Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated

So yeah, it has been what, like a year since I posted?  Guess I didn't really have much to say.  Well, nothing I wanted to share with people I suppose.  But I find myself at a crossroads, and felt it was perhaps time to step back into this somewhat cathartic enterprise.

I have a new job, with a schedule that is going to leave me with very little in the way of free time to devote to my favorite genre of game.  Massively Multiplayer Online Games have been an obsession of mine for some years now.  I hop from game to game, but I have a core few I play frequently.  However, I find I have increasingly less time to devote to the core gameplay of these games.  Namely, getting my schedule to match up to others to participate in group content.  On a related note, I'm finding it harder to be excited about the various games, especially any that require a subscription, as I find myself questioning the value of paying monthly for a game I can only play for 6-8 hours a month.

There are other factors as well, with each game having a weakness that makes it harder to stomach.  SWTOR slaps you in the face constantly with the cash shop and the need to subscribe to enjoy the game.  STO is a bit grindy, and with the upcoming changes I've taken a break to see how they play out.  Everquest 2's graphics are incredibly dated, Landmark's engine isn't optimized well, LOTRO seems to have lost it's way amid the cash shop, I could go on.  About the only MMO right now that I have no complaints about is Guild Wars 2.  However, going back to my infrequent playing times, doing some of the group content is a bit trickier, and I'm not a fan of PvP which is most of the endgame between seasonal episodes.

So, what's a gamer to do?  Give up?  Well, I'm going to adapt.  I have a huge catalog of single player games that I have accrued through various sales.  I think it's time to sit down and play through some of them.  Stepping away from PC is helpful as well.  I've recently rediscovered my love for the painful, lengthy grind that is the Monster Hunter series and it is my go to game on the 3DS.  It helps that I can transfer my data to the Wii U when I want some HD gameplay when I have the TV to myself.

The trick now, is to decide which game to dive into.  I think Assassin's Creed 4 will be first.  I've never really gotten into the Assassin's Creed games.  I've heard good things, and besides, there are pirates.  What could go wrong?