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Kingdom of Drakkar

By flisk | April 24, 2012

Kingdom of Drakkar
Experience fantasy role-playing at its best in the Kingdom of Drakkar. Choose your character: paladin, mentalist, thief, among many others. Each has its own abilities and advantages. As the lands unfold, you must develop your skills and abilities, gain wealth and power, and acquire psionic disciplines that will enable you to withstand the challenges ahead. Team up with players from around the world to explore areas and fight monsters or attempt to fight the denizens while on a solo mission.

Objective: To gain character experience and training, therefore becoming eligible for better adventures.

Players: No limit of players!

Kingdom of Drakkar. What can I say? It’s among the oldest online RPGs out there. The graphics are, at this point, retro. It’s beginnings go waaay back to the same time as Zork.

You choose your character, roll up some stats, and start the game. It’s really not any more complicated than that. There is a tutorial of sorts to help you get started, and if that is not enough, there is also a chat lobby that everything is built off of. You can sit in there all day long and just chat up a storm if you wish.

Check it out!

Kingdom of Drakkar
Queen

Battle Dragons, rescue princesses, celebrate your victories and solve puzzles!

Seriously, this game has been online since the 80′s! It’s 2D graphics will certainly take you back! It’s still up and running and continues to see updates even today!

Kingdom of Drakkar is also among the only Online games to offer a 100% FREE play option. There are a few different optional pay plans of course, and after adventuring in the game you will quickly want to see the advantages that becoming a paying player can give. There are skill gain bonuses, special holiday events, impromptu Sysop (System Operators/Game Managers) events, and different scenarios to explore.
Another interesting aspect to this game is the ability to download two different types of graphic packages. If you have a low end system you are able to download the original 8 bit graphics pack, but if you have a machine that likes to see massive amounts of animation (the 8 bit has animation too) then the 24 bit graphics download is the one for you!

Oh, and be sure to say ‘Hi!’, I’m usually found in the chat lobby too!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Topics: Drakkar | No Comments »

Drow & Rise of the Underdark!

By flisk | April 5, 2012

April 5, 2012 – RENTON, WA – Wizards of the Coast today announced that its iconic roleplaying game of fantasy and imagination, Dungeons & Dragons, is inviting players to explore the notorious drow race and venture into a world immersed in darkness and danger during the Rise of the Underdark campaign starting this spring. Fans will get a first look at what is stirring below the surface at PAX East in Boston this weekend (Booth #562).

Mystra, the goddess of arcane magic is dead and Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders is making her bid to seize control. The drow invasion is about to begin, and adventurers are needed to help stop Lolth from bringing about everlasting darkness to the surface world. With a product line and programs focused on the drow race, D&D players will get a deep-dive into the events surrounding the Rise of the Underdark and gain access into the minds and lives of the popular race like never before. From a new campaign setting and in-store organized play programs, to novels and other game accessories, this robust suite of offerings will put a fresh spin on players’ campaigns. D&D fans can also look for new video game content and D&D merchandise to round out their drow experience.

“We are excited to provide players with a drow experience unlike any other with a full suite of products and in-store play offerings,” said Liz Schuh, Head of Publishing & Licensing for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. “Players will get an in-depth look at this culture full of trickery and alliances, and get the opportunity to help thwart the evil schemes of the Spider Queen like never before.”

Dungeons & Dragons: Rise of the Underdark offerings include:

Dungeons & Dragons is the iconic roleplaying game of fantasy and imagination that is part storytelling, part social interaction and part chance. Visit DungeonsandDragons.com for more information on the campaign and follow D&D on Facebook and Twitter. You can also look for drow-themed accessories such as cell phone cases, t-shirts and bags!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Topics: Dungeons & Dragons | No Comments »

Magic the Gathering Toolbox APP & Dark Ascension

By flisk | February 1, 2012

Okay, first thing’s first.. Wizard’s has released the new Magic: The Gathering Toolbox app for the iphone. You can download it for free (yep, I said FREE as in F-R-E-E) at the app store. What all does it do? Wow, that’s a loaded question, you can use it as a life counter, a deck builder, you can add players to keep track of everyone’s life totals, you can search every damn card made (tho you do have to be connected to 3g or wifi to download the card art – but you can still be offline to read the card text). It will even tell you where the closest store is that carries Magic! It also updates itself with new Magic events that you can even push to your own calendar. If you like playing the game, I highly recommend this app!

Now.. yes, there is a small thing you gotta pay, when a new set comes out you have to pay a small price to download the new card set. I’ve not been able to determine that cost yet, however. OOOH! You can also download wallpaper! Who knows what else they will do with this one! All in all, go grab it and check it out!

Okay, now for Dark Ascension:

Prerelease Events: January 28-29, 2012
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Launch Parties: February 3-6, 2012
Game Day: February 25-26, 2012 March 3-4, 2012
Twitter Hashtag: #MTGDKA
Design Team: Mark Rosewater (lead), Jenna Helland, Zac Hill, Graeme Hopkins, Matt Tabak
Development Team: Tom LaPille (lead), Mark L. Gottlieb, Zac Hill, David Humpherys, Ken Troop

It breaks down like this:
158 card set.
White (26)
Blue (27)
Black (27)
Red (27)
Green (27)
Multicolor (9)
Artifact (11)
Land (4)

The coolest part is the new double sided cards. Yep, cards with two sides. Transforming cards.

But.. How do I play them in a deck, won’t it be considered a ‘marked card’? Is this going to force me to play with sleeves?

Nope! In most booster packs there is 1 transforming card. There is also a proxy card that has the proper Magic backed Back that you can place into your deck. On that card you mark which Transforming card you have selected and when you draw it, and cast it just put the other card into play.

Wanna see one of them? Click the Transform button to see what this nasty artifact transforms the creature into!

Magic is in a state of constant change and as such is continuously needing to reinvent itself. This new one of being able to transform may take some getting used to, but here at GameMasters we have already embraced the Dark Ascension!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Topics: MtG | No Comments »

World of Warcraft Unofficial Tech Support

By flisk | January 14, 2012

I play WoW (that’s World of Warcraft for you people who don’t – and what do you mean you don’t play WoW??)

Anyways, every now and again I’ll run into an issue with the game that I just can’t figure out. I’m pretty savvy when it comes to computers but this one had me stumped.

I was standing in the game, had just run a couple of dungeons, but now I was ready to knock out a couple of Battleground Achievements so I was looking over my list. The easiest to knock out was over in Eye of the Storm, so that’s where I was going to go. I clicked the Join BattleGround button and waited a moment.

The box popped up for me to join, which I did, and I waited a moment for it to load.

Then the game crashed and gave me to following error:

This application has encountered a critical error:

ERROR #0 (0×85100000) Assertion failure!

(there was a lot more to the error but for sake of space I’ll just paste that).

So I tried to reload the game and it happened again!

Okay, now I’m surfing google trying to figure this out, and I run across an IRC chat called World of Warcraft Unofficial Tech Support.

“Sounds like it might work, let’s check it out!” I say to myself.

http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=wowtech

OR for you guys on irc:

irc://chat.freenode.net/wowtech

The first section prompts me to enter in a nickname (and a CaptCha)

Then I am greeted with:

Welcome to WoW’s unofficial Tech Support channel. Remember we are regular players of WoW, who give up their free time to help others.  Anyone with @ beside their name is staff. They make the rules, so please treat them like the Gods they are.

Let me tell you, they truly are Gods over there.  It wasn’t too long before I had everything fixed (turns out it was two things giving me issue, I had a nasty malware that I was unaware of, as well as something in game that needed to be toggled off IPv6 – it’s under Game Menu > Options > Network ).

Regardless I wanted to give these guys props, they would be welcome in my Guild any time!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Topics: World of Warcraft | No Comments »

Official Magic the Gathering App

By flisk | January 7, 2012

Written by Monty Ashley on Thursday, January 5th, 2012.

If you have an iPhone, an iPad, or an Android device, we have exciting news for you. Say hello to Magic: The Gathering Toolbox, the only official Magic: The Gathering app. And it’s FREE!

Magic: The Gathering Toolbox is more than a life counter. It also lets you build decks, research strategies, and find events, all from your mobile device.

Life Tracker

Do you mostly play in tournaments? Or do you prefer Commander games around the kitchen table? Magic: The Gathering Toolbox comes with a variety of premade settings that you can tweak to your precise specifications. Track life, poison, floating mana, Commander damage, and more! You can track up to six players per game and their save profile information for later. And on iPad, you can track up to eight players!

Card Search

It’s like having Gatherer in your pocket! Search and filter all 10,000+ Magic cards, with new card sets automatically added!

Deck Builder

Build decks on the road! Share them via email or on Facebook! When Magic: The Gathering Toolbox launches, you’ll be able to build decks for every card for free, As new card sets get released, you can pay a small fee to update the deck builder with the latest content.

Article Reader

You like DailyMTG.com, right? It’s the website you’re reading right now! Magic: The Gathering Toolbox will let you get content from the official Daily MTG website delivered daily to your device. You can also add other RSS feeds so you can stay on top of your favorite websites.

Event Calendar and Store Locator

Looking for an event to play in? The most popular Magic events come preloaded in the app, and you can select specific events to move into your calendar. Head to the Store Locator link to find your local game store and see what events they have waiting for you!

The Magic: The Gathering Toolbox app will come out for iOS devices later this month, and a bit after that on Android. Keep watching the skies! Or, if that seems impractical, watch @wizards_magic on Twitter and like Magic: The Gathering on Facebook!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Topics: MtG | No Comments »

Getting Characters Together: A Dungeon Master’s Nightmare

By flisk | August 22, 2011

What are the odds that a Drow Elf fighter, a gnome magic user, a ranger from the outskirts of a haunted forest and a thief born of nobility will be in the same tavern at the same time all wanting to take on the same adventure?

Not likely.

Most DMs will agree that getting player characters together for the first time is not exactly an easy task. Sure, you can always throw them together and ignore their history and past, but where is the dynamic connection in that?

Many adventures start out as a notice tacked to the message wall in the local tavern, which is great for those few PCs born in that town, but what of the other PCs? One wants to be an elf from some forgotten era, one wants to be a barbarian from the mountains 200 miles to the north, while the last guy wants to be a nomadic ranger born in a major city on the opposite side of the realm!

Okay, it can be accepted that the party is by chance in the same tavern at the same time and they are each interested in the same adventure. It could be accepted, but it does not make for a very interesting game.

What if, instead, the ranger is tracking a band of thieves that took his daughter’s life? What if that barbarian from way up North had to go on a journey to prove himself to his peers? What of the elf rogue, perhaps she is undercover in the same band of thieves that the ranger is tracking (for they also stole her father’s prized dagger)?

That stands to hold more of a reason for the party of five adventurers to come together rather than ‘poof we just popped into existence knowing each other’.

“Yeah but who cares, we just want to play the game.”

Well, there is nothing wrong with simply rolling the dice scribbling down the numbers and jumping into the game. But keep this in mind: what if the scenario described up above happened three years ago? The elf need not play out her discovery of tracking down the rogues who stole her father’s dagger, the barbarian does not have to play out his 200 mile journey around the country side, he may have even returned home and proved himself but decided he enjoyed traveling the countryside than milling around the mountains all day. Then there is the ranger, he is a bit tough. The very nature of him dictates that he would not stay in one place for very long, but regardless, what if he falls in love, or someone has hired him to guard something?

The point is, regardless of the reasons, these backgrounds do not need to be played out. They are simply backgrounds and give the PCs more of a reason for being in the same place at the same time.

In the process of their background, each PC is able to meet each other PC. They spend time together and they all have likes and dislikes. Each one is able to flesh out the party and because of the background the PC itself is better fleshed out.

Three years, two years, even one year is long enough for a group of Five adventurers to get to know each other, but again, that history does not exactly have to be played out.

Of course, it stands to reason that as far as adventurers go, there is a much more diverse combination of PCs. Likewise, there are also many diverse backgrounds to come up with.

As far as all wanting to go on the same adventure?

Well…

The same guy that tacked that note to the tavern wall is the same guy that took the life of the ranger’s daughter, is also the one that stole the dagger from the rogue’s dad, and also is the same enemy of the barbarian’s clan of whom he must seek out to kill.

And what of the other two faithful PCs that grew up together in the same town? Not much was mentioned about them. Why? Well, we already know how they are acquainted, but of course that does not mean they cannot have backgrounds of their own.

The key element here is to keep in mind that assembling the PCs in the same place does not have to be a horrible thing. No Nightmare has to take place. It simply makes the idea of the adventure flow a bit smoother.

Think about it this way: the group that will play next week, how did they come to know each other? Not their Player Characters, but the Players themselves? Surely they did not all spontaneously ‘pop’ into existence sitting at the table, dice in hand, ready to play. Did one guy work at the pizza joint and saw your D&D hat and ask a question? Did the guy that sits at the far end of the table grow up three blocks away?

The point is your players have history that brought them all together to play. What history will their characters have that brings them together to adventure?

As a Dungeon Master, encourage them to develop that background and history and your nightmares will stop.

Then exploit that background and incorporate that into your meta-storyline. Three months from now they track down the guy that stole her father’s dagger and kill him… Two years from now that guy’s daughter tracks the party down and she is a very powerful mage…

Game on!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Topics: RPG Ideas | 2 Comments »

Magic the Gathering Mirrodin Besieged Doom Inevitable

By flisk | January 27, 2011

Okay look, it’s rare when I come across a card that really WOW’s me. I build odd decks. Really odd decks. Ones that don’t seem like they should win, but 75% of the time they do. As we all know, February 4th is the official release date of the newest Magic the Gathering set; Mirrodin Besieged.

What I’d like to do is highlight one card that will cause me to break down a previous deck and rebuild it.

Today I picked up one of the intro packs, Doom Inevitable (blue and black deck) and a couple of boosters. The foil rare within very nearly caused me to wet my pants. I’m talking about Psychosis Crawler.


Now, I don’t normally play with artifact creatures. I don’t normally play Type 2 (or extended, or current, or whatever the most up to date term for that format is). I play Type 1 (Legacy is what I think you kids are calling it now). Black Lotus, Moxen, yeah, those kinds of cards. Anyway, I digress..
Okay, Psychosis Crawler…

For a measly 5 Colorless Mana you can pop out a */* artifact creature (it’s a Horror by the way), who’s power and toughness are equal to the number of cards in your hand. To add insult to injury each time you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life!

I cannot imagine this guy is going to go for too much cash or be too valuable in trades mainly because you get one in every Doom Inevitable intro pack!

Just think of all the combos here… Howling Mine, Mystic Remora, Horn of Greed, Braingeyser, Gush, Ancestral Recall… oh man oh man it just goes on and on and on!

Okay, okay, I know I just got caught up on the very 1st card I’ve seen from Mirrodin Besieged. You want to know more right? Well, the best thing I can say is, go out and buy some! Let’s face it, you would not have read this far down if you were not into Magic the Gathering. Chances are if you are into Magic the Gathering then you know Mirrodin Besieged is very nearly here. You know you want a pack or two. Hell, you still have some cash saved up from Christmas time. Go spend it on some Magic!

Popularity: 21% [?]

Topics: MtG | No Comments »

Warcraft Scams

By flisk | January 17, 2011

From Nigerian emails to fake Blizzard Beta emails we live in a world in which internet scams take place. I’m going to focus on some of the more common World of Warcraft scams and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you!

Most of what I am going to explain is what is known as a Phishing Scam, that is trying to con you into going to a website that looks official but it’s really not.

Scam 1 (the whisper scam):

Gifts from a whisper. I’ve received, oh I don’t know, probably about 20 of these whispers in the past 4 or 5 months. In essence they try to tell you that you have won a prize (gold, vanity pet, free gear, mount, etc) but that you have to go to a certain website to register. Once on that website it will ask you for your Warcraft Account name and Password.

Guess what? There is no prize. And on top of that, you just lost your account!

Scam 2 (mail scam):

In game mail scam. Isn’t that a Star-Craft title? Anyways, like the whisper, the email scam also tells you you have won a prize (gold, vanity pet, free gear, mount, etc) and to go to a website to claim it. Just like the whisper scam they will try to get your user name and password. Don’t even bother to reply to these mails. Usually the moment they are sent, within seconds the account is deleted so it cannot be traced when a GM ticket has been made.

Scam 3 (made to look official scam):

Here we have a whisper that has been made to look like it came from a Blizzard Employee. But it’s not. It is again asking for you to go to a website so that whoever it is can get your account name and password.

Scam 4 (various real-world email scams):

A) For about a year before Cataclysm came out (and before Lich King came out) I would get about 5 or 6 emails a day telling me that I’ve been accepted into the Closed Alpha Test or Closed Beta Test. It would then direct me to a website in which, you guessed it, they wanted me to enter in my account name and password.

B) As of writing this today, I’ve received an email supposedly from Blizzard claiming that they are investigating that I may be selling my account. They remind me that it is against their Terms of Service and that I must confirm that I am the original owner of the account. Again it directs me to a website wanting my account name and p-word.

C) I also got an email today explaining that many players are getting emails from people who are trying to steal their accounts. It goes on to say that Blizzard was to adopt some measures to safeguard my account and that they want me to download a ‘package of code protection’ and they they offer it to players ‘free of charge’. Ahhh! They want me to go to a website and enter in my Warcraft account name and password!

D) I also got an email today (this makes #3) telling me that my Warcraft payment was not made, so I need to log in and make a payment. Yep, it wants me to go to a website and enter in my account name and password.

I can go on and on about all the different types of scams out there, but the bottom line is, there are MANY! I’d suggest these scammers all be forced to sit down and watch Yo Gabba Gabba! until the message of ‘be nice’ and ‘don’t be mean’ finally hits home, but until then.. The best protection against these types of scams is this:

Blizzard World of Warcraft Authenticator!

This is a handy little device that will generate a 6 digit code that you will enter after you enter in your account name and password.

The other thing you can do is simply avoid clicking on or visiting those websites! Never EVER give your account name and password to anyone! Not even to your trusted best friend! Once it gets out of your hands, who knows where it will end up! Cats and dogs will start living together, it’ll be anarchy! Yes, the Authenticator costs a little scratch, but to have a good means of security is well worth it in my opinion.

Oh! And those of you with these new-fangled smart phones can also download an Authenticator Application from Blizzard. I’m not going to post a link to their online store (because hey, I just may be trying to phish you – I’m not but as Fox Molder says, ‘Trust No One”) but you can easily find it by using your favorite search engine.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Topics: World of Warcraft | No Comments »

Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers to PlayStation®3 System

By flisk | November 23, 2010

Wizards of the Coast Brings Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers to PlayStation®3 System

November 23, 2010, Renton, Wash. — Wizards of the Coast today announced the North American launch of Magic: The Gathering –Duels of the Planeswalkers on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Wizards has been working with Sony Computer Entertainment America to bring the popular digital extension of the worldwide Magic: The Gathering franchise to PlayStation®Network.

Already one of the most downloaded games on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and on PC via the Steam® platform, PS3™ gamers will now be able to join in on the action that Magic: The Gathering in digital form brings. Complete with crisp 3D graphics and animations, robust game play and a user-friendly interface, players can battle real life opponents or play through an extensive single-player campaign that offers unrivaled depth in which each game is different.

The core game is now available on PlayStation Network for $9.99 and all three expansions are available for $4.99 each.

 

Duels of the Planeswalkers is quickly proving to be the ideal way to introduce new players to Magic and reintroduce lapsed players back to the game. As its popularity continues to grow, Duels of the Planeswalkers will certainly be a driving force behind the birth of a whole new generation of Magic fans.

Special Launch Offer!

Celebrating the launch of Duels of the Planeswalkers on PS3, consumers that purchase the game will receive a special art foil Planeswalker promotional card (while supplies last). For additional information on Magic: The Gathering—Duels of the Planeswalkers and the promotional card, visit www.duelsoftheplaneswalkers.com.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.

Wizards of the Coast, its logo, Magic: The Gathering, Magic, Duels of the Planeswalkers and Dungeons & Dragons are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. “PlayStation” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and “PS3” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. ©2010 Wizards.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Topics: MtG | No Comments »

Fire Elemental caught on Camera

By flisk | November 22, 2010

I live out in the country. As such I get many opportunities to indulge in my pyromania (always in a safe manner). Recently we have been under a Burn Ban (it’s just not rained in about a month and a half and it’s been windy as hell so everything is dried out making it very condusive to fire spreading). For the past four days it’s rained it’s ass off, so the Burn Ban has been lifted.

Having a stock pile of fallen branches and whatnot I did not want to miss the chance to get my burn on.

In the back I have one of those 50 gallon drum barrels. Like what you see Bums gathered around in the movies when it’s cold outside. Just after dusk I pulled out my camera and started snapping photos of the flames.

I never expected to capture something from another Plane of Existance, but I did.

Perhaps the invasion of Azeroth is more Earthly bound than even Blizzard thought…

Popularity: 22% [?]

Topics: News | No Comments »