Category: For the Geeks

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For the Geeks

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – The First Eight Hours

“My name is Cara.  I was dead and am resurrected at the Well of Souls.  I am reborn with no destiny, thanks to the gnomes.  I am the fateless one.  And I choose my destiny.  I cannot remember my past, nor do I know what my future will bring.  Where is the Well of Souls?  Destroyed, perhaps.  I could be the last mortal in Amalur who has cheated death.  You may say all things happen for a reason.  Why does this happen to me?  I honestly do not know.”

Finally, Kingdoms of Amalar (KoA) is out.  I have started playing the minute the game is live and have clocked in eight hours of play time so far.  I reckon the first eight hours into a game gives us a good feel as in whether or not we shall continue investing our time into playing it.  Hence, I am starting a new First Eight Hours series in my website.  If time permits, I shall write a first forty hours follow-up and post it here.

I doubt KoA would satisfy all the role playing gamers out there.  Even Skyrim – recently awarded Game of the Year by AIAS – may have drawn a fair share of criticism that may or may not work for some.  Below are my observations.  Does KoA work for you?  Only you can decide.

Engaging Combat System

My take after playing the demo is still valid.  I have not seen a combat system quite like KoA in any role playing game.  Using a gamepad for the PC platform is highly recommended.  Because of the flexible character development, you can possibly find a balance that suits your play style.  Special moves can be unlocked.  With the dodging and blocking, charging and slashing, very soon, you may find that you are playing an arcade game.  Yes, all combats happen in real time.  There is no pausing and re-positioning.  You roll, you hack, you slash, and you loot.

Open World, Vast but not that Vast

Some say KoA is an open world.  Some say it is merely zones connected by narrow tunnels.  However you see it, KoA does require a fair bit of walking and exploration.  If you feel that walking is too inefficient, you could sprint.  If you feel that sprinting is not good enough, you could open up the world map and perform a fast travel.

The zones are not that vast.  You do not need to comb through a huge area to look for that something.  It is less likely that you will get lost.  It does not feel too empty like some other open world role playing games I have played.  There are always packs of enemies lurking somewhere, guarding some treasure chests.  Some enemies may spawn from nowhere and charge onto you.  There are herbs to collect, and other mini-games to play such as lock picking and dispel.  Enemies seem to respawn at a regular interval.   So there is no shortage of loots and gold, experience points and action.

“Ah, the great outdoor!”

Artwork has a Cartonish Feel

Some despise gaming environment that is too cartoonish, say it is too dated.  Some dig it.  I happen to love how the fantasy world is painted in KoA, as I am a big fan of World of Warcraft.  Since I have only played the game for eight hours, there are two towns I have seen.  One is colorful and shiny like the picture above.  The other is gloomy and dark, full of spider webs.  I can understand why some may prefer artwork to have more realism.  While I am on the topic of graphics, the retail version has a much higher quality than the demo version.

A Game for the Casuals?

Should games be hard?  As hard as, say, Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls?  Some enjoy dying a million times before seeing the ending.  A true test of skill and concentration.  Some prefer playing a game to relax.  The normal mode of KoA is accessible.  My character has yet to die once.  There were some hair rising moments, including a curse that indefinitely zapped my mana and rendered my character incapable of casting any spell until she visited a healer.  But with a bit of dodging and a bit of potion drinking, my character seems to do fine.  Some gamers find the normal mode too easy.  And they find the hard mode too easy too.  If you are one of those, there are always ways to make such a game very challenging.  Inspiration can be drawn from here.

Questing and Questing, Wait, Where is the Main Story?

Coming from the background of a massively multiplayer online game, I find the questing structure of KoA perfectly acceptable.  Each town is a questing hub.  You get to talk to the town folks, learn the town history from different perspectives.  Some may need help from you.  You may ignore and continue pursuing your main quest.  Or you should spend time doing some side quests.  Of the eight hours I have poured in, ignoring the beginning bit that is more like a tutorial, the time I get to experience the main story is very minimal.  There seems to be so much to do.  It take a quality assurance game tester 200 hours to test out all the quests on easy mode, skipping all the dialogues.  It would probably take more than 300 hours to complete everything, if I so choose to.

I have not completed many quests so far, just a handful because it does take time even to tackle one.  Some do have memorable stories provided that you have the patience to listen through the scripts.  I do.  Because I want to know what I am doing, why I am doing things.  For those who prefer to skip through the audio dialogue, these quests would likely be reduced to the common tpes of kill and collect, collect and kill, FedEx, and escort.

Also, because this game encourages open questing, the main story may not seem as tight as those that are scripted linearly.  Pros and cons, for either approach.  I enjoy both extreme.

“OK then, let’s talk.”

PC Version or Console?

I don’t really have a choice.  Because KoA and FF13-2 are released in the same time period, I play FF13-2 on PS3 when Cynthia is not watching TV and I play KoA on PC when she is.  PC provides a higher resolution but requires you to be seated quite near to the monitor, unlike playing console games on a large flat panel TV.  I play KoA through Origin and my progress is saved onto the cloud online.  You can also take screenshot on a PC.  For trophy lovers, you can more easily brag about your achievements on a console platform, or if you play via Steam.  On PC, the switch between keyboard + mouse and gamepad is seamless.  I don’t think playing KoA using only keyboard + mouse is a wise decision.

I am inclined to say that for some, the console version may be slightly better.  Field of View and Level of Detail – both are hot topics on the forum, a concern for the PC gamers.  KoA may be more tuned to console gaming, from the graphics point of view.  Playing KoA on a PC may cause motion sickness.  I would strongly advised you to play as far from the screen as you can.  And yes, a gamepad would help.  KoA is not a first-person-shooter.  You don’t need to spin your view that fast.

Fancy a Re-spec?

I have not tried the re-spec function yet.  But I read that it is possible to reset all your point allocation and potentially play the game in a completely different way.  If stealth is not your cup of tea, no problem, try out a magic caster, or a strong melee.  If you don’t like your skill specialization, reset it!  If you don’t like a hybrid class and want to try out a pure class, pay some gold and get it done!

For my first play through, I have picked a three-way hybrid class.  She is certainly not the most powerful being in Amalur.  What to wear has always been a struggle (armors are itemized to the pure classes).  But I enjoy a bit of flexibility.  Because I cannot decide.

Did I Mention Player’s Housing?

Without giving away too much spoiler, yes, you can have a house of your own.  You can even pay someone to upgrade your home by stages.  There is a stash that store your hard earned loots.  A mirror that allows you to change your appearance.  Your home is going to be very functional too.  You will see.

“Welcome to my home in Amalur!  There is a bedroom upstairs and a basement below too.”

Categories
For the Geeks

Final Fantasy XIII-2: The First Eight Hours

In the opening scene of Final Fantasy XIII-2, when protagonist of the previous episode Lightning rode in her new divine outfit carrying a silver shiny shield, I was in tears.  I could not breath and my emotion ran high.  This is the pinnacle of video gaming when audience are fully immersed into the story, or rather, a series of stories.  International fans have played through part one.  We were moved and we want more.  For a moment, perhaps a brief moment, we could forgive and forget how the game developer Square Enix destroys the franchise by releasing the disastrous Final Fantasy XIV Online.  So, time for a rewind.  We move forward from episode thirteen to episode fourteen and now back to thirteen part two.

I sincerely hope that the genre Japanese Role Playing Game remains as it is.  Trying to please the West too much may lose this genre’s unique flavor – beautiful animation, deep dialogues, and wild imagination in all possible dimensions.  Not to say that I do not enjoy Western RPG.  I do.  But the two should have distinct flavors.

In some ways though, the inevitable influence is there.  This new installment has been improved upon based on international fans’ feedback.  The story is less linear.  Many cut scenes you could choose not to trigger if you prefer action to sit back and enjoy a good anime clip.  Even the cinematic clips now demand your full attention.  Some of these moments play like action games such as God of War III.  The English version of Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3) is a new game released last week and I have spent eight hours so far with it.  Two chapters I have completed.  Barely scratching the surface, for sure.  If you have played or heard of the previous installment and wish to know what improvements or changes have been made, look no further.  Here is a breakdown for you.  I will write another post once I arrive at the next milestone.

Does Time Travel Make the Game Less Linear?

What a coincident that the two games – FF13-2 and WoW – use the same concept of time traveling in roughly the same development period.  Both looks upon end time on how the future may have been and both stories send ripples to the worlds by allowing the heroes to change the events in the past.  In FF13-2, Lightning the new Goddess of Warrior reined over a mystery world called Valhalla, which seems to be constantly under siege by evil forces.  Noel, the last of the humanity, goes through the time portal hoping to change the past, meets Lightning.  Lightning sends him back to the past to find her sister Serah.  In Serah‘s reality, Lightning has disappeared after the fall of Cocoon.  In the previous episode, it was Lightning who searches for her sister.  In this episode, it is the other way round

In FF13, we pretty much follow a linear story that is filled with lengthy cut scenes.  In between the thirteen chapters, there is an open world called Gran Pulse for us to quest and grind.  In FF13-2, each chapter is separated in time and place.  There is a main story that we can go back and forth.  And there are branches to other side stories too.  It may appear that there are choices to be made.  We get to decide how the story is consumed.

Another point to note is that unlike FF13, FF13-2’s map has more options for exploration.  You could of course head from one story trigger to another.  Or you could spend some time to explore and be rewarded with extra items and more side quests.

Where are the Quests?

It seems to me that in FF13-2, we are encouraged to talk to people who are wandering around the area.  It gives you a good sense of where the story is heading.  More importantly, some are quest givers who you would not have known had you not talked to them.  This is old school.  We are so used to newer role playing games that feed us with the question marks on top of the quest givers.  In a strange way, I enjoy this aspect of exploration.

Where are the Monsters?

Vanished.  You hear right.  Unlike FF13 and other role playing games, the monsters in FF13-2 are invisible.  They ambush you instead.  As you walk, all of a sudden, the monsters may appear.  You then have a few second to turn around, move to the monsters, and attempt to hit them before they sense you.  That is the new Preemptive Strike mechanism.  If you remember FF13, this mechanic requires you to go behind a moving monster, which can be a bit frustrating.  I quite like this new mechanism in FF13-2.  Also, it seems more interesting not to see a world populated with groups of monsters that pace around a fix location.

Thank God there are breadcrumbs on the mini map.  I would have been disoriented by the change in direction, all the time.

Where are the Other Members?

Gone.  That’s correct.  Gone are the days when we get to pick which main characters we wish to bring along for a party of three.  In FF13-2, we have Serah.  And we have Noel.  In FF13, from the role playing perspective, if we do not like certain characters, no problem.  We can swap them out.  Not so for this new episode.  We better love Serah and Noel because we are stuck with these two.

I do not think Serah has the well loved character of Lightning.  She does not have the ever so positive personality of Vanille either. As for Noel, he is not as demanding as Hope (phew).  But he does not have the strong personality as Serah‘s now disappeared boyfriend Snow.  Maybe it is still early in the game.  I am hoping to see more from the duo.

Now, to compensate for the lack of playable main characters, we can tame monsters.  Almost every monster out there can be tamed and can join the party.  Each monster is preassigned with one role.  They can be leveled up with raw materials, very much like how weapons in FF13 can be upgraded.  The whole monster management business is in fact pretty complex.  You will need a good guidebook to take you through.  I happen to use one (see the advertisement below).

What the Mog?

Mog is a stuffed toy that flies.  A creature sent by Lightning to Serah through Noel.  And Mog is now Serah‘s companion.  Its job (so far) is to hunt for near invisible items.  Yes, keep your eyes wide opened when playing FF13-2 and look out for those near invisible objects.

How cute is the Mog?  Check out the trailer below.

Action Cinematic and Dialogue Choices

Cinematic clips now require us to pay attention on the screen and press a combination of control buttons.  Very much like Heavy Rain.  Failing to execute the combo will lose extra rewards.  However, you will be rewarded with an alternative clip.  The end result is the same (I think).

This same action feature also becomes a must during battle, when your party’s controlled monster charges up a full bar of Feral Link.

Some dialogues now have four options.  I am unsure if it matters which option I pick.  It plays a different clip though.  Long time ago, I debated on why a linear game may not be bad because we get to see all the contents in one run.  Now, we may need to play it multiple times to see the different dialogue clips.  If you are a completionist, that is.

Paradigms, Roles, and Crystarium

The concept of paradigms and roles do not change much, although FF13-2 seems to reward us for shifting paradigms often during battle (ATB fully charged every other turn when shifted to another paradigm).  Crystarium has undergone a revamp.  Instead of the three dimensional “talent tree” that gives you options of which non-mandatory point to pick, FF13-2 flattens the entire Crystarium into one linear scale.  We now pick which role we level.  Crystarium expands once we reach a certain cumulative level and allows us to pick a bonus (such as ATB+1 or a new role).  It does not affect me too much.  Perhaps simplification is good, much like what WoW is going to do with the talent tree in Mists of Pandaria.

Optimization of Serah and Noel‘s Crystarium is not easy.  I use a guidebook that comes with tables and charts.  I do not think I have time to play a second run in near future.  So I prefer to do it right on first try.

Do We Need to Grind?

I don’t mind grinding.  But I know some do.  If you don’t read the guidebook and play the game as you like, you would probably grind less.  I follow the guidebook’s recommendation to tame certain monsters.  And taming takes time because not every battle yields a crystal.  I ended up going back and forth trying to encounter a particular type of monster and hope to tame one.

This takes time.  But I am not complaining (yet) because I am rewarded with in-game currency and raw materials that can be used to level up the tamed monster.

A Guidebook, Recommended?

I bought the official FF13 guidebook after I have finished the game.  I wish I had one during my initial play through.  This time, I invested on the official FF13-2 guidebook upfront.  I have the Collector’s Edition.  It is beautifully bound and contains tons of useful information presented in eye pleasing colored format.  To get the best out of the game, I would strongly recommend you to get the official guidebook.

Strongly recommended.

Too Long Didn’t Read

Are you a fan?  If you are, buy FF13-2 and play.  You won’t regret it.  The changes are mostly good.  It still plays like the game you have adored a year ago.  Be ready to commit time if you wish to see every aspect of it.

Categories
For the Geeks

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – A Demo Play

Update Feb 7, 2012: I have pre-ordered the game and have started playing since last evening at eleven.  The graphics display is so much better than the demo version.  I use a game pad (Xbox Controller) on a PC version.  All the clumsiness of the keyboard and mouse control has gone!  Yes, use a game pad to play this game.  And if you are put off buy the demo quality, I am happy to say that the full game version is so much better.

I have not heard of Reckoning until recently, when the media starts to pick up on this upcoming western role playing game.  Some label this as one of the most anticipated games in 2012.  Wow, really?  So I gave the demo a try.  Now, before I get into that, here is a little background for you.  Lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Ken Rolston is the executive designer of Reckoning.  Fantasy author R.A. Salvatore writes the lore and Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn, creates the artwork.  In 2009, THQ sold Big Huge Game – the then developer of this game – to 38 Studios, which is owned by former baseball pitcher Curt Schilling.  And EA Game is the publisher for Reckoning.  I think so far so good except the last bit.  I am not a fan of EA Game (recently broke the $1 billion mark in 2011 by the way).  While I am pretty sure EA Game will destroy any sequel Kingdoms of Amalur may have – as how they destroy the Dragon Age franchise and more – let’s enjoy Reckoning while it lasts.

Reckoning is a vast open world western role playing game with an engaging combat system.  It plays almost like a hybrid of Oblivion and God of War.  Because the executive designer comes from The Elder Scrolls, Reckoning has a distinct Oblivion feel.  I have not played Skyrim.  Reckoning appears to have fixed a lot of annoyance I found in Oblivion.  I don’t need to keep jumping or walking in stealth in order to gain level.  Lock picking seems less frustrating.  Spell casting and melee fight appears to be more seamless.  It is so much easier to target, execute the moves in arcade style, dodge out of the danger, and continue to hack and slash, mixing magic with brutal melee attacks.  And the dialogues?  They have brought in the experts from Dragon Age team to help.  Hence the strong resemblance.  Although I must say, try not to expect the same level of cause-and-effect as it is in the Mass Effect universe.

There are four playable races.  Two look like human race while the other two look like elves.  You don’t get to pick a class, but rather you may specialize into might, finesse, and sorcery abilities.  That roughly maps to a warrior class, a rogue class, and a wizard class.  You can also have a hybrid of two, or even three.  According to the interviews I have read so far, hybrid classes are totally viable.  And you get to reset your choices in-game, if you so wish to.  In another word, you don’t have to get stuck with a character development that you may have regretted.

Specializing into finesse can be very satisfying.  As a rogue like class, you can eliminate your enemy with one-shot (that comes with decent animation).  I  have also tried a wizard like class.  For these sort of games, I often find it hard to survive as a magic player.  Reckoning‘s combat system makes it somewhat easier.  But I still prefer a strong melee warrior type of character.  I am just not too good at button mashing.

This game will be available on Feb 7 for the three gaming platforms.  I feel that the game play may flavor the use of a controller, rather than keyboard and mouse.  I have tried the PC demo.  It does require my fingers to be quite acrobatically agile.  To sprint, I need to toggle the left control key while performing the traditional WAD mashing.  To execute the reckoning nuke move, I need to press and hold the X key while moving around and mashing both the keyboard and the mouse.  There is no jumping in Reckoning (boo?).  Pressing space bar enables your character to dodge at a direction you desire (yes, more button mashing).  Some dislike the menu system.  It does require quite a few clicks to get to where I want and quite a few ESC buttons to get back to the game.  Because of the traditional inventory management system like any good old role player game has, I tend to visit the menu quite often to equip items during game play.  I wish they could streamline how items can be equipped rather than the need to click through different categories in order to equip them.

I have played the demo twice.  The game is certainly growing on me.  The lore seems interesting and the encounters are refreshing.  According to the developers, if you are to play Reckoning on easy mode skipping all the dialogues, it will take you 200 hours to complete all the quests.  This is one very lengthy game, be warned!

  • Click here to view in-game images (with captions).

If you find the demo unplayable, you are not the only one.  EA Game has sent the 3 months old code (prior to reaching gold standard) to a third party to package into a demo version.  The result is a disaster.  This is so typical of EA Game of course.  On one end of the spectrum, we have games like Diablo III whereby the demo or beta is almost flawless.  The game takes forever to be released.  On the other end of the spectrum, we have Reckoning whereby the demo is so broken that it leaves many on the fence.  Shall I pre-order or shall I not?  Ken Rolston is right about one thing though.  EA Game does generate the buzz as promise.  I hope it is a good buzz.  If you have time, you may wish to read Curt Schilling’s sincere apology.  That post moves me.  According to one official game reviewer, the game in its released form plays smoothly, with no issue.  So it could well be the demo’s poor quality and not the full game.  Back to the PC demo, if you have a black screen problem (like I did), go to video setting and disable the post-processing option.  If you are unable to connect to EA server and claim your bonus items should you buy a full game, open the personal.ini file located in your document directory, wipe away the “blaze_email” entry, and restart the demo.  This should solve your problem.

PS. Reckoning is the title of the last episode of Legend of the Seeker season one.  In that episode, the Seeker’s eyes send out beams of light, just like in this game.  And in this game, the destiny card for a character that generalizes into three abilities is coincidentally called the “Seeker”.

Categories
Blu-ray / DVD Review For the Geeks

Chinese New Year TV Marathon – Seeker, Confessor, Shu Qi, Ayumi, Alice, And More

Contrary to everyone’s belief, Cynthia and I did not spend 4 days in front of our computers playing our favorite online game.  We have hardly touched that game during this holiday.  Ha!  It is for the love of Chinese tradition (hard to explain so we shall leave it there).  It is a rare opportunity to take a break from the game.  And the main reason is because Cynthia has envisaged this holiday to be a TV marathon.  She has magically transformed me into a coach potato for four full days.  Water and snacks were within an arm’s length.  We ate at our sofa every day.  And the only time we moved out of the coach was to answer the call of nature.  She hypnotized me using modern technology.  Some of what we consumed was junks, as in most things that come out from that box.  Others though are worth mentioning.

Legend of the Seeker (Season One)

To be totally honest, what initially attracted me to this TV series was the rather, erm shall I say, revealing medieval clothing that accentuates the beauty of a female body.  Some of the slow motion scenes can really pop my eyes, my heart, and what not.  How fortunate are the men in the old days.  I also find the costume and backdrop pretty authentic, especially since I am a huge fan of fantasy computer games.  When I paid better attention to the story and tried not to be distracted by the eye candies and on-screen chemistry, it is pretty faithful to the genre of fantasy.  Love, friendship, betrayal, sacrifice, good and evil, heroes and cowards, battles, sorcery, quests and more quests, difficult decisions and more love – all checked.  There are some unique hooks that I don’t often find in other fantasy titles.  Sharing more here you may find me insane, as though I am talking to myself.  So I shall leave it here.  We have consumed 5 discs worth of entertainment – the entire season one – in 4 days.  Monsters, we are!

Now, why on earth would they drop the franchise after a merely two seasons of broadcast?  Save the Seeker.  Please.

A Beautiful Life (不再讓你孤單)

At home, we have a rather good collection of DVD or Blu-ray, most are not opened.  I always have this urge to buy and collect.  But I seldom have the time to watch them.  During this holiday, I tried to look for a happy movie suitable for the occasion.  My eyes stopped at Shu Qi.  It is a Chinese movie.  Both titles – English and Chinese – sound positive.  So I jammed the disc into our player, sat back, and clicked play.  Cynthia has started crying way before the movie ended.  I would say “A Beautiful Life” is an art house type of movie, an emotional one.  During the interview, Shu Qi mentioned that making this movie was harder than a martial art one.  Some clips can last as long as 10 minutes, continuously.  Imagine having to do several retakes.  I pity the cameraman who carried that ninety pounds monster.

It is a rather beautiful movie.  A movie about love in difficult circumstances.  What some may see as handicap, in the eyes of the loved ones, they are unique.  It is a movie about finding happiness.  Quite an inspiring one I must say.  Good acting.  Two thumbs up.

Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2010-2011 A: Do It Again

After a while, I begin to lose track of how many Ayumi concerts I have watched on TV.  Each year, she releases one tour recording and one countdown recording.  I can tell each tour recording by theme.  But I am often confused by the countdown releases.  At the end of each year, Ayumi hosts a concert for the fans.  Usually the song set is pretty mellow in the start.  Then there is a buildup to the countdown and thereafter, you can almost guess what songs she is going to play.  Upbeat, rather happy.  Unlike the tour performance, the song choice for the countdown concert often gears towards her older classic – which is good because it is different from the tour recording.  But that also means that all the countdown recordings are somewhat the same – hence the confusion.  If not for the beautiful duet “Dream On”, I would not have known if I have already watched it some time in the past.  How come “Dream On” has not been released in any album?  How come there is no duet in any of Ayumi’s album?  I have no idea.  One thing for sure though.  Ayumi is single, and available again.

The stage is pretty unique for this countdown concert.  There are a few concentric pieces that rotate and elevate.  And Ayumi has put the stage right in the middle of the stadium.  I thought it is a pretty good design.

Alice: Madness Returns

“Alice” is neither a movie nor a TV series.  It glued me in front of the TV nonetheless.  I am a big fan of Alice in Wonderland.  This is a game adaptation.  A second one indeed.  I bought the PS3 version, at a discount.

Recently, I read an article on how game developers dread the review scene.  If a game is poorly reviewed, or even at lukewarm, that turns gamers away from buying it.  Thousands and millions of dollar of investment go into the drain.  Years of development go along with that.  It is a brutal scene.  This game “Alice: Madness Returns” has not been kindly reviewed.  I hesitated during its release, have forgotten about it for a long time, then I saw the rather attractive price tag a few days ago.  I have always enjoyed playing a game as a heroine.  This version of Alice wields a Vorpal sword (you have to ask Lewis Carroll what that is) and lives in a real dark and twisted world.  Despite the lukewarm review, I have decided to give it a try.  This game is not perfect.  I will probably write a more detail account of my adventure with Alice in the future.  However, from what I have experienced so far, I like it.

Categories
For the Geeks

Are You Ready To Tank Deathwing, Version LFR?

Quite recently, Blizzard the creator of World of Warcraft has done something rather innovative to a 7 years old online game.  They put together a mechanism to automatically matchmaking 25 random players from around the world to form a raid to slay dragons and more.  This is a five times expansion of the existing 5-man party assembler.  Traditionally, large scale raiding requires solid dedication of time, effort, sacrifices, and good networking skill.  And it is handsomely rewarded within the game with a deep scene of achievement.  Late last year, first time in Blizzard’s history, this aspect of the game has been opened up to the casual players.  That includes Cynthia and I and some of our friends who now have the opportunity to see a part of the game that was used to be exclusive to only 2% of the player base.  Now, any Tonk, Hick, and Sally can raid Deathwing – the final villain of this Cataclysm expansion – in a specially tune down version that is less demanding.  OK.  Deathwing may not be that elite in this LFR (looking for raid) setting.  But it is the same not so sexy back we parachute onto (see picture above), elite or not!  I often think that asking 25 strangers who may not have worked together before and to play a 90 minutes game is quite a feat – for Blizzard and for us.

Previously, I talked about the three roles that one can choose within the game.  Similar to a football match, the melee players are like the strikers, always up close and personal with the goal.  Mid fielders are like the casters throwing spells from the back.  Both are constantly attacking.  Healers in the game are like the defenders in a football field.  Finally, goalkeeper is like a tank role in World of Warcraft.  You don’t need many.  One tank is required for a 5-man party.  Two tanks are required for a 25-man party.  Of these few roles, I enjoy tanking the most, partly due to its huge responsibility and the demand of a low margin of error.  After all, you may have a few strikers by your side to pick up the slack when you miss the kick.  When a goalkeeper misses the ball, the opposite scores.

After weeks of trying out the different roles in Dragon Soul (LFR), I have put together a tanking guide to help fellow tanks who are new to raiding.  Unless there is a popular demand, I probably would not put up a guide for the other two roles.  Because they are rather straightforward compares to tanking.

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Categories
For the Geeks

Deathwing Must Die (And He Did, A Few Good Times)

A choir.  I shall use a choir to illustrate what raiding in an online gaming environment is like.

In any given choir, think Christmas Caroling if you may, there is usually one organist or a few guitarists who set the key and pace of the performance.  The music draws attention but it alone does not entertain.  We need the singers to sing the melody.  And we need a few dedicated singers to sing the harmony.  The audience seldom hums along with the music or sings along with the harmony.  The audience sings along with the melody.  Melody is at the forefront of the entertainment deliverance.  Having said so, all three elements must co-exist in order to give forth one spectacular performance.

” They say things look different when you are dead.  After my demise, I looked back upon my twenty odd fellow raiders, who fought alongside with the dragons on the island, who one by one got killed by the bits and pieces of Deathwing (the red blob on the right).  It was a lost battle.  Time for another attempt.”

Raiding in a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) works similarly to how a choir operates.  25 players are organized into a team to fulfill a set of objectives in accordance with the lore.  One year ago, Blizzard has released a new expansion for World of Warcraft.  A year after Cataclysm, the story has finally come to a conclusion when we have the opportunity to face the ultimate villain of this expansion – Deathwing.  We have visited the future and changed it.  We have visited the past and changed it.  Armed with the artifact that may be the key in defeating the dragon Deathwing, we have escorted Thrall – our hero – to Wyrmrest Temple ready to have one final showdown with the villain and his waves of armed forces.  It is dramatic.  It is a lengthy expedition.  And it is an epic battle that leads to an orgasmic ending.  An ending that most of us has to experience again and again till the Pandas come home.

“Kalecgos has become a new Aspect for the Blue Dragonflight.  He made a rare visit to one of our capitals, in Matrix style.”

Players in a 25-man raid setting are required to fulfill one of the three roles – tank, damage, or heal.  Tank, to me, is like an organist in a choir.  They are there to set the pace of the encounters and to hold the enemies at bay.  The music continues so long as the organist keeps on playing.  Similarly, in a raid, when the tanks die, it often means that the encounter would come to a premature end.  That is, failure.  We don’t need many to play a tank role.  Two is sufficient in a 25-man raid.  It is a role with a huge responsibility.  It is also a role that I personally enjoy.

Then we have the heal role to replenish the team and neutralize the incoming damage.  In a military context, heal is like the armed forces multiplier, the ones who refuel the planes or replenish the bombs.  Heal is a support unit, much like the harmony singers in a choir.  We need a sizable heal.  And we need six in a 25-man raid.

Obvious as it sounds, those who take the damage role are responsible to lay damage to the enemy front.  They are like the melody singers who feeds on the music and the harmony.  In a raiding environment, they delivery the offensive blow to our enemies.  We need tons of players to play this role.  Seventeen to be exact.

“25 of us looks tiny compare to Deathwing.  Are you ready?”

In the past, raids in World of Warcraft (or other MMO games I suppose) are organized manually.  You need to put in heaps of commitment, get yourselves into a local community, stick to a timetable set by the majority, and you must have this mentality that each failure is one step closer to success.  One Korean guild attempted one particular encounter 300 times that eventually earned them the World First achievement in defeating Deathwing, heroically.  Proper raiding is no easy feat.

In reality, as recently revealed, only 2% of subscribers got to see the raiding contents.  Blizzard – the creator of World of Warcraft – has done something innovative in a recent patch.  They have created a LFR (Looking for Raid) tool to automatically assemble a raid group of 25 players across the servers.  To compensate the fact that these 25 players do not know each other and have not worked with one another, the encounters (and rewards) are specially tuned down to be more causal friendly.  All of a sudden, many get to experience end game contents, including Cynthia and I.

“[I suppose] Once Deathwing is heroically defeated in a realm (or server), a piece of him is displayed within the capital city to serve as a reminder that while many may falter, the ultimate villain has to be defeated at all cost.”

The LFR tool, wonderful as it seems, is not without its share of criticism.  Elitists bundle up and attack the tool on the ground that some  game contents have to be reserved for the cream of the crop.  Some need to feel special and to serve as an inspiration for many to follow.  While this has some philosophical merits, in an environment whereby every player pays the same subscription fees, there is little incentive to nurture elitism, especially with a 7-year old game that may have passed its peak.  Another criticism is that not all these 25 random players contribute at a similar level.  Do they deserve the reward?  Do they even deserve to be there to experience the story in the first place?  This leads back to my analogy.

Cynthia, my mother, and I have attended the Midnight Mass on Christmas.  Before the Mass, the choir was singing the Christmas Carols.  I observed that not every singer sang with full bodied vocal and devotion.  Some went off key.  It was as though some were there more for participation’s sake.  If it was a caroling competition, this choir would have been out.  But it was not a competition.  Participation is rewarded instead of performance.  I shared my observation with Cynthia and she could immediately relate.  It is OK to have some under-perform in LFR.  So long as we don’t have too many party fillers that makes it impossible to raid.

PS. Join us at Draenor server today!  You can play for free, for the first 20 levels at least.  Our guild has a presence in Alliance, as well as in Horde.

Categories
For the Geeks

Diablo III Beta – Part 1: First Impression

I am grateful, to say the least, when I received a beta key from Asiasoft, the new distributor of Blizzard Entertainment games in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.  Thank you Asiasoft!  I tried to ask when the Collector’s Edition of Diablo III will arrive in Singapore and they said Soonâ„¢.  It’s OK.  I am a patience man.  I have been anticipating this game since 2008 when Blizzard first put up a site for Diablo III.  Apparently, I was too optimistic back then to think that the wait was over.  The wait is still going on.

For this beta testing (patch 5), we are free to choose any of the five available classes and play through one satisfying mission.  I picked a female monk because she is likely to be the hottest character in Diablo.  Besides, in the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, a new monk class will be introduced.  I am all hyped up for the year of the monks.

“Picture speaks a 1,000 words”

I have played Diablo II.  That was back in 2000.  If you love Diablo II, it is without a doubt that you would love this sequel.  The familiarity is overwhelming.  But yet, there are enough improvements to impress.  It  is like Starcraft II.  The game still plays like the original version, despite the fact that so much have changed in a positive way.

Diablo III is a third person role play game.  Interaction with in-game characters (or non-player classes) are fully voice animated.  There is no need to read the quest texts.  You can engage a two-way conversation with humans you see (in the Universe of Diablo, non-humans are bad).  Or as you get closer to people, you may overhear a conversation.  Now that we are on the topic of music and sound, the soundtrack matches with the mood of the game too.  You can always make out if there is danger ahead, or an upcoming plot to be revealed as the music transits to a new theme.  If you pay attention, you can always hear something luring in the background you even them.  Fortunately, at a low level, these monsters are quite a push over.  These ‘warning’ messages build up my anticipation rather than fear.

“It is often peace in town”

For the first 10 levels, I can practically play it through using only two mouse buttons.  I enjoy the simplicity.  Left click anywhere on the ground moves the character.  At a low level, I can map two abilities to the two mouse buttons.  At the highest level, the number of abilities I can bring to the battlefield is six out of a total of twenty.  Hence, all we really need is two mouse buttons and a keypad of one to four.

You may say: This really seems too easy!  Quite rightly so.  It appears to me that deep within the core of Diablo is still pretty much a hack-and-slash type of game.  However, because the different combinations of abilities we have, the play style can be different.  For example, I can pick a main ability (as a monk), to hit the enemies from afar.  More like a combo style as in each subsequent hit increases the distance required of the next attack.  And as for the ability that consumes my monk’s resource – spirit – I could pick an area of effect by knocking back the enemies, keeping them close but not that close.  Or even a decoy that has an area of effect explosion after a few good seconds of taunting the enemies onto it.  For the third ability, I could pick a buff or mantras that increases the chance of dodge for my party and I.  And if balanced type of combat is not your cup of tea, you could mix the combinations and go for a more offensive approach.

Since Diablo III is a co-op type of game capable of putting four players into a single party, it will come a time whereby you would want to pick abilities or classes that compliment each other.  That is when the complexity kicks in, I suppose.

“Choose wisely!”

I will not be able to cover all aspects of Diablo III Beta in one post.  I intend to share with you more as I dive deeper into the beta testing.  One last topic I would like to cover is crafting.  Looting and crafting is a main feature of the Diablo franchise.  I can’t exactly recall the inventory management system of Diablo II.  But I suspect it is somewhat like you loot and loot and eventually your inventory is full.  You then have to open a portal, return to your home town, clear some space in your inventory, and then return to where you were via a portal.  Diablo III has that facility too.  But it also allows you to savage your unwanted loots on the fly into components that stack.  And then you can use these components to craft items.  Simply put, if the god of RNG (random number generator) hates you, you still have a good chance to get what you want.

I have put up a small photo album in Google+.  You can view the screenshot here.  Patch 6 is out this morning.  Stay tuned for more sharing!

 “So I crafted a pair of fist items for my monk (who is now vanished as the new patch arrives)”

Categories
For the Geeks

Nokia Lumia 800 & 710 – First Impression

It has been a while since I last attended a Nokia’s media event for the bloggers.  My personal schedule seems to be in conflict with Nokia’s calendar lately for some reasons.  I have been anticipating Nokia’s next generation smartphone.  Suffice to say, I am happy to be able to make it for the Lumia event held last week – a first in the region.  We went through a lengthy demo of what the new Windows phone can do.  And we spent some quality time with the product managers and other Nokia professionals as we experienced the Lumia 800 & 710.  So what’s my first impression?  Read more to find out!

Form Factor

A phone’s design is important to me.  It is a statement of who I am.  I use an Android phone for the simple reason of not wanting to be like every other mobile phone user in Singapore.  Lumia 800 is sophisticated, and beautiful.  It has a smooth, one piece body that slightly curved onto the screen.  The design is breathtaking, like no other.  Lumia 800 comes in three colors: black, cyan, and magenta.  For a sharper looking design, I would strongly recommend cyan or magenta.  If you are a music lover, you may consider getting the Nokia Purity Stereo Headset or Purity HD Stereo Headset by Monster.  One is for in-ear style, and other one is for on-ear.  Monster has created headsets for Apple iPhones.  It is good that Nokia gets them to design not one, but two for theirs too.

Lumia 710 is the entry level Windows phone.  I asked if Lumia 800 is considered as Nokia’s new flagship and they said no.  Price-wise, I would expect Lumia 800 to be below the flagship products of other platforms.  Hence, whatever I get to say here, do take cost as a consideration.

Lumia 800’s screen size is 3.7″.  For those of you (like me) who are used to 4.2″+, it could be quite an adjustment if you switch to this new Nokia phone.  For Apple users who are used to 3.5″, Lumia 800’s display area may seem OK.  Lumia 800 has a lower resolution compares to other top end smartphones.  And it weights 142g, almost as heavy as an iPhone.  It is 20% heavier than the Android phone I am using.  Does weight matter?  Personally I prefer a lighter phone.  But 99.99% of the local users who use iPhone may say nah.

Windows OS and Nokia Unique Offerings

I must admit that I am not that familiar with Windows OS on a mobile phone.  The Lumia 800 seems responsive.  Then again, almost all new phones are responsive before they are loaded with apps and contents.  So I have no idea if Lumia 800 will remain as responsive as days go by.  I know for sure my single core Android phone is crawling at this moment.

The design of Windows OS is pretty clean.  There is a wall of tiles for the widgets.  And swipe to the next screen is a list of applications.  If you are familiar with Nokia phone, you will find yourself at home.  Both Lumia phones have Nokia Drive with turn by turn voice navigation as well as Nokia Map.  Free, for more than 100 countries.  However, in order for Nokia Drive and Nokia Map to work, you must have data access.  This could become quite costly when you are overseas.  Because turning on data access usually means that you allow other applications to access the Internet on the go.

Lumia phones come with Nokia Music application.  A 192kbps MP3 track free of DRM costs around S$1.29 from the Nokia music store.  Does this sound enticing to you?  The price seems about right, if purchasing music online is your cup of tea.

And it does come with Whatsapp, free.

Unlocking the phone can be via a numeric password pad (like iPhone).  It does not have a pattern unlock (like Android).  Locking the phone is via a physical button positioned naturally on where your index finger is when you hold the phone upright (not sure how it will be like for left-handers).

Social Networking

Nokia Lumia phones combine Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn feeds, chat and SMS message in one conversation.  I seldom social network these days, only on Google+.  And I am told that Lumia does not interface with Google+ as of now.  I must be an odd ball because majority of the active social networking users I presume spend much time with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  I can imagine majority can continue to do just that with the Lumia phones.

Web Browsing

Do you often browse full sites on your mobile phone?  I do.  And I find that for some of my favorite websites, when I double tab onto the screen for the default zoom (that does auto page wrapping), the fonts can be tiny.  Maybe I am used to a large screen size and a higher resolution, it can be quite straining to the eyes when browsing the Internet on the Lumia phones.  I am not a fan of further zooming onto a webpage and having to scroll left and right constantly to read each line.  I strongly suggest trying it out if you are heavy on web browsing.

Under the Hood

Recently I have visited Hong Kong.  From the old man I met on the street, to my own cousin, dual core phones seem to be the in-thing.  If I am to buy a phone today, I too would prefer a dual core processor (and a large screen would be good).  As for the Lumia 800 and 710, they are both equipped with a 1.4GHz single core processor.  Do you multitask often?  If not, this should not bother you.

This phone is fitted with a 8Mpix Carl Zeiss camera with LED flash.  16GB internal memory.  It is pretty decent in today’s standard.  Of course, iPhone has the 32GB and 64GB version.  But that may cost more.

What about Other Stuffs?

With limited amount of time, there are areas that I am unable to cover.  Can Lumia extract the contact list from my Android phone via Bluetooth as promised?  What is the collection of Apps like for the Nokia market (I can’t live without Internet Radio these days)?  Are the Apps affordable?  Can the battery last for a day?  These are some of the questions you may need to further investigate if you are serious about wanting to buy this phone.

Categories
For the Geeks

Enduring The Heat – A Journal Of Regrowth And Molten Front

I still remember where I was on the 261st day after Cataclysm.  I was outside the Royal Bank of Stormwind when I spotted a new poster on the Hero’s Call noticeboard.  It said:

The Guardians of Hyjal, led by Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, seek brave heroes to assist with a full-scale assault on the Firelands.

Willing and able-bodied heroes of the Alliance should report to the Sanctuary of Malorne in Mount Hyjal immediately.

I may not be brave, but I am willing.  With my shield on my back and my sword readied to bring justice to those who fouled our land, I made my way to Mount Hyjal.  It was not hard to find the Sanctuary of Malorne.  The sanctuary appeared as a big question mark on my map.

Upon reaching my destination, I was told that I was a tad too late.  Hamuul, Malfurion, and others have already made it to the invasion point.  Alas!  I hated to miss the action.  Quickly, I summoned my dragon and flew up the hill.  The entire flight took about 10 seconds.  What followed was a blur.  Perhaps I was too much in a hurry to get to the next stage.  I have seen the same vision five times but I still do not get the detail.  All I gathered was that our most powerful druid Hamuul was brutally burned down by the evil flame druid Leyara, almost instantaneously.  99.99% dead.  So dead that I could smell beef.  Why did Leyara spare my life while I witnessed this atrocity?  Till today, I still do not know.

Meanwhile, after our failed attempt in assaulting Fireland, our fearless leader Malfurion has tasked me to gather resources in order to mount a second attempt.  No problem.  I was happy to contribute in whichever way I can.  First I approached a dryad.  Her name was Mylune.

“Ah, the great outdoor,” she said.

“Erm, if you say so,” I did not know how to respond.

“Is there trouble?” she asked.

I looked around and life seemed peaceful.  So I asked, “Is there something for me to do?”

On day one, she asked me to wear a wolf suit and howl on top of dead enemies.  On day two, she asked me to find and call upon small birds, forest owls, and golden hawks.  On day three, she asked me to punt turtles back to the lake.  On day four, she asked me to capture deer spirits.  On day five, she asked me to rescue baby bears stuck on a tree.  How did the bears manage to climb up the tree and unable to get down?  I did not know.

After what seemed like an eternity, I have gathered enough resources for Malfurion to mount an attack into Firelands.  When I first landed on Molten Front through the portal, it was a mess.  There was fire everywhere.  Enemies in the forms of elementals, giants, worms, and hounds – all engulfed in flame, attacking us at sight.  Tens and hundreds of our allies lied wounded on the ground.  I did my best to bandage them up, hack a few of the enemies while I was at it, and tried to close their portals with my wisp.

Our enemies were relentless.  One day, Malfurion called me into his cave where he planted a tree and said, “We will need the Shadow Wardens’ help.”  No problem, I said.  We needed to make progress.  So I worked my butt off in order to gather enough resources to recruit the Shadow Wardens.

In retrospect, helping the Wardens was without a doubt a relatively painless thing to do.  On a good day, I was tasked to free some victims caught inside the spider webs, hack some spiders, and detonate a weakly fortified energy core that tossed me up thirty yards above ground when it exploded.  On a bad day, I was tasked to collect some spider eggs (yuck!), hack more spiders, and kidnap a flame druid.  Days after days, I answered the call of Malfurion.  I worked hard, seldom complained.  I did my job with ever glowing enthusiasm even when I have to take a strange looking plant for a skinny dip inside a lava pool, six bloody times.  Some do like it hot.

I lost count of the days I spent in Molten Front.  One thing for sure, time did not seem to past when you were inside a war zone.  We have made some good progress with the help of the Wardens.  Malfurion seemed pleased.  One evening, inside the cave where he perpetually stayed, he spoke to me, “Skylord Omnuron and his Druids of the Talon have been a fearsome force for us back in Hyjal.  I know that they prefer the familiar skies of that battlefield, but the time may come when we need them here nonetheless.”

“Who is Skylord Omnuron?” I asked, “Was he the one who subjected the rest of us to that stomach churning exercise of jousting in the air?”

Malfurion seemed to ignore my questions and he continued, “Go now and appeal to Omnuron that his druids should be on the main front.  Omnuron watches out for his own, but he also understands the importance of this effort.”

Who was I to deny Malfurion’s command?  For many years prior to Cataclysm, Malfurion was missing in action.  No one knew where he was.  Not even his girlfriend, Tyrande Whisperwind.  I am not good in history and am not sure if it was Tyrande or Fandral Staghelm, the Archdruid of Darnassus, who led the night elves during the period when Malfurion was gone.  Fandral was a war hero.  He has a son called Valstann who wedded Leyara.  In one battle that went horribly wrong, the young and eager Valstann was captured by the enemies and was brutally executed in front of his family and troops.  I could only imagine what a huge blow it must be to his father Fandral and his wife Leyara.  That piece of history could well be an important link to why Fandral and Leyara have gone rogue and become flame druids.  My hope for them to turn over a new leaf dwindled as I saw the war lengthened.  Too many have died in this war.  Hatred ran deep.

Unlike the Wardens, Druids gave out some of the most tedious tasks in Molten Front.  I dreaded doing them.  In my previous life, I was a Mario Brother.  I am still unable to master some of the moves the Druids required me to do.  On the very next day, I ran back to the Wardens with open arms.  I enjoyed closing the runes inside an exploding cave full of hostile fire elementals.  It was a bit like doing homeruns in a baseball game.  The moment I entered the cave, I touched the first base.  I would then run straight to the T-junction, touch the second base.  There was an upslope curving leftward, the third base.  I would then jump over the ledge, passed the first base and at the junction, the forth base.  The fifth base was on the left and continued forward, the sixth base.  A sharp right turn jumping over the air vent would land me onto the seventh base that was located in the middle of a small island surrounded by lava.  Another jump over the second air vent would get me out of the island and land me onto the eighth base.  One minute and mission accomplished.

As the war dragged on, there was news that powerful enemy lieutenants were spotted in the north of Molten Front.  Such supersized opponents called for supersized allies.  I thought of the tree giants in Mount Hyjal and have decided to recruit them into our forces.  The ancients awaited.  I played my role as the messenger and as a living testimony to our war effort.  They agreed to help.  And they made a good decoration to our base inside Molten Base.  Trees, we needed more trees.

Did I mention that there was a dwarf sharing the cave with Malfurion?  He has some of the most exceptional equipments in store.  But he refused to let me try them on unless I helped him to recruit Ricket the goblin.

“These druids be lackin’ the tools ta properly handle the job out ‘ere. I got meself a buddy back at day ol’ stag shrine through the portal though.  If we were ta be gettin’ reunited, we’d sure have some real toys ta use against ol’ Ragboy and ‘is cronies.  Go find Matoclaw.  Ask her fer Ricket.  We need’r here so we can be causin’ some real trouble,” said the dwarf.

Huh?  I can never fully understand what dwarves say.

Depending on her mood, Ricket would ask me to do different things on any given day.  Bombing a huge worm, triggering a meteor shower, and my favorite task was to gun down the flying flame druids from the ground.  I would climb a tower high enough to aim at the enemies in the sky.  I pictured myself as King Kong.  Came what may you helpless flying creatures!

*     *     *     Spoiler Warning     *     *     *

My last assignment as a runner was to fill up our moonwell with sacred water from the Well of Eternity.  The water could be used to bless the trees and bushes.  How did it come through the portal?  I have no idea.

My first assignment as a hero was to confront Leyara.  News has it that the Wardens have successfully cornered Leyara inside a cave.  “Go there immediately,” said Malfurion, “I will join you as soon as I make one necessary preparation.”

What preparation?!

I made haste, rode as fast as I could to reach the cave.  Leyara was in the middle, surrounded by a group of Wardens.  She turned to me and said, “I thought you might come.  You’ve proven very persistent.  Annoyingly so.”

Enough of playing a nobody’s role in bandaging the wounded and rescuing the baby bears.  Today, I was going to make history.  I ran towards Leyara fearlessly and fought her with my allies.  One by one, Leyara engulfed my allies in flame, suspended them in the air, and vaporized them into oblivion.  That was not looking good.  Soon, I was alone with Leyara.  It took forever for me to hurt her as she was to me.  It was a stalemate.  To end this, one of us was going to be vaporized.  The thought of I not having such ability sent a chill down my spine.

As the fight dragged on, I yelled out loud, “Malfurion, wherever you are, this is a time you should make an appearance!”

Cued to perfection, Malfurion entered the cave and fought alongside with me.  Leyara laughed, “I’ll kill your companion just like I killed Hamuul.  And there is nothing you can do about it.”

Uh oh.  Was she referring to me?  Yes, she was.  The next thing I knew, I was helplessly engulfed in flame and was suspended in the air.  I fixed my eyes on my executioner while I waited for the inevitable.  Then something happened.  A fully recovered Hamuul appeared and Malfurion said to Leyara, “You did not kill Hamuul, Leyara.  He lives.”  Hamuul added, “I’m sorry that I did not arrive sooner, though you seem to have held your own quite well.”  I cheered.  We managed to bring Hamuul back to life, with my daily help.

“Hurray!  Now, get me down quick”, screamed I.

Leyara must have ignored me momentarily as Hamuul shape-shifted into a huge bear and charged onto her.  What a magnificent bear!  I had to be careful in positioning myself as Hamuul mauled, lacerated, and pulverized Leyara.  It was not a pretty scene.  Towards Leyara’s final moment, Hamuul said to her, “I release you from this fate Leyara.  May you finally find your peace in death.”

With that said, Leyara was slain.  A cloud of melancholy descended upon me.  Who was Leyara?  What had she become?  The war is not over.  But at least, one chapter is closed.

On the 295th day after Cataclysm, I was outside the Royal Bank of Stormwind.  A locket has arrived at my mailbox.  It was sent by one of the Wardens who found it inside the cave.  A locket belonged to Leyara.  I held it close to my heart and I felt a faint level of magic quivering within.  Could this locket answer all my lingering questions?

I traveled to Moonglade and prompted one of my contacts for help.  True enough.  Locked inside this locket were the memories of Leyara.  In the first vision, Leyara witnessed her husband Valstann Staghelm ripped in two by the Qiraji General Rajaxx.  In the second vision, by the grave of Valstann at Astranaar, I saw Leyara with a little girl and Fandral by her sides.  She said, “Our child has been born.  It’s a girl!  A beautiful baby girl.  I named her Istaria.  She has your eyes.”  In the last vision at Mount Hyjal, by a small grave next to where Leyara struck down Hamuul, she moaned the death of her daughter.  And she cried, “Fandral would never have allowed the Horde to attack our home!  And who did Malfurion send to defend us?  No one!”

I can understand the resentment Leyara had felt against Malfurion, against both the Alliance and the Horde.  During the Horde invasion, her daughter Istaria was killed and her father-in-law Fandral was captured and held in prison.  It was through the power of the old god that Fandral has become a flame druid and broke free.  Where was the rest of the Alliance when Valstann was executed?  Where was the reinforcement when her little Istaria was slain?  Leyara joined Fandral in a heartbeat.  The rest is history.

Categories
For the Geeks

Online Gaming Is Good For You! (Alternate Title: Troll Dungeons Reloaded)

I cannot think of an activity that works my brain as hard as what computer gaming does to me on a near daily basis.  Don’t get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with passive activities such as watching TV.  It is good to relax our minds after a long and tiring day of work.  I don’t know what you do for a living.  My job does not require me to make hundreds of decisions a day.  Nor does it require me to exhibit a reasonable level of eye-hand coordination in order to excel . I suppose I could play some team sports.  But if I can’t even get my band to jam regularly, I think team sports are out of the question.

When I play my online game, strings of invisible mathematics formula constantly flash across my head.  I find myself constantly reacting to the thousands of virtual dices rolled behind the scene; dice rolls that define the split second virtual events.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  I have to pay attention to the timing governed by the game mechanism, be observant of the ever changing environment  I have to pay attention to the spatial movement, as well as the temporal shift.  If that is not demanding enough, I have to keep an eye on how my team members are doing, evaluating our collective performance via statistical reports, and modifying the group strategy based on every piece of information I can possess and process in real time.  During the climactic encounters, my heart would race like a F1 driver’s.  If we fail, our group would analyze the issue, identify the root cause, rectify the strategy, and try again.  If we succeed, we would scream in joy like the footballers who kick the ball into the goal post.  And shortly after, onto the next encounter we push forward.

I don’t have the statistics to support my claim.  But I strongly believe that computer gaming – and more so for online gaming – in moderation can exercise our brains in a positive way.  Making our mind sharper and more alert.  Some of you are keen to know if I have expanded on my previous Cataclysm boss encounter article with the WoW patch 4.1 updates.  Yes, I have!  The two heroic troll dungeons Zul’Aman and Zul’Gurub have been added into the quick reference guide.  Click here to read more.

If you are playing in the Asian evening timeslot and are keen to join us for the heroic runs, my in-game contact information can be found in here.  See you on the fiery side.