Luna Online – Terminally Cute

luna_logoWindyPooLuna Online is an anime themed MMO with all the features you’d expect of a RPG. It’s a slow paced and childish looking game which makes it charming. It may seem cruel to kill cute little turtles but you’ll soon get used to it.

There are several YouTube video reviews: Here and Here.

You’ll find all the features you’ll expect in an MMORPG.  So if you like the look, and have a computer with a modest graphics card, this may be the game for you to try. Continue reading “Luna Online – Terminally Cute”

Rappelz – Slow Response, Dated Graphics

Rappelz_Header

Rappelz shows a very nice face on the website. But the graphics are dated, circa last millennium, and the game play is slow and the animations are simplistic. I recall better game play, graphics and animations from Rune which is 10 years old this month. If you want to play an MMO on an old computer with a 1024px monitor then Rappelz may be for you. It does seem to have all the expected MMO features, and has very modest graphics requirements. I’ve included lots of screen shots so you can see how it looks.

Continue reading “Rappelz – Slow Response, Dated Graphics”

Dragon Age – Not MMO. So Last Millennium

Dragon_Age_logo

Dragon Age: Origins is a new game from BioWare, the makers of Baldur’s Gate back in the last millennium [1998]. Way back in that ancient history, a stand alone RPG made a lot of sense, but in these days of X Box Online, Sony Online and dozens of Free To Play MMOs like Perfect World, Dekaron [2Moons], Ether Saga, etc. it seems odd to bring out a game with no online play.

Continue reading “Dragon Age – Not MMO. So Last Millennium”

Perfect World – Good, but not Perfect

perfectworld-dot-comPerfect World is a Free to Play MMO. Of course there are upgrades in the form of costumes, mounts and so forth that cost real money, but  you can play the game for free. It looks like PW has been out for a while, so it’s mature and in my several hours of gameplay, I did not encounter crashes or obvious bugs.

But I wouldn’t say it was Perfect by any means. Compared with Guild Wars and 2Moons [Dekaron], it has some minor drawbacks. I’m not going to do a full review here, you can find more complete reviews on the web. I’ll just do an overview of some of the features that I found most notable.

Continue reading “Perfect World – Good, but not Perfect”

Microsoft Security Essentials – Coming to a Computer Near You

Update: MSE is available now for everyone. On 3 October 2009, I have moved all my computers from AVG Free to MSE.

Microsoft has entered the business of AntiVirus software by simplifying and repackaging their Corporate Security suite for home users. The new program is called Microsoft Security Essentials. When this is released, it will be free for use by non-commercial users and will run on Windows XP, Vista and Version 7.

Currently the Beta is closed, but the program will be available later this year. Based on all the reviews I’ve seen – Security Now for example – this is a light weight, but very robust anti-virus.

When this comes out I will be installing it with an eye toward eliminating my use of Free AVG.

More news when it appears,

– windy

Ether Saga – My Pet is Dead

Ether Logo

Ether Saga online is a cute cartoony Free to Play MMO that follows the recent model of “Free to Download and Play”, but “Pay” for upgrades and costumes. This game is a full 3D game with modest system requirements. My Alienware m15x was not working as hard with this game on full tilt as it does with 2Moons.

WindFlayer_Char

After about 6 hours with the game, there is much to love and a few things that aren’t so nice.
Continue reading “Ether Saga – My Pet is Dead”

Wakoopa – What software have you been using?

Wakoopa_Logo

Wakoopa is a free software service that keeps track of what software you have been using. I heard about it on the Windows Weekly podcast from back in January. I’m just now catching up on missed episodes.

To use Wakoopa, just sign up for a free account and install the little program on your system[s]. The little applet [ 3MB ] uploads the info to the website so you can review and share the statistics. Continue reading “Wakoopa – What software have you been using?”