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Gaming
I have a deep interest in gaming, mostly on the PC platform. I have been gaming on PC's since the late 1980's, beginning with SubLogic's "Jet" flight simulator. This was a CGA graphics flight sim for the original IBM PC and clones. I ran it on a fairly heavily modified Zenith PC clone. So I've been at this for awhile.
I also have had several consoles, starting with the original 8bit Nintendo Entertainment System, then the SNES (16bit). Most recently I have an XBox console hooked to my hi-def setup in the guest bedroom. Halo 2 rocks on it. I'll probably get an Xbox 360 one day, but I'm not in a big hurry. I'm more of a PC gamer.
I have a custom-built PC gaming rig. I have a page for it here that documents the build. It's way fast, and is plenty powerful enough for the latest games, especially after the May, 2008 update.
This page is really all about my gaming information, with a greater focus on what I'm playing currently. I'll leave most of the historic stuff for documenting another day.
Games
| Title | Description |
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As I'm sure you can imagine, this is J.R.R.Tolkien's Middle Earth in an on-line gaming setting. This is also an MMORPG, where you can play one of the many good classes such as Elf, Dwarf, Man, and even Hobbit. There is also a mini-game area where you can play a "creep" in a Player vs. Player (PvP) session. Creeps include orcs, goblins, etc. I play on one of the European servers (Evernight) and have an Elf RuneKeeper. I'm part of a guild (a "kinship" in LOTRO terms) and while it went dormant for awhile, it is experiencing a resurgence. Unfortunately for me, I'm only able to play a bit on weekends so as usual I mostly solo play. The game has a rich lore obviously, and the graphics are quite nice. The battle system is pretty typical, the advancement system includes a very involved weapon improvement mechanism at the high levels, and there is a pretty rich and extensive crafting system. There are also some unique aspects, such as the skirmish system. This fall (2010), the producers will take the game into a Free-to-play model. Look for the change and give the game a try. The F2P beta is underway now. |
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| Age of Conan: Hyborean Adventures |
This is a MMORPG set in Robert E. Howard's world of Conan, the Barbarian. It has some really neat new features and is much anticipated by the gaming community. I have a few friends who work for Funcom (who also made Anarchy Online) - I want to support them. I participated in both the technical and general beta tests and helped a bit in getting the game ready for release. Note: I finally cancelled my account in 2009. Funcom just couldn't keep the high end interesting. I see that they've recently added a bunch more content, but I don't think I'll be re-enabling my account. |
| Vanguard |
The latest fantasy MMORPG from the original creators of Everquest, this promises to be a return to the excitement I had when I first started gaming online with others. Many of my old EQ friends came back to play for this game, so I tried it out for a while. It was OK, but just wasn't compelling enough to pay the monthly fee for. I've canceled my account, but it was fun for awhile. |
| Rappelz | Another fantasy MMORPG, more on the Asian style made in Korea. Similar to Lineage II. This game takes a bit of a departure from most MMO's as it is free to play. You can download the client and start playing right away. The way the producer makes money is with in-game items that can be purchased with real world currency. I'll have to see if at higher levels, these are essential for a good gaming experience. I currently play intermittently on the Yeti server and have an Asura Chaos Magician that is currently level 106 and a Battle Sorcerer lvl 61. I also have a lvl 104 Red Pixie and a level 60 Evo 2 salamander as well as a couple of other pets (80-something Blue Pixie is my CM's belt pet!) Let me know if you play and I'll get you the names. |
| Everquest 2 | Fun MMORPG set in a fantasy setting. This is a sequel to the original Everquest. The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is deep. It's fun, but has a monthly subscription fee. I have a Level 70 wizard on the Runnyeye server. I've canceled my account though, most of the folks I like to game with switched to either Rappelz or Vanguard. Many of them are now playing Age of Conan. |
| Doom 3 | First-person shooter, dark and scary. Great on my power gaming rig. |
| Far Cry | First Person shooter, awesome graphics on a good system. I got it with my graphics card on my gaming rig (actually 2 of them). I really like this game, it is gorgeous. The game play is pretty darn good, too. |
| Anarchy Online | This is a Science fiction based MMORPG that I played for a long time on and off, but I finally canceled my account. I might reactivate some day, but I doubt time will allow for it. |