Titans of Malice

What's new

2012-12-16T10:45:00.003-05:00

Hello,

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Real life stuff's been keeping me busy. Even so, I did finish A Dance with Dragons. I'm hoping HBO combines A Dance with Dragons with A Feast for Crows for one season. I found both books to be drawn out and not as interesting as the previous novels in the series. Having said that however, I believe he is preparing readers for a grande finale in the last 2 novels, which I hope he can finish in his lifetime.
As far as gaming goes, I'm sure that many people have been watching Guild Wars 2 before and after its release. This is the game I am currently playing. To me, it looks like they've taken all the best ideas from other games and rolled it into one. I like the fact that everyone gets XP from all kills they are involved with regardless of who hit the mob first. This eliminates kill stealing and also incourages players to help other players. The events remind me of public quests in Warhammer which was one part of that game that I enjoyed immensely. The guild system is unique as well as that you can represent more than one guild in a way. Your account is linked so that once you join a guild, all your characters may represent that particular guild, saving time trying to get them invited separately. As well, your crafting mats can be accessed and used by all your toons quite easily. Your bank can be accessed at crafting stations, etc. etc. I could go on and on. There are so many new and fresh ideas in this game. Sure, some people say it's just another MMORPG, and I've noticed people get discouraged at first try because it is so different, but once they try it for a while, they usually get used to it.
I also like the idea of having skills dependant on the weapon you are using. This adds some variety and customization to characters based on your style. Leveling is not tedious, which is nice. I cannot list all the differences in this game compared to others or I would be typing far longer than I wish. Also, I have yet to experience dungeons or World vs.World in GW2, which I am looking forward to but I am taking it slow and savouring it as I go. Even though I haven't been there, WvW reminds me of the RvR in Warhammer, which was another reasons I liked WAR so much. Here however, it is server vs. server, and 3 sides instead of 2, similar to what I've heard Dark Age of Camelot had.
I think I'll be playing GW2 for a while so it may be another long while before I post again.
Oh, I also finished the Inheritance series by Chistopher Paolini. I enjoyed his writing style and the entire series. It's too bad they already made an Eragon movie, which I truly hated, because they could have done this entire series into 2 or 3 movies like Lord of the Rings. I would have liked to have seen that. I guess that happens when they rush something like that while the hype is still there. The same thing for Cyanide's Game of Thrones RPG from what I've read in the game reviews. I might try it some day if the price goes down enough.
Until next time, I hope everyone is enjoying the games they're playing and I sincerely hope we don't have to wait 8 years for next novel in A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Also, have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Warhammer changes

2011-10-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

Well, I tried playing on one of the Everquest Progressive servers, mainly because I don't like what SoE has done with the game over the past years, so I tried it again from it's beginnings. Unfortunately, it would appear that I'd forgotten exactly how much patience is required for this game. It sames that I'm not quite so patient these days. Having said that, it did take very long to lose interest... once again.
Next... I noticed 14 free days on my Warhammer account... hmmm... I always did like the game but the problem before was lack of people and inability to take battle objectives without people. I decided to give it a try and was quite surprised. Apparently there have been some changes implemented since the last time I played. With patch 1.40 released in November 2010, Warhammer underwent major changes which seem to have corrected the problems which caused me to leave the game. For patch 1.40 details click HERE.
Currently I am only still in Tier 1, I decided to start fresh with new characters. They've also increased the number of characters per server as well as allowing both Order and Destruction on the same server, but with playing restrictions to prevent cheating, or spying. So far, I am enjoying the new Warhammer, hopefully the higher tiers are somehow similar.

Coincident ?

2011-10-06T09:49:00.001-04:00

While playing Everquest I found something that might be amusing to fans of Game os Thrones, or A Song of Ice and Fire, fans. Located in the Bard guild in South Qeynos are 2 NPC characters named Joffrey and Sansa. This game was originally released in 1999, this timing could be right. Coincidence? Were the creators of Everquest fans of the Ice and Fire series? Either way, I was amused.

Moving on.... still... back to where I began

2011-08-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, sorry, I guess the summer heat makes me lazy. I was enjoying UWO for a while but got tired of the long sailing times. Pity, really. After that I tried Jade Dynasty, which is free to play. It had some unique ideas but there was too much grinding, also was spending more money on Marketplace than I would have on a pay game. After realizing that, I decided to try Rift, which has been release recently. It is a paid subscription game which has some interesting features which appear to have some influence from some other games such as WoW and Warhammer, but aside from that failed to keep my interest. As of late I've decided to return to the game that I started playing MMORPG's with... Everquest, which surprisingly is not very well known to many online gamers. Being somewhat more difficult to play, I suspect that it is not a popular choice with younger players. For former players SOE is offering 45 days free for returning which is what prompted me to try EQ again.
Also, I enjoyed the 1st season of HBO's Game of Thrones which is directly based on the Ice and Fire series of novels by George R.R.Martin. I am quite curious as to when season will be premiering and have not seen any news of that. Finally the 5th book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, is in the bookstores and I am currently halfway through my copy. It seems like so long since we've read anything about Arya... sigh.
For those people who left nice comments on previous posts, I thank you. I was not quite aware of the extent of viewers I might be getting here.

Uncharted Waters Online announces OBT release date.

2010-09-20T16:29:00.002-04:00

Official announcement from Netmarble website:

Uncharted Waters Online Open Beta Test schedule is up now! Thanks for great patient in the meantime. You will be able to download the client starting September 29^th 3PM [GMT+9] and server will be open on October 1^st 3PM [GMT +9]. Our team is preparing some great in-game events and prizes, so come join the journey of Uncharted Waters.

Client Download: Sep 29th 3PM [GMT +9]

Open Beta Test : Oct 1st 3PM [GMT +9]

UWO withdrawals

2010-09-07T09:43:00.001-04:00

Uncharted Waters Online could very well be the game that I have been looking for. I was sick and tired of games all being the same thing. It's not surprising that people use the term WoW clones to describe them. It seems that typical fantasy MMORPGs are very similar to each other which just a few slight differences to set them apart.
UWO is completely different. Even the classes suit different types of players in my opinion. For the most part, this is a sailing game set in 15th century Europe, although global travel is possible. There are 3 different classes:
1) Merchant - this is more for people who like to relax when playing a game. Merchants, to put it simply, sail from port to port buying and selling goods to amass wealth. Merchants see very little in the way of battles or fighting. Imagine that, a game that doesn't focus on fighting, if you choose not to.
2) Adventurer - this is a class for people who like to make discoveries. I think Tomb Raider fans might like this one. There are discoveries to be made on land and at sea, the world has a lot to offer. Find lost treasures or ancient ruins. Recover sunken ships.
3) Maritimer - this is the battle class for those who like the fighting part of a game. Their main job is to destroy pirate ships although, if they choose to do so, they too can play as pirates.
Players are not limited to their class as changing jobs is not difficult. Also, the different classes are not limited to their own classes skills.
UWO is already played in some parts of Asia. The closed beta, as I saw it, had no bugs whatsoever and, as far as playability and content, I wouldn't change a thing.
Personally, I have been tired of fighting games for a while and this is pretty much the type of game I have been looking for. During CBT I played a merchant. At first I wondered if I would grow tired of it but it seemed that it had an opposite effect. The more I played, the more 'hooked' I became. Playing the game itself is relatively easy but there is a lot of information to take in. Some players found that the school (tutorial) quest chains were too long, but I felt that they did a good job teaching the basics and more of the details as well, plus the rewards were quite good.
There is no indication yet when open beta will begin, but I will be watching closely for it. Until then I will go back to World of Tanks. I guess having a back up game is good, but even so, I am definitely going through withdrawals. Hopefully, UWO will go into OBT soon. It's not for everyone, but if you want something completely different, try it out. Visit Uncharted Waters Online.

Uncharted Waters Online

2010-08-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm still grinding on World of Tanks but I've come across another game that looks quite different...
Uncharted Waters Online
Going into CBT but does not require a key. (Don't ask) The download becomes available on Aug.20
It seems to be more of an adventure game set in 15th century Europe. I think I might try this out while I take breaks from World of Tanks.

I'm hooked !!

2010-07-26T16:42:00.004-04:00

I mentioned in the last blog that World of Tanks would be good for a second game, well, nix that. I am hooked on this, and it's only going to get better once they add more content. I also didn't mention the nice graphics as well. With short battles of 15 minutes maximum, if the team does badly, I don't care, it's not long until the next battle and all new teams. Soon there will be clans (like guilds) implemented and there will be clan wars. This is going to be a blast !!

World of Tanks

2010-07-11T18:50:00.000-04:00

In the last few days I've been playing World of Tanks which is currently in Closed Beta. I must say I am pleased that I haven't come across any bugs aside from disconnecting somewhat frequently, but from what I've gathered the server is located either in Russia or Germany so my pings have been on the high side. The game on the other hand is a blast and I've been having a lot of fun with it. The concept is rather simple and reminds me of battlegrounds in World of Warcraft. Basically, your tank, or tanks, improve as your crew gains experience and as you research and purchase upgrade modules using credits earned from battles. Eventually you may acquire new and better tanks as you advance through different branches of a tree which feature different type of tanks and mobile artillery. For the Beta test there are only Russian and German tanks available but I've heard that more countries are to be available upon release. Some may not prefer this game as their main game but as a F2P MMO it is a great 2nd game, however I've been having so much fun with it that I haven't played anything else since the beginning of the Closed Beta.

New 'Game Of Thrones" series by HBO

2010-06-14T15:16:00.003-04:00

HBO has created a website for those interested in HBO's "Game of Thrones" slated to air next Spring, an adaption of George R R Martin's "Ice and Fire" series of novels. Take a look HERE Also, sign up for the "Game of Thrones" newsletter there as well.

Back to my MMO roots

2010-05-30T19:46:00.000-04:00

So, it seems that the majority of the good gear in Warhammer comes from RVR and Influence, and require renown to equip. What does this mean? To me it means this... While leveling up to 40 (the max level) if you want to use the better gear from medallions or more so from Influence rewards then expect to spend virtually all of your time in open RvR. Open RvR is fun but after20 or 30 levels it starts to get tedious. It doesn't make sense to do PvE public quests to break up the monotony because your normal experience will become higher than your renown and you will have to wait longer to wear your gear. As far as I know Scenarios don't give area specific influence but I'm not quite sure on that. I didn't get a chance to try the new city sieges but that's end game and frankly, since I like to play alts as well as my main, the end game is not my focus. So... it was fun for a while but I need more variety to keep me interested.
The first 3D MMORPG I ever played was Everquest which I played for 4 years. I became frustrated with bugs at that time plus the constant expansions and decided to leave. In recent years they have slowed down the frequency at which expansions were released. I decided to go back just last week to see if I could get back into it and to see if there were any improvements. I haven't experienced any bugs and some of the new improvements in the game are quite appealing. Mercenaries allow you to have a tank or healer when they are otherwise scarce which is quite nice.
One thing I remember from my previous EQ days was constantly learning new things even at higher levels. In my opinion Everquest is one of the most complex and more difficult to play games of all the games I have played. It's possible that the simpler game play of games like WoW or even EQ 2 is the reason for my losing interest in those games plus all the others I've tried. I also believe that for the same reason other MMO's have much younger players. The core of players on EQ seem to be adults, at least in my guild, which my main surprisingly was still a member of. Speaking of which a lot of my friends were still there too, and what a reception I got, they made me feel right at home as soon as I returned, just like family. I'm hoping that my first MMORPG will also be my last. I will still try new games, everyone needs a change once in a while regardless of how good it is. For anyone interested in trying EQ, if you have a need for excellent graphics you might be disappointed but if if you want a game that's a little more challenging to learn and master then EQ may be for you. Note: I am referring to the original Everquest and not Everquest 2.

Is Warhammer the only fantasy MMORPG that is different ?

2010-05-11T09:31:00.001-04:00

I started gaming decades ago with Intellivision games, then when I finally got a computer I started playing Tomb Raider. In the early 2000's I had heard about Everquest and decided to try it. It was one of very few MMORPG games with 3D graphics that existed at that time, one of the first, if not the first. I played EQ for 4 years and met my girlfriend on there. The problem with EQ however was this... quests gave no XP, named mobs were always camped and KSers were not uncommon. Tradeskilling was also frustrating in EQ, but considering EQ was a pioneer in gaming, all that was understandable. My girlfriend introduced me to World of Warcraft and we played that for a couple of years but that became tedious and annoying as well. Needing to raid in order to get geared and needing to have gear in order to raid. Think about that... conflicting opinions is what WoW is all about. The attitudes of WoW players is in many cases pathetic. It looks like Blizzard is targeting young kids to play WoW and in my opinion they can have it. It was enjoyable for a while but not any more. It was better designed than EQ but at least they had EQ as a role model to follow. After WoW came EQ2 which was pretty good but pretty much the same game play as any other of the MMORPGs. This is when I started to realize it, that most of the fantasy MMORPGs out there now are just copies of each other with a few minor differences... Boring!!! Oh, I forgot to mention Warhammer, which I played for a couple months before EQ2. Now, that was different, public quests and RvR, PvP that's actually enjoyable even for those who generally don't like PvP. Gear is not an issue here, people don't check your gear before accepting you in a raid, in fact they have open parties and warbands that you just join, you don't have to look for them. Unfortunately back then I had too much lag for me to handle and I left. Now I'm glad I returned, the lag is not nearly as bad as it was and it is truly, in my opinion, the only fantasy MMORPG out there that is different and actually fun to play, with no one criticizing your gear and very little tension otherwise. Until something truly different comes along, it looks like I'll be playing Warhammer for a while.

Inheritance Series, Book 4 teaser

2010-05-05T15:02:00.000-04:00

Included in the paperback release of Brisingr is chapter 4 of the 4th upcoming book of the series. For more information and questions raised from this chapter take a look HERE

Warhammer revisited

2010-05-02T21:23:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm still looking for something different without any luck so far, so... I decided to go back to Warhammer for a second look. I played Warhammer for a little while about a year ago or so, but when I played then the lag at some points was very irritating, so I stopped playing. It seems, however that they have made much progress in improving this issue. In Warhammer the RvR and Public quests in my opinion make this game unique when compared to other MMO's that I've seen. Yes I know it's not a new game, but it's still different. Many games have PvP but this game's Realm vs. Realm has a different feel to it without any 'Twink' factor, or minimal at least. Lots of fun.

Tales of Fantasy

2010-05-01T14:34:00.000-04:00

This game may be worth looking at, apparently it is still in Beta testing but I was able to register and download it without a key. It is downloading as I'm typing this. For more info click HERE

Mytheon Open Beta Contest

2010-04-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

Hurry Hurry, playing Mytheon during open beta until May 2 gives you a chance to win prizes including a laptop. Open beta went live on Apr.28th although I just received my invitation e-mail. Better late than never I guess. For info on the promo click HERE and for the Mytheon home page click HERE

The Chronicles of Spellborn

2010-04-28T19:37:00.001-04:00

I found this and decided to try it out. It's still the basic quest, kill, etc.type game however the targeting and combat is much different from your typical MMORPG. Combat is similar to a FPS where you have to actually direct your hits. It takes some getting used to, but I think I'll stick with it for a while to see if there is anything else interesting. The biggest problem I had with this game however was the actual installation. Apparently, the download link on the official website is useless and will prompt and error message while patching. Anyone interested in this game should click HERE. I did not seem to have any difficulties with this link but if you do I suggest looking at their forum HERE in the 'Support FAQs and Technical Support forum' for an alternative solution. Another thing, when I logged on there weren't many people on, but that's not surprising considering the hassle I had finding the proper download. On the other hand, the graphics are quite nice and playability was good... for me, at least.

2 days old

2010-04-27T17:08:00.000-04:00

This is the 2nd day into this blog and it may take some time before anyone knows of it's existance but I intend to keep posting regarding any news of either the release dates of upcoming novels in the 'Inheritance' or 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, as well as any news for fantasy MMORPG gamers who are becoming bored with the same old style of these games as a whole. Hopefully someone will have something unique and original to offer. I will keep looking myself and post if I find anything of interest.

HBO Series - A Game of Thrones

2010-04-26T13:15:00.002-04:00

I've been told that the series is expected to be released in fall, however the source of this information may not be reliable. From what I've seen and read, it is expected to air next spring. Can anyone verify a fall release ?

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Woohooo...

2010-04-26T00:19:00.001-04:00

Just got my CBT key for Aerrevan, Maybe this is the one I'm looking for ?
Click HERE for beta key. Beta client is scheduled to arrive May 28th

Today's Fantasy MMORPG's...

2010-04-25T21:28:00.000-04:00

I began with Everquest 1 for 4 years, then World of Warcraft for 2 years, after that Warhammer for a bit, then Everquest 2 for a bit. Since then I have tried many trials and F2P games. I like fantasy, that's obvious in my 'interests', but I've come to a conclusion... All of these games are the same as each other with just slight variations. You get quests, you kill mobs, rinse and repeat, and grind, grind, grind and more grind. What makes it a grind ? Killing mobs... it's about the only thing you can do to level. Most quests require killing mobs too, so don't say... do quests, and don't say there's tradeskills, or professions to break the monotony... I once fell asleep tradeskilling on EQ2... and they have the best crafting system that I've seen in a game. Nonetheless, the fantasy games are getting boring, it's time for something unique to come along, maybe something that requires some intelligence. Oh.. no, that would scare away the kids and then profits would drop. One reason WoW is still dominating... they are catering to kids, the TV ads make that obvious. Oddly when I started playing WoW it seemed there were more adults, but not when I stopped playing it. Are there any game developers out there with the guts to make a decent original fantasy game that's not just another copy of all the others ? If so, please tell me because I haven't found it and I'm still looking. Please don't tell me I have to go back to watching TV... Yuck !!!