Final Teams: FFIV

So I just played (or replayed) Final Fantasy IV (or II as i remember it, but I'll call it IV to not confuse myself.) on the DS. Although I got to Zeromus and got wiped out by one move, I'd say it was a fun playthrough that brought back a lot of memories (although I don't remember the game being as difficult as they made it).

It also made me think about all the characters I've ever come across in RPGs. In most games nowadays, you can pretty much customize your characters and pick and choose which ones you want in your party. In Final Fantasy IV, characters are switched in and out depending on storyline, and your final lineup is fixed.

So what would my final lineups be?

If you plan on playing these games (or have not played but wish to play), there will be spoilers. Just a warning. 

FINAL FANTASY IV

Cecil was the character you had throughout the whole game, and considering his transformation, you can't help but feel a little attached to having him in the party. He got along with everyone he met, and he actually had a conscience on right and wrong (which I guess makes him a natural protagonist/leader). On top of that, he's a beast of a tank. Well actually, he's one of the only characters that can seem to take any damage at all. A solid choice as an off-support to cast that Protect and Shield when not casted by...

Tellah. You thought I'd say Rosa? Honestly, I can do without the whole girlfriend/damsel in distress thing (she gets deathly sick AND kidnapped? Too much hassle). Instead, I'd rather take a respected old coot who wants to take revenge in his own hands. When you first get him in the party, he is a welcomed addition with his powerful white AND black magic (and osmose early game. Nice). Now, I know in the game, he's capped at 90 MP (unless you use Soma Drops in the DS version), but the only spell that needs more than that is Meteo, and I don't see a need to cast it because it takes much longer to cast than other spells while not doing substantially more damage. And let's assume that he does get more MP in the game. That would make him a very, very strong choice as a mage for the team. Either way, casting attack spells would be secondary to the white magic for him, because that job belongs to...

Rydia. I think she's a natural choice. When you first get her as a little kid, she's weak as heck. If you didn't put her in the back row, she was a pain to try to level up, as an imp could one shot her. Thennnnn she gets eaten by Leviathan (or so they make you think). But when she appears out of nowhere as you're about to get killed by Golbez (which I'm still kinda confused about how she found us), she has an arsenal of summons to call, and advanced black magic as she learns while leveling up. Just to be able to summon Bahamut makes her a winner in my book. And if the situation called for healing, she had Asura or Sylph to heal up the party. She's also not your typical black mage in Final Fantasy games, with no pointy hat and blue robe. (Up to this point in final fantasy history, girls have been designated the "white mage"). She's also got green hair! And I think Rosa in one of the menu screen speech bubbles in DS stated "Everyone that meets Rydia adores her". Especially...

Edge. When I first played the game when I was 5, I thought he was the coolest character. With the introduction of voice acting, he was kinda annoying and appeared irresponsible to his kingdom. On top of that, he was quick-tempered and kinda hot headed. However, his coolness factor is just too much to overcome, and his anger is kinda legitimate (he just lost his parents, thrusting him into kingship post-game. Also lovestruck post-game). He's got an assortment of ninjutsu to cast (albeit, they're kinda weak), he can throw all your useless weapons for damage (or shirukens that can be bought. Or a spoon for 9999 damage) and he's the only character in the game that can steal. He also gets bonus points for having the coolest sprite in the SNES game because he's a flippin ninja! He's one of two characters in the game that can dual-wield. The other who is....

Yang. The Grandmaster of Fabul gets the last nod. When you first get him, there are several things to note. He has a lot more HP than other characters you've played as so far, he attacks with both his fists, and he can KICK THE ENTIRE ENEMY TEAM. He also stopped a death-ray cannon from firing by presumably kung-fuing it to destruction (and pretty much sacrificing his life). You can also throw in his wife to add to the cool factor. After finding him unconscious, she gives you a frying pan to hit him in the head. Imagine what kinda damage that'd do to Zeromus..

Honorable Mention

FuSoYa. Being able to cast white and black magic, he's somewhat of a Tellah clone, but unlike Tellah, he didn't have much backstory to get much attachment. Yes, he's from the moon. Yes he volunteered to stay behind to watch for Zemus, but he's somewhat of an afterthought of a character (oh yeah. He happened). On a side note he also [hilariously] looks like a mop when he gets KO'd. But because he did happened, he gets an honorable mention.

Why Not....

I left out two of the final 5. I already kinda mentioned why I didn't like Rosa. The only special thing she had was Aim, which I never really used.

But I spose the more surprising choice is Kain. In the beginning, it's debating who was cooler; him or Cecil. But as the story progresses, he leaves your team a couple times because his brain was controlled, and even gives the last crystal to Golbez. To make things worse, you find out that he was easily brainwashed because he was lovestruck. Sure he can jump for a lot of damage, but most of the time, it's like he's ditching the team, then attacking when it's convenient. And when he does get hit, he's too busy jumping to get healed correctly. Outside of jumping, he can't really do much. Then in the ending, he doesn't even attend Cecil and Rosa's wedding/coronation because he wants "to become a better dragoon", when the real reason is probably avoiding the hurt due to jealousy.

So there you have it. My choice for the final 5 in Final Fantasy IV.

Rune Factory 3: Harvest Moon with a Plot!

So with all the traveling I've done these past few weeks (and being locked in because of a hurricane), I found myself replaying an old game that I absolutely fell in love with; Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon.

If you like Harvest Moon and action RPGs, this game is for you. 

At first glance (or even from the screenshot), one could be turned off by the rather pastel-ish art, but man. You would miss a true gem of a game.

The game follows an amnesiac monster/human who finds himself in a town of some quirky characters. You then live in the Sharance Tree, where you learn to farm, cook, forge, and even fish. You then make your way to befriending the entire town by giving them gifts or doing some minor quests, all while making a profitable farm and watching your assets grow.

What made this game so addicting was the action RPG elements added alongside the traditional Harvest Moon games.

Many many skills to level up, which contribute to your overall level.

You can travel outside of town, where you will find monsters and beasts that you can kill and loot, or whom you can also befriend if you'd like. There's even a natural storyline, where you'll be put up against bosses.

Building up my relationship with a potential wife ;

The thing I like about this game is that there's not a set way to play the game. While yes, some methods are more efficient and profitable than others, you don't necessarily need to farm to make money. Or you don't need to only fight monsters to level up. But the game also gives you the option if you'd like to. This eliminates the repetitive nature of the traditional harvest moon games, where you can choose to farm one day, then just to do something different, spend the entire next day fishing. While there still is a repetitive element to the game, you don't feel as rushed as other games, where you feel like you are required to partake in a schedule (where the first 2 hours of the day is lost to farming). For the most part, this game is pretty laid back and relaxed.

The surprisingly therapeutic (and profitable) fishing

Also, while there is and ending to the plot of the story, there is no real ending to the game itself. There's even a kinda meta-game dungeon that you can delve into for better loot, or just for fun purposes.

Hacking and slashing at an aggressive pineapple. Yes, a pineapple.

I remember the first time I played this game, I started on a car ride from Gainesville to Miami (six hours) and I couldn't put it down for the entire time. Then when i rediscovered this game a few weeks ago, the same thing happened. This game is just that addictive and fun.

Kongregate Day: Jacksmith

Every so often, I'll find myself on Kongregate.com. Apparently, I'm an achievement addict.
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Today, I will be playing Jacksmith, tagged as a "Time Management, Fantasy, Business" game.

Here's the given description of the game:

Man the forge and craft your best weapons for your warriors in Jacksmith! You’re a donkey on a mission that takes you across the land, but the trails are blocked by a variety of monsters — time to call in the local warrior clans for help! You’ll design swords, bows, shields, and other weapons in a completely hands-on blacksmith shop. When all of your soldiers are equipped, it’s off to battle to fight your way further down the path! While the warriors fight, you’ll need to gather loot and help out with your trusty cannon. Collect better ores and parts to make even better weapons, and keep making progress across the land towards the evil wizard Dudley!


http://www.kongregate.com/games/FliplineStudios/jacksmith?tab=achievements
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Quite different from the normal kongregate games I'm use to playing. Rather than the one doing the hacking and slashing, you are the one who are providing the weapons for the hacking and slashing.

So essentially there are two phases to the game; one when you set up shop, making weapons in a Cooking Mama fashion based on the demand of your warrior customers, and two is when the warriors take the weapons you make and bring them to battle against foes who seem to bleed gems and materials.

Making a sword. In almost a Cooking Mama way

 Making the weapons is pretty simple. The game provides in game tutorials for each weapon the first time you make it, and depending on what parts you use to put it together, you can make "epic" weapons, which boost the stats of your party.

As the game progresses, you get access more base weapons to forge, and more epic recipes to create.

Epic weapons boost your team's stats dramatically.

I know this game calls itself a time management game, but there isn't the same kind of rush that you get from a Diner Dash-type game. The faster you complete it, the more gems you get, but it really isn't a dramatic amount. Also, the customer's don't get angry at you if you take a long time, so there isn't a real penalty for taking your time. While time management enthusiasts won't get the same rush from similar games, I prefer the casual, laid back style that Jacksmith offers.

Taking multiple orders while customers wait patiently.

Ah. A happy customer who understands a blacksmith can't be perfect every time!

 There's not much to do in the combat phase. Depending on the grade of your weapon, the mercenaries will either steamroll the mobs, or your weapons will break and you'll watch your valiant heroes run away. As you level up, you gain skills to help them while in combat, like a cannonball to launch at your foes.

Gems and ores seem to bleed out of mobs

Fat loots at the end.

Overall, Jacksmith is an entertaining game that will definitely fill in some time. It offers simple gameplay and entertaining cinematics for the casual gamer, as well as a ton of loot and recipes to unlock for those who really enjoy the game.

Level 100. Huzzah!

I finally hit level 100 today on War of the Immortals. I think this is the second time I hit triple digits in any game (the other being Atlantica).

Compared to other games, it seemed rather quick. Although it literally takes 5 hours to get to level 60, the rest of the levels took a couple months, which 90-100 taking a week per level. According to the game, I've been logged in for 15,480 minutes, which translates to about 258 hours.

Honestly, it feels like such an empty accomplishment currently. The next gear upgrades are at levels 103, 105, and 107. So while I get a new Instance to explore, I actually don't get any stronger. So...that kinda stinks....

Anyhoo. Level 100!

Jetpack Joyride: Everything's Better with a Jetpack. And upgrades.

I'm sure the idea of this game isn't new. I'm pretty sure I played the heck out of that Helicopter java/flash game during my Typing 101 class in high school.

But Jetpack Joyride injects new blood into this genre, throwing in lasers, rockets, upgrades, missions, slots, and vehicles.

One of the may vehicles: A bird car/plane thingy

Banking on the slots

The gameplay is quite simple. Press down to fly up, let go to fall down. Dodge the income rockets, the spinning electric beams, the floating lasers, and pick up coins to get as far as you can.

Spend coins on upgrades or clothes to change your avatar, or buy different upgrades to help you during your escape from the lab. 

Missions!

Enough customization to last a while

The missions add to the depth of the game. So rather than just trying to get as far as you can, there are other goals that you can try to accomplish during that process. 

Each vehicle is spawned randomly from the magical rainbowy box, and each vehicle has a different function. They also act as an extra life, as the vehicle gets destroyed, but you still keep on running.

One of the cool gameplay things that sets it apart from other similar games is the fact that you don't die when you hit the ground or if you're head mashes the ceiling. You just continue running (or flying) as normal. I guess the devs realized there was enough to worry about with lasers and missles to be worrying about altitude.

Overall, this is a highly addicting game. Especially if you're into unlocking everything. The fact that you can jump right in from the loadscreen makes this one of the best casual, pick up and just play titles that I've seen on the Droid so far.

Connect the Dots: Flow Free

Another Droid app game review...

How do you play this game? You connect colors to their corresponding other half while trying to fill up the board. No overlapping of different colors.

Literally. Just connect the dots.

Sounds as fun as your elementary school days with a sheet of paper and a crayon, connecting the dots?

Now what if you had other kids around you trying to do it faster than you?

Honestly, flow free isn't my cup of tea. Yeah, the difficulty gets more difficult as you get a larger board and more colors. But as a quick play puzzle game, I enjoy it more in spurts.

The normal puzzle game.

So throw in a little competition, and this game is right up my alley. So my friends and I started to compare time trial scores. On a 5x5 board. In 30 seconds.

And little did we know, the seemingly basic game got somewhat addicting.

So far, my best in 30 seconds is 7 completed boards. The highest amongst my friends is 8.

My high scores on a 5x5 board. 4 minutes is a long time...

Anyone out there hit double digits yet?

Beastie Bay: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Playing

So I just recently got a smartphone, and like most people who first get a new toy, I looked for games. I've sifted through a ton, only played a few for longer than 15 minutes.

Then I came across Beastie Bay, developed by Kairosoft (apparently it's like, their millionth game they've released).

Beastie Bay is a mix of like..Pokemon/Dragon Quest/Sim City. You start off on a deserted island, explore unknown territories, befriend random animals (and robots?) by throwing bait at them, build a self-sufficient economy of food and wood, then build an attractive town to lure tourists from other islands to generate funds.

Dragon Quest-esque Battling System

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So. Here are a few things that I wish I knew before I started playing. This sure isn't everything, but I hope this can help someone. 

Tourists can't make it past the first part of my island because I blocked off EVERYTHING. Smart city layouts..

 1. Build Close to the dock: You might not start near it, so you don't know what I'm talking about. But when you make your way to the dock, you want to build closer to there. Why? So tourists can visit your shops and buildings for you to get money, and you don't have to invest so much on roads.

2. Efficient with House/Pasture/Building Placement: When someone inhabits a house, they're able to harvest from the 8 squares surrounding them. With that said, you can (and should) space out your homes a bit to maximize efficiency of what your islanders can gather. The bottom picture is a terrible example of what you should do. 

3. Wood is more Important than Food: When I first started the game, I got scared that when my food count went low, I'd die. Or something. Like normal humans. And creatures. But in this game, there's no penalty for hitting 0 food. With that said, go ahead and research Forestry as much as you can once your food kinda stabilizes. You need tons of wood for research. Which brings me to...

Wood. Research. Huzzah

4. RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH: You should always be researching something. If anything, you should be researching as much as you can at one time (you can research multiples). This will make the the game much smoother and more fast pace once you get certain upgrades. Researching takes a heckload of wood though, so make sure you have enough trees to chop down.

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Clearly, I'm not super far into the game, but already I have some hindsight regret, wishing I had done certain things differently. I'm sure there's more to expand on this post later!

But for now, if you're a fan of RPGs and building sims, I highly recommend this free game.

Pokemon: More Than Just Catching Them All

So apparently, slapping on a number after the title and throwing in a random storyline constitutes as a brand new game.

I'm sold.

And like billions of other people, I too have played Pokemon Black/White 2.

And I could write a review about it, but what hasn't been said already:

- They keep coming out with new pokemon
- You still start out as some kid who ends up defeating people who trained their whole life
- You still gotta catch them all

somewhere along the generations, you stopped being a kid who fought with Pokemon for fun and became the person who ends up saving the world. Hm..

But still, people keep buying these games...

Anyway, I'd also like to take this time to justify the nerdiness behind Pokemon. While the single-player gameplay is still reminiscent of the original Red and Blue, (minus a few tweaks that make the game better), Pokemon becomes an entirely different entity when you're talking about competitive battling.

That's right. Competitive battling.

There are people who spend countless hours testing calculating Pokemon strengths, weaknesses, and strategies.

Heck, there's even somewhat of an unofficial governing-type entity over Pokemon battling matters (good ole Smogon). And battling is more than just what the normal game may suggest; it's not just putting out a Pokemon that has a type-advantage over some NPC, but with someone else thinking and anticipating your moves on the other side, Pokemon battles become somewhat enjoyable to partake in, and even to watch. And ridiculously enough, you even need to study to really understand what each Pokemon is capable of.

Here's a video of kinda what I mean from one of my favorite Pokemon Youtubers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7b3bOQ6lY

So to an extent, I'd say the persistent existence of Pokemon, and the continuation of generations is much needed for the fanbase, such as a DLC or expansion is needed for MMORPGs or other games in the like.

They just need better sprite designs.

I wonder who came up with the trash bag pokemon. Or the ice cream cone...

War of the Immortals (Quick Review)

Through the last 6 years, I have been searching for the "perfect" MMO.

This is far from it, but it sure is fun.

Initial Thoughts

War of the Immortals is the sequel to Battle of the Immortals (I've never played, but so I've heard). Being a Perfect World title, one can expect some decent customization of characters, along with some auto-walking and built in botting.

The first thing I noticed was the fast paced leveling. Questing is the way to go, and I literally got a level per quest up to level 35ish while not really paying attention to what was going on. After bouncing around, auto-walking and turning in some quests, you bump into your first Instance/Scenario at level 45, Magnetos, where you SHOULD find a party to steamroll your way through some monsters and some boss.

Sounds pretty cookie-cutter to the saturated MMO market. Well, it is. But the quick leveling sure got me hooked, and the amount of things to do kept me occupied. The quick leveling also allows you to test out different characters (War of the Immortals offers NINE classes) without too much of a time investment until you realize it sucks (or get bored).

Do your Dailies!

There are many instances and events that can be done once per day. Those are what take the bulk of your time, and quite frankly, is the most efficient way to level your character. So you don't have to spend a huge amount of time to be successful in the game, but have the option to go above and beyond if you'd like to. Monster killing is kept to a minimum, as the EXP gains from that are very, very low.

Social Activity
For me, the thing that sets games apart is the community. Guilds in this game are called Legions, and multiple legions can come together to become an Alliance. With this said, it is pretty easy to find parties or people to help you with whatever you need. They even reward higher level players who help out the lowbies, so it's not that huge of a hassle to find help either.

Soon enough, you'll find yourself being one of those higher level players who are helping the nubs getting to the upper echelon.

There are territory wars and occupation, as well as legion houses to broaden the interest level.


The player population, however, is quite small on the US servers. Ideally, there are three factions, and all would be filled up to compete for supremacy of Atlantis. The reality, there is only one that just dominates everyone.

End Game Stuff

While it may take about a total of 6 hours to get to level 70, from 70-80 would take about two levels per day, then 80-90, one level per day, then 90-100, about half or one third a level per day, so don't be fooled by the initial easy grind.

With that said, there is plenty to do in the meantime. There are several types of gears; one which is better for PvP, one better for PvE (and one that just destroys everything). Within that, there are enchantment and gems to insert to occupy your time, and suck away your money dry.

The PvP in this game is split between either PvP areas; maps where you're free to kill other players, and then there's also King of Combat, where it becomes a MOBA-type gameplay with vehicles and stuff like that. However, PvP doesn't really start until you hit level 100+, which would take a couple months to reach for a casual gamer.

You can pretty much buy anything with Zen (cash shop), which makes it unevenly balanced towards those who spend real money, but that's inevitable in any f2p title.

Overall

Honestly, if i didn't get lucky and find myself in a legion with some cool people, I would've quit this game at level 40. However, I've put 150+ hours already, and find myself having two level 90+ characters, an 80+, and some more random assortment of nubs waiting to be leveled.

There was nothing new about this game I haven't seen before, but if you're into games with quick levels, auto-combat/auto-walking, random assortment of vehicles, some end game depth, and bloodthirst for PvP, War of the Immortals might be a title to look into to entertain you for the time being.

Roaming the Borderlands once again!

So after shelling out $60 on the pre-order of Diablo 3, me along with the rest of the world was hesitant to shell out another $60 for another title that looked promising. I don't think I could've taken another heartbreak this year....until I found the pre-order on sale for $35. Jumped on that pretty quickly.

Welp, here's my run-through Borderlands 2! I'll keep this as spoiler free as possible.


Gameplay:

You've seen this before. It worked for the first game, so they added a mini-map on your screen (thank goodness) and you pretty much just wandered around, shot things to death, found nice loots, and progressed through the storyline

Borderlands 2 was not meant to be soloed. The game is much more fun with multiple people in game shooting alongside you. Although, I must warn you; you will die. And with more people in the game lobby, the enemies get more health and become stronger. Sounds like Diablo 3 Inferno?

The good news is that it makes it harder, but not impossible. I appreciated the fact that you couldn't just steamroll everything in the game, but at the same time you weren't stuck at any point because it was frustratingly difficult. And you could actually kill stuff to find decent loot! (okay, Diablo3 bashing is over).






There are four classes again, all whom have pretty unique special abilities and suited individual player's playstyles. In terms of skills, again, there are three skill trees to choose from or to mix and match, making the characters somewhat customizable.





Story:

This is what put the game into an upper echelon for me. Just. Yeah. I don't know how to write this section without spoilers.

Just know that the storyline was thought out very well. Characters were well developed. And....man. I don't think I've had a "hate" towards a video game character since Kefka of Final Fantasy VI.

For non-spoiling plot related stuff, the dialogue was written with such wit, I found myself laughing quite often. And while the game itself was serious, they did a great job in adding humor at the right times.

Items! So Many Items!

Along with the leveling system, something that sets Borderlands apart from other games is the loot system. It's pretty much the Diablo system (not bashing it), where drops are random, and pretty much no two guns are the same. While this is the formula for some grinding, I really didnt' mind it. It gave me something to work for. Also, having a boss after the final boss for some added difficulty  made it worth it to try to find nicer loots, rather than just settle for what you have.

Easter Eggs!!!

I'm usually not huge on these, but Borderlands 2 had so many easter eggs, it was impossible to ignore. From a Minecraft level (CREEPERS!) to references to Rocko's Modern Life, from Donkey Kong to a tribute to a fan who passed away from cancer, Borderlands did a great job in adding small details that made the game much more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

I don't think I would've minded buying this game at full price, but at $35, it was a steal. After the first playthrough, there are two more playthroughs for added difficulty, making the game have an added dimension with each run.

And while I admit, i ran through this game pretty quickly (i think my friends and I beat it in a week or two), to fully enjoy this game, I'm still playing it now, finding new easter eggs and hidden messages that the creators left for us to find.

The creators already have some DLCs planned for the future. And at this point, I'm pretty much just saying "Shut up and take my money"

Steam sale is here. TAKE ALL MY MONIES.

Grilling the Devil

I know this isn't a ranking, but rather, this is a review of Diablo 3.
My credentials? I've played Diablo 1 and 2 for years. I think I've played Diablo 2 more than any other game...and that's a big statement, considering I spent most of my undergrad years trying to find the "perfect MMO" (which doesn't exist btw).

So after putting in 150 + hours in,  how did Diablo 3 fare? Let's find out

Initial Reaction

I wasn't gonna buy the game. At least until a few weeks later...to see how the reactions of people were. However, I folded to peer pressure and bought it the day before (sigh. my first paycheck), installed it, and was ready to go at 3:00am release time.

I was in my friend's living room, all four of us...all ready to start and get ahead of the rest of the world...only to find out about Error 3007 (or whatever the number was). Copy/pasting my password and hitting enter for an hour, I finally gave up. Turns out, the game went live an hour later...4:00am EST.

Anyhoo. I woke up the next morning and started playing as a monk, figuring the bruiser-type character was always my playstyle. Harold and I were blasting through and saving Tristram.

It was more or less like any game; start in a low leveled area, get a quest, kill some low level monsters, learn some skills, kill stuff faster, get more quests, etc.

Leveling Stats and Skills

The first disappointing thing came when I found out that you have no control over the allocation of stat points. They are "random" and automatically distributed when you level. This took out the need in Diablo 2 to calculate the nooks and crannies (how much STR do I need for end game equips...DEX for max block. etc) , thus there went the unique building of characters. Essentially, every level 60 Monk would look exactly like me, outside of equipment.

The skill system...I'm still up in the air. No more saving skill points at level 1 in order to max out a level 30 skill. No synergies to make successive skills stronger. Just you had access to every skill. In one sense, you don't need to create new characters for every build (although, I hear they patched that in D2 where you get free respecs). You had access to every skill and you could build accordingly, which was kinda cool. Only having 6 hotkeys made it challenging and thought provoking, because every slot was important. The runes to add an effect to each skill were hit or miss. You got them automatically by leveling, but the problem is, more than half of the runes are useless (after gaining two more level 60s, this further backs it up).

Story

To be honest, I knew i wasn't playing this game for story. I'm not even sure exactly what happened in the first two Diablo titles. But this was no excuse for the third one to churn out such a lame and textbook story. The difference between the first two titles and this one is that Diablo 3 forces you to remotely pay attention to the terrible plot line by making you complete every quest there is. Checking the forums, there were some players who came up with much better alternatives than what was released.

Leveling Itself 

The inevitable thing about MMOs; grinding. Grinding is normal in any game, whether it was just beat on the same group of penguins for hours or talking to the same NPC over and over for quest EXP. At first, D3 did a seamless job of just "naturally" leveling up your characters, where there was no need to grind. Just progress normally through the game.

And while this remains true, the grind is just too easy. I don't think I've ever hit max level this fast in any game. Within the first week, me and most of my friends got to level 60 (although we used a loophole in the game to repeat getting quest exp, but still). Getting to level 70 in D2 was a joke. Getting to level 99 took months. Now I understand this isn't the "endgame", where there will probably be a raise in level cap when they come out with expansions (dirty money grabbing adsfjaar), but still. My initial thought was "yay. I got to level 60. now I can focus on getting 1337 equips. Until...

Difficulty

I mean, it would've been a shame if Inferno was a breeze (hah). Props to Blizzard for trying to make the game difficult to extend our gameplay, but...this was just ridiculous. Now, leading up to Inferno, it was no problem. The new skills, the item/level gap were fine between nightmare and hell (although difficult at first, both those became a breeze), but then when you hit inferno, it was just ridiculous. I could only survive for four seconds, since that was how long my invulnerability skill held up.

Item Farming

This was what made Diablo 2 so fun. Killing monsters to try to get some nice loot.  Uniques were jaw dropping and to find one made life so much better.

There's no "set" end game items. This is fine, but for perfectionists, to know that "there's something better than yours", it's just unsettling. However, this allows more playability to find better stuff.

Now, it'd be fine if I just needed to farm equips to get to the higher act, but there was a 0% droprate in Act 1 for equips that can get you through Act 2. This forced people (my friends included) to do retarded chest runs, only to die one after another until someone opens the Resplendent Chest, and hope to obtain something worthwhile. For me, I find satisfaction in killing monsters to collect the spoils. Spoils I can possibly use to progress in the game. However, after act 1, there just wasn't anything worth picking up.

On top of that, now they implemented an "input limit", which prevents you from creating/joining games too quickly, thus eliminating doing any sort of "run".

Which paved the way for...

Auction House

Auction House is pretty standard in every game now. It established a currency and a market within the game, which is much better than the SOJ or 20/20 markets, because everyone can participate. The problem is when the game becomes dependent on the Auction House. In the other games I've played, Auction House existed to make the game easier. In Diablo 3, it was a necessity. In almost all games, you fight in your current area, get equips that allow you to progress through the next area and repeat the process. In Diablo 3, in order to progress to Act 2, one must farm enough gold in Act 1 (or below) in order to buy Act 4 equipment to beat Act 2. On top of that, the Real Money Auction House makes no sense to me. Now I understand there's a black market of gold farmers in the world, but this is clearly just Blizzard's attempt to try to get a cut into that profit. Now, for a free-to-play game, it's understandable; servers need money to stay open. Especially on a game where no one has no monetary investment, rather just time commitment. However, many..many people paid for Diablo 3, so you figure that all the game's features would be available with that one time purchase. With the implementation of a RMAH, those with more money shall get ahead. The price of gold itself is ridiculous; 1M for $10? I guess it'd only take me about 5 days to make back my money in the game. That logic doesn't make any sense to me. It just made the 1% (or the lucky ones who found insanely nice drops) stronger, and made the 99% more desperate to find loopholes, which essentially exploited the broken game.

Loop holes

I think everyone realizes by now Diablo 3 is a far from finished game. Why did they not release it later boggles my mind. However, with the frustration, there were a number of loopholes/bug/glitches that were exploited in order to progress. The frustrating thing was that Diablo 3 devs were quick to patch them, but didn't offer any alternatives only to drive it's gamers even more frustrated.

Example: The Monk had a skill (bugged skill) that allowed automatic regeneration of their Spirit (or mana). This made it possible to spam heal in order to survive any situation. Now yes, that's rigged, but it made Monks relevant. Once they patched it, Monks just became fodder, with no real way to defend itself. In a sense, they penalized you for being a tank/melee class, rather than allow you to be able to tank.

There were leveling loopholes that people discovered, which I mastered to a T. I got so many friends to level 60 so they could share the pain that made us realize "this game just isn't fun".

End Notes

And I think that's the end thought. This game just isn't fun. There's no replayability. The end game is more frustrating than challenging, and with the implementation of a RMAH, inflation is an inevitability, with the higher tier equipments only making their way to the money market rendering the regular gold market useless, making the game for non-money spenders impossible to keep up. There's not even PvP implemented in this game.

This game does show a lot of promise which could easily be fixed by a series of patches, but considering the game has been out for little over a month with millions of players, but no significant changes, it doesn't seem worth it to try and weather the storm to hope the you land in the a more favorable area.

Time to abandon ship.