…because why the hell not?

Ok, let’s browse through the list since the last time.

…oh, wow… Fiesta? Episode 26?! Hell, this is the first update I’ve done on the new, PC, too. I’m so not good at this “supplemental text” thing.

FIESTA (Ep. 26)

Ok, so Fiesta. Fun story, This was not only one of the episodes, along with Aion, that I’ve had footage of on this computer years before I ever started MMO Grinder, but it was also featured in Episode 0. Ok, so was that Aion footage… so that story wasn’t that fun after all. Ok, here’s a better one. I’d actually ducked into Fiesta a few times after starting the show, and never had a problem logging in… Except the week I decided to review it. For some reason I couldn’t access my account, so I had to start a brand new one. As for the episode, it came out better than I was feeling it, but as I predicted, it wasn’t viewed that much. Not really a standout title.
Normally, if I already have an existing account for a game, I nab the more interesting footage from the characters further along, and of course, start a new character to do what the show is all about… looking over the newbie experience. Let me reiterate that.

NEWBIE.
EXPERIENCE.

This seems to be the thing most lost in translation about MMO Grinder. I’m NOT an MMO expert. It is impossible to keep to a two week schedule, including all the technical crap I have to go through to write out the script, prepare the footage, collect supplemental materials (music, images), edit, and upload it, leaving me with about, in more realistic terms less than a week and a half to actually play the game. Take away a few more days when I have plans not involving a computer. If there’s a lot to cover, like differing classes or various factions and starting experiences, I try to get a taste of them all. Ironic as this sounds, this show isn’t about “Grinding” to the max level reaching endgame, and give you a comprehensive wikipedian guide to all things about this particular MMO. I like to think I go a BIT deeper than a standard “review” you’ll see in most places, but I seriously can only get as far as I can get. Once I get an understanding of the basics, I write the script and I move on. The reason I bring this up…

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: IMAGINE (Ep. 27)

Now HERE’s the traffic I wasn’t expecting. SMT is a niche series and a niche title. However, I forget how vocal these niche fanbases can be. I was shocked to see the views suddenly pour in and my suspicions as to WHY were absolutely correct. Man, people love to link my videos on the game’s forums. Not sure why they’re trying to sell the newbie experience of a game to a bunch of its several year veterans but I guess I should expect this by now. As a favor to myself (and the generally foul mood I was in around this time) I decided NOT to look at the thread… until tonight. Luckily it seemed fairly divided between, “he speaks the truth and might pull new people into the game” and “He’s too fucking stupid to get the intricacies of this amazing title! What a worthless review!” If it’s any consultation I did seem to cause a lot of infighting in that thread. And they said my analysis of the argumentative community was inaccurate.
Yes, this was ANOTHER title I had played previously, but I had to start over again anyway. Yes, I didn’t get past Suginami Tunnels. Yes, I played for more than one day. Yes, a lot of this game reminded me of Mabinogi (at least when I played Mabinogi. I hear it’s changed quite a bit.) And yes, I pronounced “TEN-SAY” incorrectly. Sorry, I never heard it pronounced before, and I failed to get my degree in Japanese language studies at Nihongophile University. If that’s seriously the ONLY thing you’re going to harp on about this review (and I heard a lot of it), and feel the need to remind me again, then at least let me offer my sincerest apologies.

HUNTER BLADE (Ep. 28)

And now for the whole reason I made this post. Hunter Blade is being shut down on October 25th of this year. Go ahead and click that link in all its engrish glory. It’s not really surprising anyone, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a major protest campaign to keep this one open, so I’ll be updating the Episode Guide with that information shortly. Yeah, the game was sloppy, and I only picked it so I could have an easy title to catch up to my schedule (which didn’t happen, BTW) but I did at least have a bit of fun with it. I found it a lot easier to back to playing than SMT at least. Yeah, I said it. So, so long Hunter Blade. So long…urg… “BeeBoom”. Next time, remember to USE YER SHIELD WELL!

AUDITION (Ep. 29)

What the hell is wrong with me? Again, Audition is another of the “I played this before” titles I decided to look at in order to catch up to my schedule, and totally failed to do. I don’t remember the game being this… complex… Or freaking hard. Man, I was absolutely pathetic in that game. It was also another complete technological nightmare for me to obtain music for (despite using a FEW licensed tracks) and I immediatly apologize to everyone who not only got “Supernatural” by M.O.V.E stuck in their heads, but the fact that the song doesn’t actually seem to exist anywhere but that game. Hmm… actually, let me at least try and fix that last part. (WARNING: DO NOT CLICK IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS SONG IN YOUR HEAD AGAIN OH GOD IT’S TOO LATE FOR ME SAVE YOURSELVES.)

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE (Ep. 30)

I… think this was well received. After the City of Heroes, Champions Online, and …possibly SMT decables, I’m still a bit afraid to stick my head outside the door without a Riot helmet. I honeslty don’t know why I put this off for so long, as I did have a lot of fun with this one. Again, I stand by my statement that you’re a sidekick. People arguing to the contrary say it’s because you’re fighting against or alongside high-profile heroes and villains, but it’s not WHAT you’re fighting. It’s WHY you’re fighting. Why are you facing off against the possessed Titans? Because Wonder Woman told you too. Why are you taking out the satellite feed fo the Daily Planet. Because Lex Luthor told you to. Think about this in the contrary of COH, or CO. Sure there are other Superheros giving you tasks on occasion, but where are you getting most of your missions? Cops. Concerned citizens. Police radio scanners. You’re a hero. YOU decided if you’re going to save these people, not other superheroes who could be doing the work themselves… Hell, half the missions in DCUO end with another hero going, “Well, I’ll take it from here. Run along chuckles, that laundry isn’t going to do itself!” (I may be paraphrasing a bit.)
Think about this in another way. Your story is already told. You’re a human, and you got infected with nanomachines that gave you the powers of someone that already exists. Oh, are you a lone warrior from another planet who came to earth to save it? NOPE, Exobytes did it! Are you a gifted child who one day came to grips with the powers that threatened to consume you? NOPE, Exobytes! Are you a wounded soldier that volunteered for an experiment that grafted experimental weaponry to your limbs? NO, YOU’RE NOT! BECAUSE EXOBYTES.
With your story written out, and your tasks assigned, I can’t help but feel I’m second string, and that’s something a lot of Superhero MMO fans feel. If you’re cool with that, through, that’s great. It doesn’t take away from the gameplay, but it’s just something to consider. That’s all.

SIDEQUESTS

Guild Wars 2 – Do I really need to say anything about this? Really? It’s not like everyone on earth isn’t talking about it now. In sort, I WILL tell you that I do own this game now. I’m on Northern Shiverpeaks, and am part of Angry Army (Angry Joe’s guild) as well as a couple other, including the personal guild of MegaGWolf and I, “The G Pack”. I’m not going to tell you my name, though. :P

City of Steam – Man, I promised Gabriel I’d have this one done ages ago, but after being swamped with Secret World, TERA, and eventually GW2 trials, I but it on the back burner… It’s a good thing I did, because there was a lot more to talk about the second time around. The game’s a very complex title for a Browser title, and you should really check it out when it launches the Beta sometime soon.

SMITE – I love love love love LOVE this game. Yeah, it’s a MOBA, yeah the people can be downright disgusting, but damn it, it just feels so RIGHT to play. Seriously if it wasn’t so far from being complete, I’d do a full Grinder on this one right now. Of course, I’m not playing it as much as GW2 or Secret World, but it’s still something I hop in when I can.

Firefall – I just uploaded this. Like… Saturday afternoon. Go watch it. In short, it needs work, and the beta is so lacking in PvE right now that it might as well be an Alpha. The PvP is solid though. Also I DON”T HAVE KEYS FOR THIS. I got mine from a viewer. No I don’t know where he got his. Just head to the site and register if you’re intrigued.

As for Episode 31, I think I’ve locked what I’m doing. I don’t want to curse myself by saying the thing I want to say, so I won’t. However, I must ask…

You wouldn’t mind if I changed things up a TINY bit for the next two episodes, would you? Like, creating two episodes that wouldn’t be numbered… I’m not telling you why.