Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend

This is the first time I've been able to play in the Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend events.  I wasn't cool enough or invited to any of the others.  Apparently I had to pre-purchase the game, not just pre-order it (which I did as soon as I could).  I'm not really big on giving a company money for a product when a release date isn't even available.  Just my "thing".

That aside, I was super excited to see that I had finally made it!  I finally got my shot to to give the game a go.  This seemed like the best time, too.  This looks the last event before launch AND it finally gives us a look at two of the classes people have been very excited about.

I don't really have a lot of free time, so I didn't get a chance to play a whole lot.  I got a couple hours last night and I am going in for some more tonight, but I've got enough that I can get out some first impressions.

The game looks boring.  Visually it is absolutely boring.  The models and game world doesn't look bad, far from it.  The game just isn't an over the top super polished masterpiece that we are used to seeing.  The game runs on a very wide array of PC specs and seems to pretty much cater to the ENTIRE audience of those who can run the first one.

I played a Ranger and a Thief.  I was excited to play both and I think that both classes will be very good.  I will probably give them both a shot.  The game has moved on from the originals class system (or multi-class system).  There isn't a whole mini-game of making the best class based on certain abilities, that has been replaced with a weapon system that is fluid and absolutely awesome.  It might just be some of the most customized fun I have ever had.  I'm not sure how it progresses as you level, but in the lower levels (sub 15) it is great.

The Ranger is your normal ranged class.  You can get in close and do some work depending on your weapons, but it isn't nearly as fun.  What sets the class apart is how neat some of the ranged stuff is for them.  Using melee weapons does give the class a very interesting feel, but it isn't what I want when playing a Ranger.  The pet aspect is also very fun.  Picking your own pet and allowing it follow you around or attack.  There are even weapons that make your pet better.  It will be fun to see how this class plays in all of it's different ways at max level.

The Thief is probably the class I will play first.  A sneaky-stabby class that can also use a gun.  It's like my Witch Hunter fantasy all over (best class ever in WAR).  Hopefully I will get to play this class for a good amount, though.  =P  The class looks like a blast and the only reason I didn't play it as much as the Range is because I found out that I hate the Sylvari.  That aside, it's fun.  The seamless gameplay between gun and dagger is so amazing.  The fluid motions and the easily understandable use of abilities is a breath of fresh air.  I am very happy with the entire experience.

It's the Steam Sale!!

The time has come and it's summer.  It's hot.  AND.... it's time for the Steam sale!

I honestly couldn't give less of a fuck.

There is one game that I even care about getting.  I want to pick up Half Life: Source, so I can have ALL of the Valve games.  Other than that I don't really care about anything else being offered, at all.  Most of the games either aren't appealing or just don't place on my list of things I want to play.  I still have a ton of games that I haven't played on Steam already.

I do play a good amount of games.  I play all sorts and find different kinds enjoyable.  Contrary to popular belief I am not just a bitter, hateful fuckhead.  I do enjoy games.  I just REALLY hate games with huge budgets that don't hold up on their end.  Failed promises, piss poor optimization and dumbed down console controls will kill a game before I even get to play it.  So what if I'm picky, I think I should be allowed.  When PC gaming are shelling out 300 bucks for middle-of-the-road video cards every two years or so, we are allowed.  When we are dropping 200 bucks for second-tier CPUs on the same time table, we are allowed.  When we fork over the SAME amount and receive so subsidy, that's shitty, and we are still allowed.

I still love Steam as a platform.  I am still excited that they have sales.  This particular sale is lackluster because.... WHAT HAS COME OUT SINCE CHRISTMAS?!  What amazing game has come out since the holiday season (their last sale).  Not much has popped up on my radar and with Guild Wars 2 coming up in six weeks, I can't see spending too much on games I might never play.  A new WoW expansion will be out shortly after that and that 40 dollars will have WAY MORE content than just about anything Steam currently has on sale.  I understand that entertainment will be different, I just find it so hard to care about this.

I'm more excited about getting a tablet.  I bet I can play a ton of cheap ass tower defense games on a tablet, too.

How to make Spotify better

I have been a fan of Last.fm for a while now.  I do not care for Pandora, however.  Pandora seems to be VERY random and put a lot of strange things on my list.  Why am I hearing Rhianna on a list of 80's music?  Why is Beyonce on my Less Than Jake station?!  It makes no sense.  I feel like Last.fm leanrs my listening habits much better and is able to give me music more focused at what I am looking for.  Last.fm always pays attention to what I've listened to and can play back those songs as well.  ALL OF THEM.  Well, anything that they have the appropriate rights to.

I have switched to Spotify for a little bit now.  My brother seems to like it and a lot of people are on the bandwagon.  It isn't bad, but it isn't all that good, either.  I have compiled a list of things that I would like to see added that would make it more well-rounded and worth of it's 10 dollar a month fee.

1. Love/hate, upvote/downvote.

2. More variation based on selected radio.

3. More easily manageable playlists (online/offline).

4. Support for MORE artists.

I have used Spotify for many things, but one of the things that I really wanted to do was find artists similar to those I already enjoyed.  It is very hard to find good music these days and Spotify doesn't make it any easier.  On top of the mediocre radio (which is supposed to lump like groups together), it moves further away from band similarities and almost becomes hilarious in some situations.  The "New" and "Popular" songs and albums are hilarious.  I was hoping that a music provider with such a huge tie to social media would at least understand what I enjoyed.  It doesn't.

If they could somehow find a way to implement Last.fm type features into this, I'd buy it 100%.  It isn't all bad, but it's bad enough that I can't help but wait for improvements.  If those don't come, I'll be ditching this service.  I just hope others are smart enough to do the same.