My New Favorite Pasttime

I treated myself to quite a deal on cyber Monday.
Here's a hint...

I, of course, bought the Game of the Year edition, because I just can't do without the added DLC (that costs $15 each and so more than the cost of the game in this case) and the extra goodies that came with it.

Unfortunately, I've run into some problems with the game.

I haven't been able to access any of the extras that are included in the GOTY edition: no weapons, mounts, or DLC.  So I made a ticket through the EA/Origin website, and had even more problems with that.  The first response was speedy, but was just informing me that I should wait longer - despite already having waited 5 days - before expecting it to show up.  The next response took about a day, and after that I waited almost a week to get a response, and that was with me sending out daily requests for aid.

I don't know if this was the reason, but I finally gave up and contacted BioWare, telling them that I love their game but am probably never going to buy another one because of the EA/Origin [lack of] customer service.  Shortly afterwards I received a special personal email from someone who works at EA.  He informed me that he would be helping me and that he may need to access my account, which I agreed to.  Well, it still hasn't been fixed, and he's off for the weekend and works extremely early in the mornings, so I'm SOL for now, at least until Monday.

One person responded to my original EA ticket saying that I should un/reinstall the game.
Given that my max internet speed is 6 Mbps which generally equates to 800 Kbps download speed, I'm loathe to do it.  I barely managed to free up enough space on my multiple hard drives to be able to cut/paste the folder onto another drive, saving the game while I download another copy.  (More hard drives is at the top of my Christmas wish list.)

I have spent almost 70 hours in game so far, without my precious extras.  My first two characters were modeled after the Daenerys example found here: http://imgur.com/a/sAeSn
I don't really like the way either turned out, especially in the eyebrow area, and the game also does this really gross thing where when you're standing in shadow your face looks like a raccoon wearing makeup.
Here's an example of what I mean.

In my opinion it looks pretty gross.  (Plus her eyebrows are all wrong.)

Sadly, that's the character I've spent the most time playing, mostly because every character I've made since still ends up looking like that.

It seems like a combination of the blush and eye makeup compounded by the lack of direct light, and it's just awful.  So I made a new character and she still looks pretty messed up.

This is my most recent character, made today, at the request of the EA employee who said I might find the items on a new character I made.

As you can see, the game has the potential for beautiful characters, it just falls short when not in cinematics or at least conversation.

I hope I'll continue to be happy with this one, who I named Elysia.

As you may have noticed, I've chosen to play a mage - at least for my first time through.
I found this article after I started that confirmed that it was a good choice.  http://kotaku.com/tips-for-playing-dragon-age-inquisition-1660270767
I like how it adds into the storyline of the battle between the mages and templars.

Based on the amount of time I've spent in-game so far and how I'm nowhere near done nor am I sick of it, you can definitely say I'm enjoying this game and am glad I got it.  If you, like me, can find the GOTY edition for $39.99 I recommend picking it up, and hopefully the extras and DLC work for you (unlike me)!

The only other RPG that's not an MMO that I've played extensively was Skyrim, and I'm still not done with that game.  Yeah, there's an awful lot to do in that game, but I also kept encountering bugs and glitches the second time around (the first time my character, that I had progressed farthest with, disappeared).  So I haven't spent too much time going back and giving it another shot, because the bugs have been quite annoying.  I may give it another go once I'm done with this, though.  Of course, I also play The Elder Scrolls Online, which, while not perfect, I also recommend.

Thanks for reading and ...
"May all your hits be crits, and all your loot be epics..."

edited to add
I've also encountered this glitch that makes my weapon damage animation trail behind in the sky.  It's really annoying.  Has anyone else seen this?

Blizzcon 2015

I convinced my hubby to purchase a last minute digital ticket to Blizzcon on Friday.  Most of what I've seen so far pertains to World of Warcraft, but I've watched a bit regarding Overwatch, too.

I hadn't logged into WoW for months, despite keeping an active subscription, because I wasn't too interested in anything it had to offer and didn't think there was anything I could do that I had any interest in.

Blizzcon changed that.  Legion looks amazing!

I'm no Blizzard fangirl but I am rather sucked into the universe (for lore's sake!), and I had pretty much given up hope on enjoying WoW again.  The reveals on the new mechanics, the new class (Demon Hunters!) and all the little things, and a lot of the big things, really make a huge difference.  They'll be vastly improving quality of life by introducing the wardrobe, with *shared* items across your account and the addition of *every* quest reward, even the ones you didn't choose, to the wardrobe.  It's going to be amazing!  I was so hoping they'd introduce a wardrobe like they have in WildStar, and this is going to be even so much better than that!

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/19954576/world-of-warcraft-game-systems-panel-11-7-2015

They're also making it much more dynamic.  Now you can choose any of the zones to start off in, regardless of your level, and the zone scales around you.  Unlike Guild Wars 2, where you're knocked down to specific levels based on what zone you're in, in WoW the world will revolve around you.  They stated that they want it to take roughly the same amount of time to kill an enemy regardless of level, so even if you're in what would be considered the "third" new zone, you'll be able to keep up and kill with people higher level than you.  I don't think it was discussed how this would affect world PvP, as they obviously can't employ the same mechanic there, but I still think this is great.  I like to complete entire story lines, something that will be necessary in this expansion, (in order to receive an item [the name of which currently escapes me] from each zone).

http://blizzardwatch.com/2015/11/06/blizzcon-2015-broken-isles-leveling-zones-scale-level/

The new Artifact weapon system looks so interesting and awesome, and the Demon Hunter class is promised to be more mobile than any other class so far, and who doesn't love that?  They better give us an extra character slot, too, because I'm jumping right into that story as soon as I can.

CBT (beta) is expected soon, and - even though I still haven't gotten an invitation to join the Overwatch beta - I'm optimistic about it.  I dislike putting a ton of hours into betas because they wipe the data and you have to start over, but it could be very useful in figuring out how I'm going to make my blood elf demon hunter look, and getting a head start on combat mechanics, learning the class, and sneak peeks of the new content!

So, since Friday, I've logged into WoW for at least a few hours each day.

What am I doing?  Dailies, garrison stuff, and attempting to get the meta achievement for flying in Draenor.  It's going to take some time, but hopefully I'll get there.  I've also decided I want to try to get the legendary staff for my mage, but I'll need help for that.  (I don't know if that's just because my gear is terrible or if it's not really possible to solo everything as a 100 mage, but I'll just accept it as fact based on the 1 minute it took Shannox to kill me.)

If you're trying to find stuff to do while waiting for beta, or the actual release, of Legion, hit me up @VeRAWR#1628.  I know it's lame, but I already used up my one chance to change it and that's apparently all you get no matter what.  :(

Join me!

WildStar in Free-to-Play Beta Mode

As I'm sure many of you know, WildStar goes free-to-play on September 29.
If you haven't heard of it before, it's definitely worth a look.  (Conversely, if you purchased it previously and stopped playing, it's worth taking a second look, as many things have changed, presumably for the better.)
It has many charms, not the least of which is the entire premise of being a "wild west"/outlaw space exploration sci-fi game, featuring many interesting races (are they really races or are they species?).
The game as we know it begins outside the planet Nexus, which is where the game will take place.
I usually play as an Exile, usually as either an Aurin or a Mordesh, two very different but awesome "races".

I'm currently on the beta/PTR, because there's no way I would drop some cash on this game just to renew when it's so close to FtP release.

I've begun to encounter some of the many things I've missed about the game.  That's not to say the game is perfect, but no game is.

On the Exile side, there's a really touching and interesting quest line regarding a creature called Elderoot, a technologically enhanced, intelligent tree.  Of course the Dominion have to come along and ruin everything, but I'll try to leave spoilers out.  (It is within the first five levels of the game, though.)

Screenshots (on an Aurin Spellslinger):

and Elderoot

I'm approaching this FtP release with an open mind, and trying to get other friends to play with me, too.

I have a guild that I'm part of in other games that is playing WildStar, too, but they're playing on a PvP server and I don't know if that's really going to be fun for me.

As usual, I'm unsure of which class I want to play.
I think my highest level character in the live version is a 20-something Mordesh Medic.
I'm not sure how leveling will be compared to how it used to be.  One of my friends who used to play complained about running out of quest content in a zone before leveling high enough to move on.  If that is still an issue, that's really going to suck, but I never saw that happen when I played (again though, only in my 20s).

WildStar may not be for everyone.  Similar to TERA, it has a "real action" combat style.  You can't just tab target and hit 1-5 for a kill: you have to aim your skills and avoid the enemy's skills as well.  I'm sure this makes end-game content extremely challenging, and I don't know if I'll ever feel 'good enough' to get into that.


If you can't wait to check it out, here's a link to the forum post with info and a link to the beta client:  https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/129471-closed-beta-test-features-summary/

Let me know if you've played it before or are willing to give it a try in the comments!

Skyforge in Almost Open Beta

Hello again!  Today I want to talk to you about Skyforge, the up-and-coming MMORPG that features both sci fi and fantasy elements, in which your goal is to transition from immortal to god.
I purchased a founder's pack on Friday and have been playing it since.
(Unfortunately, I was only able to afford the cheapest version but I want the best one, so feel free to donate to help me get there.)
Skyforge is beautiful and captivating.  The combat system is new and keeps me on my toes.  I think I'm more mobile in this game than I've been in any other, including TERA.
Skyforge has some items in it that remind me of Star Wars, including at least two of the mounts.

Starting out in Skyforge, with the basic edition: You only have three classes to choose from, but you can switch between these freely.  They are the Lightbinder (my choice), Cryomancer, and Paladin.  The Lightbinder is a support class, that can both heal and damage.  The Cryomancer, which seems pretty cool but I haven't really played yet, is pretty awesome, too.  They wield this weird cryo-tech crystal and specialize in frost magic.  The Paladin is pretty standard, a righteous tank.  In your character menu you can swap between these classes.  You have more options if you purchase the higher tier founder packs, including the berserker and the gunner.

Character customization is pretty nice.  There aren't that many standard choices but you have quite a few customization options to change facial and body shapes.
I made my character look like Angelina Jolie!

Of course, the hair isn't exactly her, nor is the eye color or awesome facial tattoos, but she's got the cheekbones, lips, and nose down for sure!

One thing that I'm not a huge fan of is boobs.  The basic, 50% that you start out with is pretty massive and those things jiggle like crazy.  I mean turn your character a tiny bit and they turn into jello.  I had to go down to like 30% and even the 1% is still like a C cup.  Some armor and costume options (costumes, woot!) make the boobs less jiggly, but pretty, wispy cloth options are very 'free'.

Overall though, I really like what I was able to do with character creation.  You can even change the way your character runs, from "girly girl" to aggressive, which is badass, and the way she stands.

One thing I'm torn on is the character system.  You only get one character.  You can change the way she looks, but you can't make "alts".  I'm an alt-oholic, this is hard for me!  I usually make one of each class and become the master of none!  The reason for this is understandable: you can be anything you want on one character, and you can go back and do lower level zones to gain enough skill points to level each class you want to play.

Regardless, I'm still very much enjoying the game.  The combat is fun, graphics are good, and the story is intriguing.

My character name is Elysia Starstorm.  Look me up if you decide to play.  It goes free to play on Friday, in open beta mode.

Food is calling!  I must be off.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in game!

My Opinion on Elins... and Pedophiles

Elins are the adorable race of strange proportions in TERA.

Taken from the TERA website: 

The elins have one driving goal: if it’s not good for nature, stop it. Older and wiser than they appear, they join with forces of nature and mortal races to sweep their enemies from the battlefield. Their speech is often dark, forthright, and otherworldly, and their sense of humor can border on vicious. Other races find the elins' manner and behavior off-putting.

Their appearance is both adorable and slightly creepy.  They look like giant adorable children with optional animal ears and tails, and can be designed to have everything from purple skin to green hair, and so much in-between.

One aspect of their appearance that has been the source of some contention are their thighs.  Yes, sadly, an important part of their costume design is that their thighs are almost always visible, and they're disproportionately large.

(However, for an individual to point to someone's thigh size as indicative of their age and sexual disposition is the same thing as someone pointing to the chest size of a girl and saying “twelve-year-olds don't have breasts that size, she must be legal and willing!”. This is “rape-speech”, and is deplorable.)

Regardless of thigh size, the impression of an Elin a viewer is left with is certainly a childlike one. Even the lore points to them being modeled after children.

Building corporeal forms around tiny fragments of her own divine being, the goddess Elinu created the elins. Their physical appearance reflected the youngest daughter of Arun's naïve desire for beauty and peace.

So that wording is a bit off, but what I had read previously, both in-game and online, was that they were modeled after Arun's young daughter. I believe the paragraph taken from their website contains some language errors.

Elins were the last race to be announced and released to the public.

TERA originated in South Korea, and there have been a ton of modifications to make them more palatable to our society.

Taken from an interview in 2012, regarding the modifications. This quote is specifically regarding the costume and outfit differences, and how Elins don't run around in panties with their midriffs exposed in our NA version of the game:

There seems to be a big cultural difference between how we view this and how Koreans view this.

Lucile Le Merle: In Asia their mindset is completely different. To them it is not a problem. It is not related to paedophilia. It's just part of the culture to have small, little girls that run around smiling. People just find it normal. If you read manga or watch anime, this is the exact same thing. People consider this normal. But we do not have the same mindset in Europe, which is why this change had to be made.

( http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-14-from-panties-to-shorties-why-the-young-anime-girls-of-tera-were-censored )

I believe that explanation is very short-winded for the topic. Having “small, little girls that run around smiling” is way different from having small, little girls run around practically nude.

One common argument among hardcore Elin “lovers” (ie. pervs), is that Elins are thousands of years old, and so it's perfectly harmless to find them sexually attractive. Whoa, back up, you find them sexually attractive?... !?!?!

This person (people, really – there are a lot of them!) is admitting to finding child-like females attractive. They were modeled after children, both in the lore and in real life.

This is definitely not okay. If you find the faces and bodies of children to be sexually attractive, you might be a budding pedophile. If you masturbate to images of Elins, who are modeled after young girls, you might be a pedophile. And, if you fantasize about Elins in a sexual manner, you might be a pedophile.

There are many people who have pedophilic tendencies but have never acted on them. Last year Upworthy published a story about a young man who wanted to have himself locked up for his pedophilic thoughts, despite never acting on them. It has been theorized that, like mental illness, pedophilic thoughts are not something that can be controlled, only one's actions while under the effects of this disorder can be.

If you have these thoughts, please seek therapy. This isn't something you should be ashamed of, you just need help. As long as you don't physically act on those tendencies, you don't need to beat yourself up about it – but you do need to seek help.

Let me reiterate here: I'm not poking fingers, calling names, or being a bully, I'm simply trying to get people to realize that these people need help.

You are always in control of your own actions. Remember that.

(This has been a public service announcement brought to you by V the GRRL Gamer.)

ZOMG - Costumes in TERA

Whatever criticism one may have for TERA, their costume selection is amazing.
It's sad that, not for the first time, I may be sucked in to spending money on a game in which I still haven't leveled to max.

I made a new character, Jessamyn, a High Elf Gunner and she's gorgeous.  Like seriously, why can't I look like her?

At the completion of the starter quests, I got this badass giant gun.

Then, I started browsing the brokerage to view costumes.  I've wanted to deck her out in a least somewhat steampunk-themed gear, and there's a costume to cover that.  Unfortunately, the weapon skin doesn't work for Gunners or Reapers.


In the midst of that disappointment, however, I found these, Pink Brow Glasses:

Cute or CUTEST?

So, they're not steampunk - at all - but they're adorable and they suit her.
Unfortunately they cost at least 4k gold, which I do not have (hey, having never passed level 43 and with the in-game economy as strange as it is, I'm happy to have broken 2k).  Alternatively, I can purchase costume boxes which *might* contain them, at a cost of approximately $3 each.  Yikes.

I'm on Tempest Reach, so if anyone wants to throw me some EMPs or gold, I'd be more than grateful!

Thanks for reading!
Signing off,
V the GRRL Gamer

Gaming Again

So, I'm sorry.  I had basically forgotten about this blog, but now I'm back.
What have I been doing lately?  Mostly playing ESO, but, with the character name release, I recently re-downloaded TERA and have decided to give it another shot.


ESO pluses:

• Great story, lots of dialogue (or RP if you prefer)
• Community involved and less immature than in WoW
• Expansive world with a LOT to keep you occupied
• Responsive customer service and support team
• Great guilds.  I even found an LGBTQ-friendly guild full of awesome people.

ESO negatives:

• Graphics are a bit behind the times
• Some bugs
• No DLC added yet, despite promises
• Small patches with no new content

TERA pluses:

• Shiny graphics
• Cute characters with a lot of clothing options
• Engaging combat with looming threat of death
• Can be challenging

TERA negatives:

• Weird community.  Elin race obsession confirmed and creepy.
• Poor support and customer service.
• Some bugs/brokenness. 
• Story has yet to engage me
• Difficult to get back into or to start out

You know what they both have in common?  They're not WoW and that's a great thing!
I have gotten so tired of the WoW bullshit and community, not to mention the fact that all I've done in-game for the past 3 months is log in and take care of garrison missions.
With the release of patch 6.2, that may change, but I won't hold my breath.
The things that used to captivate me about the game have lost their allure.  I'm no longer a fresh-faced Night Elf bracing the wilds of Azeroth, exploring new zones and experiencing the magic.

I have made a few additional posts about ESO on my other gaming blog that was mostly geared towards WoW, http://a-girls-eye-view-of-azeroth.blogspot.com/

And, as always, feel free to click my ads!  I'm not affiliated with anything on here, but I do make a measly amount of income through Google AdSense.  Or, if you'd prefer, you can donate directly to my PayPal.  (I will add a button.)

Thanks for reading!