That Old Feeling

Posted by Wolfen in MMO General

There is an interesting article over on the West Karana blog that got me to thinking.  It talks about the nostalgia we old gamers sometimes get about the games we used to play.  I agree when it says that you can never get that old feeling back.  Nothing is unknown.  There is no mystery, and that is what made that first game you played so great.  You had no idea what to expect.

The article also asks if it is possible to play just one MMO exclusively for an entire year.  I think that is becoming ever more difficult to do because I think people get bored more quickly with the MMO games that they play.  There are so many options available to the online gamer that if one gets even slightly frustrated or bored, it is easy to move on to the next thing.  Add in the fact that the Sony Station Pass allows you to play many different MMO’s, and the difficulty increases even more.

I played Everquest exclusively for over four and a half years.  Once all my friends and I moved onto Dark Age of Camelot when it released, that was all she wrote when it came to new and mysterious experiences.  Even though DAoC was brand new, we now had a good idea of how these games worked.  We understood the dangers in an MMO game and we knew how to, for the most part, avoid them.  When we moved on to World of Warcraft, we were hardened veterans and very few things surprised us.  Our MMO virginity was long lost.

The article also suggests that people should blog about their gaming experiences.  Since I am blogging about the games I play, I can easily say that I echo those sentiments.  It is fun to write about what I do in-game and I hope others either get some enjoyment or some information from it.

I loved Everquest dearly, but my days of playing a single MMO for a year or more are long gone.  I now bounce from game to game in an attempt to keep boredom a bay.  Vanguard is my main focus, but some friends are going back to Everquest, so I will join them for some adventures every now and then.

So no, the nostalgic feelings I get are only that – feelings.  It is impossible for them to be anything more.  The games have changed, our knowledge of them has greatly increased, and getting older plays a large part in it for me. My nostalgia manifests itself in this blog at times and in the banner graphic of this blog.  It is a shot of Surefall Glade, where my EQ character first came to life.

I will always cherish my early days in Everquest, but those magical times must live on only in my memory, because they can never be re-lived again.

–Wolfen

A Return To Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

Posted by Wolfen in Vanguard

So I’m finally back to playing and blogging.  I started up Vanguard from right where I left off, so here is the continuation of my gaming experiences.

I had been running some quests that Ju Ming had given me, so I looked in my quest journal and started from there.  I began with The Gremlin Menace quest.  It seems Ju Ming wants a few gremlins dead, so he tasks me with going out and killing some Kojuko Despoilers and Ravagers.

The gremlins are found along the coast not far from Ju Ming’s house.  The first gremlin camp I encountered had the gremlins I was looking for.  They were guarding a portal that they were using for nefarious reasons.  Naturally, I did my duty and dispatched the required number of gremlins.  The gremlins were numerous but I could easily pull them all solo.

I returned to Ju Ming and told him of my good deeds.  He rewarded me with 1905 experience and 1 silver, 10 copper cash money.  If you ask me, he’s a little stingy with the coin.

The next quest he gives is called The Menace Grows.  This time I am tasked with killing gremlin Disrupters and Razorclaws.  You can find these gremlins by traveling past the first gremlin camp.  The camp is right next to the first.  In fact, if you keep traveling along the coast, you will come across camp after camp of gremlins.  The further you go the tougher the gremlin you find.  Once again, I did my duty and slew many o’ gremlin.

Ju Ming was pleased with my progress, but once again he was stingy with the coin.  I received 1 silver, 20 copper for my efforts.  Experience rewarded: 2341

–Wolfen

It’s Alive! It’s Alive!

Posted by Wolfen in General

Yes, I have finally returned to this blog.  Things too numerous to mention have kept me away, but I hope to be back to stay this time.  I already have some Vanguard posts in the queue and they will be coming soon.

My first order of business is to upgrade this blog to the new WordPress 2.5.  I will have a post up today if all goes well with the update.