I think I'm in love! I don't think I've said that about any MMO really, but with Guild Wars 2 or GW2, as it is popularly referred to, I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say, "Yes, you are the one for me!"
How can I say that, you might ask. Well, compared to the few that I've played this is just.......different and makes me feel like a kid at Christmas again!
I've only been playing MMOs for about two years now. You could say I got into MMOs quite late, well yeah! I was more into single-player pc games really; Tomb Raider - have all the editions and, yes, I want to be Lara Croft! - and The Sims 2 and 3. So? I love building and playing god! So sue me! Anyway, I digress. Then one day in 2007 I was surfing the web for downloads for my little sims when I came across the social interactive universe of Second Life. Perfect! From playing god I actually became one of my sims.......or, to use the more elaborate title.....I "became" an avatar. That was certainly a mind opener. I found I didn't need MSN to communicate with others and I could actually watch other people run around the same virtual world I was in. You could go to clubs, go shopping and sit on a park bench. You could build and create things to sell in your own store in-world or have a "shop" out on the web, something I actually dabbled in, which, incidentally was quite alot of fun. I also discovered you could be anything you ever imagined you could be. So I took advantage. I became tiger, neko, dragon, mermaid, basically anything weird I could think of......and it was a blast! Stay long enough and you actually "became" your avatar! Crazy! Yes, I know. Weird actually. At one point I did really begin to identify with my avatar. There were times when I would swing between emotions. It was honestly like riding an emotional roller-coaster. Three years later and I was like, ok, that's it, time to move on!
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| Me as mermaid. Oh I love the sea! |
Lord of the Rings Online (Lotro) is definately a beautiful game. The lore runs deep, as you can image. The graphics are wonderful and the world is so big you actually need a mount to travel. I felt I was actually in the books, living with the people of Middle Earth. Mounting my magnificent steed - I mean who could have told me that I could actually ride a horse with no worries of falling off! There I was riding through the Shire, delving beneath the mountains exploring Moria, trying to prove my worth as a ranger, having to defeat wolves, wild boars, goblins and other evil creatures......and yes, combat was a challenge. How on earth was I supposed to remember all those skills! I did feel bad shooting bears, but, hey, it was either it or me and to my surprise, eventhough I was new to combat, I actually got to level 20 without dying and achieved the coveted title of The Undying! Oh, I felt so proud! I lifted my coffee mug in the air, declaring my success. Gus, my cat, just yawned in response. Ok! So I didn't get a standing ovation, but I felt good and I held my head up high as I rode through Middle Earth following the footsteps of the nine!
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