We Fly Spitfires – MMORPG Blog

Take a long, last look at these talents before they're obliterated

[Warning: contains mild spoilers about Priest talents in Cataclysm]

Leveling up healers in MMOs is usually pretty tough going. They are, after all, designed to heal which is not a very helpful mechanic for trying to solo and I’ve often wondered why so many designers insist on flooding healers with dozens of heals at low levels but few ways of defending themselves and inflicting damage. Surely it would make more sense to start off with fewer heals and more damage and then slowly acquire more and more healing abilities as one progresses?

Read more →

In Japan, the RAH is being charge at 5 billion Yen per month

How much is a dollar worth? Well if you’re Blizzard about 25% more than the foreign exchange market deems it to be worth. Yep, the Remote Auction House which costs $3 per month in the US is being charged at £2.5 and €3 in Britain and the rest of the Europe respectively, a not insignificant 25% increase over the correct £2 and €2.5 when calculated at the average, stable conversion rate.

Read more →

Class balance in Everquest was easy. Ogre > all.

It’s a genuine question that I’d love to hear the thoughts of developers and designers on (I’m assuming my blog is muchly discussed around the lunch table at Blizzard, SOE and other gaming establishments). As a long time MMOer, I’m very much aware of the pains and difficulties in getting classes properly balanced and all it takes are tiny little changes or additions to the game to throw everything out of kilter. It seems to me that there’s no exact science as to how to solve this age old mystery and I can’t help but wonder how the creators deal with it.

Read more →

In this article I waffle on about going off topic.

In order to help man the fort whilst he’s away at Slayage (I’m not jealous… nope, not one bit…), I wrote a guest post for Professor Beej which he published today. The article is a departure from my usual sexually repressed MMORPG related posts and is a review of a Japanese book I’d just finished called “Out”. Although I love MMOs, I have to admit that it was refreshing to take a break and write about something on a totally different subject. It’s not often that I get to opportunity to stretch my literary muscles and explore an unfamiliar genre, something which no doubt other bloggers feel the same desire to do on occasion too.

Read more →

Following the current trend of MMORPGs, this blog has now become Free-To-Read. Current subscribers will be promoted to VIP status and receive a free photo once a month of me in my underwear to print out and stick on their wall or exchange as a form of currency with other blogs participating in the F2R scheme. For a small fee, Premium Readers will be able to view the entire contents of my blog and will receive a photo of me partial dressed in different apparel every month (bet you can’t wait for ‘Navy Month’ eh?). Free Readers will receive obscure, out of focus shots of myself and will only be able to view the first 200 words of every blog post. Some will probably consider that the best deal of all. The fools.

Anyway, enough with my attempts to pursue a career in male modelling. Let’s look at the best of the web from the last seven days:

Read more →

Free Hobbits for everyone!

As you’ll know it was announced yesterday that the Lord of the Rings Online is going completely free-to-play as of this Autumn. Two thoughts went through my brain as I read their marketing email – firstly I was rather surprised by the whole thing and secondly I was bloody relieved I never took out lifetime subscription for the game.

Read more →

One day every year sumo wrestlers try to make babies cry. I am not making that up.

You probably don’t know this but my brother, MMO muse and WoW noob king, became a father for the second time in April (gz, gj, woot etc) and since then his budding MMORPG career has taken a nose dive. He literally went from playing a couple of hours a night to, well, never playing at all. This disturbing fact got me wondering… do I really want kids?

Read more →