Idol Talk

by

Melinda booted? I did not see that coming. Every poll I saw had Melinda well in front while Blake and Jordin were tied for second. So, Blake and Jordin move into the finals. I was looking forward to a Melinda/Blake bake-off. Who wins next week? I gotta go with Jordin. She is, after all, The … Read more

SOE’s “The Gambler”, Vanguard-style

by

You gotta know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run.
You never count your money
when you’re sitting at the table
There’ll be time enough to count it
When the dealing’s done
I am a huge fan of SOE and their games. But even I could see what was coming when SOE agreed to publish Vanguard. There was no way ever that they weren’t already thinking how they would position it when it became their own.

Read more

LotRO: Finished Book III

by
screenshot00143.jpg

Yes, I am rushing through Lord of the Rings Online. There’s way too much exciting stuff happening in EverQuest 2 to stay away much longer; the release of Neriak and the dark Fae; Kunark coming in the fall; LotRO has to be done and finished by then.
Book 3 deals with the fight of the Dunadain — the Rangers — against the tide of evil creatures coming from the North. They have taken over the ancient city of Fornost and are spread throughout the plains of Dol Dinan.

Read more

LotRO: Book II Finished (yay!?)

by

The Hobbits, we find at the end of Retake Weathertop, have made it safely to Rivendell.  With them out of harm’s way, for a time, it’s up to the numberless heroes of the world to do their part. In Book II, we find the source of the Red Marsh’s evil, the immortal Red Maid, and redeem some long-dead shades who broke an oath and must now be summoned for one final mission to save them all.
Making Aragorn look like a bit of a copycat when he does it in “Return of the King”.

Read more

Letter to Pavel

by

Pavel of PCZone left a comment asking some questions about my MMO history. Usually, such surveys carry the subtext that the recipient is a pathetic loser who nonetheless is part of a particularly disturbing part of nerd-dom that would be just the thing to chuckle over in some anonymous undergrad sociology class. And they should, when filling out the survey, include any really juicy bits. Answers that are also cries for help are the funniest!
This is probably one of those. But what the heck. Part of the reason I write this blog is to show how MMOs can be fun and even healthy…!

Read more