EQ2's Kingdom of Sky....er...released...kinda

Still think EQ2 is a better MMO than WoW? Maybe, but their release/patch/expansion problems are the same...
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Kingdom of Sky, the second expansion release of Sony Online Entertainments "Everquest II" went live today. ....or will go live today......hopefully.
Today is the scheduled release date for the new expansion, and new problems are popping up already.
13 hours into release day, and still no servers up, but it wont matter if you are one of the thosands of people who purchased a retail version of the game only to find out you have an invalid cd key. SOE has stated that they are aware of the issue and are working to solve the problem, but are still unlcear of the cause.
KoS promised to be bigger and better than the previous release "Dessert of Flames" which left a lot of customers unsatisfied. KoS will include popular MMO features such as PvP and AA. Sony must be hoping that the KoS release is better received than the last.
In light of all of the recent problems that SOE has had with Everquest II , they really need Kingdom of Sky to be a hit.
In preparation for the expansion, SOE merged several of their game servers, doubling the population and causing a lot of headaches. Server merges that were supposed to take only a couple hours to complete had some servers down for nearly a full day, then more patches followed, creating more server downtime, then there were game play and chat lag issues due to doubled populations, items that were not transferred properly, mail that was lost, brokers that were not working, and so on.
I have yet to find any information that SOE will in any way compensate their customers for the loss of play time. A credit for server downtime to a subscribers monthly fee would have been a good gesture by SOE, but at this time they don't seem to be concerned with a loss of customers.
Like many loyal EQ2 players, we are anxiously awaiting the servers to come up and crossing our fingers for the end of the problems.
For more info, check out our Kingdom of Sky preview and check back soon for our full review.
*Update* After a 14 page thread on the SOE forums the problem is finally fixed with the CD keys. The "invalid" keys should now be flagged as "valid."
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ROAD TRIP!

OK, so I'm heading up to Michigan tomorrow to hook up with some guildmates. It's funny, because it seem like I've known them for years. Wow, actually, for over a year now! But I've never met them IRL. I've seen pictues of most of them, chatted endlessly in-game and on TeamSpeak. I think it's going to be a blast!

So I'm gassing up the Cherokee, loading up the PC and some clothes and heading up to (cringe) Michigan, my good-ol nemesis of a state. Should I wear my OSU Jersey and hat??........

Thank you, Horde...Jerks

So the Almighty Horde raiding guild on our server, Paradosi, decided to finally open the gates of AQ in Silithus after two days of teasing and retarded jokes. I love the folks on the IGN WoW boards who cry in unison that Alliance is a bunch of whiny whimpy 12 year olds. The Alliance on our server, knowing that we outnumber Horde almost 3 to 1, even donated tons of supplies to the neutral AH to helkp them out, and this is how we're paid back. Jackasses.

Anyhoo, I logged on this morning with my 59 Warlock who happens to be in Silithus. I rode out to the gates of AQ to find HUGE monsters roaming around there. 62 Elites. Not hard if you have a decent 10-20 man team. The rep farming is going to have some good payoff too. I hope my guild gets to hit that instance soon, sounds like a hoot!

PUGs will be the death of me

You all know what I'm saying. The dreaded Pick Up Group. Standing around in IF waiting for a chance to get some end-game lewtz, tempation gets the better of me. So the 57 Hunter spams for a spot in Scholo.

Nearly an hour later, I'm the only one at the instance, waiting for the other 9 noobs to get there. Next thing you know, n00b leader pops this great trick:

Raid [Del***] says: Sry guys I have to go, my mom caught me looking at porn last night.
Raid [Ari**] says: lol
Raid [Buckeyefan] says: omgwtf
Raid [Del***] says: Im only in 8th grade
Raid [Lar****] says: mmm, porn
Raid [Buckeyefan] says: Is she hot? :)
Raid [Ari**] says: LOL
Raid: [Del***] says: no, she's pissed off

Oh well, someone had to be a jerk, may as well be me!

But as unpredictable as PUGs are, I slipped into a nice UBRS run with some good players about 30 minutes later. I even managed to pick up Finkle's Skinner. Hrmm, that will be good for some MC and Onyxia raids. Now if I could only ding 60 and get some more blues...

New Michigan Quarter

Sorry Folks, I had to...

Burn Baby Burn

Well, it's been nearly 14 months since this new game Warcrack hit the shelves. 2 60s, a 57 and a 55 later, I'm nearing the burnout phase very quickly. I have played WoW almost every single day since release, and I have yet to fully hit burnout mode. Swithcing toons, alts, whatever; really helps, however, I have yet to get a Hurde toon past level 20. I just can't take The Barrens. That place burns me out so bad I can hardly stand it.

Wind's alt #1,454, Buckeyefan the Hunter dinged in 57 last night. I can darn-near officially join any instance group (sans MC, BWL, ZG, Ony), no matter what the n00b raid leader says. So in honor of yet another toon trying to get to 60, I think I will rest him for a few days before I start hitting LBRS, UBRS and Strat.

I must admit, the Hunter is the most fun toon I've played so far. The Warrior flat-out bores me, and the Druid is so decked out that it's no fun to take him anywhere besides MC. So I think I'll try to level my Horde alt (Shaman, of course) past 21 and get him the heck out of barrens before I puke.

People who annoy me $&#^%@

Well, let me first state that almost everyone IRL annoy me to death. From the people who drive too slow in the left lane with blinkers on, to people who see a STOP sign where there is none (usually mall parking lots). Oh I could go on and on. Why God has not chosen to eliminate these people from the gene pool, I have no idea.

But my Ichiban (that's No. 1 for you non-Japanese folk) annoyance this week is that co-worker/n00b who comes over to my cube while I'm trying to eat lunch! Common sense, and common courtesy will tell you that when someone who has no office (and beloved DOOR) is trying to get a nibble of food and privacy in his rediculously small rat-hole, you DON'T come over and decide to shoot the shit!

And if by chance, you DO come over to see me (I know, everyone loves me) and I have my head phones on and I'm eating lunch, say "hi" then walk...away...! But NOOOOOO, they stand there and run their yappers endlessly. I /ignore and /avert eyes as much as I can, but they just will NOT get the point! Look dude, I eat lunch in my cube so I can get the hell outa here early every day, so LEAVE ME ALONE!

It would be much different if someone had a work-related word to say, but everyone knows I do nothing all day.

Gotta love that Druid Love

A dude who is feeling the Blizzard hate on IGN boards posted something rather amusing:

"god hates my guild

onyxia down - 2 stormrage covers, book, ring of binding
razorgore - 2 stormrage bracers, the black book
vael - 2 stormrage wrists (no link, sry) and druid trinket

then my server died T_______T"

Man my Druid woulda been feelin' the love on that run. It does seem that Druid gear drops more often in MC and Ony runs than any other class items. See what awaits the proficient and addicted WoW gamer? TIER 2 BABY!

People I want to hurt IRL

I absolutely love this game called World of Warcraft. As with anything in life, you have to take the good with the bad. That's what makes life, and this game, great.

God help the high-level player who tries to venture into a lowbie area to get some linen for AQ quests and Ironforge rep. Let the spam /whispers begin!

Dumbass #1 says: Can you give me 1G for my repair bill?
Wind's alt says: Now did you ask me that because I'm A. level 55 and look rich? B. because of my cool name? or C. I look like I just fell off the Menethil Boat and look like I give money to any dumbass noob who whispers me?
Dumbass #1 says: dang man, you don't have to be a prick about it
Wind's alt: Oh yes I do, if people were pricks to idiots like you who beg for Gold, maybe you would get the hint and die a slow, painful death, shaming yourself never to come back to this game, and cops would find your rotting corpse in your mom's basement.

Well, he is right, I am quite a prick when I want to be. I'm sorry, but the people I hate most are beggars, in real life as well. I tried to write some more to him, but he quickly put me on /ignore.

And people say there is no God.

One of those days

I guess it's just one of those days folks. I am in a very rare mood. Read "I'm uber-pissed off and I hate life!"

I was perusing the IGN WoW boards, and just like clockwork, idiot N00B #1,323,445 creates a post titled: "Updated, logged in, and realm selection isn't coming up." Every Tuesday, come rain or shine, snow or sleet, some retard starts a post on various forums saying "OMG I can't login waahhhh!"

Trying to be a nice guy here folks, but come on. How long have we all been playing WoW? What happens every Tuesday from roughly 5am PT to 1pm PT? SERVER MAINTENANCE! Normally I wouldn't create an entire post on this retarded-ness, but these are the wankers that claim to be the smartest, best and al-knowing-est people ever to bless WoW. They know everything about every item, class, boss, play tactic, etc. Well ya know what genius? I weep for the future of this country. I really do.

LFG New Job

It would be the biggest understatement in the world to say that I want a new job. I NEED a new job, my sanity and reason for living depends upon it. I've been with this company for 2.5 years, a long time by today's IT standards. I am a contractor for the government, and I work on Wright-Patterson AFB. It all sounds good, but there's one little problem: I.DO.NO.WORK.

Now, here's where most of you say, "So what's the problem??!!" Well, I was all for this 'little work' thing when I first started...over 2 YEARS ago. Now it's to the point where I am literally going INSANE due to lack of work. There are 4 other people like me on a team of about 20. We ALL sit around and do absolutely nothing. All.day.long. I've wondered how in the world we get away with having so many people sitting around on a stupid project for 2 years. But the government is so screwed up and beurocratised, it doesn't even know we're not doing anything.

The last I checked the contracting database (I found our contract number on some paperwork), our contract for 8/1/2005-8/1/2006 was just short of $6M. That's for 18 people! No no, don't even think I make a lot of money. The governemtn gives my employer a chunk of cash for me, and they in turn give me about 1/2 of that money. Not bad for legalized stealing. Not only are they ripping the government off, they're playing "Vinnie Baggodonuts" and cutting into my share, while acting like they're providing for my interests. Screw that.

My typical day:

0730: Drag into my insanely small cubicle in the basement of HQAFMC. No windows except for the one on my PC. Roaches, yes, roaches the size of BMWs crawl in the hallways and bathrooms, which smell of things I'll not mention. And YES, this is a Headquarters building.
0800: Begin my daily browsing of websites. Any websites. Any at all that are not blocked by this retarded firewall, which prohibits me from browsing any site related to gaming or games. Kthx.
10:15: Stand up, try to walk around for awhile. Refill water and coffe cups for the 30th time. Dream of jobs, lunch, WoW, anything.
11:30: Venture upstairs to the "so called" cafeteria, where they even manage to screw up bottled water. The food is hideous. Just like the job.
12:00: Tune in to my favorite radio show via internet streaming. Thank God that site isn't blocked. Manage to get around to any emails I may have regarding any hint of actual work. Hmm, nothing. Begin my daily persuit of job searching: Monster. Dice. Career Builder.
3:00: Try to find an excuse to leave work early, or just take off, daring them to fire me.

Notice something missing? WORK. This has been my day for nearly 3 years now. I am dying inside. I'm losing any IT or software skills I ever had. Someone shoot me.

WoW Macros for every class. Good stuff


English Tests for pre-grouping. I like it, I like it a lot

Ahn'Qiraj Loot Ranking By Server

WoW servers have been quite annoying lately. Long wait times getting in your realm, "loot lag" and every possible site camped for their goods to turn in for the Ahn'Qiraj gate opening. Man, this is bigger than a Wal Mart opening in (insert po-dunk city here).

Anyway, check out each server and their ranking on who's grinding worthless junk the fastest. If your realm's not on there, they're not even close...

http://www.m3arts.com/aqdata/index.php

Player Seeks Advice

A classic from the WoW forums made its way to AFK Gamer. I had to share this:


"I need some advice on what could be a life changing decision. Thanks in advance guys.
I’ve suspected for some time now that my girlfriend has been having an affair. The usual signs. Phone rings, I answer, someone hangs up. She started going out ‘with the girls’ a lot recently although when I ask which girls it is always “Just some friends from work, you don’t know them”. I always look out for her taxi coming home but she always walks down the drive although I can hear a car setting off. As if she has got out of the car round the corner. Why? Is it not a taxi?"

"I once picked her mobile up just to see what time it was and she went beserk and screamed that I should never touch her phone again and why was I checking up on her.
Anyway, I have never approached the subject with her. I think deep down I just didn’t want to know the truth but last night something odd happened. She had come over to play WoW and had forgotten to sign off of AIM after she left. It was whilst I was going through her buddy list that I noticed my mage had just been two-shotted by a rogue."

"Should I stick with my mage or should I play a class with more survivability?"