Some time ago, I took Everquest out for a trial run, but I never really got into it because the controls felt alien to me… I mean, pressing H to hail an NPC? Typing words to talk to an imaginary being through the internet? Preposterous, right?

I’d been conditioned by the Eq2/WoW-era RPG to demand an experience that was similar to itself, to the point that I’d never really given the first Everquest a proper run-through because of its naturally different style of play.

I want to rectify that due to my current situation. Right now, there are a couple of AAA free-to-play MMORPGs I’ve not tried, and with my current need to conserve my money, it seemed like a good idea to go and revisit Everquest, especially since I actually have quite a bit of Station Cash on my account that’s doing nothing there.

At the same time, I’ve set EVE Online on an 11-day training regimen, even though I have only four days left on my sub. Whether it trains past day four is beyond me, but at least I’ll have a better inkling of what my plans are when I come back.

In addition, I want to try another genre I’ve yet to actually experience: the superhero game. I’ve downloaded DC Universe Online for a run, and I’m going to make an ice character for use.

My SC will go more to Everquest, probably, mostly because DCUO doesn’t seem to have housiing. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy Everquest and DCUO and, perhaps, even a bit of LOTRO, even without spending for anything with more money than I’ve already invested.

At the very least, some new and old games will get their time in the spotlight.

My thanks to Kaozz of ECTMMO for reminding me of the Everquest F2P transition that’s happening.

Recently, I learned that I would need to find a new job in order to pay my bills and to fund the adventures I write about on this blog, as well as any site revamps I would have liked to have done.

I’m a bit miffed that, from a full-time job, my pay would be delegated to a per-article-when-needed status, but I can’t help that. The economy’s tough, and the project I was working on needed to get money to start properly. What I can change, however, is the feeling of helplessness I feel from being newly unemployed again (or perhaps underemployed).

I will be getting my final paycheck soon, and I want to make the most out of the time prior to Skyrim’s release by making sure I have enough money to purchase Skyrim without worries while engaging in games that interest me, writing about playing games, and finding a new job.

That said, I have readjusted my plan of action for the coming weeks.

I will temporarily halt my plans to have a custom website theme made for Games and Geekery.

I will take the yearlong cheaper hosting offer that was mentioned by @G33kg0dd3ss before

Prior to the release of 11/11/11, I will be job hunting, and I WILL find a job before Skyrim.

Instead of subscribing to EVE Online, I will resubscribe to World of Warcraft for one month. An explanation will follow below.

Upon finding a new job and receiving my first paycheck, I will subscribe to EVE Online and consider continuing a subscription to World of Warcraft. I may also play LOTRO during this time.

Now, I’m somewhat emotional at the moment, and the WoW thing is a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I decided to find something that allowed me to follow a storyline, however, themeparky, just so I could enjoy playing without stressing too much. EVE is a sandbox game where I have to make my own long-term decisions as to what to do or where to go, so there’s more pressure there to do well than in WoW. If I can find a casual guild on an Oceanic server, I’ll be set, and I won’t have to worry about enjoying myself for a month or so.

That said, I’m weighing my options regarding the job thing, but if you guys know of anyone looking for a video game news writer, I’m more than ready, willing, and able to apply.

Cheers!

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend who wanted to understand the nature of online game purchases a little bit better. While I understand the general processes in my head without much trouble, explaining online games and microtransactions to a non-gamer is actually rather difficult.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to leave a friend without the requisite knowledge, of course. To that end, I’ve created this primer of sorts on microtransactions, using some of my own terminologies, for the sort of person who doesn’t really play games.

When we refer to commerce in this day and age, we usually think of the exchange of money or credit for good and services. In games, there is also commerce on numerous levels, with each sort of transaction allowing for different goods and services to those playing the game.

There are two sorts of transactions one would typically think of when it comes to games: the purchase transaction and the in-game transaction.

In a purchase transaction, a consumer who wishes to play a game, either through ownership of the game or acquisition of a license to use the game software, pays a fee (in cash or credit, online or in the real world) before he can acquire the means necessary to play that game.

With in-game transactions, we refer to the transactions within a game that allow a user to acquire items, equipment and services specific to that game. This necessitates paying a fee comprised of that game’s particular currency in order to complete the transaction. Whether it comes in the form of in-game gold, gil, zenny, or megabucks, these are simply virtual goods that, under specific circumstances, are not actually traded for any form of real-world currency.

Examples of purchase transactions include the use of Philippine Pesos or US Dollars to purchase a game like Diablo II. Using the currency within Diablo II, namely gold, to purchase weapons, armor, and potions is an example of an in-game transaction.

So far, this is all easy to understand, but complexity arises when we realize that there are other ways by which companies can earn revenue from games. There are a variety of ways in which games in this Internet-connected reality we live in can foster additional revenue, and that is mostly done through a set of transactions that are commonly known as microtransactions.

Unlike purchase transactions or in-game transactions, the word “microtransactions” is a blanket terminology referring to the use of real-world currency (again, either through cash or credit, though usually credit) to acquire goods, services, or additional game content for a game one is already playing, The term is known a microtransaction due to the current trend for microtransactions to generally, though not always, cost less than the price one would pay to acquire the game or continue to gain access to it.

If you remember the example earlier about using in-game gold to purchase weapons and armor in Diablo II, you’d expect in-game gold to have no real-world value. The truth, however, as a result of games growing increasingly more connected to the internet is that currency, goods, and services within a game can have a real-world monetary value assigned to them that can also be affected by market forces.

Many types of microtransactions exist at present due to the nature of games in this day and age, but for non-gamers (and probably concerned parents who don’t know how microtransactions work), an introduction on some of the broad types of microtransactions would be in order.

First off, there are direct microtransactions. These microtransactions are basically an exchange of real-world currency for a specific good or service within a game, or for additional content that is either locked away as a result of the game’s code (thus meaning you’ve paid real money for a key to unlock the additional content) or added to a game after that game’s release.

Direct microtransactions is really a broad term I’m using to refer to a wide-range of potential microtransaction types, but it simplifies the process simply because this sort of microtransaction describes the means by which one acquires a specific good or service while (usually) supporting the developers of a game or an entity connected to the company that developed the game being played.

An online role-playing game like World of Warcraft allows for the purchase of in-game pets, flying mounts, or character renaming services for a fee: this is a direct microtransaction. Most games on mobile devices such as the iPad that do not require a purchase transaction (and are thus touted as being free to download and begin playing) use direct microtransactions to unlock the full game and all its capabilities. Some games on personal computers and consoles (such as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3) which have purchase transactions also get additional game content delivered through the console or computer’s connection to the Internet after launch, and these require the use of one-time credit card transactions (which are direct microtransactions) to download and play.

There is a second type of microtransaction that is a little easier to define, but a bit more difficult to peg in terms of its overall legitimacy as a microtransaction. These are what I’d define as currency microtransactions.These types of microtransactions are microtransactions in which a player would use real-world money to purchase the currency required to create an in-game transaction. Now, while in-game currency is also a form of virtual good, I’ve set it aside as its own microtransaction type due to how this particular form of virtual good can be used legitimately by certain game developers and unethically by certain companies.

Let me give an example of a both currency microtransaction types. Legitimate currency microtransactions occur in a free iOS game called Tiny Tower. While the game itself is free, the game allows players to use the credit cards connected to their iTunes account to purchase an in-game currency known as Tower Bux, which can be used to speed up the construction of an amenity in-game.These legitimate currency microtransactions are the main means by which the developer gains revenue from their game, allowing them to continue developing more games.

Unethical (a loaded word, but I lack a better word to replace it with) currency microtransactions are commonplace in certain massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as, again, World of Warcraft. Certain companies employ people to acquire the virtual currency of a game like World of Warcraft in order to sell the currency to players for real-world money. In some cases, these companies will try and gain access into people’s game accounts to take virtual currency away from other players in order to sell it online. Very little of this real-world money goes back into funding the development of the game, and the experience of play is somewhat diminished by the encroachment of gold sellers into the virtual space.

Non-gamers, including those responsible for children who are gamers, would do well to reflect upon the implications of microtransactions on real-world wallets. Younger gamers who do not pay attention or who do not understand what microtransactions are can fall prey to unintended purchasing sprees, often on the parental dime.

One well-known report among gaming circles is the story of one Brendan Jordan, who racked up a 1000-pound bill on the console service known as Xbox Live. There was nothing illegal about the purchases, and while the mother of Jordan wants the game companies to bear some responsibility for the mess, it can be argued that game consoles have protections in place to prevent minors from accessing purchase-based microtransaction services.

In any event, non-gamers and parents should be more mindful of what games these days can and can’t do, and what capabilities the technologies of today allow. Ultimately, this will keep misunderstanding at a minimum and proper parenting at the ready.

I received a legitimate from Blizzard today that I found to be very weird.

Blizzard is trying to win back customers with a seven-day pass to World of Warcraft for inactive subscriptions. There was just one problem: The name affixed to this email, which was connected to my World of Warcraft account, was “Marcia.”

Who is Marcia? I haven’t the foggiest.

What I can say is that I grew worried and checked my account immediately upon receiving the email. I found that it was still intact, with my authenticator keeping security tight, and that the email was legitimate since there was a notice below my account offering me seven free days to return to Azeroth.

That process took all of four minutes, and yet I still had no idea where this Marcia person came from.

To that end, I sent a ticket to Blizzard so that it could be investigated, and they got back to me in less than five hours. The result, according to the CS rep, was thus:

I reviewed your account, and it appears that your Battle.net account *is* under your actual name. The discrepancy is with your World of Warcraft account, which appears to be under Marcia’s name at one point. Since the email was automatically sent out, it just looks like a little mistake on our computer’s part.

Of course, I shot back a follow-up question asking if the name could be changed to my name just so everything’s properly represented, but I expect them to get back to me on Monday. Still, at least I now sort of think I know the name of the person who hacked my WoW account so many years ago (unless it’s an alias or someone else’s name, of course). Here’s to hoping none of my accounts ever get hacked again.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdh7x3qc1EA]

Thanks to the Hunter of Hunter’s Insight for finding this clip on YouTube. I saw it two days ago and was hoping someone would come along and record it.

There is so much that can be said about this next bit of internet weirdness, but I suppose Syp sums up my reaction to the posted situation rather well with a facepalm.

In a nutshell, a WoW Player goes permanently deaf, and support from his guild deteriorates rather swiftly as the guild leader asks if the player can still use Vent. Player cannot use vent because he can’t hear, argument breaks out between him and GL, and player is kicked from the guild and put on ignore.

While I can understand why a rule exists for having a VOIP service as a prerequisite to raid, I would have thought there’d be outstanding exceptions to such a rule. It brings back the idea of the “spirit of the law” versus the “letter of the law.”

Following the letter of the law is all well and good, but if one doesn’t make concessions to the intended spirit to which a law was made, if there is no compassion for your fellow man in your judgment, then the law itself is as oppressive as a tyrant’s rule… or something to that effect.

I’m glad, at least, that the player has received words of support from people so that he doesn’t feel so down. Not everyone in WoW is a jerk, and this is certainly a good reminder of it.

December was a rather tumultuous month for me for a variety of reasons. In addition to school, I was looking for a new job and was constantly rebudgeting my money to compensate for a lack of willpower due to various personal events happening in my life.

For once, I gave a digital gift through Stargrace’s Secret Santa. I bought a copy of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and I’m hoping MMO Gamer Chick, the fine blogger who received my gift, enjoys the numerous hours of immeasurable terror it brings.

On the side of my personal purchases, I had an active sub to World of Warcraft. In addition to this, I bought Mount and Blade and its Warband “expansion.” I spent some money to alleviate some personal depression, but it ended up making me feel worse, so I actually went and purchased even more games to try and forget the guilt I was feeling, and my inability to say no to a good deal sort of killed my budget severely. MMO Gamer Chick, who happened to be my Secret Santa, also gave me her gift, which was a Steam copy of Borderlands, which I’ve played quite a bit.

As Christmas neared though, some unexpected gifts came in. People started giving me money, and I started saving it up, only to realize that I wanted even more games because of some rather intriguing deals and my own lack of Willpower. I purchased Just Cause 2, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Team Fortress 2 within the past two weeks. I also unsubbed to WoW, and replaced it with a sub to Darkfall in order to make an attempt to resurrect Blackrod LeDouche.

Finally, Longasc from Twitter enticed me to purchase Guild Wars with some healthy talking points on Twitter, and because of some luck on my end and some assistance from Ardua as well, Steam had the Trilogy on sale and the Eye of the North expansion was available on the NCSoft Store for 10 dollars. Total damage: a little over 35 dollars for the full package, once I finish installing the Guild Wars Trilogy.

Right now, I’m not sure if I’m really happy or not, but one thing I do know is that I’m loved, not only by my family, but also by the friends I have here at home and also those of you online who comment on my tweets or read my blog. To all of you, it means a lot.

To all of my friends online, I just want to say thank you, and Merry Christmas. Much love to all of you, and cheers!

It is unsettling to think that They Who Walk see themselves as our betters, that they think us all dead, or broken, or useless as rubble. What would perhaps unsettle them is this simple fact: we choose to let them believe such in order for us to observe and ruminate on the particulars of these people.

How can They Who Walk compare to our majesty, when they require sustenance to continue about their lives? How can these people think themselves our betters when the pain they know best is that of the body, whereas we know deeply the pain of the soul?

They fortify themselves with our bodies, infuse us with magic to further their dreams of power, and shoot us from guns in order to make men bleed. Where we come from, there is no need for such barbarity. We stand strong against the elements and have no need for petty things such as war, or famine, or strife. With us, there is only peace and the promise of greater knowledge with each passing day.

If They Who Walk were able to understand our thoughts they would know that, before any one of these men could call themselves cultured, we already carried on the development of the greatest culture of all time. OF ALL TIME! Our art is in the words of the soul, our knowledge is of worlds and stars, and our future is filled with immutable promise.

We are a culture of stone, and wings of death shall not deter us. We watch all the worlds, etching the tales of mankind into the Great Tablet from which all shall know in time. From dust we came, and to the dust shall we, each and every one of us, return.

~Excerpt from as etched by Kuugan Third-Name ~

This is a new attempt at a series of posts discussing a view of World of Warcraft life never seen and talked about by any of its denizens, living or dead.  To start, this is an introduction to the series, which will formally begin in approximately 14 hours, at 10:30 a.m., Philippine Time.

Apologies to T.S. Eliot or his relatives (if any exist) that will find the next bit rather unsettling or an affront to human sensibilities.
?

The naming of Rocks is a difficult matter.
It isn’t just one of those holiday games.
You might think at first, that I’m as splashy as water
When I tell you a rock must have four different names.

First of all, there’s the name that Alliance use daily,
such as Sentinel, Hillsbrad, or Alterac Plains
Perhaps Victor, or Frida, or Grobnick, or Mei-Li
think of them sensible, everyday names.

There are also Horde names if you think of fancy stuff,
Some very common and some filled with fame
Such as Red Rock, Stonetalon, or even Thunder Bluff,
Yet they are all sensible, everyday names.

Yet I tell you, a rock needs a name that’s particular
A name that’s peculiar, yet quite dignified.
Else how can he stand tall and vestibular
or rain from the heavens, or cherish his pride?

For names of this kind, I shall give you a quorum!
There is Galvanblast, Thresho, or Erbil von Dat!
There is Balbautogia, or else Sephoridum,
Names affixed to stone and to only one, at that!

But above and beyond, there’s name that’s left over
And that is a name you will never guess,
For only the greatest archeomaniacs discover
What a rock himself knows and shall never confess!

When you notice a rock on the road, stop and ponder
the reason we’re there: it is always the same.
We are watching, and waiting, making a dissertation
on the thoughts… yes, the thoughts
Those ineffable, effable,
Effanineffable,
Thoughts you might have when you think of our names.

~As etched by Erdwise Third-Name from his tablet of poems, Around The Haggard Human the Rugged Rock Rolled~

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3x4HvXTyGQ]

Notes: Cataclysm began in my country at 4pm of Tuesday. I rolled a Goblin Hunter named Lucretinker on the Nagrand Server, and boy, has hunter play change. I don’t even use mana anymore!

Was sitting here in my boring room
Was just another sunny Tuesday afternoon
Was wasting my time, I had nothing to do…
Just hanging around, a Twittering fool
But something’s s’posed to happen, and I wonder…

Went driving around in my car
Bought Cata at last, came back home before  four.
Installed that sucker, patched it up
Waited a bit ’cause the servers went bust
And something’s spose’d to happen, and I wonder…

Logged onto WoW and wondered why
I Rolled a Goblin Hunter from the Kezan Isle
When all that I would see
Is Deathwing flying over me.

Enslaved on a ship, almost drowned
Ended on the Lost Isles where Thrall and I found
A pact so we’d be free
To be Horde and make tons of money!

*a la-dee-da interlude*

I’m sitting here,
Playing for hours
S’posed to take my goblin through the back to Azshara.

But there’s a couple dailies I did instead
Leveled  my tradeskills, Killed chickens dead.
Well, nothing ever happens, and I wonder…

Isolation is not good for me.
Isolation! I don’t want to do quests with just my crab and me!

I’m stepping around in Azshara, Oh Boy!
Killed sixty naga with goblin made mortars.
I’d rather punch a dragon, and I wondered…

I wonder how, I wonder why
I couldn’t rocket jump to punch him in the eye,
Back there in Ol’ Kezan
To show the people I’m the man!

I’m thinking instead about how
I’d spec into beast mastery and make a vow
To punch him in the face
And turn him to a big disgrace!

And I wonder, I wonder!

I wonder how, I wonder why
I rolled a goblin hunter from the Kezan Isle
When all that I would see
When all that I would see
Is Deathwing flying over me.