Yesterday I was noticing on my screen many characters seemed to be doing a dance. I had noticed it before but yesterday I really noticed it. Yet it wasn't a dance. Throwing some punches, stretching, weird stuff. Do they all know about some dance that I don't? Are they all in some secret fight club (nobody ever lets me in on these things). Well, this turns out to be the training part of the game, basically you can afk and get some xp while you make lunch or do the laundry... Up to twelve hours. Ahh... I see they're training! And getting xp for it, pretty cool. You gain the option after you make a purchase/subscribe. You don't actually have to purchase a sub, because it popped up right away.

I decided to grab a sub, I'm really enjoying the game and a sub is pretty cheap. Granted, if you take a day off, you don't consume that day, I like that. Don't feel pressured to play, keep things light and fun. City of Steam definitely is fun. I also got my old robot back, the cool little loot guy I got last time I played (before the relaunch). I missed him, he's so cute! And you can get some nice stuff like xp boost (instant amount consumed), weapons, rings and so on, just for adding some monies to your account. Generous, instead of adding them in as a pack instead.

I've picked up some blue mercenaries, there are the standard colors for strength- White, green, blue and purple. I mainly use the Mechanist, who has some weird/cool (I can't decide which it is) helmet covering his face and he runs around doing AE damage from range, which is handy. I really like the mercenary feature, it was a complete surprise that it was added. I guess it is nice to have a companion to wander off into the world with, I love pets and mercenaries. And they don't grub up all my money and xp! Kind of like friends, but pretend, ha! Wait...

There is always a lot to do. Dungeons, events, PvP (which I've not messed with at all). Lots and lots of events, some grant amazing xp. My favorite is the egg bash. Basically a loot pinata, bash golden eggs for tons of money. I love the music added to the event too, Dire gets mad because I turn it way up. My pet (which picks up money) will be very handy in there, as I can't always grab it all before my time ends.

So far, sitting at 17, what I like about this game is that it keeps things fun and keeps a variety of things to do. It isn't super hard, great to relax to, but it isn't stupidly easy either. You do have to try. It isn't focusing on the same things I've been doing in every other game. Questing, well, yeah. But it feels light and like I'm going places.

Speaking of places. The last time I played, the game was pretty much all instanced, except for the wilderness (does that still exist?!). Now there is so much more that is open, it is cool to see people running around questing too. So, a nice change to making the world feel less a lonely place. Plus, we're not getting charged energy every time we want to run a quest, that was a very smart move in my opinion. And the dungeon/missions are not super long, which is good for me.



Just throwing out some thoughts on the game while they are fresh in my mind. It is pretty sweet, and it has some great music (listen to the track up top). Really, you can enjoy the game for free as well, I surely did. I didn't feel restricted either. However, I wanted to support the game as I really want to see it succeed. Give it a try, let me know what you think of it!



Tip- Not sure about screenshots with the game, it being browser based but I do know dropbox will save any you take. Make sure you're in full screen mode (unlike me) or you'll get all the tabs and the bar in it also. Next time I'll trim them up, feeling a bit lazy today. 

Lately I've been wandering back and forth to a few games. Rift, which is fun questing, though I don't play often enough to really get much done. I am still not 60, but it isn't a big deal really. I'm in no rush, I have zero intent to run dungeons and raids. I do hope there is still incentive for the game at 60, that worries me at times. But there is still a lot to do, mentoring down, rifts, invasions, instant adventures, yada, yada, yada. I'm not too worried. Plus, we have the occasional weekly event, which have not been that interactive but interesting nonetheless. We had fashion week, with dailys. Then mech week which was cool, just not too much to do because I couldn't get the (dungeon) lockboxes not being 60... Which you needed to do the dungeons. But I did get an awesome mech mount fromt he daily one! I was pretty stoked! I also got another neat pet.

I've really been wanting to get back into Vanguard SoH, in all it's buggy glory. It still holds a power over me even though I didn't start playing until 2009 or so. It is lovely, the world is huge, there is so much I have yet to see. It just feels so classic. Endgame is not what I'm looking forward to but merely the journey through the world. So, I hope to set aside some time to get back into it. I just can't settle on a class, there are so many fun classes. We'll see. I always want to but I always seem to drift away. Sigh...

I'm also piddling around in Second Life. I know only a small handful of gamers who actually play, but it is relaxing. I mostly build, putter around with my land, take pretty pictures and explore sims. I rarely talk to many new people, but I have made a few new ones here and there. It is quiet game (for me) but enjoyable. I guess what interests me is the ability to do whatever. I am not the most talented builder, but I do enjoy creating items. Currently I am working on some globes, sort of like snow globes but with stars and stuff.

And, I would not of had an idea about City of steam: Arcadia (re)releasing if it were not for Bhagpuss posting about his return. It sort of just slipped my mind. Which I've flung myself back into. I loved that game. It is even better than before. We have mercenaries. Bikes are still in the game, you don't have to save up a ton of money to get the starter, you simply keep upgrading it, which is awesome. Instant cool ride! I enjoy the combat still, quick and easy. The classes are fun. This time I think I will start with a new class. More of a tanky character. The characters are still a bit crude but charming. I went with a male this time, the females are so clunky looking in the armor (it doesn't cover/stretch over areas as well as male armor). Maybe the next one will be a female, they just don't have much of a coolness factor for me. It is good to be back! Oh, and if you want some cool, FREE, headgear, cosmetic items- Think classic items we used to get in the character creation- Zam still has a few codes. I about flipped when I got one. Then again I'm a steampunk junkie. I love goggles and top hats (in games, I'd look so dorky IRL with them on). They have a list on the website, Zam is at the bottom, hats are pictured. You also get a lot of helpful things in the pack. Yep, steampunk your head!

I did have an issue logging in today, while I shared this on Twitter, I figure I'll throw it in here too. Hope things smooth out soon and we can pop back in and play soon! They say they're working on it. The other interesting  bit on the forums is... Was Mechanist hacked? Check out this thread.

I've tried to get the guys to play one of these with me but they are pretty happy with EverQuest, so I don't pester them too much. They play together and sometimes with guild members, which is nice to see them enjoying time together. They do ask me to play EQ, but right now I just feel like I've played it so long, I just can't, for now at least. I remember how burnt out I got in 2005, I ran to WoW for a change of pace and scenery. By now I just want something.... Different. Different from what I've been playing the last decade I guess.

And on the mobile front, I'm addicted to the new Heroes of Dragon Age, available on Android and iPhone. It starts out pretty smooth, gets a bit tougher as you go, but it is good. I think the game still could use a bit of tweaking, if you don't have the right lineup it can be quite rough. That, or if you have just crap luck on getting decent epic and legendary characters, you'll have a tougher time. The game is automated but it is entertaining for a phone game, there is plenty to keep tabs on. You also don't have to worry about armor upgrades, instead you upgrade your heroes. I like it, I even PvP, which is attacking people that randomly come up. THIS needs a lot of work, I'm in my teens and I'm getting matches with players forty levels higher than myself. You can decline and move on, but there is a timer, and backing out and looking again for the right match to go up against, well, it can become annoying. You really have to gauge the teams, the line up, you can pretty much gauge how you'll fare in most cases. If players don't have the heroes with a row bonus, easy win. Things like that you start to notice. And, you lose ranking for losses, more than you make with one win. Which has me pulling my hair out sometimes. But all in all it is quite a good game.

That's it for today. Stay safe, stay warm, and may your adventures be full of fun and phat lootz!

My land, I ripped up everything and laid everything out again. It was basically an empty lot with sand. I just love it!

Using a greenhouse as a house, thought it gave it a very sweet feel. 

Ferrets running around, gotta have them, since we now have two IRL!

Piano in my skybox. 

Exploring. 

Friend of mine, awesome armor he's wearing. 

Getting ready for Christmas :) 

Begins to dust off the keyboard... *Sneezes* Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend, here in the US. Dire had a long, much needed, weekend. He caught up a lot in EverQuest, with my son, Nelf. I've sort of been in a weird place with MMORPGs, wondering when EQ Next/Landmark will release and Wildstar as well. I feel like I need something I haven't played for years and years. Just looking around for something to settle into for the holidays, to relax and have fun with. I'm still considering heading back to EQ2 as a main game, I can't decide which character to play, or should I try the new class?!

In EverQuest Nelf is sitting at 91 with his ranger, he's also leveled a cleric up into the 70's and is working on a mage. He's done a lot of work on his AA points, sitting around 2k. He's also gained quite a grasp on the game and has really gotten into it. Which is nice to see him enjoying it It is also nice to see Dire and him playing together. While I do play on occasion, I'm not playing regularly. I log in if they want to do something fun, playing whomever would fit in as needed. One good thing about having two accounts full of characters, lol.  

The other night we took a trip to Sleepers Tomb, which is old content. It was the big, bad boss of the Velious expansion. Only one guild was able to kill it per server, then it was gone. Which was kind of cool, as the dragon flew all over the zones killing everyone in the process of being awoken. I was logged out at the time on the Lanys server. Then again I'm not a huge fan of content that doesn't last. We traveled in and saw the place sleeper had been, so many years ago. It was a bit sad and cool at the time. As my son was only around four or five when this content was current. So he could only hope to see the sleeper in a video. Which he remembers from the old Conquest guild video floating around on the web.

I do get temped to play but I don't know, I just tend to get a little distracted and don't stick to it regularly. Mostly I log into Rift in small spurts and knock out quests. Recently they had fashion week, which was kind of neat, a daily added. This week Mech week ends, but I never got another box to open.... I'm not 60 to get them from instances and I didn't buy any from the shop. I have bad luck with lockboxes, I tend to shy away from them. The daily seemed to only award me with one. But I did manage to snag a really cool pet (pictured below). I had been thinking, just last week, how it would be so cool to get one as a pet! Perfect pet for me.



Other than that, I'm creating stuff in Second Life again. I made a few Adventure Time toys, which was a lot of fun to fiddle around with. There are lots of advent events going on, with a free gift each day, by some pretty amazing (and some of my favorite) creators. Lots of hunts too. I even took a haunted bus ride and went trick or treating with a friend for kicks, in November at that, lol. So there is always new stuff to do. I like that! I even made a little cake (free in the marketplace) for my RL birthday, yesterday. If you play you can pick one up here.

That's it for today. Safe adventures, all!

Free cake for all! Hope you like mesh!

BMO dolly I made!

LSP, because BMO needed a friend. 

Lemongrab. 

Who doesn't love corgis!

Adventuring around Ember Isle.

Hanging around town.

Cape Jule.

Questing with the pet. Love the huge trees in Rift. 

Storm Legion.

Leveling... Slowly but still, lol. 

The days grow shorter, the weather grows a little colder (sometimes, here in Houston), which gives a little more reason to stay inside in the comfort of our cozy home. I like to settle down to a good game in the winter evenings, it is nice to have a computer room to do so. I've plastered up posters and started filling it up with my geeky toys. Lately I've been just looking to relax and not stress over anything, I'm just looking for stress free gaming sessions.

Rift has been pretty smooth going. I've been questing, just playing in short sessions, but I'm really enjoying myself. A big part of it is the way I can just switch things out and feel like I am playing a different class. I could see myself working on one of each type of character (mage, rogue, warrior, cleric) to 60. For now I am just trying to get the mage to 60, lol. The combat is pretty fluid, fights don't last too long. The Rift souls (specs) are really fun and it is great picking one that is already made or sometimes tinkering with a spec.

I also enjoy the cosmetic side of Rift. The world is beautiful, plenty of sights to see. Some zones are better looking than others but there is always something interesting. The cosmetic armor and cosmetic slots are fun to play around with, especially if you're an appearance junkie like me.

I've also been popping into EverQuest, as my son has really taken a shining to the game. His ranger is now level 75 with close to 500 AA points. He's really enjoying the game as well as his class. I've taken him to a few zones to group with some of my alts who are around his level. He is always very impressed with all the interesting zones we travel to. I don't really do the power leveling thing. For one I get very antsy. Sometimes I'll two box my enchanter and another character, but just for group enhancement.

Dire is the one who does the power leveling. He's helped knock out quite a few AA points and some levels. It is nice seeing the guys talking about the game, grouping together, playing something I'd never of thought my son would take to. EverQuest does have a lot to work towards, different things to do. Basically a lot to do.

He's now working on his epic 1.0 quest, halfway through it this evening. As I type this, he's out in the Karanas trying to forage a root. The only thing I worry about is Venereal Sathere's remains going down (someone camping it perhaps) before we can get to it, causing a long, long camp. Then again we are on the RP server- Firiona Vie. Which means we could probably find the needed item in the Bazaar, if we really needed to. Something to consider. Maybe Tunare will shine on us, heh.

His epic 1.0 is a bit low for a 75, but there is a slow proc that is valuable at any level (attack speed slowing debuff). Plus, he's also said he gets to see more of the world and the point of doing it is to have done it. Which is nice to see. After this we'll work on his 1.5, bring Dire in on that part. He's the beast that does all the hard stuff, lol. If it weren't for him I don't think I'd still be playing. He makes the game that more enjoyable.

So that's it for tonight. Basking to the warm glow of the monitor, as the night get a little colder and the day a little shorter. Hope you are all warm and toasty, enjoying whatever it is you're playing!

Within the last few weeks of playing Rift I've picked up playing more steadily. It is nice to be back, while I've been fiddling on alts I'm also working on my main. I figure I may as well get one to cap, this time around I'm having fun with the Harbinger spec, it really is a lot of fun. The climb from 50-60 is not nearly as bad as t was, recently it was tuned to be more along the lines of 1-50. I've noticed it going a good bit faster. I managed to hit 55 last night. Woo!

Rift is a nice game, I'm especially enjoying the quests. I'm taking it easy on Instant Adventures lately, I used to do so many that I neglected questing. I like exploring around and the scenery is lovely to do so. Carnage quests are nice too, I love finding them and knocking them out.

I've also been decorating a few dimensions on my three characters. It is nice to have a cool dimension for each of them. Always fun and relaxing to do a little decorating or just pop in one and soak in the scenery for a few.

My year sub is up around January, as of now I plan on asking for another year for Christmas, but we'll see. I think I used it well, popping in here and there, chugging on alts, getting to see events. For me it was worth it.

Just a short post today, figured I'd share some lovely shots! Have a great weekend!

My rogue's dimension, love the little cabin area.

Graveyard.

A little pond I decorated. Little fox pet decided to sit on the lamp there, lol. Cuuute.

Cozy cottage beside the pond.

Searching for treasures in Rift. 

Cape Jule, so lovely.

Exploring the wilderness.

I love the sky in Rift, always so gorgeous. 

Ceiling in a new dimension I bought. A tower, it is simply stunning.  (temple of the abandoned- dimension)

Upstairs to tower.

View looking out of the tower door.

I could sit here all day :)

Bottom. 

Side view. Now the fun in decorating it.... It already looks so good what could I even add, lol.