I'm back from the grave!

And I mean it, this time! Sort of? Kind of. In a different way.

I've been thinking about the blog and how much I love it. But it's hard to keep reviewing MMOs in the way I had been. Do I try old ones or ones that no one really plays or has heard of? Do I try out the pay to play ones? I've also been playing a lot of games that aren't MMOs; do those count?

And then I started feeling nostalgic. I wanted to play something that I enjoyed and something that I hadn't played in a long while. And no, it wasn't Fiesta. God help me, I will never play Fiesta again. Although I did look into it not terribly long ago and it still looked just as bland as when I first played it. I poked around my games lists and then I realized what I wanted to play: Ragnarok Online.

I tried to play iRO ("international Ragnarok Online") again, after many years of having not played it. I decided on Renewal mostly because it seemed like the system I wanted to play. (For those of you who may be scratching your head and asking "what the hell is Renewal?"-- Gravity, in an attempt to revamp the game, so to speak, and draw in more players, overhauled nearly everything, from drop rates to EXP mechanics, etc. It was met with... mixed results.)

Let me tell you. I really dislike iRO. The server is, first of all, overloaded with spam bots. I swear I tried to disable my chat window log because of the near constant "HEY CHECK OUT THIS SITE FOR RO CURRENCY" spam messages in towns. And speaking of towns, oh my god the population of vendors.

So for those who aren't familiar with the game, Ragnarok Online has -many- classes to choose from. And unlike other MMOs, you can actually sell items to other players as a sort of shop market stall with a skill called Vend. Mind you, only certain classes can do this-- the Merchant (and its higher classes) and the Super Novice. It's really neat because your character basically has this little bar that has a store message you can put in that pops up over your character's head, and you can set up a "vending" store to sell items or a "buying" store to buy items from other players. And that's all well and good until you get things like this.

And then suddenly, moving in the cities becomes nearly impossible, because you have to click to get where you want to go. I swear, trying to walk through the main city (or even the Eden Group headquarters) without clicking on someone's store was a nightmare. And then you get the spam bot spam on top of that.

Between that and an absurdly frustrating time with leveling, I gave up. Playing the game became irritating and frustrating and I swear I ragequit more  in this game trying to level up than I had in any other game. I barely had hit transcendent levels as a character.

But I still wanted to play Ragnarok Online. I loved the concepts and I loved the game itself, but I just could not go back to iRO. And then it hit me: private servers. They exist. Tons of them do. So I began researching. I tried out a few of the larger private servers. I investigated close to 20 of them. Eventually I decided to try out LeikaRO.

It was, at the time, one of the most updated, having content from Episode 15.1 (Fantasmagoria), as opposed to many private servers which were still in Episode 13 or 14. Even the official servers were on 14.3. (The Japanese and Korean servers are vastly more up-to-date than other servers. Last I heard, the updates were like, 2-3 years behind on iRO.) Leika also hybridized between Classic and Renewal server content and had made a lot of updates outside of just bringing in items, monsters, and maps from jRO and kRO. The staff claimed to have made a lot of "quality of life" updates, fixed many bugs that had been released on the official servers and left as is--something which I hadn't been aware of-- and had fixed a lot of grammar and general Engrish. It seemed to be worth a shot.

And I think I fell in love.

The rates seemed a little high for me at first, at 15x for Base and Job EXP. When I started playing, I thought I was leveling far too quickly-- I had barely completed the novice training area and was Job level 10 and I think Base level 15. But then I realized that the EXP leveling system used the system from the Classic servers, which meant that EXP requirements to get to the next level sort of increase exponentially, instead of linearly like you find in other MMOs. I was still leveling faster than in iRO but not so fast that it just felt like everything was too fast. I was still hunting monsters, still grinding a little, still doing quests and such.

What honestly sold me on this server was the quality of life changes. If you've read anything else on this blog, you know I play a full-support healer role. It's what I do. I tried that on iRO and leveling was painful at best. I found myself in dire need of other people in order to be able to level successfully, and even then  it was still painful. In retrospect, I should have leveled up with a more offensive role, but the game shouldn't force players to level up with a build they don't like in order to actually, y'know, play the game. But on Leika, I was easily able to play as a full-support Priest. It was glorious. Sure, I had moments where it was frustrating, maybe dying unexpectedly or something, but I didn't actually ragequit like I had so many times before in iRO.

The updates the staff made are smart. From what I've heard from other players, the updates made on LeikaRO make builds that were normally obsolete or wholly unusable on iRO actually playable. Skills are behaving as they were intended. Bugs were fixed. New content, on top of that, is being released steadily. Two megapatches, in fact, have been released recently, with the newest one coming out yesterday. And the list of fixes is impressive. And to top it off, this server is only roughly 8 months old. It blew my mind to think about the amount of work that has gone into this server in such a short amount of time.

If you liked Ragnarok Online and want to get back into the game, I urge you to play on this server. Even if you haven't played Ragnarok Online, but wanted to, I would really suggest you check out this server. You can check out the server's information and get more details here: http://leika-ro.net. I've become sort of addicted to it. It's everything, honestly, that the original game should have been. And don't even talk to me about Ragnarok Online 2. I'm trying to forget that that game even happened.

Random Updates!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!111wtf!

I swear I'm alive! Promise! I've been playing a few MMOs recently (Eden Eternal, ASDA 2, Allods Online, Guild Wars 2) and have been juggling my time between that, work, random single-player games (blasphemy, I know), and outside projects. I have, however, been putting some considerable time recently into a project that, unfortunately, I can't discuss too much right now. But once things are officially released, I will give y'all plenty of updates on the latest developments of the new project I'm working on. It's kinda big and very exciting so I'm hoping you guys look forward to that as it comes time to reveal it!

If y'all had to choose between a review of GW2, Eden Eternal, ASDA 2, or Allods Online, which would you prefer to see first? Feel free to comment below, send me a message, etc. and so forth! I want to make sure that I post something y'all are still interested in. :)

Review: Granado Espada (aka, Sword of the New World)

Well, I finally have decent internet! This is something I've been itching to do and, to be honest, was also something I was afraid to do, mostly because of expenses on my end. But I have better internet and such so my reviews are officially commencing! I imagine y'all are excited about this. I know I am, at any rate!

Some quick things before I actually get the review started. I've decided to work on some new artwork for the blog. I'm not sure if I want to redo my logo but I do plan to do some art for smilies and the like, so keep an eye out for that! I'm also trying out some "spoiler" style tags, so that the content of the reviews is short for those who want shortness, and if others want more detail, they can read as they please. I'm also trying out anchor tags, so you can click the headers of each section to jump to them automatically on the page, to make it easier for you guys. Let me know if you guys like these features or if there's anything else you'd like me to try out!

Without further ado, ON WITH THE REVIEW!

New Interwebs!

I now have a better internet service provider!

I was talking to one of my friends who lives near me and he recommended an ISP called Clearwire, which basically provides wireless internet via cellphone towers. He said he really liked it so I figured I would give it a shot. And I must say, I am in love! It may not be the best internet speed but it is definitely better than the network I was using in the house. So that means, of course, that I will be able to play and review games a lot more easily and more frequently! I'm really, really excited.

I was wondering what to actually review. I haven't found any new MMOs that are actually out right now, aside from Guild Wars 2, which I could review if y'all want me to (do let me know if you're interested in my thoughts on it). I've decided to replay Granado Espada (also called Sword of the New World) for a review. It was one of the first MMOs I played and it's rather unique in its design, so I figured it's worth a mention. If y'all have something else you'd like me to review, by all means, feel free to suggest it! :) So look forward to more reviews more frequently in the future!

Review: Ragnarok Online 2

Hey all, Little Miss Squish here! Well, I finally have been able to play an MMO with relatively little headache from my internet, which seems to do what it wants to do, in terms of lag spikes. Some days I have great connection, other times I get small spikes of lag, conveniently in the middle of a dungeon boss fight, but that's beside the point! Right? Right. Steam recently launched Ragnarok Online 2 into its massive tome of games list and, naturally, I had to jump in.

borrowed from anjelsyndicate.org

I have a lot to say about this game, so let's get on with the review, then, shall we?

Suggestions and/or Feedback?

Hey everyone! I'm working on a review for Ragnarok Online 2 (or possibly a comparison between the original RO and the sequel). I'm hoping to have that up in the next couple of days, I just need to play a little more to really get a feel for it. I've been playing a lot of Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 so I haven't been playing RO2 as much as I had been a few weeks ago. For the record, RO2 feels and inherently seems very different from the original.

I hit 11k pageviews this week, which is super exciting! Hooray! Thank you, everyone, for reading and [in theory] supporting me. It's been a very exciting adventure so far and I'm hoping to keep going! Playing MMOs as a healer-oriented person has always been very enjoyable to me and so in reviewing the games for others, I hope to entertain you guys as best as I can and help you find games you might be interested in.

I'm not actually going anywhere, I swear.

Do you guys have any other games you'd like for me to review? Any feedback y'all have for me? Anything you particularly like and want me to keep doing or don't like and want me to change? I'm totally up for comments, critiques, feedback of any sort, and all that good stuff. Let me know via email, a comment below, on Facebook or Twitter, etc.

Thanks again guys!
Little Miss Squish

Review: Dungeon Rampage

Good god, it's been, like, forever since I've posted. I've actually been quite busy lately with life so my gaming and consequent reviewing hasn't been a top priority of mine.

I got, approximately a month ago, turtles! Three of them, actually, all super teeny. One map turtle, one yellow belly slider, and one painted turtle. I don't know how old they are, but I can assure you, they're all smaller than the palm of my hand. I named them Soldier, Spy, and Scout (from left to right in the picture) after the TF2 characters. They are all really adorable and tons of fun to watch!

 

Unfortunately, Soldier died last night due illness. He fought for two weeks but he wasn't eating and he was too small for the vet to give any medicines to (Yes, I did bring him in. He weighed a whopping 10 grams.) so we basically played a waiting game. We did all that we could for the little guy but, unfortunately, it just wasn't enough. I had really hoped he was starting to turn around since he had gained a lot of energy the past few days but sadly, he didn't. We buried him in the front yard. I'll eventually get a third turtle but I'm waiting out of respect for the little guy.

I've also been playing a lot of L4D2 and TF2 (it's actually consumed most of my evenings...) on top of some other work I've taken on the side. So I haven't been doing much in the way of MMOs. But I have been able to play some here and there. I played a little of Dungeon Rampage at the request of a reader (Thank you for the suggestion, by the way!) and I've been playing Ragnarok Online 2 since it became available on Steam. But I do have some thoughts on Dungeon Rampage so I decided that I probably should post a review on it at some point, because I'd been neglecting to do so for quite a while, now.

So, ON WITH THE REVIEW! :D

More Beta Testing?

Hey there! I received in my email on Monday a notice from Square Enix saying that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was going to have another round of beta testing this upcoming weekend. I think I had made a mistake in that I thought last weekend was round 2 of closed beta testing, but it seems this weekend is actually round 2. I'm not entirely sure what they would have developed/fixed/etc in a week that would warrant another weekend of testing, but I'm not complaining!

If you're sad that you missed out on the application for this beta and want to participate in it, have no fear! It seems Square Enix is still accepting applications at this handy dandy link right here. Please keep in mind, of course, that this IS an application and I am not saying you're guaranteed to get in. But it can't hurt to apply, right?

I'll definitely give my thoughts on the game once Square Enix says we can disclose that information. I enjoyed the test last week and I think the game is off to a great start so I'm very excited to see what the product will be like at the end. I imagine that it will have a subscription fee attached to it but I hope that they go the GW2 route and increase the game's initial price and eliminate the subscriptions. Somehow I don't think that'll happen, but a girl can dream!

Speaking of Guild Wars 2, the game has officially stolen my soul. Aside from work and chores and things, it's just about the only thing I've done this week. Unfortunately, I had to restart my character (rolled a human Guardian) because my boyfriend and I switched servers to an RP server, as we both enjoy that sort of thing. Luckily for both of us, we weren't too into the game, with our characters just barely into level 15. But we did do a hell of a lot of crafting and we're both scrambling to make that up. But after a couple of nights of play, we're at level 11, so it's not the end of the world! It's definitely a great game and for those of you who haven't tried it, I seriously recommend you check it out and buy it while it's on sale for $40 (which ends this Sunday). I'll post a review of it after I get a bit further into the game, so keep an eye out for that!

Have a question, comment, suggestion, etc.? Have a game you want me to review? Feel free to let me know! Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. me any time! I enjoy getting feedback from y'all. Subscribe to my feed or comment below.

Post-CBT and More

This weekend was definitely very exciting and busy! The second round of closed beta testing for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was fantastic and I'm looking forward to hopefully participating in more testing. I can't, unfortunately, discuss the game because of confidentiality agreements, but I'll post my thoughts once Square Enix says I can. I look forward to seeing how the game fleshes out and what the final product will look like, at the very least.

Guild Wars 2 also had a free weekend of play for people who haven't tried the game yet. So, naturally, I jumped on the band wagon on that one. I'd been wanting the game for months now, as I had played on my boyfriend's account and loved it. Of course, I loved it just as much (if not more) this weekend. The good news is that my internet evidently didn't die when I tried to play it! It's a very exciting thing for me as I can't really run most MMOs without significant lag and connection drops. I seemed to have none of that this weekend.

The next step for me, of course, was to buy Guild Wars 2. "But it's $60. I can't really afford that..." I'd tell myself. Luckily for me (and for you!), the digital version of the game is on sale right now for $40. That's right, $20 off the game. I totally bought it for myself as that's a lot more feasible than the original price of the game. So expect a review of this gem in the near future, after I've played some more of it, of course! If you've wanted to play the game but, like me, couldn't afford that chunk of money to disappear from your wallet, consider picking up the game. It's on sale until the 28th and, with no subscription fees, the game pays virtually pays for itself.

Quite a Weekend Ahead!

Little Miss Squish here! This weekend will be the weekend in which I have no life. Aside from my busy weekend routine, I have lots of things that I want to do. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is having its second round of Closed Beta Testing this weekend and I got chosen to participate in it! I'm super excited for it, the game sounds like it'll be awesome. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose information related to the beta testing until Square Enix gives the A-OK to do so. But I will definitely take notes on everything and post something as soon as I can!

In addition, Guild Wars 2 is having a free weekend of play this weekend! It sucks that it's at the same time as the CBT for FFXIV--it seems like bad planning on someone's end--but either way, I definitely have to give it some time this weekend. I played it a bit on my boyfriend's computer one weekend and I. LOVE. THIS. GAME. If you don't already own it, PLEASE give it a shot this weekend! You won't be disappointed. If you want to participate in the free weekend of play, click this link. You have to get a key for it that's valid for only this weekend but any of the sites on that link will give you that key. As a warning, the game is large, so you might want to download it earlier than you intend to play it.

If my internet holds up while playing GW2, I definitely plan on buying it. Either way, expect a review for this game! :)

Links for these games:
FFXIV: A Realm Reborn - http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/
GW2 - https://www.guildwars2.com/en/