Month: March 2012

Guild Wars 2, Keybindings & Razer Naga

Posted on by Gazimoff

Confession time: I’m pretty excited about Guild Wars 2. After being able to get in to both press beta weekends, I’ve been impressed by the amount of detail already in the game. All the major game systems are present and correct, letting me get a real feel for what’s involved. You can find some of my more general thoughts on the game over at ZAM.

As part of the process of adapting from more stationary MMOs like World of Warcraft and SWTOR to ones that are more movement focused like TERA and Guild Wars 2, I’ve been reassessing how to make the most of my MMO-designed Logitech G15 and Razer Naga Molten. It’s not as straightforward as you’d think. Guild Wars 2 only has a single action bar with 10 abilities, which in theory would make the Razer Naga pretty much redundant. Add modifiers like weapon switching and profession abilities into the mix, and combine them with trying to limit moving your left hand so you can stay mobile, and you can see why a different approach is needed.

It’s why I spent the last four weeks playing movement based games like Team Fortress 2 in order to get used to moving again. I used to play a lot of Counter Strike and Quake 3 Arena back in the day, but raiding as a Mage in World of Warcraft has made my reflexes and spacial awareness soft and flabby. There’s only so many ways you can stand at the back pressing One, One, One, Two and occasionally moving out of bad stuff.

Continue reading “Guild Wars 2, Keybindings & Razer Naga”

Likes, Dislikes and Opinions

Posted on by Gazimoff

Videogaming is experiencing something of a golden age at the moment. We have largely mainstream acceptance for our hobby, while the creative medium outstrips any other in most metrics. We’re also very fortunate to have open communication with those that create our games, from social mediums such as Twitter through to forums and even large-scale events.

The problem is, we’re crap at providing feedback. Sure, we’ve mastered the art of shouting “This is crap” or “This is good” as loud as possible by as many people as possible. But let’s be honest, humans mastered the art of shouting loudly thousands of years ago. We’ve kind of moved beyond the idea of yelling “Fire!” or “Look, Mammoth!”. We’re dealing with PCs and consoles now, not rocks and spears. Last I heard, your iRock didn’t hook you up with Reddit.

So what gives? In this age of free and frank exchange of ideas, how can we improve the chances of getting the kind of games we want to play? And just as importantly, how can we ensure that when developers and publishers get it wrong that we don’t bludgeon them into silence with noisesome complaints? We want to be heard, but we also want them to take risks and come up with fresh ideas, right?

Right?

Continue reading “Likes, Dislikes and Opinions”

Guild Wars 2: Spellcasters Quick Guide

Posted on by Gazimoff

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll probably notice that I have an ongoing love-affair with spellcasters in MMOs. Call it a mage, wizard or sorcerer – if it hurls magic then I’ll probably be playing it. Perhaps it’s because I identify with the thought of an intellectual magus studying to become proficient in arcane lore. Maybe I just have a primal desire to launch balls of fire from my hands. Who knows.

Earlier this week, ArenaNet announced that Pre-purchases of Guild Wars 2 will start on April 10th. As an added bonus everyone taking part also gets access to beta weekends. If you’re thinking of going for this MMO then I’d seriously suggest going for this deal, if only to get used to just how different this game is for spellcaster types.

As a result, I’ve gone through my notes from the closed beta back in February and pulled together this quick guide on spellcasters in Guild Wars 2, focusing on how they work, what the common features are and what sets them apart. I’ve also tried to explain how each profession feels in order to give you an idea of the playstyle. I’ve been a bit brief in some of my explanations, so if you have questions please let me know in the comments!

Continue reading “Guild Wars 2: Spellcasters Quick Guide”

Ending The Saga: Mass Effect 3’s Mistake

Posted on by Gazimoff

In case you’ve missed it, last week saw the release of Mass Effect 3. The launch saw most of the internet fall quiet as fans rapidly devoured a game almost universally praised by critics. But as players across the globe slowly emerged from an intense period of gaming, the first notes of discord started to emerge.

What started as a few quiet murmurs rapidly snowballed into an online campaign: fans were not satisfied with the game ending and started to demand that BioWare change it. Seasoned video games journalists called the movement “idiotic” and “angry”. Harsh words indeed.

But is this response from the video gaming press justified, or do the fans have a point? Have BioWare produced an ending suitable for the game, or should they go back to the drawing board? More fundamentally, can a studio enduring a difficult relationship with its fans still have a meaningful dialogue?

I’ll try to answer all these questions and more, but be warned: Here Be Spoilers.

Continue reading “Ending The Saga: Mass Effect 3’s Mistake”

Is this GAME Over?

Posted on by Gazimoff

Nearly two years ago I wrote an article about GAME group, the leading video game retailer in the UK. The firm had just announced that profits had slumped by a third, swiftly followed by the departure of the CEO and COO. Facing pressure from all angles, GAME needed to work quickly to turn the business around.

In the intervening two years little has changed. A plan to put the business back on track failed to make significant changes, with at most 60 stores being closed. Suppliers are deserting the business out of fear that they’re not going to be repaid, while a rent bill due later in March may bring things to a final conclusion. For many, the failure to stock big releases such as Mass Effect 3 signal the end of the chain.

So where did it all go wrong. Are GAME’s ongoing issues symptomatic of wider high street woes and a depressed economy, or is the company itself largely to blame? Will there be a future on the high street for all our entertainment, or will this hasten the shift to online-only sales?

Continue reading “Is this GAME Over?”

Sub-Humans and the Shallow End of Gaming

Posted on by Gazimoff

I know that a couple of other bloggers have mentioned this, but I think its important that as many people as possible read about this shocking tale.

Apple Cider Mage is a blogger that I’ve followed on numerous occasions. I’ve had a laugh talking with her on the Obscurecast podcast a few years ago, and as a fellow Mage blogger I’ve enjoyed reading her insight into the class. She writes with strength, conviction and passion and is an absolute joy to read.

She’s also been subjected to an ongoing campaign of harassment from a single person. For years, Apple Cider Mage has been the victim of abuse so bad that she’s been forced to take out a restraining order. Her tale of trying to fight against one man is frankly staggering and I seriously encourage you to read it. She’s shown tremendous strength and courage by continuing to blog in the face of it all, as well as posting about her ordeal. If you do a single thing today I’d ask that you read her tale and give her your support.

Standing beside someone who is being harassed like Apple Cider Mage is not an easy thing, but I implore you to do it in support of stamping out this kind of abusive behaviour. I’ve been on the receiving end of his crude tongue myself for daring to stand up for her, and you might make yourself a target for his particular brand of hatred too. But it needs to be done.

The guy tormenting Apple Cider Mage is a sick individual that needs professional help to protect himself from the ramifications of his actions. He simply cannot be allowed to continue spewing his hatred, not against her and not against anyone else. Society needs protecting from his abhorrent compulsion, not just the online gaming community.

The incredible thing about this is that Apple Cider Mage hasn’t given up: instead she’s put together a guide on how to deal with in-game harassment, including how to approach GMs and what kind of information to record. It’s something that every gamer should read just in case it starts happening to you.

Putting yourself on the internet shouldn’t make you a target for harassment. Apple Cider Mage must be allowed to carry out her online life without having to live in fear and intimidation. Show her your support.

My Annual Pass Regret

Posted on by Gazimoff

Warcraft Annual Pass Banner

Back in October last year I made a bold move and signed up to the Warcraft Annual Pass. I figured to myself that it’d be a great deal – I’d still be playing Warcraft, I’d get a free copy of Diablo III and I’d get access to the Mists of Pandaria Beta without having to strike it lucky or jump through hoops. All I had to do was keep paying what I was paying and keep my subscription alive for a year.

After a single quarter-year, I’m really regretting making that decision.

It’s partly a time thing – I don’t have the time to log into Warcraft nearly as often as I’d like. But there’s another aspect to why I feel I’m done with the current expansion pack. My opportunity to pick up the Mage Legendary Staff was cut short with the release of the Dragon Soul raid, with the resultant consequence that my desire to raid was deflated like a misfiring zeppelin. The next tier was little better for me, with Deathwing And Friends lasting all of two weeks until I’d managed to pug my way to LFR victory.

Continue reading “My Annual Pass Regret”

And Now We Are Two

Posted on by Gazimoff

Another year, another anniversary! It’s now been two years since I started Mana Obscura, intending to share my views on mages in World of Warcraft. Since then it’s been an adventure through several different MMOs, from Lord of the Rings Online through to the upcoming Guild Wars 2. There’s never been a dull moment!

It’s been all change here as well. I’ve since handed the Obscurecast podcast over to the very able Razerbug and Damarai. They’ve since been joined by Sil, with the trio doing an excellent job with the show! My old co-host Pewter has also been busy starting up her new blog under the great title Decoding Dragons.

Then there’s the third piece of news: I’ve recently joined ZAM.com as a staff writer! I’ll be covering new and upcoming MMOs, as well as providing the odd piece of comment and opinion. It’s an interesting role as I’m now writing for an editor, agreeing assignments and having my articles copyedited before they’re published, but I’m learning a huge amount about writing as well.

I’m not going to be sitting back though – the MMO landscape is constantly changing and there’s always going to be something new to write about. There are new games and new designs constantly being revealed, providing a continual feast of material to dissect and chew on. Any hopes of me going quiet are sadly dashed.

I’m honestly grateful to you all for joining me through it thus far, and I really hope that you’ll stick with me for another few years yet. There’s a long way to go on this MMO adventure and I’m only just getting started.

All my thanks,

Gaz