Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

The MMO Times: Final Fantasy Edition

mmotimesheaderIIIssue 82: Greetings gamers!! It was brought to my attention that I don’t talk about Final Fantasy enough and thus this issue is titled as such. Fear not, there are some headlines about FFXIV included in this issue, I didn’t skate around your feedback by merely titling this issue after the game 🙂 By the way, I encourage folks to make these kinds of suggestions. I don’t know what games folks like to read about so if there is a specific game that you would like for me to include, please let me know.

So, beyond some Final Fantasy XIV news, there is also a pretty cool video to check out from the Infinite Crisis beta testing. Some changes coming to those farming heroes in Marvel Heroes. There is talk of an in-game store with micro-transactions coming to Patch 5.4 of the current World of Warcraft expansion; and more beta news for Elder Scrolls Online. I also included a headline about Hearthstone. I know its not an MMO in the truest sense of the word, but if MMO sites are talking about it, I thought perhaps I should mention it as well.

Gaming: The Difference A Costume Makes

tswSo in between doing some leveling in WoW and preparing for raiding, I’ve been getting back into The Secret World since they are doing their anniversary event offering double XP, AP, or SP (until the 15th). The leveling boost, however, isn’t the reason I’ve been drawn back into the game. A friend of mine recently pointed out that you can build decks which will not only provide you with the abilities to maximize where you’ve put your ability points, but it will also award you a costume.

Sold!

The costumes are pretty cool and they are all unique depending on which faction you are. If you don’t know where to view these decks (because I didn’t notice it), go to your Ability wheel (push “N”) and on the far left side there should be a vertical tab that says Decks. If you click on it, the tab will expand out like an accordion and you can select through the different decks available. I think one of the nice mechanics of The Secret World is that you can build all the decks, you don’t have to pick just one. Actually if you do complete all the decks you will be awarded a pretty sweet looking costume.

You will also notice that when you select a deck, it will indicate on your Ability wheel where you need to put points in order to complete the deck. Just below the image of the costume it should show you which abilities you should use and there is a button there that will equip those abilities to your hot bar so you don’t have to hunt down and find those abilities in your spell book. Once you complete a deck, and you claim your reward, the costume should appear in your dressing room (accessed from your Character Info screen – push “C”).

What is it about a costume that changes the essence of a game! If you haven’t checked out this feature, log in and do it now! Have fun!

/cheers

For the Love of Movies

film_reelI’m among a fairly large group of folks that really enjoy movies. Though, I’m not talking about just watching a movie for its entertainment value, I really get into the movie making process. When I watch a movie, I’m watching it for the plot, the script, the score, sometimes even the cinematography. In some films I even try to image how they accomplished some special effects. I’m the guy that actually watches the special features on all the blu-ray or DVD discs, especially if there are behind-the-scenes and/or “the making of …” featurettes.

When I was in college I actually tried to apply for internships with Lucasfilm. I was pretty adamant about it; I would resubmit my resume for even the slightest change. I knew I didn’t have a hope in hell but my chances were better than if I hadn’t submitted at all. Obviously I was never contacted, but that’s OK.

It might seem a little childish and/or a silly pipe dream, but I still wonder what it would be like to work on a movie. I often wonder what it’s like to be there when the magic happens. I know its not a glamorous career regardless of what your role is in the process. I know there are a lot more happening with green screens and computerized special effects these days but, being in the computer industry myself, I would still find that extremely fascinating. I’m not an actor by any means, so that is definitely not something I would be any good at; however I did have a professor in college tell me that I might have a knack for directing.

I’m reluctant to say it would be a dream job because would I still consider it a dream after working in the industry for a few years. Be that as it may, I will continue to live vicariously through the performances of some of my favorite actors, blu-ray special features and HBO behind-the-scenes. Is that show Movie Magic still on? I use to watch that all the time in my teenage years!

/cheers

The MMO Times: Happy Birthday, America!!

mmotimesheaderIIIssue 81: Happy Independence Day, everyone! In celebration of the birthday of our great nation, let’s set aside our political differences. We should be celebrating the fact that we even have the freedom to express our beliefs. Also, be safe when you go out there to blow things up! Just because there are no repercussions when we blow things up in our games doesn’t mean that translates to real life. You can’t game if you lose a hand because you weren’t safe!

This is getting an early posting since I may not be available to provide any additional headlines that appear over the next couple of days. I’ll either be gaming (there is, after all, The Secret World’s anniversary celebration going on), blowing stuff up, or watching other people blow stuff up.

I’m sure the rest of you may also be indulging in similar activities but here are some headlines to read about. We have some MWO and Runescape 3 release date news, a new Blizzard beta product, The Secret World, SWTOR, and much more. Happy 4th!

Why So Much Ewok Hate?

tumblr_static_7I’ve been a fan of the Star Wars franchise since I was 10 years old. I’ll always love the original trilogy first but I honestly don’t mind the prequels. I get the fact that there are some folks (so-called “fans”) that don’t like the prequel movies, but hey that’s their deal. The Empire Strikes Back is by far my favorite of the six but I had no idea that people hated Ewoks so much.

Again, I don’t mind the Ewoks. I thought it was great when 3PO stood up and they all freaked out and started bowing to him as if he were some kind of god; that was awesome. I suppose I get that people have a hard time swallowing the fact that all the power and might of the Empire was thwarted by fuzzy creatures using sticks and stones, but I think that’s the point. I think its the dichotomy of the two sides that makes the fight interesting and entertaining. The Empire’s overconfidence in their advanced technology was the character flaw and thus why the Ewoks were successful in their assault.

An arrogant enemy isn’t always a victorious enemy.

I liked the Ewoks. I’ll take a thousand Ewoks over one Jar-Jar any day! So why is there so much Ewok hate?? (oh, and the other thing that makes Return of the Jedi great … Speeder Bikes … I want one!)

The MMO Times: Dude, Our MMO’s Awesome!

Issue 80Issue 80: I’m pretty sure that’s what DOMA stands for. Anyway, in World of Warcraft the first of the PTR raid tests have begun. This is usually an indication that the latest patch is probably within 6 weeks of hitting live servers. Granted they’re only testing two bosses and there are several bosses to test, plus they are only testing normal modes, but it means we will soon contribute to Garrosh’s fate. Of course, that is if you even care about WoW. There are other things going on if WoW isn’t your thing, its just the thing that currently has most of my attention (though I have been checking out The Secret World lately).

Speaking of The Secret World, there is news about it in this issue, plus new content for Aion, Age of Wushu, RIFT and more. Also, don’t forget that this weekend is the second Double XP Weekend in SWTOR! Also, everyone have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

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