One Shots: The many lives of Gwen Thackeray

Hey Gwen, how's it hanging? Find that flute yet? Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure it'll turn up around here somewhere. Don't get too near the river there, girl; those skale have a nasty bite! Say, what's that sulfurous smell in the air? And those distant screams that are drawing nearer at an incredible rate? And a sudden looming premonition that the property values around here are about to take a nosedive?

Reader Sharvis sent in this Guild Wars picture with a modicum of pity: "Here is Gwen moments before the Searing. Poor girl."

Don't feel too sorry for her, Sharvis! She gets an entire expansion, after all!

Even though this next picture might not seem like anything special to you, it does to reader Brian: "Back in early World of Warcraft, this guild that I was in (and co-lead for a time) used to have weekly guild meetings in the Brill Town Hall in Tirisfal Glades. These were attended by everyone that could make it, and we discussed guild management issues such as if someone needed something crafted or our plans on what we were going to focus on the next week. It was nice as everyone attended on their characters so we could socialize and be more personal than just guild chat. We often had guild screenshot opportunities after the meetings were over, and this is the last screenshot I have of those times."

I have to admit, it's been absolutely ages since I've attended any sort of whole guild function in character. Usually I just show up to guildies' homes in the dead middle of the night and start snacking from their fridges.

You know how to get your screenshot bumped up to the top of the posting list? By starting out your email with a nice compliment. Flattery: It's the cheapest bribe you can pay! Reader Kim lays it on us by saying, "I love to read articles on your site every day."

Hey! Me too, Kim! Man, we have so much in common.

"Sorry my picture is taken in Guild Wars 2, but it really is an awesome moon shot! During the Halloween event they changed the moon temporarily. I took my character Piper Sundance in her pirate outfit to a diving board in Lions arch and couldn't resist taking a screen shot before walking the plank."

This last submission is so neat that I might just have to... heh heh... "borrow" it for myself. Maybe make it into a nice t-shirt or a scarf. Except that I don't wear scarves. A cape, perhaps? Perhaps.

"This screenshot is from an asset denial contract my mercenary corporation was hired for in which we denied the residents of a deep space constellation the right to move about in their own systems," writes reader Seth. "This effectively shut off their income sources, allowing our client to pressure the surrounding markets and lure some of the pilots from the targeted corporation to jump ship and join him. This type of combat in EVE Online is much akin to submarines, I feel, and lends itself to a lot of hunting, moving, hunting. And of course, great screenshots when you find your targets about to jump into your trap. They're the tiny dots in the center-top of the planet."

If you'll excuse me, it's time to pump up the techno and pretend I'm a DJ at a club that caters exclusively to my kids' toys. Buzz Lightyear, you're off the hook, yo! Drop it!

Want to be featured in a future edition of One Shots? Send your favorite MMO screenshots to oneshots@massively.com, and don't forget to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of the scene. Large, colorful, UI-free shots that tell a story and really show off the game make for the best images. Look ma, we brought back One Shots!