Tag: noob

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!

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A House of Cards

Posted on by Gazimoff

If you’ve played World of Warcraft for any reasonable length of time you’ll have seen people riding around on giant chickens or single seater rockets. You may even have seen someone mounted on a translucent tiger, proudly showing off in the middle of Stormwind or Orgrimaar.

Ask where any of these come from and the same enigmatic response comes back. “TCG Loot”.

Like many people I dabbled in picking up a few of the Warcraft Trading Card Game packs when they first came out in a search for rare and exclusive items. Alas, my search yielded only the simplest of items. A limitless supply of paper gyrocopters and a small barbecue grill were pretty much my only rewards, apart from the huge stack of cards I was left with.

The funny thing was, I never actually played the game. I just packed away the cards, promising I’d get around to doing something with them at some stage.

That time finally came around. I was invited to a “taster session” at Rules of Play in Cardiff, where I’d get the chance to learn how to play the game part of the TCG. I’d finally find out what the non-loot cards were actually used for.

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Designing My Own MMO

Posted on by Gazimoff

A while back I was challenged on Twitter to design my own MMO. I can’t remember exactly who threw down that gauntlet, but I have a feeling it was Razorbug. In the weeks that have passed I’ve been kicking the tires on this idea, thinking of how I could make a game unique enough to sound interesting yet familiar enough for players to be comfortable with it.

I wanted to share this idea with you partly to see if an “armchair designer” like me can come up with something that you might find interesting. I also want to pass the challenge on – to see what you would choose if you had a development team waiting for your MMO ideas. It’s a great exercise and it challenged me to think in a different way to my normal consumer-critic mindset. If you’re up for the challenge then give it a go!

So without further ado, let me share what’s been in my head these past few weeks…

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Starting the Engine

Posted on by Gazimoff

I finally managed to get the Mekgineer’s Chopper made on Curio. I’m really pleased with it – he finally has the mount that suits him. It’s taken a while, but it’s definitely worth it. So to celebrate, I’ve been doing laps round Ironforge, laps round Dalaran, even laps round Mirage Raceway.

Thing is, doing laps round anything gets a bit mundane. I needed something more extreme. Something more dangerous. Something… with Dinosaurs. Like some grotesque hybrid of Mad Max and Jurrasic Park, I went to Un’Goro.

To make it even more interesting, I brought along a friend of mine called Theo. She’s been roleplaying a gnome locked at level 1 in anticipation of Gnome priests becoming available in Cataclysm. She was interested in getting the Noblegarden achievement Hard Boiled, so I figure it’s an ideal time. Besides, with a level 1 character in a jungle full of raptors what could possibly go wrong…

First, it was the raptors that spotted us…

Then the dimetetrons and these fiery elementals start trying to gang up on us. They think that they can corner us, but I manage to slip around them with inches to spare.

We finally made it to the hot springs and pick up the achievements. The area seems quiet. Almost a little too quiet…

With moments to spare, we realise why the area’s devoid of life –  there’s a devilsaur roaming around! There’s nothing I can do but drive!

Luckily we made it back to the flight point unscathed, with only a few minor scratches on the bike. Theo seemed to enjoy the trip too, although I’m not sure she’ll be heading back there in a hurry.

A Moment to Review

Posted on by Gazimoff

It’s been an interesting first month blogging about Warcraft. In that time I’ve covered the patch changes, UI design and addon choices, quirky graphs and diagrams, and roleplay choices and ideas. I’ve also rambled on about my in-game experiences and achievements, and how those experiences have shaped my opinions. I’m still a noob though when it comes to this, so I thought it was time I turned to you for advice.

I’ve learned a lot about blogging and how being passionate about something doesn’t always translate into something that’s entertaining to read. I’ve tried a range of content to work out what people like to read, and it’s fun to find out what’s popular. Having said that, it’s been a bit of a scattergun approach – I tend to write about whatever comes into my head rather than staying focused in particular areas. The only thing that I’ve been focused on is the series on UI development (which is still ongoing).

Seeing as how it’s been a month since I started, I thought it would be an ideal time to ask for general feedback from you! What do you make of the story so far and what would you like to see more of? What doesn’t work so well for you, or would you like to read less? What would you like to become a regular item on the blog?  Is there anything you’d like to see me tackle, or any question you’d like me to answer?

  • More mage related stuff? Maybe more caster stuff in general?
  • More roleplay, maybe even some stories or IC posts?
  • More UI or addon discussions?
  • More charts/graphs?
  • More general experiences/opinion?
  • Anything else?

I’d like this to be a conversation, so I’ll try and discuss any comments I get. If you prefer to contact me directly, you can always send an email to me@gazimoff.com. I read every email I get and respond to nearly all of them. I’ll be taking all feedback I get seriously, so that while it’ll still be fun for me to write it’ll also be more interesting for you to read. It’ll also mean that I can plan articles ahead so that they appear more regularly.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Cheers!

The Melee Misfit

Posted on by Gazimoff

As I’ve probably mentioned before, I’ve been trying out a new guild on a new server. Single Abstract Noun is on the Argent Dawn servers in both Europe and US. It’s a guild for warcraft bloggers, the people who read them and anyone else involved in the community. It’s got a great feel, and provides a welcome alternative to running raids or heroics. The European branch is also on a roleplay server, making for entertaining results when PvE or PvP server players encounter roleplay for the first time.

I’d originally intended to roll (yet another) mage. I got a blood elf to level 10, but left it there as I’ve also got other mage projects that I’m working on. I was beginning to feel that I needed something different if I was going to make it challenging enough to be worthwhile.

So I rolled a Deathknight called Juplaar.

But there’s a problem. Melee classes and I don’t get on. I have tried – I have a rogue in the mid 50s and a warrior languishing in Hellfire Peninsula. By far my best attempt is my Protection/Retribution specced Paladin, who’s currently in the mid 70s. I’ve even tried feral druids without success. It’s worth pointing out that these characters only got as high as they did due to Refer-A-Friend boosts.

So far, it’s been a somewhat confusing experience. I’ve had real difficulty in choosing a simple talent spec or even working out which buttons to press – I just tend to mash things randomly and mobs fall over. I guess it’s like anything else – I’ll need to do some research, maybe find a “Deathknights for the Complete Idiot”.

Maybe I’m just being too picky – I want to understand how a class works, what mechanics constrain it and where the opportunities are. I don’t want to be handed a talent spec and a rotation and be told that they’re the best, because it doesn’t tell me why. It also means that I don’t get the picture of how itemisation fits in, how stats complement talent choices and how patches and changes will affect the class.

I’m going to keep with it, as I want to prove to myself that I can actually do this. I’m just expecting a bumpy ride along the way. Luckily the guild is fantastic in providing help and support.

Let’s see if I can get away from being a melee misfit.