Raithe

Just been informed that today is "twelth night" so I have to get the christmas decorations down before midnight... So I'm going to try to juggle some work, and then see what needs to get started on that.

Yeah, we're getting this too. Since we're doing all quests (including heroics), we got overleveled fast. Overleveled but undergeared. It does balance out a bit, since you get less xp (and need more to level up). But yeah, do everything and everything will be fairly easy. Apart from the heroic "Insufficient Staff" on Alderaan. That one was tough as hell for our two man team (plus companions). Since our characters are dps and healer, we had to rely on companion tanking, and in that quest that just wasn't enough. Full group or more experienced players might have done the trick, but for us there was no way. So we did what any true imperial would, returned with superior forces (in this case, a level 50 sith assassin). Didn't pose much of a challenge then, but sometimes it can be fun to take a short cut or two. Actually I've found that post Alderaan you start to be the exact level. For most of chapter 1 and 2 I was about 3 levels higher , and then suddenly I was just on the level and maybe getting a level higher halfway through.. If I was regularly doing flashpoints that might change...

Since that pint of tea got spilled across my logitech wireless keyboard and killed it.. I've been using an old microsoft egonomic keyboard (that for reasons unknown is a german style keyboard) so whilst the qwerty are where they should be.. all the others aren't.. or mislabelled.. So I'm giving thought to having to get a new one. Looking around at the possibilities of mechanical keyboards.. but they're certainly on the expensive end of it. Although I suppose picking up the Razer blackwidow standard for around

I seem to be losing my voice at the moment.. and every time I cough it feels like sandpaper dragging across the back of my throat.. Otherwise I would come up with a suitable response to that...

I got caught in the loop of doing pretty much every quest, world and heroic on a world besides the class ones, because I was interested in how much they could flesh out the universe around me. Although I stopped completing all the heroics once I hit level 30 or so. There just weren't as many people looking for groups to do them when I was playing..so I'd end up finishing class/world stories and have to either lurk around on the offchance , or follow the class story on to another world. Realised I haven't actually done a single piece of pvp yet.. and once again I've been sidetracked by the class missions so I haven't done some of the flashpoints. Looks like the Call to Arms is actually a big series of flashpoints you have to do in order before you get to the Foundry where you encounter Revan. I might have to look at getting those done. Completing all the world quests didn't feel like work first time around, not sure how they'll feel when repeated on another class, so we'll see how it goes. Some of the "Heroic(2+)" can be done solo as well, just have to be somewhat careful in how you approach them. Heh, out of curiousity, I've even tried solo'ing a couple of the "Heroic (4)" ones - which you can usually do up to a point, that point being where some elite opponent with about 5 times your hitpoints gets dropped into it. Or some final mob of 5 strong ones who can wipe the floor with you if they can all focus on your character. I have to admit, I'm having to watch myself from "gaming" the use of the ESC button in conversations. WIth the standard bioware dialogue wheel, you choose an option and then find out that what is being said is not the style or content you thought it would be - "I meant to say something smart and witty like a smoothly machiavellian Inquisitor should.. and instead he came out with something a ****y 14 year old would say". - so hitting escape before the conversation ends resets it and you can start once more from the beginning. Which can be interesting to explore conversations just to see what can be said and what responses they get..

Hit 45th level with my SI, and just landed down on Voss. Suddenly realised I'd slipped into Chapter 3 at some point, and not sure when that actually happened....

The gale force winds are still tearing around, made a delicate pounding throughout the night and still going strong. Have that slight tickle feeling of an oncoming sore throat, but I'm mostly ignoring that. Need to do some basic research on dating agencies for some work related matter.. and its making me feel ever so slightly dirty for some reason..

Apparently it took them much less time then anticipated. They said it would be 8 hours.. but they're up and running and have been for a couple of hours already. Hm, we should probably create a collection of who is on what server , with what characters rather then all this scattering through the thread..

.. Mildly aggravated. Someone comes in, waits until you take a bite of food, and then as you're chewing starts asking you questions. All you can do is chew and kind of do the whole.."uh..i can't answer my mouth is full of food that I'm chewing" expression. So they keep asking questions. And get all shirty with you because you can't answer and then stomp off. .. It's like.. jesus, give me a moment to actually chew and swallow.

I missed the cult member you can flirt with somehow.. You know, you'll be catching up with me soon if I don't manage to get back to playing.... And I don't think you can change that legacy name once you've picked it... Every character you create on that server will now be Spartacus.. (although you can choose not to have it displayed)

That's only in Chapter 1.. it aaaallll takes a twist in Chapter 2...

Which story did you try? Supposedly the style of each class is different, the smuggler story is meant to come across much more.. light-hearted and swashbucklery compared to the agent story which is menat to be more "bourne ultimatum" atmosphere. I haven't actually explored those yet, so I can't say. I'm curious as to which you did go with and how far you managed to go.

Feel free to pass on my Sith Inquisitor's name if either of you need help. Although I have to say, the space station is a big circle, and has a good map. How do you get lost on it??

I have to admit after my intensive first 10 days I'm giving myself bigger pauses in playing, it's definitely taking a time to go up levels once you hit that 38-40 mark. I've only managed a few hours this week. Belsavis as a planet has a very nice combination of visuals and atmosphere. It actually feels a bit varied compared to some of the other worlds. Alderaan has a very nice aesthetic appeal, just the mountains/forests and trails leading up to snow covered valleys has a curiously soothing effect. And it's quite impressive how they've managed to keep Hoth visually interesting and varied within "ice, snow, and more ice". Although as you get into those planets, exploration really takes a turn for the harshness. If you're not careful you'll find yourself wandering into zones for vastly higher level characters (such as areas where level 45-50 characters will be returning to those worlds). That and if you're not paying attention you can wander into a Republic settlement without realising it and find yourself facing the level 50 guards who have several hundred thousand hitpoints... The short emails you get from various people days after completing some quests can be a nice touch. Provides a bit more feel for the universe, and the fallout from choices you made.

Thoroughly miserable weather. Heavy winds, slating rain. Kept waking everyone in the family up repeatedly through the night. Got a nice pounding headache to accompany it. Shoved some laundry through, sorted out mom's pharmacy supply for the day. Having a cup of tea and about to hit the asprin. Wondering whether I need to keep an eye on the dogs or if I'll just try crashing back to bed for a few hours.

But it did lead us to Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight...

It's the way the padawans get quite aggressive /bribey within a few words. Something doesn't feel quite right about it. Hm, managed to hit about Level 3 with my Legacy now, be curious to see exactly what they bring out for all of that. Still, having title and legacy have "Lord Drayke Khorval" proclaiming over my character is kind of funky. Having to deal with the abundance of light side points gained from looking after the Imperial Troops I encounter with my Sith Inquisitor is being a wee bit hard, but there are still plenty of ruthless moments that aren't casual cruelty/sadistic behaviour that provides the dark side..

And in movie trivia news... The swordsman who played Darth Vader during THAT fight sequence with Obi-Wan Kenobi died on New Years..

The second season of Sherlock started tonight. Although calling three 90-minute episodes a season is kind of interesting. Sherlock updated to 21st century London. Stonkingly good episode. Introduction of Irene Adler, the only woman to outsmart Holmes, although their version was a 21st century Dominatrix. Very well played, and they managed to play out some serious chemistry and interplay between her and Holmes. Tensions, machinations, violence, and even quite a few funny sequences. Well worth a watch.

Got back from my evening out. Round at a friends, general small gathering. Fire out the back, throw in the new years with some fireworks and sky lanterns. Some port and cigars. Oh yes. And Whiskey Clouds. Trust a phd chemist to follow in james may's footsteps after seeing that show. I will say, tis an interesting experience. Was a fairly pleasant time, although had a section of conversation with a friend and his bride to be about the upcoming wedding next year. The whole trip to mexico for it, her family, his family, that it probably won't be the full formal church wedding since she's catholic and he's not. Although he's got a brother, he probably won't be the best man for various reasons, and I got told I was on the short list for that role. Heh, had my friend do the whole " the important thing is that the best man is there to take the groom's place if he disapears or can't make it for any reason, up to and including marrying my fiancee". So she was all "What, is that some weird English tradition??" Home, and having a mug of hot chocolate and feeling strangely depressed for some reason that I can't quite figure out.

Salutations and best wishes for the New Year..

I went with Artifice, Archaeology, and Treasure Hunting for my Sith Inquisitor. Which is pretty much the traditional three for Force users I think. I've also got my Jedi Knight with no craft skill, but Archaeology, Diplomacy and Investigation. Thought that would make an interesting mix. I haven't made any decisions for the other characters I've started dabbling with, but then they're all still on their starter worlds.

It might be part of the whole early access thing, but I'm finding that when the evenings roll around and I jump on to play it, there's like 20 or so people on the higher level worlds.. and they're pretty much concentrating on world/class quests rather then heroics. So that does put a small crimp on casual heroics.

And with the slide into the new year..

Hah! I rode that one. 30 minutes in, just as that sandcrawler came into view.. it all glitched. the balloon disapeared and both myself and the other person riding it found ourselves stood in the middle of the dune sea. .. I do plan to go back and get them..at some point..when I have a whole stack of credits to while away the time on crew missions. Hit level 41, had an immense amount of "travel to planet x, talk to dude, go to ship, talk on intercom, travel to fleet, talk to dude, go to planet y talk to dude, go to ship, talk on intercom"... Spent an hour doing more back and forth from planet to starport, to inquisitor hangar, to ship then anything else... And for the fun point, finally go to Belsavis and find that while my previous Class mission was a 41, all missions from that point on are 42. So I'm thinking of returning to Hoth to work in some heroics to get up there...