The End Game, Finally
After playing my account on and off for 3ish years, with over 14 days of play time logged (that's 336 hours in case you were curious), I hit level 70 with my Shaman. Originally christened Sturm, Sturmheld will surely be a feared opponent on the battlefields of Arathi Basin and renowned adventurer of the halls of Karazhan.
Well, most likely not. But roleplaying is part of the game, right?
I played a little PVP with some friends and it was pretty fun. I still think the PVP is a bit weak when playing solo, but working with a group of friends while chatting on Skype is great. I also managed to do my first Karazhan run, and in the process netted 4 new purple gear items. It's interesting how important gear is at 70. Obviously it's a big incentive as you're leveling up, but a geared 70 is really more like a level 75 character, so it can really seperate players quickly.
Karazhan featured two absolutely brilliant moments that brought a huge smile to my face. For one boss fight, we fought our way backstage, then onto a stage before a roaring crowd of ghosts and spirits (they actually applauded). Then, the stagehand announced the show, which just so happened to be the Wizard of Oz. We fought Roar (lion), Tinhead (Tinman), Strawman (Scarecrow), and Dorothy, before taking down the witch. The whole thing was done under the fiction of us participating in the play. It was simply brilliant -- not what I'd ever envision us doing in a level filled otherwise with dragons and gigantic warriors.
The other fun boss fight was really a chess match of sorts. We each took control of a character on the board. Being fairly new at this still, I took a grunt (pawn). From the perspective of our "piece", we had simple moves like move, rotate, and fight. I assume the bigger characters (bishops, kings, etc.) had more interesting skill sets. Regardless, another brilliant piece of game design.
Overall, Karazhan was a huge and impressibe piece of game content. I have no idea how long it took them to lay it out, model it, create the bosses, do the art -- it's quite the feat.
Good stuff, Blizzard.
(posted by grant at 4/27/2008)
(0) comments
The Wire is Good. Ya Feel Me?
We're on Season 4 now, and the show continues to exceed expecations. Just when I feel like I'm ready for a break (we've been watching Season 1-4 continously for the past few weeks) the show does something else that just sucks me completely back in.
I LOVE how they constantly bring in new characters, yet still manage to keep the old characters involved, interesting, and always around. That is, unless they kill them. I really miss D'Angelo and String Bell, but there's always Cutty, Carcetti, the retired police Major...it's great.
There are times when I have no clue what the actors are saying. Perhaps I'm just not street enough? But, I do find myself picking up on a thing or two here, bringing me ever closer to my goal of being both hip and hop. I'm really curious to know what, say, a sociologist would think of the show. Specifically a criminologist. The show starts with the streets and the cops, evolves towards corruption, then city politics, the federal outlook, back to the street, then to the source with school children.
It's just so brilliantly written and seems to be just so...real? I guess that's partially the scary thing. Holy crap do we live in a messed up world.
(posted by grant at 4/21/2008)
(0) comments
Too Much World of Warcraft?
I saw this on the front page of the New York Times and my mind immediately went to WoW. Perhaps I'm playing too much? I finally hit 68 late last night...the path to 70 is almost complete. The work over the past few years will finally be settled.
(posted by grant at 4/21/2008)
(0) comments
