Thursday 5 June 2003

Pic of the day: A paladin in midgard. Screenshot from Dark Age of Camelot.

Lessons from a game

Actually, I felt kinda weak or rather limp, like a wet noodle or something. But I could still play Dark Age of Camelot quite well. I was even so lucky that I got on my second keep raid on the cooperative server.

While there, I and another paladin were guarding one another. (This is a feature in which people with shield can block some attacks aimed at another, without losing their ability to block attacks against themselves.) Something caused the other paladin to inquire as to my level of shield skill. This was slightly less than maximum (43 out of 47 possible, as 47 is Itlandsen's current level) and he implied that I ought to maximize shield rather than use those points on parry, which after all only defends yourself.

Now the paladin who said this was level 50, and his own shield skill was 42 out of 50 possible. So it might have been natural to tell him to put his points where his mouth was, practice before he preach, and so on. But that is not how I live anymore. If something is a good idea, it does not matter how undeserving the person is who says it. This is, in fact, the reason why I keep writing some of the stuff I do. Even if I am not a great person, I still have some great ideas! So it behooves me to do unto others the same thing, right? Listen to what they say, rather than to what they do, if what they say is better.

After the raid, I re-specced (re-specialized, changed my skills). For some reason, I was allowed to re-spec one skill, even though I was not level 20 or 40. I think it is an option I have retained from one of the major changes ... I have played this character for many months, on and off. It is a one way trip, though. I can not change back. I dropped quite a few levels of parry and got about half as many levels of shield skill instead. Then I went to a familiar dungeon and tested my new skills. I seem to take more damage when playing alone against monsters around my own level, even though I also raised the realm ability Mastery of Blocking level 3. But it is supposed to be better against high-level monsters, and anyway the important part is that I am a better guardian.

I also spent seven of my valuable realm points on getting Augmented Strength 1 & 2, and Lifter 1. While augmented strength may help me do slightly more damage with my weapons, the main point was to be able to carry parts for siege engines. It is of course not entirely selfless, all of this. I am trying to be a better companion on siege raids, because I want to be on as many siege raids as possible. I really like them. It is great fun, now that I play on the cooperative server and don't need to kill other player characters.

Later in the evening, some from the same group asked me to come with them to Raumarik, to hunt a quest mob there. I thought it was all about an epic quest, and I was quite willing to come. After all, epic quests are impossible to complete alone, and each class has one. If I want others to help me, it is natural that I help them. In fact, even if the people I help are not going to help me, there may be others who will. If we all help each other, it will even out in the end.

What I did not know, was that the rest of the group was on an item quest. After we had finished our lengthy expedition (and I had died defending a healer that was like 10-15 levels low to be there) I discovered that we had been on an artifact quest, and that the rest of them went to claim a nifty magical item as a reward. My reward would have been a decorative, magic, high-level weapon ... if I had talked to the right non-player character before the quest. Nobody had mentioned this to me, and I had not asked.

But then again, I had not expected a reward, and I did not get a reward. So it was actually fair. Next time, however, I will know better. Knowledge is also a kind of reward. And it is easy to carry ... well, if you carry it right, anyway.