Kicking my MMO Rust Bucket

But of course I am as I’m still in the blog office just being preoccupied with some other things I really needed to work and get done to some degree in real life. As well trying to get over my little rut with the few MMO games I play which aren’t that many since I consider myself a more focused player with whatever I zoom in and focus on playing usually. The other thing is blogging for me is a passion from whatever i’m playing as a extension of the game to ink my thoughts about my adventures as both drives each other. So haven’t been that passionate about playing anything in my rut thus haven’t written much either can consume allot of valuable time much better spend doing other things like umm reading another blog for one maybe.

Anyway still playing STO and probably will for a while however just haven’t had any real extended play session for a while. Usually I can be on at any time of the day just popping in for a little while. However since haven’t been doing any missions for my character it usually means I spend my time at the exchange. It’s probably one my favorite things to do in STO anyway other than doing missions. But then any game or MMO I play I seem to gravitate to play the economic game within the game. Just something I like to do playing with numbers.

Data Sample Game

So for the time I usually spend in STO while at the exchange its been mostly selling Data Samples that’s been sitting in my characters Bank which was ALLOT from exploration and regular missions I accumulated leveling up. None the other few crap item stuff greens or grey item stuff ever sells much so not bothered since it’s just a few items I keep on the exchange just refreshing the item for sale ever other day . So slowly by slowly just been selling off all my higher tier Data Samples whenever I pop in and at the exchange. Not all that interesting but it makes me money just being at the exchange. Some Data Samples sell better than others and over time I figured what stuff sells a bit well vs others and at times have bought up people selling some Data Samples cheap and just resold them at what I usually sold them for myself.

It adds up over time. But until I sold off my own inventory of stuff I never usually buy all that much to resell. But it’s just something fun to do since in STO I don’t  play the crafting game. And so to keep countless Data Samples for me is useless and for that I’ve made a few millions selling nothing on the exchange but just Data Samples individually and in 2′s and 3′s and never more than 11k individually unless the exchange is somewhat empty. But usually I sold my stuff between 4-10k individually all depending on item. Usually I look at what is being sold on the exchange and pick a price so can sell easily and in individual amounts in a day. So much for being useless and some people do say in STO.

Thats as much as I being doing in STO on most days due to a bit of preoccupation with other things. But hopefully soon can get back to some regular play in some way.

The Wild Wild West of deep space In EVE Online

Have had a fascination with the MMO EVE for some years but just never got around to actually playing it. However when Tobold recently picked up the game and started playing it as a project experiment and reading about it on his blog it reawaken my fascination and intrigue in EVE that had somehow was dormant because I had just forgotten about it all together. That was enough to pull me out of a somewhat gaming RUT I was in for some weeks just trying to think of a game with a bit more depth and complication that fits my learning and enjoyment.

When EVE was first launched I had heard about it and had though about playing it, but never got around to actually to it because at that time back then I was playing another sandbox online game/MMO as in Secondlife when the game at that time was brand new. Much different sandbox game that it is today years later. I played that game for a few years as a Sim landscaper, private sim owner and prim modeller and then later on went to WoW. I actually like open games with no predefined goals or endgame to chart your course in that game or destiny as you see fit to whatever end you see fit. I’m not the kind of player that needs someone to put something in front of me to tell me that’s a goal and go get it. I like to find my own and set my own goal to get there.

So recently been reading up on Tobolds adventure and analysis to some degree in EVE Online and now doing some research of my own at other blogs on EVE Online. Reading blogs is something I do allot all over the place so that’s easy to do researching blogs on others that play EVE. As well I use a iPhone so it’s quite easy for me to read stuff even at work since I can download a whole blog page and read it whenever I have a minute. So far skipping from links from one blog to another I’ve found Tipa’s blog over at West Karana on her adventures in EVE quite fascinating. Her EVE adventures are so well written on her deep space activities that I really was fascinated by them as well reading. Only a full year left of her last year to read in my research and I can finish doing that since i’m now up to year 2009 post. I take research reading seriously and its not uncommon once I commit to it to find a blog I like and link on its blog label and read its entire content. I can do that much reading in the name of fun. But quite easy to research when you can go back through all the labeled post on just EVE which is allot and fun to read for my research. Learning to play a game to me is something I invest a bit in either reading blogs, forums, guides while playing a game. No different in the amount of time I invested in learning STO in the beginning either which helped me allot progress through the game on my own quite easily. It helps me to be resourceful while playing a game which I usually play alone.

So with that I finally downloaded EVE Online doing the 14 day trial. Why not its free! I’ve heard all the things most people say about EVE Online and that only fascinates me more because I’m also not deterred by a game being complicated to learn. I’m the kind of player that don’t mind learning a complicated game and or find it interesting to learn it vs hey how long to the end of the game. One the other thing is I like science oriented game, I like Sci-Fi as well and have a deep love for Astronomy and all things Cosmology oriented. So as a game EVE Online fits into that profile as a game as well for me. In some way I believe that if the universe was colonized in some way or barely colonized in other vast areas that it would be like the Wild Wild West in many ways as it used to be when it was. I just take that view of EVE Online looking at the game as it is.

There really is allot to learn starting EVE, but to me that makes it fun as well. Of the faction choices I went with the Amarr Empire being of the Bloodlines of the Ni-Kunnis. Of the choices I had Tradesman and Border Runner both of which seems appealing to me in its own way. Tradesman seem appealing since I enjoy business activities in games and trading somewhat fits my style of play whether fair trading or a bit shady trading in a game like EVE Online. I’m very adaptable to games, I can be shady if the environment makes it so all in good fun. However will see in time how it plays out. Unsure as yet how much impact a Trade skill choice make at this point on ones career path.

So far in my limited play time being doing mostly missions or the tutorial missions and advance to the career mission agent and tutorials just learning the game. So far just enjoying the tutorial missions which in some way is similar to most games tutorials learning their games. But I don’t mind since what I enjoy is learning the game at hand going through the process. At other times just playing around with the Tutorial Help option learning things and just playing with the UI understanding how to do things and learning allot. But it really doesn’t take you long to realize that there is a lot of depth to learning the things you need to learn as well as many other things.

Have figured out how to use the skill options and gotten my character up to at this point 215,000+ skill points covering various skills and for the ones I currently have all at skill 3 level. I figured out running certain Tutorials actually gives you the first book to learn some skills so cool. Been reading the EVE Online forum for starter player and figured you can learn acquire “Learning Skills” which helps you to learn skills faster. So I invested in 3 skill books which I bought on the Market with cash from missions earned. I found the Learning Skills them boost your attribute skills and cuts down on learning skill time. That time was a bit obvious looking at what I took before and what it took after learning skills. So currently working on level 4 of all three of the Learning Skill sets which should give a bigger bonus to learning skills faster. One other skills I picked up for cheap on the Market “Social” at 18k which was needed before can lean another skill Negotiation and Contracting I had a book or two for and seem like a necessary skill to learn. Fumbling through the Tutorials reading I came across Salvaging and picked up 2 books for it so can learn Surveying and Salvaging which was cool. Could only learn Salvaging after learning level 3 Surveying so queued up the skills to get them all rolling.

At the moment using a Punisher Frigate Ship and so far with all the Career Tutorial Missions still working on I haven’t lost it yet. Though in one mission I almost did when I had to go destroy a Pirate Base and had to use the Accelerator Jump thing and had to fight off over a dozen pirate ships to use the other Accelerator Jumper thing and came close to loosing ship and had to warp jump quickly back to station. Just figuring stuff out is cool. However I find actually navigating my ship harder than what i’m used to as compared to say in STO. Currently almost done with my first set of 10 Career Mission Tutorial and will complete the rest to have a good base learning the game before i’m in too deep way over my head.

As for joining Corps playing around with the UI saw a few Corps recruiting. I’ll take my time finding a good Corp hopefully, but probably will try out EVE University when my Career Mission Tutorials are done. As well hopefully get to learn the game better as I invest in my career at the moment. I usually take the long view and if I invest that much time upfront on a game checking it out or research. It usually means i have a high degree of personal interest to play. That usually mean longer than any trial period lasts due to being a more focused player in the games I do eventually commit to playing, getting fully submerged in the game.