At Random

It always happens when I move, it takes time to fall back into a routine and I seem to game less, doing more around the place while I settle in. For now I'm just playing random things. Really random play sessions.

RaiderZ- First Look

This week my son and brother have been playing RaiderZ. They really seem to enjoy it and I've been meaning to check it out for awhile now, so I thought what better time to do so. I just wanted to share some first impressions, screenshots, features and thoughts.

This is an action based MMO. I would have to say it is most similar to TERA than any other game I've played, which wreaked havoc on my wrists but RaiderZ seems a bit more forgiving. Not every single mob required me to bounce, roll, dodge all over the screen. Personally I prefer games that do not require so much reaction for normal leveling, I play for relaxation but it is still a nice game. If it wasn't so action based I'd probably play it a heck of alot more, it has many neat features to it.

Combat is interesting, and there are 'talents' letting you specialize in the paths you'd like to play. There are different archetypes;  melee, tank, cleric, mage, but you can mix up what you want to do a bit. My son is a cleric but he plays ranged and I am more the melee type in this game, he kites while I get up close. There are options for how each person wants to play, which is always great. There is also multiclassing, after you spend initial points in your class tree. I'm not too experienced in this, my son has told me a bit about it, which he plans on working on this more as he levels.

This game doesn't feature housing but you do get your own inn room. My brother thought that was really awesome- 'Hey I got my own Inn room!' I thought it was a rather nice touch, you can port back home there every thirty minutes or so. Nifty little feature to add a bit of personality to the game.

Crafting. If you ever crafted gear in the first Guild Wars, RaiderZ works much the same way. You collect the materials and the NPC will craft your items. This is how it works within this game, you craft your items, weapons, as well as mounts. The armor from the get go is nice, as you level it seems to get even nicer looking, you don't have to wait until end game to look interesting, which was a big plus with my brother. He says he's sick of having to wait until end game to acquire cool armor and weapons, no waiting here.We liked the crafting aspect of the game, my son showed me the mats I'd need to collect and most of them I picked up as I was questing. No huge grinds, at least not in the early game.

As I mentioned you craft your mounts as well. This game offers a huge variety of mounts but some require a lot of mats, over time you will learn where to farm the materials you want for a specific mount. There are a few that are fairly easy to craft and every few levels you can upgrade them. I really, really like the mount system in this game. Plus, when you start out, you get a ton of one time use mounts, I think I unloaded 40 so far...

The game is pretty, it runs smoothly as well. It has nice surroundings, the characters are pleasant to look at, even if there is only one race option. The armor and weapons look fantastic. The mounts are some of the coolest I've seen. There were some that had me chasing people to get a closer look.

There were neat little aspects in the game, such as people playing guitars and drums. I do not know much on those items but they looked like a lot of fun. The gameplay within this game is solid, especially if you like action based combat. I would prefer this over any of the others I've tried, it seems to have a bit more depth. The mouse is 'locked' much like most action based or ported games, I didn't seem to notice after a bit.

The game also released an expansion this week! More levels, the starting area was revamped a bit, better rewards to new players starting off. Lots of neat things. If you're looking for something interesting and fun to dabble around with, RaiderZ is pretty cool. I'm a bit of a PWE fan, so I knew it would feel like a quality game, and it does. Tons of questing, no huge grinds, all around a solid game. The game feels more skill based than gear based, which is refreshing.

Just some thoughts on it before I forget my initial reaction to the game! Leaving a slew of screenshots for your viewing pleasure :)

You can pick up weapons in the area, which are quite powerful and last a limited duration. I loved the cannon!

I'm sorry bunny, I just wanted your ears. Rabbits can drop cosmetic ears to wear. Low drop rate though.

One of the mounts within the game, this one was a temporary but you can craft your first one around 12 or so.

Easter decorations.

My Inn room.

Whatever that chick is riding, I want one too. how cool is that... some creepy, crawly bug dude who carries you around?! Also people playing drums back there on the left.

Broom mount, he also has a snake wrapped around his neck, that is awesome!

Dynamic duo :)

Got me some new armor!

He's jamming out! I want a guitar!!

Another very cool mount. 

The first mount on the left is the first mount my son obtained. The second is my freebie mount.

Free Days

I've been dabbling around with some free time and free games this week, enjoying myself quite a bit. I wanted to check back into some games that I haven't played in awhile. It is always nice to pop back into a game that you haven't played for awhile or perhaps one that has gone F2P, check out the changes see whats new. I love me some free stuff!

First up would be Rift. I've been tlaking to my bud, Rak, about messing around with some different games, just for a refreshing feel on gaming. He is still subbed to Rift so naturally he suggested I check it out again. While I didn't want to resub for just popping back in, I wanted to check for free time on my account. I remember reading about something about it recently, sure enough I had a few days.

It's been really nice being back. Rak prefers the Guardian side, which I've never tried past level six, so I started over as Guardian. We picked Byriel, since I do happen to know people on this shard. Not sure if many still play there but it seemed like a good choice. My old shard is now a trial so I ended up moving my other characters too. But, yeah, it has been nice. The guardian side is so much more appealing in terms of scenery, starting out it has a much more inviting feel, it's so lovely. It was like playing in a different game almost. I don't think I'd go back to the Defiant so soon.

I'm not going to sub now but I'm thinking in the near future of doing so because it is just like night and day, for me at least, playing on the different areas. I wish I hadn't missed the Christmas event but maybe I'll poke back in there next year. I'm glad I took the time to check out Rift again, the game is lovely and has a good feel to it, I really enjoyed myself being back. Too bad it isn't F2P, I'd spend more time, and money, on this game. I just can't value paying for more than I have going now- I have too many games going on as it is.

Next up is Lineage II. I've been wanting to get my hands dirty, roll up my sleeves for some action and see what all has changed since I last played- 2007. Things really changed immensely. When I last played the game had a lonely feel to it, at least at the lower levels. I rarely saw other players and I remember feeling so lost. The game is now bursting at the seams with players all over. Players now start in a new starting area and there are quests galore to start you off and get you feeling more situated. I was really impressed, it was a huge difference from the game I played years ago. The game felt 150% better off just for this. Being free to play seems to have brought in more players and players whom stuck to private servers, I think the population is quite healthy.

This is a PvP game but it is one that has a lot of charm even to a carebear like myself. The graphics look great still, there's a lot to do higher up and the game really starts you off on a good foot. If you've been thinking of trying it, really it's worth a look, at least to see how things have changed. Plus, it is fully free to play, no more subscriptions only cash shop items- which really didn't seem like pay to win.


Onto the next contender for free fun. Two actually, Perfect World Entertainment's: Perfect World International and Ether Saga. I've not played Perfect World since.... Maybe 2006-7. It is much the same, still grindy, but hey I play EQ I don't mind a grind. There have been some neat additions like genies, little fairy pets that give boosts to stats and attack. The game has been kept up to date and updated with patches and content so it's really a good lasting F2P game, as with all PWE games. Some of the cash shops and game mechanics are harsher than others but I'd say PW has a decent balance. It's nice being back and I think I will be dabbling with it for awhile. I've already managed to drag one friend there! I started over as starting back at level 30 might just not give me a real feel for jumping into the game again, I might try a few different this time around.

Ether Saga is one of those games that is a bit more expensive for fluff items and has a steeper learning curve due to all of the things that are part of the game. But it is a rewarding game. I recently received an email about not logging in for awhile and it offered rewards. Which were very nice, I even gained about 18 levels on my main, some saved still for an alt. So that makes my highest character level 40. I did have a time trying to find wheere to quest but the nice thing, I always forget this too, is that the quest log has a button that also shows available quests to you and will auto-route you to them. I wanted to smack myself after fretting about where to quest after gaining so many free levels. Well, now I have it jotted down here for the next time I forget!

It is nice being back, the game is just so cute and lively. Always something to do, there are a few grindy levels but for the most part it is quest driven, which is nice for a F2P game. It does take some time getting back into the fray but I'd say it is a lot of fun still.

I've been lazy this week posting but I have so much to talk about yet! Another day though, I've been playing a lot of stuff, having fun bouncing around testing the waters. Sometimes I know friends miss me and I drive others nuts with all the bouncing but it's who I am, I'm always off to adventure. Maybe one day I'll settle down. Next up should be some thoughts on STO, when I've had more time to sit down to it and my latest alt in EQ, the monk! Have a great weekend!