Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Would you look at that… a full year has passed, and Casual Aggro is still up and running. Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are. Although I had a few warm-up posts, I claim the real starting date of this blog to be May 1st, 2012, when Syp of Massively and Bio Break started a movement to help new bloggers find their footing in this crazy interwebz.
So, Happy Anniversary to all my fellow NBI brethren! To which, I’m happy to say, there are many still around.
After taking a look at the full list of blogs posted back on May 30th, 2012, there were 111 new blogs formed during the initiative. I opened up every single one to take a look and see how many were still active (yes, I had 100+ tabs open in Chrome and my PC didn’t blink… this thing is a BEAST), and the results surprised me. One would expect a great number of these blogs to have slowed down or stopped updating entirely, and a great number did. However, a large number did not close up shop and are still updating today! In figuring these numbers, any blog that has updated anytime in the past month qualified as being “active”.
And, guess what? Out of the 111 starting blogs, 28 are still active today, giving a retention rate of over 25%!! So, yeah, I’d call it a huge success!
So, out of the 28, I’d like to spotlight a few of them as blogs that you should add to your RSS feed immediately.
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Spearheaded by the fantastic Ravanel Griffon, Ravalation is all about the adventures and misadventures of her time gaming in Lord of the Rings Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. She is also the most prolific blogger in the entire group of 111, and her words jump off the page with so much energy that you can’t help but be a fan! I know I am. If you check out one blog from the NBI 2012 group, make sure it’s this one.
Most recent post: LOTRO’s 6-Year Anniversary!
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If there’s a game-jumper who even out-jumps myself, it’s the MMO Juggler. Everything from Lord of the Rings Online, to Age of Wushu, to EVE Online, to Guild Wars 2, to The Secret World. You name it, he’s probably played it and has a comprehensive write-up about it. Now THAT’s dedication.
Most recent post: GW2 Lowbie Zone Exploration
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No, I didn’t just pick Kanter‘s blog because he based his latest blog post after something I wrote (which I’m very flattered about, by the way). I’ve been reading his blog for the past year, and I love the premise as it’s a universal one: Not enough time, but a love of gaming. Although most of his gaming time is spent in World of Warcraft these days, a game I’m not too terribly fond of, I still like to hear about his exploits from the perspective of an uber-busy gaming fan.
Most recent post: MMOs and Gambling
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Forgive me Jason, but I did not start following you on Twitter until today. However, I’ve been following your blog for quite a while!
For those of you who aren’t Jason, yesterday’s rant on Candy Crush Saga, for example, is a must read. Seriously. Go check it out. Jason mixes his impressions of games with a humor that is spot-on and 100% relatable.
Most recent post: The aforementioned Letter to Candy Crush Saga
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Trust me when I say that these are not the only worthwhile blogs out there from the Newbie Blogger Initiative group. Here is a list of the remaining active blogs, please go and check them out:
Why I Game / Healing Mains / Stynlan’s Musings / Neurotic Girl / Warp to Zero / Dreadblade / White Charr / FunSponge / World’s End Tavern / Wynniekins’ Adventures / That Was An Accident / Altaclysmic / The Adventures of Danania / Red’s Roid Rage / Bloodthorne / Unwavering Sentinel / Sephora’s Closet / Warlockery / Elfkina Vezicka (Slovak) / Beyond Tannhauser Gate / Noob Raider (Japanese) / The Delver / Geotia’s Letters
That’s a much easier list to swallow than the whole 111 that started.
So, again, I wanted to give a huge Thank You to Syp for starting the movement in the first place, and an even bigger Thank You to all of my friends, supporters, and readers who make me look forward to creating my future posts.
You all rock!
// Ocho
P.S. – I still can’t believe I lost the “Promising Star” Award by only 3 votes… to a blog that is not even active anymore! Ah well. So it goes…
So last Sunday I was all set up to write a post about crafting in The Secret World, how there is no real guide for it, and essentially make a guide for those not really knowing what to do with the random runes and dust they pick up. However, my Comcast internet would have none of it. Trying to play the game for research was an abysmal failure. Every mob I fought would straight-up slaughter me during a lag spike. My once strong download speeds without packet losses, lag, latency, or jitter, great for gaming and watching streaming video has, over the past week, degraded to the point that my primary hobby is fully out of commission.
Now, I’m relatively tech savvy. I built my own gaming rig, I know a thing or two about the multitude of OS options out there, and I’m asked frequently by friends, family, and strangers for tech advice. So, when I encounter network problems, I generally know how to approach them. After going through all the checks and rechecks, the problem is not my router, it is not my cable modem, nor is it my computer. The problem lies outside of the tech that I can affect, and now I must rely on Comcast to come and attempt to fix the problem, which could take weeks (or as a friend lovingly told me about dealing with Comcast, possibly months). Lovely.
Gaming wise, though, I have been stuck on The Secret World. Trying to play it now is utterly futile. Any MMO I would play is futile. Without a stable and reliable internet connection, there is no point in even trying.
But ANY game needing a full-time internet connection is out, for possibly weeks. With the current trend in gaming this would also means games like Diablo 3, SimCity, and if I had the next generation XBox, literally any game I would own for that console. These aren’t just MMOs, games where always being connected gives you the benefit of community, these are single-player games with unnecessary multi-player extras tacked on. But yet, if I owned them, I would now be completely unable to play them.
So, tell me, honestly, who hasn’t this happened to? Who hasn’t, at some point, lost usable service? Apparently, if you have Comcast as your service provider, which in my area Comcast is the ONLY choice for wired internet and holds a monopoly, service drops are frequent and the norm. Getting lines repaired could cost me more out-of-pocket expenses (on top of my monthly fee) and take weeks or months to fix. I’m sure it’s not just Comcast, though.
If there is any physical component, and hardware involved in your network, that hardware is capable of failing. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about it, either. It’s not a question of how or why, but when.
So who is this shift in the always-on trend really supposed to be benefiting? With Microsoft telling us to just #DealWithIt, EA being named the worst company in America due to gamer backlash from it, and Blizzard straight-up not caring, it is certainly not the gamers. And yet, gamers will still throw money after money at these games and think nothing of it. Think nothing of the possibility of having their single-player games servers being shut off, or the possibility their hard-earned money is going to a purchase that can instantly become as useful as a paperweight (less, even, a paperweight can still hold down papers).
I hope companies like EA and Blizzard really are getting the message that this is not acceptable. We, as intelligent people making intelligent purchases, should not give them a single dime for any product that demands these always-on connections. We’re simply paying them for the privilege of giving them more power. Power that they, frankly, don’t deserve. Give us real reasons as to why an always-on connection is beneficial, or options to use it or not, put the power back into the consumers hands.
Until then, I’m voting with my wallet, as it seems the only language these companies understand.
// Ocho
Do you know of Baba Yetu by Christopher Tin? If you don’t, stop reading and go and listen to it now. That, my friend, is the first piece of music specifically made for a video game to ever win a Grammy, and although I don’t agree with the Grammy committee on some of their decisions, that is easily one of the most inspiring pieces of music out there. Well done, Grammy people.
As I’m sure Syp would agree with me, a good musical score is one of the big reasons you keep coming back to a particular game. Stones, a simple song from the Ultima series, for example, I find myself whistling from time to time. It’s stuck with me after all this time even though I haven’t played an Ultima game for years. Still, I want to periodically head back, possibly just to hear it again. It holds such emotion and such feeling, I can’t help but remember it fondly. Or even the music of The Shire in Lord of the Rings Online conveys a peace and serenity that’s perfectly matched to the zone, making it, in my opinion, one of the greatest zones in any game out there. It’s no coincidence that the background music plays a big part in that. And who could forget the strains when you first exit Ascalon City into Lakeside County in Guild Wars? It holds a sweet and yet somber fall melody, as if to gently foreshadow coming events. Awesome and amazing, all of them, I highly suggest a listen or two or ten.
… Then there’s the other side of the spectrum.
Some people don’t want and/or even like game soundtracks. They find them a waste of time, and the repetition bothers them to no end. I feel you there, too. Not all game soundtracks are winners. The music from the Barrens zone in vanilla World of Warcraft was terrible. Why did they have to include grunts when the music started? It was just an audio cue that reminded you “Oh yeah, you’ve been here long enough, it’s starting over again.” And with the size of the Barrens… you ended up hearing it a LOT.
That’s when you bring in your own music to play. Getting into PvP, for example, is always made a little more exciting when you blast some hard rock to go along with it.
To that end, I wanted to let all of you music lovers out there know of an event a good friend of mine is doing soon: This Thursday, September 13th from 7 to 10 pm, my good buddy Jersey Jim is hosting an online radio show ”Jersey Jim Makes a Scene”. Sticking with mostly the harder stuff, in his own words, you’ll find “Lots of good music and good times to come.” Great music to game to, definitely. Something to get the blood pumping. Here’s a link to his FB page, detailing the event, and here’s the site, GasHouseRadio.com, he’ll be broadcasting live from.
Seriously, do me a solid. Give him a listen and Like his page. If you like what you hear, let him know!
So which do you prefer? Your own or the games soundtrack? Got any of your own favorites? Let me know down in the comments!
For those about to rock, I /salute you.
\\ Ocho
P.S. – I also saw recently it was detailed where you can alter the music in Guild Wars 2 to your own playlists. Awesome, but why one would want to change the fantastic score for GW2 is beyond me.
P.P.S. – I also just discovered Gangham Style. Why didn’t anyone tell me about this sooner?!! Too much. I’m dying over here…
What a long strange trip it’s been. No, really, this month has been absolutely incredible.
The Newbie Blogger Initiative was essentially a month of tried and tested blogs promoting and sponsoring new and just-off-the-boat blogs, like Casual Aggro, all in the name of community, goodwill, and mutual interest. To call it a success is an understatement. My little part of the blogging universe has seen incredible numbers that still leave me gobsmacked. And I really have Syp to thank for all of it.
Without his initial support you, an awesome person who has taken the time to come and read my ramblings, would probably not have stopped by. However, I am certainly glad you have and I hope that you enjoy what you are reading. If you are, drop me a line! If you don’t, drop me a line, too, and let me know where I could use improvement.
If you have enjoyed my random insights into gaming today, you might also enjoy any of these fine blogs as well. This list is very comprehensive, but if one of them catches your interest, please give it a look. The author, karma, and I thank you.
New blogs to check out:
Sponsor advice posts:
- Stropp’s World: Being a blogger superstar, Just do it, The pros and cons of self-hosting
- StarShadow: Some blogging advice, Themes and widgets, Screenshots, Menus, categories and tags
- In An Age: Advice for new bloggers
- Tish Tosh Tesh: Who Am I?, Blogging is a social activity, For love or money,Thinking linking, Traditions
- Tastes Like Battle Chicken: Build your own boss, Week 2 challenge, A few words of wisdom, Week 4 challenge
- Tales of the Aggronaut: The Google Reader blogroll, Getting started, Be open-minded (unlike me)
- Wadstomp Gaming: The importance of social media, Submit a guest post, The best advertising payouts, Be sure to burn your blog to feedburner, Create your own voice
- Beau Hindman: General advice, Indie games and bloggers
- Games and Geekery: Why you should blog, Learning about blogging from perfect strangers
- Skycandy: Blogging wrong, blogging right
- Shards of Imagination: Choosing the subject of your blog
- MMO Compendium: Keeping up with the industry and bloggers
- Contains Moderate Peril: Some general guidance, Mind your language, Stats,Episode 61
- Lotro Fashion: Screenshots make your blog interesting
- High Latency Life: Finding your voice, You need a thick skin
- Scary Worlds: Mobile blogging, Creating a good title, Advice you don’t want to hear
- ETCmmo.com: General advice
- Nerdy Bookahs: Why do you want to blog?, Why haven’t you started your blog yet?
- World of Matticus: WordPress plugins, Finishing your blog setup, Making connections
- World’s End Tavern: General tips
- Parallel Context: The best advice
- Tremayne’s Law: Read Think Write Edit
- Jaded Alt: So you wanna be a blogger?, What’s in a name?, If you remember nothing else… write!
- Avatars of Steel: Curling up with a good blog
- Blog de la Burro: Why I started blogging, Some advice on blogging, Does traffic matter?, How to deal with writer’s block, What you should blog about, Are comments important?, Is it ever okay to rant?, How to get noticed
- Inventory Full: How the Bhagpuss came to be, Take a moment, Backing up your blog
- Gamerlady: Tips to start
- Just One MMOre: How to be consistent and make it painless and easy, One question high-traffic blogs ask
- Spinksville: Picture manipulation tools and copyright
- T.R. Red Skies: Quick tips, Objectivity, relating and heart
- Live Like a Nerd: WordPress plugins for bloggers
- I Have Touched the Sky: Avoid barriers to commenting on Blogger, Blogs lists and RSS
- Thade’s Hammer: Advice for the new bloggers
- Levelcapped: Tell me about yourself, None of my business
- Psychochild: What makes your blog special
- Bullet Points: The worst advice you’ll ever receive about blogging, You are your blog
- A Casual Stroll to Mordor: Learn how to podcast, Writing for the web
- Contains Moderate Peril: Episode 58, Fine-turning your blog
- A Green Mushroom: Blogging tips and hints
- Too Many Annas: Picking a name
- Grimnir’s Grudge: It feels good to be a blogger
- Gankalicious: Never tell the truth, Meeting interesting people, Who the hell reads this?
- Herding Cats: Creating a podcast on the cheap with WordPress
- Distilled Willpower: 8 blogging tips they won’t tell you
- Vicarious Experience: From there to here
- TL-DR: Protect your blog!, Tags and Categories
- Multiplaying: You should be blogging
- Blue Kae: Advice is a strong word
- Screaming Monkeys: Top five tips
- Caer Morrighan: Get started with WoW blogging
- Hawt Pants: New blogger advice
- Tiger Ears: Why I started blogging
- Berath’s Brain Burps: Sage words, How to get lots and lots of hits
- Just One More Unlock: Newbie blogger tips, Opportunity
- Hunter’s Insight: An idea is formed, What not to do
- ALT:ernative: Starting at the beginning, The first idea
- Epic Slant: Tips and links, Guest post
- MMOGC: 3 little things
- A Journey through the Mind: My 0.2 ISK
- Red Cow Rise: What and why to post, Blog setup and community building
- Epic Slant: Writer’s block
- Creeping…: So you think you can blog
- The Ancient Gaming Noob: Playing blogroll breadcrumbs
- Dragonchasers: How not to build an audience
- Welcome to Spinksville: What you should write and how to write it
- The Stories of O: Top 4 tips
- A Ding World: Blog posting
- The Wild Boar Inn: Blogging tips
- Professor Beej: Stop writing!
- Nomnom.info: 4 blogging tips
- Gamer BC: A solid foundation and a step forward
- Casual Is As Casual Does: Tips, tricks and who am I kidding
- Roll One Hundred: Managing screenshots
- Bullet Points: I refuse to call it a blogosphere
- KIASA: Good advice
- Pumping Irony: Before taking the plunge
- Life is a Mind-Bending Puzzle: Wrapping up advice all in one place
- Rikna’s Rants: The blog rings, By this keyboard I rule!, Guests and cross posts
- Sheep the Diamond: Advice from an old bull
That’s a serious list, right? I hope that in the coming weeks, I’ll be able to peruse all of them and then pass on some great stuff.
1 month down and hopefully many more to go.
\\ Ocho
I consider myself a fairly decent poker player. I’ve played mostly Texas Hold-Em’ in friend’s basements, and also down at the tables in Atlantic City with the majority of times walking away with more than I started with. Poker teaches you, among other things, a lot about the sunk cost fallacy, or basically “the more you invest in something the harder it becomes to abandon it”. The key is getting a decent hand, and then pulling other players into a “sunk cost” trap while avoiding falling into it yourself. The sunk cost fallacy doesn’t just come into play in poker, but in life, too. Once you become invested, with time, money, and emotions in something, like say an MMO, it’s hard to detach yourself and think rationally about it.
However, we’re not just sheep. When a developer changes our game, we feel cheated, right? We feel that we’re paying for it, therefore we should decide what goes on with it! The changes they’re making are stupid! Any idiot can see that what they’re doing will RUIN the game! If this patch doesn’t change, I’m going to leave this stupid game and take my money elsewhere! – A post found after every set of patch notes released ever.
FFFFFFUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!
If a change is made in one of our favorite games, a game that we’ve invested a huge amount of time playing, and we don’t like it, instead of taking a look at what the game has changed to and either accepting it rationally or deciding to pass, we rarely make the right choice. I mean, these are MMOs! The whole point is that the game changes over time! I’ve seen time and again in forums and in the comment sections of articles a flat out lambasting of the subject matter or the author about why the game will fail because of a newly implemented feature and nobody will ever play it again.
Unnecessary. Really, its unnecessary. I’m not saying that criticism can’t be given to the developers about what players think should change, this is the whole reason why forums exist, but why does all the negativity and hostility have to go along with it?
How about the NEW ending?
If you can’t tell by now, I play Star Trek Online. When the game was released, the phrase “half-baked” was putting it mildly. The game was filled with bugs, had a very steep learning curve, and it seemed like you played the same five “random” missions over again. Eventually, the game went free-to-play and was bought up by Perfect World Entertainment. Believe it or not, this changed the game dramatically. Shocking, right? Lockboxes, time-gated content, multiple forms of currency, real money transactions, and huge grinds were brought along with it, something seen in pretty much every other Perfect World title.
Is it better? Is it worse? Arguments can be made for both causes, but the game is what it is. Its evolved far from the game that is was. This applies to every game out there: Take it for what it is, or leave it. I’m still a huge fan of Star Trek, and I will still play it and enjoy it. If you’re really that compelled to complain incessantly about how they are working on a new character model to go into the game’s store instead of a new endgame content, instead try to look at how much that really bothers you. If it bothers you to the point of rage quitting, then quit. Find some other form of entertainment that won’t make you turn red in the face at it’s mere mention.
We play these games to have fun. Plain and simple. If you’re not having fun, then why do you play at all?
Hey buddy! Cheer up!
The latest episode of STOked is not the most complimentary of the changes that have been made to Star Trek Online, and it shocked me. The whole reason why I joined the Star Trek Online community was because of STOked! It was because of Chris and Jeremy and the bottomless fountain of passion that they had for the game. They oozed excitement and wanted you to be excited with them. I read Massively because the passion is evident there, too, and I’ve stopped reading numerous other sites because they turned too negative, they lost the passion, they lost the fun.
Most changes that have been made to Star Trek Online since being bought by Perfect World have been to monetize and work in a formula of success that Perfect World has proven time and again with their other games. The developers may have their hands tied and may not have many choices when it comes to implementing these systems. Does it matter? I don’t think so.
What I see is a group of developers that have a huge amount of passion for their game, and they are doing everything in their power to not only abide by these rules, but also provide a product that is fun and they can be proud of.
The day that passion is gone will be the day that the game is no longer worth playing. With the developers that Cryptic has now, that day is nowhere in sight.
\\ Ocho
P.S. – I want to give a big ‘Thank you!’ to the always passionate Terilynn. She is always willing to lend a hand, and that’s an awesome quality to have.
When I started this blog oh so long ago (about 3 days), I did NOT think that it would take off as it has. The hits, the comments, the discussion, and the support has been absolutely tremendous. It gives me such a rush that I am very compelled to keep this up and keep the discussion and love of all things gaming going!
I owe it all to Syp, a Senior Contributing Editor at Massively.com and the owner of Bio Break, and the creation of the Newbie Blogger Initiative. The Newbie Blogger Initiative is a movement, in the words of Syp, “To facilitate the start-up of new blogs by providing them with advice, support, and a crapton of traffic after they’re settled in.” ‘Crapton’ has been an understatement.
So if you have stopped by this blog and feel like checking out anything from my Newbie Blogger brethren, please do. The MMO and gaming community is one that is very united and strong, the support has been fantastic, and lets keep the love going! So if you are inclined please visit any blog on my Blogroll on the left side of the page or click on the image above. Again, thank you all.
\\ Ocho
This thought came to me the other day. Over the past couple of months we have seen a few big franchises release some pretty big things. Bethesda’s Skyrim and BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 spring to mind. It struck me that the gaming community isn’t treating these games as single player games anymore. They may be single player, and you may roll through the storyline by yourself, but the community refuses to play it alone.
“I used to be an adventurer like yourself, but then I took an arrow to the knee.” Where is this line from? Unless you aren’t a gamer or you are and have been living under a rock, the line comes from Skyrim. I love the Elder Scrolls series, but I haven’t purchased Skyrim, and yet knowing the origins of this line is common knowledge. We also know that “Fus Ro Dah” are words of power, that the companions are notoriously oblivious, and that you could even play a Tower Defense style mod inside of the game. Again, I have never played Skyrim. How do I know all this? The community.
Now, I have an active Twitter account and I frequently check my Google Reader’s RSS feeds, and soon after Skyrim released there was a giant influx of information. The line above was quickly turned into a meme and was soon found everywhere… Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, heck probably even Pinterest and other media outlets. Not just that, though, but all updates and articles seemed to all revolve around Skyrim. Everybody was playing it, and not only that, but everybody was playing it and comparing their progress. People were telling others about new areas or secrets, showing off video of impressive feats or tricky encounters, hundreds of status updates invaded social media. Everyone was playing the same game at the same times and letting everyone know what happened. Then, a week or two later, it died down… the articles on Skyrim stopped flowing and status updates started turning back to more mundane topics.
After the lull, another game reared its head… Mass Effect 3. Once more, social media and blogs exploded! Within days of the game’s release, power levelers had completed the game, just in the attempt to be the first to do so so they could help others/brag/etc. Once they did, they let the community know it. Then, complaints started rolling in on how terrible Mass Efect 3′s ending was, and then within a week it became a significant problem, such to the point that BioWare is altering the ending!
So… this looks familiar… where else have we seen memes come from games, powerleveling pros, and having the community come together to voice their displeasure? Not to mention having the producer turn around and alter their product? Oh yeah! MMOs! Pretty much every MMO that has ever come out, too.
In today’s world, whether we are playing a single player game or MMO’s, we’re reaching out more and more for community involvement. Lots of players I know prefer to solo in MMO’s, and thats cool. I’m one of them. They like the community to be there, but they prefer to go it alone. A friend summarized it best this way (and I paraphrase): “Sure, you could rent a movie and watch it by yourself, but I prefer to go to the movies and be around others, experiencing it with them at the same time, even if I’m not there with anyone I know. Its all about the social experience.”
\\ Ocho
P.S. – By the way, you can find me on Raptr, which is quickly becoming a favorite service of mine.
He often used to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep and every path was its tributary. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.” – J.R.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
This passage is how I feel as I begin to write the first entry of this blog. Trepidation, fear, but also excitement. First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to stop by. Let me introduce myself. My name is Mike, and I live in a small suburb of Philadelphia where I live currently with my wife of almost two years and a quite plump cat. To be honest, its a good life we have.
In my spare time, I do a ton of activities, from following sports, to fixing computers, to playing Ultimate Frisbee, to my primary hobby: gaming. I play a variety of every style of game, but I especially like MMOs. For those who do not know what I’m talking about, an MMORPG, or MMO for short, is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. Essentially, its a game where you develop a character in a setting that is filled with hundreds or thousands of other players all doing the same thing. It adds a dynamic to your standard video game. Instead of going into the dungeon alone, you can grab friends or complete strangers and tackle the dungeon together. You can buy and trade items from other players in a shifting game economy. You can lose yourself in conversation and end up doing nothing more in a gaming session than just sitting in the game’s main city.
I first became interested in MMOs with the game that is currently sitting on the top of the MMO hill, World of Warcraft. I played it for about 5 years off and on. The world of Azeroth boasts huge numbers. The latest figures state a gaming population of about 10.2 million players. Relatively, thats comparative to the size of Haiti, or the 82nd largest country in the world. Huge. However, to me the game over time lost its lustre. I fell in love with the genre, but out of love with Warcraft. I started to read MMO blogs and news sites, taking in all that I can and then expanded my horizons with many more games… Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Star Trek Online, Fallen Earth, and Dungeons and Dragons Online just to name a few. Because I play so many games, I have taken on a very casual, exploratory style of play. I take my time, I like to see what’s in the corners of a zone, I like to climb that hill, I like to go into that forest or cave just to see what’s there. I like to jump from game to game, too. In a sense, I’m a MMO nomad, a wanderer. This blog will not mainly be about MMOs but will also focus on other games or just anything related to gaming in general.
Yet, I feel it’s time to take my relationship with MMOs to the proverbial next level. For years, I’ve been a consumer, reading articles and opinions, listening to MMO podcasts, and taking every quest and event the developers could come up with. It’s now time to take all of that MMO experience and give it back to the MMO community. I’m what is considered a “casual” player. I’m not into the big time consuming endgame raids, I will never give up my life to play, I just fit the MMOs in where I can. This is a universal style, though. To a degree, everyone is “casual” at some level and it is this perspective that I write from. 
The last class in composition I took was way back in high school. I am not a writer by trade, as I’m sure you can tell, and do not expect to make a living from this. I write because I feel passionate about the genre and feel that I can make a difference. And if you have the ability to make a difference, then why not do so.
Most of my entries will not be as long as this one. They will mostly be thoughts or ideas or observations I come across in my gaming travels. I plan on periodically releasing a gaming journal, chronicling my explorations, including all the many screenshots I take along the way. Hopefully you’re as big a fan of screenshots as I am.
Again, thank you very much for coming to this site and for taking the time to read my scribbling. If you have any suggestions for entries or feel like getting in touch with me, please do so either through my Twitter account or email me, you’ll find my contact information below.
\\ Ocho
@BigMikeyOcho
Ocholivis@hotmail.com
