Tag Archives: writing

A New Resource for TSW + Crowdfunded MMOs

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One of the downsides to playing a niche game like The Secret World is that it can be a bit more difficult to find guides and info for the game. There aren’t a million resources like there are for, say, World of Warcraft.

Players rushing to defeat Hel in The Secret WorldMost people have relied on Unfair.co up until now. I’ve used it a fair bit myself, but truth be told, I’m not its biggest fan. I always found the site layout cluttered and confusing, and I’ve heard some bad stuff about the guy who runs it. Plus, it hasn’t been updated recently, and the fellow behind it is constantly threatening to quit, so its future is far from certain.

So I’m glad that a new resource has appeared to give guidance to players of TSW: The Secret Database.

I’m planning to make this my go-to resource, and I’d recommend others do the same. I prefer its cleaner layout and easier navigation.

However, I’m not completely unbiased. I made my own small contribution to this site. My Dragon’s solo build made it into their build guide section, under the named Bloodied Blades Solo Build.

New article:

My latest contribution to WhatMMO is 6 Crowdfunded MMOs to Watch For.

Concept art for City of TitansI’m not sure what to make of this trend of crowdfunding. I take it all with a grain of salt, as I know there’s no guarantee any of these games will release, let alone be any good. But I’m not as utterly cynical about the process as some. I believe that at least a majority of the bigger name crowdfunded projects will see the light of day, though whether they’ll be successes is anyone’s guess.

I’m mildly curious about Star Citizen, but I’ve never been much of a sandbox fan, and I don’t have a lot of experience with the space sim genre. I’ll wait until it’s closer to release before I start forming any strong opinions.

I did find myself getting rather intrigued by City of Titans, the “spiritual successor” to City of Heroes, while researching this article. I never tried City of Heroes, but in retrospect, I regret not doing so, and I have had an odd craving for a super hero MMO recently. None of the current offerings in that genre appeal to me, though.

Plus, it’s just hard not to root for these guys. A grass roots campaign to right the perceived wrongs of a publisher and create a game made by fans and for fans just tickles my fancy. Reminds me of my good old days with the Save Enterprise campaign.

Let’s hope they have better luck than we did…

What say you? Are you excited about some of the upcoming crowdfunded MMOs, or are you declaring humbug over it all?

Human Again Soundtrack, Part Two

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We now press on with part two of my soundtrack for the third World Spectrum novel, Human Again. This section will cover events up to and including chapter eight, “The Last of the First.”

I’m trying hard to avoid spoilers, but I may not be entirely successful.

5: Worlds Collide:

The greatest enemies of humanity, the Old Gods and the Arcanids, have been defeated. This is the story we know. But in a universe of infinite possibilities, these two evils still prosper across many worlds. Now, they clash — with Leha caught in the middle.

For this part of the story, I’ve once again dipped into the soundtrack for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which should be everyone’s source for badass, epic music. Specifically, the song is Xaxas, the theme from the opening cinematic.

6: Living Ghost:

Leha has faced down Garribis and the Automaton Lord. She has traveled to the far ends of the spectrum and back and evaded certain death countless times. Through it all, her courage has never failed her.

But there is one thing she cannot face: The proof of her greatest mistake and the sum of all her regrets staring her in the face, a living ghost who embodies all that her mistakes have cost her.

This scene is probably the cruelest thing I’ve ever done to one of my characters, so I chose a very morose accompaniment for it: “Story of Life” from the unofficial Stargate: Universe soundtrack.

7: The Reborn:

The human race has suffered terribly across two wars, but there is now a source of hope. The freed slaves known as the Reborn offer a new beginning for humankind. Not only through their physical assistance with rebuilding, but as a source of inspiration. The Reborn are a people free of hate, innocent souls who uplift all around them.

To Alistos, the Reborn are especially important. He lost everything in the wars, but he now has a new reason to live in Nahsreen, the Reborn woman who has claimed his heart. Nahsreen has given him a new perspective on the world, and helped him to feel human again.

My theme for the Reborn in general and Nahsreen in particular comes from the Grizzly Hills soundtrack from World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. It’s got a very clean, uplifting sound, with just a slight bittersweet edge.

8: The World Tree:

Wondrous. Haunting. Awe-inspiring. Alien.

All these words and more describe the World Tree, but none of them do it justice. It is something wholly beyond human comprehension, the last and greatest work of the creator race.

My soundtrack for the World Tree comes from the hidden faerie dragon event in World of Warcraft. Its has a surreal and haunting feel that fits the alien environment of the World Tree.

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Stay tuned for the final update to the Human Again soundtrack, featuring a mix of tracks from Stargate: Universe and Battlestar Galactica.