The Splendor of Gender Pretender

Well, I had planned on getting a blog post out a couple days ago, but Trion was so kind as to put out a new server for Archeage. While open PvP is not my cup of tea, free-to-play is, so I figured I'd give the game a shot...at least until level 30 or so (which I hear is roughly when the hostile player combat starts to pick up). At that point I'll likely play it by ear...perhaps see how much PvE content I can do while keeping under the radar? My original plan was to just do fishing, but I realized it wasn't quite as easy as picking up a fishing pole from an NPC and heading to a body of water.

While listening to an episode of LOTRO Players News (LPN) a week or so ago, they were talking a bit about how one goes about picking their character's sex, when the choice is available (this mainly would occur in an RPG title, whether it be MMO or single-player). The answers were pretty varied, from some males picking basically males (to others creating mostly females), females mainly creating females; others taking on a more scientific approach by splitting their characters to have a half:half split of male & female.

Some games may make the query a bit more one-sided, thrusting
"you" into one choice even before "you" are created

As for my male-self, I'd say that, when given the choice, my first character in most RPG titles are male - whether or not this character will end up being my main-player character. Perhaps this choice lets me connect a little closer with my playable avatar as I take on my first experience with the unfolding adventure embodied within the game. When/if I decide to roll up another character in that same game, my second character is female probably at least 75% of the time. Some games offer a slightly different set of dialogue, or perhaps the character animations offer something a bit varied based on the gender choice (yes, I said gender...I don't feel like filling my entire post with "sex" a thousand times).

Beyond the second character, I'd probably say that I fall into the mathematical approach of gender choice. My characters in LOTRO probably display the best example of this phenomenon. My toons displayed on the page at the top currently show those characters I am leveling/own - there are six male characters, and five female characters. The Beorning class will hopefully be released Update 15 (which I believe is supposed to be released before the end of the year), and I will likely create a female to even out the selection.

Though I usually try to customize the cosmetic appearance of my role-playing characters to some degree, I will generally not pick certain pieces to flatter the character's sex, male or female. Some game titles will put more effort into displaying certain aspects of character models, and armor alike, so it is sometimes hard not to end up with a rather voluptuous model under your control. However, from a backside perspective (which is how you'll generally see a character during gameplay), most of the games that I play don't really have too big of a difference between choosing male or female. I mean, have you seen elves from the rear in...basically any game?

As such, I suppose my choice to try and split gender choices is so that I can end up with a varied "army" of equal sexes. Whether that is subconsciously my views on the real world (peace, love, nerd hippy power) or not is beyond my current train of thought. Like I mentioned earlier, it's also nice to switch things up a bit, as some games may offer slightly different choices/dialogue based on gender.

Like I always say, gaming is a form of entertainment, and you gotta have fun with what you're doing, or it's time to switch it up. All of the hosts on LPN made solid reasons why they make certain gender choices when it comes to character creation, and I am not opposed to how anyone decides to make those choices. Even if it comes down to wanting some extra...jiggle physics, or perhaps those female beards are just not making the cut, you gotta choose what works best for you. As long as game designers don't create negative effects for selecting one or the other (when the choice is available, of course), we all get to be heroes in our own worlds.

It's a Mod, Mod World

Falskaar is a new lands mod for Skyrim (no DLC required), created by Alexander Velicky. This adds an entirely new map to explore, with additional quests and all that good stuff. I have not put too much time into Falskaar yet, but what I have experienced so far feels very polished. The features list this size of the territory (which is independent from Tamriel, allowing you to port to and back from Skyrim with a boat system) as "roughly the size of 2-3 Skyrim holds." I've spent most of the time within dungeons, which have served to make it feel even more expansive. It also contains new voice-acting and a soundtrack created just for the mod, and boasts at least 20-30 hours of gameplay. Basically, Falskaar is a free content add-on that serves as unofficial DLC, and should probably be on your go-to list if you choose to check out some Skyrim content mods.

Map of Falskaar - still plenty of dungeon delving to do!

Storywise, I wouldn't want to spoil too much, but after accidentally arriving on this land, you are asked to assist the locals with some of the not-so-friendly bandits. I've probably spent most of my time thus far with side quests; helping a boy with the local mudcrab population (as well as investigating why they are suddenly so large), and am currently assisting his parents with separate anniversary present quests. I'm sure the likely bandit attacks can wait, or they'll have to answer to my bow (I suppose they'll eventually need to do so anyways).

In my many hours of Skyrim (don't have an exact number, but I'm sure it's 100+) so far, this is only my second game modification - the first being SkyUI (a nice overhaul to the basic UI, making things more simple and efficient). I am pretty random when it comes to deciding if and what I'd want to find a modification for any given game, though I can likely say it's not all that often (note I am referring to modding, or alteration of the game code...programs like plugins for an MMO do not fall under this umbrella of discussion).

I think the desire to modify my game experience will usually revolve around having played a certain title for a total large amount of time, but not quite yet wanting to put that game on the back burner. As such, if the game allows for mods, and there is a fairly well-known community, I may delve into the all-mighty Google and research what exists out there that will tinker with my gameplay.

As it stands, what I probably love most about modding itself is that it can extend the life of a game on my shelf, without instituting a burden on my wallet. While Skyrim already contains an unquantifiable truckload of things to do, the vanilla experience may eventually become stagnant. If the DLCs do not fall within your budget, there is a free mod like Falskaar that is simple to install, and *poof* hours are now added to explore a new land and hopefully keep the fun clock going for a little while longer. Some types, such as total-conversion mods, serve to almost re-invent the game by replacing nearly all assets with an entirely new coat of paint, so to speak. This may serve as a means to inject a well-known franchise within the walls of a non-related game, such as the Lord of the Rings-inspired Third Age - Total War mod for Medieval II.

Also known as Lake-town, as depicted in Third Age - Total War (LOTR-inspired total conversion mod for Medieval II)

Another neat thing about modding is the possible extension of lore within a game (if applicable). For those lore-junkies, your game of choice may have its own set of lore-enhancing content mods. From what I have seen in a couple games, modders are often a creative bunch that seem to have a good grasp of their project's connecting game world. As such, some mods serve to build a richer lore-appropriate environment.

Similar to the lore, immersion is often a huge boon when it comes to creators producing a more in-depth mod which serves to enhance the gameplay. The realism becomes even more real, the combat becomes even more combative, and the fantasy becomes even more...fanatical? Whether the mod raises the difficulty bar, or creates improved graphical assets (the grass is now even grassier!), immersion mods serve well to root the player deep into the game world, and gives them a reason to keep up the good fight.

OH YEHHHH!! What do you mean, not lore appropriate?

Naturally, not even mod is going to be well-received, and others may gain more of a shock value rather than respect (cult-classic mods, anybody?). Some may create wacky graphical assets that are extremely non-lore appropriate, while others may be geared toward a more mature, adult audience. Please do your research when finding mods online, make sure you are downloading from somwhere reliable, and try to know roughly what you're about to change with your game. You know, for the kids and all?

Additionally, it is very important to read up on the installation. Many mods are often sharing or replacing your vanilla (original) game files, and some may be much more tricky to set up than others, so it's always a good idea to know exactly where you are placing or swapping around when it comes time to set up a mod. It is often recommended to back up your original files somwhere - including any save files. You wouldn't want that 200+ hours of Skyrim to suddenly go poof 'cause some mod decided to go on a corruption spree, would you?

Once set up correctly, game mods can be a pretty awesome experience. Some may really stand out to you, making you wonder how those modders got this shot...make that a keg of creativity, and if you can have a double order. Others may end up being a quick try and uninstall. That's a cool thing with mods - just like the games themselves, some people may prefer different things out of their modded gaming. Perhaps one really wants some new textures, while another would like a different feel to combat. Some play it more aggressively, seeing how many mods they can install in one game before it decides to pick up its belongings, go to the safety of home, and do something that doesn't involve you playing it until you back off (perhaps a relaxing puzzle...as long as it's under 1k pieces and interlocking).

The Just Cause 2 multiplayer mod adds a whole new layer to the game - other people

Some gamers prefer not to mess with mods, whether it possibly be the quantity of titles they have to run through, non-desire to mess with game files, or perhaps they simply don't wish to stay from the original gameplay feel. It's just another of the many freedoms that gamers have. Not all developers create their games with the thought or desire of user modding, while others almost expect their players to express their creativity through additional user-made content. However you float on the modding boat is your decision, though I'd probably recommend that you at least take a look at what adventures may lie out there for mod-friendly titles.

Do you enjoy playing game modifications? Why or why not? Any specific mods you love, or perhaps you feel modding tarnishes the vanilla gameplay? Share in the comments!

Last Stop, Blaugustville!

I guess this makes it lucky 31. Three decades, plus-one, of blog posting, all in the constraints of a single month. Well...you know what I mean. Kinda.

I'd like to thank Belghast for masterminding this blogging marathon and all the awesome people from the Blaugust Nook for the companionship along the way. I've been introduced to many cool bloggers, and look forward to trying to keep up with more blog browsing.

Regardless of quality, I've always had an interest in writing. Before this month, however, I was in a bit of a lull, and didn't feel inspired to buckle down and get some writing done. I had read about this event prior to the start, but I had scoffed at the notion that I'd be able to keep up for the entire month. In a last-minute switcheroo, I decided to take on the challenge on August 1, and so jumped right into the fray.

It's been a great experiment blogging on a daily basis, especially when this blog had been sitting around, collecting dust, for several years. I strapped on my easy template-tweaking sandals and made some necessary changes to the layout. That was the simple part - it then came down to the actual blogging.

I think the biggest thing I learned was time management in making sure I put aside a certain period to perhaps browse other blogs to possibly come up with an idea, or maybe a spot of gaming to inspire me with the topic. I also printed out a basic calendar to keep track of my topics, which also served as a reminder should I wake up one morning and suddenly forget what the Internet was.

As for the actual writing, I can't say for certain that continual blogging has ramped up my quality or speed of writing as a whole. I think it has generally altered on a post-to-post basis, and even depending on my progress with a single post. An idea within a post may flash in my mind, and my fingers can barely keep up with what I'd like to convey. At other times, my brain would fizzle in the midst of typing, and I'd probably find myself popping up Youtube for a humorous distraction. Either way, I can say that as compared to the posts on my blog I had prior to this month, I was much more proud of those I had written during Blaugust (perhaps a combination of quality & quantity).

Would I do this again? Well, I think that would depend entirely on my schedule for that month. I'm currently on a pretty loose time in my life, though that could definitely change depending on how much I get my life in order (as well I should be doing). Some days have been a bit more struggle than others for posting, but I think that as a whole, it was a fairly smooth process to create daily content - enjoyable as well. From here, I think I'll try to aim toward at least one post a week. If it's more, then great - if it's less, than I'll deal with it. Casually blogging is a fairly stress-free activity for me, and at least for now, I'd like to keep it that way and not force myself to blog beyond my means.

Well, I suppose that shall wrap it up for the month. Thanks again to Belghast for running this challenge, and thanks to all Blaugustinianites for their continued efforts and great blogging. I'd say long live Blaugust, but I suppose that'll have to wait a mere 12 months. Cheers!

Why so Pleasant?

Well, I'll tell you, Joker.

In his blog, "I Have Touched the Sky," Rowan asked an interesting origin question as we come close to the end of Blaugust.

Why did you title your blog what you did? Do you think the name still fits?

My title is probably fairly obvious, but I suppose I can still give it a whirl. "Life of a Pleasant Gamer" was created roughly seven years ago, in the desire to have a personal blog to call my own. Two years passed, in which I'd post fairly infrequently (averaging maybe a post a month), then it became even more infrequent, eventually tossing it aside like a dirty bandaid. Blaugust came around, which inspired me to reverse cold turkey and go all out, posting daily.

I've always been a fairly positively-tempered individual. I guess I figure being happy just feels better, so I strive to keep that attitude. This has translated pretty well over to gaming, and as such I think I'm a fairly pleasant gamer. Boom - there ya have it, simple as Top Ramen.

Does the name still fit? Indeedly doodly, neighbor! While I'm not playing the same exact games as I did when I started, I think it's more about the attitude I take toward gaming than the titles themselves. I'll admit I'm not a heavy competitive gamer type, whether or not that contributes to my casual nature toward gaming, though this is not to say I am adverse to playing a multiplayer shooter every now and then. If I happen to lose such a game, I don't fret - I had chosen to play for entertainment, and I am content with such a decision.

Because I think the title still fits who I am, I do not currently have plans or thoughts about changing the name. If anything, I could cut out the "life of a" bit (I partially went this way in creating my current blog banner), but that may or less just be a means to cut down the mouthful of the full title. I'm fine with anyone calling it either name - the first part really just denotes it as a personal blog. As this is really just something for me to do to get some writing practice, I don't expect or have plans to go pro, so I'm not too worried about its success.

Thank you Rowan for a good personal topic as we get to the close of the month. I'd like to give props to anyone who gave #Blaugust a try, whether or not they were able to make it on a daily basis. Even if it got you to update your blog with a single post, that's +1 more than you had prior to the month. Gotta think blog half written!

Safely Burnin' Rubber

Hey there, so I suppose my loose topic for today was inspired by one thing I've feared doing for awhile in real life, and have finally taken the first step - driving. While I suppose I may be a decade older than several of the other folk in the DMV, I've just never really ran across an overabundance of situations where my feet couldn't take me there, and just the thought of me operation a motor vehicle gives mes the jitters. Anyways, figured I could revel in my permitness and think about some of the racing games I have played.

God bless the mute key.

I'd say one of my first experiences with virtual racing came in the form of those Tiger Electronic handheld games. I can remember playing Road Race, a Formula One/Indy/whatever racer. There may have not been flashy graphics, but it was one heck of a speaker on that thing (almost deafening). The premise of the game was basically more of a "dodge duck dip dive and dodge" the other vehicles on the race track, or game over. Still, I was young, and a game was a game (which, I pretty much feel still the same way). I also played (runs upstairs to check) Off Road (rally racer) and Speed Boat (self-explanatory). What I think I liked best about these at the time was that it simply gave me the freedom to play it anywhere: in bed, outside, in the car. As long as the AAs had enough juice, they were a good complimentary with the Game Boy (of which I don't think I really played any racer titles, of which I can recall).

It's like Ferris Bueller, but even more days off...fun!

Jump some years later, over on the PC. This was probably when the Need for Speed series was all that in a box of cookies and glass of milk on top. I got hooked on Need for Speed 2: SE. For me at the time, there was nothing quite like going over a big incline at high speeds, and basically taking a joyride to space. You could get some sweet air in that game, though it usually resulted in some horrible crash landing. Ah well, that's what respawn is for. I think I can also recall it being one of the first games where I got to play around with cheat codes, of which it has a pretty lengthy list. Wanna ride around in a log? Sure! How 'bout a Wild West wagon? Saddle up partner. I was also big into dinosaurs at the time (paleontologist was my dream career, then I had to go and get an English degree...), so racing around the track as a T-rex was pretty ecstatic.

I never really went to many arcades, so unfortunately there weren't too many cabinet racing titles I've given a whirl. There was one I'd play at a frequented restaurant, but I can't recall the name. It was a pretty generic sports car racer...looked like it took place in some tropical location. Other than that, I guess I was pretty cheap as a kid, and would rather stick with home entertainment I didn't have to keep feeding quarters.

Fast forward some more years, and for awhile I became interested in some different racing games that were either a bit different from the norm racer (like Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, a pod racer), or I guess not really a racer persay, but some of the Grand Theft Auto games. Hey, it's got auto in the title, it MUST be wholesome entertainment!

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

I think after that came another NFS title, this time Need for Speed: Underground. This got me back
into playing some good 'ol street racing, and I rather enjoyed the career mode in this, which basically allowed you to start from humble beginnings and race your way up the charts. You could also purchase vehicles and add upgrades and decals to your sweet ride, so a bit of RPGish elements in the pot. I have since played several others from the NFS franchise, from Porsche Unleashed, Shift, to may favorite of the trio, Hot Pursuit. I think it's just cool to play as both sides of the street racing experience, and performing maneuvers as the police to take out the racers is just a blast.

Probably around that time of Underground was when I heard about Trackmania, a F2P racing game

Yep...physics at its finest.

by French developers Nadeo. Besides being free (the base game, at least - they have since released several other TM titles for charge), it just has a very clean and simple feeling about it. What's also neat is that it comes with its own track editor, so there are a ton of maps you can either play (or decide to try out your constructive flair). I believe the base game comes with the traditional open-car racer, but the expansions have since released other vehicles, like rally cars, alpine 4x4s, and muscles. Because it was F2P and had downloadable maps, I have thrown a good many hours into that one.


There are a couple other titles thrown in the mix that I've revved myself up to try out. There's Burnout Paradise, an open-word racer with plenty to discover, and plenty of cars to unlock on the way. I probably can't have mentioned the GTA bit without mentioning one of my favorite Dreamcast titles, Vigilante 8: Second Offense, a straight up vehicular combat game. Like I said, not racing persay, but they still used the feeling of speed with the ferocity of combat to create an interesting shooter experience. There was also Dirt, a pretty solid rally racer and part of the Colin McRae Rally series, who was a big time rally racer. As such, the game feels like a more authentic rally experience, at least when you have your partner in the passenger seat, feeding you directions.

All in all, I think I've played a decent amount of racing games, and while mostly on PC, got the chance to give some other consoles/handhelds a whirl at the time. While I was never really competitive enough to go head to head with other players, I think virtually driving the car around the track is a pretty safe way to at least get the feeling I'm a drone hovering behind the car, feeding it directions. Which...I suppose I really am doing. In any case, I wonder what would be more difficult: legitimately and carefully driving the entirety of Grand Theft Auto III, or actually making it through my real-life driving experience.

Any driving games you dig? Was there an era you think have made the biggest virtual driving successes? Share below!

I've also done a little work on the blog. Changed up the banner (stretched the design across the top, kept it fairly simple), moved a couple post bits around, yadda yadda. Seem good enough for now, considering I'm not HTML guru?

Free to Play or Free to Pay

OK, first off to get something out of the way. I hereby present Sean of Gaming Conjecture with his super official badge of MMO bloggership for covering his take on the whole free-to-play model thingy. Well done, Sean, well done! You can tell it's legit official by the exclusion of any Comic Sans, and the proper use of a lens flare, not to mention clashing colors abound. Awards like these are quite rare, but your deservedness was well-noted.

Anywho, Sean brought up some great points about his issues with the developers behind free-to-play titles pushing to find new ways to create systems that are dipped into the monetization paint bucket. Whether they may sometimes rely on our laziness to go and purchase some form of a booster, or perhaps changing previously-stated plans to needlessly monetize a mechanic or system, I can imagine he had a rough time handling several of the free-to-play decisions made by Turbine, ultimately waning his interest with LOTRO.

If you've seen any of my previous posts, you may have picked up on the fact that all of the MMOs I play are indeed under the umbrella of the F2P model. The biggest factor behind this decision is due to my current finances. While my pockets may be penniless and filled with regret, the road is paved with plenty of free-to-play MMOs whose only stipulation to enter their gates may be to receive a mailing every now and then (and abiding by the ToS and all that fun stuff we read ever so carefully).

I suppose I shall selfishly gear this a bit toward LOTRO, as it has been my longest-played MMO yet. Yep, this is that weird MMO that involves talking trees and seeing how crazy you can cosmeticize a hobbit. When they rolled out their F2P model in 2010, I think it was a great opportunity to introduce many into the world inspired by J.R.R Tolkien, myself included. I knew the basic characters, and I've seen the movies that were out at that time, but I had not read the books or knew much more about the lore. Well, the lore bit can still go over my head, but at least the book part had been taken on.

As you can tell by the graphs and charts, I am AOK with F2P.

But I digress. I'm cool with microtransactions and set limitations put on the game...especially when there are ways to accrue or get by these issued barriers via doing what you hopefully would want to be doing anyways - playing the game. I think this is one of those things that I find makes LOTRO really shine as the F2P hybrid model - accruing the premium currency in game feels so much simpler and intuitive than other F2P titles (ex: for Neverwinter you'd need to first sell a huge chunk of Astral Diamonds - a tradable currency - for their Zen, premium cash currency for store, and the same kind of thing with Rift for hoping to find someone to sell your platinum for their REX credit thingy). If you keep doing in-game activities,you're bound to get a good number of Turbine Points straight up.

Then again, while it's fairly easy to gain TP, there certainly is a lot you'd like to purchase in the store. From quest packs to extra character slots to trait slots, I won't argue there is a good amount of monetized items to help aid your journey. What I would argue is that you don't need it all, at least right away. Perhaps grabbing key quest packs to get you through certain tiers of levels could work, but there is no essential need for every upgrade that pops on the screen.

As yes, popping on the screen, you say. Developers aiming at monetizing something in specific will sometimes create an obtuse UI that projects the sales pitch. This is where I remind myself that I'm playing a free title by choice (skipping the little ditty that I had picked up a couple of the xpacs, shhhh), and as such I think I can manage to tweak my gameplay and attitude a bit to accommodate this. Is this Hobbit Present thing a gamble-mongering scam? No - I see it as a free daily item, thanks for free stuff with my free stuff! It's like getting a free side of curly fries with that free spicy chicken sandwich I never ordered. No complaints here.

F2P also means I am not bogged down by a scheduled subscription. While I love LOTRO, MMO exclusivity is really not my thing. Unless you are suddenly bailing on friends who were expecting you to be on to level or raid (or whatever people do in groups these days), I see nothing inherently wrong with jumping around to play on different MMOs during a week. This can sometimes let you remember what you missed (or perhaps didn't miss?) on your "main" game, and make going back to replay it all that much more special and fun.

That's really all I'm trying to get at in the end of the day. Have fun. If playing games without a subscription is your way of having fun, by all means go ahead. If you'd rather be offering a subscription to a company for a hopefully more stable and "full" experience, go for it, and don't forget to enjoy it. For those that would love to experience the ride of a subscription, but where money is the issue, I'd say just try to have a good time figuring out how to navigate your favorite F2P world with confidence, and don't be afraid to test the MMO waters in different areas - you might just find a cool spot!

TLDR, you should check out Gaming Conjecture - has plenty of great posts to check out. Meanwhile, I'll still enjoy dipping my toes into F2P games, roll with the punches, and find a way to make it worth the fun-o-meter that was implanted in my brain after that freak carnival accident in which someone actually won the ring toss game. Oh, and if parts of this post don't make sense, totes not my fault - totally was not me that had no sleep followed by hours of sorting books. Nope - sharp as a misplaced thumbtack here.

Leveling and Alien Plants

Well, posting late in the day hype! I had a busy enough day, paired with not having a set topic in mind, so I decided to wait until the last three hours of the day like a champ. Well, I'm not quite as busy now, but I still don't have a topic in mind. I was hoping the time of day would cause my brain to suddenly click, as I sometimes feel like I have a bit more mental acuity at nighttime. My demons get to leap from my eardrums and party like it's 2999.

Leveling is tiring business!

LOTRO Leveling

I went back to leveling my champion in LOTRO. He's currently sitting at 91, in West Rohan. I am normally not too worried about gear while leveling, figuring quest/current gear is good enough for the time being, I did opt to update his jewelry via 90 crafted pieces. Some of the content in W. Rohan can be a bit of a wake-up, usually some of the instances that bring a whole bunch of enemies at once, so figured the extra 3k morale & bit of a damage boost would serve me well.

I'll swap between focusing on one character and jumping around to level various alts at different times, though for now I am mostly just focusing on one when I decide to level. Maxing this guy out will make my third level 100, and I'll probably either move to get the last five levels on my minstrel, or 15 levels on my rune-keeper. I'd also like to try and get my hunter on another server to 100 soon. So much leveling, so much time.

TV Time

Last night I was watching the film adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors, starring Rick Moranis & Ellen Greene. I've always enjoyed a good musical, and both the comedic and bizarre aspects of this one just does it for me. Moranis has the whole awkward geeky character down pat, as we've also seen evidenced in Ghostbusters. His singing reflects this character, and pushes that out to sound like an average Joe just singing his heart out. In combination with Greene, a very emotional singer, the feels are real.

Here he was in his cheeky light-hearted ballad to his botany project, Audrey II, which (who?) drove the story's plot.

Well, I think I might actually have a topic in mind for tomorrow - guess there's a first for everything (except Youtube comments...can't win that one). I guess we'll see tomorrow what I do to try and put it off as much as possible.