It's time to come back...

I think it's about that time. The great things about MMORPGs is that you can take a long hiatus and come back excited as if it's a new game. And in many ways, especially if a new expansion/patch is out, it is! Final Fantasy XIV is in it's first major patch of Heavensward and the expansion been out since June. Man, I missed a lot! And as usual, I have a lot of catching up to do. On top on having a friend interested in playing FFXIV with me, it's definitely a good reason to re-sub. (and buy the expansion, of course)

One thing I really like about this game is that their content patches are like mini expansions! They always seem to provide something for everyone with every new patch they release. I miss my monk, and I think he misses me too. Can't wait to dust him off and see what's changed. Until then I'll see you guys in Eorzea! 

Progression and MMOs

So many players believe progression is a key element in keeping them in the game, be it leveling up, acquiring better gear, or learning new skills. I believe while progression is something that is important in gaming, it could be done better than using the same 'ol formula. You know what I'm talking about if you played any current MMO that has a level cap, then upon reaching that cap you then proceed on with endgame progression, via raids, PvP battlegrounds, dailies, etc. It seems like ever since WoW came out, other companies try to use the framework of WoW and apply it to their own style, but at the end of the day, it ends being the same thing. I guess you can say this is what I have experienced in past MMOs. I think progression is good for single player games, but MMOs you need a bit more than just progressing to get "uber gear".

My thoughts on the Tides of War [spoilers]

One day on WoW insider, this video was featured on thier machinima column, WoW Moviewatch. The vid was good, so good that it motivated me to get the latest e-version of the back. Never in a long time (maybe ever!) that I have been so engaged in a book! It took me only 2 days to complete the entire book and I have a lot of thoughts about the events that transpired.

The WoW IronMan Challenge

So stumbled across this interesting phenomenon on the interwebs the other day. It immediately  peeked my interest, as it adds a nice level of challenge that is lacking in current WoW leveling. What is the Iron Man Challenge, you ask?

The Bargin Bin: AdVenture Capitalist

Probably one of the best games you forgot you ever had. AdVenture Capitalist premise is simple: make as much money as humanly possible. That's it. No enemies, no boss battles, no complicated puzzles. It's only you and your humble lemonade stand. Make a some lemonade and go from there. Sooner than you know it, bam! You're a millionaire. Yeah, it's a Fackbook-ish casual clicker, but one where even the most casual of the bunch can make it far. Considering my busy random life, this is a perfect in-and-out game for me!

To PvP or not to PvP (a.k.a. I'm Too Old For This Shit)

So I had an interesting issue while attempting to log into WildStar after their free-to-play transition. I could create a character, but I could not enter the game world due to some issue on the server's end. The usual solution is to simply go to a different server, only the other server is a (gasp) PvP server and since they have this "megaserver" tech mumbo-jumbo going on, I was stuck with a choice. To either sit back and wait until the devs fix the issue, or roll on the server until the PvE server gets fixed. 

Wildstar Launches Free to Play as Wildstar Reloaded

You hear that? You don't hear anything? Listen closer! It's the sound of mouse clicks happily downloading the new, free-to-play version of Wildstar Reloaded, a.k.a. "Hardcore". So many things can happen within a year. I never was interested in this game when it was out on beta; I saw nothing that really made me want to subscribe. Funny how moods change when things are free! But then again playing something 'new' is always fun especially when there is no (initial) charge for it. This will probably be a one day thing with me where I play, get quickly bored and either leave the game on my hard drive to rot, or delete it. We'll see how long I can tolerate this game and see how far I'm willing to go. It is the MMO that deserves a second shot at success? Is it even deserving of my precious time? Only time will tell!

What's Raji Been Up To: Back Home Edition

Greetings, my fellow readers! Man, this year has been something else. It's like one surprise after the next. One day, I'm enjoying a week long road-trip. Next thing, I'm headed for Atlanta for an awesome opportunity...which didn't pan out that well. Now I'm back home getting things back in order (again!), so you know with all the moving back and forth my blog, and even my gaming somewhat, had to suffer. (again!)

Even though I didn't post as much as I would have liked, that fact that I posted at least one post per month meant something, at least to me. It meant that I really want to see this through. It also meant that I still have an interest about speaking my mind regarding the gaming world. Well at least I know how my favorite web comic authors feel when they are gone for who knows how long (WoWeh, anyone?) Life is very unpredictable, and when you think you have everything in order, a wrench out of nowhere destroys that mindset. So certain things have to suffer, and unfortunately our hobbies, what we enjoy the most, is the first on the chopping block.

So the moral of this post: Being an adult sucks, but we do what's needed to maintain in this crazy world we live in. I'm still here and there is a lot to be excited about in the present and future gaming world!