WoW?

So i haven't played again since last i logged off, having slaughtered (clickity) the mangled scorpion which had wounded a nearby troll.

This gap has left me with a day to think about WoW a little and what i had expected going in. I expected a robust, lore driven, detailed, lovely world which has been crafted for my unique character to tromp about in having adventures and juggling loot.

I logged in to a bland space for my cardboard character to run through animations while i click on things.

I've very deeply concerned that my goal, to create an orc with an axe, was met within two minutes.. since character creation was the orc and i started with an axe.

I have since downloaded enough to get to the 'optimal' play point, and i am level 5 now, so perhaps something will explode and catch my attention.

One can only hope.

WoW?

One hour in!

hugely unimpressed.

sadly so.

Early game content is usually pretty fluffy, to try to get you used to systems and introduce you to the feel of the setting and whatnot.

So far i feel like this is a world filled with lore... somewhere else - while i run around and click on something from time to time. I can't really understand why people slag off on games like proteus and shelter as walking simulators, and i've not really seen anyone level the same hammer at this.

for the record i didn't particularly enjoy either of those two titles either, finding them tedious at best, but it was apparent that this was part of the core. Shelter is supposed to be drawn out run from a all the way to b, proteus offers its' scenery as exploratory fodder. Thus far, WoW has area to cover between click points, which them selves only seem to offer breaks for all the area to cover.

I also hate the inventory system. It seems oddly fiddly, coming from the guys who basically set the template for inventory management styles.

Hm. That's enough for now.

WoW?

So first things before i get started;

Im happy to get free things. This is known. When i got the free play time, i didnt have to do anything. no activation, not kes, no transferring data, no CC details, it was already loaded up in my battle.net launcher. this is great. To get me on board make me do as little as possible between wanting the experience and having the experience.

Secondly, i notice as the download progresses that there is the option to play ahead of the full down load. almost streaming you might call it. there is a minimal mark and an optimal mark and you can play as soon as you've hit the minimum without waiting for the entire thing to get down the pipes. similar to what i've just said to get me on board, make me wait as little as possible between wanting the experience and having the experience.

so far so good.

I've had a friend express concern about going down the rabbit hole, but im happily in control of my addictions and since i've got no costs associated with this little adventure i'm happy to jump in.

and a final peice of the puzzle is because of this process i've worked out a technical issue with my network adaptor so im coming into this with spirits high.

onwards!

wow?

So in 2001 having freshly 'graduated' from high school and living in my uncles' basement living area, word was out of blizzard making some kind of online world where i could be an orc. not any old orc but a blizzard orc, like the ones i had shuffled around and sent to their victo.. doom, usually, for years.

i cant be bothered going back and framing this as a researched thing with release dates and boring factual crap, but i was excited. I thought it was a great idea from a great company doing great things. I was all the way down on Diablo 2 at the time, making characters up to level 20 and burning them away to make a new one. Why? .. i dont know. Because clickity clickity, i guess.
But i never played WoW. It's 2014 and i never got around to playing. not even once.
When i moved out from said uncle, i left behind cable internet and went back to dial up. I had no steady income to pay for this preposterous subscription nonsense and that was about it really.

I have since been quite aware of its existence and the shadow it casts across gaming as a whole, from influences obvious in dev's trying to clone the lightning and sell it as their own, to those who would rather hold wow up as what they are not. To genres even dipping their toes into the brine of RPG to any depth the effects this hulk of an entity shoes its' presence.

I've been playing hearthstone for a couple of months now (super casually) and in doing so received an email telling me i get a 30 day free time gift for wow.

I rather think it's about time for me to make this orc.

Zug zug.

Steam Summer Sale 20014 pt2

So it's all wrapped up and I think it's turned out to be a lot more interesting than I'd previously suspected. Valve seem to have dealt with the concerns that I (and possibly many many other people have had) and made a sale that is both more relevant and exciting. It's day to day function was still fairly mechanical and nothing inspired beyond the minus percentages, however the sales actually had meaning. Unless I'm mistaken, which is admittedly possible, the final day didn't do the last round up of the biggest and best sales to rehash.
This is crucially important to my mind. I like that I can check in and cast my vote and have something to do as part of a meta-event in the sale but the sale itself has lost all meaning when spenders understand the best way to farm the system.

I think the daily events still need some work. I think back to the christmas sale of 2011 (I think) which required certain achievements to be earned in game. This was really cool but obviously required dev's to make an effort to include new event specific goals and people to be able to download and get them on the day - not always a doable thing.

This sale event has been great, but something more meaningful than voting and chasing team swap tickets but less demanding than a full game download would be magnificent.

Go do that now Valve, nothing else on your plate.

The Banner Saga

So I missed all the kickstarter stuff for this game way back when. I played a little bit of factions when it was released, updating every other day and limited right down, testing the waters. The art style is wonderful, forgoing anything 'digital' for a genuinely lovely hand-drawn touch and feel. I liked the combat, and was sort of getting better, though generally atill getting served morw than my ego was pleased with.
(There was also a big pile of legal drama in between, but who wants to rehash that crap)

Fast forward.. 2 years? I ended up grabbing it not long ago when it was available for the cheaps as part of the humble bargain marathon, whatever it was, since it was cheaper than normal retail and came with a few extras. Then I waited for a while because I'm lazy and easily distracted.

Anyway, im in love with it all over again. I've only played through to the 3rd chapter so far but it's got its hooks in deep. All of what I already appreciated is still present, but the single player also has this fully realised story with richly detailed maps, lore that flows nicely with more depth accessible on my terms and a level of storytelling and character development that seema both natural and weighty.

I know my choices will have consequence but I am not sure when they will surface, whatvthey will be, or how much they will matter.
And in the game.

I'm still pretty terrible at the combat, but rarely do I feel cheated - more that decisions ive made in placement or priority ought to have been thought over a little more.

Its my newest 'oh when do I get to play it again' game, thinking about it all times of the day and hanging out for the next chance I can get.

Steam Summer Sale 2014

So the madness begins, but ive noticed more and more as times go by the the madness is moreso the spectre of times gone than actual batshit crazyness. For one the structure these days is largely known and its just down to the theme mostly and the function of bonuses etc.
The more recent addition of trading cards narrows the field of expectation even further.

I dunno, I'm still excited though, all that said. Its a major event in my particular area of interest and it generates a lot of talk and focus.

I probably wont buy much though, if anything. I love the saley vibe but bundles are my vice of choice and I have a ridiculously long backlog.

Mind you I said that last time and still spent more than intended by a long shot.