tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8530433108462399152024-03-21T12:24:39.607-07:00Elendrik's NotebookGaming notes and bits and pieces from a person who plays for fun, not to win. EM on Europa Ultima Online shard from 2004-2005. Otherwise, nobody exciting.Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-283857938344077352009-08-30T13:30:00.001-07:002009-08-30T13:30:53.618-07:00What is the best looking MMO?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I can't claim anything exciting on this, but I'm going to plump for Guild Wars. Is it the best looking? Well, it's the best looking I have played, and it was graphically different from all of the other MMOs before it.<br/><br/>Walking outside in Ascalon, in the first instance area was the first time I actually lost myself in the game. The green grass, waving in the wind. The creatures - both animal and monster - roaming the fields. The bull next to the water-pool! And that waterfall! While walking, you could be followed by carefree Gwen just skipping along and playing on her flute. There has been nothing like Guild Wars opening zone in the other games I've played since. And since I couldn't spend enough time away from my beloved WoW, it stayed as second fiddle, and I only ever got one character to level 20 and out of that first campaign... I think I spent too much time looking at the flowers than playing the game ;)<br/><br/>Oddly enough (bearing in mind that my 'home' MMO is Ultima Online with it's primitive but very, very useful sandbox-see-all design) I've now settled in World of Warcraft. Not for its graphics (which I always thought of as cartoonish, and don't get me started on the ugly, ugly avatars) but because I'm playing with a friend to stay in contact with them now they've moved to America.<br/><br/>But I've found that the graphical 'style' of Warcraft gradually has its wicked way with you. You get used to the awful mustaches and broad-brushstroke fields, and start feeling part of it. I think WoW's contribution to 'best looking' is more like 'most varied' - because all places look so different, and have a unique flavour from zone to zone, it's easier to be taken in.<br/><br/>But if I want to go and sit by a waterfall and grin stupidly at a Waterfall, I'll visit Guild Wars again.<br/><br/>(And if anyone mentions the Charr chucking a rock out of the sky and destroying that beautiful waterfall? Well la-la-la, I'm not listening to you.)<br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=d86c783e-c803-8725-857d-91a9ef7fbfc1' alt='' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-23107495283091837792009-02-08T12:11:00.001-08:002009-02-08T12:16:03.920-08:00UO Journal for: 08-02-2009<span style="font-style: italic;">Taken from a meeting at Castle British, Sunday 8 February 2009, 19:30</span><br /><br />Casca: We have taken an important first step my friends<br />Casca: Henceforth, let us continue down this path<br />Casca: Which will assuredly lead us to victory!<br />Casca: The first battle has been won, congratulations to all of you!<br />Casca: To celebrate this momentous event<br />Casca: I invite you all to a Royal Ball!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">October Stehlen: ...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Iljian: *blinks*</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Syrana Jarm: *looks down on her dress*</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Floria Tenne: Hmmm.....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Attorok: *frowns*</span><br /><br />Casca: To be held next Sunday, the 15th, at 8 oclock, here at Castle British<br />Casca: Come in all your finery and the highest of spirits!<br />Casca: I hope to see you all here<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Nathaniel Hawk: *Mumbles*</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Nathaniel Hawk: There's something fishy here..</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Bladius Dart: I agree with the old git in the hat.</span><br /><br />Casca: About the dresscode<br />Casca: Of course you should dress appropriately for a Royal Ball<br />Casca: Any other questions?<br />Casca: We will strike another blow against the enemy soon<br />Casca: But first we celebrate this victory!<br />Casca: Any more questions?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Syrana Jarm: Well Im all for a good dance, but I dont think we achieved such an outstanding victory...</span><br /><br />Casca: If there are no more questions I will be on my way again<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Flame: *stares in disbelief at Casca*</span><br /><br />Casca: Until then my friends!<br /><br />*Casca leaves*<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Fauna Riboflavin: Expect the unexpected, Muldran</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">Muldran Skully: Nobody expects... dancing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Kendra: Why doe he only congratulate us for one victory?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Kendra: Before he started sitting in that throne, we've been keeping the kingdome from falling</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Attorok: And this... excuse for a king is doing a dance for just one fight!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">Muldran Skully: I wonder what she'd have to say about this, Flame.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Stewan Seagull: Hmm.. Id think she likes balls too</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Flame: she recommended us to watch Casca very closely</span>Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-47743165455356998972009-01-18T12:13:00.001-08:002009-01-18T12:17:20.527-08:00Casca's Speech<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeonqCnhHue8Oxk5zH34ITvEITrdiNJ_nMLouEGjwBLnB-hSL2cDY8WY7e5E3ylOR0IH0U8RA3bBk2kxjS2dJqs4r2s8oNIWArCgWfzfgTrQvq0j0Vrhrp0VVchyhBO_U5CwUa0BmyiKU/s1600-h/180109-casca.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeonqCnhHue8Oxk5zH34ITvEITrdiNJ_nMLouEGjwBLnB-hSL2cDY8WY7e5E3ylOR0IH0U8RA3bBk2kxjS2dJqs4r2s8oNIWArCgWfzfgTrQvq0j0Vrhrp0VVchyhBO_U5CwUa0BmyiKU/s320/180109-casca.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292730225705474258" border="0" /></a><br />Europa turned out in force to heckle welcome our new dark overlord - Casca seems to have crowned himself King in absence of anyone else stepping forward to take the job. Of course, after the entire council was slain, there was little choice...<br /><br />There were a few calls for poor, stoned Jordan to be resurrected, but he's sleeping peacefully under the Haven sea.<br /><br />I wonder if Casca's being influenced by something else... It wouldn't be the first time...Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-20640889147385206512009-01-14T01:45:00.000-08:002009-01-14T01:57:36.476-08:00WowedOkay, so I may have popped my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MMO</span> cherry on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ultima</span> Online (and the less people that imagine me in that position the better) but I can honestly say I'm now full time on World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Warcraft</span>. Yes, it's four years after the game has launched that I've joined in, but why would I do such a thing?<br /><br />I think your first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">MMO</span> is where the heart is. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">UO</span> was fantastic for what it represents. A total 'world' before Second Life; you have houses, junk, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">knickknacks</span> and personality <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">roleplay</span>, where because you can see all around you and 'the world seems wide' you can play at telling stories. That's where I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">UO's</span> early success was; it was a complete board for people to be able to interact and tell stories, while playing the game. Quite honestly for me, I was never very good at the game. Oh, I could check an energy bolt around as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Muldran</span>, and could work out puzzles with the rest of them - but play the actual game? Oh no, I much preferred the story telling, interacting with people, and collecting books for my library.<br /><br />Playing as an EM - helping write stories, direct events, and be 'part of the lore' - was fantastic for me. I could involve people with bigger things; show more of what's going on, and try to encourage people to 'play the game the way I did'. Oh yes, I ran the occasional <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">PvP</span> event, and dived into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Felucca</span>, but I was never very comfortable there. Should I have been? No, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">because</span> myself and other players like me weren't. But hell, I tried my best in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">play styles</span> I was unfamiliar with to have a go, and see what we could do. And I think, on the whole, people enjoyed it. After the EM part ended for me, I began to lose interest - not because of my lack of powers, but because I think I'd gone as far as I could with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">UO</span>; I'd played along with the story, I'd *run* the story , and that was that.<br /><br />Recent Live Events that are bringing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ultima</span> Lore back in are fine; they're the type of things I love. There's STORY in the game again - it's just a shame that a lot of people who <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">enjoyed</span> story-play have moved on. I have the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Muldran</span> account still, and the old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">mage</span> wanders in and out to look in on things, but I can't *play* there any more, which is a great pity. I'll definitely turn up and listen in with the EM events - I like interacting with people! - but I think that's as far as I can go now; apart from sorting out the Library books of course!<br /><br />So - why <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">WoW</span>? Well, I needed a game to play with a friend who moved to America; we both play on the EU servers, since he isn't a twitch player. It's a great way to 'keep up' and still do things. We tried with Guild Wars, but it lacked something. And what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">WoW</span> has is what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">UO</span> is only now getting - story based quests. Or is that quest based stories?<br /><br />When I play things, I want to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">intrigued</span>. I want to find out 'more', I want to see what's going on behind the scenes, why the world is the way it is - and what's more, what can I do to shape this. (Yes, even if it's been shaped by 11 million others who have been playing longer than me, but hey!) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">WoW's</span> story chains and quest chains are a great way to dip in to stories, and find out more about the World. With <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">UO</span>, people had to make it happen, and with the lack of people, less of it was going on. <br /><br />That's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">something</span> I don't see in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">WoW</span> - even on an 'RP' server, I don't see people just 'letting stories happen' around them like they did in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">UO</span>. In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">UO</span>, you could wander into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Trinsic</span>, stand by the guards there, and start talking, and people would join in. In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">WoW</span>, the only time I've seen that happen in the six months or so I've been playing is during the zombie invasion; when people tried to help out at the Cathedral. <br /><br />Is it because people have moved on in the game again? Have I missed the story players? I'm not missing that at the moment, as my friend and I are enjoying finding each new place, new quest, new story. And yes, with the two of us, I doubt we're going to be raiding any time soon (we've created a guild 'for our own use' rather than to have people in it. Hey, we need somewhere to store all this stuff!)<br /><br />Although in the last two weeks, I've been able to persuade my partner to play - and he's actually started enjoying it (and the recruit-a-friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">XP</span> bonus means that the alts that my friend and I have will help bring him up to our mains - so we can all play our ideal set of characters at a higher level.)<br /><br />Wowed as a progression through <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">MMOs</span> - a bit odd, I know, but I'm here now!Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-69011022232743777772008-12-20T07:17:00.000-08:002008-12-20T07:18:15.871-08:00New EMs!Just spotted that there's new EMs on Europa. Congratulations you two, and I hope you have a great time running, plotting and playing!Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853043310846239915.post-6209759803888442802008-10-26T02:06:00.000-07:002008-10-26T02:14:52.685-07:00Elendrik NotesI've just found out that I left several pages on the Googlepages server while updating my account. These pages relate to a couple of events I participated in (and ran!) back when the EM programme was up and running in UO.<div><br /></div><div>I was one of the fortunate EMs who got a chance to actually 'tie up' their storyline - and my RPC Commander of the Royal Guard is still buried in a cavern under New Haven on the Europa server. Perhaps people will be able to dig him up in the future ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway - enjoy the chat logs!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://elendrik.googlepages.com/jordanjurrel-ninthcrater">http://elendrik.googlepages.com/jordanjurrel-ninthcrater</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://elendrik.googlepages.com/meeting_150806_edited">http://elendrik.googlepages.com/meeting_150806_edited</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://elendrik.googlepages.com/ophidianinvasionmeeting(unedited)">http://elendrik.googlepages.com/ophidianinvasionmeeting(unedited)</a><br /></div>Jamie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056341432278751664noreply@blogger.com0