Sunday, August 14, 2011

My Opinons on the Wizard's Watchtower

Hey Gang,

For those of you who have access to the Test Realm (and even some of you who don't), you'd know that there are two new houses available at the Crowns Shop (10,000 a pop, or 100,000 gold). Well, one of these houses (my favorite of the two, actually) is called the Wizard's Watchtower (the other is called the Sunken Palace). Today I'm here with you to talk about my opinions of this new house (and maybe some other time I'll talk about the Sunken Palace. I'm going to start with some things I liked about the house, and then move on to the things that can be improved (Note: I've actually started decorating in the Test Realm because I'm pre-planning for a party I'm gonna have for Halloween, so your going to see some housing items):


1. Hallway on the Second Floor: I really like the look of this hallway on the second floor of the Wizard's Watchtower. It gives a really good castle feel, and the mosaics of the dragon only enhance the feel! The carpet blends in very well too, tying the whole room together without you having to even place a housing item! Good job KingsIsle!


2. Dragon Statue, Dragon Feet Columns, and the general Second Floor (Library-like Room): This is just ... wow. First (and most obvious), the dragon statue is great! I love the fire coming out of its mouth. And the fact it's standing on top of the main circular bookshelf just makes this preinstalled feature even more amazing. I also like the library feel of the second floor. Another well done KingsIsle :).


3. Observatory: The view is stunning in this room. And the size of the telescope is huge! The mosaics of the dragon are a nice pull together of the room, and I really like the wood floor and the preinstalled wallpaper. Very nice!


4. Opening Room: The opening room is stunning as you see the giant library pillar pulling the room together. Again, I really like the library feel and the dragon decor.


5. Staircase to the Dragon: Again, this part of the house gives me that "castle" feel that I absolutely love about a home. The rug is a nice touch, and I love the preinstalled torches and banners of dragons.


6. Dragon's Lair (Smog/Hobbit Reference): When I saw this, I literally laughed out loud. If you've ever read (or seen) The Hobbit, you'd know who Smog is, and you'd know how this scene was inspired. Bottom line: AWESOME!


tehehe, anyway, let's move on ...


7. Dragon Claw Lagoon: I really like this feature because it gives the house a location. It tells you, "Hey, your house isn't just on a random island. Your house is centered around a giant and probably ancient statue of a dragon claw". I like anything that gives my house a better definition. :)


8. Castle Entrance: This is just a really cool sight. Again, like the dragon claw statue, it gives your house a location: on the top of a waterfall. I really like the glowing orbs on the pedestals and the dragon keeping watch over the entrance of your house, as well as the observatory in the backround. Very pretty :).

Things That Could Change (This is where I can have some fun!):


1. The Dragon Claw Lagoon: When I first walked around in the house, I thought that little opening in the rope fence was telling me to venture into the whirlpool of a lagoon. When I found out it was just there for looks, I was pretty disappointed. We should be able to go into the whirpool. It could lead into a secret dungeon or cave full of water. Heck, it could lead into a half underwater zone of your house! I'll revisit this point later...


2. The Random Rope: I don't have much to say about this point, since it's pretty short and simple. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture, but the lowest arch has a rope fence preventing you from going under this. I'd really just like to know why. There doesn't seem to be a reason for it (it looks big enough to travel under) and it really downgrades the look of the house.


3. The Dragon's Lair: This place is perfect as is, except for one small thing. I want to be able to place housing items in this area. As of the current moment, you cannot do so. I'm not sure if this is a current bug, but I have some housing items that would make this room cooler than it is now.


4. This Wall (in the entrance of the staircase): Now this isn't a mandatory change (just an idea suggestion), but why not move the spiral staircase behind this wall and make this room more like a side room instead of a tiny room with a huge spiral staircase in it. I'd also like the ability to place housing items in this room as well.


5. Another Wall (in a the hallway direct before the hallway filled with mosaic windows): Again, this is a great opportunity to add a secret room or hallway. Or better yet, make it another part of the house. It just seems like a loose end that could make the house a lot better than it is currently.


6. Series of Bookshelves: Another secret room suggestion. They could make this another spiral staircase to the dungeon or cave that the Dragon Claw Lagoon leads to. I personally think this a very good idea, but hey, we all have our opinions, right?


7. The Observatory: I'd like to make a side part of this room directly where the camera is pointed to be designated as a bedroom. There are only a few houses with designated bedrooms, and to me it kinda defeats the purpose of a home if your wizard doesn't have a place to sleep. Also, make a spiral staircase from the hallway to this room instead of teleporting me there (since we do see it as a tower from the outside).

Well, that's what I would change! Feel free to voice your opinions on what I thought or tell me what you like/ want to see changed! Until next time!

P.D.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Commons Courier- Episode Three

Hey Gang,

Episode Three of The Commons Courier is here!


Hello withces and wizards of the Spiral, and welcome to Episode Three of The Commons Courier! After a semi-long break, I, Luke GoldHorn, am back to take you through this awesome Spiral we are graced with. Stay tuned as I talk about recent news in game, give PvP tips, interview Cassandra GriffonDreamer from Witchwarrior101, answer questions, and much more! Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to submit your entries to the Jackpot Segment and submit your questions!

***Jackpot Segment Winners***

1. NicholasLionRider
2. Senthose365
3. Ethansherr12

Thanks for entering, and the winners should receive a code by Sunday (8/14/11) latest!

The Commons Courier- Episode Two

I never posted Episode Two on my blog, so here it is:


***Transcription coming soon***

Friday, August 5, 2011

Personal Opinions of Wysteria

Hey Gang,

This is just a quick post summarizing my feelings of Wysteria that I posted on a W101Central thread. I thought it would be neat to share my feelings about it on the blog. Here it is:

While I really enjoy the new world because its so much like Harry Potter (trust me, I'm an uber HP fan; just got my Elder Wand in the mail yesterday), it's hard to look like the good guy when saying that they should take this away. At the very least, they should make it known to the public that they have JKR's permission to do this (IF they have her permission to do this; she might not even know about it). Like I said, I'm a big fan of HP, and while I do enjoy all the new similarities, I think the new world should not be released for several reasons. The first is because I grew up with Harry Potter; I've been following his adventures since about 2003, if not before. It hurts when you see a rip off of something you loved dearly since you were little (although, IMO, if Warner Bros. had released a HP MMO, KI wouldn't have ever created Wysteria). It's a bit challenging to understand if your not in the same situation. The next reason is coming from the content. Even though the area in total costs less than $10, I feel it's not quite worth it to go through this area on all my wizards (7 Legendaries, one in each school). Take Celestia for example; obviously it was more expensive and massive then Wysteria, it had a lot more unique offerings such as useful gear and tons of experience. Pigswick really only offers a Pickswick Uniform Set (which doesn't have stats), The Spiral Cup Housing Item (ok, so that is pretty cool...), a Golden Piggle (who's stats aren't even good), and a wand (which is really good for level 20-30). My point is, it's not quite worth it for people who have 3+ Legendary Wizards to go through it over and over again.

I've heard people say different things such as, "KI should be sued!" and "I love it because it's like Harry Potter". I don't wish for KingsIsle to be sued, but I really think the new world makes a mockery of a great game and company. Even though it isn't the case, it makes KingsIsle look like they don't have any original ideas. It wasn't so bad before Wysteria, where it had a lot of differences from Harry Potter (however, compared on a general level, they were alike). The similarities of HP that come with Wysteria make W101 less unique. There's nothing wrong with a few references or suggestive hints, but when you're taking characters from a series (McGonagall, Umbridge, Draco Malfoy, Hogwats, and even Fleur Delacour) and making them animals that talk (Mrs. Dowager,Belladonna Crisp,Randolf SpellShine,PigsWig, and Nalia DuneStrider), well, you're not going to get my personal endorsements and support.

Hope you Enjoyed,

P.D.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

What I Really Want Is...

Hey Gang,

I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. I'm on break at the moment, and when I feel excited enough to play Wizard101 again, I'll definitely start blogging and posting episodes of The Commons Courier again as well! Currently I'm into Minecraft. You can check out the game here. If you ever been into legos, or if you think you might want to be an engineer, I highly suggest checking it out. Right now it's in Beta, so the price might go up in a few months. I'm currently making a remodel of Hogwarts. :)

Which, interestingly enough, brings me to my next topic: a few weeks ago, as I announced on my blog, I went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Premier. It was great, but it was also really sad. I started reading the series after I saw the first movie when I was around 8 or 9, and ever since then I grew up with Harry Potter. I followed him through Hogwarts, battled the Basilisk with him, helped him save Sirius Black, and even fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. The movies helped me remember that, and the feeling I got when I read those books. Now, not only are the books gone, but so are the movies, and the only thing I might possibly have left is Pottermore (which I'm currently staying up for right now).

Anyway, so all this got me thinking; why not make a Harry Potter MMO? Now obviously this isn't an original idea; there have been millions of other people who have thought of this before. Heck, even the part-owners of the Harry Potter Franchise, Warner Bros, has thought about it before, however, there seemed to be a problem when the game was actually in development, and it was canceled. However, I personally think that Warner Bros. should pursue this game for several reasons:

1. Tons of fans: There a millions, if not billions, of Harry Potter fans. I'm sure for a pesky $10-15 a month would be considered a STEAL for any Potter fans who wish to join Harry at Hogwarts. Now, use some multiplication: take those billion fans and multiply by $10. That's roughly $10,000,000,000 ($10 Billion). Mind you, that's also a monthly income. If Warner Bros. did their work right and invested a great amount of time and money into this project, they could have a gold mine.

2. Millions of accessible features: In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, there are tons of features we don't even see or hear about in the books or movies. For example, how many of you knew there were vampires in the Wizarding World? My point is; there are thousands of features that can be accessed. I've heard of Dragontaming, Potion making, Order of the Phoenix fighting, Teaching, Ministy-working, and even the occasional Death Eating. After a student leaves Hogwarts, there's many thing one can do, so this (lack of content) cannot be used as an excuse to avoid making this particular MMO.

3. Wizard101: Why do you honestly think Wizard101 succeeded as much as it did. Did you think it was particularly good graphics? While the graphics are pretty good, they aren't the best out there. Did you think it was the gameplay? MMOs are meant to be very involved and socially based; a relaxed MMO isn't really attractive to many hard core MMO players. This particular flavor of MMO players happen to be the most populous. Wizard101 has succeeded as it has thus far because of one word: Magic. No, it wasn't a miracle that Wizard101 succeeded. It was the fact that Wizard101 was based around a magical school.

Now please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying Wizard101 is a cheap remake or knockoff of Harry Potter. In fact, KingsIsle played their cards smart, right, and legal. They realized that there was a particular fondness in the world of humans of attending a magical school and learning different spells. The makers of Wizard101 also noticed that there was no current Harry Potter MMO, and as they saw this, they also realized all the money that was hidden in this glorious gold mine. My point is; If you think Wizard101 was not inspired by Harry Potter at all, you're living under a rock.

I would like to say that I believe 100% that if a GOOD Harry Potter MMO came out, they'd steal almost all of Wizard101's players in a heartbeat. As sad as it is to think, it's very true, or at least I believe so.

Anyway, now you know what I'd like to see. I'll see you around,

P.D.

P.S: HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY POTTER!!!!! (July 31st, 1989!!)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Analysis of The Commons Courier

Hey Gang,

So this past Friday, the first episode of The Commons Courier was uploaded to YouTube (for the third time; there were a few technical difficulties the first two attempts). I just wanted to talk to you guys about the feedback I've been getting from all the viewers. To me, it's really important to share with you how I feel about anything I produce and share with the Wizard101 community. You can assure yourself that this is one of those times.

Let me just say that I never expected the turn-out of views and support that I got. I really didn't expect people to like The Commons Courier this much, and I was planning on stopping at around episode four or five because I didn't believe it would ever make it. However, you can know beyond a doubt that I plan to develop The Commons Courier until I simply can't stand it anymore.

I must say though, it was a lot more work than I expected. There were over 200 clips (attempts at correctly filming the segment) of bloopers. There were multiple technical hiccups when editing the episode. I had to scrounge up things to talk about. It was a lot of work. However, it goes to show you that with dedication comes success.

Anyway, I have a TON of cool stuff coming for you on The Commons Courier. On the next episode, I even have a special mystery guest! :) Also, please don't forget to submit your questions and Jackpot entries. Simply commenting on the post/video does not enter you; you must tell me you want to be entered for the weekly jackpot, along with a way I could contact you (please try to stray away from emails; I'd like to explore any other possible option before emails). Also, dont be afraid to enter! Every week, 5 codes are going to be given away, which means over 260 codes will be drawn! Please don't pause to enter because you'd like to give others a chance. There are enough codes for everyone. :)

On an unrelated closing note, I'm going to the premier of the last Harry Potter movie EVER! I know, so exciting right? And I'm going to the 3D premier, which means I get these:


I really am super excited! Harry Potter was my roll model way back in my early childhood (I think I lived up to him pretty well as a very successful Pyromancer of Ravenwood, don't you think?) I'm kinda sad to see the whole franchise come to a close (and not like, "Oh, the last book's coming out, but we're only on Movie 5." But more "The last book's been out for a while, and this is our last movie!") *tears* I'm happy to have gotten premier tickets though. I think I'll cry a river when seeing this movie.

Finite Incantatem!

P.D.

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Commons Courier- Episode One

Hey Gang,

So the first episode of The Commons Courier is here! Check it out:


I really hope to have a transcription out soon for those that can't hear. If you're interested in helping out with the transcribing, let me know, and we'll work something out (leave something like a W101 Central name, YouTube name, Twitter name, or something of the sorts). If you need any links to any of the topics discussed, read the video description on YouTube. If you want to enter the Jackpot Segment or ask a question for the Question Segment, you can either comment on this post or on the actual YouTube video page. I'm going to try and upload episodes every Thursday evening.

***EDIT: TRANSCRIPTION IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST!***

There are a few things that I'd like to ask of the listeners who liked the show and see potential in it:

1. Participate! Ask questions and enter the Jackpot Segment giveaway! KI Free Games codes are getting to be really valuable nowadays, as they're giving pets, mounts, wands, gold, pet snacks, furniture, transforms, and other awesome prizes! Questions can be asking my opinion, asking for tips, or even questions that ask about the prerecorded podcast itself.

2. Spread the word! Tell any friends that you think may be interested in the show and get them to spread the word if they like it too! I personally see a lot of potential in this podcast, and more people = more views and more publicity.

3. Submit your ideas and feedback! If there's a way to improve the show, I'll do it by all means! I could also use another idea for another segment for the show, so if you have any ideas, don't be afraid to submit some of your ideas!

Thanks for all your support!

P.D.

***EDIT: P.S: I've been getting asked (quite frequently, actually) if people could put this video on their blogs. I honestly have no problem with anyone using any piece of my work, as long as they don't take credit for it. I just wanted to tell this to my readers so they don't hesitate to share something of mine because of fear that I would get angry. :)

Transcription (The Commons Courier Episode One):

Greetings wizards of the Spiral, and welcome to the very first episode of The Commons Courier! I’ll be your host, Luke GoldHorn, and it’s my job to take you to the awesome [and] exciting world of Wizard101 prerecorded podcasting.

Now normally, we’d be heading into the news right about now, however, since it is our first episode, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. That way, you, the listeners, will have a better understanding of me, the host of The Common[s] Courier.

My name’s Luke GoldHorn, as I previously stated, and on Wizard101 Central, I’m known as Drdemon411. That’s D-r-d-e-m-o-n-4-1-1. My favorite badge is the Yojimbo. You can get this badge by defeating 100 Samoorai in Mooshu. I’m a Legendary Pyromancer, which is fancy for a Level 60 Fire Wizard. I run a community blog called The Pyromancer’s Digest. Lastly, the attire you see me in here is pretty much the same as I usually look, except for a few differences: One, my normal clothing color is red and the trim is usually yellow. Two, my pet’s usually a Shadow Phoenix, and, well, her name’s Pepper. Three, I usually wear a Celestian Trident, not a sword.

Now onto the News. There hasn’t really been much news in-game, however, there’s been a lot going on in the community and for KingsIsle itself as a corporation. First on our list is the Epic Bundle now arriving at Toys R Us. This is a HUGE relief for a lot of wizards out there who haven’t gotten their Epic Bundles yet. You see, there’s been a rumor out there, and [it’s] not necessarily a rumor, I should say more of a theory, about how these bundles are only lasting for a certain amount of time. The theory is, when one bundle goes in, the other goes straight out the window! So a lot of people thought with the new Mega Bundle coming into GameStop, the Epic Bundle was going to be completely forgotten, or maybe they’d have to wait another one or two years to get it. However, KingsIsle has assured us that they are just moving it to another store, and it’s still available for wizards who want to purchase it.

Onto the next point of news, KingsIsle has announced that Wizard101 has reach 20 MILLION players! THAT’S HUGE! A lot of MMOs don’t even have that many players. So I would personally like to give a huge congratulation to KingsIsle for reaching this epic and momentous achievement.

Next on our list, KI Free Games has updated their loot tables. I recommend going there and checking it out, I mean, everybody knows that, back in the beginning of June the updated it for the Pet-a-palooza. I mean, we were seeing Energy Elixirs, Mega Snack Packs, Mega Snacks, Pet Snacks; all that good stuff. Now, though, we’re seeing Pet Snacks, Furniture, Pets, Mounts, and all types of things! So I recommend you go check it out. If you have an interested in helping KI Free Games improve their site, they are asking any wizards who have Twitter accounts to tweet the following: the mini game you played, the score you had in that mini game, the prizes you won, and the hashtag [#]kifg. For those of you that don’t know, a hashtag is a pound sign [#]. So be sure to go on the lookout for that.

Next on our list is the Patriotic Leprechaun. Now, this came out about last Friday, however, it’s only going to be here for a certain amount of time. For those of you that don’t know, the Patriotic [Leprechaun] gives one Satyr card, comes with a 58 pedigree, and will only cost you 2,500 Crowns. So for those of you who have the Crowns, I suggest you buy it, since, you know, it’s only going to be here for a few more days.

Now onto our last note of business. Have we seen it all for the summer? Professor Flamea, who writes the Producer’s Letter for Wizard101, has recently announced in June that KingsIsle has been observing a few worlds out there far out in the Spiral seeing if they’re safe enough for us to travel to. Now personally, I think she’s talking about a new world, I don’t know about you. So, it seems KingsIsle has a few still up their sleeve. What do I think? I personally think that we won’t hear anything about this supposed new world until late July [or] even mid-August, and we won’t actually see the world until about October or November. What do you guys think? That’s pretty much it for the News; let’s head into some other segments.

It’s that time again wizards; Rush Hour! During Rush Hour, I’ll give tips for crafting, gardening, and housing; basically, anything that’s kinda like a job in Wizard101. Today we’re going to talk about Rare Reagents, and I’m going to tell you basically some of my routes that I like to run, and I’ll give you some tips on how to run them.

Let’s start out with Black Lotus. I like to run my routes for Black Lotus in the Village of Sorrow. Specifically, I go to Oyotomi, then to both portals and switch realms. I sometimes transmute Nightshade, which can be a difficult reagent to find at the Bazaar, but I pick a lot of Nightshade in Deep Mushroom (which is their earlier transmute) on my Black Lotus route through the Village of Sorrow as I just said.

Lava Lilies aren’t too hard to find, as not many people look for these or did look for these, because with the addition of the Celestian Observatory, this has sorta changed. Before they weren’t needed for anything special. You can find these at the Atheneum and Tower Archives route as I’ll later explain in my Ore route. Basically, you just go along the lava rivers in these areas and you’re bound to find a whole bunch of them! You can also find Stone Block and Ore, as I said earlier, on this route.

For Scrap Iron, I usually go to Hyde Park in MarleyBone. The route there isn’t quite too popular, and there are many exceptions to it, which make it worth checking out. If you just switch realms between the three portals on the street, and check behind the water towers, you should be able to find a decent amount of Scrap Iron.

Ore tends to be rare nowadays, and you should consider yourself lucky if you can find a decent route that isn’t well used. The route I use, however popular, is in the Atheneum in DragonSpyre. I go behind the actual Atheneum building, where the stone rose is, and you can actually pick up some Stone Blocks doing this as well. Then I go over to the mini games and also in the Tower Archives at the two open areas right outside of the door to the Atheneum. This route can also be used to farm Lava Lilies, as I said, due to the fact that you can always stop by the lava river at the Atheneum or in the Tower Archives.

For Red Mandrake, there are two routes I run, the later usually being more successful. The first is in Nightside in Wizard City, but the thing about that one is, too many people know about it and use it, so you can find yourself waiting for hours with not much to show for it. However, there is also a less popular route in Cyclops Lane that is usually more prosperous. If you start out by Eyus Maximus’s Tower [and] then head over to Romulus’s Castle, you should be able to get a decent amount of Red Mandrake. That’s it for this week’s episode of Rush Hour, be sure to stay tuned!

Welcome to The Community Portal segment. During this segment of the show, I’ll basically be talking about what’s been going on with official fansites and blogs. First on our list, Wizard101 is now again accepting fan fiction submissions. While I realize the Wizard101 site is not really a fansite or a blog, I want to recognize the fans who write these stories. They are, after all, fan fictions, and fans are a part of the community.

Next on our list, Jessica FairyHeart from An Awesome Pyromancer’s Diary has been taking a lead role in organizing the Guardian Support Team. What’s the Guardian Support Team, you ask? It’s basically what it says; a support team for the Guardians. You’re expected to wear black with silver lining. Now … what? Guardians? Who are Guardians?

That brings me to my next topic, Homework in a Graveyard’s recent contest. Now, it’s too late to enter the contest already, however the contestants that are already submitted are called The Guardians. See, if wizards who aren’t the Guardians support the Guardians by cheering them on, then, supposedly, we’ll all win a prize! There are several ways you can support The Guardians: One, you can go to Jessica FairyHeart’s blog, An Awesome Pyromancer’s Diary, and comment on her post “Guardian Support Team” to join the Guardian Support team. You can tweet about it. Simply tweet anything as long as it has the hashtag #WizardsforGuardians in it. And lastly, blog about it if you have a blog! Just make sure the blog post has something in the title along the lines of Wizards for Guardians.

Lastly for our Community News, Wizard101 Central is coming up to their Third Anniversary in August! They said that they’re going to have a lot of awesome contests coming up, so be sure to check that out soon. Ok, let’s roll on to some of our other segments!

It’s question time! Unfortunately, since it’s our first episode, we obviously don’t have any questions, but we can change that! For the next episode, make sure you ask questions it could be asking me an opinion about something, or asking me about tips or advice; anything! [Just] as long as it’s Wizard101 related. You can ask a question by commenting on my blog or commenting on this very YouTube video. Let’s roll on with the segments!

It’s time for our final segment: The Jackpot Segment! Now, unfortunately, like the Questions segment, since it’s our first actual episode, we don’t have any entries. But basically, how this segment would normally work is, I would announce five or seven (or somewhere between that) winners of KI Free Games codes. In order to enter, simply comment on this YouTube video with your wizard name, and a way I could contact you. This could be a Wizard101 Central name, it could be a YouTube account, or it could even be a Twitter account. Just make sure I have a way to contact you with the code. Ok, that pretty much wraps this up!

Ok wizards, that pretty much wraps up our show! I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, subscribe, comment, spread the word please, [and] make this really cool, and I really thank you so much for tuning in to this first episode of The Commons Courier. See you in the Spiral!