Post soundtrack: “My Favourite Waste of Time” by Owen Paul
Fortunately I didn’t rush into looking for a guild, as I discovered Dragon Age: Origins this week. Needless to say, it’s taken a noticeable bite out of my WoW playing time.
Warhammer Online has been and gone (I’ve cancelled my sub), and while it was polished and fairly entertaining it was just too empty outside the free-to-play starting zones. I only got to the first zone after the free-to-play trial areas on one character, and there was usually no-one else levelling, leaving the big-reward group quests impossible to do. In other words, it’s a fun game but not fun for PvE-focussed players (such as myself) with the games’ current population.
Dragon Age, however, has proven much more appealing (and more importantly, less reliant on other players for progress – although that is kind to be expected from a single-player rpg). The combat, although the multiple-character micromanagement really isn’t my preference, is a little entertaining (although I’ve dropped the difficulty down to ‘easy’ after having my party repeatedly stomped into the ground too many times), but the real appeal of the game (at least for me) is in the plot and characters (most notably in the interactions of your party members).
I’m enjoying my first character (a dwarf commoner rogue), and if the other origin choices are as well put together I’ll likely have more play-throughs after I complete the game. It won’t probably be for a while, however, as even with all the time I’ve invested in the game so far, I’m told I’m only 10% of the way through.
As far as WoW goes, I’m currently just logging in to do gem transmutes at the moment. However, I’m beginning to consider the possibility of levelling up either a shaman or a mage in order to get a feel for the classes pre-cataclysm (because guess what classes dwarves will be able to roll then?). I’m also tempted to put together more gear-lists along the lines of my Disc Priest PvP guide – I guess it will depend on whether or not the spirit moves me (or if I’m given encouragement).
In unrelated news, I was briefly really interested in the dedicated ebook reader (I quite enjoy a good book, and BBB’s recent book posts here and here have given me a great deal of new suggestions) being launched here in NZ, the Kobo. However, it’s finally been unveiled at the annoyingly high price-point of NZ$295, which is especially irritating compared to the same product being available to our friends over the ditch for AU$199, which works out to be about NZ$248. For further comparison/irritation, consider the upcoming US release of the Kobo, where it’s priced at US$150, or NZ$225. Bah.
I guess that’s the downside of there not being an ebook reader market in NZ currently – it’s the first product to hit the market, so they can name their price. However, I’m not impressed (or planning on buying one, now) – maybe there will be a new ipod touch to go with the new iphone expected in June. But for the time being, I guess I’ll be sticking with my ipod touch and copy of Stanza.
Ah well, those darkspawn won’t kill themselves.
/wave
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