Syp’s gaming goals for December 2018

November 2018 in review

• Easily, the entire month was dominated by my excitement for and subsequent adventures on Lord of the Rings Online’s new progression server, Anor. While I dinked around with a few classes, I ended up sticking with my initial choice of Hobbit Minstrel and had a great time leveling, questing, and even grouping.
• I officially ended my current run in World of Warcraft, as Battle for Azeroth and Patch 8.1 feel like they have nothing exciting to offer me. I even stored all my auction house inventory!
• Star Wars: The Old Republic got a couple of play sessions, but no where near as many as I had anticipated putting in. I’m on the fence whether or not to continue right now.
• I couldn’t wait for Fallout 76, but when it came I was less-than-enthused due to my LOTRO fever and the half-and-half nature of the game design. I did get in a few short adventuring sessions, but it wasn’t the ride I had anticipated.
• Two Dungeons and Dragons Online grouping nights kept my social needs met, and we had fun wrapping up Waterworks.
• I wrapped up a full playthrough of the classic adventure game Grim Fandango.
• I also got in one last WildStar run before it shut down.

December 2018’s goals

• I think it’s entirely reasonable to expect that my LOTRO Minstrel will be at level 50 by the end of the month, although I doubt I’ll be through all of the content by then. If I’ve only got one or two zones left by the 31st, that’ll be a good run.
• I haven’t quite given up on Fallout 76, so I’m sure I’ll poke my head in there now and then.
• I feel like I’ve narrowed my MMO gaming stable down to, uh, one game and that makes me a bit nervous. I’m going to try or return to a few more titles this month to see if any have potential stickiness — FFXIV, Path of Exile, and Star Citizen are all possibilities.
• I want to finish Pillars of Eternity this month and start in on another single-player RPG. There. I’ve put that out there to keep myself accountable.
• In addition to group time, I may get back to my Artificer on DDO and see if I can’t wrap up Mists of Ravenloft.
• And that’s pretty much it. There aren’t any big releases I want, and I’m sure that the holiday schedule will be crazy enough as it is.

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Syp’s gaming goals for November

October 2018 in review

• Generally, this was a pretty good month of gaming as my new schedule started to solidify and I settled into life here in western NY.
• While I got my gear up to around 340 in World of Warcraft, I started to feel listless and bored with Battle for Azeroth. Thus, I decided to spin down a bit in that game.
• Lord of the Rings Online got an increased amount of attention from me as I logged in nearly every day. I finally pushed through Northern Mirkwood and got through most of Dale with my Lore-master.
• Our Dungeons and Dragons Online group had a few fun play sessions together — mostly doing Halloween stuff — and I had fun hanging with Guild Wars 2 peeps as we ran spider races and beat down the Mad King.
• Almost out of the blue, I got back into Star Wars: The Old Republic. I made a new Sniper and started working her up through the class story, getting to around level 35.
• Other gaming: Rimworld, Grim Fandango (for retro gaming), Clash Royale, and Bloons 6.

November goals

• I’m truly excited about two major launches this month. The first is LOTRO’s new progression server, which I’ll be diving into enthusiastically. Probably with a Hobbit. Most likely a Minstrel. I’m actually in a really good place in my interest level for the game right now and am looking forward to experiencing it all over again.
• The second is the release of Fallout 76 in the middle of the month. No specific plans with this other than to enjoy the ride and have fun exploring. I really hope this will scratch that post-apocalyptic MMO itch I’ve had for a while.
• I keep mulling over FFXIV and Elder Scrolls Online, but I know I’ll be more than busy this month — and I don’t want to spend more money than I have to with the holidays coming up.
• I’d be really happy with myself if I finished the core Imperial Agent story in SWTOR and started in on the expansions by the end of the month. It’s amazing how fast you can go when you’re not stopping to do every piddly sidequest and datacron.
• I’m going to continue to work (half-heartedly) toward Dark Iron Dwarves in WoW, and I’m sure I’ll hook up with DDO and GW2 groups from time to time.
• I also really need to get Stardew Valley on my iPad.

Syp’s Gaming Goals for October

September 2018 in review

• I was very right to keep my expectations light for this past month, because moving and getting used to a new job sucked up so much of my time that it often left very little for my usual gaming fun.
• That said, I did get my Death Knight in World of Warcraft to level 120 and started her on her gearing journey. She still has a good chunk of two zones left to do, but that felt like a good accomplishment for the limited time I had. However, this meant that I had to all but abandon my Hunter and sorely neglect my Horde Warlock.
• Our DDO group didn’t manage to meet for this month, alas.
• I did get in a couple of sessions with Pillars of Eternity and was tempted into Neverwinter and Guild Wars 2. I also had some fun with Rimworld on my lunch breaks.
• Lord of the Rings Online got some more attention from me, which I felt was a good thing. I’m still stuck in the dark eves of Northern Mirkwood, but hopefully I’ll re-emerge any day now.

October 2018’s goals

• I’ll talk more about this tomorrow, but suffice to say that Guild Wars 2 might be getting some serious play time from me this month. I tested the water last week and found the temperature good, and so I started up a new Mesmer and found a guild. No huge goal here other than having fun and map completion!
• In World of Warcraft, I want to get my Warlock to 120, finish at least one of the two zones left for my DK, and get my DK geared up well into the 300s. A long-term goal is unlocking Dark Iron Dwarves, but that’s a ways to go.
• I’d like to make some good progress through the last update of LOTRO as the new one emerges on the scene. I thought about making a new character alt, but this probably isn’t the best time for that.
• Otherwise, I’ll give DDO a couple of sessions, keep pecking away at Pillars, and prepare myself for Fallout 76 in November!

Syp’s gaming goals for September 2018

August 2018 in review

• This month was easily divided into two era — pre-BFA and post-BFA — and the first half of the month was spent treading water until the expansion released. With moving and other career-changing activities, I had very little time for extra pursuits and didn’t feel as experimental.
• I did get a few strong Lord of the Rings Online sessions in as I explored around the Northern Mirkwood region and found myself delighted by the lands of Dale (especially when I got to actually, you know, see it!).
• My Dungeons and Dragons Online group met a few times and kept me entertained as we protected kobolds and pushed the difficulty levels in dungeons as high as we could go. My Druid got to level 6 and I found a bit of a groove as a healer.
• Once World of Warcraft pushed out Battle for Azeroth, I was playing that pretty much exclusively for the remainder of the month. For a change from how I approached Legion, I leveled up all three of my characters simultaneously, rotating through them at the pace of one per night. I certainly wasn’t the player who had a level 120 in the first day!
• Mobile gaming was sparse, but I enjoyed some Bloons 6 and Clash Royale.

September 2018’s goals

• I’m going very light on my goals this month as our family goes through this major transition. I am anticipating some internet outage and a few days of not even having a computer or desk. Hopefully not too long!
• That said, World of Warcraft is definitely going to get most of my time, and that’s just how it is. I’m having fun, there’s a TON of story that I’ve yet to do, and it’s absolute comfort gaming for me. My goal? By the end of the month I want all three of my characters at 120. Should be easy peasy.
• Lord of the Rings Online is a good contender for side activities, and I should do a session or two of Star Trek Online as well. I’m also encouraged to see movement on Fallen Earth’s front, and that might make for a fun blog series.
• Our Dungeons and Dragons Online group is changing nights to Fridays, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I have been thinking about taking my Artificer out for a spin now and then too.
• Special project for the month is to buckle down and really learn how Elite: Dangerous plays. I’d like to get out of the tutorial and try the MMO proper!
• It’s been on my mind that I want to finish Pillars of Eternity too, so I’m going to jot that down.

Syp’s Gaming Goals for August 2018

July in review

• It was a really weird month, gaming wise. I was off for two weeks on vacation, during which most of the time I didn’t have access to my computer. Also, I’ve felt rather blah toward most of my regular MMOs, so I didn’t force myself to play anything I didn’t want to.
• I was also in a holding pattern for World of Warcraft all month, although I did get to check out the new class changes for Patch 8.0. Ready for the expansion! I also have purchased enough tokens to pay for my subscription through May 2019, so go me.
• Tuesday nights remained a highlight every week, as I got to play with my regular Dungeons and Dragons Online group. We advanced to level 5 and tackled some quests in the Harbor, Marketplace, and Cerulean Hills.
• I did push a little bit into Star Trek Online: Victory is Life, but only beat the first two missions.
• I puttered about in Fallout 4, Pillars of Eternity, and The Sims 4, buying a couple of expansion packs for the latter and generally enjoying making new houses and families. I also played and beat Telltale’s Batman and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
• Mobile gaming was mostly Battleheart 2 and Clash Royale, because who needs anything more?

August’s gaming goals

• It’s going to be an even stranger month since our family is getting ready to move from Michigan to New York at the end of the summer. At some point I’m going to lose internet and time, so I’ll just have to roll with that.
• Obviously, the big attraction this month is Battle for Azeroth, and I am keyed up and ready to go! I have two Alliance and one Horde character ready to level, and I think I’ll be rotating between the three on a daily basis.
• In addition to regular DDO fun, I have a thirst for space games, so I bought a joystick and will be trying out Elite: Dangerous and No Man’s Sky. Wooosh!
• There’s a lot of content that could be tackled this month if I’m interested, such as the remaining STO missions, Mirkwood stuff in LOTRO, and some new/revised Secret World missions.
• Rend looks increasingly play-worthy as it enters early access. Should I give it a try?
• I’ve pondered some other MMOs for a change-up as well. Maybe it’s time to do some Elder Scrolls Online again or I don’t know what else. I need to get out of my very limited routine here.

What are your goals this month? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Syp’s Gaming Goals for July 2018

June in review

• Summer 2018 has turned out really strange for me, as I’ve been introducing a lot more single-player games into my diet, including Fallout 4, The Sims 4, and Pillars of Eternity. Don’t regret any of these, as I am enjoying the variety and making more progress in all of these games than before.
• I went on a few outings with my Dungeons and Dragons Online group as we plowed through lowbie quests on insanely high difficulty levels. As a Druid healer, it’s been an interesting challenge!
• I’m all caught up again in Secret World Legends, having finished up South Africa with a really trippy boss encounter inside Marquard’s mansion.
• Star Trek Online: Victory is Life has kind of underwhelmed me so far, although I’ve only completed two of the seven missions.
• Lord of the Rings Online only received two sessions from me, as I pushed further into Mirkwood and did the new summer picnic instance.
• I spent most of the month in a holding pattern in World of Warcraft, waiting for the expansion. Made money, shaped up my Horde alt, cleared out quest logs, and did the pre-pre-expansion artifact weapon quest.
• Bought several titles in the GOG and Steam sales for future play. And speaking of purchases, right at the end of the month I managed to (FINALLY) snag an NES Classic when it went back up on Amazon. Considering how much me and my kids play our SNES Classic, I’m looking forward to adding this to my collection.
• I started a new retro game series, this time going through Chrono Trigger on Steam. Very excited to blog about this favorite series of mine!

July’s gaming goals

• This is going to be another strange month for me. I’m taking a couple of weeks off for a much-deserved vacation, so I might be getting much more or much less gaming time as a result. I’m staying flexible there.
• Fortunately, there are no huge pressing releases that need my attention. Instead, I’ll be trucking forward as usual with my current rotation while perhaps trying out titles like Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture and Staxel.
• This means DDO grouping, a mission or two in Star Trek Online’s DS9 expansion, and more Mirkwood in Lord of the Rings Online.
• When the World of Warcraft pre-expansion patch hits, I’ll work through the scenarios and re-build my characters with the new talents. Shouldn’t take a lot of time there, but it’s still something new to do. I do need some better transmogs too.
• Maybe some Fallen Earth? It’s still installed, still waiting. But really my post-apocalyptic heart is with Fallout 4 and the upcoming Fallout 76.
• I have a huge backlog of mobile Telltale Games, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to start chewing through those.
• I’m really excited for one mobile game release — Battleheart 2 is coming this month!

Syp’s Gaming Goals for June 2018

May in review

• Two multi-day power outages and a failed hard drive took a big bite out of my gaming time this month. It did get me to play a bit more on my laptop, and I started up a new Pillars of Eternity campaign. Would love to finish this game one day!
• May was a big “wrap up” month for me in World of Warcraft, as I finished the last major goals for myself in Legion and found myself twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the expansion. So I rolled up a Rogue to amuse myself.
• I slowed down in my advancement through Star Trek Online, nearing level 50 and my desired Tier 6 ship. The DS9 expansion is definitely out of my reach for June, unless I want to go back to an older character. Hm.
• I got in a session or two with Secret World Legends, blasting my way through the Morninglight’s compound in South Africa and finding all manner of disturbing experiments there.
• In Dungeons and Dragons Online, I continued a relatively hot streak through Mists of Ravenloft. Mad tea parties and castles filled with angry ghosts? I’m all over it!
• There were a few good nights of Lord of the Rings Online exploring in Northern Mirkwood. Place is going to take me forever to finish!
• I also gave the Dauntless open beta a try and messed around with Clash Royale and Fallout Shelter on my iPad.

June’s gaming goals

• With the school season winding down, I’m looking forward to a month with less work and responsibilities (knock on wood). So my biggest personal goal this month is to get outside of my usual games and be more free to try other titles. I have a couple in mind, but I’m going to stay open to this notion and not make any definite plans. A tour around MMOs that I haven’t given a try yet seems overdue. At the very least, I like the idea of dedicating a night to my Try-It Tuesdays series.
• I think I’ll most likely switch over to my older Star Trek Online captain in order to putter around in the Victory is Life expansion. I’ll also get in a session with Secret World Legends to finish up that patch.
• I’m hooking back up with my old DDO group, which has been going strong for eight or nine years now. Want to do some group runs on a new character!
• There’s certainly a lot of content ahead of me in Lord of the Rings Online, and I might start transmog hunting again in World of Warcraft. Maybe go on a dungeon crawl? Work on my much-neglected Warlock?
• Pie-in-the-sky goal: I’d really love to make a lot of headway in Pillars of Eternity.
• Pie-in-the-sky goal #2: Time to resurrect retro game reviews? Anyone miss those? Any suggestions?