Good Clan Stuff
So at Pious Sodality we have been going through some changes. It’s a great clan, and really it’s been focusing on PvE a lot, as we have always been preparing to shift into PvP mode. As of Monday night, I think I can say that we’ve officially moved from being a PvE focused clan to a PvP oriented clan. Or, if not the clan, I know I have.
The clan has been sub-divided into 4 divisions, or platoons, each with a General to run it, and as many officers as they desire. It’s an interesting setup, and I know it has a chance to fracture the clan, but it also has just as strong, if not stronger, chance to strengthen the clan.
Back In Business
My video card RMA was a seemingly long & tedious wait. I mean, I sent it out on Monday, and I had it back Friday, and that was great. It just seemed very long due to no Tabula Rasa or PC usage. I’m usually on the PC, if not the game, almost every night. Instead, my PS3 got lots of attention, and I still plan to pay it some much needed attention.
When my UPS package was sitting by the counter Friday night, I was excited. I opened it up, hoping they had done something for it. Maybe give me a faster 7900gt, or a 512mb card, or something. But even if it was my 7900gt, that’s all I was expecting. I guess that’s why I was stunned when I opened the box up, and un-packed the card. This replacement was a two-slotter, and it piqued my interest, so I unwrapped away. All I could say was “wow”.
They replaced my 7900gt 256mb OC card, with an 8800gts 320mb OC card!!!
To say I was astonished is appropriate. This is a huge upgrade for me, as it’s basically what I would have gotten if the 7900gt didn’t have a lifetime warranty. Thank you BFG! Remember, I bought the original card 2nd-hand from eBay back in June of 2007, RMA’d it due to defects then, then just RMA’d it again due to defects starting to show again. I’m glad I didn’t jump on a new card. The wife was right in telling me to wait. I knew I should wait. I just didn’t think they’d actually give me a better card, but hey, no complaints here!
I can honestly say that I will continue to buy BFG stuff, as they’ve shown me time and again that they take care of their customers.
Still In Downtime Mode
It’s been a long week. I’ve been real busy with non-game stuff, and it’s getting to the point where I just hope my video card shows up soon. I’ve been staying entertained as best as I can, but I’d really like to get some TR in.
Hope to see you in-game soon!
Downtime – No Tabula Rasa Due To Graphic Card RMA
My 7900 GT went bezerk on Thursday, and I’ve got an RMA setup with the Manufacturer. They’ve been great, but this is my second RMA for the same card in under a year. I can’t say that I’m overly joyful about this, as I’m not sure what’s going on. It’s been causing me nothing but issues lately, and I’d just like to replace it. I guess eyeballing those new 9600gt’s isn’t helping.
I should be gaming again by the end of the week (at least by the end of March).
Class Management
It’s no secret I’ve got a 34 Spy. It’s also no secret that I’ve neglected my Demolitionist lately. But now with them at similar levels, I find myself wanting to balance my playtime for both.
The demo is much better in a PvP situation than a spy, and since I’m in a PvP clan, I figure that accounts for something. It’s also just tons of fun to use ripper + shotgun, or tear down kaels with nanites. It’s not as fast as a spy, but I also don’t die if more than 5 mobs get on me.
The spy is great fun in PvE, as the backstab ability is crazy. I do on average 10k damage at 34, 12k if I’ve got rage 5 going. If it gets too hairy, I use traitor to distract a few mobs, and even my 1 pump in magnesium flash has done me well, as it tends to reset the mob to it’s spawn-point via a nice little walk.
My biggest issue is that the play-styles are so different. I’ve found myself getting cremated regardless of the toon I’m on. If it’s my spy against a few mobs or my demo against more, I just haven’t been as focused as I ought to be. And it’s really throwing me off.
For me, it’s just been hard to get into a groove lately. I’m thinking I might just need to take a few days off, then jump back in. I totally enjoy Tabula Rasa, and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, but I think I just need to withdraw from it for a couple days.
The Spy Class
Just made 30 last night on my Ranger. Made a Spy, and now I’m stoked. I don’t think I’ve grinned that much in a long time in a game. On a PvE aspect, it’s just plain mean.
Truthfully, using polymorph, blades 5, etc, it just feels like too much. Too much for the enemy, that is. I know, I’ll get my fair share of deaths, but for now, the damage output is crazy, and the utility of the class is promising.
Definitely a good 2nd toon for anyone running a Demolitionist already.
34 To 36 And Pools / Marshes (And Spies)
It’s been an interesting time on my demo. I’ve made some nice levels, but I’ve also run into some complications.
Let’s just say I’m not a big fan of grinding, nor am I big fan of instant-death due to over aggro.
Pools was fun, but it seemed so short. I may have to go back, but the instances and the quests didn’t seem to take much time to plow through. Marshes, on the other hand, seems near-endless. I arrived there at 34ish (read: too low). So many mobs conglomerated into the zone just make it a pain for a Demo. I’ve done decent, but perhaps it’s a “me” problem. I am playing a ranger alt, but still, this is insane. I thought it might be my level, but a report from my 42 Engineer friend informs me that this is a very clustered area that’s causing them difficulties as well.
I thought maybe I’d break the habit by grinding a bit, making a Thrax hybrid, etc. You know, break the monotony. Well, the hybrid is great, and the grinding is terrible. It’s so pointless for me. I like to enjoy Tabula Rasa for what it is, and have fun with it. Up until just recently, I’ve been doing that just fine. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble getting back into a groove where running a solo Demo is fun. Here’s hoping I can find that happy place again.
In other news, I’m working on a Spy alt. *waits for the gasps* Personally, I’m having fun again. I just made 28 last night, and am doing well. Incline is an insane zone, and I might just grind at Ortho for 30 (or move to Mires).
As a Ranger, grinding isn’t nearly as bad as on the Demo, because of a couple of factors.
- The first being stealth armor. I like the don’t aggro everything in a 3 mile radius aspect.
- The second is, this toon is totally a throw-away toon. When respec tokens are live, great, I may pick them back up, but at 29.9 (or 30) I’ll be cloning off, so skills right now are all fun and games. Rage 5, Machine Guns 5, stuff I wouldn’t normally take, are making the content much more touchable.
- I’ve been hunting stalkers and striders as a 20+, and on a Sapper, that just ain’t right. Well, a good EMP chain gun makes them much more fun to encounter.
- Quasi-base-jumping. Something about sprint 3 + large jumps makes me smile. I try to avoid combat unless necessary, and when I’m running and jumping and hiding, I find some great jumps to take.
Bottom Line: The Demo will see more activity, but right now, getting to Spy on my Ranger is taking precedence. Having fun is more meaningful to me than grinding away.
