New Games Woo, Old Games Poo... or something

Random thought of the day: When I pass someone on the street, I sometimes think to myself, "Yeah, I could totally take him in a fight." I bet all men do this. Well, until they reach that age where they think, "I bet I could totally tell this guy about my day, because I'm bored, lonely and all my friends are dead." Seriously, it's impossible to go outside in this country without being approached by elderly people, who proceed to tell you about their lives. Complete strangers. And I usually listen, because one day I'll be old and alone and I'll want someone to listen to me, as well. Eh, I'll probably just post another blog instead.

Here's something fun: I had been approached by various publishers, who all asked me to help them out with guides and special magazine issues about TESO when it came close to release. Wildstar? Nobody gave a fuck about Wildstar. Just another WoW-lookalike, it's not gonna last, that sort of thing. Heh.

Because TESO is faring so much better right now.

Does anyone still give a shit about TESO today? Did this game receive ANY new content since launch, which anybody gives a fuck about? And I'm not talking about Craglorn, max-level content so punishingly difficult that only the best five or so percent of players even stand a chance to experience it. Now what do they do? They're announcing housing and a "justice system" like it's the greatest thing since the invention of tits. Owning a fucking house. Murdering and stealing from certain NPCs with the risk of getting caught. Look, those are fun features alright. They've been part of TES since its earliest days, but that's exactly why this shit should have been there since fucking LAUNCH!

There's not even a release date for that stuff. What's worse, it isn't CONTENT. Great, so I can steal from a guy if I want. Or sit in my house. Then what? What else am I supposed to do when I'm done with the story? Anything? They did mention the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild, but again, no details, no release date, no nothing. But ask monthly fees. For "quality content". Meanwhile, Wildstar has regular content updates planned for the next half year or so.

I'm probably missing out on a great game, but it looks too stupid to me.

Does that mean Wildstar is gonna be hugely successful, the next big thing, the next MMO to actually keep some of their fan-base after the first month? Don't ask me, I don't even play that shit. But I see lots and lots of users asking for special magazine issues about that game, guides, features, ANYTHING. They're willing to throw money at us for covering Wildstar - meanwhile, everyone is burned out over TESO. Sweet irony.

And while everyone is looking for the next big thing, rushing from one new MMO to the next like the proveribal content-locusts, I'm still playing a ten year old, largely irrelevant game, which you probably shouldn't give a shit about.

Like most decade-old games, it looks tolerable at best.

I'm having lots of fun on Everquest 2, because it actually has some fucking RPG in it, where more modern titles all just focus on the MMO bit. Characters on there don't just get the possibility to own a house - they have a fucking address. There are so many different big and small inn rooms, homes, estates and entire guild halls to choose from, furniture, house-pets, working mirrors and fireplaces, I don't even fucking like housing and I've set up one of the nicest and coziest homes in all of Qeynos!

The 20something classes are all different and unique. You can be a tanky berserker and fight baddies with AOE attacks and hilariously overpowered comeback abilities when you're about to die. Or tank them as a shadowknight, drain the life force of your enemies and fuck shit up with ancient, evil curses. Or be a paladin, tank shit with holy power, heal yourself and revive your fallen comrades. Or do it the classical way, sword & board style as the guadrian.

That kind of variety exists for all archetypes (fighter, scout, mage, priest). Some priesty types get to run around in full plate and swing a warhammer, other are leathery like shamans and druids and shapeshift into animals and shit. Some scouts assassinate baddies and use stealth and poison, others are more in your face, because they're swashbucklers. And others tame wild beasts to do the killing for them.

Add to that the whole title, biography, voice, surname thing, a large selection of mercenaries to join you on your adventures and even the possibility to worship a deity of your choice and you have a pretty detailed role-playing experience. There's a whole bunch of gods in the game and you can set up a shrine, get some blessings, summonable pets and other goodies from your god if you finish their quests and flesh out your character's background some more. Now try and get a pet by praying in real life. Doesn't work. You have to buy them. Or do it like me and rescue one:

Introducing Grey Worm.

He's grey, he's tiny and yeah, GoT name. But cmon. Kinda fitting. At least I didn't name him exploded head guy or something. He's Nomnom's new tank mate, because there wasn't enough space at the shop and nobody wanted to buy him. ♥

And that's that. Back to work I go!

-Cat