To start off this blog, I would think it appropriate to tell what games are currently holding my time hostage.
My gaming is being focused on the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. Two games in particular (I’m always on the look-out for new MMO’s) that have my current interest and involvement are Eve Online and Fury.
Eve has had quite an impact on my gaming ideas. A single world (server) and a non-linear (for linear, see just about every other MMO – World of Warcraft(WoW), EverQuest(EQ), etc) style is wonderfully fresh – even if the game has been around for a few years. Within the game I am currently a mission runner and miner (or, as some would say a ‘carebear’ – only I actually like Player vs. Player (PvP) combat a LOT, and will start doing some once my skills are trained). Real time skill training is a big positive for me, no longer do I have to devote hours and hours of mostly meaningless ‘play’ time just to advance my character, leaving me free to do other things (like, this). At the same time, however, it does not include a lot of instant gratification. Skills may train whether you play or not, but the training takes time–a lot of time (days, weeks, upwards of months)–to get where you want.
Fury, on the other hand, is almost purely instant gratification (this makes for a pretty complete gaming line-up for me). Currently in closed-beta, Fury is purely PvP and played out at fast-paced first-person shooter (FPS) speed with role-playing game (RPG) styled abilities. Now, some people would argue that it is just another WoW clone, or perhaps a Guild Wars (GW) clone–really, it is not. The skill system is of the biggest interest for me. Being able to use any combination of skills to suit personal play styles is something I love, and would like to see in other new MMO’s. Currently I have a sort of Oracle build that I use. It has a few of the longer (3 minute) buffs–like Spirit of the Ironwood, some shorter situational buffs–like Defender’s Shell/Sure Foot, caster damage spells–Defender’s Dart, heals–Mend/Rally, charge manipulations (charges are kind of the ‘mana’ or ‘power’ in this game, can have 10 charges max, per one of 2 opposing elements–fire/water, nature/decay; the amount of charges you have fluctuates greatly)–Rotwood/Mistburn, and a couple field spells (ground targeted spells)–Shelter/Cyclone. Creating more of a support role was the idea for the build and from experience using it I think it is where I wanted it (it’ll always be modified to some small degree). Fury is defiantly a team based game, no team/guild to work with and be organized in and a player will almost certainly fail.
Aside from MMO’s I do like to dabble with the single-player games. Currently, Neverwinter Nights 2 is still keeping me company and I would like to do some modding to it–at least create a small story driven campaign. Might post some of the concept story/art (as crude as it may be).
