One Shots: The kiddie pool
What does an insane kinetic interstellar critter do on his or her day off? Why, soak in an outdoor pool and try not to think about why the water suddenly got warmer, of course!
Reader Crazyrabbit63 (probably not his real name) sent in this WildStar picture to kickstart our fun this week: "This is my Chua, BuzzCracker, sitting in his kiddie pool and relaxing after a long day of hunting Exiles across Nexus. After a few minutes in the water, BuzzCracker realized he had too many Spicy Jabbits for lunch!"
If diminutive pools aren't your thing, we've got the excitement of both Hell and singing mushrooms after the break!
"Everyone stop right now and freeze!" I am often heard shouting at my teammates in MMOs. "I need to take a group picture. Hold it... hold it... there!" So I totally get why reader Elania prized this particular shot from The Secret World.
"This is a screenshot taken of a few of my cabalmates and me outside of the Overlook Motel in Savage Coast, one of the early zones in the game," Elania wrote. "I did not set out to get any screenshots when taking this one. We were in the middle of a roleplaying event actually, and when I panned my camera around, it just turned out too perfect and the result was this, the best of them. This really epitomizes that zone for me: The lighting gives it an atmosphere and a character all of its own."
It's been a while since we've received pictures from the original Guild Wars, so I was pleasantly surprised to open up this email from reader Chiara.
"I'm in love with the whole pre-searing area," Chiara wrote, "it's so peaceful and well-fleshed out. The melodies, the NPCs and their daily worries, the infamous uncharmable rabbit, little Gwen -– all of these elements come together nicely and are the reason that I felt at home straight away. Yet the moment you step foot in the Northlands, it really dawns on you that peace on your side of the Wall isn't going to last. What you've been experiencing isn't but the lull before the storm, and as you get further from the Great Wall, the sky becomes cloudy, and from clear-blue it becomes angry-red. There's this feeling of foreboding, of doom that the zone conveys so well. It screams, 'Everything you know and love is going to burn.' From time to time, I still visit the Northlands with my Legendary Defender of Ascalon Mesmer, start Tartini's Devil's Trill, and just let it play there.
Is there any MMO that had such a broad selection of interesting classes such as EverQuest II? Even though it was never my mainstay game, I applauded the studio's desire to go bigger rather than limit possibilities. Anyway, here's one of the title's musically inclined classes in action.
"This is Jipp, the Halfling Troubadour," the eponymous author submitted. "When he isn't feasting on Jum Jum pie, he enjoys strolling through his favourite zone, Oakmyst Forest, while playing music for the locals."
Our screenshot challenge of the week is to show off you favorite fluff item. Maybe it's a jar of fireflies, a set of fireworks, or a potion that turns you into shrubbery for the Knights Who Say Ni. If you got it, flaunt it -- to us!
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!
