I Live!
I'm back, baby. In a way, the last few weeks have been somewhat of a renaissance for me. For two months I've been transitioning between jobs at work, a process which taught me that "transitioning" is apparently corporate speak for "two jobs for the price of one." It has been a process that has been both exhausting and frustrating, and has kept me from pursuing much else (including this blog.) It is also a process that is now, thankfully, over.
With time freeing up again, I'm easing my way back into my hobbies. (For me "easing my way" into something is a process akin to cliff-diving.) We've fired up the D&D game again, which seems to have benefited all around from the brief hiatus that it's had. It's good to be back in Eberron again...
Not much has happened on the videogaming front, but once again we stand of the precipice of the holiday season deluge. As an avid RPG fan, these are heady times, with the next installments of both Neverwinter Nights and Final Fantasy looming on the immediate horizon.
Bioware has released another one of their premium modules - this one actually being set in the Forgotten Reams. Figuring it would be a good way to while away the time while I pine for the arrival of the sequel, I picked it up. So far I'm very impressed. It's got me it's hooks into me deeper than the original campaign ever did. It seems to have just the right balance of story and adventure, along with some much needed editions to the aging toolset (rideable horses!)
Other than that, my time has been pretty evenly split between Chromehounds and Final Fantasy XI on the XBOX 360. I've fallen in love with Chromehounds, and at this point I'm convinced that it's a game that is just misunderstood. If you were a fan of the old Mechwarrior 2 era games, you'll like this one. It's all about big, stompy mechs bristling with weaponry plodding about and blowing the hell out of each other. No more, no less. The single player campaign is only there as a trainer for online ass-whooping. Know these things, make peace with them, and you too can learn to be one with the 'Hounds.
Final Fantasy XI is another matter all together. I don't know why I like this game, because by all standards, I shouldn't. World of Warcraft is, in fact, a better game by almost any measure. FFXI has grueling character progression which leads to a massive grind, very little story-driven gameplay, a whole lot of camping, and heavy grouping requirements. So why play? Because when you get a perfect group, the battles just sing, and they are somehow so much more rewarding. Plus, the Mithra are hot.
It’s good to be back. See you around.
With time freeing up again, I'm easing my way back into my hobbies. (For me "easing my way" into something is a process akin to cliff-diving.) We've fired up the D&D game again, which seems to have benefited all around from the brief hiatus that it's had. It's good to be back in Eberron again...
Not much has happened on the videogaming front, but once again we stand of the precipice of the holiday season deluge. As an avid RPG fan, these are heady times, with the next installments of both Neverwinter Nights and Final Fantasy looming on the immediate horizon.
Bioware has released another one of their premium modules - this one actually being set in the Forgotten Reams. Figuring it would be a good way to while away the time while I pine for the arrival of the sequel, I picked it up. So far I'm very impressed. It's got me it's hooks into me deeper than the original campaign ever did. It seems to have just the right balance of story and adventure, along with some much needed editions to the aging toolset (rideable horses!)
Other than that, my time has been pretty evenly split between Chromehounds and Final Fantasy XI on the XBOX 360. I've fallen in love with Chromehounds, and at this point I'm convinced that it's a game that is just misunderstood. If you were a fan of the old Mechwarrior 2 era games, you'll like this one. It's all about big, stompy mechs bristling with weaponry plodding about and blowing the hell out of each other. No more, no less. The single player campaign is only there as a trainer for online ass-whooping. Know these things, make peace with them, and you too can learn to be one with the 'Hounds.
Final Fantasy XI is another matter all together. I don't know why I like this game, because by all standards, I shouldn't. World of Warcraft is, in fact, a better game by almost any measure. FFXI has grueling character progression which leads to a massive grind, very little story-driven gameplay, a whole lot of camping, and heavy grouping requirements. So why play? Because when you get a perfect group, the battles just sing, and they are somehow so much more rewarding. Plus, the Mithra are hot.
It’s good to be back. See you around.
Labels: Dungeons and Dragons, Eberron, video games
