Episode 750: Three Quarters


[Reupload]
Sorry for the audio issues in this episode. In this episode, the guys discuss Ubisoft’s defense against The Crew lawsuit (you don’t actually own your games), Bowser telling Nintendo fans “Don’t want the Switch 2? Just buy a Switch 1!”, Marathon won’t require a PlayStation Network account on PC and Xbox, and Endless Legend 2 comes to Steam Early Access in summer 2025.

The news includes:

  • Former Blizzard president says ‘I’m not sure where Diablo is going’
  • Xbox announces June showcase event
  • PlayStation legal issue delays Vampire Survivors cross-save on PS4 and PS5

Let us know what you think.

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Episode 677: Let’s Try AgainEpisode 677: Let’s Try Again

Where’s episode 676? Completely unlistenable. Not to mention this episode had to be reuploaded due to file corruption.

The guys discuss Valve luring cheaters into a trap, Nvidia predicting AI models 1,000,000 times more powerful than ChatGPT within 10 years, Sons of the Forest being inexplicably popular, EA making Dead Space 2 and 3 remakes, and an absolutely adorable Tunic plushie.

The news includes:

  • Next Civilization game officially announced by Firaxis
  • Beyond Good & Evil 2 studio reportedly under investigation for “unprecedented” burnout and sick leave
  • Sony’s State of Play 2023
  • Blumhouse’s new gaming division will focus on “indie budget” games

Let us know what you think.

Trials of a World of Warcraft Player: Entry FiveTrials of a World of Warcraft Player: Entry Five

“The Grind”

With Wrath of the Lich King arriving last week it only made sense to jump into the new content “Lich King” style. Although we had initially reacted to the beta, playing the final content was much more fun with all of our guild and friends to play along.

It only took a few hours to get my new Death Knight to level-58 beyond the starting area and into the real world of Azeroth. Upon reaching the main city (Ogrammar as we’re horde) I picked up two new professions to make me a bit of dime: mining and skinning. This is where the beauty of the Death Knight fell apart…

A level-58 character has a few options open for exploration with the Burning Crusade content being the most desirable starting point. However, quickly it became apparent that my professions of mining and skinning were useless in Hellfire and other Burning Crusade areas. Why? Professions start with a value of 1. The last expansion requires your professions to be roughly 300 before you can utilize them.

My level-58 Death Knight has no experience in the ways of skinning and mining, what has he been doing all his life? Apparently killing innocent people in small villages throughout the Eastern Plaguelands. My anticipation with leveling my Death Knight died knowing I’d spend the next few days hunting mines and killing animals as if I where a level-10 toon.

There I was, a high level character trolling Crossroads and Thousand Needles hunting for copper and tin and skinning all the low level creatures I could find. Why didn’t Blizzard consider this when they allow you to create a level-55 character on day one? If we don’t go off and grind our way to a profession level of 300 we might as well not even pick professions at all.

I was not alone in these findings, along my path I found several Death Knights with skinning knives and mining tools looking for open opportunities to cut into the earth or the dead animals skins all around them. Sure, we can kill a cat in seconds flat but the “grind” is what we wanted to avoid, this is what characters spend their first twenty levels doing!

After three sessions of mind numbing grinding I’ve managed to reach a skill of 340 in skinning and coming upon 200 in mining. Mining is still too low for high level game content so I must whisk myself away to noobville every so often to catch a few mythril nodes and pray for a gold deposit along the way.

This may not be a bug in the Wrath of Lich King expansion but it sure is an annoying design flaw.