There’s a reason I call myself the Nomadic Gamer. Chances are at any one time I’m subscribed to at least two games. Typically more. I bounce from game to game depending on my whims and I rarely stay settled in a game for longer then a month. I realize this is an incredibly frustrating method to play – especially for my dear friends who have had to put up with my play style for far longer then anyone should have to tolerate it. It’s also the way I’ve always played, ever since EQ2 came out (EQ1 being the only game I actually stuck with on its own). I blame this on a combination of things. The need to constantly be multi tasking, and the blunt fact that since playing video games (and writing about them) is my day time job, the more games I play the more insight I have and the more articles I can write and then (eventually) the more money I make.

Still, it’s not easy. Especially for those good friends who like to game WITH me. If you’re not used to this life style then I can see how it would be incredibly frustrating. I keep waiting for that single game that will pull me in and make me forget about all others, but it simply hasn’t happened. I want to apologize to those friends who are unable to understand why I play this way, or who are hurt by the fact that I may be there one week and not the next. I always return to a few ‘main’ games (EQ2, VG, WoW, EVE, EQ, W101, LotRO), but I hardly expect everyone I know to jump around from game to game with me. All I can ask is that they have some patience with me. There are other methods of contacting me if I don’t happen to be playing a particular game that month (you can find me on various forms of IM as well as twitter and email) and I’m never that out of reach.

I’ve tried to stop apologizing for my gaming habits. I’m pretty up front and anyone who has read this site (or my sister site, nomadicgamer.com) realizes that this is just how I happen to spend my time in game. It’s one of the things I love about knowing so many people who play video games – we don’t all play the same way. I’ve always cherished my friendships and been proud of the fact that they transcend any video game out there, that a true friendship won’t be lost based on the games I’m playing (or not playing) but lately it feels like perhaps that is not the case. Online friendships are fragile things, and it’s all to easy to go the rout of “out of sight out of mind”.

Anyhow, sorry for the ranting today but it was something I wanted to talk about. Happy gaming no matter where you find yourself.

Ah. The joys of having bags that are constantly filled with crafter supplies. This weekend I haven’t played a lot of Vanguard. Number one, I don’t want to burn out, and number two I’ve been involved in some pretty hefty real life crafting / adventuring lately which pulls me away (gasp) from the PC. If you thought this would be a post about Vanguard, well. You’ll just have to wait for tomorrow’s post instead.

I’ve been taking screen shots in games for as long as I can remember. I have literally thousands of screen shots stashed in various folders all over my computer. Since I can’t exactly hit a ‘print screen’ button in real life I’m typically dragging around my Olympus E410 with me which is an amazing camera that I got a few years ago as a Christmas present. I currently own three lens for it, including a 300mm zoom and a macro lens. Essentials for my ‘hobby’ as a photographer. This week there was not only the aurora borealis going on, but also a meteor shower. While I’ve always had a keen interest on all things sky (and sea) related, this heightened to an extreme that I could no longer ignore.

I decided after doing a lot of research that I want to get into astrophotography. I learned a few things. Number one: WOW is it an expensive hobby to get into. It’s also a LOT of fun, and a LOT of work. I wanted a telescope, and learned that in order to take semi decent pictures of the sky I would want one that has computerized tracking. That is so you can lock onto an object (or at least a section) in space and track it through the sky so that your camera doesn’t blur the image. In order to get good pictures of stars for example, you need to leave your cameras shutter open, allowing more light into it. If the sky is moving, the stars smudge. I’ll need a remote for my camera so that me holding down the shutter doesn’t blur things further. Also, I want a t-ring, these are camera specific, and allow you to attach your DSLR to a telescope using it as the actual lens of the camera. Sure, you can find items that will “hold” your camera up to the telescope, but these are not exactly ideal.

Telescopes are really expensive. Computerized ones even more. I found a Celestron NexStar 60 SLT Telescope for roughly $200 (Regular $500) and decided I was going to invest in it. The reviews are alright – apparently if I get really into this hobby I’m going to want to upgrade the lens, which is simple enough to do. This telescope is not the best out there by any means but the price was right and it does have computerized tracking. I should be able to get incredibly detailed shots of the moon, Saturn and it’s rings, Jupiter and other stuff. I won’t be seeing any nebula any time soon, but that doesn’t always have to be the case.

I am *incredibly* excited. Obviously, since I’m posting about it here on MmoQuests and I’ve done nothing but talk about telescopes for the last three days. Gaming is great, and the people I meet in games are fantastic, but when it comes right down to it it’s a combination of hobbies and interests that makes life so fantastic.

I hope everyone has had an amazing weekend! Happy gaming no matter where you find yourself – and I’ll see you in Telon.

Since I’m not actually at Fan Faire this year (pout) I’ve been watching EQ2 wire for their updates.

They released some of the concept art of “EQ Next” – be sure to take a peek.

Here are some key points from the Community Address that happened last night:

EverQuest: House of Thule releases on October 14th. It adds a plethora of new dungeons and content, as well as the addition of player housing.

EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious releases February 8th and, amongst other things, will introduce flying mounts in most zones. It is unclear which zones are being configured to allow this. Say what you will about Brenlo, but this was an initiative he pushed for. Glad to see it’s coming.

EQ2 Extended — Beta launches August 17th. New optional free adventure service. Live subscription remains unchanged. Yadda yadda.

FreeRealms coming to Mac and PS3 in ~2 months. Currently 13 million players (unknown how many are paying)

Clone Wars Adventures — shown at E3, targeted at FreeRealms crowd. Based closely on the Cartoon Network series and will have heavy cross-promotion.

Magic the Gathering strategy game will be something quite different. It’s not a TCG.

DC Universe Online – Releases November 2nd. PC and PS3, Action-based physics. Newsworthy bit: Pre-ordering will be huge and allow you to play as Batman, as well as get a basketful of free items. Shown the astonishingly good trailer from last week featuring Lex Luthor.

Be sure to take a peek at the rest of the SOE Fan Faire info they have posted, I’ll be taking bits and pieces and mentioning them here for readers to get the information out. Am I excited? Eh. I am VERY excited about EQ player housing. EQ2 flying mounts? Not so much. Also, after browsing through the schedule for Fan Faire, I was sad to see there are 0 panels on Vanguard. There’s a 2 hour live quest, but that’s it. Figures.

Despite the fact that the majority of this blog is chock full of gaming posts, and the same can be said for my brief blurbs over at NomadicGamer – there are other things that I’m interested in and do (gasp). I decided I’d talk about a new feature that happens to coincide with one of my favorite hobbies, photography. For those who are unaware, for the past year and a half I’ve been uploading a ‘photo a day’ to a small site called ShutterCal. Well, it’s not quite so small any more and I’ve really enjoyed watching it grow. The site is free to use, but they also offer items for sale in their store. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty big on supporting the things you enjoy, be it games, photography, reading, or anything else. Just like I have no issue spending a few extra dollars in a video game to show I support the company, I do the same in other real life endeavors. I bought one of the limited ShutterCal pillows when they came out, and I also own a shoebox filled with sets of my pictures that I’ve taken over the months (though I tend to slack on purchasing those ones).

So what does this have to do with my hobbies? Well, there’s another thing I really enjoy aside from photography, which is getting and receiving mail. I know that probably sounds odd but it’s been something I’ve loved all my life. I used to have a lot of penpals growing up and as we evolved into a more online fashion those ‘snail mail’ days seem to have been left behind.

I got involved with PostCrossing, which is a site that promotes sending postcards all over the world. You register your user name and address, and for every postcard you agree to send out (to a random person) you’ll get one back (ideally that’s how it works, some times people will forget to send yours out or they’ll get lost in the mail, it happens). I’ve sent out 8 postcards so far, and gotten 10 back.

ShutterCal has added a new feature where you can pay $2.90 and they will create a postcard out of your chosen picture, and they’ll even mail it for you and that includes the postage. I was incredibly happy to learn about this feature for a number of reasons. Number one, I love to support the small folks, number two, I love photography, three I love postcards and sending things in the mail, and four who wouldn’t want to send personalized postcards of their own pictures? It works as both a promotional tool for ShutterCal and for yourself, and adds a personal touch to each one. $2.90 is cheaper then what it costs me to actually purchase a postcard at the post office and then send it internationally.

I’ve sent my first two purchased cards out (I was a part of the beta, and have just been biding my time to talk about it when it went live) and I am really excited about them getting to their destinations. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in then please by all means head over to PostCrossing or to ShutterCal and get involved.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

This weekend was amazing. It was the sort of weekend that only comes from pure sunshine, great friends, and amazing gaming. First, I want to ramble a little about real life – something that I don’t talk about too often but believe it or not I do have one (teehee). I spent a lot of this weekend browsing my local library books online via their web site, and downloading books to my e-reader. The books have a timer on them, you can ‘borrow’ them for 21 days and then the book will no longer be accessed by the reader. My library here in Ottawa has thousands of books available, and just like the ‘real’ library, you can only have a certain number at a time, and if someone else is reading it you have to wait your turn and add yourself to a waiting list. This feature is just so mind boggling and amazing to me. I borrowed the e-book of The Hobbit since I have never read it, a few R.A. Salvator books, and even a few self help books on Confronting Fear (which turned out to be a horrible book but this isn’t really the place for that). I bought a blanket so I could sit outside and read comfortably, and the weather was just so fantastic. I went to Hogsback falls and took a lot of pictures (which you can see on my ShutterCal calendar at the top right hand side of this site) and did other mundane things like groceries.

Why is this such a big deal to me? Well, for those who may not be aware last year at this time I was incredibly sick, unable to leave my bed. I was in and out of the hospital numerous times, and it was just a really rough year. I couldn’t be happier and feel more blessed that this year is nothing like last year, and that I actually find myself craving the warmth and sunshine. It’s been a long time since I felt that invigorated.

On to gaming!

Yesterday was a day for achievements in World of Warcraft. I played my shaman and managed to get her to levle 43, which was a lot of fun. Also made a lot of cash in the process. Well, a lot for me in any case. On that same note, thanks to the help of Manos in game I obtained Grand Master cook – which allows me to partake in the daily cooking quests in Dalaran. It was also my first time to the incredible city, thanks to a mage port. I’ve bound myself there since (I had no idea) there are ports that will take you to each major city, much like PoK in EQ. There were people EVERYWHERE, it was really nice to see. Getting to Grand Master cook was pretty cheap, and fun, and I had a great time hunting down recipes. I’m hoping to get fishing there next, and maybe even first aid, we’ll just have to see.

What was everyone else up to this weekend? I hope it was as much fun as mine! Safe travels and happy gaming no matter where you find yourself.

I’ve always wanted some sort of e-reader. I’m a huge fan of books and while I can constantly be found dividing my time between a few (and sticking with the ones that catch my attention the most) they don’t exactly leave a lot of options for me as far as storage goes. I’ve got bins of books stashed away everywhere, I’ve got books piled on the floor, on my desk. Cats of course love to chew these books. Bad kitties. Anyway. The point is I’ve always wanted an e-reader, but never actually purchased one.

Until yesterday.

I now have a 5″ Sony E-Reader, and I absolutely love it. It can read a variety of document formats which was really key for me, it means that I’m not restricted in where I get my books from. As if that were not enough I found out that the city library actually allows you to download e-books so long as you have a valid library card. There are SO many books available from that option alone, and I just about danced around the house I was so excited. A lot of the book choices are things I already own or have read previously, but just about the entire selection of library books is available. Today I’m headed to the library to get my account fixed up, as it’s been 8 years or so since I’ve actually used it and I need a pin number associated with it. If I have one I don’t have the faintest idea what it is. One would think that I should just get books from the library in physical format if I’m headed there anyway, but again I come to the issue of space, and kitties chewing them up.

Of course the first thing I did was try not to get upset at the number of books that are available for the US vs. the ones available here in Canada. Blasted copywrite laws. I also checked a few stores for any free book deals that may be going on, and I moved my ipod books over to the e-reader, including Bram Stokers Dracula which I had never read before. I love being able to read on the ipod, but it’s just a little too small for me. The e-reader is the perfect size and is made specifically for reading, the screen and little details all incorporate that use. I had contemplated getting an ipad, but I don’t think I need one since I already own the smaller ipod version, and the e-reader was far cheaper. It’s small, fits in my purse, and can easily be brought anywhere with me. I’m looking forward to being outside reading without having to worry about bringing a big bulky book around with me, and I’m excited about making some book purchases in the future.

If anyone else has some suggestions on where to get free e-books (or even paid ones) please don’t hesitate to let me know in comments below!

Wow. 1500 posts already. For me this is a HUGE milestone. I’ve been writing on MmoQuests.com for five years this year. FIVE years? That’s a life time in the online world. Hitting such a mark made me think about milestones, not just in real life but in our gaming atmospheres. Above is a screen shot from March 2006, it’s my very first guild (that I personally created), Fire and Ice on the … I can’t even remember which server. It’s either Najena or Lucan D’Lere. Satia was my character (a dark elf warden who I now play as Seduisant, having renamed when I moved servers multiple times). Our guild had just reached level 17, and it was such a proud moment. It was before we were even aware of the fire and ice quest that would take you to defeat Darathar and obtain your prismatic 1.0

Reaching these milestones in any capacity is an incredible feeling. Whether you’ve nailed a project at work, or reached a new level in a game. Whether you and your friends have done something incredible together, or you’ve finally made that big purchase you’ve always dreamed of. Reaching milestones makes us feel good about our situations (typically) and carrying this over into a video game is just one more aspect of allowing us to feel GOOD about things. Who wants to play a game where all you do is feel shoddy all of the time. We play them because we feel good, it’s entertaining.

I’m looking forward to reaching many more milestones as time goes on, and I hope everyone else reaches their milestones too. I’m still in awe at 1500 posts, haha.

Happy gaming everyone, I’ll see you in Norrath, Tranquility, The Spire, Telon, Middle Earth, Atreia, the American Grand Canyon, Hyboria, Azeroth, Tyria, Eberron, and numerous other places.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Karen and Adam (who you guys may already know from Journeys with Jaye and Epic Slant) caught me off guard and asked if I’d be willing to guest on a podcast of theirs, View from the Top. Having never done a single podcast in my entire life (although I have lots of experience talking to myself, and the cat) I decided to face my fears of public speaking, and give it a shot. After all, what was the WORST that could happen (Princess could take the microphone and reveal all of my secrets). This was no easy task for me, but Karen threatened me sent Sith Lords after me held the cat ransom convinced me that no harm would come from it.

Please head on over to the link above and give it a listen. Also don’t forget to submit a question for their next shows, even though I have no intentions of ever doing another podcast, they do a fantastic job at answering!

Thank you again Karen and Adam for having me on the show, it really was a blast!

It’s that time of year again, when Beckett MOG hosts their Readers Choice Awards. I’d really appreciate and love it if everyone went over and cast their vote for the survey, I realize there are a few glitches within the survey at the moment, they’re being ironed out by my Editor Doug (I didn’t have anything to do with creating the survey, but I was asked to promote it). So please head over to the site and complete the survey for your favorite games of 2009! The results will be posted in our next issue of Beckett MOG, which is due to hit shelves mid March.

Click here to head to the survey.

Thanks!

Just a very quick post that I’m post dating to the 9th (even though today is the 15th) because I saw I had a blank spot on the calendar. Sneaky? Sure maybe but it’s my site so that’s what I get to do!

2009 was pretty impressive for me personally, especially in relation to work and games (since my work relates directly to games). Despite the fact that I spent a good 7 months of it sick and bedridden, I still think it was an alright year. I’m hoping that 2010 will be even more impressive. Here are a few things that really stand out in my mind about 2009, and memories that I’ll never forget.

- February 2009, I was informed that I would be heading to San Diego for a day to interview the good folks at SOE. I had about two weeks to prepare for the trip, including getting my passport, and it was probably the most hectic thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. It included 1 day flying, 1 day interviewing, and 1 day flying home (I do live on the other side of NA after all). It was also the most amazing thing I’ve ever done (to date). It was a very surreal experience to speak with developers of EQ, EQ2, and Vanguard, and I received an exceptionally warm welcome by the EQ2 community team. As my first ‘on site’ interview, it was not something I will ever forget.

- Sadly I caught the midori virus while I was there *snickers* and it stuck with me for a few months. I went through some pretty painful health issues, and it lasted until October. Not a happy camper, I had great support from my friends, and did my best, continued my work for Beckett although most of that was from my bed.

- Fall 2009 I received an unexpected phone call from Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult. He was playing wizard 101, and wanted some game tips, and I learned about what a huge gamer he is. He talked about all sorts of things from World of Warcraft, EQ2, Wizard 101, and I have to admit one of the funniest comments from him was ‘I don’t have to explain to you who I am, right?’ when he was talking about how some times he lacked time to game, due to other press obligations. It was neat to finally realize that hey, everyone plays video games.

- Year long I continued to grow in terms of work, I went from writing 1-3 articles per issue to writing 6-7 on a steady basis. I also got a promotion, and now handle web news and all of my own PR when it comes to the games I cover. I think I’ve learned a lot, and still have a long way to go. I managed to make a blog post almost every single day on MmoQuests.com which is something I’m really happy about.

I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned even more about MMOs and even about players. I’ve met a wonderful community that I continue to hold close to me (granted I can’t really hold anyone close on Twitter) and I like that I managed to keep my values and morals in tact when it comes to writing about video games. I’ve kept a (mostly) positive attitude in everything I write, and I hope to continue that through 2010, whether it’s boring or not, it’s who I am.

I’m excited about what 2010 will bring, and I hope everyone else is too!

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself.