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Is there still a stigma to gaming?
Recently some established gaming bloggers discussed the pros and cons of using real names versus screen names for their gaming blogs. (See Survival and Identity, Using a pseudonym and What’s in a...
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My Favorite LOTRO Sites
I’ve been playing LOTRO for a couple of years now, and over time I’ve found some excellent sites. But as it did take me some time to find them, newer players might benefit from some recommendations....
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Reflections on the NBI
The Newbie Blogger Initiative (NBI) is the spark that led me to create this blog. Without it, I’d probably have been thinking the same thoughts that I now write here, but not putting them out there...
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Reading Roundup
If you like what I write, you’ll probably like what I read too. Plus in my reflections on the NBI I noted that oftentimes I don’t need to post about a topic that’s been on my mind because someone else...
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Tales of Creativity and Play
One of the themes of this blog is that play is an important part of our lives, and playing matters more than many people think. Here’s a TED video, from the Serious Play Conference of 2008. The main...
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LOTRO: Hunter Skills Lost and Gained
This is a look at the skills that I’ve lost and gained on my 85 hunter as a result of the Helm’s Deep class changes, plus my thoughts on what it all means for me and my playstyle. Some of these skills...
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Black Friday Thoughts
My philosophy is: “Think first, buy later.” This post is what I’m thinking about the Black Friday sales which are already starting, and many of which last up to Dec 2nd or so. This isn’t a...
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The Morning After the Sale Before
In my last post I thought aloud about what I was looking out for in the sales. Well, now I’m done with my sales shopping, and to tell the truth I have mixed feelings about it. Hence the title of this...
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Night-time Gaming and Sleep Cycles
I don’t know about you but most of my gaming sessions tend to be later at night, which is when I have solid blocks of time. Also apart from gaming I’m often reading on a mobile device or watching TV of...
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Ten Ton Hammer Best of 2013
I hate Best-Of posts that make you click through endless pages. So here is a quick rundown of Ten Ton Hammer’s Best of 2013 Awards, plus some observations of my own. Best MMOFPS: Planetside 2 Best...
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Happy Christmas and Merry Yuletide!
It is the season of goodwill to all Men, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and such… A Merry Yuletide to all the Free Peoples of Middle Earth! And a Happy Christmas to all the good folk of the blogosphere!...
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Book Review: The Farseer Trilogy
My MMO Hiatus I haven’t been spending much time in MMOs lately, probably not since mid-December. I did spend a fair bit of time with The Secret World after I got it around Black Friday, and enjoyed...
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LOTRO: The Shadow of the Future
With the announcement of significant layoffs at Turbine, I’m feeling sad at what has befallen the staff and concerned about the future of the game. Our first thoughts must be for the people who’ve...
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Of Beren and Luthien
Tolkien is buried together with his wife Edith, and their graves are marked with the names “Beren” and “Luthien”. The tale of Beren and Luthien was inspired by the Tolkiens’ own story. A Brief History...
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Web Roundup
A roundup of some game related things I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching recently… Turbine Layoffs and the Future of LOTRO Contains Moderate Peril and LOTRO Players both had excellent...
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Survey: How old is your game PC?
I’d assumed that among people who blog about games I’d be one of those with the lowest spec PC. So I was surprised when I saw that some people who play a lot more than me and are a lot more...
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To Blog or not to Blog?
The Newbie Blogger Initiative is in full swing, and many people are writing excellent articles encouraging would-be bloggers to take the plunge. Call me a contrary soul, but that gets me wondering if...
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Subs and Me
Free-to-play (F2P) versus subscriptions seems to be a perennial topic of discussion in the gaming blogosphere, generating a lot more heat than light usually. I’ve thought of writing about it before,...
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The Age of Backlogs
Are we living in the Age of Backlogs? Or is it just me? The thought is prompted by the latest round of tempting Steam sales. It’s hard to resist buying more stuff, yet most of the stuff I found so...
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The “Gamer” Label
What exactly is a “gamer”? Is it even a useful label? The topic has been doing the rounds on the MMO blogosphere lately, and the very fact that so many people have felt compelled to comment tells us...
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