Star Stable Online (SSO)

Okay, first of all, the abreviation (SSO) is really similar to SAO and it is very confusing. 

Now, what is Star Stable Online? Well, it's just the best horse game available. Sure, it is not free (only up to level 5), but I think the money you pay is well worth it. 

The game is a sort-of direct continuation of Starshine Legacy games. Those are kinda old and while not bad, story vise, the gameplay was not the best. 

After that there were Starstable for PC and I played those too. 

And then, several years after I stumbled on SSO. First, I didn't play it because I was discouraged by the paying, but then I got curious and decided to install it and if I like it, I would pay for the full version. So, I did install it. I played for a little while and then I went to see how to unlock the full version, the so called Star Rider status. Well, there was this offer back in February. For 15 days of Star Rider status only an insignifant amount of money so I went for it and then I decided that yes, the game is super cool and that I will pay for the lifetime membership, which in the end is cheaper. So long as you play for more than a year. Which I'm defeinitely planning to do.

So, how does it work? 

You create your account, for which you need an email or your facebook account. Which obviously needs email too.

Then, you download the client (previously you could play in your browser) and start it. You log in and let the thing download all the updates. Then you start the game and create your character. You get to pick from a bunch of looks that can be later on changed in-game. 

The bad thing is that you can only pick your name from predetermined selection. You can combine it anyway you like, but only so long that there isn't anyone else using the same combination. 

After that you customize your starter horse. But don't worry if you don't like him. If you're a starrider, you'll eventually have enough star money to buy the dream horse you want. After you customized the nag, you can pick it's name, it is the same principal as the character name.

Then, it's off to Moorland stable. 

There you will be walked through the basics, like driving your horse, parking it, caring for it and all that. 

For those of you who know the games I mentioned at the begining, this might be a bit boring, but when you get through it, the interesting quests will come. Some of them are weird, but most of them are really interesting. 

However, there are only limited amount of quests available to non Star Riders. As well as only two locations being available. That's why it's better to spend the money on being a Star Rider. You have the whole game unlocked and if you're high enough level, also all the so far available locations. There are some, that are not accesible yet, but I'm sure they will be soon. 

You will meet some of the characters from previous games, including Herman, Fripp aka the white squirrel and the Soul riders. Also, the bad guys will make their appearance. 

So be ready to sneak into their hideout and discover their neffarious plans and perhaps stop them before they can finish them.

What I think of the game? Well, apart from the fact that new quests are only added every Wednesday and not more often, I love it. Like, really love it. So far, it's the best online game I've played so far. Simply because I don't count some of the games as online games. But if you want to get technical, it's the best MMORPG I've ever played. 

I've managed to acumulate quite a number of horses and I'm still planning to buy more. Though I hope that by the time, they all reached their max level, the max level will be more than the current 15. Because seriously... 

I also hope that the new animations that are so far only on the American Quarter Horse will be implemented for all the horses soon. Can't wait to see my black Arab with this new anims. 

It will look great!

And if you didn't figure it by now, that black Arab is my prized horse. My bestest most favourite horse ever!

Okay. Now a bit of a question for you. 

Do you have experience with the game? If yes, do you like it? If no, are you going to try it? And most importantly, do you even like horses? Because if you don't then I would really like to know why you even bothered to read this. 

Oh, and if you know of any similar games, I would be delighted to know about them, so please share. :) Kay?

~AnnElfwind

Legend of Grimrock II

Long time no see! Right? 

Well, I'm back and I hope I will be able to post more often. I just didn't have much idea as to what to write. The only thing that has been updated recently, is my english stories site, that I believe has a link in the side menu. 

The site is actually linked to what I want to write about. I want to write about the game called Legend of Grimrock II. I had the first game for about two years now. The actuall game, not a pirated version. And then I read that a second installment will be released. That happened in October 2014. And I got it the same year for Christmas. 

Though, to be honest, I bought it earlier and just got the money for Christmas.

So I was playing the game, at that time, there were not enough mods, but I made due. I even started on the original game, though I don't like to play the original unles it has been transformed into a mod. So I'm hoping that Komag or someone will come through like Komag did with LoG 1's main map.

However, the character system has been revamped to almost perfection. Why almost? Well... They still have to add the choice of elven race to pick from. 

I mean, sure, I can just pick human and make my own portrait for them, but that's not elves...

On the other hand, it's now easier to play with only one character. Because regardless if you're a mage or a warrior, you have the same skillset. My recommendation for single cahracter playing is to pick a war mage or whatever it's called. 

Another thing, that has been ravamped, is the alchemy system. You no longer need flasks but on the other hand, you need to have at least one point in the alchemy skill in order to actually do alchemy. Also, if you have the correct ingredients, it let's you brew potions that permanently raise your strength, stamina, vitality and so on. In Legend of Grimrock 1, this was only possible through mods, for example the mod called Forbidden Halls, which is perfect and if you play Grimrock, I think you should give it a try. 

There were other things that were improved, an entire race was added and new portraits were made, which really doesn't concern me, as I play almost strictly with custom portraits. Especially now, that I figured out how to put them in Grimrock 2. In order to put custom portraits in Grimrock 2, you have to name them in a speciall way. The name of the portrait needs to be: race_gender_something.tga

If named in any other way, the portraits won't work. I think. 

Okay, I checked my own portraits folder for LoG2 and yes, this is correct. You have to name them in that way or it won't work. 

Fun fact: Most of the custom portraits I'm using, are male. I think there are only two females. Maybe, but that's a big maybe, there are three, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Well, changes or no changes, the game is amazing and if you're into RPG, fantasy or dungeon crawlers, you just have to try it. Be it the first one or the second one. I think that the second one is better actually, but there's one thing missing. Apart from the elven race, but there's not much that I can do about that.
However, there's a mod missing in the Log2. And that would be the Forbidden halls for LoG2, but since the creator of the Forbidden Halls is no longer active and probably decided to go and crawl into some hole or something, let's just say, that that will probably not be happening.
Oh well... I'll just have to find a mod that's even better than that.
Bye.
~AnnElfwind