Hey, all. Haven't posted in a while, it seems.
I'd agree (of course) with the sentiment that a completed game is better than an earlier release. I also agree that (heresy, I know) you can't play SEIV 24-7 while waiting. *ducks* While I've been lurking here, I've also picked up a couple of other habits to help pass the time:
I think someone already posted it on this forum, but Battle for Wesnoth
(www.wesnoth.org) is quite enjoyable and requires much of the same type of long-term strategic thinking as SEIV, although in a bit of a different setting.
Kingdoms of War
(www.abandonedcastle.com), while not necessarily my favorite, has still been enjoyable--at least, once I got into an active kingdom. Sitting around at the beginning waiting for my kingdom mates to show up wasn't too fun. Since the game is still technically beta, the docs available do conflict with each other and actual game conditions.
The forum has better info on it. This game is currently in between "ages," with the next one due to start this weekend, if all goes well.
Rubies of Eventide
(www.eventide.net) has proven to be the only MMORPG I've ever enjoyed. Decent balance, hundreds (thousands? tens of thousands?) of character setup possibilities, over 20 zones to explore, an active community rivaled only by the community here (in my experience, at least), a separate PvP server, a separate RP server, and 2 general servers. The motto for RoE is "Choose wisely," and the choices made at character setup and throughout the building process make all the difference between a flop, a sub-optimal character, and a successful build. Plenty of excellent documentation and fan sites exist, so learning the game isn't anywhere near as difficult as for KoW, in spite of being orders of magnitude more complex. Did I mention this is what I've been playing most lately?
The thing that has attracted me to all three of these is admittedly the price--all are free. I appreciate the ability to experience all these games have to offer before I decide if they're worth my support.
I'm not looking for a replacement for the SE series. I'll be first in line (well, depends if I can elbow Puke out of the way or not
) to pre-order SE5 the minute it's available. I already know I can expect all the things that make games great (that's a good thread, too) from anything in this series. I've been with it since SEII, and I plan on my great-grandchildren opening SELXXXVII for Christmas.
I look forward to rubbing my hands in anticipation as I open the box, insert the CD (DVD?) for the first time, and install SE5 on my HD. For the time being, I'm greatly enjoying at least 2 of the 3 above games, though, and wouldn't mind supporting them as well.
Not sure exactly how I got off on this, oh, except as a way to pass the time waiting for the patch. See, when you get interrupted by telemarketers, you lose your train of thought.
Anyway, good to see things still active as ever, and good to see Fyron's only a couple of days away from his 300,000th post.
(See, now he'll have to respond to this to correct me, and I'll respond that it was just a joke, and he'll respond back, and that will push his post count even higher. That, or he'll just respond with "Meh."
) Take care, and maybe even check out some of my links.