I should never read game previews.

[Tir_McDohl]

You know, I hate expansions. I really do. To me it's always been "Yeah, we know our game sucks, pay us more and we might fix it." Not really sure why that is, but it's PROBABLY because of all the bad expansions I've seen/played. But man, reading about Shadowlands makes me wonder if this can finally be the turning point.

I mean, it seems like every other day I hear something new about the expansion that makes me sit back and go "Holy crap. That's fscking great!" Now, I'm a pessimist at heart as any of my friends will tell you. But hearing about the new features, along with knowing how the original game is made, I'm actually pretty damn excited for once. It may not sound that great, but for me this is a pretty big change from most game releases I follow.

Also, I really truly hate gimmicks. I hate when game companies try to con people into buying their product with some cheesy little prize much alike a cereal toy; sometimes they even con you into buying it sooner than you were originally planning to. Again, this time it's different...an apartment in Jobe for preordering? Hell, why not? It looks pretty damn cool, I'm up for that. I mean, I skipped Notum Wars(yeah, some of us actually didn't buy it!) with the intention of holding out until Shadowlands anyway...so I was already planning on getting it. Now with this, it seals the deal. Wow, a company actually used a gimmick(albeit a good one) to achieve the intended effect: Me getting their product with more certainty and sooner than intended. This is worrying me...am I losing my sarcastic ways? Am I being totally duped by a company after successfully dodging so many bullets shot at me by others?

Tonight I bent a bit, and looked at a bunch of previews that were listed on AO's main Shadowlands site. I swear every one of them revealed something great. My favorite is probably the introduction of these perks...it sounds quite similar to one of my more(only) favorite parts of Dark Age of Camelot with their combat styles. However, it doesn't stop there; the perks sound even better thanks to this lovely quote.

For example one profession may have the groin kick, which causes the monster to bend over and then another profession may have an upper cut which works best when monsters are bent over.

Pointedly ignoring the grammatical mistake, I began to think about this. Specific combinations that work best with other players...this sounds familiar. My God! It's a toned down Unite Attack system!? The system found in so many of my favorite console games(Suikoden, Chrono Trigger, etc) that lets characters do combined attacks is coming to AO!? Now sure, it isn't EXACTLY the same, but this is closer than what I was imagining would ever be found in a mmorpg. Again, am I being naive for once?

The only thing that bothers me is the idea that things won't work from the old lands in the new ones. Am I going to have to buy totally new weapons, nanos(Or spells? What ARE used by the normal professions?), etc? Or will weapons and armor still work? One website says NO items will work in SL, another says that SOME won't. What's the story? Will I have to spend a fortune just to be somewhat ready for action?

Though, I have to say, even in the worst case scenario, this expansion will probably be the best I've gotten for any game. I just keep worrying... Am I buying into the hype?

You damn right I am. Now let's just hope I don't get screwed over the one time I do it.

Real reason for posting was because there wasn't really a thread going on exactly what's up in SL...I know I should look at the official forums, but I get sick of that crowd somehow. I figure a better discussion can be held here. ...also, I haven't bothered to get a forum account on the offical boards*cough*.

[Mummu]

yeah i m also kinda excited bout sl, and i would have already a pro-order, if it where possible without any connection to a credit card, but i hope they ll solve this or there ll be lots of preorder boxes in the stored where i life.
the thing that is in my eyes the best r the new zone i can now discover.

[Mukizu]

Nothing has really caught me in reading about shadowlands.
EXCEPT that friggin appartment in Jobe - Has it got windows, is there a spa, there is so many things I'd like to know about it.
I almost preordered SL just for the appartment, I've got this nasty feeling that it's the only way to get those appartments.

But looking at the price for the appartment and the times I went to the one I have, it just doesn't seem worth it.

I'll buy it sometime, I just know I will, I can't help it - I'm really glad the only merchandice they've got is a blue t-shirt, any other colour and I would have bought it

I'll come hang out in your appartment Tir_McDohl

I'll probly still be sleeping on the couch in Reets, the comfy one - not the evil couch near the bar.

[Tir_McDohl]

About the apartment, there's a good reason why no one uses the ones they have; they suck. Badly. I mean, it's a box, with a ten item limit. No furniture really...

It's a FAR cry from housing in UO. Ahh, yes, housing. It kept me in that stupid game years after it was stale and useless. There were people in the game who did nothing but decorate people's houses...and were paid QUITE well for it. Seriously, a single job could pull in a few million gold(and that was a good bit more than credits..at least it was when I played).

As far as how the Jobe apartments look, take a look here and see for yourself. I wouldn't mind going to a few parties in this type of apartment...hell, I wouldn't mind living in one.

Also, I can't wait until I see someone transform for the first time into a Shadowbeast. I'd especially love it to be in the middle of a fight... You know, it'd be damn cool if you got full health and all when you transformed, so you could start a fight in regular mode, and transform for an extended second leg of a fight. But then, that's the console/anime side of me talking again probably. I've always wanted to be a boss, heh.

[Tarryk]

Also remember the next booster pack that will begin production once Shadowlands has taken on (probably a month or two after release), "Towns of Rubi-Ka".

In which player-constructed towns and gardens will be possible. And there are rumors of interior and exterior (read: gardens) decorating becoming quite the catch in that booster.

[Tir_McDohl]

I'm just hoping that whole Towns of Rubi-Ka doesn't totally render apartments useless...I mean, I LIKE the idea of apartments, it's just terribly unexplored so far...

Taking from the UO experience, I can personally say that towns and buildings popping up everywhere can have a pretty negative effect; everywhere you go, there are buildings. The wilderness suddenly is NOT wilderness. It's for that very reason that I thought the idea of apartments was cool...

Now, one thing that would be nice is if there was a nano that let you go to your apartment, or take others there. It's not fun wandering around a city going "Gee, I know it was one of these.."

Also it'd be nice to have tables, and put things on said tables... Looking around my apartment(yeah, I got bored and actually got and decorated one today), everything's sitting on the floor except the paintings and the fan.

Thinking about it, it would be perfect if there were a way to make apartments sort of like a sub-game...that didn't effect the normal game. What I mean is this; make it so that nothing can change your character in the apartment... That way, there'd be no reason why we can't create and store our own apartments on our own hard drives. That way, we can have more than ten freaking items. That way, apartments would be a fun little distraction. I remember one game, Furcadia(yeah, I can hear all of you laughing already) that let you create not only a house, but pretty much whatever you wanted. It let you put a little portal to it on the map, and whoever wanted could drop by. The thing was, the game had no stats or anything, so it's not like there was a risk of exploiting bugs or anything while on the unattended maps... It'd be great if they could do something like that with AO.

Hell, it'd be even better if they let you create your own virtual reality...I mean, it WOULD fit right in with the setting. Oh well, this is turning into a wish list, heh. I also want a pony. ...well, no, I don't. That would be uh, a little, y'know.

[Firia]

This is worrying me...am I losing my sarcastic ways? Am I being totally duped by a company after successfully dodging so many bullets shot at me by others?

Don't worry. ^_^
Someone somewhere will release something crappy,
and you'll be right back to where you were.
It just so happens that in this instance, the company in question isn't trying to drill your ass for money. ^_^

heh. I also want a pony. ...well, no, I don't. That would be uh, a little, y'know.

Don't worry none.
We all secretly want one.

[Mukizu]

As far as how the Jobe apartments look, take a look here and see for yourself.

U are evil now I almost preordered, But Tarryk saved me with the mentioning of Towns of Rubi, I forgot about it after I heard they were thinking about making more emotes for us. That's what we need, I need to lie down once in a while, I need to dance like a noodle, there are soooo many things I want to be able to do in ther (Not all sexual ;P )

About the house crowding everything: they didn't let the towers destroy the landscape, maybe they'll make zones for houses, I don't know but I see your point Tir_McDohl

[Tir_McDohl]

I dunno...the towers KIND of got to me, but trust me; people will want houses more than towers. There probably are NOT going to be enough spaces for everyone's houses...meaning every inch of land could quite possibly be used like in UO.

...or they could make it all in another zone like I'm told DAOC is doing. That'd be fine with me, though I did like accidentally wandering into a player-run town in UO now and then.

[Mukizu]

yep I look forward to hearing more from Funcom on that housing issue.

Like can GSP built a house with 0% gas and add a bullet/nano-proof booth for the DJ's?

[Oddysee]

Hmm... I know what you mean, I've canceled my preorder at the very last second aproximately 5 times now, it's not funny... I'd like an appartment if that's what they look like... but I find it a bit tacky to make us cough up our dosh and buy because of that... I mean, an appartment if you preorder, but will there be other chances of gettin' them?
And will the whole domestication thing render them about as usefull a Liverpool accent in the greater Manchester area on a soccer night after everyone's had a few pints?

I don't know, I could go for an appartment... but then, will it be worth it? will the upgrade actually be as fab as is promised... or will it be a fib?

[epiphonic]

thhhbbth!!!
if towns comes out, i will never go off planet, EVER. Im serious.
And by the way, you guys crack me the f*** up, 0% gas and a missile silo grade booth for the dj's, somebody just SHAG ME NOW!

I wanna see the day i can build a fountain and a super duper sound system and have my own ambient music in the rooms. HAW! I also want
a freakin badette ( is that how you spell ass washer?) and foot soaker. Gimme a walk-in freezer to store bronto loin, and a waterbed-'ultrawide-delux'! I want a portable 'no grease' burger cooker so you can see the pounds slide off in-game.

Fo-rizzle!

And how bout that sauna! I want it so real that you have the choice of water or FOG-JUICE to throw on the hot rocks. hahaha! and i want a pet leet that breeds so i can have a pile of leeties squeaking under the couch at night while im trying to sleep!
And gimme a damn nutrient iv in RL so i dont wind up like that emaciated dude in 'Seven'. Im never gonna come back down.

[epiphonic]

grabs wallet

[Mukizu]

What do u mean go off planet, it's so tacky the way everyone on Rubi-Ka seems to be playing that RL onlinegame - and paying for it!

Sounds like u got it all planned Epiphonic, and yes Brontos must be loved by those who produced freezers on RK, love to come by for some bbq when u get it buildt.
I think Towns and emotes sounds more promesing than Shadowlands, maybe it's just me, but if I do get bored by running around I'll just go to reets, always puts a big smile on my lips

[epiphonic]

yeah, and those break dancing atrox's. I wonder if shadow lands will expand on that. damn, they'd better, because break dancing causes carpo-tunnel no matter what ergonomical mousepad you use.

he he he.

[Oddysee]

*drools* Mmmmh... emotes...

I wanna do the robot... and freestyle... ooh!!! and the Mr. Bean!!!
hmm... and about the housing... I want a bowling alley!!! But most importantly, I want a bean sack, a cordless keyboard and a wall hung plasma screen... *sighs* then I'd even quit my Real Life Online subscription... I know what you mean Mukizu, it really IS tacky the way they make us pay for a game we've already bought, but you shold try it, it's hella addciting!

They've made this fantasy world, WAAAY back in the 21st century, where you take on the role of some toon you make, and then you live life, you can gain lvl's by doin stuff, a politician gains experience by connin voters to vote for them... it's really funny, but it has a few bugs, these "boy band" keep popping up every now and then, but I hear they're working on it...

You should give it a shot Mukizu, Shishido was the one who introduced me... may she rest in peace...
Oh well, enough ranting for one day...

[Mummu]

i think i ve decided to pre order sl next tuesday, either as a reward or as consolation for my passed or not passed oral exam.