Tag: guild wars 2

Video Game Article

Mounts Done RIGHT – The Amazing Mount System in Guild Wars 2

By Angie | Backlog Crusader on

I have always been a huge sucker for pets and mounts in video games. If I get to own, raise, ride, or play with animals of any kind, chances are I’ll love whatever game it is. When I used to play World of Warcraft I would spend ages running old raid content for the 2% chance of rare mount loot drops. As in “Sorry I can’t go out to dinner, gotta run Icecrown Citadel on my 10th alt before weekly raid reset.” (It was a sickness, really.)

When a mount system was finally added to Guild Wars 2 last year in the Path of Fire expansion, I was ecstatic! In developer interviews on the subject, ArenaNet calls their design philosophy the “Joy of Movement”, and it is indeed an absolutely joy to collect and ride these incredibly well designed mounts. Each type of mount has a specific mechanical purpose and handles very differently, rather than being a series of model re-skins as is seen inmost MMOs. Mounts in Guild Wars 2 are essentially a case study is how to do mounts right. Giddy-up!

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Other Nerd Stuff

My Hoard of Dragons

By Angie | Backlog Crusader on

Dragons always meant a lot to me because it was the first thing I ever learned to draw, a skill taught to me by my first, true best friend in my early teens. We would spend hours upon hours reading fantasy novels (also with dragons in them of course), drawing, and playing games like Spyro and Kingdom Hearts. Since then dragons have represented the personification of imagination and creativity to me.

Dragons are in nearly every culture’s mythology, they show up all over the world, and they can look so different – a million different designs from a million different minds, yet represent all the same idea. I’ve collected dragon figures, sculptures, carvings, etc. since I was a kid and I’d love to show you some of them!

This is just an image post, but if there’s any interest I’d be happy to talk about the artists and studios behind some of the pieces, where I found them, what games and films they are from, and so on. I also have a lot more not pictured (don’tjudgemeokay) I can share. Just let me know!

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  • Aurelion Sol and The Shatterer
  • Fire Emblem Fates
  • Itty bitty
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Gamer Culture Humor Serious

Video Games, Cleavage, and You – Player Agency in Character Customization

By Angie | Backlog Crusader on

Recently I was asked what my opinion was on large bust size of female video game characters and I thought that would be a great topic for a longer post. The short answer is: The size of a female character’s bust surprisingly does not matter. What does matter is whether that particular physical trait is forced on the player and if or how a character’s attire and animations (chest thrust, “come hither” expression, etc.) highlight it. Some gamers love to play seductive characters, while others prefer reserved or practical looks. Both are fine! The key factor is player agency.

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