Fantazzztic!

5 Years ago Friendster a social networking site becomes a revolutionary networking portal amongst the netizens of this country. Almost everyone I met has a friendster profile account. Years later friendster turned into a bug infested slash advertisement bombarded social community sites. To the point that you cannot even add your new friend request no matter what you do. Sometimes friendster is even preventing you to register because your cookie in your browser is turned off even if it’s on and so on and so forth. I even heard a virus attacks.

If you are working in a fast faced marketing oriented environment and one of your task is to keep the possible consumers or target users aware about it by creating a fan profile (supported by various social community sites such as facebook, friendster and myspace) then read this.

I really don’t know if they have something against me or at least about the product that I represent but every time I requested a conversion of my “personal profile” (Normal Account Profile) those guys behind the fan profile department keeps on rejecting my conversion with the same reason not once but thrice!

Upon requesting the system will automatically tells you that you need to wait for a maximum of 72 hours before they made a decision about your conversion application. The problem is the 72 hours of worth of waiting is only a fiction just to make you hope.  Yes you need to wait more than the designated time ranging from 5 days to almost a month! If you are unfortunate enough you will receive a message like this “Thanks for your interest in Friendster Fan Profiles. It appears your profile is a personal profile or did not contain enough content (a primary photo, information about yourself or your organization) for us to make a decision. We have not converted your profile into a Fan Profile.” Like I said earlier, I applied for a conversion for three times in different situations; I am a hundred percent sure that I fulfilled every little things that they required for the conversion but in the end I keep on receiving this message.

Is it an auto reply from a lazy customer support? I guess so?  If they visited my profile to be converted or even the fan profile request form they will see all of the requirements they need! A primary photo, a primary photo you mean? If you really did visit my profile you will clearly saw I have a primary photo which is the LOGO of our product.  Aside from that I have at least 37 Photos ranging concept arts, promotional pictures, and actual screen shot of the product? So since when did I lack a primary photo or are this people expecting me to put a picture of a person to promote my product which is “SOFTWARE”. It is this “kind of software” as I selected to your CATEGORY. Did they even check my profile in the first place? Oh boy they said I don’t even have a primary photo! Even my background picture and the video in my profile clearly state the nature of the product I am promoting!

Information about myself, Hell yeah what about those! I even provided a very brief description about the product, the company behind it. Are they expecting me to create a long novel regarding those even if they have a character limit? I even provided the links of my official website, official blogs and even the products social networking link portal! All of the information I supplied is adequate enough.

I keep on wondering why you keep approving that unauthentic profile in short posers while I an authentic promoter/owner of the profile am being rejected. Maybe because of they don’t believe in my identity. Well if that’s the case they are free to drop us an email regarding this thru our official email.

Now they want me to email them for reconsideration and for them to take a second look. Well fine! But how long will I wait? For 5 days? 3 weeks?  Or worst never.

Anyway readers “Pa AdD POoH Ah AnD Pa TesTi NaH RiN PoOoh Ah!”. Better stick to Facebook.

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First and foremost what is AFK training? AFK training, grinding or simply AFK (Originally it means Away From keyboard but the connotation differs especially to those MMORPG who has a built in bot). Is the process of leaving your character that will automatically fight with the monster without being controlled by the players in a simple term it is called BOTTING. In other MMO’s you are encouraged to play it live while some MMO’s doesn’t even care if you play it actually or Bot your way till a shimmering light descends upon your character to the point that they are providing an in-game legal bot to somehow help you train!

This feature has been a revolutionary benefit especially for those people who want to play at the same time live their personal life. However having a built in bot inside a game is a lifetime-long dispute against the principles of those people who called themselves “real gamers”.

There are a couple amount of advantage and disadvantages about this so called built in bots. For example the XAI or Simply Extreme AI of Granado Espada that allows your character to train is epically limited to the point that if your character got “knocked back” by a mob then it’s time to say goodbye to your formation. Even the MCC or Multi Character Control will not help you.

With Your Destiny (WYD or Supreme Destiny)  have this C.C System or Computer Controlled system that is far more advance that what Granado Espada has. You can even set some skills to be used in afking, set a percentage of your HP/MP so that it will automatically consume your precious potions if your conditions are triggered.

This game has probably owned the advanced built in bot in my opinion. None other than the Zhu Xian or popularly known as Jade Dynasty/Celestial Destroyer which you can set almost everything by using the Talisman auto attack system, To the monster of your choice, to the items to be looted. Filtering to the max! You can even die, resurrect and even walk your way back to your assigned area automatically! (Hyperbole alert!) The lowdown is you need to spend an ample amount of real life cash to buy those what you called “Batteries” (Moonlight Splendor?).

In Atlantica Online a strategy MMORPG boast this auto battle feature wherein if you initiate a battle your character will automatically and strategically attack the monsters but as we all know this is a strategy game and AI will gladly help you to meet your oblivion. Not unless you have an uber high tier armors, weapons and willing to spend some moohlah for those life potions especially if your level 100 and above! Another low down you must check your character time to time to fill up those auto battle points. Actual playing is still needed.

In the game Chi bi Or Red Cliff they have a different approach in AFK Training called reading wherein you just simply equip a book from the NPC and you will gain an ample amount of experience every minute as long as you are in the safe zone and have the book.

Back to the topic; since when did AFK training becomes an art? What’s so artistic about it? According to the my former guild mate in Granado Espada the MontevIsta Family of Caracci/Rembrandt Server. When you AFK alone you need to consider a lot of factor so that the process will work for your own advantage. Others think that “Ok I’ll AFK I’ll just leave my characters here” after a few hours the experience bar will become full. That seems to be NOT happening effectively to most AFKer’s especially for those people who ignored some of these factors.

Level of mobs – It’s very difficult to stay alive in mobs with the same level of your character. Especially mobs with higher level than your character but playing it too safe or leaving your character in a place with low level mobs makes you survive easier but the drawback is you will gain less experience or no gain at all although your electrical bill will level up for sure! You have to balance it well.

Armors – In my experience in Granado Espada your armor should at least be the same level the mob around you if possible higher the better. Not necessarily +20 def but at least +8def up. Just make sure your characters can handle attacks . In auto battling in Atlantica Online, your main character must wear a decent armor as well as your front liners must be as tough as rock, In my case I invest more in-game currency to the armor of my frontlines rather than my main.

Weapons and firepower – Even if u have elite armors of +6 with +20 def but ur attack so weak that it takes you 20 hits to kill 1 monster then u will have a problem especially when your inside dungeons with that boxes and barrels containing a platoon of mobs (In GE’s case). Or a random PK’er decided to take your life in Zhu Xian or WYD.

If you are a long range character, the golden rule must be “do not forget to buy your ammunition’s!” The type of weapon comes to play. Probably the best weapon for AFKing are ranged weapon to keep your characters in its place as much as possible (most of the time but not guaranteed), remember the long-ranged motto “kill them before they can get near you”.  Using melee weapons while afk training is a nono not unless you are tough as a rock but the irony in most MMO is, If you are as tough as a rock your damage will surely tickle your enemies.

In Granado Espada there is the control H function (Hold). not much of good either because of its disadvantages, Your character in Hold position doesn’t guarantee it won’t move, characters in Hold position tends to run after monster which runs away when almost dead ending up luring your character away from the party or taking with him the scout leaving the 3rd member alone without healer. Character in Hold position also cannot detect monster spawning near him even if it’s already attacking the character.

Location and Formation– If you manage to find a spot outside dungeons with convenient then you’re lucky. You don’t want to leave your character in a respawn point of a boss or mini boss right? Or even a road where players can easily lure mobs to kill your character. You cannot just place your character/s in area randomly; you should arrange them in a way that enables them to be healed easily. Your character with highest def should be in front line (Works wonder in Atlantica Online just avoid those archer or long range type mobs).

There are some uncontrolled factors that AFKers will experience such as an unscheduled server maintenance, a boss or captain will appear and attack your team, a mob or a player lures your character or lures a group of mobs or worst a boss in front of you, Or a player will summon a high level monster in your area, some player will debuff, PK Trip you or even virtually rape your female character! Or even bot report you especially those game who has an in-game bot at the same time a failing bot report system who cannot even recognized the legal and the illegal way! Talk about abuse baby!

The best way to test if ur AFKin is effective is by trial and error, find a spot, make a formation and check if your team/character can handle without any buffs or any intervention at all. If you can’t survive play that I should “adjust” game. Try and try until you become a survivor… You will see how you will smile widely when you wake up and your character still alive. Gains a lot of experience or level (Item’s for some), then you can say you did it!!

There are still many factors to consider that I was not able to tackle here. Now is AFK’ing still easy? I don’t think so. To those who hates AFK’ers chill out. Let’s just respect the game style of each individual. It’s better to use those legal built in bot than to use the illegal third party bots on the contrary the BEST way to play and experience an online game is to play it WITHOUT using any of this feature.

Credits to the owner of the respective images. To my friend MontevIsta family of Granado Espada Sea Caracci/Rembrandt server.

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I didn’t even anticipate that there will be a point in my life wherein I need to “swim” and be stranded in the middle of the typhoon. Yes during those times I wished to become an MMORPG character like my Daeva Mage in AION so I can fly or even a Druid in World of Warcraft so I can transform into a sea lion like creature to swim. The irony I am just hanging around a few blocks away from destination but sad to say I cannot reach my target for the reason that there is this natural disaster blocking my path that takes the lives of many.

Yesterday I decided to go home despite of the strong typhoon and an EDSA “car park” in front of my work place, On the way home while riding an MRT I saw a disastrous scene on the roads of EDSA (Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue). In fact riding the MRT station becomes a huge obstacle for me. I didn’t even expect that the Magallanes Interchange Park turned into a “water park”! The area below the Magallanes MRT Station was sunk into at least 4-6 feet deep worth of flood water. I am glad that there are buses who managed to force their way despite of the flood. I was saved from the first stage I arrived at the Ayala station without getting my lower body soaked with a soup called bacteria ala carte.

From the window of the blue train, amidst of the droplets of the rain that almost block my view I clearly saw the disaster the typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) caused to the metropolitan. At around 12:30 to 1 PM the water from the Pasig River almost reached the floor of the Guadalupe Bridge.  When the MRT is on its way from Ortigas to Santolan-Annapolis station, the train passenger screamed while looking at the scenery of stranded/abandoned bus floating cars and stranded vehicles who even counter flow the road! What shocks me the most is the situation around the Quezon Avenue Station, The area particularly on the construction site looks like a river! Then I arrived at the North Avenue Station thinking that I can go home freely but I didn’t know this is only the starting point of my real adventure. There’s a flood in the area that separates SM North EDSA and TriNoMa Mall that caused the small vehicles to be stranded. However busses and huge vehicles can easily pass. I managed to ride a bus to avoid the flood but I got stranded when we arrived at Munoz (Roosevelt) I didn’t even expect that the vicinity that separates Roosevelt and Royal can turned into a sea of stagnant water.  The flood can reach up to my chest! So I have no choice but to put myself into the flood. What makes it harder for us to pass is the strong current of flood water that will surely push you back from where you came from or even worse to after life if you lose your balance.  The people are grouping themselves, arms around each other to cross the road. What makes it more dangerous is the metals and other machinery equipments from the under construction LRT 1 Extension that can possibly hit you below.  On the way I manage to meet some new companion who will also walk their way to Valenzuela. Having a companion on the long walks will surely kills your boredom.

After we get out of the flood water of Royal, we saw the Balintawak Cloverleaf Road in a worst state wherein the only accessible area is the center island. Even the Balintawak Market before we arrived at that place has a knee to waist level deep flood.

Despite of the strong rain, wind and flood we managed to force our way to Valenzuela City where the final stage begins! I arrived at the scene around 4:00PM in the afternoon after walking *coughs* swam on the flooded streets of EDSA. What welcomed us are stranded vehicles and mobs of people that will surely remind you of people power when you saw them and the Tullahan Bridge in extacy. Yesterday I really saw what a “bridge over troubled water” literally looks like. My quest is to cross the bridge that connects Malabon and Valenzuela City but the problem is the water from the infamous polluted Tullahan River erased the bridge itself from the visible eye of the stranded people! Wait I’m not seeing the capital city of the Philippines or Surigao Del Norte (Siargao) in this area the human height deep and the water current are too strong for a human to survive. Even though the given situation is worst, the people is still trying to cross that 5-14 feet (according to the news) flood water, As a result some people crossed not the bridge but the afterlife and their respected bodies are taken away by the waters. The death count is 4. To stop the people from attempting to cross the bridge a warning shot is released. It came to the point where it isn’t even possible to cross the bridge. I got stranded, I don’t have a choice. I am glad that there are drivers whose willing to provide their vehicles as a shelter for the stranded person. Some people are kind enough to use their mobile phones to send an MMS message to your loved ones and even shared their food with everyone. It is really true that when a catastrophe came “Bayanihan” comes to play.

For almost 12 hours I managed to fight the boredom and impatience inside the jeepney. I endured the cold and chilling sensation of the wind + rain that strikes to my body. My wet t-shirt and pants becomes dry! At this point I didn’t even feel sleepy, tired or even hungry and thirsty. What runs to me is the will to get out of the situation. The rain stopped but the flood even got high. All I have to do is to wait for the water to get low. At around 3:30am people can finally pass the bridge since the flood water reduced to a knee to waist level flood and the water current stopped. The only obstacle this time is the pitch black environment and the flood water with a huge amount of petroleum oil. Deep Submerged Jollibee, 7-11, Machinery, San Miguel Beer Brewery and even a Funeral Home you can almost have a taste of everything. I ignored it just to get home. After the Tullahan Bridge the “BB” area is still soaked into flood that even reached my chest.  Thank god the rescuers who stayed at that area provided a giant rope for people to cling on. Since the waters from that area are filled with petroleum oil I removed my white tee shirt so it won’t turn into black. The flood ended at the Fatima Hospital area. I finally reached the shore and walked home half naked, body covered in oil in the middle of a dark night (Thanks to the power outrage).

When I arrived at home I went straight to the bathroom and take a shower of the “year”. There is first time in everything. I didn’t even get traumatized at what had happened. I didn’t even feel emotional. What I only felt is the will to survive actually mixed emotions. I just wish that it won’t happen again. Anyway according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council we already experienced something as worse as this a hundred years ago.

Check out the Malabon-Valenzuela boundary after math pics here

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You registered, downloaded the game and play. You stepped on this virtual world and you hack and slash your foe on the way to the bop bop bop bop bop to the top. Yes you’re right! It’s High School Musical. But did you ask yourself why are you playing or why do you want to be strong? Sounds like the “Purpose Driven Life” in an MMO isn’t it? By human nature we tend to do things for the reason that we want to achieve something. An aim will play a pivotal role to almost everything just like a bullet soaring flying (there are no stars in heaven that we can’t reach, high school musical again!) free until it reaches its target.

At a certain point in living as your character in an online world, every one of us desires to become a “prominent person” in the community. But it’s not east to become one. Not easy there even a case with my brother wherein an insecure gamer who uses  a MULE account just to tarnish his reputation. Knowing that we  laugh and even bonded for some time in-person. If there’s a will there’s a way in order to become that “something” it will be easier if you laid out your plan as soon as you started or even think of starting something.

“No Pain No Gain” as we cannot be successful if you keep on rushing your goals. Take it little by little and you will feel as if you belonged to the cloud nine.

There will be always 5 steps in anything. Let me say that you already reached your goal. Try to ask yourself “Does it worth it”? “Am I happy”? What’s the effect of my virtual success to the real world? “Does it help you in some way?” and so on and so forth.

So let me share you the thing that I’ve learned when I watched a certain romantic comedy movie. Yes pretty bold of me to incorporate the idea on being a gamer.

My 5 Steps to become a Successful Gamer.

Goal Settings- From the word it set your own goal. Example scenario: Do you want to PWNZR all of your friends in PK in-game! Do you want them to feel jealous of you because you can PWNZR them all? If you say YES then let’s stop this foolishness! You didn’t want to do it because of someone right? You’re doing it for your own good!

Jot down the things that you want to achieve. Do you want to be the best and the strongest PK player in-game? Do wish to acquire all the most coveted and the rarest item in-game? Or you want to be prominent and the most popular ala celebrity player in-game? If you say yes! Good because this is the valid reason! Even if you say I just want to enjoy the game it is still a valid reason. Any reason as long as it came for the very bottom of your heart is valid. Remember that you are doing it for yourself right and nothing but YOURSELF! Pretty selfish isn’t it? Keep in mind that the goal must be any reason whether it is good or bad, Positive or Negative but you need to make sure that this is for yourself.

Being a dedicated gamer sometimes deteriorates your healthy or not so healthy lifestyle sometimes you always forgot the effect of too much gaming in your body as I said earlier.

Don’t forget that it also applies in real life. For example you are a fat kid and got dumped by your lovey-dovey so you decided to go on a diet and work out. The question is why do you want to do this? Is it because you got dumped by your girlfriend and as for revenge you want to have an uber-hotness mouth watering body packed with the 6 “package” of wonder so that if the person who dumped you saw you by twist on fate. They will be the one to cry and you want them to regret that they set you free. If your answer is No then let’s stop this but if your answer is simply like “You don’t want to wear extra large size shirts anymore” then let’s do this!

And please make sure that your goal is feasible. We’re not doing the 4th installment of Mission Impossible right?

So when will we do this? Next month? Next Year? NO!

Start Now- The million dollar question will be. “When will you start?” A person who really wants to achieve something should start on the day when he thinks for his aim. Not Later, not on the next day or month or definitely years but start now! As the saying goes “The early bird catches the worm” so hurry do what you can do before it’s too late.

No Shortcuts- To be able to be strong you bought as many PREMIUM ITEMS as you can and grind your way out to a paid dungeon on your way up to the peak level. You already reached the highest level in-game? Are you happy? Do you think you miss something? Yes you indeed miss something and that is the feeling of enjoyment of this game. Playing a game doesn’t mean leveling up all your way it also means socializing and discovering the wonders of the game. Think about it “You are high level” but do you know your “Game”?

Just what it literally means there will be no fast lane or express way on what you’re trying to attain. Even though you achieved the thing you want to accomplish as fast as a lightning you will not be happy in the end. Remember that there will be a different feel in things that is made out of your effort and perseverance. It is wise to do it slowly but surely especially for long term goals. There will be no shortcuts!

Motivate Yourself- Being motivated gives you a soothing aura that makes play the game healthier. How can I be motivated? Simple, back from the start set your goals for your game. By setting your goals by wanting this and that for example I want to be like him/her, and I want to surpass his/her popularity. I want to be like this, that’s the most basic motivation of a certain player. It’s up to you if you want to be a Hard Core player or a casual one. What else you can motivate you?

Explore the game by knowing it epic story. Try to join game events and interact. I do believe that the most popular motivation that the game can give you. Meet new people from the World Wide Web. There are lots of reasons to motivate you. Everybody is unique that’s why we are called “individual” so basically we have our own set or type of things and perspectives that will motivate us. Motivation isn’t about sacrilege; it’s about how you will accomplish your goals that you set. Without Motivation, your gaming will not survive long. In a simple explanation try look up to someone pursue yourself to do this be confident and never stop and last but not the least find your inspiration. Become optimistic and look at the bright side.

Be Happy- As I’ve seen in my favorite MMORPG Granado Espada, there’s a warning that playing for long hours is detrimental to health. ¬¬¬¬

we play the game not to be stress, not to give ourselves a problem but to stress out, so the most important is “Do not let the game affect your mood” the same as “Do not let the GAME play YOU”. Enjoy yourself by making things brighter and looking in a more positive way. You lose today, you may win tomorrow. That’s the cycle. Another important factor is by following your own set of goal, soaring tumbling free willing! (What’s with the Disney citation?). Accomplished Goals makes you happy but it’s up to you, if all the things you’ve done and sacrifice along the way since you start are “Worth it”. Again don’t take the game seriously and don’t let it control you. We’ll some players are really those “ONLINE GAMING SRS BSNS” and we can’t blame them.

Be contented on what you’ve gain as I said in the step 3 “No shortcuts”…

Yo, Dawg, I’m really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but I just got to say that <insert a gaming blogger name here> have the best gaming advice of all time!

Instead of suggesting some events or focusing to a certain “game” today I choose to focus on the whole gaming sphere in general and yes I am a not so adviser but I did my best. Thank you for reading. On a side note you can actually incorporate this advice not with just gaming. From the title itself to “Almost Everything”. This is actually a modified and updated version of my year old blog entry from a blogging contest of a certain MMO.

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Yesterday my day and a half downloading session for the talk of the town, latest MMORPG addiction ended. This might be the biggest file I’ve ever downloaded ever since I discovered a wonder of the world called the internet.  Yes you’re right I’m talking about Aion: The tower of eternity baby! The client itself never fails to make my disk drive cry in dismay. “Aion is a bitch” According to my brother who extracted the installer file without even thinking of cleaning or even backing up externally the “old files” that dwells in my disk drive. If there’s a will there a way; Installed it patched it, played.

Entering Aion is such a sweet sensation. It’s like standing in a flowery meadow for hours waiting for the sun to shine. The picturesque of a landscape filled with trees decorated with pink leaves, floating islands, buildings that stand a top of the cliff and waterfall to complete the scenery. Such a fantazzztic log in screen! This is almost certainly designed to invite and attract player to join in the world behind. What more can you find behind those entry form?

After logging in you will see the terms of agreement reminding players that they are bounded by a contract by playing this game, this is actually typical scenery in most NCSOFT made game. By agreeing you will be sent straight to Boracay! What I mean is the character selection page is on a beach complete with palm trees as a background design. I found it weird at first, it’s like of all the possible designs they chose a beach for that!  To enter the game you need to select your race, are you going to become an Elyos or an Asmodian? It’s all up to you. There is a race description upon choosing that will help you decide to whom to side.

One of the key selling point of an MMO is the character selection page, Gender bound classes will surely assassinate the role playing factor of the game while some gamers  do not prefer to see their twin during their adventures. Attack of the clones anyone?  Not in AION! NCSOFT provided us with a revolutionary character creation feature wherein you just don’t mix and match you really customize! I have seen this feature before with the game Perfect World but AION’s system is indeed better and has a  real time graphics that will sure NOT make your character looks like a cartoon character or even a distorted polygon robot even if you purposely altered a body part of your choice into abnormality. In their character creation area you have a privilege to resize or reduce almost any parts of your body from head to toe.

You can be a fat man with a small head, a giant or even a dwarf with gigantic feet!  They also offers you with at least 30+ types of hair style and 20+ types of face which you can even ALTER in the advanced section that you can see in the character creation screen. You can also add some tattoos or mustache if you prefer. In popular culture some players even created their character inspired with the face of US President Barrack Obama. I even unintentionally customized my character to almost look like Victor Basa (A Filipino Model) and Squall Leonhart (FFVIII Main Character). There are a thousand or even millions of possibilities so it means there is a rare chance to meet a character that looks EXACTLY like you. Probably the best character customization feature I’ve seen.

A cinematic of an epic battle between the skirmishes of 2 opposing forces after the scene you will gain the control of your character. As a mage of the Elyos I was transported to the starting realm called “Poeta” particularly in Akarios Plains and my life begins in Aion. My mission is to ascend and become a Daeva and gain my first wings.

You won’t be lost upon stepping inside with the help of the interactive tutorials with matching voice over’s and pre-built videos. To begin your daily life as a mercenary talk to the Elpas the NPC with a blue icon over his head this stands near your respawn point. Do as much as quest as you can from our friendly NPC for the reason that you will level up thru questing until you reached level 9-10 to receive your first campaign quest. Taking up quest means making you occupied rather than killing some monsters all the time.

NCSoft’s modified version of CryEngine brings life to this virtual realm. You can appreciate every minute you spend in playing this game by just looking at the magnificent breath taking scenery that you can see in the game. The animation is smooth and close to perfection. I really love how the “Flight” transfers my character to a place to another. I will definitely spend my precious time playing this game. I wonder when I will reach the tower of eternity.

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