Neverwinter: Up the River

After that lengthy campaign in TESO, I've found myself back at Neverwinter with the new grind of the River District. So far, it has been pretty entertaining investigating the conclave of Far Realm mages acting as the antagonists in this module - all while trying to dig up lost riches for the now broke Lord Neverember.

It's certainly much better than fishing in the Sea of Moving Ice, which is what ultimately led me to rage-quit take a break in the first place. Slightly regretting that now as it just means I have more currencies to grind up on. It does help that I finally got a purple mount (thank you Siege event for that free one) because damn, speed makes things more bearable. If you are only spending on one thing in the game, get the fastest mount you can afford.

Dragonarm 2017

My guild, Dragonarm, is still small but have made much headway with the Stronghold in my absence - same with the rest of the Greycloak Alliance, with the Greycloaks themselves nearing the max level 20! I also quite enjoy the addition of the Marauder event, even if it's only worth doing once a week, as it gives the alliance yet another avenue for cooperative play.

It comes as no surprise, during our last guild event, where we six manned a Marauder attack, that I am pretty much the weakest now of my team. Haha. I seriously only out DPSed the Gray's dedicated healer alt. Look at those numbers!

Ah well, I guess I'll just say I'm playing the game on "hard mode". :P

Shadowrun Online (Early Access)

I've never played any of the Shadowrun games before, so as a true newbie I'll just describe the setting as Dungeons and Dragons meets the future with gun-toting orcs, shotgun wielding spell casters and computer savvy elves running about. This game itself plays quite a bit like the tactical parts of XCOM. You take turns to perform actions and basically have an objective to do on each map, often simply reaching the other end. The "Online" part simply pits you against an enemy player in what is best described as a balanced arena. This tactical part of the game all works fine for the most part.

Better if there were more hot chicks though.
(This one's for you, River.)

The problem (or part not in this version) lies with how all this tactical part ties together. Currently there is only a single bland, text filled mission screen between each mission tying them together with no real choices to be made (outside of how best to complete the assigned objective without dying too much). I am hoping that there is a bit more meat here when the game fully releases. Options to chose what missions you go on for what factions for what rewards and such.

The main characters you get stuck with are pretty cool too (special mention to good voice acting here), but I'd very much prefer to customize my own team (even if they are all silent or just generically voiced) and be able to choose or purchase whatever loadout I want for them. Having them getting injured/killed off like in XCOM would be pretty good too, and force people to play smart. Since there is currently no penalty for death/getting downed so in some maps it's better to just rush to the "stand here to win" tiles. You automatically win if you reach that spot and anyone killed in the process will be back with you in next mission anyway.

The game definitely has potential if those extra bits are filled in. Until they are though I can only score this incomplete offering two cyber-ninjas out of five.

Darklands: The Great Escape

This is part of The Darklands story.

Imprisoned in the dungeon beneath the Monastery the templars take most of the team's equipment (though somehow Syncaine managed to conceal a mace and everyone still has knives). The lead templar implies that they will be used as food for the next feast and cackles manically as he leaves them in their cell. Fortunately someone is on their side, unlocking the door after a few hours and whispering hurriedly for them to escape before vanishing into thin air.

The four cautiously explore the crypts that double as the templar dungeon, finding a chatty skeleton who Liore returns a bone to. The skeleton informs them that at the top of the monastery is a great demon preparing a powerful ritual. It uses a lot of fire attacks but is quite susceptible to the rather humble flea dust alchemical potion (it makes people itchy. Seriously). Not that it matters as no one was carrying that and also their gear is stored in a trapped / locked chest that none of them can unlock.

With escape being the top priority they find some stairs and climb up, only to run into a bunch of templar guards! River is killed almost instantly while Doone heroically sacrifices himself so that Liore and Syncaine can exit to the courtyard. Armed only with a small knife against six guys in full plate armor and two handed swords he doesn't last long, but the few seconds he buys them are invaluable before eventually he is overrun and knocked out.

Queue Yakety Sax music.

Darklands: The Great Monastery

This is part of The Darklands story.

It is an uneventful journey from Hamburg to Lubeck (same city as in Stalker Online I wonder?) and again to Flensburg which is ruled by the King of Denmark himself. Unfortunately all the monks within the walls (of all those cities) have no knowledge they wish to share of St. Thomas the Apostle, which Liore diligently checks to avert any Wild Hunt attacks. This doesn't bother her though as the Wild Hunt hasn't chased them recently, and more importantly because their destination was in sight.

After resting up at Flensburg the team journeyed across a large plain to the Great Monastery, ready to face anything. The exterior simply had a graveyard and two guard houses. Opening the door to the first they are surprised to find a squad of templar knights!

The bad ass kind, like the ones you find in Priest!

These traitors are well trained and well equipped, and the team just scrapes through for a victory with River sustaining heavy,  near death damage. After looting their chamber with Liore finding a strange bone they then come across a second group of templars and having been so weakened from the first fight Syncaine and Doone get knocked out early. Before anyone is killed Liore decides to surrender instead of abandoning her comrades. They are taken prisoner and brought to the dungeons below.

Darklands: To Flensburg

This is part of The Darklands story.

At the city of Paderborn, Liore studied the map on how to get to Flensburg since that's where the lead was to the witches "Great Monastery". For this task she decided to recruit veteran soldiers, men who enjoyed dealing out death and punishment in the name of God. 30 year old "Doone the Red", 25 year old "River Highlaten" and 45 year old "Syncaine Hardcore", a grumpy tough as nails warrior.

They set out North, dispatching of more bandits and giant spiders before running into another Tatzelwurm. The lizard is a mighty opponent but it too falls as Syncaine manages to tear its face in two with his bare hands. A few alchemists try accost them for reagents too, but since the party isn't carrying any they are easily bypassed.

They do get into a bit of strife trying to cross the Elbe river though, with Liore stepping into a peat bog / quicksand by accident. Fortunately the other three manage to pull her out with the loss of minimal equipment. They also lose a day as a storm causes the river to flood, leaving them stranded and soaked on a small rise but not even this can dampen Liore's fury.

That last option is there for A--holes I guess.