And that is what the game is always about . . . the unknown balanced against the known. I’m expert in what I can do and especially what I cannot. Already, I know when it is time to run away. Takes almost no time to judge if I am overmatched. I know to the east I’ll be overmatched, but I know to the west . . . well . . . I’m bored.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
The Ballad of Balamor, Day Two
Slowly, I’m starting to learn my way . . . to have a sense of ‘self’ within these pixilated confines. Standing at the great door of a castle carved into the hills I face south. To the west are the areas I’ve explored. Wolves, warthogs and troggs have fallen before my axe. To the east are areas that are unknown to me.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
The Ballad of Balamor Redfist, Day One
It has been about a year since I’ve ventured into a gaming environment. The last online game I had played was Planetside [PS], a sci-fi based massive multiplayer online game [MMOG]. This was World of Warcraft [WOW], a fantasy based MMOG. Logging in, I felt a certain odd trepidation. Having two years in PS, it has been a very long time since I’ve had to be a N00b.
Logging into an existing MMOG is the normal hassle of downloading upgrades and patches. After that, it was choices of race and class. I decided to go with being a Dwarf and a warrior. My reasoning was that I wanted the simplest character possible for a game I did not understand. Typically, these characters are referred to as Tanks.
Entering the new realm, I had to adjust to the visual environment of the game. PS strove for a more realistic look while WOW has a fantasy look. Looking around, I was faced with a snow covered environment with ponderously large trees. Mountains in the distance added to the illusion of place.
Watching Dr. Polin caper about as a gnome had its own distinct pleasure. Others were about, but I had yet to figure out who was ‘real’ and who was NPCs. While waiting, I was contacted by one of my better friends outside the game inside the game.
Within minutes this large dwarf upon a larger steed which appeared to be a cross between a ram and a horse arrived with a huge wolf at his side . . . and impressive entrance even in reality. Handing out beverages, a shirt, bags as well as 5 gold pieces each. Each of these had more value then I was able to understand at the moment. Offering to help us learn to kill, he led us through our first quest. Soon, wolves and warthogs were falling before my axe.
The missions started off easy enough. Find X of these and kill them and return. I expect they’ll grow more complex as we progress, but for now . . . I feel like every fight I walk away from is a good fight. Wolves and Troggs are enough, though . . . I dream of Dragons at my feet.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Death and Feathers
I had about a half hour this morning before I had to hit the road so I hopped in to WoW, hoping to be able to kill some wolves and finish leveling up to a 3. Did just that.
Later in the afternoon, the chat window opened and it was James, saying he was going in. Of course, I was already there, having logged in about ten minutes before him.
While waiting for him I did another quest, leveled up to a 4, and went to get some warlock training. Then James appeared...
Balamor was hunting wolves, he was. Trying to slaughter a good many and thereby gain some leverage for himself. I thought I could help him, but he would have none of it, working his way in a steady and bloody path across the white snow. I tagged along for the amusement of it.
When he'd done his deadly best, we made a plan. He had a quest to find him some strange journal and I was in pursuit of three feather charms. Both of us needed to go southwest to the great caverns and meddle in the business of some n'er do well creatures what were laying about a campgrounds. Elvish humanish creatures they were, bent and gnarled, and strangely clothed.
We held up behind a stout tree trunk and made our plan. James offered as how he would go first, being the tank and all. I cannot take but a wee bit of direct damage before i drop, and yet I do have my imp and not a few distance and DOT charms of my own. James be a crafty dwarf, indeed. He lured out these creatures, one at a tim,e toward us. I lofted a charm at at 30 yards and the creature rushed us James swung his mighty axe. My imp, Belpad, hurled flaming balls of hellfire, every throw a hit. Together we took down about five of these sorry fellows and gathered the feather charms for my quest, that I might level up and grow additional talents for our future
Later in the afternoon, the chat window opened and it was James, saying he was going in. Of course, I was already there, having logged in about ten minutes before him.
While waiting for him I did another quest, leveled up to a 4, and went to get some warlock training. Then James appeared...
Balamor was hunting wolves, he was. Trying to slaughter a good many and thereby gain some leverage for himself. I thought I could help him, but he would have none of it, working his way in a steady and bloody path across the white snow. I tagged along for the amusement of it.
When he'd done his deadly best, we made a plan. He had a quest to find him some strange journal and I was in pursuit of three feather charms. Both of us needed to go southwest to the great caverns and meddle in the business of some n'er do well creatures what were laying about a campgrounds. Elvish humanish creatures they were, bent and gnarled, and strangely clothed.
We held up behind a stout tree trunk and made our plan. James offered as how he would go first, being the tank and all. I cannot take but a wee bit of direct damage before i drop, and yet I do have my imp and not a few distance and DOT charms of my own. James be a crafty dwarf, indeed. He lured out these creatures, one at a tim,e toward us. I lofted a charm at at 30 yards and the creature rushed us James swung his mighty axe. My imp, Belpad, hurled flaming balls of hellfire, every throw a hit. Together we took down about five of these sorry fellows and gathered the feather charms for my quest, that I might level up and grow additional talents for our future
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