New Site IS COMING!

I'm going to be setting up my actual website as soon as possible.  (Which is to say, I need to make sure my web dev husband has some free time this weekend. ;-)  I've had problems with not being able to customize Blogger/Blogspot the way I would like to, so I think it's time to move on.  Until then, please bear with the broken RSS and other things I can't seem to get working... and I'll see you all over on www.geeksprinkles.com very soon!

Everyone freak out and unfriend me NOW...

...because it's time to post about what I would change in Guild Wars 2. Yes, I said CHANGE. :-O

I'm gonna start by saying that I really love Guild Wars 2 (and ArenaNet as a company) thus far, so hopefully no rabid fanatics -- or zombies, though, I really don't know why they would care whether or not I like GW2 -- will eat my face while I sleep.

Now that I have declared my love for the game, and my appreciation for its creators, I am going to list the things that I have noticed so far in the game that I would personally like to see changed.  DISCLAIMER: I understand that everything that has been done, has been done for a reason.  These are all just my personal desires and are solely based on my own experiences up to level 30.

I want:

• "Target of Target" display option for the UI and...
• A more customizable UI!
• DX11, please.
• Some kind of indicator (whether a bar like WoW, or LoTRO-style swirls at feet) for when a mob is inducting a skill.  Animations are cool, but are often covered up by tons of other people's animations.
• Return to Waypoint at death shouldn't cost money when you already are going to pay for repairs, too.  And speaking of waypoints...
• I MISS MOUNTS.
• And I miss having a "home" location to map to.
• Person to person Trade option would be nice, especially since the mail system fails a lot.
• /follow !!!
• Being able to set an AFK tag.
• More/better town clothing options. Go ahead and put them in the store, even, ArenaNet, I'd buy them!
• More emotes please!  /scold  /sigh
• I want to be able to change appearance after creation.  My ranger needs a new 'do!
• Character name changes would be swell, too.
• I know this was mostly unique to LoTRO, but I would LOVE to see an in-game music system.  Bands are fun!
• When transforming into something other than yourself for a quest, it would be awesome if I liked playing it rather than missing my own, much more effective, skills.
• A more robust Guild Roster display, with player note options.
• Food (which costs a LOT to make) should have a vendor price.
• I'd like to be able to "preview" items from the Trading Post.  I've not bought several things because of the lack of this feature.
• Guild Bank should function like all other banks and vaults and have preview option, too.
• When you complete a puzzle that opens a magical item revealing a CHEST, you should be able to click on it and get loots.  Instead, after playing this underwater pipe organ over and over, I had to be content with the fact that I made a nice, old quaggan lady happy...

If any of these things are already in the game, and I somehow missed them, please let me know and feel free to call me a n00b!

And, once again, I want to stress the point that I am truly enjoying this game so far, and the above changes would just be the cherry on top of the tasty sundae that is GW2.

So, be brave with me... what would YOU change or add?

GW2: Smelling the Roses

I do not have a level 80 in Guild Wars 2 yet.  In fact, my highest toon is only level 27.  And guess what?  For once, that doesn't bother me.  I've been so happy to take my time and really explore this game, that "keeping up" with other players isn't even a factor.  How refreshing!  Now, admittedly, at some point soon I am going to get itchy and want to try some dungeon-y goodness, but for now I am content to continue playing the way I have been... which consists of a LOT of exploration (I love completing maps!) and messing with alts.  I generally am not a person who has severe alt-addiction, and am fine just leveling up whatever class/profession I start with, BUT somehow I have found myself with some minor fear of "leveler's remorse."  I didn't get to fully try out as many professions as I wanted to in BETA, so I am using this time to play with them and figure out who I want to call "main" and love the most forever.  And I can't complain about this amazing journey when along the way, I am getting to:  figure out tricky jumping puzzles....

take screenies of my pets doing weird things...

and hang out with dead pirates.

GW2: Surprises!

I'm sure you're not sick of GW2 blog posts yet, so here we go!!!

SURPRISES!

I find myself surprised that I am somehow playing this game obsessively, yet casually.  It's very different -- and totally refreshing! -- for me.  I want to be playing all the time, and yet I don't feel a strong push to level really quickly or get anywhere in particular.  I'm taking time to explore everything, making sure I understand and unlock all my weapon skills, enjoying crafting when I am in a city, and just having a fun time doing whatever I feel like doing.  Sometimes I just find cool places to climb to and take pictures of my toons posing.  Like these:

The real surprise is how easily I can get sucked into playing longer than I want to.  I'm ready to log off and then another dynamic event happens, and well, it's just RIGHT THERE... and then I am escorting a pack bull to Claypool, which I have never explored... and so on.  I honestly can't complain about this after years of games that made me feel a strong urge to take a break after I stop to turn in quests.  I think that ArenaNet did a brilliant job with game propulsion.  Well done!

Another big surprise comes from other blogs and reviews.  Now, I am not a zealot and I know that no game is perfect, but I really don't understand the biggest complaint that I keep hearing.  Apparently, people are saying that they're getting stuck and not being able to find easy ways to level in between heart quests and personal story. They feel that leveling isn't easy, and things don't flow well.  Um, what?  I just plain don't get this.  Are these people not doing dynamic events, working their dailies, hitting some PvP/WvW, crafting, puzzle solving, or exploring?  Even with only doing a small amount of these other things on some of my toons, I have never (not even on any of my beta toons) found that there was an issue with leveling in Guild Wars 2.  I'm not saying that these people are necessarily doing anything wrong, but I am saying that I really just don't understand this based on my own experiences and the experiences of my husband, and friends.  I'd sincerely love to hear your opinions on this and how your leveling has gone.

And now back to happier surprises!

What surprises me the least about Guild Wars 2 is how happy I am to finally have another MMO to call "home."  It's been a long time since I stopped playing... whatever that other game was... and having that hole in my life filled up again is currently making me a very happy gamer.  Thanks, ArenaNet!

GW2: Server Decision!

I am not generally an indecisive person, but the choice of a single home server for Guild Wars 2 had somehow turned me into a second-guessing, nail-biting neurotic... until just now.  Something clicked in my intuitive gaming center, and while there are folks heading to Ft. Aspenwood (if you're rolling there, check out Mercy Gaming, they are a very friendly and knowledgeable group!) , Sanctum of Rall, and other servers, that I would love to game with... I will be making Tarnished Coast my home server.

Tarnished Coast is the unofficial, North American, role-playing server for GW2.  You can find out more about it here:  http://www.guildwars2roleplayers.com/home

Why an RP server for a girl who loves her epic boss fights the most?  Well, although I am not a heavy RPer, I do create elaborate back-stories for my characters, attempt to stick to naming based on lore, and enjoy the occasional RP encounter and event.  And actual role-playing aside, I have found in the past that RP communities tend to be just as competent in end-game, PvP, and other game aspects, while somehow also being a little bit more mature and just plain friendlier.

So, I hope that the 'guesting' feature is implemented soon, and that I get a chance to adventure with many of the people I have been getting to know over the last few months who won't be choosing TC as their server.  And if you are heading there, Yay!  I'll see you in-game this Saturday!

#GW2iscoming!

I just wanted to make a quick pre-launch post about my hopes for Guild Wars 2.  Since I am not currently playing another MMO -- okay, so I dabble in Rift and a couple of others -- I really have a lot of emotional investment in ArenaNet not failing me.  After being burned so hard by Turbine (I still miss you, LoTRO!) the last couple of years, and feeling like SWTOR didn't live up to my expectations, I am kinda game-shy right now.  I'm trying not to let the past taint my hopes for the future, though, and here are the things I am most excited and hopeful for in my GW2 future:

1) Gorgeous, customizable character creation.
2) Multiple ways to level.
3) No loot/mob/XP/resource ninjas!
4) Fast, dynamic combat.
5) Figuring out how the PvP/WvWvW works.
6) Meeting new game peeps and finding a guild.
7) All the little things, like collecting dyes, and getting screenshots from puzzle vistas like this....

I am also hoping for some (eventual) amazing end-game content with epic PvE raids and boss fights.

Along with all of my hopes, I also have a few worries:

1) Only being able to have one server as a home server.  This is scary to me.
2) There is a STORE and while ArenaNet has promised they will never be "pay to win" or sell advantages that you can't get yourself by playing the game, I have heard that all before from another *cough-Turbine-cough* company who didn't keep their promises.
3) See number 6 above.
4) That ArenaNet will vote NO on implementing DX11... which I think would greatly enhance the graphic quality of the game.  That they already are not current on something this important makes feel all o.O inside.
5) That there won't be enough PvE end-game (there are some rumours flying!) when we're ready for it... or that it won't be amazing and epic.

I have no reason to think that the things I am worried about in my above list will actually happen or affect me negatively... these are just the nagging thoughts that go through my head at night when I dream my little gamer dreams.

All in all, I am WAY more excited for this game than I am nervous... and it's all happening soon.  I am (mostly!) ready!  My PC is optimized, I have cleared my weekend, I am stocked up on Twizzlers, and I know what class I am rolling first.

All that is really left for pre-launch prep is to make the terrifying decision of server selection. (AHH!)

Oh, hai!

This is - SORT OF - my new blog!  Which is to say, I will post stuff here until I can coerce (bribe with pie?) my live-in web dev to help me make a real site that hopefully doesn't remind me of the dark Geocities days... which might happen if I was left to my own web "talents."  Okay, I might not do THAT badly on my own.  At least I know that Comic Sans has never been cool, Papyrus hasn't been "artsy" since the 1990s, and posting pictures of your children is never really cute... even if my 5 yr old son is currently watching YouTube videos of game reviews AND IT'S SO CUTE.

MORE CONTENT SOON!