D3 is an utter joke compared to TL2. Itemization, customization, endgame, difficulty, grind, there is not one facet where TL2 doesn’t utterly annihilate it. Blizzard crushed my dreams with D3 when they decided to make your odds of gearing up the same as winning the lottery, and to let the AH dictate 100% of the economy and pacing. Complete. Utter. Fail.

Thank god for TL2. It’s more fun, takes a hell of a lot more skill, and will last 100x longer. Blizzard already admitted there is no endgame for D3 in an interview lol… So at least they know a steaming pile when they see it?  XFire has D3 at 40k regulars now… which is 33% of where it used to be.  With games like League of Legends and TL2 so popular maybe it’s time for devs to realize that whipping your players with chains dipped in vinegar will no longer pass for content.  EVERGRIND is so 200X.  It’s time to move on.  Even the gamiest gamer has other things to do, so don’t waste my f–king time.

TL2 is win

That said, I have finally completed my largest game and it is up for sale in episodic fashion on a site called Renderosity.com.  Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 are now available; packaged with the elaborate illustrated strategy guide I’ve built for the game.  Think Mortal Kombat with a sexy all female cast of colorful ninjas, unlockable magic, and RPG elements.  You can view the game product page here.

]]> http://darkworlddesigns.com/public_html/?feed=rss2&p=1008 2 http://darkworlddesigns.com/public_html/?p=987 http://darkworlddesigns.com/public_html/?p=987#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:22:10 +0000 Taransula http://darkworlddesigns.com/public_html/?p=987 I hate when people don’t give you closure… especially in business deals so here it is: Taransula has retired. The accounts are closed.

No you can’t have my stuff, and yes it’s been fun. It really has in fact- I got more out of WAR than any MMO I have ever played, actually I got about 1000 times more; more friends, more good times, more experience, more shiny lootz, and more HOURS lol. I think Warhammer is the most powerful fantasy IP in games today- it is the godfather of digital fantasy content the same way Tolkein is the godfather of literary fantasy. But the darker, nastier world that inspired Blizzard to create WoW was date raped by Mythic and hasn’t felt the same since.

I still hope that some day we’ll see a real turn around; some inkling of the promise of what might have been, but the only way that will happen is if Mythic sells the property to someone else or GW compels them to. This latest stunt “Wrath of Heroes” which has NOTHING to do with Warhammer Online is a real gas- it could be a cheap mini-game on xbox live arcade, but instead they are going to put Warhammer Online right in the title like it’s an expansion… An expansion that asks you to forget you already had characters with years of time invested in? You really can’t make this shit up.

Now although the WARBITS are probably extinct by now I’m still going to put them up; and I don’t need an active account to do it. And with that I wish you all a fond farewell; and to the working witches out there keep fighting the good OMFG NERF WE fight

Seriously, please do me a favor and make sure you wear duck boots for the flood of Order tears you’ll be wading through.  And if my mythic-sense is tingling correctly this is a knife in the back of our WH nemesis in more ways than one.  They will HATE being constantly in our reach and it’s going to take them quite a while to get used to it… and we are also going to get Torment nerfed for them… which naturally means AW will be nerfed as well That’s right, that’s my prediction; we’ll see AW/Torment nerfed to a flat value or a reduced % ignore against heavy armor; making WH 100% useless against tanks and WE 85% useless against tanks (we’d still have Witchbrew and Pierce Armor WOOT!!). I believe this will happen because the anti-rogue kicking and screaming that has probably turned into deafening white noise over at Mythic HQ is about to ramp up BIG TIME.  Think what would happen if BGs suddenly got Cave In; now multiply that by 600.  You get the idea.

I think the patch is buttering us up before kissing AW and Torment goodbye.  And if I’m wrong… well if I’m wrong it’s great for WH/WE and shitty for everyone else lol… life’s a bitch.  So either Mythic will go with the majority on this one or drive another nail into the coffin- and frankly I hope they DON’T add any more nerfs because it’s really getting to be about time to let Warhammer die a natural death.  It’s tired… so… tired… just wants… to sleeeeeep…  Come on Mythic have a heart!

Anyway, due to extreme pressure from forces outside my control, I will be CONTINUING the Bloodkiss book I started… but I will be ripping it out of the hands of Warhammer… it makes me sad to do that; but I am going to make a real play at publishing it (Ebook), and I just can’t do that when it’s been marinated in someone else’s IP (in this case Warhammer by Games Workshop). So the names will remain the same, the dark elves/high elves will remain the same, but the location will no longer be the Warhammer world; instead it will be a world of my invention; but it’s a fairly well developed place- I started working on “Darkworld” back in 7th grade haha.  Instead of a witch elf Tara will be a “blood witch” which is basically the same thing…

When I add more to the story I will probably update it here as well, so you awesome WAR people can read it

Cheers for now and enjoy your shot-from-the-hip early XMAS Present in 1.4.3!

ANYWAY, I finally have my shiny new printer/scanner hooked up… and on display here is Laz’s witch elf sketch. Which I think is crazy hot and must be posted. Laz is the Warbits cartoonist (we don’t call him Raven anymore since he doesn’t play his zealot…) which means I have those Warbits scanned. In fact I even logged on to Warhammer yesterday. Had to set up my hotkeys all over again it felt like learning to walk…

But I got my respec on and a fun build, and I think it’s time for Taransula to dust off her daggers.

Since rr100 offers no tangible upgrade anymore I could stop playing for a year and come back, then proceed to keep melting all the same people… Long story short I am enjoying some well earned vacation. 90% of my time these days is being spent on a game called Ninjazon, my most ambitious undertaking to date (think 2D mortal combat with hot high rez ninja chicks that use magic…); and I will be releasing hopefully in not too long. It’s rated M perhaps but nothing too scandalous so I will be linking it on my main website; I think the gameplay I came up with is pretty brilliant.

And I guess that shows you just how into Warhammer I am these days… though since I’m normally the only guildie around when I log on I don’t think you can blame me. Warhammer was Mythic’s game to lose; and they’ve done it. The base is microscopic at this point and we’re just waiting for the towel.

The reason is simple: Gear = content. Most companies simply don’t have the money to content-cycle with anything else. If gear was not the reason to keep grinding, it would have to be a constant chain of new zones, new dungeons, new mobs, and new fluff (mounts, appearance mods etc). Mythic is the LAST company in the world with that option; therefore gear is the one and ONLY thing people can level grind for.

And the first person who says “you should pvp just for the fun of it” is gonna get slapped. That only works on NPCs. Real humans need satisfying gameplay married to that feeling of material progression; especially in MMOs that look and feel like 15 year old console games. This ain’t WoW (since there’s no money), or Dragon Age 2 (no lateral content, eye candy, or meaningful pve), or FPS (visceral pvp that relies exclusively on skill) so the gear grind is all we have. Every 10 realm ranks should make you feel like you have a real edge. The best way to retain people at the bottom of the pyramid is to make the grind EASIER. Not to nerf the gear.  Yet so far it looks like Mythic is trying to do both- lessen the grind AND nerf the gear…

Is it too late? Of course it is. But I’m going to play till I hit 100 at least; though I can’t play every day anymore.  At this point I really don’t have a clue what Mythic could do to reinvent the game, or at least encourage new players to sign up- simply because every option I could think of requires cash, which I’m pretty sure Mythic is all out of at this point.  So for those of us that are left, it means we just have to take the good with the bad, and enjoy it while we can.  I’m still having fun, but when I finally do hit 100 I’ll be curious to see what kind of shape the game is in… who knows, maybe miracles aren’t dead yet.  Maybe someone will buy the IP off of Mythic/EA, and remind everyone why Games Workshop’s Warhammer is the godfather of fantasy gaming.

on the MOUSE:

middle button = auto run
thumb 1 = throwing dagger
thumb 2 = cleansing wind
side 1 = agile escape
side 2 = officer AP pot
side 3 = nearest target
side 4 = disarm
side 5 = puncture (finisher)
side 6 = M1
side 7 = M3
side 8 = elixir of blades
side 9 = absorb pot
side 10 = M2
side 11 = Crook of Radiance (pocket 1)
side 12 = cycle enemies

Keyboard Numberpad:

1 = stealth
2 = backpedal
3 = wracking pains
4 = strafe left
5 = black lotus blade/enfeebling strike if stealthed
6 = strafe right
7 = silence
8 = walk forward
9 = Eye of Gnut (pocket 2)
0 = jump
. = agonizing wound
* = heartseeker (knockdown)
- = witchbrew
+ = sever blessing

Keyboard other keys:

right arrow = fleet footed
up arrow = heavy metal cloak (cleanse 1 curse,hex,ailment)
pgdown = 3k pot
delete = officer heal pot
pageup = elixir of the cauldron
home = enchanting beauty
end = feinted positioning
backspace = battlebrew backpack
+ = molotov pot

There are a few others I use for emotes and such, which I have to click; so I don’t put those in this list.  The 40 above are keys I have memorized without clicking or peeking at the keyboard

Witchbrew/Treachery spec – vs. Healer/Caster

Enfeebling Strike

Black Lotus Blade

FP + Throat Slitter

Agonizing Wound + EotC

At this point if the target is low or still taking decent damage I would pop a 5 point Puncture, otherwise continue with AW or pop Witchbrew depending on the situation

Witchbrew/Treachery spec – vs. Melee

Enfeebling Strike

Wracking Pains

Heartseeker

AW or BLB if target will be getting heals

Finish with AWs or Puncture vs. light armor; If target resists: Agile Escape for Witchbrew; pop FP and Elixir of Blades as you reengage with Witchbrew up.  On some targets you may want to pop FP earlier.

OYK/Treachery spec – vs. Healer/Caster

Enfeebling Strike

Pierce Armor + FP

Throat Slitter

AW + EotC

AW, AW, etc.  If it’s a high rank or squirrely healer/caster I would pop EotC earlier and save your CC, use OYK when they get to max range trying to kite.

OYK/Treachery spec vs. Melee

Enfeebling Strike

Pierce Armor

FP + AW

EoIP + AW (now you have 5 points)

OYK

AW for cleanup.  With this build you want that 5 point OYK with 50% armor ignore; and it should be ok to CC late since OYK is undefendable.  The exceptions would be WH, where you might want to CC for more frontload burst early, or Slayer/WP where you might want to wait to break Rune of Absorption/Divine Assault with the knockdown.  Against tanks you will want to pop FF when you still have a lot of AP and CC immunity timers on you- during your snare immune get in as many backstabs as you can, and PA when it’s up.  Also against tanks I would slip Wracking Pains in there somewhere for the toughness debuff.

Now, what is “The Sweet Spot” all about… well that’s my nickname for the END of my gear min-maxing until 100.  Well, maybe not until 100, but for a good while.  I’ve been testing a brutal build that I think has absolutely everything, and pushes Doomflayer to its limits, while combining it with other gear for maximum effect.  I’ll talk about the recipe first, then the results:

Helm – Titan’s Cap (has melee power, 3% crit, tons of str on it, requires rr83 I believe)

Shoulders – Doomflayer of the Abyss (7% crit with tali)

Chest – Doomflayer of the Avatar (4% crit, 40 melee power, tons of str)

Gloves – Doomflayer of the Avatar (3% crit)

Belt – Skaven belt from stage 1 of Thanquol’s Incursion (2% crit)

Boots – Doomflayer of the Abyss (armor bonus, slotted odjira)

Weapons – dual rr90 daggers of malevolence (6% crit for both)

Jewelry – 5 glyphs (+5% dps, melee power, +4% crit)

RR Spec (at 92) – Might V, Opportunist IV, Reflexes I, Deft Defender I, Cleansing Wind I, Vigor I (120 str, 3% parry, dodge, disrupt, 14% crit)

Class Spec – Witchbrew, Elixir of Blades, Black Lotus Blade, Heartseeker, Elixir of the Cauldron, Increased Pain, with the extra points in Treachery

OR

– On Your Knees, Broad Severing, Pierce Armor, Elixir of Insane Power, Increased Pain, Elixir of the Cauldron, with the extra points in Carnage

Tactics – Flanking, Brute Force, Increased Pain, Taste of Blood OR Flanking, Brute Force, Increased Pain, Broad Severing, along with the appropriate rr90 tactics depending on your spec.

Now the results (using 60 str/50 melee power lini, which is all I use now): the defensive side of this build gives you a low chance to be crit (like 2%), 3k+ armor with pots, a 10% chance on hit to proc 1265 absorb, 9200 hp, and 235 toughness.  the offensive side gives you 307 damage bonus, +5% to all dps, 45% crit chance, 10% chance on hit to further increase crit rate by 5% and crit damage by 10%, amplified by Flanking + Taste of Blood.  Long story short, the SC solo queue/group queue results are crazy.  I feel extremely tough, and with 45-50% crit almost every hit is a crit.  Add in +35% total damage with glyphs + procs, and the 10% crit damage multiplier and you are stacked to annihilate.  For Witch Elf I have found the +damage modifiers are VASTLY more important than +crit damage modifiers, and I think it is very worth it to give up the +6% crit damage boots in exchange for that absorb proc, which pops constantly.  So again, just to refresh, these are some insane stats all around:

307 damage bonus

45% crit

9200 hp

10% chance to proc 1200 absorb

10% chance to proc +5% crit., +10% crit damage

Anyway, I just bought by Doomflayer shoulders for the offensive set so I am now 9/10 for both sets, but I doubt I will ever get the defensive chest, there’s just no reason to use it over the offensive.  So that’s all for now… stay tuned for WARBITS!  (this time for real, I promise)