Bet you’re saying, “OMG! She’s back in WoW!” Well, no. Not yet, anyway.
I’ve been looking at Asus’ Eee super-portable computer for awhile, and have caught my son and sister admiring it at BJ’s. The Eee is a very, very small computer with a solid-state drive and amazing portability, and is really cute 🙂 The screen size is a little small, but they are about to release the new Eee 900 series, which has a larger screen, multi-touch touch pad, and Linux or Windows XP.
Now, my main use would be for what my gaming laptop proved unsuited for; being portable. Sure, I can play EQ2 in the living room or in airports, but without my headset, my G15 gaming keyboard, my mouse, my drawing tablet, my entire freakin’ Linux computer sitting right next to it… well, it takes a long time to unhook it, move to new room, plug in the power supply, and make do without all the cool peripherals in the other room. So anyway. Wish I had a decent paint program. But basically, I would use it for the things that aren’t worth the hassle of moving my gaming laptop for — like shelling into my Linux box and having it transfer movies to my Windows laptop, which, running Vista, acts as a media source for my Xbox, which can play movies on the TV.
So: To watch a movie on the TV —
- Connect to Baphomet from the Eee.
- cp xxxxxx.avi laptop/
- chmod aug+r laptop/* (probably not necessary or allowed)
- (On Xbox) Media > Shared Videos
- Watch movie!
This would also allow me to do some writing without having to be alone in the dark. And it’s small enough so that I could carry it with me — something that is difficult with my gaming laptop, and kind of scary, since that contains pretty much everything. Losing it would be a hardship.
Anyway, if I had such a computer — slow, small screen, but very portable — I wouldn’t necessarily want to run MMOs on it. But… could I if I wanted to?
Well, this guy has gotten World of Warcraft to run on it. Not well, not fast, definitely not uber — but running. Not sure if I would reactivate my account just to run the game on a non-gaming notebook, but given that it’s possible, what else might run?
Well, aside from WoW, which runs about as you’d expect (but it runs), there’s a whole thread in the Windows gaming forum about free-to-play MMOs that run on the Eee.
The downside to this of course is that it requires you to have Windows running instead of Linux. Which would change my movie watching; instead of pushing through the Linux machine, I’d have to Remote Desktop into the laptop and pull from the Linux machine. It could work but just… well, Windows… Is it worth that much to be able to play games poorly? Maybe not. But Kongregate has hundreds of Flash games that should run fine on the Eee under Linux…
Well, I am so glad my sister bought me a huge purse for Christmas. If I get this, I’ll need it 🙂 What with my Reader, this, Nintendo DS…
I remember back during my EQ1 days I always wished they could make a really chintzy version of EQ where everything was 2D sprites and possibly overheard view. The reason for this wish was that I had a 12 hour shift on the weekends at a private airport in a desolate portion of NJ near the pine barrens. My laptop was inferior 10 years prior to my owning it, and thus no games at all could run on it. I kept wishing such a watered down version of EQ could exist, but because it was never going to be, I entertained myself by staring out the window at the windy pines wavering in the breeze.
How I yearned for those woods to be Warsliks.
They DID have such a game… Pocket EverQuest. I never played it, but some people in my guild did. It’s impossible to find these days. It ran in Windows CE, but might have run in Windows. I’d love to see that re-released.
DAMN IT!
ALL THIS TIME I….GAHHH!!!
Not even that impossible to find, either 🙂 I wonder if they would really sell this if I bought it. Here’s some links to the game and its two expansions — War on Faydwer and Attack on Qeynos, which explains those two names in the trademarks list. I wonder if I could get this to run anywhere… like on the Asus Eee 🙂
EverQuest Pocket PC: Episode 1
EverQuest Pocket PC: War on Faydwer
EverQuest Pocket PC: Attack on Qeynos
This, although very close, would not have met my wishes. I wanted to actually play with my friends, or at the very least chat with them. (Which I used EQIM for, so at least part of my prayers were answered).
Why does the character design remind me of Mythos? Haha!
I wonder if you could somehow Homebrew this on to a Nintendo DS, wouldn’t that be something? =P
Actually – it might even be completely doable.
I have seen a few emulators for Pocket PCs that are compatible with the DS (now if only I could find a site which claims to have done this that actually loads).
Even more promising is that the DS already has an ARM processor within it.
The plot thickens!
All your chatter of EQ1 did it.. I bought Secrets of Faydwer and am installing, if for nothing more then to wander around the next month lost in Nostalgia.
Oh! Hey, we should pick a neutral server and meet up 🙂 I have alts of all levels, and I could spring for a transfer for one of them. I could probably transfer one of my high levels, though I’d be reluctant to transfer my 75 cleric. If I ever return to EQ1 in a serious way, I have a lot of IOUs to cash in from people who promised to help level me 🙂
I could come start on your server, no fees involved that way. I’d be WAY WAY behind in everything, but no idea how serious I am on coming back, more or less I’m just going to wander around I think. Need to get a feel for things again. I do have a friend interested who’s also installing as we speak (ah the power of the blog).. lemme ponder on things for a bit! Just also bought a PS3 so the less extra costs I’m incurring the better *snickers*
I think my beastlord, Shinai, is my lowest character. Past her is my berserker, Beza, and then my necro, Tsuki. I’m going to reactivate my other account (the one with my cleric and druid and other cleric on it) too. I used to three box LDoN instances when I had my daughter’s account, but it wasn’t easy.
I think LDoNs would be just the thing, though, for a really casual low-level group. I certainly don’t have the plat to twink anyone; I have about 800 plat on Tipa and I dunno how much on Brita — 20K I think. Which is essentially nothing in the inflated EQ1 economy. It would be hard to buy the Mark II spells and abilities necessary for high level groups without a few million plat to draw upon.
I could resurrect Kuron Steelfeather, my mighty dwarf warrior with like 17AA at level 62 (no idea actually what his level is, except that it isn’t “maxed”). Might actually not be very helpful now that I think of it, haha. I would still kill for the chance to feel some nostalgia, if you’ll have me.
If you agree, just keep one thing in mind:
Garbage Can + Beard = Kuron
’nuff said.
Stargrace started a new character on Erollisi Marr, but she may decide to play one of her higher level characters. I wouldn’t want to start another character up from scratch unless I had friends to do it with. What I would LOVE to do is form a regular group of ANY level, and once a week or so we’d get together and do something fun. Not for levels, not for loot — because this is EQ, after all, and both are in short supply — just for fun.
Cameron Sorden restarted on the Test server a few months back, and what with hot spots, the half hour of double xp per day vet reward and the double xp modifier of Test, that he gained levels pretty fast.
Me? I’d love another chance to experience the dangers of Befallen and Blackburrow and Highhold Pass. Actually fight in West Karana instead of just taking screenshots from it. I’d avoid hunting in Upper Guk this time. Splitpaw is no longer a low level zone, unfortunately, and the Temple of Cazic-Thule is no longer the best mid-level dungeon in the game. But hey, there’s all the low-mid level stuff in Kunark, Luclin and Serpent’s Spine still.
Paludal Caverns ftw.
Is that a “no” to my craptastic warrior joining then? =P
lol… of course not 🙂 just I don’t yet know how this will all come together. I’d just like to play EQ again, regardless of the level, and without having to spend hundreds of thousands of plat to make the character playable. I have my 66 druid or 65 mage who are right around that level and would be totally happy to play either one on whatever server would be best. I’d have to move my mage anyway if that’s how it went down, because she’s stuck on Stromm. Would you be averse to starting a character from scratch if you had a regular group in which to play?
A trashbin with a beard stapled to it could just be exactly what’s needed in such a group.
I don’t know if I can move characters to another server, is my issue. $50 is a little steep (with some other rl expenses atm) to warrant the change..
I have characters in a few levels, 70, 67, 40, 32, and a few other lowbies, I think I have about 7k to my name (which of course is pretty much nothing) and I’d LOVE to get together once a week to do something. I can *try* to switch to another server if that’s what ya’ll are interested in doing, but no guarantee from my end. The idea sounds super fun none the less.
I can move to another 🙂 Or just starting from scratch is fine too.
Well, we for sure have 3 of us interested.. I say we make “What I would LOVE to do is form a regular group of ANY level, and once a week or so we’d get together and do something fun” into a reality, hmms? Keep in mind it’s been three years since I’ve played, and I’m so newb the smell is still there. I don’t care where or what levels, but I’m excited!
I would not mind starting a new character from scratch at all.
If you need a tank, I have over 5 years of wandering and button-smashing experience. I would be happy to be your warrior, even if I have to start with a brand new, undented, shiny rubbish can with a freshly combed beard stapled to it and the Walmart receipt hastily taped to it by an elderly man so that I could get out of the store without being tackled by a similar elderly man pretending to be a security guard.
*looks confused for a moment* Oh yes, where was I?
Let’s play! Tell me where and when! But I must beg of you – let’s have a set schedule for this thing. A definite, infallible schedule that we all promise to hell to adhere to (barring emergencies/major inconveniences of course).
I might even have a fragmented, partially unused Ventrillo server we can sneak on to.
That sounds perfect to me, a schedule sounds like a good idea too — as it stands, I leave that to you two, mine is completely open and I’ll play when ever you two set it for (as long as Tipa’s game for this of course). So we’ve got a tank to beat around… Tipa, what are you keen on playing?
I knew we’d need a tank, and I knew I was the only one dumb enough to willingly select a Warrior again. So it only made sense. Haha.
You’ve both gotten a Google group invite where we can talk about this more. If anyone else is interested in checking out EQ, leave a note and I’ll add you as well.