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The Daily Grind: How far in advance will you get excited about a game?
Following WildStar since its first cinematic trailer way back when has been an interesting experience, partly because I've been so consistently lucky. I started following the game when we knew virtually nothing, and for all I knew then it could easily have turned out to be a game I'd never willingly play. That hasn't been the case, but the earlier you get on board with a game, the more your enthusiasm consists of a thin hope and some vague notions. Of course, Kickstarter projects are based almost entirely on you being a fan without ever playing the game. But for some people, following a game that's only been announced is setting yourself up for disappointment. So how far in advance will you get excited about a game? Do you get psyched from developer diaries and early screenshots, or do you wait until you play a beta build and find out the game is fun? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Fallen Earth trimming up the game experience for new players
Fallen Earth isn't a cumbersome game, but it can be hard to approach at first. The game has a lot of complicated systems playing off one another, and as a result, trying to jump in can leave a new player confused about what to do next. Luckily, the development team is well aware of the problem, and a recent development blog outlines the steps being taken in the next patch to help streamline and improve the experience for new players. The change that will have the biggest impact on everyone in the game will be the consolidation of several gear slots, meaning that players will no longer have to scrounge for corresponding pieces when starting out. The addition of sector chat and a beacon leading toward the nearest garage will help players find others and receive aid as needed. And the team is looking ahead to future improvements as well, all in the hopes that your first moments in Fallen Earth are fun enough to convince you to stay.
Nobody's perfect
If you play WoW long enough, you're bound to make mistakes. Whether it's accidentally picking up the wrong piece of loot off of a boss or pulling a bunch of elites before your group is ready, everyone messes up once in awhile. While I normally make a habit of doing research in order to avoid such things, the other day I made a mistake that only affected myself, but it was pretty annoying nonetheless.I had been spending a lot of money power-leveling professions for a few of my alts when I got lucky and picked up a couple upgrades for my main character. I was low on funds and needed to grab some enchants and gems quickly so that I'd be prepared for an upcoming raid. With little time to farm, I hit the auction house and looked for some deals. When I noticed the low price of Nexus Crystals, I was reminded that my enchanter alt could transform those into Small Prismatic Shards and then again into Large Prismatic Shards. After double-checking the prices for the various materials, I concluded that I would not only save a good deal of money, but I'd make a bundle by selling extra shards. I bought all of the Nexus Crystals on the auction house and shipped them off to my enchanter. Gleefully imagining the piles of money I'd soon be raking into my coffers, I switched characters and converted the first crystal into a shard. My schemes where short-lived, sadly, when the realization that the conversion of Nexus Crystals has a cooldown, much like an alchemist's transmutes. Oh well, at least I'll have a nice stockpile of shards after about a month or so.What are the biggest mistakes you've made?
