Collecting is My Bag Baby!

In all MMO's there exists various types and forms of playstyles. The PvPer, the Altaholic, the Raider, the Roleplayer, the Achiever, and my personal favorite the Collector. What the hell is a collector you might ask? Well I am for one! However, as a simple definition anyone who enjoys collecting things as a sub-aspect of the online game they play. I might even goes as far as saying the Collector is the rarest of the MMO subtypes. For them the simple task of collecting their objects is just as satisfying if not more then the usual aspects of playing an MMO. Everyone can have aspects of all these subtypes, but the true extremists/OCD types will go all out.

Shattering My Expectations

So I decided to peek my head back into WoW yesterday after the latest patch hit which shattered the old worlds and revamped all the old questing areas. My ulterior motive was also pet collecting cause I am a sucker for vanity items... I have been keeping an eye out on the WoW progression to their new expansion, more so recently due to FFXIV's epic failure. After all my alter ego needs to exist in a world full of promises and content, which unfortunately FFXIV has none of at the moment.

Custom PC Build and Gaming upgrades finished!

So as I previously posted the work in progress last week, my PC is finally done and my setup is complete. Of course it wasn't without its trials and tribulations of building a PC and I made many trips to Ace Hardware for smaller screwdrivers and Best Buy for other last minute additions. A big thanks to my boyfriend for creating and building it for me^^.

Time for a new PC!

I finally have the means to build myself a new gaming PC. I am really excited to be able to customize each part and build something that will fit my style of playing and my needs. My boyfriend has successfully built 2 already from scratch so I hope this will be lucky number 3!

The geek specs are following: Core i7 950, Nvidia GTX480, 6GB Ram, and a SSD drive. I also got a new 23" 1920X1080 monitor. Here is a picture of building in progress.

Are we Being Caught in a Bad Romance?

     I was fortunate to be able to squeeze in some evening hours this week to really give FFXIV a chance to prove itself to me during the pre-order grace period. However, I feel let down and I am beginning to wonder if my own rose colored glasses are coming off regarding this game. Are we indeed being courted in a Bad Romance with FFXIV?

    Most of my experience is with the crafting system so far, and repeating guildleves this week with some independent grinding squeezed in on the side. At first, crafting was interesting, a fun game that held my attention and concentration as I strive to succeed in my endeavors, much like the courtship period in a new relationship. However, as the week wore on and I was taking 8 guildleves at a time to complete, I started to notice the tedious process of equipping the correct gear and going through 8 windows of confirmations was starting to wear on me, and that was before the crafting even starts! As a FFXI player I can put up with the lack of recipes available in game and no tutorials, but the UI and game response timing is just clunky at best. I found myself starting to get very sleepy when it came to my 4th or 5th crafting leve, sort of like a date that won't stop talking about themselves....

Identity Crisis resolved!

Alright, alright...so the game has been out coming up on a week. However I hadn't yet posted the character model that I settled on for my new "Sheeba". I was taking some really great pictures earlier this week of my character's adventures after which I realized fraps was not on....So anyway, I settled on a blond with bangs and a longer haircut. I made sure her face would look good with other haircuts as well should they implement the function in game that allows you to change them. I was very tempted to go pink hair...but it seemed like everyone in beta had pink hair so... yeah.

I also have been trolling some forums this weekend since my playtime is limited until I buy a new PC. I found a great link to a website that will create a custom signature for you in addition to hosting linkshell sites. It is called Enjin and has support for many popular games and sites. So if you are looking for a signature for forums or a site to host your new linkshell, check this place out. Here is my own signature that gets updated daily. FFXIV signature generator

Structural Leadership styles in guilds

     Over my many years of experience in MMORPG's I have seen many guilds and many types of leadership and guild structures. However, as I am approaching the actual writing proposal of my dissertation I am noticing more and more patterns of interaction in a game that mirrors real life. After all we are real people behind these characters, with real pasts and real experiences that contribute to our online persona's. I see an online game as a system within the system of life. The game is not made of individuals nor are we free of the constraints of our own contextual interactions within this greater system. We are more then just the sum of our parts.

Identity crisis!!!

My various incarnations of the Sheeba character don't often run into identity crisis issues on character selection screens. Since FFXI Sheeba has always been a blonde character with long hair, and either blue or green eyes. She represents me and my fantasy version of myself simultaneously. However, since I have been playing the beta I have been baffled at the shear number of variations possible on creating my new Sheeba character.

Not since I was in my early twenties trying to decide on a license plate frame for a new car I had bought was I this confused. I distinctly remember the salesperson helping me at the time said, "you must be a Libra"! I don't put much personal stock into horoscopes, but I felt it was uncanny how she nailed this one. I guess I was yet "weighing the scales" on another issue in my life I determined to be a personal reflection of myself.

Reflecting back my previous and first Sheeba character in FFXI was very special to me, she was my first MMORPG character, and she was my online persona during great times of change in my own personal life. Subsequent characters seemed much easier to create after that, and I did so with a sort of swift confidence. So, why when another opportunity to create my character has arrived am I stumbling so badly?

Catching Up...

So whoever has stumbled across this may notice that all my posts started in September. Actually I started blogging a few years ago in FFXI to sort of commemorate my experiences and create a scrapbook of my adventures. However, I know realize FFXI is only one part of my gaming evolution so I felt I needed a better blog to track all my gaming exploits and antics. In addition to this I wanted to add in more real life information in an attempt to make the "Narcissitc Mithra" more accountable and realistic. I plan on adding several sections for other ventures, such as procrastination and my dissertation progress. But for now I am still playing catch up with my blogs, working on networking and generally organizing myself for ease in the future.

Equipment to sustain our hobbies

     I have had my share of hobbies throughout my life, whether it was caring for my horse, gardening, arts and crafts or gaming. Each requires tools and materials for the upkeep, however I am finding the latter hobby of gaming is always changing with technology and upgrades become a necessity rather then a luxury.
     My previous computer is about 6 years old at the moment. I received it as a Christmas gift from my well meaning parents who likely thought my only computer usage would be for my studies. However, we beefed it up with a Nvidia GForce 7900 and a new power supply and found it exceeded expectations for graphical quality in FFXI. Even when I gradually moved to LOTRO, my computer was sustainable enough not to have to play at the lowest settings, however when they introduced DX 10 in that game I fell behind graphically. After I returned for another stint in FFXI, no updates their so graphically I was still superior. However the real pain was felt in WoW where I have to play at the lowest settings to function in raids. With the new FFXIV coming out, my computer fails to meet even the minimum expectations.
     I am hoping to work on building a new custom computer this month or next, hopefully one that functions within some of the Tier1/2 recommendations for FFXIV so that maybe this one will last me through my gaming habits as well. I would like to find a Nvidia GForce 480, Core I7 processor, and a decent amount of Ram this time around.  A higher resolution monitor wouldn't be bad either. Hopefully I can make it happen financially, in the meantime I will probably just play on my boyfriends computer while he is at work in the evenings.

Can I be a gamer and an adult?

It's been an interesting weekend, and one surprisingly filled with self-reflection. However, sometimes self-reflection can breed discomfort. After having to face some interesting truths about procrastination, my own dissertation and getting stuck in "emotional immaturity" I found another interesting mirror in which to gain some self-reflection. Someone directed me to the web-series "The Guild" to see the latest music video. That song is still in my head too... But after watching some episodes, I wondered, "wow, am I one of those people". The answer, yeah pretty much. More troubling is wondering am I really ok with that? Am I continuing to escape real life maturation in favor of easy, entertaining gratification? Somewhat.... I have several successful degrees, a decent job, my own independance, and a rewarding relationship. But come the weekend, yes I am in front of a computer 90% of the time when not sleeping, yep I wear a headset most of that time, and my most substatial socialization outside of work happens online. So can I be a gamer and an adult? Yes, but I feel it takes a constant balance and honest self reflection to be both. And on that note...I am still a work in progress.