Blog Update
First, just a small blog update. I'm thinking of renaming my blog because I feel that it is no longer a "restoration" blog, and what I feel like posting, which may still have some WoW events/experiences/insights, are now mostly directed at other subjects. It may have to do with the fact I am only online when I am raiding, and no other time. It may be that my focus has shifted to other video games. Either way, I feel that it's misleading to call this a "restoration" blog when I'm not really talking much about restoration.
The shift going on in the blogsphere, where people are quitting the game or closing up blog shop, is pretty disheartening. Although WoW in-game still has what seems like a ton of people on, seeing prominent players that we may check in with daily to read their thoughts about WoW, leave the community in one way or another makes the reality of WoW much more discouraging. I wish these players all the best, and of course understand the nature of leaving. There is nothing to hold against them. But I think this shift has affected me more than I would like it.
Pokemon Update
That being said, I've been having loads of fun breeding and EV training Pokemon. I think I might post some blogs about Pokemon and EV training just because during my vast amount of research, some information I looked for was difficult to obtain. Until 4.1 hits, I don't have much to report about druids, so I might focus a bit on Pokemon
Life Update
Facebook is an interesting social networking tool. It has me connected to people I probably would've forgotten about. I remember their names and faces (and apparently I am remembered too). I went to a K-8 private school and was with the same 15 or so kids for over 10 years. And although the majority of us went our separate ways in high school, it's still a weird sensation reconnecting with them impersonally (because we may be friends on Facebook, but we don't really talk).
My best friend from K-8 has a 3 year old kid.
Another one of my old friends just got married and is pregnant.
An old classmate, who ended up being second runner up in a Miss America Pageant, is now engaged.
It's crazy because it's the only reminder to me, who is still in college and just floating around in life, that I am growing up. I am getting to that age where marriage and children isn't necessarily out of the ordinary. If anything, it's in the very near future.
Showing posts with label Pokemon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pokemon. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Losing Steam
Heh, who knew. It's not like I have no time. I'm actually doing well in college and even though time isn't something I have to enjoy, I have been able to manage my time successfully and see it produce results.
This is important because I have a dedicated 4 days a week, 3 hours a day, devoted to raiding.
Lately though, I feel myself losing steam. Sure Patch 4.1 is heading our way soon. And there's this new game called Rift that's always another option. But nothing seems to be pushing me.
I thought maybe having the opportunity to raid on alts would increase their desirability to play, but my paladin is still sitting untouched at level 84.
I even tried Feral and it was fun for a couple dungeons, but then I got tired of it (specifically the dungeons. God I hate Cataclysm dungeons) and stopped running. My guild has been put on hiatus for a week or so because of life, which is fine, but what is concerning is that I'm actually really glad we're not raiding. I like having the time to watch primetime tv fully, to play little console games, and nap as long as I want.
It's disappointing for me, as a gamer who loves Blizzard and World of Warcraft. This game has always held my attention, to the point that I was concerned about a gaming addiction. Cataclysm was a great amount of fun, and there's a lot to do. But maybe there's not enough. The longevity of the game is definitely it's one downside. I think, even without Rift, we would still see a shift in gamers' attention.
As I look ahead, Patch 4.1 is it. I understand that Blizzard is planning to release patches in smaller amounts, but faster, and I can appreciate that. However, in this crucial time, when they are not only fighting the usual gamer interests, but now this Rift game, they may need to change their game plan. I have this feeling that Patch 4.1 will only produce about a week or two worth of interest, before it grows old. Honestly, the only thing I'm looking forward to is the changes to Efflorescence. Don't really care about ZA or ZG. Don't really care about trying to get even more mounts or pets. Maybe with increases Rare spawn from Archaeology, I'll dapple in that more, but there's a good chance the RNG system will still kick my ass, as always.
The problem Rift poses, as compared to other MMO competition (and games in general) is that it presents WoW with almost a clone rival. Actually, a shinier, more better tailored clone rival. I STILL think WoW will continue to thrive, but Rift might actually shake its foundation.
I think Rift has affected me a lot, even when I don't play it. A lot of the blogs I read are now focused on Rift, which is honestly a bit disheartening. It's mostly discouraging my reading of them- if I see Rift in the title, and I know the author is playing it, I tend to just not even bother looking at it. I know I meander off topic to different games or other media, but I still try and post something WoW/Druid related. It seems like mostly, these blogs are focusing on Rift. And more Rift. /yawn
At least there's this little DS game to fill that void. What's kind of scary though is how MMO's have affected me playing other games. Before, I played WoW, I was all about the story and characters; I would burn through games to better understand the story. Now I'm all about collecting things, looking at the mechanics of my characters (or Pokemon) and trying to build them to be the best. I never though I'd ever try Pokemon breeding, and yet here I am, trying to breed multiples. I look up information about which Pokemon have the highest base-stats and try and get the strongest I can. It's an odd feeling because I know I won't be dappling in competitive play with anyone, and beating the AI doesn't take this level of preparation and study. Yet here I am, trying desperately to play the game in the same way I play my druid.
It's a weird feeling. I like Pokemon because of it; it seems like such a simple game, and yet deep down, it's actually incredibly indepth complex. I kind of like uncovering this.
I do find amusing is the amount of Youtube videos I've watched recently that are made by kids. It's kind of cute listening to their squeaky voices as they teach me how to Pokemon breed.
Or the chubby kid telling me how to trick my Pokewalker so that I won't have to exercise.
Good times.
Happy catching?
This is important because I have a dedicated 4 days a week, 3 hours a day, devoted to raiding.
Lately though, I feel myself losing steam. Sure Patch 4.1 is heading our way soon. And there's this new game called Rift that's always another option. But nothing seems to be pushing me.
I thought maybe having the opportunity to raid on alts would increase their desirability to play, but my paladin is still sitting untouched at level 84.
I even tried Feral and it was fun for a couple dungeons, but then I got tired of it (specifically the dungeons. God I hate Cataclysm dungeons) and stopped running. My guild has been put on hiatus for a week or so because of life, which is fine, but what is concerning is that I'm actually really glad we're not raiding. I like having the time to watch primetime tv fully, to play little console games, and nap as long as I want.
It's disappointing for me, as a gamer who loves Blizzard and World of Warcraft. This game has always held my attention, to the point that I was concerned about a gaming addiction. Cataclysm was a great amount of fun, and there's a lot to do. But maybe there's not enough. The longevity of the game is definitely it's one downside. I think, even without Rift, we would still see a shift in gamers' attention.
As I look ahead, Patch 4.1 is it. I understand that Blizzard is planning to release patches in smaller amounts, but faster, and I can appreciate that. However, in this crucial time, when they are not only fighting the usual gamer interests, but now this Rift game, they may need to change their game plan. I have this feeling that Patch 4.1 will only produce about a week or two worth of interest, before it grows old. Honestly, the only thing I'm looking forward to is the changes to Efflorescence. Don't really care about ZA or ZG. Don't really care about trying to get even more mounts or pets. Maybe with increases Rare spawn from Archaeology, I'll dapple in that more, but there's a good chance the RNG system will still kick my ass, as always.
The problem Rift poses, as compared to other MMO competition (and games in general) is that it presents WoW with almost a clone rival. Actually, a shinier, more better tailored clone rival. I STILL think WoW will continue to thrive, but Rift might actually shake its foundation.
I think Rift has affected me a lot, even when I don't play it. A lot of the blogs I read are now focused on Rift, which is honestly a bit disheartening. It's mostly discouraging my reading of them- if I see Rift in the title, and I know the author is playing it, I tend to just not even bother looking at it. I know I meander off topic to different games or other media, but I still try and post something WoW/Druid related. It seems like mostly, these blogs are focusing on Rift. And more Rift. /yawn
At least there's this little DS game to fill that void. What's kind of scary though is how MMO's have affected me playing other games. Before, I played WoW, I was all about the story and characters; I would burn through games to better understand the story. Now I'm all about collecting things, looking at the mechanics of my characters (or Pokemon) and trying to build them to be the best. I never though I'd ever try Pokemon breeding, and yet here I am, trying to breed multiples. I look up information about which Pokemon have the highest base-stats and try and get the strongest I can. It's an odd feeling because I know I won't be dappling in competitive play with anyone, and beating the AI doesn't take this level of preparation and study. Yet here I am, trying desperately to play the game in the same way I play my druid.
It's a weird feeling. I like Pokemon because of it; it seems like such a simple game, and yet deep down, it's actually incredibly indepth complex. I kind of like uncovering this.
I do find amusing is the amount of Youtube videos I've watched recently that are made by kids. It's kind of cute listening to their squeaky voices as they teach me how to Pokemon breed.
Or the chubby kid telling me how to trick my Pokewalker so that I won't have to exercise.
Good times.
Happy catching?
Monday, March 14, 2011
Pokemon White: Finishing Up and Post Credit Gaming
Pokemon White's difficulty level began curving up faster as I went farther in, but after fighting the Elite Four, endgame content skyrocketed. I don't know how I feel about this. It is entirely possible to continue without much of a hitch, and the National Pokedex expands your Pokemon availability from 156 to over 400.
That was the fun part. Being able to replace all these new Pokemon with old favorites who are stronger (I caught a level 64 Milotic....).
SPOILERS?!?!!! D:
That was the fun part. Being able to replace all these new Pokemon with old favorites who are stronger (I caught a level 64 Milotic....).
SPOILERS?!?!!! D:
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Thursday Thoughts: Patch 4.1, Haste, and Being Bipolar
Moving On
Despite the bad feelings that were created a couple nights ago, we moved on last night without a hitch. One-shotted Chimarean, which made me feel good about myself (lol). Probably drop into Bastion tonight and get back at Cho'gall. We're going to have another off week because of absences, which, as far as I'm concern, is okay because I like playing Pokemon. I wonder when we'll get to the point where we can 2 heal fights. Probably not. too much bad luck type stuff happens.
Despite the bad feelings that were created a couple nights ago, we moved on last night without a hitch. One-shotted Chimarean, which made me feel good about myself (lol). Probably drop into Bastion tonight and get back at Cho'gall. We're going to have another off week because of absences, which, as far as I'm concern, is okay because I like playing Pokemon. I wonder when we'll get to the point where we can 2 heal fights. Probably not. too much bad luck type stuff happens.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Pokemon White: 4 Gym Battles In
The Power of Catching Them All (a short review)
I love this game. It's so much fun and it's renewed my love for the series and for console gaming itself. I've been so wrapped up in WoW and raiding and team playing that it's nice to be solely accountable for myself and only myself and battling the AI without any social play. Of course there's plenty of social opportunities in this game, but I don't need them.
Story
Pokemon White (Black) introduces the world of Unova and the 156 Pokemon that inhabit it. There are some things in the introduction that I wish could be bypassed (like learning to catch a Pokemon), but it's not enough of a complaint to warrant a change. There are two rivals this time, instead of one, and both portray a different type of stereotyped personality. The boy, Cheran, is the smart intellectual type, with his glasses. He smartly picks the Pokemon your starter is weak to. The girl, Bianca, is blonde, ditzy and not that smart. She picks the Pokemon whose weak against your starter. Throughout the game, you encounter them and battle them, and listen to their antics and small back stories. (Bianca has one, which seems weird.)
I'm impressed with the story overall. Team Plasma (the Team Rocket of Unova) is an interesting enemy. Instead of the usual "we steal pokemon and take over random centers of interest because we're so bad," Team Plasma has taken a more political approach. They are led by N, who doesn't believe owning Pokemon and battling with them is right (although he battles you several times). He is on a journey to form better relationships with Pokemon, but at the same time, his entire team spends the game harassing you and preaching about freeing Pokemon from us, the trainers. I was kind of shocked with the political nature of this conflict. I'm sure we won't be freeing the Pokemon any time soon, so I wonder how they will justify us as trainers capturing, collecting, and battling with them.
For some reason this story seems more mature than the game's intended audience. Good thing. Hell yah.
Graphics
I'm not a techie, spec person, so I don't understand the nature of what the DS is capable of. However, that being said, I would think that the height of the DS's graphics is Kingdom Hearts 365/2. Pokemon has always been a sort of 2d adventure. And while they maintain the same feel of Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, they've also managed to make the graphics feel updated. The Pokemon have unique animations. There's even "3d" type areas, including a whole city, that brings some depth into the game without overwhelming anyone. Celestial Tower has a winding staircase that you can actually climb and wind with. Impressive.
Battles
The battle system hasn't changed much at all. The new types of battles, Triple Battles, and Rotation Battles (which are Black), are the new additions. I guess Triple battles are exclusive/more common in Pokemon White. I'm not a big fan of Triple battles. Your Pokemon are restricted depending on where they are standing (the one on the right can't reach the Pokemon on the left) and there's a lot going on. Two battles I think are enough.
I like that the leaders are strong enough, but not over powering. I remember when "super effective" moves would barely hurt a gym leader's Pokemon, even if you out level'd them by a ton. The level gaps aren't nearly that big either, so the game is nicely paced so far.
Leveling
I love leveling. Power-leveling has been given a nice boost in the form of "shaking" grass and the elusive Audino. You run back and forth near a grass spot (don't have to be in the grass, so you can avoid the random battles), and when you see a shaking grass spot, you enter an encounter, usually with Audino. This cute Pokemon yields a ton of XP, even to higher levels.
EXP is now distributed differently. If a Pokemon is lower, it gains extra EXP, while a higher lvl will gain slightly lower. This is great when coupled with EXP Share item, which now shares the experience with just one Pokemon instead of all of them. You can easily level a lower Pokemon to reach the right level using this method.
There's still a level of "farming" for the shaking grasses, but it bypasses the need to be constantly in a random encounter.
Bravo!
Overall so far
I'm loving this game so far. It's reminded me of how awesome the series is and that despite how old the anime is getting, the games never do get old. Nintendo and Game Freak do a great job at updating the game while keeping the same formula that makes the game great. I'm not sure about Post-Credit content, but I''ll update more when I reach there.
Happy catching!
I love this game. It's so much fun and it's renewed my love for the series and for console gaming itself. I've been so wrapped up in WoW and raiding and team playing that it's nice to be solely accountable for myself and only myself and battling the AI without any social play. Of course there's plenty of social opportunities in this game, but I don't need them.
Story
Pokemon White (Black) introduces the world of Unova and the 156 Pokemon that inhabit it. There are some things in the introduction that I wish could be bypassed (like learning to catch a Pokemon), but it's not enough of a complaint to warrant a change. There are two rivals this time, instead of one, and both portray a different type of stereotyped personality. The boy, Cheran, is the smart intellectual type, with his glasses. He smartly picks the Pokemon your starter is weak to. The girl, Bianca, is blonde, ditzy and not that smart. She picks the Pokemon whose weak against your starter. Throughout the game, you encounter them and battle them, and listen to their antics and small back stories. (Bianca has one, which seems weird.)
I'm impressed with the story overall. Team Plasma (the Team Rocket of Unova) is an interesting enemy. Instead of the usual "we steal pokemon and take over random centers of interest because we're so bad," Team Plasma has taken a more political approach. They are led by N, who doesn't believe owning Pokemon and battling with them is right (although he battles you several times). He is on a journey to form better relationships with Pokemon, but at the same time, his entire team spends the game harassing you and preaching about freeing Pokemon from us, the trainers. I was kind of shocked with the political nature of this conflict. I'm sure we won't be freeing the Pokemon any time soon, so I wonder how they will justify us as trainers capturing, collecting, and battling with them.
For some reason this story seems more mature than the game's intended audience. Good thing. Hell yah.
Graphics
I'm not a techie, spec person, so I don't understand the nature of what the DS is capable of. However, that being said, I would think that the height of the DS's graphics is Kingdom Hearts 365/2. Pokemon has always been a sort of 2d adventure. And while they maintain the same feel of Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, they've also managed to make the graphics feel updated. The Pokemon have unique animations. There's even "3d" type areas, including a whole city, that brings some depth into the game without overwhelming anyone. Celestial Tower has a winding staircase that you can actually climb and wind with. Impressive.
Battles
The battle system hasn't changed much at all. The new types of battles, Triple Battles, and Rotation Battles (which are Black), are the new additions. I guess Triple battles are exclusive/more common in Pokemon White. I'm not a big fan of Triple battles. Your Pokemon are restricted depending on where they are standing (the one on the right can't reach the Pokemon on the left) and there's a lot going on. Two battles I think are enough.
I like that the leaders are strong enough, but not over powering. I remember when "super effective" moves would barely hurt a gym leader's Pokemon, even if you out level'd them by a ton. The level gaps aren't nearly that big either, so the game is nicely paced so far.
Leveling
I love leveling. Power-leveling has been given a nice boost in the form of "shaking" grass and the elusive Audino. You run back and forth near a grass spot (don't have to be in the grass, so you can avoid the random battles), and when you see a shaking grass spot, you enter an encounter, usually with Audino. This cute Pokemon yields a ton of XP, even to higher levels.
EXP is now distributed differently. If a Pokemon is lower, it gains extra EXP, while a higher lvl will gain slightly lower. This is great when coupled with EXP Share item, which now shares the experience with just one Pokemon instead of all of them. You can easily level a lower Pokemon to reach the right level using this method.
There's still a level of "farming" for the shaking grasses, but it bypasses the need to be constantly in a random encounter.
Bravo!
Overall so far
I'm loving this game so far. It's reminded me of how awesome the series is and that despite how old the anime is getting, the games never do get old. Nintendo and Game Freak do a great job at updating the game while keeping the same formula that makes the game great. I'm not sure about Post-Credit content, but I''ll update more when I reach there.
Happy catching!
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