We’re in the final countdown to the headstart and launch of WildStar. But the excitement and anticipation are no substitute for actually playing the game. I am currently very grateful that we can count the number of days left to wait on one hand. But even though other MMO I play regularly is in the middle of a content drought that is expected to last for months, at least I can log in and play. What’s a girl to do with no WildStar even available? How have I been coping since Beta ended, and what will pass the time until May 31?
Waiting
Other Games
I have been playing WoW and Diablo3 a bit more again since WildStar isn’t taking up all of my gaming time. Last week I met my goal of getting a character reasonably geared up for the Herald of the Titans achievement in WoW, and since then I’ve been puttering around on alts. I still get baffled when I can’t dash, double jump or hit Shift to sprint, though. It is funny how fast you get used to those mechanics. In D3 I’ve just been taking advantage of the +100% chance to find legendaries. Even though none of my characters are very advanced in the “endgame” it is still fun to see those orange shinies dropping a bit more often. Both of these games are the equivalent of comfort food for me. They fulfil a need to unwind, hang out with my friends, and kill some monsters in a comfortable, familiar way.
Planning for WildStar
This takes 2 forms. There’s the real-life planning that is going to hopefully make headstart extra seamless and fun for me. This includes making sure both my cats and I are stocked up with food and supplies for a few days, getting any cleaning and chores out of the way by Friday afternoon, and putting in some extra hours at work so I can have an extra day to play. The other side of WildStar planning is figuring out what I will do with those precious headstart days in-game. Will I try to power level? Work on crafting? Reserve lots of alt names? Also this downtime gives me a chance to think creatively about what I want to build first when I get my in-game house.
Right now I am leaning toward taking my time and seeing as much of the questing and storylines as I can. But I have a guild of awesome folks I enjoy playing with, so I am sure that if I start falling behind in levels I will push myself to catch up just so I can run adventures and dungeons. I was a bit intimidated by healing and only tried it once in Beta, but I definitely want to make it a priority to try again when the game is live.
I find that the first month or so when a new game launches can be the most frustrating and the most rewarding. Servers will be crowded, some bugs will still not be fixed, but the game will be full to bursting with people who are excited about the game. The world will never feel so full and alive as it will in those first few weeks, and I plan to enjoy it!
Moonshine Mansion 