Elements of Corruption (GU #51) is Live!

Well, wasn't expecting this to be release today, but it did!

A zone revamped, a new raid instance, a threat meter, new shard gear, new crafting additions and loads of fixes.

You can read it all here!

Everquest 2: nearly 80

Besides playing Eve trial, i also have been playing Everquest 2, proceeding on my epic quest of getting my first level 80. My shadowknight, dinged 78 this last weekend, making it more two levels to go to finally achieve the ultimate goal.

Well I am taking longer because EQ2 is a game that alts is as good as playing with one char. It's a game for alt-aholics. And i admit it, I'm an alt-aholic. I have like, 4 chars besides the SK, that are all around 40 adventuring and 40 crafting. It's very important not to forget that crafting are also 80 levels like adventuring.

But lately with my Sk I've been doing some shard runs with guildies, so eventually when i ding 80 it will be possible for me to get some shard gear, which will save me some work. To get shard i need to do quests (even if the mobs are gray), and with quests come xp, so I'm leveling all along. Can only be good.

EQ2 is becoming a very impressive game, with lots of offering to players (it's not just raid you know), and it seems to me that is becoming more popular. I can only suggest to anyone to try it.

Eve Online: An extended trial

During this month I've been playing mostly EQ2 and an extended trial of Eve Online.
Taking the fact of the recent release of the newest expansion (Apocrypha), i decided to give it another go (since it's not my 1st trial). Mostly on any of the trials i did on Eve, i basically did the tutorial and a bit more, so for a start, with this new expansion, i got some changes.

First of, and even before starting the tutorial, we need to create a character. Change number 1, creating a character is now more straightforward. Before we had multiple options, like race, sex, bloodline, ancestry, career, specialization, school, and allocate free attribute points, leaving the new player abit overwhelmed. They eliminated choices that had no effect on the player whatsoever and moved these choices to a more appropriate time where you could make an informed decision. You are in charge of your destiny. On the other hand, before when we started the game, a new character would have some skills already trained(800k), and now it starts with around 50k. But there is a training bonus. It's up to the player to pick up his best route.

Once inside the game, time to start the tutorial. Also the tutorial is now changed and it's more intuitive and faster then before (and the rewards are nicer :D ).

Finally, the last thing i noticed which was added, was the epic mission arc. Basically it's a set of missions, put together, with a storyline, that puts players in the universe of Eve. It's a very good way for a new player to start.

From Eve Online Apocrypha EPIC MISSION ARC
"Spanning multiple regions of space, this all new mission arc will take players on a journey through all four empires, starting at character creation. As the story progresses and the rewards grow more enticing, pilots will be faced with the decision of which side to fight for in the final battle."

(One small note, don't leave the mission for too long, or you end up failing. I did took to long to get the mission, and the agent just shoved me up and i can't seem now to continue it)

Also, there is now a skill training queue, which enables player to queue up skills to a limit of 24 hours training.

Overall finally i'm starting to like Eve Online, and this changes only maked it better. Probably i will subscribe it.

Tabula Rasa: End of Transmission

It's always with great sorrow, i see a mmorpg closing doors. It's like seeing a world full of adventurous, just closing down and no one else can come and look at it again. Or like, seeing the final minutes of Star Wars Episode 6, and realizing i won't have any more new adventures to see.

This time it came to Tabula Rasa. I know that the game had many flaws, like not enough high level content, any real PVP since there was only one faction, the fact that the production was too expensive (they had to remade it twice), or even by the reason that the game's father, Richard Garriot, left it just too soon. Maybe those were the reasons for it to not succeed, or maybe it was just all a financial situation (can't argue with all the crisis going on). But it's just a shame it didn't go anywhere.

From what i've played (ok i had a few free months to play but i didn't take cause i felt the game was going down, so i didn't wanted to waste much time), i found it to be fun mmo with a shoot'em up twist. I manage to get around level 25, did some instances, and had some quick blasts (the Bane attacks on bases were great fun). And with a good group i think the game would be even better.

Oh well. As they say: "Tabula Rasa i salute you! Farewell!"

One last tranmission.

Vanguard: Another breath taking view of Telon!

Yet another video from Vanguard and all it's sight seeing landscape. Impressive to say the least!


Makes me wanna come back...