We Fly Spitfires – MMORPG Blog

I read a lot of blogs, I just can’t get enough of them. I like all sorts of blogs that cover all sorts of things. You’ll notice that I have some blogs in my ‘Other Links’ section which have absolutely no bearing on MMOs. Shocker, that’s because I don’t always read about MMOs. I am person, well-rounded, after all.

Tobold’s MMORPG Blog

You pretty much can’t write anything about MMOs or MMO blogs without mentioning the Big T. I read his blog every day and the guy’s a legend in the blog syndicate. I don’t really want to or need to say much more but I could hardly write a blog post entitled ‘Blogs You Should Be Reading’ and not include this one.

Of Teeth and Claws

I don’t play, and never have played, a Druid in WoW so most of this blog is absolutely meaningless to me. However, I really dig Karthis. I love his style of writing and the in-depth, informative nature of his posts. This guy knows his shit. If we were homeboys I’d be giving him the fist-jab of respect so go check out his blog now. Or better yet, roll a Druid and learn some skillz from him.

I Rub Your Brog

I only discovered this blog a few days ago using Stumble Upon and I’m completely hooked. From the moment I read the title of the blog and saw the main photo banner, I knew this guy had style. I love Japan and I love Tokyo and I rub this brog. And yes, it’s OK for me to a tad racist because my wife is Japanese. Me no solly.

Danny Choo

I also love Danny Choo. Seriously, if this guy was a chick I’d be sending him love emails. Hell, if he worked out a bit and showed some flesh, I’d be sending him samples of my hair in the post. I want to be Danny Choo. The guy programmes web systems wearing a Stormtrooper uniform for Christ’s sake. Sweeeeeet. Plus he can shake his booty like few can.

Joel On Software

If Danny Choo is my current crush then Joel Spolsky (aka JSpol) is my long time love. I’m a geek and he’s my mecca (yeah I know that doesn’t quite work). He’s also a great writer and no respectable software engineer hasn’t read his books (double negatives FTW).

Got any blogs you want to share?

Coincidentally just as Tobold posted an article about taking a break from WoW, I’ve been considering returning to Everquest 2. I think WoW is a great game but I’m really missing the social aspect that other MMOs have to offer. For a game with so many players, the game feels surprisingly lonely and people just don’t seem to bond in groups or guilds. Maybe it’s just my bad experiences and the fact that I haven’t hit level 80 with any of my characters yet.

A few weeks ago, one of my work colleagues joined the game with his girlfriend and they seem to be really enjoying it which is fantastic. I’ve also definitely appreciated having someone online to chat with but as WoW lacks any sort of mentoring system, there isn’t a lot we can do to group together until he catches up on me. Even then, WoW is still very much a single player focused game, at least at the lower levels. It’s a lot easier to level up questing than it is by grouping and most of the groups I’ve been in have been pretty negative experiences. I know it’s a cliché, but the player base in WoW does seem to be a lot younger than other games I’ve tried.

I’ve also been mulling over trying LotRO again. I keep hearing how great it is although I never managed to get sucked it into it on the few occasions I played it. I always found the starting areas to be particularly boring and unimaginative but I hear that the community and grouping elements are fantastic. I’ve dismissed WAR and AoC for the time being as WAR is just plain dull and AoC needs a big expansion before I return to it.

I haven’t made a decision yet and I’ll still probably be playing WoW for a while longer. I’m enjoying the PvP battlegrounds and I want to check out Northrend. Maybe I’ll resubscribe to EQ2 and try them both together for a bit. Wouldn’t be nice if MMOs offered you a free 48 hour ‘come back trial period’… just so I can scratch that itch and see if it really is the game I’m looking for or if it’s just nostalgia playing tricks on me.