Just some quick hits for today.
I finally, for the first time, beat The Witcher. My previous two attempts both fell short due to mass bugs (at release) and a comp change (a few months ago). Now, on the new PC, with the enhanced edition, I was actually able to sit down, focus, and finish it. I still believe it’s one of the better RPGs to come out in recent years, and the story itself is pretty fantastic. If the sequel is nothing but more of the same (with more inventory space please), I’d be one happy gamer.
I have Heroes of Might and Magic 6 on pre-order, but that was delayed until September. I did a little research into the game over the weekend, and it’s looking very solid. Hopefully the multiplayer is Heroes 3-ish. If it is, I expect many early mornings lost to ‘just one more turn’. Heroes has long been one of my all-time favorite TBS series, right up there with Civilization.
Finally, the HBO series Game of Thrones has so far been some great viewing. I’ve not read the books (I know), so everything that is happening is new to me, and the plot twists so far have been interesting. I’d normally start watching something like this on DVR right as the series ends, but I’m hooked right now and have been watching the episodes on Sunday when they come out. Good stuff.
As for Rift, 1.2 could be a make or break patch for me. If the nerf to dungeon difficulty is as extreme as it sounds, I’m not sure how long the game will hold my attention. The overworld stuff (questing, rifts, invasions, etc) is already themepark easy, leaving only the dungeons as challenging content to push players (themepark PvP is a joke IMO, and hence does not count). If those become AoE-fest speed-runs of exploding loot-piñatas tuned to the lowest PUG group, no thanks.
Hardcore Casual 
I really hope HoMM6 will prove to be something good, I’ve been longing for a good HoMM since the third installation. Everyone says Game of Thrones is so good! I suppose I will just have to start watching it myself.
So, when Rift falls by the wayside, is it back to Darkfall or have you got another long-term (i.e. MMO) game lined up?
And, yeah, HoMM6 is looking pretty sharp, all I really need now is a solid RTS title that’s like Wrarcaft 3 only much, much longer (in both match times and campaign completion times.)
Also: AGoT has been fairly underwhelming for me; yeah, it’s great, but the tv series isn’t really capturing most of the characters (Tyrion, Ned and Jaime all have something “off” about them that doesn’t fit with my mind, and Brienne, Davos and Stannis aren’t in yet) that I loved in the books.
If Rift does fall, I think I’m going back to DarkFall. Whenever I log back in, I keep being reminded how superior the combat is, and really, so long as I get into a solid active clan, there really is no reason not to play.
Mortal Online not an option?
I’ve heard nothing good about MO since it’s release, and people are still saying it’s a technical mess, so short of something REALLY changing my opinion, no, MO is not on the radar right now.
I loved George Martin’s Ice and Fire books (wish he would hurry up and finish the series) so I am really looking forward to the TV series. Sadly at the moment it is only available on a pay channel I don’t subscribe to over here so I will have to wait a bit longer.
I can’t wait for Homm6 as well; favorite game of all time!
I wouldn’t worry about not reading Martin’s series. I think they are really good books, but on the other hand, I read them as they were published. Book 1 came out ~15 years ago now, I barely remember it at this point. Enjoy the TV show instead.
If those become AoE-fest speed-runs of exploding loot-piñatas tuned to the lowest PUG group, no thanks.
So then you will go back to WoW, where the heroic dungeons are actually hard in this expansion?
By the time I get through the leveling grind, WoW will have shut down, given the rate it’s dying at. Much rather return to a game that’s still growing, like DarkFall.
Derp?
Yeah, population on NA-1 isn’t at an all-time low or anything. But wait, the miracle expansion/patch/re-launch/whatever is coming in 2010!
The game is vaporware and has been dying for 2+ years now. We know.
Stop watching. Buy the books. Read the books. Then buy the comic book side stories. Then go back in time far enough to complain that the newest book will never come out and then do that.
In all seriousness it’s a good time to start reading the books since the next one will come out June 14th.
Halfway through the Mistborn trilogy atm (which so far is pretty damn good). Maybe after that, although it could kinda ruin the show for me.
Just finished the first one myself. Really well-written. Waiting for Rift to introduce the Allomancer soul!!