Dreadfully sorry there's been a lack of posting both here and over at ITG. It's the holidays which means lots of family stuff happening. My condo is possibly about to sell on top of all the festivities. And thus my lady and I are off trying to find a new place as well. I'm also hunting for new jobs now that I've got he Masters degree in hand... that's not an easy task either. It's been a crazy hectic few weeks.
I'm still playing LotRO when I can, though not as much as I wish I could. I've stalled on Dragon Age too. Quality gaming time is just not on my list of things right now, and no sir... I don't like it. Just when one part of life settles down, another picks up. Still the condo selling is a good thing, and hopefully everything will go through there. That's the only thing tying me still to my old life and my ex, and I can't wait to be fully rid of both.
That's all I got for now. If you want more frequent Bill updates, just find me on Facebook as username JoBildo. Cheers, you lot.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
LotRO: The Road Goes Ever On
I bought the Mines of Moria expansion for $10 yesterday, and I started downloading the most recent client so I can maybe/possibly get into the game this weekend. I say maybe because I need $30 for a 3-month subscription so I can get Siege of Mirkwood for free. That's $10 a month, and I'm pretty sure I'd actually be playing it for that long in my spare time, but I need to make sure I have the $30 to toss toward it first. Stupid first half of each month always has that niggle mortgage payment to deal with, hence my hesitation.
But I'm really quite stoked to get back in, as you can see over at ITG! I've got a level 38 Champion to use, but I also really want to play a Warden. Apparently they've revamped the elf and human starting areas, so I'll probably start off with that before acclimating myself with my old Champion again. That's a feat I'm not sure I can accomplish really. It's been since August of 2007 that I last played the Champion. How long is too long to go back to a character? Will I have any clue what I'm doing? How much has the class changed, and how will I know where I need to go to quest? I guess I'll find out.
I hear the entire leveling curve from 1-40 has been decreased, much like what WoW did with 1-60, in order to help new players and alts catch up to the end-game content. So I'm sure even if I did have to or decide to play a new character it wouldn't be long before I was out of the early stuff and into the Lone-Lands and Evendim where I last remember playing.
I'll be posting a sort of re-review of the game over ITG! once I've had some decent time to get reacquainted with LotRO and all that's chaned in the two years I've been absent.
But I'm really quite stoked to get back in, as you can see over at ITG! I've got a level 38 Champion to use, but I also really want to play a Warden. Apparently they've revamped the elf and human starting areas, so I'll probably start off with that before acclimating myself with my old Champion again. That's a feat I'm not sure I can accomplish really. It's been since August of 2007 that I last played the Champion. How long is too long to go back to a character? Will I have any clue what I'm doing? How much has the class changed, and how will I know where I need to go to quest? I guess I'll find out.
I hear the entire leveling curve from 1-40 has been decreased, much like what WoW did with 1-60, in order to help new players and alts catch up to the end-game content. So I'm sure even if I did have to or decide to play a new character it wouldn't be long before I was out of the early stuff and into the Lone-Lands and Evendim where I last remember playing.
I'll be posting a sort of re-review of the game over ITG! once I've had some decent time to get reacquainted with LotRO and all that's chaned in the two years I've been absent.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Borderlands First Impressions
I managed to snag Borderlands for the PC over the weekend, and I have to say I'm just as impressed as I thought I would be. This hybrid of games is something I can't believe hasn't been done until now. Like Genda over at ITG! states, it's got a certain something that makes it just plain ol' fun.
The things I noticed at first that I didn't like were that even with the hardcore aiming in place (as opposed to dice rolls determining if you hit an enemy or not) the accuracy of certain guns means you can still miss an enemy who's just standing there even if you're trained right on his torso. But in my short time playing it, I got a much better gun and this little annoyance went away. Also, enemies have that weird "twitch" when you hit them with a bullet which doesn't give the best feedback for shooting someone in the stomach. It's not very believable, but then neither is hitting them with ten bullets before they fall down. It's a videogame with a cartoon art style... I shouldn't be so picky.
But the world seems huge, the quests varied, and the gameplay and RPG elements are going to make for a very addictive game. I'm gonna roll solo for now, but once I feel comfortable with the mechanics, look for me as JoBildo on Steam.
The things I noticed at first that I didn't like were that even with the hardcore aiming in place (as opposed to dice rolls determining if you hit an enemy or not) the accuracy of certain guns means you can still miss an enemy who's just standing there even if you're trained right on his torso. But in my short time playing it, I got a much better gun and this little annoyance went away. Also, enemies have that weird "twitch" when you hit them with a bullet which doesn't give the best feedback for shooting someone in the stomach. It's not very believable, but then neither is hitting them with ten bullets before they fall down. It's a videogame with a cartoon art style... I shouldn't be so picky.
But the world seems huge, the quests varied, and the gameplay and RPG elements are going to make for a very addictive game. I'm gonna roll solo for now, but once I feel comfortable with the mechanics, look for me as JoBildo on Steam.
Friday, October 30, 2009
New Tattoos and Other Thinguses (Thingi?)
Last night was a pretty good time. Get home, kiss fiancee, hug dogs... run out to Akron and get tattoo, end night by eating Lebanese food at Aladdin's Eatery. Of course now I have a funny circular bald-patch on my chest where the new tattoo is. I think I might have to become one of those shorn (or at least trimmed) chaps so that this tattoo can shine in all it's glory. I was going to do it on my shoulder, but as I'm not sure what I want the eventual sleeve on that arm to be, I decided on the chest instead. What is it? So glad you asked! It's a jack-o-lantern with Jack Skellington's face carved into it. I wish I'd had the forethought to take a picture of it, but I didn't get home until 10:30 and then had to run back out to the store to get lotion for the damn thing to help it heal.
Other than that, not much new to report. I've been playing the crap out of Torchlight whenever I have the chance, and I should be getting Borderlands this weekend and Dragon Age next week if I'm lucky. I'm also thinking about dipping toes back into LotRO soon. I've still got access to a lifetime account, and I'm curious to see how that game's doing on the eve of its second (albeit less in scope than the first) expansion.
I've got a Halloween party at my house this weekend (yours truly will be dressed as Buddy from Elf), so if you're in Medina, Ohio... look me up!
Cheers folks, and more later if something grabs me by the ghoulies.
Other than that, not much new to report. I've been playing the crap out of Torchlight whenever I have the chance, and I should be getting Borderlands this weekend and Dragon Age next week if I'm lucky. I'm also thinking about dipping toes back into LotRO soon. I've still got access to a lifetime account, and I'm curious to see how that game's doing on the eve of its second (albeit less in scope than the first) expansion.
I've got a Halloween party at my house this weekend (yours truly will be dressed as Buddy from Elf), so if you're in Medina, Ohio... look me up!
Cheers folks, and more later if something grabs me by the ghoulies.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
I'm Talking Games (Too!)
My fellow Casualties Br3ntbr0, Genda, and Oakstout are all over and posting up a fury on Br3nt's new site: I'm Talking Games! Out of the kindness of their hearts, or perhaps the madness of their psyche, they've invited me along to post there too. I'm pretty stoked about the new venture, and can't wait to start doing some more writing there.
TTH and I recently parted ways, so I've got a lot more free time to dabble in more things than just Champions Online now. I'm anxious to get back to blogging regularly, even if it takes me a little time to get back in the swing of things. I'll still be posting here when it's something sort of inane or rambling or personal, but for the most part I'll be doing editorial type work over at ITG, using this site and Facebook to cross-promote of course.
So here's to the new site, Br3nt! Glad to be a part of it!
TTH and I recently parted ways, so I've got a lot more free time to dabble in more things than just Champions Online now. I'm anxious to get back to blogging regularly, even if it takes me a little time to get back in the swing of things. I'll still be posting here when it's something sort of inane or rambling or personal, but for the most part I'll be doing editorial type work over at ITG, using this site and Facebook to cross-promote of course.
So here's to the new site, Br3nt! Glad to be a part of it!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Torchlight: Or Why I Haven't Posted Since Friday
Travis and Wonder of Runic Games made sure I had my review copy of Torchlight Saturday afternoon. My goal was to post impressions that day... until I got lost in the game... over the past 5 days.
The game brings back the same feeling of simple gaming goodness that Diablo 1 and 2 did back in the 90s. The game comes from the shared creative efforts of the team behind the ill-fated Mythos, which itself was comprised of the core members behind Diablo 1 and 2 and Fate. So it's plain to see why this group of developers decided to make their first game a clear-cut Roguelike or more appropriately (but not derogatory) Diablo-clone.
Needless to say, since I burned myself out on Diablo 2, I've been searching for that next hack-n-slash fix. I've played everything from Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, to X-Men and Marvel Ultimate Alliance on consoles to Sacred 1 and 2, Titan Quest, Fate, and so on and so forth on the PC in the past several years. Nothing really quite gave me the same feeling of "I must keep killing and collecting loot" that the Diablo series once did.
That is, until Torchlight.
I won't fully review it until I've had more time with all the classes, but really the review will likely end up being me just glowing about it and its extremely low pricepoint for the value you get ($20) for several paragraphs. Go get it. From the Torchlight site itself, from Steam, Direct2Drive, Gamers Gate, or any other site that might have it. I was given a press copy, sure... but I still bought it off Steam too because I want to see these guys get the success they deserve. Rising from the ashes of Flagship and Mythos to create what's probably the best action-RPG in ages in 11 months' time is no small feat.
They deserve your money.
More on the actual game and its awesomeness to come.
The game brings back the same feeling of simple gaming goodness that Diablo 1 and 2 did back in the 90s. The game comes from the shared creative efforts of the team behind the ill-fated Mythos, which itself was comprised of the core members behind Diablo 1 and 2 and Fate. So it's plain to see why this group of developers decided to make their first game a clear-cut Roguelike or more appropriately (but not derogatory) Diablo-clone.
Needless to say, since I burned myself out on Diablo 2, I've been searching for that next hack-n-slash fix. I've played everything from Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, to X-Men and Marvel Ultimate Alliance on consoles to Sacred 1 and 2, Titan Quest, Fate, and so on and so forth on the PC in the past several years. Nothing really quite gave me the same feeling of "I must keep killing and collecting loot" that the Diablo series once did.
That is, until Torchlight.
I won't fully review it until I've had more time with all the classes, but really the review will likely end up being me just glowing about it and its extremely low pricepoint for the value you get ($20) for several paragraphs. Go get it. From the Torchlight site itself, from Steam, Direct2Drive, Gamers Gate, or any other site that might have it. I was given a press copy, sure... but I still bought it off Steam too because I want to see these guys get the success they deserve. Rising from the ashes of Flagship and Mythos to create what's probably the best action-RPG in ages in 11 months' time is no small feat.
They deserve your money.
More on the actual game and its awesomeness to come.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Torchlight Cometh... this weekend?
I've got my pre-order ready to go on Steam, and the download should be starting on Tuesday as soon as possible. But the wonderful (ha!) Wonder Russell tells me that review copies should/could/hopefully will be going out today. They're cramming as much polish as possible, and not the sausage, into the code before they ship it off to the press.
I'm hoping to write a review for TTH (unless one of my cohorts beats me to the punch), and most assuredly will be writing in-depth impressions and a review here as well. So if you're following me since my return, do keep an eye out here over the weekend.
EDIT: I think dearest Wonder forgot all about me. No Torchlight this weekend, but review/impressions etc. coming ASAP once the game launches.
EDIT 2: Travis Baldree to the rescue! I should have a review copy of Torchlight downloading in no time flat, and then I'll start in on the main campaign this evening. I really heart these folks at Runic.
I'm hoping to write a review for TTH (unless one of my cohorts beats me to the punch), and most assuredly will be writing in-depth impressions and a review here as well. So if you're following me since my return, do keep an eye out here over the weekend.
EDIT: I think dearest Wonder forgot all about me. No Torchlight this weekend, but review/impressions etc. coming ASAP once the game launches.
EDIT 2: Travis Baldree to the rescue! I should have a review copy of Torchlight downloading in no time flat, and then I'll start in on the main campaign this evening. I really heart these folks at Runic.
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