everquest 2 – AFK Gamer

Google, Yahoo, Warcraft and You

Foton — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 16:53:05 +0000

If you’re a Google calendar user like I am (because I want Google to know everything about me, and some day, if the government needs to compile a Foton dossier, they can just go to Google and pinpoint the exact location and time where I’ll be so they can serve me with papers), you probably know that you can subscribe to any number of public calendars, which will add their events to your giant calendar too.

For example, below is the World of Warcraft Google calendar containing the Darkmoon Faire dates and locations, the PVP battleground holidays and the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza. The calendar could really use the raid instance reset dates, especially Onyxia, but eh, can’t have everything. (The subscribe link is at the bottom.)

Several guilds have set up their raid schedules in Google, as have a few Everquest raiding guilds — not mine however, we don’t want the government to know our raiding schedule, nosey bastards.

On to Yahoo. If you’re widgetized — the desktop doohickeys — there are a few Warcraft widgets available (gallery of Warcraft widgets), including an RSS Breaking! Warcraft! News! feed, item search widgets connected to Thottbot or Allakhawhatsit, and several realm status widgets. Not available yet: a World of Warcraft in-game weather widget or a World of Warcraft Faked Patch Notes widget.

I didn’t find any EverQuest widgets, but there are a couple for Second Life — an auction widget, a ~~brothel~~ location search and news feeds. Not available yet: a Vanguard in-game Beta Cam (view the vast and empty landscape) or an EQ Day/Night Clock for noobs without adequate monitors or night vision.

Bringing this all full circle: a Yahoo widget for your Google calendar. (Note: a new version is expected shortly as the current one is … bug-riffic.)

Harness the power of the new technologies so that wherever you are, whatever you’re supposed to be doing (but aren’t), know what’s going on in your better other world.

Second Life Ninjas Publicity from World of Warcraft

Foton — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:39:44 +0000

Since I know next to nothing about computer hardware and even less about network doohickeys, CNET News’ article about the scalability of Second Life versus that of, say, EQII and World of Warcraft reads like this in my head: bzzzz servers bzzzz users bzzzz bees bzzzz I need some more coffee. I see that they talked to Castronova about all this … bzzzz, because that’s some sort of rule in g-journalism. Either that or Castronova spam emails all the paid rags that he’s available WHENEVER to comment on gaming issues, although he’s never emailed me saying, “hey Foton, if you ever need some perspective on The Endgame or The Lack of Ideas in MMO Orc on Elf Gaming, I’m your guy.” Which is good, because I’d just think, wtf, like I’m not living it?

Curt Schilling Wants to Kill You

Foton — Thu, 25 May 2006 13:12:55 +0000

Maybe you read about the upcoming EverQuest II fundraiser for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. (Wikipedia and learn.) From the press release, each time a player battles and defeats Curt Schilling with his Curt Schilling lookalike NPC (kinda creepy) in game, Sony Online will donate $5 (maximum total of $10,000) to the ALS Association. The fundraiser will run from June 5th, 2006 through June 7th. This sounds like a great idea and very imaginative, but I’m thinking Curt might roll over on some of these battles — although, either way, it’s win/win for the ALS Association. Also, I’m wondering if Curt Schilling really uses the word “amongst” in conversation and if he ever lol’s in guild chat.

Move Along, Nothing to See

Foton — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 15:46:21 +0000

Here’s another thing I just don’t get.

A few of the former EQ guildies have moved on to EQ2; they’ve been there since launch. They’ve loved it and hated it, just like everyone else with their game of choice.

So yesterday, EQ2’s Kingdom of Sky expansion launches, and there’s a few delays, rollbacks, crashes, digital downloads that won’t — typical Launch Day crap — and the EQ guildies are livid. No noobs they to the woes of a Launch Day, but to hear them tell it, I should just shut the fuck up about Warcraft queues and shittorent patches, they’re living a nightmare here!

Thought I, there should be some good rant reading on Wednesday, probably a LOT of good rant reading. (MMO Truth #3: Players hate rollbacks. To actually have something in your hands — levels, loots, whatev’s — only to have it snatched away in a few minutes time, that’s hated.)

So, umm. I found this: Kingdom of Sky Off To A Great SOE Start. And this: Kingdom of Sky Issues. I found a few EQ2 forum rants, but I was really after a good writeup.

I know there were rollbacks, I know there were crashes, I know there were problems with downloads, I want to know how bad; gimme an anecdote, figures, something someone heard from a friend of a friend of a RL GM, anything.

Which brings me to what I don’t get: is everything so wonderful in EQ2 that there’s no bullshit to report? Where’s the guys to tell us what’s REALLY going on over there? I’m not trying to bang on EQ2’s population figures because all’s not so well in Warcraft-land either, but is this game so off the radar that no one cares?

At any rate, next time I talk to the EQ guildies, I’m going to straighten them out: they need to stfu about the KoS launch, I’m living a nightmare here with queues and shittorent patches!

Station Access Collection

Foton — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:57:57 +0000

Are we still pretending that the SOE stable of online games is flourishing? Sony announced yesterday an impending repackage job of their stable — EQ Evolution (wtf? Oh, that’s EQ + the first 5 expansions), EQII, PlanetSide Aftershock (complete PS collection), The Matrix Online and Star Wars: Galaxies (with the first expansion, Jump to Lightspeed) — all for $39.99 beginning March 14th. I don’t even want to think about how much I paid for my personal collection of SOE onliners way back when. (DAMMIT) The monthlies for those 5 games with the Station Access subscription, $21.99 plus tax. (Press Release)

CBS News | Star Wars Mailbag

Foton — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:51:03 +0000

Some pretty serious charges leveled against Sony Online in this email published last December in CBS News’ Gamecore: Star Wars Mailbag: The Sequel.
A lot of this stuff we know already — i.e. expansion zones pushed live without full itemization, etc. — but the other stuff is pretty damn snakey, even by Sony standards. To be fair, there are structural problems with the column (no clear delineation between the emails) and the charges are unsubstantiated, but such is the state of affairs with modern journalism: if someone says it, that’s good enough to print.

Everquest II vs World of Warcraft

Foton — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 19:46:00 +0000

Rage3D.com’s side-by-side comparison of Everquest II vs World of Warcraft: A Year in Review — a fairly detailed and objective comparison of the two games on noob levels, interfaces, PvP, crafting, guilds, soloability, etc. Kinda all the stuff we really … Continue reading →

WoW Players Review EQII

Foton — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 20:19:04 +0000

From the Warcraft whorums, WoW Players Flee to EQII. My take from reading a few of those mini-reviews, there’s some strong opinions on EQII. I never gave EQII much of a chance, other than a brief run around the island trial for a few days, so I won’t instigate a WoW vs. EQII argument (just yet), but I will say this much: that trial blew hard. Two words: rogue sneak. Whoever did the animation for rogue sneak is having a good laugh right now. (Think: waddling around as if one was wearing a loaded diaper.) Is there an improved sneak where rogues won’t waddle? I have no idea, but five levels of that was five too many for me. (As with all Warcraft forum links, the thread will expire and disappear into the Internet Trash Bin. READ IT NOW.)

You’re in Their Expanding World

Foton — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 16:52:52 +0000

Yesterday, Evil overlord Sony introduced the latest expansions (read: content you have to buy) for EverQuest: Prophecy of Ro and for EQII: Kingdom of Sky. Both available in February 2006, each will cost $29.99, or $26.99 each for digital downloads. Expansion sites here: Prophecy of Ro and Kingdom of Sky. Every expansion that’s ever been can be summed up thusly: New evil and corruption arrives, you get to do one or two things you always wanted to do, there might be new loot. The End.

Titanium pwns Platinum

Foton — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 14:30:11 +0000

Not in time for Christmas, Sony announced the release of EverQuest® Titanium, a collection of everything EQ-Classic: old skool EQ®, plus the ten expansions of The Ruins of Kunark®, The Scars of Velious®, The Shadows of Luclin®, The Planes of Power®, The Legacy of Ykesha™, Lost Dungeons of Norrath™, Gates of Discord™, Dragons of Norrath™, Omens of War™ and Depths of Darkhollow™.

Titanium can be had for the low, low price of $19.99 beginning January 11, 2006. If you have the low, low price of $19.99 available now, that’s too bad. All you can get is Platinum … the old skool EQ® plus seven expansions. If you wanted to give someone the wonders of EQ® for Christmas or other non-Christian holiday, you’re in a bit of a pickle. No coincidence that.

But that’s not all! Beginning this week, on December 15, 2005, Sony’s launching a new player vanity service: EQ® Players. Here’s the full details, but basically, you can purchase for a monthly fee any or all of the following:

EverQuest II Premium Features. The following four (4) premium features may each be purchased individually for US$0.99 per month or purchase all four (4) as a complete package for US$2.99 per month (plus taxes, if applicable):

1. Advanced Character Profiles.

2. Dynamic Item Databases and Information.

3. Advanced Guild Tools.

4. Character Screenshot/Image Storage.

EverQuest Premium Features. The following four (4) premium features may each be purchased individually for US$0.99 per month or purchase all four (4) as a complete package for US$2.99 per month (plus taxes, if applicable):

1. Advanced Character Profiles.

2. Advanced Rankings & Leaderboards.

3. Advanced Game Data.

4. Enhanced Image Gallery.

Think: Magelo, Thottbot for EQ and ImageShack combined, for $3 a month. I guess. If it works, might be worth it. You tell me when you try it — it’s free through December 29th.

Did I say that was all? No, I did not. ALSO, former EQ® players can return to Norrath for 21 days of free EQ® gaming if we sign up before January 13, 2006.

Ummm no. But thank you for the Christmas gift. Unfortunately, I didn’t get Sony anything this year as I’ve moved on to another relationship with a gaming giant.