Monthly Archives: April 2016

Give LotRO a proper ending

Posted on April 29, 2016 by SynCaine

LotRO and I have a long history. It was one of the first MMOs I played with my wife that she really got into, and for a time I enjoyed the game despite its many issues. Its one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lord of the Rings Online | 1 Comment

New Blizzard is, in fact, dumber than SOE at this point

Posted on April 26, 2016 by SynCaine

Remember way back in the WotLK days when (unknown to us at the time) New Blizzard said that 100+ character open-world battles in an MMO where technically impossible? I believe they said that the same day EVE had a 1000+ … Continue reading →

Posted in World of Warcraft | 18 Comments

EVE: The man who funded World War Bee

Posted on April 22, 2016 by SynCaine

Very good read over at Polygon about who funded the war against the Imperium, and just what it took. Pretty interesting that basically one guy, who is great at making ISK (and he wasn’t selling skill books or hauling badgers … Continue reading →

Posted in EVE Online | 15 Comments

WoW: Churn and burn

Posted on April 22, 2016 by SynCaine

The closing of a private WoW server has sparked some good debate, particularly around my favorite fact (not topic) of discussion; that WoW stopped growing during WotLK, thanks in large part to the design changes made at that time. Az … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, World of Warcraft | 18 Comments

Update on CoC, CR, and BB. HS is dead

Posted on April 19, 2016 by SynCaine

Quick update on the mobile gaming front. We have one open spot in both Clash Royale and Boom Beach, along with two spots in Clash of Clans. Search for “Supreme Cream!” to find us, and state you are a blog … Continue reading →

Posted in Boom Beach, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Inquisition Clan, iPhone, Steam Stuff | 8 Comments

Zombasite doesn’t actually play like a Diablo-clone

Posted on April 18, 2016 by SynCaine

I’m digging deeper into Zombasite, and the time spent is being rewarded. The biggest shocker? I don’t really look at the game as a traditional ARPG (Diablo-clone) anymore, because the focus of the game just isn’t the same. That’s hugely … Continue reading →

Posted in Random | Comments Off on Zombasite doesn’t actually play like a Diablo-clone

One man and a million copies later

Posted on April 15, 2016 by SynCaine

Stardew Valley has sold more than 1 million copies already, and it’s a game made by one man. It’s also very good, as I noted briefly here. I think the success of such a game is important for the industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Random, Steam Stuff | 2 Comments

Vanilla WoW today would have more subs than current WoW

Posted on April 14, 2016 by SynCaine

All the recent talk of vanilla WoW is right in my wheelhouse, and not just because its yet another feather in my giant cap of “things SynCaine was right about long before everyone else caught up”, but also because you … Continue reading →

Posted in EQ2, Final Fantasy XIV, MMO design, RMT, Tobold being Wrong, World of Warcraft | 56 Comments

The beatings shall continue

Posted on April 12, 2016 by SynCaine

Ho hum, another major GotY aware goes to Fallout 4. Let’s all pretend to be surprised…

Posted in Fallout 3 | 2 Comments

Zombasite is a deep indie ARPG

Posted on April 11, 2016 by SynCaine

Full disclosure: I was contacted by the devs of Zombasite and sent a free Steam key. This write-up is based on about 4 hours with the game. Zombasite is a Diablo-like game with some interesting and often confusing systems layers … Continue reading →

Posted in Random, Review | Comments Off on Zombasite is a deep indie ARPG