Alts are commonplace in MMOs. Why else would you have more than one slot per server if people never played more than one character? Sooner or later everyone gets bored. Either they achieve what they set out to do, hit the level cap or some other reason. Sometimes it is as simple as needing a change of scenery and a change of pace.
Personally in Warhammer I have four active alts that I've mentioned herabouts. All Dwarfs as is only proper. In City of Heroes, despite originally being very conservative and loyal to a handful of characters, I ended up filling my 17 server slots on Virtue.
I personally, as mentioned in GirlIRLs meme, prefer to start out slow and only play support when I start a new game. It's how I learn the ropes, the community and if I like the game. Other folks like my good friend Seph love to try everything as soon as they can. Seph had in very short order, some 10 or 15 alts and may well have filled two servers. He wanted to sample the various classes and have them there to play later. That's his perogative.
Now to the meat of the matter. Before the switch from Ostermark to Phoenix Throne my regular play group wasn't regular anymore. Some had left, others couldn't afford the time. C'est la vie. As a result I decided that I would shop around and find myself a nice Guild to try out. Grungi was with me though as when I settled on this course of action, Bitter Rivals had just finished and I hadn't even gotten Aardii past the first PQ in Ekrund when I saw the various guilds vying for new blood.
I ended up joining a fantastic bunch called The Sentinels as well... they were in my PQ group and seemed like good chaps.
Now a part of Sentinel policy is that they wanted to recruit not just your character, but you yourself. All of your characters on the server. At first, I was a little wary as well I had some in the Oathbearers Legacy, a friend group from CoH.
Now though, all my Dwarfs are with them and I've one inactive character remaining in the Oathbearers. They all left so nyah.
This means no matter what I play, when I play I am with them. Whichever alt I feel like being on, I've an active guild to be around. This is in part because when any of them decide they'd like to alt and play something else for a bit, their alts are also there. We're encouraged to be together and it works. Notes on the Guild Roster let you keep track of who is who easily and so far I've not met one bad apple.
Now I don't know any of them personally, I've not yet formed the friendships I did in City of Heroes. In CoH, I'd happily join any group a friend wanted me to and I have come to think that this is a bad thing.
When my account expired, it wasn't just me not being on the global channels. It was several supergroups losing one of their number. Had I been centralised like the Sentinels prefer, well then one group would have only lost one person. You can, except in cases of Dual boxing or that crazy 36 account WoW guy, only be in one place at a time. This causes trouble when you have 17 places to be instead of one or two.
In the end it may all just be a cycle. I may end up filling Phoenix Throne and Vortex to the gills. I may end up have 20 different alts, but I wonder if I will have 20 different places, or by joining guilds like the Sentinels, will I only have one or two?
Either way that time is still in the future of my Warhammer play, I've 40 to get to yet and Vorri has his eye on those Aviator Goggles from the live event. Tonight, you'll find me with the Sentinels, no matter who I happen to be.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Dig, Drink, Kill
The Dwarf Way. Dig, Drink, Kill.
There's plenty to dig up though and as an addition to the WCPI and because of something mentioned on Sentinels guild chat, I present to you the quick link fest to the brightest and best about the Land of the Dead, Beyond the Sands and the Live Expansion.
There's plenty to dig up though and as an addition to the WCPI and because of something mentioned on Sentinels guild chat, I present to you the quick link fest to the brightest and best about the Land of the Dead, Beyond the Sands and the Live Expansion.
- Beyond the Sands from the Herald
- The Tome Of Knowledge on the Tomb Kings pt1
- Pt2 from ToK, also what got the attention of Massively
- GirlIRL considers the Live Event
- When in doubt, Lexicanum
Also ... in a WAR related note. Some personal pimpage. If anyone is going to Baltimore Games Day and can grab me a code, I will heart you. If anyone wants to join Warhammer and help me earn a bloody sweet Griffin, so much love. Otherwise, get back to readin ye buggers.
Dug up the links. Check. Drank. Check. Kill.... well the barman looks shifty...
WCPI : Shadow WAR
Hope. Hope and Zen thinking.
You know I know have some notes on that somewhere... expect a blog entry shortly. For now though I present to you this weeks WCPI Shadow WAR's Blog
What I love about the latest entry is the close call nature. It was the goodbye post all blog communities don't want to see. It was a departure and a goodbye.
But then there was light at the end of the tunnel and the game was fun once more, the blog lives!
So for Shadow having hope and for the many games we all have yet to play, this is my WCPI.
The community I promotes it.
You know I know have some notes on that somewhere... expect a blog entry shortly. For now though I present to you this weeks WCPI Shadow WAR's Blog
What I love about the latest entry is the close call nature. It was the goodbye post all blog communities don't want to see. It was a departure and a goodbye.
But then there was light at the end of the tunnel and the game was fun once more, the blog lives!
So for Shadow having hope and for the many games we all have yet to play, this is my WCPI.
The community I promotes it.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Meme Mia, here I go again
Regis has probed me and without so much as dinner. As a result, suffer the meme.
1. What is your current main character’s name (or names, if you play multiple games)? Explain how you chose the name.
Right now in WAR I am playing bot Vorri and Orrekai rather alot.
Vorris name comes from the server transfer from Ostermark to Phoenix Throne. Related to #4 below, I didn't placeholder the name on PT and so Norri Powderkeg could not be Norri on PT. Hell I was surprised I got Norri on Ostermark. I changed it because I like the sound of the name. That and one day I will eliminate the imposter Norri and reclaim the name.
Orrekai is related to #2. I went with the first name I ever used in an MMO and changed it to suit a Dwarf.
2. What was the name of your very first character in an MMO? Explain how you chose that name.
Ortus Sapienta. Jenquai Explorer, Galileo Server, Earth & Beyond.
This was a good few years back and having never played an MMO I had no idea what the naming conventions would be (or if they exsisted, they dont really). So cue the latin dictionary online. Jenquai were the explorer race and to be an Explorer class in the explorer race? Got to be latin. Ortus means birth, Sapienta as far as I knew at the time meant wisdom.
A better name was a friend I made. Dafugizzi. He entered every zone and yelled "Who?", say it all together now.
3. Have you kept a specific name through various games, or do you tend to change your naming habits based on the individual game?
Not really. I started with Ortus Sapienta and that was in fact the name of my first hero in City of Heroes and for a long time my global handle. After a bug with the global system in CoH, everyones handle was reset to the first character they logged in. Not knowing this, I logged in my Peacebringer Ardua and so became @Ardua. After that, well that's when I really started making friends in mmos and they all knew me as Ardua. So on boards, here on the blog and other places you'll find Ardua or Ardy (or the slayer Aardii). We'll see if this lasts into the next game.
4. Do you ever reserve names, planning to use them for characters that you might play later? If so, what are they and why do you hold on to them?
I do not and have never understood the practice. My altism only came into being after playing City of Heroes for a while and the naming comes at the end of creation there. I've always been in the habit as a result of rationalising the abilities first, the origin second, the look third and pulling a name and bio out of my ass just before I play. Some friends still in CoX take the time to craft backstories for all their toons, anyone who likes any of mine? I invented it thirty seconds before pressing "Enter Tutorial".
Regis! You forgot #5! How am I supposed to copy paste efficiently?
5. Of the three common archetypes in MMOs — tank, healer, DPS — which is your current main character?
Healer. I always gravitate to support classes when I enter a new game. How better to learn how things work than by helping everyone do what they do and taking notes? My second "main" is an Engineer done in a support manner as well.
That said, as anyone I've played with in CoH can attest, being support does not mean I will behave. I will be ... enthusiastic.
6. What archetype was your very first character in an MMO? Why did you choose it?
Jenquai Explorer as in #2. Basically support class. Cloaking, scanning, scouting, wormholes and suchlike. I picked it because the Jenquai race appealed to me and the explorers explorer, what's not to love?
7. Are you usually attracted to one archetype over another, or do you play them equally? Why?
Support! Though WAR is my first attempt at being a main healer. I prefer sitting back somewhat from the action and seeing how the battle is going and possibly by my actions influencing where it goes. Melee people just hit it till it's dead.
8. What is your favorite feature from an MMO you no longer play?
Wormholes from Earth & Beyond. One class could provide them, mine. Sure it turned some players into little more than glorified taxis. Sure some people like that (See Taxibots or Rogue Isles Transit in CoX). I enjoyed it though because it let me, if I chose provide a service to a great many people who had to get where I could go. Rezzing the dead, healing the hurt, mitigating damage, all these are good things, but how happy would a Warband be to see someone who could teleport them to Altdorf *now*.
9. Is there an MMO that you would play if it was free? Which and why?
EVE. I love the depth of the game and what people do with their freedom there. I just have never been comfortable with the timesink it would be for me to do the game justice and experience it in the ways we occasionally read about. If it was free though? I could easily skill up or afk mine on the laptop while I play and one day be ready, in my own mind, to play properly.
10. How do you measure the success of a character in an MMO (total kills, titles accumulated, wealth, rare items collected, level reached, etc.)?
If playing them makes me happy. Level caps aren't everything, though I'd like to be there. Money isn't everything, though it buys shinies. Social status isn't everything, though it's great to be recognised or looked up to.
Being able to log out at night, pleased with what you've done and considering it time well spent. If the MMO doesn't make me smile, it isn't worth my time, let alone my money.
5 bloggers I also want to probe for answers:
Arbitrary, I choose you!
Sneaksz you're up!
Snaffy must tell us all.
Werit, why not?
Bootae!
1. What is your current main character’s name (or names, if you play multiple games)? Explain how you chose the name.
Right now in WAR I am playing bot Vorri and Orrekai rather alot.
Vorris name comes from the server transfer from Ostermark to Phoenix Throne. Related to #4 below, I didn't placeholder the name on PT and so Norri Powderkeg could not be Norri on PT. Hell I was surprised I got Norri on Ostermark. I changed it because I like the sound of the name. That and one day I will eliminate the imposter Norri and reclaim the name.
Orrekai is related to #2. I went with the first name I ever used in an MMO and changed it to suit a Dwarf.
2. What was the name of your very first character in an MMO? Explain how you chose that name.
Ortus Sapienta. Jenquai Explorer, Galileo Server, Earth & Beyond.
This was a good few years back and having never played an MMO I had no idea what the naming conventions would be (or if they exsisted, they dont really). So cue the latin dictionary online. Jenquai were the explorer race and to be an Explorer class in the explorer race? Got to be latin. Ortus means birth, Sapienta as far as I knew at the time meant wisdom.
A better name was a friend I made. Dafugizzi. He entered every zone and yelled "Who?", say it all together now.
3. Have you kept a specific name through various games, or do you tend to change your naming habits based on the individual game?
Not really. I started with Ortus Sapienta and that was in fact the name of my first hero in City of Heroes and for a long time my global handle. After a bug with the global system in CoH, everyones handle was reset to the first character they logged in. Not knowing this, I logged in my Peacebringer Ardua and so became @Ardua. After that, well that's when I really started making friends in mmos and they all knew me as Ardua. So on boards, here on the blog and other places you'll find Ardua or Ardy (or the slayer Aardii). We'll see if this lasts into the next game.
4. Do you ever reserve names, planning to use them for characters that you might play later? If so, what are they and why do you hold on to them?
I do not and have never understood the practice. My altism only came into being after playing City of Heroes for a while and the naming comes at the end of creation there. I've always been in the habit as a result of rationalising the abilities first, the origin second, the look third and pulling a name and bio out of my ass just before I play. Some friends still in CoX take the time to craft backstories for all their toons, anyone who likes any of mine? I invented it thirty seconds before pressing "Enter Tutorial".
Regis! You forgot #5! How am I supposed to copy paste efficiently?
5. Of the three common archetypes in MMOs — tank, healer, DPS — which is your current main character?
Healer. I always gravitate to support classes when I enter a new game. How better to learn how things work than by helping everyone do what they do and taking notes? My second "main" is an Engineer done in a support manner as well.
That said, as anyone I've played with in CoH can attest, being support does not mean I will behave. I will be ... enthusiastic.
6. What archetype was your very first character in an MMO? Why did you choose it?
Jenquai Explorer as in #2. Basically support class. Cloaking, scanning, scouting, wormholes and suchlike. I picked it because the Jenquai race appealed to me and the explorers explorer, what's not to love?
7. Are you usually attracted to one archetype over another, or do you play them equally? Why?
Support! Though WAR is my first attempt at being a main healer. I prefer sitting back somewhat from the action and seeing how the battle is going and possibly by my actions influencing where it goes. Melee people just hit it till it's dead.
8. What is your favorite feature from an MMO you no longer play?
Wormholes from Earth & Beyond. One class could provide them, mine. Sure it turned some players into little more than glorified taxis. Sure some people like that (See Taxibots or Rogue Isles Transit in CoX). I enjoyed it though because it let me, if I chose provide a service to a great many people who had to get where I could go. Rezzing the dead, healing the hurt, mitigating damage, all these are good things, but how happy would a Warband be to see someone who could teleport them to Altdorf *now*.
9. Is there an MMO that you would play if it was free? Which and why?
EVE. I love the depth of the game and what people do with their freedom there. I just have never been comfortable with the timesink it would be for me to do the game justice and experience it in the ways we occasionally read about. If it was free though? I could easily skill up or afk mine on the laptop while I play and one day be ready, in my own mind, to play properly.
10. How do you measure the success of a character in an MMO (total kills, titles accumulated, wealth, rare items collected, level reached, etc.)?
If playing them makes me happy. Level caps aren't everything, though I'd like to be there. Money isn't everything, though it buys shinies. Social status isn't everything, though it's great to be recognised or looked up to.
Being able to log out at night, pleased with what you've done and considering it time well spent. If the MMO doesn't make me smile, it isn't worth my time, let alone my money.
5 bloggers I also want to probe for answers:
Arbitrary, I choose you!
Sneaksz you're up!
Snaffy must tell us all.
Werit, why not?
Bootae!
WCPI : War Underground
A good while back I blogged, or at least remember blogging which is close enough, about the extra bits that come along on an MMO. Radio stations, artists plying character portraits, things of that nature.
We already have a few podcasts going (I really should get into those...) and enough blogs to shake a level 2 +5 crotchetiness stick at.
Still todays WCPI goes out to a dual effort of WAR Underground and the Waaagh! Roots blog. They've got radio, they've got guild bits and they've got thee poooowwwer.... sorry, wandered off there.
Slowly but surely we're getting there in the blogosphere. Hop on over to WAR Underground if you want to promote your guild, check out some player made videos or read a few guides to Warhammer Online.
Now if only they could get rid of that elf chick. I vote for a big barrel of Bugmans.
We already have a few podcasts going (I really should get into those...) and enough blogs to shake a level 2 +5 crotchetiness stick at.
Still todays WCPI goes out to a dual effort of WAR Underground and the Waaagh! Roots blog. They've got radio, they've got guild bits and they've got thee poooowwwer.... sorry, wandered off there.
Slowly but surely we're getting there in the blogosphere. Hop on over to WAR Underground if you want to promote your guild, check out some player made videos or read a few guides to Warhammer Online.
Now if only they could get rid of that elf chick. I vote for a big barrel of Bugmans.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Global Agenda
I'm watching various games right now and I've decided to sign up for Global Agenda. If anyone wants to sign up for the beta, go right ahead. I've a referral code and will happily email it to anyone who comments below.
This is just a snippet entry as there's something else going on that I'm paranoid about and want to check out. Bloody args.
This is just a snippet entry as there's something else going on that I'm paranoid about and want to check out. Bloody args.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
You're in the Guilditary now
Bear with me folks. This one will wander a bit.
Massively has a Daily Grind article up with the following question.
Do you think a game needs to include some form of PvP to be successful? Or can a game go with a purely player vs. environment or cooperative approach and still succeed?
Now I've my own question based on the whole PvP thing. Not is it necessary to be successful but rather, what does it or could it do to the structures that come about in games.
In City of Heroes there is some PvP both through arenas and pvp zones, essentially though I've always treated it as a PvE game. A few years ago the Silver Guard was redoing its website and one part of that was a picture for the front page of all the available members wearing the Guard uniform and basically showing off the colours. A group effort, a sign of unity and all that jazz.
Boy did it ever go wrong.
Firstly there was one member who at the time didnt have the ability to enter Supergroup bases because they had to be the only person I think I had met who didnt bother getting CoV (if memory serves, a whopping $1 increase in the monthly sub at the time, I could be wrong). What do you do in this situation? Personally if I couldn't be where every other single player in the group was, I wouldn't hold things up. No... that's too easy. So this member (to be honest I've forgotten the character name otherwise I'd be all for the shaming) basically had us all relocate to Atlas Park. Atlas is the armpit of the CoH universe, partially due to it being one of the two newbie zones (don't hate the noob, help the noob) and partially because the Atlas statue has a big idiot magnet in it that summons hyperactive morons.
Secondly, despite it being a group photo and the group having colours, several members refused to wear them. The Guard never enforced a uniform like some other supergroups, but personally I would have thought that throwing the colours on for the sake of thirty seconds wouldn't have hurt. Excuses ranged from "I don't have a uniform" to "I prefer my shades, the Guard ones clash with what I want".
Finally it was down to getting people to position themselves in a sensible manner. Top tip, if you have an 8' tall character, stand behind the 4' ones. Wait for the Atlasidiots (polite name) to get out of the frame. Wait for the afkers to reposition. Wait for the sun to come up as this has now taken so long we're in our third night cycle aaaaand finally click.
It wasn't a bad photo but I still as you can guess have a sore spot over all the nonsense that interfered, especially the fashion comment.
Compare and contrast a straight PvP game. We'll take a few examples.
Planetside, also a few years back, had several outfits making in game promotional/recruitment videos. Cue many many more players than the maybe two dozen Guardsmen standing in formation and having a mexican wave style salute to the camera. You were in the military now and you followed orders.
Massively gave a one-shot of Darkfall Online with an "Inquisition raft fleet". Players coming together and, even if their vent server is filled with penis jokes and bash.org style nonsense, forming a fleet to take the waters they want.
EVE.... just EVE.
Why does it appear to take a game or setting where the prime opponent is other people for our imaginary otherselves to show discipline that they wont when facing a computer? I know of course there are exceptions to both sides of this and of course no amount of roleplaying or discipline survives first contact with the enemy.
Is it something in ourselves? Are computer controlled enemies unworthy of displays of restraint and discipline or are other players such a threat that we look down on displays of axecrazy? Will in game AI advance to such a point to challenge this?
Finally in the 80/20 split of Warhammer (i.e. 80%pve 20%pvp inverting in later levels) that I once heard quoted play with this? I've seen some instances of people following orders and acting in concert in ways I wish bands I've been in could, I've also seen everything degenerate into a zergandpray. Does Party 2 always listen to the Warband leader and cover the postern? Or does this only come later when it is clear it's you vs another meatbag?
I'm in the guilditary now, but I think no one got the memo.
Massively has a Daily Grind article up with the following question.
Do you think a game needs to include some form of PvP to be successful? Or can a game go with a purely player vs. environment or cooperative approach and still succeed?
Now I've my own question based on the whole PvP thing. Not is it necessary to be successful but rather, what does it or could it do to the structures that come about in games.
In City of Heroes there is some PvP both through arenas and pvp zones, essentially though I've always treated it as a PvE game. A few years ago the Silver Guard was redoing its website and one part of that was a picture for the front page of all the available members wearing the Guard uniform and basically showing off the colours. A group effort, a sign of unity and all that jazz.
Boy did it ever go wrong.
Firstly there was one member who at the time didnt have the ability to enter Supergroup bases because they had to be the only person I think I had met who didnt bother getting CoV (if memory serves, a whopping $1 increase in the monthly sub at the time, I could be wrong). What do you do in this situation? Personally if I couldn't be where every other single player in the group was, I wouldn't hold things up. No... that's too easy. So this member (to be honest I've forgotten the character name otherwise I'd be all for the shaming) basically had us all relocate to Atlas Park. Atlas is the armpit of the CoH universe, partially due to it being one of the two newbie zones (don't hate the noob, help the noob) and partially because the Atlas statue has a big idiot magnet in it that summons hyperactive morons.
Secondly, despite it being a group photo and the group having colours, several members refused to wear them. The Guard never enforced a uniform like some other supergroups, but personally I would have thought that throwing the colours on for the sake of thirty seconds wouldn't have hurt. Excuses ranged from "I don't have a uniform" to "I prefer my shades, the Guard ones clash with what I want".
Finally it was down to getting people to position themselves in a sensible manner. Top tip, if you have an 8' tall character, stand behind the 4' ones. Wait for the Atlasidiots (polite name) to get out of the frame. Wait for the afkers to reposition. Wait for the sun to come up as this has now taken so long we're in our third night cycle aaaaand finally click.
It wasn't a bad photo but I still as you can guess have a sore spot over all the nonsense that interfered, especially the fashion comment.
Compare and contrast a straight PvP game. We'll take a few examples.
Planetside, also a few years back, had several outfits making in game promotional/recruitment videos. Cue many many more players than the maybe two dozen Guardsmen standing in formation and having a mexican wave style salute to the camera. You were in the military now and you followed orders.
Massively gave a one-shot of Darkfall Online with an "Inquisition raft fleet". Players coming together and, even if their vent server is filled with penis jokes and bash.org style nonsense, forming a fleet to take the waters they want.
EVE.... just EVE.
Why does it appear to take a game or setting where the prime opponent is other people for our imaginary otherselves to show discipline that they wont when facing a computer? I know of course there are exceptions to both sides of this and of course no amount of roleplaying or discipline survives first contact with the enemy.
Is it something in ourselves? Are computer controlled enemies unworthy of displays of restraint and discipline or are other players such a threat that we look down on displays of axecrazy? Will in game AI advance to such a point to challenge this?
Finally in the 80/20 split of Warhammer (i.e. 80%pve 20%pvp inverting in later levels) that I once heard quoted play with this? I've seen some instances of people following orders and acting in concert in ways I wish bands I've been in could, I've also seen everything degenerate into a zergandpray. Does Party 2 always listen to the Warband leader and cover the postern? Or does this only come later when it is clear it's you vs another meatbag?
I'm in the guilditary now, but I think no one got the memo.
Friday, April 10, 2009
T Minus One Month (give or take)
What are you doing on May 9th ?
After the GOAmeet Dublin well.... we wanted to try another go. So this time information is available from Arbitrary and the Book Of Grudges blog, as well as her own Nerf The Cat. The broad plan at the moment is outlined over there. Check it out. Come to London. Let's Waaaagh!
Oh and the Star Trek thing is my fault. But who doesn't love the idea of IMAX Star Trek?
(That will be May 8th, times tbd)
After the GOAmeet Dublin well.... we wanted to try another go. So this time information is available from Arbitrary and the Book Of Grudges blog, as well as her own Nerf The Cat. The broad plan at the moment is outlined over there. Check it out. Come to London. Let's Waaaagh!
Oh and the Star Trek thing is my fault. But who doesn't love the idea of IMAX Star Trek?
(That will be May 8th, times tbd)
WCPI: Smelly Orc
Well I imagine Tufmudda smells funny what with being an Orc and all.
Tufmudda is one of the other Irish bloggers which if nothing else makes me feel all warm and happy because my God does this country need more MMO players. Check the site out for honest views on the ups and downs on the Euro servers as well as an awesome chicken recipie that I will have to try.
...What I still haven't finished Gunbad? I've never even seen the Lost Vale.
Tastes like stunty
Tufmudda is one of the other Irish bloggers which if nothing else makes me feel all warm and happy because my God does this country need more MMO players. Check the site out for honest views on the ups and downs on the Euro servers as well as an awesome chicken recipie that I will have to try.
...What I still haven't finished Gunbad? I've never even seen the Lost Vale.
Tastes like stunty
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
One Does Not Simply Rock Into Tier 4
I play Warhammer most nights in any given week, typically a few hours each night. Yet I have only just reached 32, with my Rune Priest Orrekai. I've always leveled slow my first time in a game. It took me nearly the entire lifetime of my Earth and Beyond subscription (a game that lasted two years) to get to 150. My first 50 in CoH took forever, granted this was back before ED, the Global Defense Nerf and was most of the way there before Kheldians made it into the game.
One of the things I love about Warhammer is that Orrekai is 32/30. There may be just 8 levels of pve left, but I've 50 renown ranks ahead of me still. I fell out of love with alot of my 50's in CoH because I had done it all and there was little left to do (thankfully I was cured of my badge addiction).
Back to Orrekai for a moment. When I reached t3 I had a good run of luck. I got two Devastator pieces in short order, one of which was my first keep gold bag. I raked in xp and renown and it was all good. The rest of my t3 career entertained me (I didnt manage to cap inf in Elves, but thats all) with new toys coming, new additions through renown training and generally learning names on Ostermark, like I am again on Phoenix Throne.
The end of this particular T3 run reminded me of how it started. As I crept ever closer to 32 I worried because despite winning plenty of Gold Bags, they were never in a keep necessary for me to get my Devastator Vestments. To make matters more ... complicated, oRvR on Phoenix Throne is certainly to my eyes hopping. I've bands to join every night and we have enemies to fight often enough to keep it interesting.
With 6% left to go to 32, I managed to finally get my Devastator Vestments.
Thanks go to Vilydes for running the band that night fantastically. With 4% left to go, I felt confident I could scout what may have been a Destro attack on Ghronds. On the way, I got my rr30. In Ghronds, I left t3 in style.
Dropping boiling oil on people over and over until I died so suddenly neither I nor the Rune Priest healing me could believe it. That is until the hammers and shield came up. 32, chicken and leaving the tier happy.
Still I've learned names, gotten used to some peoples methods and as Orrekai passes into t4 (and on that particular night, despite a zone crash, an awesome t4 battle), Vorri takes his place at the bottom of t3. The only thing I can say now though? For the love of all that is proper and Dwarfy, defend keeps. Influence is tasty.
Vorri as before has entered well and I am sure will leave well, having come up with people I recognise and cannot wait to play with in T4.
Special thanks to Krellgar, Dachtwar, Vilydes, Compassion, Halstadt and Thomgrim all of PT.
One of the things I love about Warhammer is that Orrekai is 32/30. There may be just 8 levels of pve left, but I've 50 renown ranks ahead of me still. I fell out of love with alot of my 50's in CoH because I had done it all and there was little left to do (thankfully I was cured of my badge addiction).
Back to Orrekai for a moment. When I reached t3 I had a good run of luck. I got two Devastator pieces in short order, one of which was my first keep gold bag. I raked in xp and renown and it was all good. The rest of my t3 career entertained me (I didnt manage to cap inf in Elves, but thats all) with new toys coming, new additions through renown training and generally learning names on Ostermark, like I am again on Phoenix Throne.
The end of this particular T3 run reminded me of how it started. As I crept ever closer to 32 I worried because despite winning plenty of Gold Bags, they were never in a keep necessary for me to get my Devastator Vestments. To make matters more ... complicated, oRvR on Phoenix Throne is certainly to my eyes hopping. I've bands to join every night and we have enemies to fight often enough to keep it interesting.
With 6% left to go to 32, I managed to finally get my Devastator Vestments.
Thanks go to Vilydes for running the band that night fantastically. With 4% left to go, I felt confident I could scout what may have been a Destro attack on Ghronds. On the way, I got my rr30. In Ghronds, I left t3 in style.
Dropping boiling oil on people over and over until I died so suddenly neither I nor the Rune Priest healing me could believe it. That is until the hammers and shield came up. 32, chicken and leaving the tier happy.
Still I've learned names, gotten used to some peoples methods and as Orrekai passes into t4 (and on that particular night, despite a zone crash, an awesome t4 battle), Vorri takes his place at the bottom of t3. The only thing I can say now though? For the love of all that is proper and Dwarfy, defend keeps. Influence is tasty.
Vorri as before has entered well and I am sure will leave well, having come up with people I recognise and cannot wait to play with in T4.
Special thanks to Krellgar, Dachtwar, Vilydes, Compassion, Halstadt and Thomgrim all of PT.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Who's that guy?
A quick update for all the bloggers or basically anyone who fancies a team or to kill me.
Phoenix Throne : Order
Orrekai Dalinsson lvl 31 Rune Priest
Vorri Powderkeg lvl 22 Engineer (Used to be Norri. Damn I was proud of that name)
Aardii ToBeDetermined lvl 14 Slayer
Vortex : Destruction
Leginit ToBeDetermined lvl 18 Squig Herder (Formerly Leggit, another name I was damn fond of)
Eadbursta Yougetthepicture lvl 12 Shaman
So of five characters I play regularly (I have a sixth but she never gets game time) two had to get new names. Of course it'd be the two I was most proud of. Sods law.
Phoenix Throne : Order
Orrekai Dalinsson lvl 31 Rune Priest
Vorri Powderkeg lvl 22 Engineer (Used to be Norri. Damn I was proud of that name)
Aardii ToBeDetermined lvl 14 Slayer
Vortex : Destruction
Leginit ToBeDetermined lvl 18 Squig Herder (Formerly Leggit, another name I was damn fond of)
Eadbursta Yougetthepicture lvl 12 Shaman
So of five characters I play regularly (I have a sixth but she never gets game time) two had to get new names. Of course it'd be the two I was most proud of. Sods law.
The Ard Enuf Tribe
Goblins, as a whole, are a bunch of vicious sadistic bastards. Even so, Goblins en masse can be lumped into three categories. The cunning ones, the cowardly ones and the dead ones. You don't survive amongst Gobbos and Orcs without some skills or luck.
The Tribe that marches before you is a triumph of luck over skill or sense. A conglomeration of Night and Forrest Goblins, most often seen under the rule of an Orc or as separate groups raiding and causing mayhem.
Griznog Toofsteela is commonly held to be a lucky Gobbo. His rise to power was not through the normal method of killing whomever had what he wanted, but rather a function of being in the wrong place at the right time. When Gorbug Killzlots exploded due to a bad mushroom beer and accidentally swallowing a squig, Griznog was found in the area looking confused and getting the Squig survivor as a pet. When Murg the Smelly took a long walk off a short cliff, Griznog would have been split in two by Murgs falling sword had he not stopped to cuff Wotwot, a Shaman, around the ear. Instead as if by the hand of Mork, or mebbe Gork, a blade landed beside him.Finally, when he and Wotwot were sent out to beat some sense into a rebelling mob of Night Goblins, they tried to sneak off and instead came across the crushed body of the rebellious leader who had stopped to sneak a stunty beer under some loose rocks. Since then the mob has followed the twosome everywhere out of fear.
"Ere boss.... Wotwot's narratin to 'imself again"
"Yeah so? Give 'im a thump"
"...I'll try boss, but 'e sounds like a humie"
Finally the rabble decided to try joining a passing group of Orcs. This was to be genesis of the tribe. Instead of crushing Griznog or otherwise humiliating him as normal, the Orcs simply laughed at the assorted Night Goblins and told them to come back when they were "ard enuf". Peeling off from the Orc mob, a small unit of Forrest Goblin Spider Riders decided to follow Griznog. Perhaps it was the spirit of Gork, perhaps the command of Mork or most likely just them being hopped up on venom again that caused this.
So the tribe was named, and their plan formed. They would travel far to where the Black Orcs were said to have originated, spawned in some fashion near dark and dangerous Dwarf holds. There they would find out what made the Black Orcs so strong, use it themselves and return truly ard enuf.
Listen now to their tales as they mar*WHACK*aaaaaagh! We iz da best and we iz ...wot? Whyz me 'ead hurtin?
The Tribe that marches before you is a triumph of luck over skill or sense. A conglomeration of Night and Forrest Goblins, most often seen under the rule of an Orc or as separate groups raiding and causing mayhem.
Griznog Toofsteela is commonly held to be a lucky Gobbo. His rise to power was not through the normal method of killing whomever had what he wanted, but rather a function of being in the wrong place at the right time. When Gorbug Killzlots exploded due to a bad mushroom beer and accidentally swallowing a squig, Griznog was found in the area looking confused and getting the Squig survivor as a pet. When Murg the Smelly took a long walk off a short cliff, Griznog would have been split in two by Murgs falling sword had he not stopped to cuff Wotwot, a Shaman, around the ear. Instead as if by the hand of Mork, or mebbe Gork, a blade landed beside him.Finally, when he and Wotwot were sent out to beat some sense into a rebelling mob of Night Goblins, they tried to sneak off and instead came across the crushed body of the rebellious leader who had stopped to sneak a stunty beer under some loose rocks. Since then the mob has followed the twosome everywhere out of fear.
"Ere boss.... Wotwot's narratin to 'imself again"
"Yeah so? Give 'im a thump"
"...I'll try boss, but 'e sounds like a humie"
Finally the rabble decided to try joining a passing group of Orcs. This was to be genesis of the tribe. Instead of crushing Griznog or otherwise humiliating him as normal, the Orcs simply laughed at the assorted Night Goblins and told them to come back when they were "ard enuf". Peeling off from the Orc mob, a small unit of Forrest Goblin Spider Riders decided to follow Griznog. Perhaps it was the spirit of Gork, perhaps the command of Mork or most likely just them being hopped up on venom again that caused this.
So the tribe was named, and their plan formed. They would travel far to where the Black Orcs were said to have originated, spawned in some fashion near dark and dangerous Dwarf holds. There they would find out what made the Black Orcs so strong, use it themselves and return truly ard enuf.
Listen now to their tales as they mar*WHACK*aaaaaagh! We iz da best and we iz ...wot? Whyz me 'ead hurtin?
Monday, March 30, 2009
Server Snafu
I, like a few other bloggers, play on Ostermark. I came to WAR with roleplaying friends and to a roleplay server we went. My two Destruction toons are on Phoenix Throne.
So firstly, I am keeping an eye on the situation but only intend to blog about it once it has concluded.
Secondly, The Sentinels are moving from Ostermark and I'll be keeping my slayer Aardii with them.
Thirdly, keep an eye on the Herald. They heard the outcry, we'll see what happens as a result. Short of forcibly moving/encouraging people to shift onto Ostermark, who knows?
So firstly, I am keeping an eye on the situation but only intend to blog about it once it has concluded.
Secondly, The Sentinels are moving from Ostermark and I'll be keeping my slayer Aardii with them.
Thirdly, keep an eye on the Herald. They heard the outcry, we'll see what happens as a result. Short of forcibly moving/encouraging people to shift onto Ostermark, who knows?
Honest Scrap Award is me
Well bugger me.The Honest Scrap award has been circulating in the WAR blogsphere and beyond recently.
Somehow I got nominated and so I am excited to recieve this award from S.T. on RvR Confessions.
Thanks mate! I will so get you back for this.
So what is it about?
- When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to the said person so everyone knows she/he is real.
- Choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have seven friends. Show the seven random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.
- List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself. Then pass it on.
I, Ardy, Hereby Nominate:
The Greenskin - Snafzg, Snafzg, Snafzg. I found the Greenskin before I wandered into the rest of the (at the time) new forming Warblogosphere. In fact if it wasnt for reading his blog and from it Book of Grudges and Waaagh! I likely would never have met the BoG girls nor gotten into blogging. So... he's the #1 nominee because it's all his fault. I even smacked him once or twice in a scenario. Though I then died as per my normal MO.
Stylish Corpse - I lessthanthree Ysharros
Bio Break - Syp. That's it. You either know his work or you've been on Mars for the last two years. I wish I was as good as Syp.
Wizards & Wenches - Regis writes Wizards & Wenches. He's the Admin for Blog Warhammer. Runs competitions that have brought us Girl IRL and hosted other blogs. He too is an inspiration to me. That as because I mod over at Blog Warhammer, a little ass kissing never hurt :P
Way of the Chosen - Rivs is another from Blog Warhammer. Never stops. Always has something to say and I love seeing his work. That and one day I'm going to hammerstaff his Chosen in the face. Wait and see.
Breakfast At WAR - They make me laugh. I could try to write more, but I don't know them as well as I'd like or to bastardise some Baggins, half as well as they deserve.
Symptom Of A Greater Cure - SoagCure isn't a WAR blog but is always always a blog I can count on for giving me something to think about. What more can you want from a blog?
10 honest things about myself
I am six and a half foot tall. Really. Check the photos or ask Arbitrary.
I am one year shy of a physics degree that I promise one day I will finish.
I love all things Jim Butcher and will be getting Turn Coat asap. In fact I'll be getting all the graphic novels of, you guessed it, the novels I already own.
I, unlike practically all Irish people, do not drink. Nor have I ever.
I met my wife on the internet through a friends med/fantasy roleplay 6 years ago.
I am a crap roleplayer. (Ok this one was a cop out)
Custard and chocolate chip cookies together is like rocket fuel for me. Causes immense hyperactivity.
I am very tactile and probably end up hugging most people. Beware at GOAMeet London.
I have a photographic memory (probably) where sci-fi is concerned.
I have a scar on my butt. Look, I ran out of things. Suffer with that knowledge :P
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Coming home
In one of those "I was reading this, which linked to this and then to this" things, I was reading Tobolds blog, got on to Syncaines posts about Darkfall and WoW tourists and Ixobelle.
Also recently my WAR account expired because of a credit card issue. My better half, Shannon, hasn't been playing City of Heroes and cancelled her account a few weeks back and now I'm considering doing the same.
First a commentary on the linked post.
Ixobelle had this to say:
With Syncaine coming back with:
Now personally... I've played all of 5 minutes of WoW. Decided it wasn't for me and left it at that. It was on my brothers account to boot, so it's not like I wasted any money by not properly playing out a month. I've my four year badge in City of Heroes coming this month (would be more but hey, account lapses). I've played a few months of EVE. I have never played Lotro.
While not being as ... adamant as Syncaine, I agree that Ixo really shouldn't have said anything.
You can download the CoH patcher before the trial, and also if it takes you 10 days to download a game, what have you been doing?
EVE has so much to offer, only the fact that I think I couldn't give the game time enough to do it justice keeps me away still.
The comment about LOTRO is just insulting.
It highlights something obvious of course, people like what they like. Some people like Pepsi, others Coke. There's always a George Lazenby fanboy in the corner somewhere.
In the end the thought came down to this. I've played CoH for years, I've made friends there, I've had good times there. But when it came to payday and we did a budget, I resubbed to Warhammer and I'm taking time off City Of Heroes.
It's not just a Pepsi/Coke thing for some people. It's so much more because of what the games are, MMOs.
CoH has great bits. EVE has great bits. LOTRO has great bits. WoW has great bits. WAR has great bits. At the end of the day, what really matters and what really spawns the comments is this. Where at you most at home?
Also recently my WAR account expired because of a credit card issue. My better half, Shannon, hasn't been playing City of Heroes and cancelled her account a few weeks back and now I'm considering doing the same.
First a commentary on the linked post.
Ixobelle had this to say:
LotRO is probably the only other game I really respect out of the ‘non-WoW’
batch of MMOs I’ve played (but I never subscribed to LotRO, so there you go),
and I have yet to actually even make it to the character creator in Coh/CoV. I
signed up for a trial, and the downloader was so fucking slow that my free trial
ran out before I ever actually got the game installed. Don’t even get me started
on EVE. Hoo boy.
With Syncaine coming back with:
No please, do elaborate on EVE, it would be priceless. Warning though, the game
does not contain NPCs with ! in bright yellow, so right off the bat it’s not as
‘polished’ as WoW. LoTRO thanks you for your respect, all 10 days or less of it.
I am curious though what exactly you are looking for in an MMO if LoTRO was not
WoW-enough for you?
Now personally... I've played all of 5 minutes of WoW. Decided it wasn't for me and left it at that. It was on my brothers account to boot, so it's not like I wasted any money by not properly playing out a month. I've my four year badge in City of Heroes coming this month (would be more but hey, account lapses). I've played a few months of EVE. I have never played Lotro.
While not being as ... adamant as Syncaine, I agree that Ixo really shouldn't have said anything.
You can download the CoH patcher before the trial, and also if it takes you 10 days to download a game, what have you been doing?
EVE has so much to offer, only the fact that I think I couldn't give the game time enough to do it justice keeps me away still.
The comment about LOTRO is just insulting.
It highlights something obvious of course, people like what they like. Some people like Pepsi, others Coke. There's always a George Lazenby fanboy in the corner somewhere.
In the end the thought came down to this. I've played CoH for years, I've made friends there, I've had good times there. But when it came to payday and we did a budget, I resubbed to Warhammer and I'm taking time off City Of Heroes.
It's not just a Pepsi/Coke thing for some people. It's so much more because of what the games are, MMOs.
CoH has great bits. EVE has great bits. LOTRO has great bits. WoW has great bits. WAR has great bits. At the end of the day, what really matters and what really spawns the comments is this. Where at you most at home?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Royal WAR Rumble
Both The Greenskin and Werit suggested a while back about a third faction for the game.
Snaf suggests an NPC third faction that in some fashion brings balance back to the WAR. If you're clearly kicking ass the world over, you'd suffer greater attacks from this faction (Example given : Skaven, Vampire Counts and Ogres) to the point where they could flip RvR zones.
Werit suggests a third faction as a playable race, if I understand him correctly, which is limited in what it can do and the experience in game but would allow this third faction to tip the scales one way or another during rvr.
Snaf also gives the example of Aion, in which the NPC race will become more aggressive to whomever is clearly outplaying the other creating a challenge. On paper, I think it sounds fantastic (Im signed up for the Aion beta). In execution, I remain unconvinced. Zone Domination was introduced as a means to stop defending by not defending. On paper a self correcting NPC faction could indeed spice up RvR and require more of a WAR effort from people, but in practice, could it also mean that the other side simply stops resisting so that the NPCs strike back with a strength they cannot or are unwilling to muster?
Though in defense of the idea, it would encourage people to leave rear guard groups like I have only just begun to see outside of Fortresses designed to stem reinforcements (though why we seem to always being doing it at the Maw where there is a second route we can't deal with I don't know). You would not only have to have the strength and ability to bring the fight to your enemy but have the resources and support to fight off an ever stronger other faction so you can crush your foe. If it worked, now there's some realm pride.
Werits idea, with a comparison to how it works in Pirates of the Burning Sea, has a wee limiting factor in that both sides need their pvp players. A third faction that solely pvps I think would drain the pool of talent each side has as they go off to join the Skaven or what have you so they could break the stalemate and create their own. After all for an essentially pvp only side, they'd have to go where the fighting is or what's the point? However the idea reminded me of Planetsides Black Ops. Every so often some players get selected to play Black Ops characters. They're powerful, they're not numerous and they exsist solely to disrupt the three way Smurf/Commie/Vanu war. As such everyone loves to kill 'em.
What if the Skavenidea of Werit wasn't an always available option but rather an occasional appearance of a few warbands where the lucky players tapped to be hated ratmen can engage anyone on their server, regardless of what side they came from (and ideally they'd be pulled 50/50 from Order and Destruction) whose whole purpose isnt to tip an ongoing battle, but erode the control of the other two. For extra bastard points, they could stop one side from sieging the opposite city only to take their place.
Ahhh Altdorf is safe, those Skavenscum broke their fortress lock, siege over.....why're there so many ratmen all of a sudden?*splortch*
Personally I come down in the middle on both ideas. Ahh lawyerground.
I have before (I think on this blog, maybe somewhere else) suggested the third faction of WAR being not Order or Destruction but rather Balance. Bring in Wood Elves, Lizardmen and Tomb Kings (previously I suggested Brettonnia, but who wants pansy knights?) and have their t1 to t4 zones intersect with new zones for Order and Destruction equally. That way they are by factor of geography invited to fight against both sides equally. Also it introduces replayability in that if say in tier 1, Order can only fight Balance in Lustria and Destruction can only fight in areas of Nehekhara and Balance is denied Nordland/Norsca and Ekrund/Mount Bloodhorn, to fight everywhere, must at some stage play all three sides.
Tis an idea.
And to really spice things up, while Order, Destruction and Balance go at it hammer and tongs, bring in Snafs npc Opportunity. Ogres, Vampires and hell Chaos Daemons whose sole point is to act as a wild card rather than a balance mechanism.
After all, you win some, you lose some. Though wouldn't it be fantastic to say it two two factions and an 11th hour addition of rampaging NPCs to take down your city?
Snaf suggests an NPC third faction that in some fashion brings balance back to the WAR. If you're clearly kicking ass the world over, you'd suffer greater attacks from this faction (Example given : Skaven, Vampire Counts and Ogres) to the point where they could flip RvR zones.
Werit suggests a third faction as a playable race, if I understand him correctly, which is limited in what it can do and the experience in game but would allow this third faction to tip the scales one way or another during rvr.
Snaf also gives the example of Aion, in which the NPC race will become more aggressive to whomever is clearly outplaying the other creating a challenge. On paper, I think it sounds fantastic (Im signed up for the Aion beta). In execution, I remain unconvinced. Zone Domination was introduced as a means to stop defending by not defending. On paper a self correcting NPC faction could indeed spice up RvR and require more of a WAR effort from people, but in practice, could it also mean that the other side simply stops resisting so that the NPCs strike back with a strength they cannot or are unwilling to muster?
Though in defense of the idea, it would encourage people to leave rear guard groups like I have only just begun to see outside of Fortresses designed to stem reinforcements (though why we seem to always being doing it at the Maw where there is a second route we can't deal with I don't know). You would not only have to have the strength and ability to bring the fight to your enemy but have the resources and support to fight off an ever stronger other faction so you can crush your foe. If it worked, now there's some realm pride.
Werits idea, with a comparison to how it works in Pirates of the Burning Sea, has a wee limiting factor in that both sides need their pvp players. A third faction that solely pvps I think would drain the pool of talent each side has as they go off to join the Skaven or what have you so they could break the stalemate and create their own. After all for an essentially pvp only side, they'd have to go where the fighting is or what's the point? However the idea reminded me of Planetsides Black Ops. Every so often some players get selected to play Black Ops characters. They're powerful, they're not numerous and they exsist solely to disrupt the three way Smurf/Commie/Vanu war. As such everyone loves to kill 'em.
What if the Skavenidea of Werit wasn't an always available option but rather an occasional appearance of a few warbands where the lucky players tapped to be hated ratmen can engage anyone on their server, regardless of what side they came from (and ideally they'd be pulled 50/50 from Order and Destruction) whose whole purpose isnt to tip an ongoing battle, but erode the control of the other two. For extra bastard points, they could stop one side from sieging the opposite city only to take their place.
Ahhh Altdorf is safe, those Skavenscum broke their fortress lock, siege over.....why're there so many ratmen all of a sudden?*splortch*
Personally I come down in the middle on both ideas. Ahh lawyerground.
I have before (I think on this blog, maybe somewhere else) suggested the third faction of WAR being not Order or Destruction but rather Balance. Bring in Wood Elves, Lizardmen and Tomb Kings (previously I suggested Brettonnia, but who wants pansy knights?) and have their t1 to t4 zones intersect with new zones for Order and Destruction equally. That way they are by factor of geography invited to fight against both sides equally. Also it introduces replayability in that if say in tier 1, Order can only fight Balance in Lustria and Destruction can only fight in areas of Nehekhara and Balance is denied Nordland/Norsca and Ekrund/Mount Bloodhorn, to fight everywhere, must at some stage play all three sides.
Tis an idea.
And to really spice things up, while Order, Destruction and Balance go at it hammer and tongs, bring in Snafs npc Opportunity. Ogres, Vampires and hell Chaos Daemons whose sole point is to act as a wild card rather than a balance mechanism.
After all, you win some, you lose some. Though wouldn't it be fantastic to say it two two factions and an 11th hour addition of rampaging NPCs to take down your city?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Blogroll
Blogroll updated with a whole bunch from the frankly huge Blog Warhammer Blogroll.
Blogs for the Blogroll! Posts for the Post Throne of WAR!
Blogs for the Blogroll! Posts for the Post Throne of WAR!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Ordering Order and Controlling Chaos.
Recently Massively pimped a link to the WARbander’s Handbook v1.0 (after Wizards and Wenches I do believe). It is a very good read indeed. However there is a question I have for everyone on your various servers.
How does your lot take control of the battle?
During the GOAMeet Tufmudda related some stories of what happened on his old server and his new one. You'll excuse me if I don't have the details down exactly as it was a wee while ago. One story related to the industrious Destruction player who through an immense amount of gold and the in game mail client mailed a huge amount of players to co-ordinate in secret a fortress attack. Operation Snotsner or something to that effect. Another related to Tufmudda himself and spending several hours in a warband not actively fighting. Instead of swinging his cleava and black orcing it up (guess on my part that) he had spent the entire time typing messages to a great many people, helping co-ordinate through the game and through voice chat the war effort. Pulling together bands, directing them to particular objectives and essentially running a battle across multiple fronts.
These stories and others about other peoples online experiences in WAR and other games served to firstly make me jealous. Jealous to such an extent that I toyed with the idea of moving away from the US servers of the game and to my own time and own people on the GOA servers. A place where I knew there was life, co-ordination and a battle to be fought.
Secondly it made me think about what can be done to change how it's all run where I currently am.
Anyone who plays MMOs for a while sooner or later hears that no matter how populated a game, the forums tend to be a vocal minority. Dedicated and devoted they may be (though that may be devoted to snark/flames) they are still a small number. Bloggers too are a small subset of a games population. Look at the Age of Blogging or WCPI initiative. Yes they raise the awareness of blogs and other forums but in the end most players will pass over them or give them a cursory glance at best.
With that excuse there, I admit that I am terrible with forums. I would love to be a regular on the forums, official or otherwise but sadly my attention span isn't up to it. Either I forget to log in, am too busy to or am considering blogging.
If I can't keep up with the war effort there, how can Joe Casual?
I happen to know that Ostermark has a channel, OrderRvR, for bringing people together to co-ordinate rvr. I know this because Bregel was around way in the beginning when people decided to create said channel. I heard it first from a friend and then over Christmas from the Warbands I was in. Sadly alot of those faces have either moved on or alted, and as a result I cannot tell how popular the channel is anymore. Do new folks get told? Am I part of an ever shrinking group joining the channel which one day may no longer have enough people on it to co-ordinate anything?
With this in mind I have an answer for Joe Casual, for me and for the war effort generally speaking.
Answer? Planetside.
We went halfway there with the leaders room in Sigmars Hammer and its Destruction equivalent. A room where only people of high guild rank can enter and thus can co-ordinate.
Planetside however had layers of channels dedicated to war efforts. To access them you had to earn command points for command ranks. CR1 would let you /sitrep. You could send a message one tier up to inform that layer of command. Messages and information passed up to higher ranks who in turn could co-ordinate with each other over greater distances. Onwards and upwards it went all the way to CR5 which allowed people to global message the entire server or a specific planet.
By giving these abilities only to people who earned command ranks which as you can guess can only be earned by leading, Planetside established the control for the war.
Throw in the channels or an equvialent and we may see more co-ordination on both sides beyond that of "Oh hey I see a warband" or "/g Is anything going on?" for people like me. The lazy guy, the footsoldier who will fight where told, when told, but only if someone is around to do the telling.
I'll serve my server in the war, but it'd be nice to give the people who spend the hours typing some framework to work from. Player created methods are fantastic, but only if we know they're out there.
Maybe I just missed it on Ostermark/Phoenix Throne. Anyone got a word for this foot soldier?
How does your lot take control of the battle?
During the GOAMeet Tufmudda related some stories of what happened on his old server and his new one. You'll excuse me if I don't have the details down exactly as it was a wee while ago. One story related to the industrious Destruction player who through an immense amount of gold and the in game mail client mailed a huge amount of players to co-ordinate in secret a fortress attack. Operation Snotsner or something to that effect. Another related to Tufmudda himself and spending several hours in a warband not actively fighting. Instead of swinging his cleava and black orcing it up (guess on my part that) he had spent the entire time typing messages to a great many people, helping co-ordinate through the game and through voice chat the war effort. Pulling together bands, directing them to particular objectives and essentially running a battle across multiple fronts.
These stories and others about other peoples online experiences in WAR and other games served to firstly make me jealous. Jealous to such an extent that I toyed with the idea of moving away from the US servers of the game and to my own time and own people on the GOA servers. A place where I knew there was life, co-ordination and a battle to be fought.
Secondly it made me think about what can be done to change how it's all run where I currently am.
Anyone who plays MMOs for a while sooner or later hears that no matter how populated a game, the forums tend to be a vocal minority. Dedicated and devoted they may be (though that may be devoted to snark/flames) they are still a small number. Bloggers too are a small subset of a games population. Look at the Age of Blogging or WCPI initiative. Yes they raise the awareness of blogs and other forums but in the end most players will pass over them or give them a cursory glance at best.
With that excuse there, I admit that I am terrible with forums. I would love to be a regular on the forums, official or otherwise but sadly my attention span isn't up to it. Either I forget to log in, am too busy to or am considering blogging.
If I can't keep up with the war effort there, how can Joe Casual?
I happen to know that Ostermark has a channel, OrderRvR, for bringing people together to co-ordinate rvr. I know this because Bregel was around way in the beginning when people decided to create said channel. I heard it first from a friend and then over Christmas from the Warbands I was in. Sadly alot of those faces have either moved on or alted, and as a result I cannot tell how popular the channel is anymore. Do new folks get told? Am I part of an ever shrinking group joining the channel which one day may no longer have enough people on it to co-ordinate anything?
With this in mind I have an answer for Joe Casual, for me and for the war effort generally speaking.
Answer? Planetside.
We went halfway there with the leaders room in Sigmars Hammer and its Destruction equivalent. A room where only people of high guild rank can enter and thus can co-ordinate.
Planetside however had layers of channels dedicated to war efforts. To access them you had to earn command points for command ranks. CR1 would let you /sitrep. You could send a message one tier up to inform that layer of command. Messages and information passed up to higher ranks who in turn could co-ordinate with each other over greater distances. Onwards and upwards it went all the way to CR5 which allowed people to global message the entire server or a specific planet.
By giving these abilities only to people who earned command ranks which as you can guess can only be earned by leading, Planetside established the control for the war.
Throw in the channels or an equvialent and we may see more co-ordination on both sides beyond that of "Oh hey I see a warband" or "/g Is anything going on?" for people like me. The lazy guy, the footsoldier who will fight where told, when told, but only if someone is around to do the telling.
I'll serve my server in the war, but it'd be nice to give the people who spend the hours typing some framework to work from. Player created methods are fantastic, but only if we know they're out there.
Maybe I just missed it on Ostermark/Phoenix Throne. Anyone got a word for this foot soldier?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Dude... Where's my Deity?
One of the topics to emerge from the ramblings (I say ramblings, really the noise in the bar got to such that I destroyed my voice) during GOAMeet and with everyone was a simple question.
How do our characters come back from the dead?
Most games and lores have some reason, however fluffy or flighty, for peoples miracle returns from beyond.
City of Heroes/Villains has medical teleporters with Rikti technology that rebuilds and repairs you on a molecular level as your vitals hit a threshold and you're whisked away.
EVE has pods and when even those fail, cloning technology with flash memory transfer.
Warcraft has something where your screen goes all grey and you go hunting for your corpse. Hey I don't play, I don't know the particulars.
Warhammer though.... for a grim and gritty place where death is usually final and practically always brutal.. what is the mechanism. I remember once before theorising what it could be. Perhaps in the ebb and flow of the war your body is discovered by friendly forces and brought back to camp for a quick bit of r&r followed by more slash and hack.
However we have a new theory. One that explains why Slayers, Dwarfs who actively seek their own death, keep getting up. One that explains just how you manage to always come back for another bout.
Morr is on holiday. The Kingdom is closed and new applications are not at this time being reviewed. The God of the Underworld/Heaven/Souls/Whathaveyou is away in metaphysical Hawaii with his scythe covered and his feet up.
This begs the question though... what are all the other gods up to? There are plenty in Warhammer, everyone gets at least one.
Some theories.
Order
We'll come back to Khaine. My only theory regarding the (in)action of the High Elf Pantheon has got to be phone lines. Every Elf exclaims "ISHA!" or "ASURYAN!" about ten million times per scenario/public quest. All lines are currently jammed, please try again later or press 1 to speak to a member of another pantheon.
Myrmidia isn't getting a look in right now.
Destruction
- Tzeentch. Just as planned. Tzeentch is busy orchestrating the entire Age of Reckoning. You know what this means? The entire thing is a fake out. If Khorne is busy sulking and making do with the Bastion Stair, Nurgle is busy cracking new jokes and old pustles and Slaneesh is keeping it under wraps then it can only mean they don't feel threathened by Tzeentch (or do feel threathened by the ESRB). Expect randomness.
- Gork And Mork.
Like Morr they're mostly absent. Is it that they don't believe in da boyz? Not at all.
Nurgle just made the best fart joke in all of exsistence and they are otherwise indisposed. - Khaine
MUUUUUUUUUUUURDER and polygamy. Seriously, with that many Brides of Khaine and Disciples running about he's a busy boy. Khaine doesn't have time for your sacrficies (though they are appreciated, don't let that bastard Khorne get them) because he's busy getting hitched, inspiring and making sure his brother Morr stays on the expenses paid vacation.
"Morr....bro, I know you hate me but what could I gain from you taking some time off apart from having people endlessly coming back from the brink of death only so my followers can kill them again...what? I said nothing. So... Pina Coladas?"
What do you think? Where are the Warhammer Gods?
GOAMeet - Dublin 9th March
Rawr folks. It's about time that I got off my proverbial and got back to the blogging. Obviously it's easiest to start with the 9th of March and the first attempted GOAMeet.
Was it a sucess? I got fed, met people I didn't know and we talked about fun things. On a personal level it was very much a sucess.
However as Arbitrary will attest, the Dublin location wasnt the most popular choice when she polled the legions of Book Of Grudges readers. That's why during this first attempt, and in fact before it got off the ground, we started planning the second.
GOAMeet London - Coming May 9th. More on that in a bit.
Part of the delay in my blogging hasn't actually been work which normally would be the energy drainer. Rather I ended up with a blasted cold or flu or somesuch. I'm going to blame Arb and Sare if only because I'm taller and can get away with it hehe. Still it was lovely to have them both over.
Arb and myself set off into Dublin to invade the GOA Office. Signing in we got cute little badges that we completely forgot to put against the beepy thing, but then again I doubt we had to. We were also treated to Nic's reimaging of Evita, you had to be there.
There was an important task to tend to before the tour round the office so Arbitrary, myself, Nic, Magnus and ...err you know I've gone and forgotten their otherwise lovely bosses name (loves Tyranids, don't mention the Skaven apparently).. anyway the lot of us retired to the cafeteria for the first reveal.
Namely Arbitrarys birthday present, a modded and painted Queen Helga mini as a Dwarfen Rune Priestess with her very own Book Of Grudges. With any luck we'll have photos over on Nerf the Cat or Book of Grudges before long.
Touring the GOA offices was very enjoyable and despite rumours of super secret information being on whiteboards somewhere, either I missed it or was distracted, and there's plenty to distract.
The QA department has been orcified by the QA dept themselves. Spikes and Gork/Mork faces abound.
The busy CSR area (all of the language areas) had folks tending to tickets and all things WAR.
The Community Management and Forum area is covered in gorgeous in game art and coloured maps of every zone in the game as well as all the bits and pieces people bring in themselves (Space Marines guard Magnus' area). It was lovely to see those people at work, and believe me those forums are monitored. Very Tome of Knowledge (or for CoX players, Nemesis plot-y) with all the watching going on.
Two other areas came up in the tour. The first you may actually see featured here on Tuesday or Wednesday as St Patricks Day will be the first battle between the Dwarfs of Karak Grim and the 'Ard Enuf Greenskin Tribe. It is the games room where all things fun and geeky occur. The second was like an engine room. Huge monitors, incomprehensible things displayed on them, people watching computers carefully. Basically if ever I go in there and unplug something, doom will befall us all. Probably runs the EU or something.
Eventually we all left the office and made for the Bull & Castle. What can I say about the evening? I met Tufmudda. Stories were shared, jokes were made, one cheerful friendly crazy bastard drained a huge glass (check back for photos), blogging ideas came up and a good time was had by all. It was something better experienced.
Seriously, be at the next one.
Of course the night ended on a proper Warhammer note. The obligatory WAAAGH! photo. (Photos to go up as soon as I can get hold of Tufmudda >.<)
Now ... the next time.
Here's the plan ladies and gents. On the poll alot of you voted for London and this appeals to a great many people on a few levels.
Friday the 8th of May is the premiere of Star Trek in cinemas the world over, including IMax screens.
Early details (which of course are subject to change) of GOAMeet London are cinema on the 8th and a proper meet up for Warhammer gamers and GOA on the 9th in a pub to be booked. Apparently Dark Age players may know/remember it. Be sure to keep an eye here and on the Book of Grudges for more concrete details as they emerge.
Was it a sucess? I got fed, met people I didn't know and we talked about fun things. On a personal level it was very much a sucess.
However as Arbitrary will attest, the Dublin location wasnt the most popular choice when she polled the legions of Book Of Grudges readers. That's why during this first attempt, and in fact before it got off the ground, we started planning the second.
GOAMeet London - Coming May 9th. More on that in a bit.
Part of the delay in my blogging hasn't actually been work which normally would be the energy drainer. Rather I ended up with a blasted cold or flu or somesuch. I'm going to blame Arb and Sare if only because I'm taller and can get away with it hehe. Still it was lovely to have them both over.
Arb and myself set off into Dublin to invade the GOA Office. Signing in we got cute little badges that we completely forgot to put against the beepy thing, but then again I doubt we had to. We were also treated to Nic's reimaging of Evita, you had to be there.
There was an important task to tend to before the tour round the office so Arbitrary, myself, Nic, Magnus and ...err you know I've gone and forgotten their otherwise lovely bosses name (loves Tyranids, don't mention the Skaven apparently).. anyway the lot of us retired to the cafeteria for the first reveal.
Namely Arbitrarys birthday present, a modded and painted Queen Helga mini as a Dwarfen Rune Priestess with her very own Book Of Grudges. With any luck we'll have photos over on Nerf the Cat or Book of Grudges before long.
Touring the GOA offices was very enjoyable and despite rumours of super secret information being on whiteboards somewhere, either I missed it or was distracted, and there's plenty to distract.
The QA department has been orcified by the QA dept themselves. Spikes and Gork/Mork faces abound.
The busy CSR area (all of the language areas) had folks tending to tickets and all things WAR.
The Community Management and Forum area is covered in gorgeous in game art and coloured maps of every zone in the game as well as all the bits and pieces people bring in themselves (Space Marines guard Magnus' area). It was lovely to see those people at work, and believe me those forums are monitored. Very Tome of Knowledge (or for CoX players, Nemesis plot-y) with all the watching going on.
Two other areas came up in the tour. The first you may actually see featured here on Tuesday or Wednesday as St Patricks Day will be the first battle between the Dwarfs of Karak Grim and the 'Ard Enuf Greenskin Tribe. It is the games room where all things fun and geeky occur. The second was like an engine room. Huge monitors, incomprehensible things displayed on them, people watching computers carefully. Basically if ever I go in there and unplug something, doom will befall us all. Probably runs the EU or something.
Eventually we all left the office and made for the Bull & Castle. What can I say about the evening? I met Tufmudda. Stories were shared, jokes were made, one cheerful friendly crazy bastard drained a huge glass (check back for photos), blogging ideas came up and a good time was had by all. It was something better experienced.
Seriously, be at the next one.
Of course the night ended on a proper Warhammer note. The obligatory WAAAGH! photo. (Photos to go up as soon as I can get hold of Tufmudda >.<)
Now ... the next time.
Here's the plan ladies and gents. On the poll alot of you voted for London and this appeals to a great many people on a few levels.
Friday the 8th of May is the premiere of Star Trek in cinemas the world over, including IMax screens.
Early details (which of course are subject to change) of GOAMeet London are cinema on the 8th and a proper meet up for Warhammer gamers and GOA on the 9th in a pub to be booked. Apparently Dark Age players may know/remember it. Be sure to keep an eye here and on the Book of Grudges for more concrete details as they emerge.
Monday, March 02, 2009
This! Is! FANMEET!
As Arbitrary pointed out over here there is but a week to go on the GOA fanmeet.
Details remain the same and in good news the bus strike is off or delayed. So there shouldn't be any trouble travelwise. If anyone has any questions they want asked of the GOA lads, feel free to drop a comment or email me (it's in my blogger profile). We'll try to get answers for everything, but of course it's down to the lads themselves.
Travel info can be found here.
Bull & Castle Pub, Temple Bar, 7pm.
Camera-ambushes, Twitter and possibly some live updates will occur during the evening.
Oh and March 17th will be the first Ardy V Nic Warhammer battle. Wish me luck, or failing that insanely cheesey dice rolls.
Details remain the same and in good news the bus strike is off or delayed. So there shouldn't be any trouble travelwise. If anyone has any questions they want asked of the GOA lads, feel free to drop a comment or email me (it's in my blogger profile). We'll try to get answers for everything, but of course it's down to the lads themselves.
Travel info can be found here.
Bull & Castle Pub, Temple Bar, 7pm.
Camera-ambushes, Twitter and possibly some live updates will occur during the evening.
Oh and March 17th will be the first Ardy V Nic Warhammer battle. Wish me luck, or failing that insanely cheesey dice rolls.
Monday, February 23, 2009
All things Warhammer
How's it going folks?
I know, I know. I've been quiet lately (blame work). As such an update is in order.
First up, Bregel and Zylashiir of the Oathkeepers Legacy are finally together (awwww) and all set up. This is rather important.
I've had plenty of time to play games lately. I've a villain duo with Sephorus on City of Villains. My wife and I still have a duo on City of Heroes, and recently a duo I have with a good friend hit 50 and they've rerolled.
WAR though.... WAR is best in groups. In mobs. In rampaging armies.
I've no problem wandering through quests and pqs by myself or with random public groups to get the job done and get myself levels. But for the battle, for the fights and for the moments of complete win, it's better with friends. Failing that, with a warband to be in and another to fight.
So with them back, Leggit and Orrekai are pushing up the ranks again.
On the subject of Orrekai. It seems Dwarves are incapable of percieving anything above their own head height when there's Orcs about. Bregel is a fine Ironbreaker. I'm told I'm not a bad Rune Priest.
How then do I explain the fact that our Archmage and Shadow Warrior ended up buried under a mountain of Greenskins?
....There were Orcs to be killin....what'd you expect? And you better believe I can cause some serious AoE trouble.
On to the other war. Warhammer Fantasy!
The Battle for Skull Pass arrived today. Tomorrow I'll be swinging near the GOA offices and eventually tracking down NicGOA. He's getting Dwarves, I'm getting Greenies. Hopefully in a week or two I should have enough assembled and painted (badly) to blog a battle report!
GOA Meet March 9th.
Seems that Dublin Bus (rightly so) has stepped up its industrial action. There are to be no city buses from Sunday the 1st of March until.... some time. It could be that buses are running when everyone is here to meet the lads. It could be that the city is whimpering and curled up in the corner due to no transport. Either way, mark it in the calendar. It's happening!
I know, I know. I've been quiet lately (blame work). As such an update is in order.
First up, Bregel and Zylashiir of the Oathkeepers Legacy are finally together (awwww) and all set up. This is rather important.
I've had plenty of time to play games lately. I've a villain duo with Sephorus on City of Villains. My wife and I still have a duo on City of Heroes, and recently a duo I have with a good friend hit 50 and they've rerolled.
WAR though.... WAR is best in groups. In mobs. In rampaging armies.
I've no problem wandering through quests and pqs by myself or with random public groups to get the job done and get myself levels. But for the battle, for the fights and for the moments of complete win, it's better with friends. Failing that, with a warband to be in and another to fight.
So with them back, Leggit and Orrekai are pushing up the ranks again.
On the subject of Orrekai. It seems Dwarves are incapable of percieving anything above their own head height when there's Orcs about. Bregel is a fine Ironbreaker. I'm told I'm not a bad Rune Priest.
How then do I explain the fact that our Archmage and Shadow Warrior ended up buried under a mountain of Greenskins?
....There were Orcs to be killin....what'd you expect? And you better believe I can cause some serious AoE trouble.
On to the other war. Warhammer Fantasy!
The Battle for Skull Pass arrived today. Tomorrow I'll be swinging near the GOA offices and eventually tracking down NicGOA. He's getting Dwarves, I'm getting Greenies. Hopefully in a week or two I should have enough assembled and painted (badly) to blog a battle report!
GOA Meet March 9th.
Seems that Dublin Bus (rightly so) has stepped up its industrial action. There are to be no city buses from Sunday the 1st of March until.... some time. It could be that buses are running when everyone is here to meet the lads. It could be that the city is whimpering and curled up in the corner due to no transport. Either way, mark it in the calendar. It's happening!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
GOA Meet Travel Advisory
The RTÉ has this little story about Dublin Bus. The up, down and sideways of the issue aside, anyone coming to Dublin on March 9th for the GOA meet or leaving on the 10th (I'm looking at you Arb) should keep an eye on developments.
That said, for getting to and from the airport, there is still the Aircoach. For getting around the city, well it's small enough really and there's also the Luas.
Thankfully the bar chosen for the meeting is in the Temple Bar last I checked, so just a wee walk away from where the Aircoach would leave any of our would be invaders.
More on this as it becomes available and if it becomes terribly relevant, so far we'll just have to take a little more time and enjoy the chaos of a city without its main bus service. Personally till I remembered I was taking that day off, I had planned to walk to work to be amused by the traffic.
That said, for getting to and from the airport, there is still the Aircoach. For getting around the city, well it's small enough really and there's also the Luas.
Thankfully the bar chosen for the meeting is in the Temple Bar last I checked, so just a wee walk away from where the Aircoach would leave any of our would be invaders.
More on this as it becomes available and if it becomes terribly relevant, so far we'll just have to take a little more time and enjoy the chaos of a city without its main bus service. Personally till I remembered I was taking that day off, I had planned to walk to work to be amused by the traffic.
Night of Murder Post Mortem
Another short entry.
Partially to amuse people, partially to remind myself to bloody write damnit.
The Night of Murder ran from Feb 5th-16th. I only got home on the eve of the 7th. I had pretty much a week (except for Valentines day, yes I did all that) to play it and to my own shame, I didn't do much.
Why am I bothered? This was far easier to earn influence for than Kegs End. I got to the second reward on Leggit quite easily before it occured to me to try and do it all on my Dwarves who sadly got nowt.
What did everyone else think of the automated killmails? Personally I quite enjoyed getting my head sent to me in the mail. It gave me a goal, find that guy and kill him (I managed it). It gave me a pocket item, which I always enjoy having. It gave me a reason to charge blindly into my foes screaming as only a Goblin can...
..well I never need a reason for that last one, no matter who I am playing.
I'm not bothered that I missed out on an item that I can't use till level 35. As it is, I am going to have to get off my arse and get back to work on Orrekai. I've dawdled too long at 29.
In WAR related news, the official forums are there for people with active US accounts. Which I have, despite being a Euro. So far there's nothing in the healer forum, but I hope that will change soon. Granted when I say nothing, I mean literally nothing. No posts at all.
*makes eyes at the GOA guys for a EuroForum account so he can be globally nosey*
Partially to amuse people, partially to remind myself to bloody write damnit.
The Night of Murder ran from Feb 5th-16th. I only got home on the eve of the 7th. I had pretty much a week (except for Valentines day, yes I did all that) to play it and to my own shame, I didn't do much.
Why am I bothered? This was far easier to earn influence for than Kegs End. I got to the second reward on Leggit quite easily before it occured to me to try and do it all on my Dwarves who sadly got nowt.
What did everyone else think of the automated killmails? Personally I quite enjoyed getting my head sent to me in the mail. It gave me a goal, find that guy and kill him (I managed it). It gave me a pocket item, which I always enjoy having. It gave me a reason to charge blindly into my foes screaming as only a Goblin can...
..well I never need a reason for that last one, no matter who I am playing.
I'm not bothered that I missed out on an item that I can't use till level 35. As it is, I am going to have to get off my arse and get back to work on Orrekai. I've dawdled too long at 29.
In WAR related news, the official forums are there for people with active US accounts. Which I have, despite being a Euro. So far there's nothing in the healer forum, but I hope that will change soon. Granted when I say nothing, I mean literally nothing. No posts at all.
*makes eyes at the GOA guys for a EuroForum account so he can be globally nosey*
The Good
The lovely Sareini pointed me to a site a little while ago. It's called Gifts for Geeks. It says it is an Authorised Retailer for the Games Workshop.
What does this mean in practice? It means that I went and got the Battle for Skull Pass box set and paint set (with even more Goblins) for a price, including shipping, that is still €10 cheaper than the basic box in GW Liffey Street.
What does that mean in practice? That means ladies and gents that Ardy is go for getting a Warhammer army up and ready to take on NicGOA.
Now to the bad news for some.
I'm going Greenskins.
The poll results are actually 36% voted for Dwarfs (I love you all) and 30% for Orcs. However the offer of models from Magnus over in GOA, Nic himself, Mr Sareini and the models that I'll have in the box means a nigh 1000pt army from the word go. Which is far better than what I'd be at relying solely on the boxed Dwarves.
There we have it then. Despite online my heart belonging to the Dwarf side, my first WHFB army will be Greenskins.
Still could be worse. I could be trying to launch back into 40k. The world doesn't need another Necron player does it? (Speaking of which, anyone up for some Dark Crusade/Soulstorm?)
What does this mean in practice? It means that I went and got the Battle for Skull Pass box set and paint set (with even more Goblins) for a price, including shipping, that is still €10 cheaper than the basic box in GW Liffey Street.
What does that mean in practice? That means ladies and gents that Ardy is go for getting a Warhammer army up and ready to take on NicGOA.
Now to the bad news for some.
I'm going Greenskins.
The poll results are actually 36% voted for Dwarfs (I love you all) and 30% for Orcs. However the offer of models from Magnus over in GOA, Nic himself, Mr Sareini and the models that I'll have in the box means a nigh 1000pt army from the word go. Which is far better than what I'd be at relying solely on the boxed Dwarves.
There we have it then. Despite online my heart belonging to the Dwarf side, my first WHFB army will be Greenskins.
Still could be worse. I could be trying to launch back into 40k. The world doesn't need another Necron player does it? (Speaking of which, anyone up for some Dark Crusade/Soulstorm?)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Catching up
I forgot to mention I was back.
I'm back. Yaaaay.
So while I catch up on work, cleaning and the blogosphere, bear with me. Hopefully I'll be back to blathering inanely soon.
In other news, I've ordered the Warhammer stuff (more on that sooner than the previous soon) and should be ready to field an army within a month. I say a month because I really am an awful painter.
I'm back. Yaaaay.
So while I catch up on work, cleaning and the blogosphere, bear with me. Hopefully I'll be back to blathering inanely soon.
In other news, I've ordered the Warhammer stuff (more on that sooner than the previous soon) and should be ready to field an army within a month. I say a month because I really am an awful painter.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Hit the polls!
Nic over at GOA has asked me for some Warhammer Fantasy battling.
How can I say no to that?
Well... plenty of ways. I've never played tabletop WHFB. I've always been more of a 40k nut (NECRONS!). I'm lousy at painting (Necrons are metal, done). I don't have an army (good reason that one).
Still, that's all just blathering. I'm going to pick up a set of paints and the Battle for Skull Pass set.
The plan is to build an army slowly, skirmish at first and build up to massive battles.
To that end, I ask you. What army should I play properly?
Two added questions. Given that I am a lousy painter and generally better on computers than with putty...
Should I a) use one of my two Collectors Edition Orc models or b) attempt to model one of my WAR characters for use in the army?
How can I say no to that?
Well... plenty of ways. I've never played tabletop WHFB. I've always been more of a 40k nut (NECRONS!). I'm lousy at painting (Necrons are metal, done). I don't have an army (good reason that one).
Still, that's all just blathering. I'm going to pick up a set of paints and the Battle for Skull Pass set.
The plan is to build an army slowly, skirmish at first and build up to massive battles.
To that end, I ask you. What army should I play properly?
Two added questions. Given that I am a lousy painter and generally better on computers than with putty...
Should I a) use one of my two Collectors Edition Orc models or b) attempt to model one of my WAR characters for use in the army?
Slayers: A Reason.
This one is for you T.
In Karak Kadrin there is a very special Slayer. Specifically the King Ungrim Ironfist. Long long ago there was a Dwarf King who undertook the Oath of the Slayer. He did the normal, shaved his hair, spiked the rest, tattoos. The lot of it.
Unfortunately, his oath of kingship came first. He couldn't well abandon his rule and his people. So then the original king passed on this grudge and this Slayer Oath to all his descendants. Ungrim Ironfist is a King first, a Slayer second. He cannot simply throw away his duty for an honorable death.
Now we have Slayers in the Age of Reckoning. Dwarfs join the Oathbearers. From the Armies of WAR page:
Any Oathbearer active, has sworn their service to the High King. Any Dwarf who shamed themselves while in said service could become a Slayer. In this way you can argue for Slayers for the game. They fight, recklessly as they would, but accept aid from the others because they've not yet fulfilled the oath. To see the Doomstrikers forged and the armies ranged against all Dwarfs fought.
The best (or worst) Slayers grow in power. They can't just commit suicide and be freed of the shame. They have to always improve in skill and power. They are supposed to seek the toughest foes and greatest evils to fight an epic battle. One that will destroy them and wipe away the shame.
You know... that or Mythic can just say they've popped over from the Slayer keep.
"'Ere lads, go smack up those armies. Live long enough and you'll get a fine axe and we'll go invade the Inevitable City"
In Karak Kadrin there is a very special Slayer. Specifically the King Ungrim Ironfist. Long long ago there was a Dwarf King who undertook the Oath of the Slayer. He did the normal, shaved his hair, spiked the rest, tattoos. The lot of it.
Unfortunately, his oath of kingship came first. He couldn't well abandon his rule and his people. So then the original king passed on this grudge and this Slayer Oath to all his descendants. Ungrim Ironfist is a King first, a Slayer second. He cannot simply throw away his duty for an honorable death.
Now we have Slayers in the Age of Reckoning. Dwarfs join the Oathbearers. From the Armies of WAR page:
Such was the importance of their task; any Dwarf wishing to join the Oathbearers
would be required to swear an oath to the High King himself.
Any Oathbearer active, has sworn their service to the High King. Any Dwarf who shamed themselves while in said service could become a Slayer. In this way you can argue for Slayers for the game. They fight, recklessly as they would, but accept aid from the others because they've not yet fulfilled the oath. To see the Doomstrikers forged and the armies ranged against all Dwarfs fought.
The best (or worst) Slayers grow in power. They can't just commit suicide and be freed of the shame. They have to always improve in skill and power. They are supposed to seek the toughest foes and greatest evils to fight an epic battle. One that will destroy them and wipe away the shame.
You know... that or Mythic can just say they've popped over from the Slayer keep.
"'Ere lads, go smack up those armies. Live long enough and you'll get a fine axe and we'll go invade the Inevitable City"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Yep
Eeeeveryone else is mentioning what I was a little slow on getting.
Slayers and Choppas. AXE FOR ALL!
Also, three live events, a new zone, new scenario and other new newnews.
I would have preferred the Hammerer, but hey. AXE!
Slayers and Choppas. AXE FOR ALL!
Also, three live events, a new zone, new scenario and other new newnews.
I would have preferred the Hammerer, but hey. AXE!
Final countdown
It's 29/01
Or 01/29 if you're from Americaland.
The big news comes today. Is it actually the Choppa and Slayer? Are they toying with us? Will it be something else entirely?
Why'd I have to be busy today?
Or 01/29 if you're from Americaland.
The big news comes today. Is it actually the Choppa and Slayer? Are they toying with us? Will it be something else entirely?
Why'd I have to be busy today?
Monday, January 26, 2009
GOA Meet, March 9th
Cheap Accomodation
Rough Directions
Bus Fare Information
Dublin Airport
Ardys Twitter
For anyone flying in, getting into the city is a doddle. There's a million buses that'll do the trick.
If you're going on a one day over and back trip, I suggest the €6 All Day Rambler. You can get the 747 to the centre of the city, wander about as you please and be able to head back that night.
If you're taking two days or more, the top link is to a very affordable and rather nice hotel. Sure if only a few come, I can see about putting you up, otherwise feel free to have a bed and breakfast on the Ripley Court. Walking directions have been included because well....shush I was bored and it seemed like a good idea. Also available is the three day Freedom of the City bus ticket at €25 which will get you from the airport and back, give access to Dublin bus tours and is also good for regular routes. If you're here for beer, games and GOA, two one day ramblers is better.
Anyone in Dublin/Ireland, you'll be able to find your way. Tail end of the Temple Bar area, 'nuff said.
There's also a Games Workshop in the area if we all feel like descending upon them for whatever reason. GOA's offices are in a dark mysterious place deep in the middle of somewhere that was boring, we can ignore those.
Rough Directions
Bus Fare Information
Dublin Airport
Ardys Twitter
For anyone flying in, getting into the city is a doddle. There's a million buses that'll do the trick.
If you're going on a one day over and back trip, I suggest the €6 All Day Rambler. You can get the 747 to the centre of the city, wander about as you please and be able to head back that night.
If you're taking two days or more, the top link is to a very affordable and rather nice hotel. Sure if only a few come, I can see about putting you up, otherwise feel free to have a bed and breakfast on the Ripley Court. Walking directions have been included because well....shush I was bored and it seemed like a good idea. Also available is the three day Freedom of the City bus ticket at €25 which will get you from the airport and back, give access to Dublin bus tours and is also good for regular routes. If you're here for beer, games and GOA, two one day ramblers is better.
Anyone in Dublin/Ireland, you'll be able to find your way. Tail end of the Temple Bar area, 'nuff said.
There's also a Games Workshop in the area if we all feel like descending upon them for whatever reason. GOA's offices are in a dark mysterious place deep in the middle of somewhere that was boring, we can ignore those.
One of those annoucement posts.
Eurotrip!
Ladies and Gents. Dawi and pansy Elves. Chaos filth and Uruk scum. I bid you welcome. March 9th The Book of Grudges and GOA are having a get together. Seeing as they're having it in my city (yes, I own all of Dublin, get your mitts off) I will of course be there. More importantly, I am here as well. So anyone with any questions about accomodation, travel, dates, times, location, squigs, food and anything else can feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you.
Age Of Blogging!
The Age of Blogging continues! Blogs for the Blogroll!
Click the wee picture to the side or my Age of Blogging post link to get involved.
A little note to the new folks on Blog Warhammer. I was double xping. I will be doing that thing that I do on the site shortly.
29/01/09
Where will you be? Me? I'll be in work. However time difference works in my favour. If Mythic decide to delay till after lunch, yours truly will be at home while America works. Anyone who wants can follow me, or any of the bloggers, on Twitter for the news as we get it.
Ladies and Gents. Dawi and pansy Elves. Chaos filth and Uruk scum. I bid you welcome. March 9th The Book of Grudges and GOA are having a get together. Seeing as they're having it in my city (yes, I own all of Dublin, get your mitts off) I will of course be there. More importantly, I am here as well. So anyone with any questions about accomodation, travel, dates, times, location, squigs, food and anything else can feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you.
Age Of Blogging!
The Age of Blogging continues! Blogs for the Blogroll!
Click the wee picture to the side or my Age of Blogging post link to get involved.
A little note to the new folks on Blog Warhammer. I was double xping. I will be doing that thing that I do on the site shortly.
29/01/09
Where will you be? Me? I'll be in work. However time difference works in my favour. If Mythic decide to delay till after lunch, yours truly will be at home while America works. Anyone who wants can follow me, or any of the bloggers, on Twitter for the news as we get it.
My City Weekend.
This weekend just gone it was Double Xp weekend in City of Heroes.
As much as I love Warhammer, I do still play in the City with Shannon and others and really... double xp? How can you not?
A little recap of the achievements.
Robo-Buddy Mk III (Crab Spider) went from 47 to 50, making him my 6th 50.
Tempestas Silex (Controller) went from 46 to 48, on the cusp of 49. Two more levels and the great staminaless duo (a conversation for another time) will hit 50.
Specialist Mitchell (Shield Tank) went from 21 and a bit to 31ish. I say ish because Shannon is at home, playing the last of DXP and our Specialists are using level pact. It is entirely possible that I could log in when I get home and hit 32.
[Breaking news : Ding 32]
A few other characters got some work, including my scrapper and Warshade.
DXP weekends are always food for thought. Seph for one DXP weekend thought ahead and made sure to buy in groceries and dinners that could be cooked quickly to ensure minimal downtime due to food. His lovely other half Erin also got plenty of xp that day.
I myself made sure to have snacks on hand, no plans and a clear idea of who I wanted to get where in the grand scheme of things.
Then there's folks (who shall remain nameless) in the coalition who all but drove themselves into the ground. Missing sleep, missing meals and practically making themselves sick... all because of double the normal reward.
City of Heroes isn't that hard any more. It really isn't. Without doing the crotchety old guy schtick, when I started, debt was a big deal. Missions were worth the same as random mobs in the street. You slogged to 14 (travel power), then to 20 (Stamina), six slotted it to squeeze the best out of it and rejoiced at 22 when you got Single Origin enhancements.
Now there are Yin-Os and IOs. There are missions to get a travel power from level 5. There is patrol xp, rewarding you with faster levelling for taking a break and more besides. Yet people organise their weekends around these events and others.
Is it good to see?
Yes and no.
One or two Double Xp weekends a year is all you should have. Any more and the novelty is undone. Also you want people to keep playing your game, if it was DXP the last weekend of every month, everyone would hit the cap with very little effort in very little time. People are everywhere, work is done. It's a good time for most.
The dark side is of course the people who will play insane hours to their own detriment or the inevitable complaints from people who can't play. DXP regularly puts Virtue server in the red and unstable. It population locks Freedom Server. You can imagine what the boards look like after a crash or an inability to log in.
I had a good weekend. But I wouldn't do it often.
As much as I love Warhammer, I do still play in the City with Shannon and others and really... double xp? How can you not?
A little recap of the achievements.
Robo-Buddy Mk III (Crab Spider) went from 47 to 50, making him my 6th 50.
Tempestas Silex (Controller) went from 46 to 48, on the cusp of 49. Two more levels and the great staminaless duo (a conversation for another time) will hit 50.
Specialist Mitchell (Shield Tank) went from 21 and a bit to 31ish. I say ish because Shannon is at home, playing the last of DXP and our Specialists are using level pact. It is entirely possible that I could log in when I get home and hit 32.
[Breaking news : Ding 32]
A few other characters got some work, including my scrapper and Warshade.
DXP weekends are always food for thought. Seph for one DXP weekend thought ahead and made sure to buy in groceries and dinners that could be cooked quickly to ensure minimal downtime due to food. His lovely other half Erin also got plenty of xp that day.
I myself made sure to have snacks on hand, no plans and a clear idea of who I wanted to get where in the grand scheme of things.
Then there's folks (who shall remain nameless) in the coalition who all but drove themselves into the ground. Missing sleep, missing meals and practically making themselves sick... all because of double the normal reward.
City of Heroes isn't that hard any more. It really isn't. Without doing the crotchety old guy schtick, when I started, debt was a big deal. Missions were worth the same as random mobs in the street. You slogged to 14 (travel power), then to 20 (Stamina), six slotted it to squeeze the best out of it and rejoiced at 22 when you got Single Origin enhancements.
Now there are Yin-Os and IOs. There are missions to get a travel power from level 5. There is patrol xp, rewarding you with faster levelling for taking a break and more besides. Yet people organise their weekends around these events and others.
Is it good to see?
Yes and no.
One or two Double Xp weekends a year is all you should have. Any more and the novelty is undone. Also you want people to keep playing your game, if it was DXP the last weekend of every month, everyone would hit the cap with very little effort in very little time. People are everywhere, work is done. It's a good time for most.
The dark side is of course the people who will play insane hours to their own detriment or the inevitable complaints from people who can't play. DXP regularly puts Virtue server in the red and unstable. It population locks Freedom Server. You can imagine what the boards look like after a crash or an inability to log in.
I had a good weekend. But I wouldn't do it often.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Catching up
A quick recap for both me and for anyone reading.
First. January 29th. Stick it in the calendar. Big things are coming.
Second. Bloggers, I shall be catching up shortly. Though I'm enjoying the idea from Arb with regards villages and such.
Third and most important. Go to the Book of Grudges my little euros. Go now and vote about a Eurogettogether for GOA/Mythic/Us.
My recap.
Guests are lovely. For a bit. You can have one person for ages, or lots for a few days. Never try to have 6 for a week.
And in my highlight, I did that Marriage instance thing with Shannon and all we got were lousy bind on equip rings. Someone needs to check the loot tables.
\o/ WIN!
First. January 29th. Stick it in the calendar. Big things are coming.
Second. Bloggers, I shall be catching up shortly. Though I'm enjoying the idea from Arb with regards villages and such.
Third and most important. Go to the Book of Grudges my little euros. Go now and vote about a Eurogettogether for GOA/Mythic/Us.
My recap.
Guests are lovely. For a bit. You can have one person for ages, or lots for a few days. Never try to have 6 for a week.
And in my highlight, I did that Marriage instance thing with Shannon and all we got were lousy bind on equip rings. Someone needs to check the loot tables.
\o/ WIN!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Age of Blogging Continues!
Just a quick note on the Age of Blogging.
We've now infiltrated the Warhammer Grab Bag!
Hop on over to Blog Warhammer for more on blogging about WAR.
We've now infiltrated the Warhammer Grab Bag!
Hop on over to Blog Warhammer for more on blogging about WAR.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Oh! Blogroll!
Stolen liberally from Blog Warhammer because I'm a moderator and I can :P
Blog Warhammer Blogroll
Asuryan's Flames
Alt Much?
Blame the Healer
Boathammer
Book of Grudges
Bootaes Bloody Blog
Boredom Blogging
Bow & Stab
Bugmans Best
Cabal of War
Casual Chaos
Classy Gamer
Cry Moar Noob
Da Bloggy Tingy
Denizens of Xibalba
Echoes of Nonsense
Epic Slant
Fires of WAR
From the Forging of Ice and Fire
Garrison of WAR
Goblin Rampage
Grumble And Mutter
Healer At Heart
High Magic
High On Chaos
Incoming Pull
In The Xone
Kiss my Bolter
Laughing Lion Tavern
Lets not have a Breakdown
Metro Gamer
One Side of The Fence
Rainbow MMO
Reroller
RP That Way ===>
Schlotzkys Game Blog
Skurm
Sneaky Gits
Stunty Stomper
The Greenskin
The Grumblings of Gorebash
That's Skar With A K
The Slurm Factory
The Weekend Gamer
The White Lion Blog
Waaagh!
WAR! For Casuals
WAR Roleplaying for Dummies (And Zealots)
Warhammer Addons Reviewed
Way of the Chosen
Werit Blog
Wizards & Wenches
Word of Shadow
Zizlak's Travel Diary
Blogger and Blog Friend Guild
Casualties of War
Dev/CM
Blogs
Paul Barnett's blog
Josh Drescher's blog
Doubt the Stars
Elvish Parsley
Fierce Kitten
Adventures in MMO Community Management
Other
Warhammer Alliance
WarhammerOnline.tv
Hammer of War
MMO News
Links
Massively
Ten Ton Hammer
Respect Thy Enemy.
A blog post in progress. Or rather, I'm half asleep and sure I'll become annoyed with my ramble later. Enjoy for now.
I am not saying you need to like your enemy. This is Warhammer. You don't even have to like your allies, neighbours or friends. They're all likely heretics, mutants or Elves anyway.
I do however have a current problem with disrespect. There is a side in this battle. They have many members who constantly insult their opposition. Call them derogatory names. Belittle their intelligence and resolve.
It's Order on Ostermark.
I mentioned previously a tactic that consists of breaking into a keeps inner doors and weakening them to the point of failure before backing off (in good order I might add). I've not seen it since, but then again I've not been playing nearly as much. Perhaps the ringleaders on Destruction have hit T4. Perhaps it's a tactic for later hours than mine.
Now Seph has stated that a guild on Ostermark-Order has used it, and it was his understanding that it tended only to crop up in guild-only or guild-majority warbands. That too could be true.
However having the ability to get 20 some odd rampaging characters to fight to a point and then break off? That's something worth admiring. The "legality" or fairness of the tactic aside. Sucessfully pulling it off is, to me, an achievement.
Why then do alot of Order players feel superior to Destruction? You didn't sucessfully defend, they sucessfully left. You didn't rout them, they've another objective in mind.
I've alot of respect for Destruction but I will still play the role of my character. Defeated Orcs and Goblins get laughed at. Defeated Elves aren't worthy of attention. Bloody manlings get a bit of glare (Allied manlings and Elves typically rate a glare as well, depending). However, that doesn't mean I think they aren't worthy of my time.
Shittalk is one thing. Bragging about what you have done and how easily the others fell before you? If they did, go right ahead. Calling Destruction names because you can't bring them to the battle? I'm sorry, in that instance, even if every zone is locked for blue, they're better because they're playing a game above you.
Order needs to grow up substantially.
Destruction are the enemy and I love them for it. They are the bar, they aren't there for ridicule, they're there for me to do better than. They are an enemy worth our while. Stop insulting them, you only insult your own side.
I am not saying you need to like your enemy. This is Warhammer. You don't even have to like your allies, neighbours or friends. They're all likely heretics, mutants or Elves anyway.
I do however have a current problem with disrespect. There is a side in this battle. They have many members who constantly insult their opposition. Call them derogatory names. Belittle their intelligence and resolve.
It's Order on Ostermark.
I mentioned previously a tactic that consists of breaking into a keeps inner doors and weakening them to the point of failure before backing off (in good order I might add). I've not seen it since, but then again I've not been playing nearly as much. Perhaps the ringleaders on Destruction have hit T4. Perhaps it's a tactic for later hours than mine.
Now Seph has stated that a guild on Ostermark-Order has used it, and it was his understanding that it tended only to crop up in guild-only or guild-majority warbands. That too could be true.
However having the ability to get 20 some odd rampaging characters to fight to a point and then break off? That's something worth admiring. The "legality" or fairness of the tactic aside. Sucessfully pulling it off is, to me, an achievement.
Why then do alot of Order players feel superior to Destruction? You didn't sucessfully defend, they sucessfully left. You didn't rout them, they've another objective in mind.
I've alot of respect for Destruction but I will still play the role of my character. Defeated Orcs and Goblins get laughed at. Defeated Elves aren't worthy of attention. Bloody manlings get a bit of glare (Allied manlings and Elves typically rate a glare as well, depending). However, that doesn't mean I think they aren't worthy of my time.
Shittalk is one thing. Bragging about what you have done and how easily the others fell before you? If they did, go right ahead. Calling Destruction names because you can't bring them to the battle? I'm sorry, in that instance, even if every zone is locked for blue, they're better because they're playing a game above you.
Order needs to grow up substantially.
Destruction are the enemy and I love them for it. They are the bar, they aren't there for ridicule, they're there for me to do better than. They are an enemy worth our while. Stop insulting them, you only insult your own side.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Armor Addendum
You know... it's like life plans these things out.
"Oh Ardy is ambivalent about the Devestator Set" ... "Oh he likely will ignore it and use WarDB to plan something else or get the oRvR stuff"
So Ardy helps take a keep and goes to the vendor. There's the Runemantle. Teasing me. Buy me. I'm only 8 Gold.
FINE!
Then to make matters worse, the next keep? I manage to snag #1 contribution. Devestator Skullcap.
Now I have to go find the last piece. Curses.
"Oh Ardy is ambivalent about the Devestator Set" ... "Oh he likely will ignore it and use WarDB to plan something else or get the oRvR stuff"
So Ardy helps take a keep and goes to the vendor. There's the Runemantle. Teasing me. Buy me. I'm only 8 Gold.
FINE!
Then to make matters worse, the next keep? I manage to snag #1 contribution. Devestator Skullcap.
Now I have to go find the last piece. Curses.
Dawi's got a brand new bag
What do you wear?
Werit recently got his Annihilator set on his engineer a ways up in t4. Orrekai my Rune Priest recently got the title, Captain of Consignments. What this means is I have the Tracker and Stalker sets. I also have the Decimator set and am working on my Devestator. Norri my Engineer, down in T2, has the Tracker set and two bits of the Obliterator set.
Now, here's the thing. By the time I got to getting the tracker pieces, I had outleveled most of them, but wore them out of an idea that the buffs were worth it somehow. By the time I got myself the Stalker set, well I had again outleveled bits, was wearing some of the oRvR stuff and have even more of it ready and waiting for my next renown level.
This introduces a problem. T4 beckons my friends and myself. Alot of us are 31-28 and ready to rock. A few others are just a tiny bit behind. Should we intentionally Auction/grind for the purposes of getting a particular set or should we continue to hodgepodge?
Even if we all decided we'd be the Oathbearers Legacy all outfitted in Annihilator armor... we're not like Werit. He's kept his rank and renown rank even. I'm in a position myself where they arent too far off (28/26). I'm unsure about the others in the guild, but one I know (yes you, you arrow throwing Elf) has a rather large gap between rank and renown.
We've all come from City of Heroes were there is no armor and life is simpler. There's not the added restriction of "Why yes, you're high enough level to wear this...but you're just not badass enough. Get more renown".
Should we all pause on the cusp of T4 and plan what to do to maximise potential?
I think not. If the wood flinging elf isn't getting much rvr done, so be it. We'd not exclude. If the talkative heretic hunter is constantly rank and renown matched, there's an advantage, but only in that certain options exsist but others may not.
Werit has done fantastic and now looks it on his engineer.
But would he have been 40 by now if he wasnt getting the renown up? Or does it come so thick and fast later that we cannot all help but take our levels in badass?
Me? I'm going to continue having fun in the manner I see fit. Right now, that happens to be making a nuisance of myself in oRvR. It has benefits and if my friends come along, it's better again. If not, well we can all go PvEing.
I just need to shake this armor habit.
Werit recently got his Annihilator set on his engineer a ways up in t4. Orrekai my Rune Priest recently got the title, Captain of Consignments. What this means is I have the Tracker and Stalker sets. I also have the Decimator set and am working on my Devestator. Norri my Engineer, down in T2, has the Tracker set and two bits of the Obliterator set.
Now, here's the thing. By the time I got to getting the tracker pieces, I had outleveled most of them, but wore them out of an idea that the buffs were worth it somehow. By the time I got myself the Stalker set, well I had again outleveled bits, was wearing some of the oRvR stuff and have even more of it ready and waiting for my next renown level.
This introduces a problem. T4 beckons my friends and myself. Alot of us are 31-28 and ready to rock. A few others are just a tiny bit behind. Should we intentionally Auction/grind for the purposes of getting a particular set or should we continue to hodgepodge?
Even if we all decided we'd be the Oathbearers Legacy all outfitted in Annihilator armor... we're not like Werit. He's kept his rank and renown rank even. I'm in a position myself where they arent too far off (28/26). I'm unsure about the others in the guild, but one I know (yes you, you arrow throwing Elf) has a rather large gap between rank and renown.
We've all come from City of Heroes were there is no armor and life is simpler. There's not the added restriction of "Why yes, you're high enough level to wear this...but you're just not badass enough. Get more renown".
Should we all pause on the cusp of T4 and plan what to do to maximise potential?
I think not. If the wood flinging elf isn't getting much rvr done, so be it. We'd not exclude. If the talkative heretic hunter is constantly rank and renown matched, there's an advantage, but only in that certain options exsist but others may not.
Werit has done fantastic and now looks it on his engineer.
But would he have been 40 by now if he wasnt getting the renown up? Or does it come so thick and fast later that we cannot all help but take our levels in badass?
Me? I'm going to continue having fun in the manner I see fit. Right now, that happens to be making a nuisance of myself in oRvR. It has benefits and if my friends come along, it's better again. If not, well we can all go PvEing.
I just need to shake this armor habit.
Shifting lines
How quickly can lines shift? How quickly can an almost complete victory shift into an almost total rout?
Apparently as long as it takes me to sleep.
Before going to bed last night, T3 Ostermark was a battle zone. We had two warbands of Order (Including Relaenas first big taste of running a warband in that tier) versus likely two of the same. Cue either Duel of Fates or the Benny Hill theme depending on the particular time of the battle.
The main shift, the focus of the "endgame" was tier 4. Before Orrekai said his goodbyes and I took myself off to sleep, Order had locked Praag, Thunder Mountain and Dragonwake. Dragonwake was especially nice to see as from my understanding of what filters down on OrderRvR its been one hell of a battle lately.
This morning, Praag remains in the righteous/bloody manling/sissy elf hands of Order. Dragonwake is contested once again.
Dwarf Versus Greenskin though has gone from a reasonably long lock on Thunder Mountain with action in Black Crag to a push all the way back to Kadrin Valley.
Only time will tell if the t4 folks will swing back just as hard. On the bright side though, being Rank 28 (rr26) I can hop up there and join in if there's a real big push going on. Not that I will be terribly useful, but I seem to make my presence felt on occasion.
Back to T3 and what went on last night.
Tactics. The most efficient win. The most bang for your buck.
When do good tactics become poor gameplay? Some people complain about being ganked when they were unprepared. Sometimes by higher characters, other times when they were in the middle of a mob. On paper though, that's entirely fair. You are at war, war won't stop for breaks or niceities. You kill the other guy when you can, as hard as you can.
Rambling related story. I wanted my pistol on Norri as previously mentioned and to begin with I was in Dwarf Chapter 6 in the Marshes of Madness. One of the Versus PQs. Who will get to stage II first? Well... the Dwarves were always going to win this one. There were three of us and none of them. Then there was one, a Squig Herder.
Me feeling playful, I flagged and taunted the squig loving Grobi. I never honestly expected him to flag back, after all I had 7 levels on him and we were no were near the lake. No bolster for the mushroom gobbler.
He waited till I was busy with some mobs and he went for it. Ganker? No. Good sense.
Did it work? Ehhh no. Unfortunately for him I was much higher as mentioned and I could take what the pve mobs were throwing, so I dealt with the greater risk. Three times.
Don't look at me like that, I never expected the fight, I was being silly. He gave it his best shot though and always looked for opportunities against me. He just happened to get beaten.
So now I got to experience something I am told is quite the topic on forums. RvDoor I think someone called it.
Warband runs up, warband fights tooth and nail to breach the first door and fights twice as hard to lay siege against the second door and then... leaves. Just like that the assaulting force packs up and legs it. A victory some think. Defense in the face of overwhelming odds, we broke their spirit etc etc.
No... they weakened the inner door and then left. And now they're doing it to another door somewhere else.
This was the start of the evening for me yesterday. Relaena, Walton of the Templars and myself went to kill a hero for my Stalker set and happened to run into goings on. We joined in. Orlun (Witch hunter) was running a band, and as previously mentioned Relaena ended up with one as well. Destruction would show up somewhere. Fight as hard as they could in the face of defense if there was any and then evaporate just before breaking through. Other times while we were busy recapturing battle objectives or locking zones they would take other keeps. Many complained.
Personally I admired. It's a clever tactic. It keeps us wrong footed and off balance. You cant defend everywhere at all times. People always want to clump up into bigger and bigger groups. Relaena told me though that once, at an ungodly hour, two people managed to duo a keep from start to finish. If half the work has already been done by weakening the doors, well that just makes it easier. Two full warbands can become four half strength ones with just enough muscle to quickly convert a few keeps all over the place.
Apparently the damage can be undone by Archmages or Warrior priests in T3 by targetting the door and the ram pad and using particular skills which boil down to "I hit you, so the door feels better". Later Tanks get a skill I am told to properly repair doors, but it will only ever come into play up in the top tier. Repairing it is tedious but leaving it that way is dangerous.
So my hats off to Destruction. From a personal point of view, playing the game and wanting to fight, it's annoying. They appear to run every time the fight gets to fever pitch. From a tactical point of view, and remember we're all in this war to win, it is genius. They can come back at any time, strike any keep and have done most of the work before.
Order claims it is above such practices, but how long until I find myself in a band where that is the modus operandi?
The late part of that evening showed me another type of shifting line. What to do in a big big bust up.
The answer is run around like a lunatic until something half baked works or until something occurs to whomever shouts loudest (apparently me at times).
Our two warbands headed for Stoneclaw Castle in High Pass to take it back. We ran into two Destruction warbands headed the other way as they stopped to take Ogrunds Tavern. Hilarity ensued.
First it was a fight to maintain our hold. Come into the tavern, dont come in. Fight in front, try and flank. Everyone rally and move together, yes we know half of you are dead. Rez me rez me rez me, oh you're dead. Well rez me anyway.
Then it was a desperate fight to take back the point in three minutes, a fight we likely wouldnt win because well... they stuffed a warband and a bit inside the tavern. Cue new objective, keep them in the tavern and slaughter them as they leave.
It was total chaos and for me at least, exhaustingly fun. So much changed so rapidly. Geography broke lines of sight and made for rdps hills. Order partially zerged on the basis that you could spit and hit the warcamp. Several times Destruction was treated to a kamikaze Rune Priest if only because it made me laugh (and Rune of Battle wasnt going to kill them but I like seeing all the pretty numbers). All in all neither side achieved much, well.. they got the tavern but we got the fight people had been complaining about being deprived, and I ended the night satisfied.
Did we retake High Pass on my late watch? No. But we fought hard at times, defended hard at others, I learned some tricks and I got a good laugh. Win or lose, it was fun.
However tonight, time to try win.
A final question though. Those of you who read this and who run or are up there in guilds. Do you think new recruits should read the Art of War? Do you think your guild should instill a sense of honour in always fighting, even if it means certain doom? Or do you play to win?
Know thy enemy or pwn thy enemy?
Apparently as long as it takes me to sleep.
Before going to bed last night, T3 Ostermark was a battle zone. We had two warbands of Order (Including Relaenas first big taste of running a warband in that tier) versus likely two of the same. Cue either Duel of Fates or the Benny Hill theme depending on the particular time of the battle.
The main shift, the focus of the "endgame" was tier 4. Before Orrekai said his goodbyes and I took myself off to sleep, Order had locked Praag, Thunder Mountain and Dragonwake. Dragonwake was especially nice to see as from my understanding of what filters down on OrderRvR its been one hell of a battle lately.
This morning, Praag remains in the righteous/bloody manling/sissy elf hands of Order. Dragonwake is contested once again.
Dwarf Versus Greenskin though has gone from a reasonably long lock on Thunder Mountain with action in Black Crag to a push all the way back to Kadrin Valley.
Only time will tell if the t4 folks will swing back just as hard. On the bright side though, being Rank 28 (rr26) I can hop up there and join in if there's a real big push going on. Not that I will be terribly useful, but I seem to make my presence felt on occasion.
Back to T3 and what went on last night.
Tactics. The most efficient win. The most bang for your buck.
When do good tactics become poor gameplay? Some people complain about being ganked when they were unprepared. Sometimes by higher characters, other times when they were in the middle of a mob. On paper though, that's entirely fair. You are at war, war won't stop for breaks or niceities. You kill the other guy when you can, as hard as you can.
Rambling related story. I wanted my pistol on Norri as previously mentioned and to begin with I was in Dwarf Chapter 6 in the Marshes of Madness. One of the Versus PQs. Who will get to stage II first? Well... the Dwarves were always going to win this one. There were three of us and none of them. Then there was one, a Squig Herder.
Me feeling playful, I flagged and taunted the squig loving Grobi. I never honestly expected him to flag back, after all I had 7 levels on him and we were no were near the lake. No bolster for the mushroom gobbler.
He waited till I was busy with some mobs and he went for it. Ganker? No. Good sense.
Did it work? Ehhh no. Unfortunately for him I was much higher as mentioned and I could take what the pve mobs were throwing, so I dealt with the greater risk. Three times.
Don't look at me like that, I never expected the fight, I was being silly. He gave it his best shot though and always looked for opportunities against me. He just happened to get beaten.
So now I got to experience something I am told is quite the topic on forums. RvDoor I think someone called it.
Warband runs up, warband fights tooth and nail to breach the first door and fights twice as hard to lay siege against the second door and then... leaves. Just like that the assaulting force packs up and legs it. A victory some think. Defense in the face of overwhelming odds, we broke their spirit etc etc.
No... they weakened the inner door and then left. And now they're doing it to another door somewhere else.
This was the start of the evening for me yesterday. Relaena, Walton of the Templars and myself went to kill a hero for my Stalker set and happened to run into goings on. We joined in. Orlun (Witch hunter) was running a band, and as previously mentioned Relaena ended up with one as well. Destruction would show up somewhere. Fight as hard as they could in the face of defense if there was any and then evaporate just before breaking through. Other times while we were busy recapturing battle objectives or locking zones they would take other keeps. Many complained.
Personally I admired. It's a clever tactic. It keeps us wrong footed and off balance. You cant defend everywhere at all times. People always want to clump up into bigger and bigger groups. Relaena told me though that once, at an ungodly hour, two people managed to duo a keep from start to finish. If half the work has already been done by weakening the doors, well that just makes it easier. Two full warbands can become four half strength ones with just enough muscle to quickly convert a few keeps all over the place.
Apparently the damage can be undone by Archmages or Warrior priests in T3 by targetting the door and the ram pad and using particular skills which boil down to "I hit you, so the door feels better". Later Tanks get a skill I am told to properly repair doors, but it will only ever come into play up in the top tier. Repairing it is tedious but leaving it that way is dangerous.
So my hats off to Destruction. From a personal point of view, playing the game and wanting to fight, it's annoying. They appear to run every time the fight gets to fever pitch. From a tactical point of view, and remember we're all in this war to win, it is genius. They can come back at any time, strike any keep and have done most of the work before.
Order claims it is above such practices, but how long until I find myself in a band where that is the modus operandi?
The late part of that evening showed me another type of shifting line. What to do in a big big bust up.
The answer is run around like a lunatic until something half baked works or until something occurs to whomever shouts loudest (apparently me at times).
Our two warbands headed for Stoneclaw Castle in High Pass to take it back. We ran into two Destruction warbands headed the other way as they stopped to take Ogrunds Tavern. Hilarity ensued.
First it was a fight to maintain our hold. Come into the tavern, dont come in. Fight in front, try and flank. Everyone rally and move together, yes we know half of you are dead. Rez me rez me rez me, oh you're dead. Well rez me anyway.
Then it was a desperate fight to take back the point in three minutes, a fight we likely wouldnt win because well... they stuffed a warband and a bit inside the tavern. Cue new objective, keep them in the tavern and slaughter them as they leave.
It was total chaos and for me at least, exhaustingly fun. So much changed so rapidly. Geography broke lines of sight and made for rdps hills. Order partially zerged on the basis that you could spit and hit the warcamp. Several times Destruction was treated to a kamikaze Rune Priest if only because it made me laugh (and Rune of Battle wasnt going to kill them but I like seeing all the pretty numbers). All in all neither side achieved much, well.. they got the tavern but we got the fight people had been complaining about being deprived, and I ended the night satisfied.
Did we retake High Pass on my late watch? No. But we fought hard at times, defended hard at others, I learned some tricks and I got a good laugh. Win or lose, it was fun.
However tonight, time to try win.
A final question though. Those of you who read this and who run or are up there in guilds. Do you think new recruits should read the Art of War? Do you think your guild should instill a sense of honour in always fighting, even if it means certain doom? Or do you play to win?
Know thy enemy or pwn thy enemy?
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Some bits and pieces
You know... I sometimes compose blog entries in my head. What I'll write about, what I won't. What has just occured to me.
It's part of why I am considering chaning my mobile phone so I can try my hand at mobile blogging and actually get those thoughts down when they are thunked.
Blame The Healer has beaten me to one of those topics today. Specifically, the Boon of the Impalpable Tome Tactic.
Farting about yesterday on my Engineer, I was overcome with the urge to get myself a pistol. After much browsing of WarDB I located one below T3. Norri is still 21 and Im happy with him there until such time as Orrekai slows back down or I hit my head off something in T3/T4 and need a break.
As a result I met the Ironbreaker Durndon and a nice Rune Priest Falgrim (or something to that effect, I've gone and forgotten sadly. See why I need to write things down?). Chapter 6 lied to me. It said the epic reward was a handgun. It's still a rifle. Chapter 7 however does have a handgun as the PQ Epic Reward.
The problem is Chapter 7 has only one PQ. It's rated Hard as well.
No matter, I set up my turret and merrily started culling Orcs. After a few run throughs (I can only imagine how the Rune Priest enjoyed it, apart from the odd blip in my health he was free to loot to his hearts content) I finally got my handgun. Seeing as I was in Barak Varr, I decided to visit the Slayer ship and get my tactic. I had long since completed the Wanted part of the tactic when I was out getting my Tracker Armor set. Durndon had stuck with me, so I thought I'd get him the tactic as well. Off we went to talk to the Captain.
For bonus points, or rather for a Tome Unlock, also talk to the First Mate on the ship for the entry on Slayers.
Quick trip over to Ostland, even quicker stomping on the chap we needed. To Altdorf!
At this point I realised a few things. Firstly, there's alot in Altdorf to do that people don't know. They figure it's a high level place or something, I am not entirely sure. So tomorrow, I shall ramble aimlessly about Altdorf.
Secondly, Ostermark has a channel on the Order side of things for co-ordinating open field RvR. /channeljoin OrderRvR to get in on the action. All tiers, all the time. Mostly you'll find t3 or t4 action and after a few days, familiar names at certain times.
Also, Massively.com has reported on the Age of Blogging initiative. Rock on!
It's part of why I am considering chaning my mobile phone so I can try my hand at mobile blogging and actually get those thoughts down when they are thunked.
Blame The Healer has beaten me to one of those topics today. Specifically, the Boon of the Impalpable Tome Tactic.
Farting about yesterday on my Engineer, I was overcome with the urge to get myself a pistol. After much browsing of WarDB I located one below T3. Norri is still 21 and Im happy with him there until such time as Orrekai slows back down or I hit my head off something in T3/T4 and need a break.
As a result I met the Ironbreaker Durndon and a nice Rune Priest Falgrim (or something to that effect, I've gone and forgotten sadly. See why I need to write things down?). Chapter 6 lied to me. It said the epic reward was a handgun. It's still a rifle. Chapter 7 however does have a handgun as the PQ Epic Reward.
The problem is Chapter 7 has only one PQ. It's rated Hard as well.
No matter, I set up my turret and merrily started culling Orcs. After a few run throughs (I can only imagine how the Rune Priest enjoyed it, apart from the odd blip in my health he was free to loot to his hearts content) I finally got my handgun. Seeing as I was in Barak Varr, I decided to visit the Slayer ship and get my tactic. I had long since completed the Wanted part of the tactic when I was out getting my Tracker Armor set. Durndon had stuck with me, so I thought I'd get him the tactic as well. Off we went to talk to the Captain.
For bonus points, or rather for a Tome Unlock, also talk to the First Mate on the ship for the entry on Slayers.
Quick trip over to Ostland, even quicker stomping on the chap we needed. To Altdorf!
At this point I realised a few things. Firstly, there's alot in Altdorf to do that people don't know. They figure it's a high level place or something, I am not entirely sure. So tomorrow, I shall ramble aimlessly about Altdorf.
Secondly, Ostermark has a channel on the Order side of things for co-ordinating open field RvR. /channeljoin OrderRvR to get in on the action. All tiers, all the time. Mostly you'll find t3 or t4 action and after a few days, familiar names at certain times.
Also, Massively.com has reported on the Age of Blogging initiative. Rock on!
Friday, January 02, 2009
Ostermark and Phoenix Throne
Some quick notes on those servers.
First up, Phoenix Throne is where you'll find me doing Destruction things every so often. I've got myself a Squig Herder by the name of Leggit sitting pretty at 11 and still in love with Squig Armor.
Also the fantastic Bregel from Oathkeepers Legacy gave me (on his Destro alt) the BattleBrew backpack. Man I love that thing.
There'll be a guild up there soon. So anyone who wants to kill Ardy, say hi to Virtue folks from City of Heroes or generally get a blog entry up (along the lines of "Must kill this guy") pop by and say hi.
Ostermark.
Still only have three order characters. I've been very well behaved in that regard.
Katrine the Witch Hunter reached 10 and then paused.
Norri Powderkeg, my engineer, is similarly on ice for the moment at level 21.
Orrekai Dalinsson, my main, has been runing his Dwarven ass off over the Christmas break. This has seen me go from what... rank 23 rr 18 or so up to rank 28 rr25 in a very short period. I've also gleefully taken part in more oRvR over the last while than I can ever remember doing before.
To that end, the news from Ostermark.
Last I saw we had both the Chaos Wastes and Black Crag open with a serious push on Dragonwake over the last two days. Thunder Mountain and Praag have been locked for sometime. With any luck, alot of work and some pressure we could be looking at a fortress assault reasonably soon. I'm getting married in 15 days. That entire weekend I wont be available. I have a t4-able character.
So...my prediction is Ostermark will siege the Inevitable City the weekend of the 17th :P
Also a quick shout out.
Thanks go to the following Characters for making my oRvR entertaining and constant recently. No particular order.
First up, Phoenix Throne is where you'll find me doing Destruction things every so often. I've got myself a Squig Herder by the name of Leggit sitting pretty at 11 and still in love with Squig Armor.
Also the fantastic Bregel from Oathkeepers Legacy gave me (on his Destro alt) the BattleBrew backpack. Man I love that thing.
There'll be a guild up there soon. So anyone who wants to kill Ardy, say hi to Virtue folks from City of Heroes or generally get a blog entry up (along the lines of "Must kill this guy") pop by and say hi.
Ostermark.
Still only have three order characters. I've been very well behaved in that regard.
Katrine the Witch Hunter reached 10 and then paused.
Norri Powderkeg, my engineer, is similarly on ice for the moment at level 21.
Orrekai Dalinsson, my main, has been runing his Dwarven ass off over the Christmas break. This has seen me go from what... rank 23 rr 18 or so up to rank 28 rr25 in a very short period. I've also gleefully taken part in more oRvR over the last while than I can ever remember doing before.
To that end, the news from Ostermark.
Last I saw we had both the Chaos Wastes and Black Crag open with a serious push on Dragonwake over the last two days. Thunder Mountain and Praag have been locked for sometime. With any luck, alot of work and some pressure we could be looking at a fortress assault reasonably soon. I'm getting married in 15 days. That entire weekend I wont be available. I have a t4-able character.
So...my prediction is Ostermark will siege the Inevitable City the weekend of the 17th :P
Also a quick shout out.
Thanks go to the following Characters for making my oRvR entertaining and constant recently. No particular order.
- Walton (Ironbreaker)
- Damiana (Rune Priest)
- Kaelidan (Ironbreaker)
- Faulheim (KoBS)
- Faustred (Bright Wizard)
- Tyrandell (White Lion)
- Maligaunt (KoBS)
- Relaena (Witch Hunter, also blogs. Check out the Forging of Ice and Fire)
- Amera (Warrior Priest)
- Gang (KoBS)
- Devilchild (KoBS with the amusing surname of Poorbastard)
- many many more in Empire, Dwarf and yes even Elf T3
This weekend, assuming I am not too busy, you'll likely find me trying in vain to kill 14 more Ogre Tyrants and get myself alot of beer kegs. I wont make the Elite Kegs End reward (pity), but by Grimnir, Grungi and Vallaya I will get myself that trophy and fill that list.
Oh and the Rune of Battle mastery ability is my new best friend.
WAR Age of Blogging
Yeah yeah I'm slow.
I looked into this when I was linked (thanks mate) but me being a lazy sod I've been a bit slow off the mark. Bad Ardy, no cookie.
So folks, here's the deal. Pop on over to the blogger community at Blog Warhammer to take part in the initiative.
We want you. Uncle Orky sez so.
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