloggers.

Martyr vs Command - K gives some great Retribution info.

Sam's Stupid Name Award 2

noreply@blogger.com (Samodean) — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Oblivion?

Oblivious?

Bologna?