All posts by Pike

good games that are good, non-wow

Good Games That Are Good: Diablo 3

Yup, it’s finally time to talk about the game that has devoured my life recently: Diablo 3.

Diablo_III_coverI’ve long been a fan of ARPG lootfest style games like this, but I didn’t actually start playing D3 until the expansion hit.  Various things about it kind of turned me off to it, and I preferred to stick with spiritual successors like Torchlight.

Then the expansion came out and with it a ton of quality of life changes.  I picked up the game and was pleased to see that it was an extraordinarily fun romp, especially for couch co-op (yes, I first played this game on console with a controller.)

Not only is Diablo 3 a very solid, well… Diablo-clone (to use a phrase coined by the very series itself) but there are a lot of little things about it that I like.  The music is unsurprisingly fantastic, as are the cinematics – those are two things that Blizzard has pretty much always done right.  But I am also very fond of the way that the game’s difficulty is so adaptive.  You can set it on an easier mode or you can make it devilishly difficult, and the latter will have your character rolling, jumping, and teleporting around frantically as you try to dodge the dangers all around you.  Throw in the account-wide paragon system and you have a game that is also very friendly to those with limited time.  The result is a game that is as hardcore as you want it to be.  And that’s a really good thing.

If you haven’t played Diablo 3 yet, then now’s a fantastic time to do so.  The new season recently started so everyone’s kind of getting back into it.  Check it out – and be prepared to get addicted.

thoughts

All Work And No Play Makes Pike a Dull Elf

Aaaaaahhhhhh I’ve been so busy lately.  Day job work!  Freelance writing work!  Work work!

Relevant. And unintentional, actually, but.
Relevant. And unintentional, actually, but.

Finally it’s time for some video games though.  I think I’m going to continue leveling some of my alts in WoW (I’ve got three that I’m cycling through who are in their mid-60s!), try to actually get some FFXIV done, and work on my new seasonal wizard in D3 (because I can’t stop playing wizards now).  There are other games I want to play but they’re not a top priority so we’ll see how things go.

So yeah, them’s my weekend plans!

Sorry there haven’t been any particularly interesting posts here lately.  Just, ya know, busy.

non-wow, thoughts

That Weird Problem When A Game Is Really Fun, But…

1 Comment

Have you ever had that problem?  Have you ever had a game that you find really fun, but there’s a “but” attached?

That’s kind of where I am right now with FFXIV.  I’m having a lot of fun with it.  But… work is busy, and I’ve been playing other games, and if I had to drop something right now it would probably be FFXIV.  Not because I dislike it.  But because, well, my time is limited.  And right now I’m feeling other games.

So as it stands, I’m not so sure I’ll subscribe once my free month is up.  Granted, I’ve got two weeks left on my free month, and a lot can change between now and then, so nothing is final.  But right now I’m not seeing at as something I’ll play long-term.  Not right now, anyway.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing absurd amounts of Diablo 3.  Especially wizards.  At some point I’ve gone and gotten myself addicted to wizards.  It’s magic, I ain’t gotta explain nothin’.

lists, thoughts

Five Best Things to Come out of Warlords of Draenor

1 Comment

I know, I know, this expansion is probably the most controversial one yet.  But there was a lot of stuff I liked about it, at least.  Here’s my list:

1.) Garrisons

I am going to defend these til the day I die.  Fantastic for social anxiety stricken players like myself, and also fantastic for being money printing machines.

2.) Reagent Bank

I love this thing so much.  It was such a little thing but it made a gigantic difference when it came to quality of life and saving bagspace.  Related: reagents stacking to 200, and being able to craft right from the bank.  Gosh this was a great idea.

3.) Heirloom Tab

I remember back in Wrath of the Lich King when starting a character on a new server meant running heroics for days so I could get the badges to buy an all new set of heirloom gear, stick it on a new character, and then pay real money to transfer said character to a new server.  I mean, I guess you didn’t HAVE to do all that, but heirlooms spoiled me quick, and I’m so glad that it’s easier than ever to be spoiled.

4.) Twitter Integration

As anyone who follows me on Twitter can attest, I love sharing screenshots of video games.  Now I can share EVEN MORE screenshots of video games!  Bwahaha!  Anyways this has spoiled me a lot and I now wish that all games came with Twitter integration because it’s just so great.

5.) Timewalking

I’ve talked about this a million times before and I’m talking about it again because I love it.  The great thing about it is that it’s optional and nets you some neato mount rewards but it’s not required for progression, so people who don’t want to do old content don’t have to.  But for nostalgia hounds like me?  Bring on the rose-tinted glasses!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Updated character models, bag improvments (like the sorting button), and an overall improved dailies experience (IMO).

So yeah!  The quality of life changes have been good to us this time around, I feel.

amusing anecdotes, fun, screenshots

Did I Ever Tell You Guys About How Baby Althalor Is Internet Famous

I can’t remember.  Did I?  Perhaps I did.  It was a long time ago.

Seven years ago, to be precise.

World of Warcraft was still everywhere in those days because there were 12 million subscribers.  It was a pop culture phenomenon.  So it a pretty common thing for comedy articles taking the piss out of it to exist.  Such as this one on Cracked.

cracked 1Oh hey, look, it’s a baby hunter posing with The Rake in Mulgore.  You know, I did that once…

…with a blood elf who looks suspiciously like the one in the picture…

…

…

…wait a minute…

AlthalorAndTheRakeYup.

That’s Althalor.

Forever immortalized on the internet at level ten, for better internet connection that will help you improve your online gaming, check now https://cubik.com.tw/vpn/.  Poor guy.

Hey, he’s still got that cat!

WoWScrnShot_090915_093830 (2)

non-wow

[FFXIV] I Really Like Quests In This Game

I’m still putting along in FFXIV.  My tiny little archer is now up to level 18 and just snagged himself an airship pass, so that’s exciting.

I have to say, I really like the way there’s a kind of overarching story in this game so far.  It feels more cohesive than WoW’s… which perhaps is to be expected, since WoW is a colossal beast that’s been growing for the last ten-plus years.  But it’s neat that FFXIV makes you feel like the hero of a single-player game which just so happens to be massively multiplayer.  In WoW, sure, I’m the commander, but I’m well aware of the fact that there are millions of commanders.  FFXIV somehow feels more intimate.  Like you really are special.  It’s a different way to go about it and I’m enjoying the change.

Also, the game is gorgeous.

And my character is gorgeous.

COVW9uKUsAAUfg7.png largeGorgeous.

meta-wow, thoughts

So I’m Thinking of a Server Transfer

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I feel awkward saying this because I just wrote a post a few months ago about how much I enjoyed my server.  And you know, I do… or, rather, I did.  But between CRZ and connected realms I find that I don’t enjoy good ol’ VeCo half as much as I used to.  We were always a small server to begin with and I feel like the other ones have kind of muscled in, making it a place that’s hard to recognize these days.

So I’ve been seriously considering a transfer, at least of my current main and maybe a couple of my alts.  Obviously, every server’s community is going to have some issues, but going back to a care bear lifestyle by jumping ship from RP-PvP to RP is a start.  (I will miss the good world RP-PvP times I had but am not gonna miss all the extra camping that came with the influx of players from other servers.)

I already have some ideas on where I’m going but I’ll save the details for now in case I change my mind.  The next step, of course, is figuring out how to transfer my gold over…

thoughts

PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSIVE DRIVING TESTS

5 Comments

PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSIVE DRIVING TESTS

Employers are responsible for their employees’ safety and well-being at work, and that includes motor vehicle safety when they are driving company vehicles or on company time. Ensuring that employees learn proper driving safety techniques is advantageous for employers in several ways. Having a good driver safety program can help reduce the risk of injury for employees, avoid potential liabilities associated with crashes and avoid costly medical bills and time lost from injuries. Requiring employees to take and pass a defensive driving test is a crucial part of such a driver safety initiative.

A Substantial Risk

Every 10 seconds, an injury occurs as a result of a motor vehicle crash, and many of these incidents occur during the workday. The average American driver travels over 13,000 miles per year by car and has about a 1 in 15 chance of being in a motor vehicle crash each year. By contrast, a typical fleet driver can travel over 100,000 miles annually, substantially increasing the probability he or she will be in a collision.

The Cost of Accidents to Employers

Employers bear the brunt of the cost of motor vehicle crashes that occur on company time or with a company vehicle. Medical bills and lost time can be extremely costly, not to mention the resulting increased workers’ compensation and auto insurance rates. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), motor vehicle crashes cost employers approximately $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity. In fact, OSHA just recently released new guidelines for employers to help reduce motor vehicle crashes, offering 10 steps to create an effective driver safety program in your workplace. Though the guidelines are not regulatory at this time, they are helpful in ensuring that employers satisfy their legal obligation to provide a safe work environment.

Employers who do not offer any driver safety programs also put themselves at risk for costly litigation, where a plaintiff could potentially claim that the company was negligent by not properly training and educating its employees before allowing them to drive for business purposes or with a company vehicle.-

Defensive Driving

Defensive driving should be a cornerstone of any driver safety program; you cannot control anyone else’s behavior on the road, and neither can your employees while driving. By learning proper defensive driving techniques, your employees will be prepared to handle any situation on the road and to better protect themselves from bad drivers and dangerous situations. Get the best assistance and learning from these Los angeles driving lessons.

Teaching employees defensive driving techniques can go a long way toward improving driver safety and minimizing motor vehicle accidents. Administering a defensive driver’s test can be an effective tool to ensure that none of your employees get behind the wheel on company time without the proper training and understanding of defensive driving.

thoughts, timewalking

Timewalking Is Making Me Love WoW Again

Okay, so, I guess I never really stopped loving WoW.  I mean, I can sit here and cry and complain about it all afternoon long but at the end of the day it’s still a game I’ve been playing on and off for nearly a decade.  That’s commitment.  It’s like marriage.  And timewalking is rekindling the spark.

See, earlier today I wound up in a Halls of Lightning group with four other people all from the same guild.  I am 99% sure that they had never even stepped foot in this dungeon before, judging by the many deaths and missteps.  But they were having a good old time and I got to play the part of the Old Hand who could point out that no, you actually have to run to the back of the room during Ionar’s spark thing.

I haven’t felt like the Old Hand in a long time.

I also haven’t felt like “Oh gods if I don’t DPS my heart out, the group will completely fail”, in a long time.  But that’s where I was today with this dungeon.

It felt good.  It brought me right back.  Right back to good ol’ runs in Naxx pugs.

Timewalking makes me happy 🙂