Shadowlands: Week One

I hesitate at writing the blog today because it will reveal just how little I understand what the hell is going in in this goofy game! The best news is that it was a busy week of game play and that I really did want to log on.

Check this out: Friday at 7am, first cup of coffee and squinting at the screen and I get this, “Dude, hop on Discord with us!” Pretty awesome to visit with some friends again, it really is.

Remember in Antman when Michael Douglas says, “We need to amplify the quantum-motivator so that the quantum-switch will spread the quantum-field” (or some such) and Paul Rudd asks, “Are you just putting that word in front of every word?”, well that is how I feel about anima. We have anima everything in this version, anima-cores and more.

We need anima to upgrade our renown guy and we need anima to make the mission table and the mushroom portals but it seems to be a different kind of anima and I’m not sure where I get what. Yet, I am renown 3 and have the mission table and the mushroom portals, so I am doing it but I’m not sure how! I’ll figure it out.

Torghast. Word on the street is that you can get 810 soul ash to max the potential. I’m at 670 or close to that. My first try, I was shocked that it took so long; almost an hour. After that, I expected it and enjoyed all the power-ups and breaking the clay pots and clearing every landing. I’ve yet to die but that is because I have treants that pull aggro and I’m still using the trinket from Mechagon that delivers a whopping 6000 damage in two seconds. They’ve got to nerf that sucker.

The Maw. It’s okay, I guess. I’m weak and have to use treants, typhoon, bash, roots, shadowmeld, cyclone: the whole tool-kit just to survive. I prowl a lot. Mostly I hate it when I can’t see, the river of souls is rough.

I lost my temper and sent a strongly-worded note in the Suggestion Box (new interface). Dying is a miserable experience, especially in the gothic zone. When I can’t get back to my body because I fell over the edge and have to take Rezz Sickness; it feels shameful as it is supposed to. Some jerk of a designer decided to make it “meaningful”. Oh, after that happened several times, I would have kicked the cat (if I had a cat).

The Dragon Plume toy that gives slow fall doesn’t share a cool-down with the goblin glider! Very good news. There are so many cul-de-sacs that I often just go high and try to float to where I want to go.

Finally, my power-ups in the conduits will all be healing choices. This is because I’ll be raiding. I’ll never have the ultra-strong spells as everyone else when doing WQs or the Maw or Torghast. Really sad design that the power tree doesn’t flip with spec; hard on the healer classes.

Reset is tomorrow!

Edit: I just got pwned on the fifth floor of the torghast soulforge. That was some very hard stuff.