Saga of Ryzom MMORPG is now "freemium"

(Well, while I'm visiting back here after ~6 months, I'd might as well pimp this. No, I'm not a bot.)

Saga of Ryzom
(IMG:http://www.ryzom.com/data/banner/rz_banner_07.jpg)
(download size: 1.5GB. my current install size: ~6.5GB.
Also seems to be an issue with the latest patch that it won't update properly if you have AVG active.)

The freemium aspects:

• New trial accounts are now free, but skill levels are limited to 125. (out of 250, although most skills branch constantly. It looks like you at least get the first tier of the last split of every skill, which is good.)
• Your additional inventory is also limited in that you can't have packer animals or an apartment, but you can have a mount (who's inventory has been increased). (This is very important since different roles require whole new sets of equipment, and crafting and harvesting require a lot of space for experimenting.)
• Can't revert paid accounts to free trial accounts.

Fiction:
I love the exotic atmosphere. An intriguing premise of the game is that your planet is a "tree", and there are no minerals. Everything is made from plants or animals. All equipment is made from the flora and fauna.
It's also a beautiful game. (dynamic detail for models and textures)

4 native humanoid races:

• Metis; worst elf stereotype, arrogant and domineering.
• Tryker; short, curious explorers and crafters from lakelands.
• Fyros; fiery desert warriors.
• Zorai; mask-wearing, reclusive, spiritual, nature-revering jungle people.

2 powerful mentor races: (They hate each other and basically wage partisan propaganda war over the minds of the locals.)

• Kami; native nature spirits of the planet.
• Karavan; techno-advanced off-worlders.

2 clearly dangerous threats:

• Kitin (pronounced "kytin"?); Starship Trooper giant bugs, only roused into aggression by digging into the depths of the planet.
• The Goo; a spreading parasitic virus that makes hosts aggressive.

The system is both marvelously creative, as well as limited.
Pros:

• No limitations of classes. (although skill points are limited and should be carefully spent at the start)
• Skills are customized in simple drag-n-drop credit costs (that reduce your HP/stam/mana or penalize you in exchange for power).
• Solo aggro-avoiding exploring is exhilarating. (Once you get there, you can buy teleport tickets. There are also player-scheduled escorts if you want an easier way.)
• Crafting is not simple addition. It requires experimentation.
• Harvesting is similarly interesting; scanning, detecting, filtering, getting as much as you can, even exploding!

Cons: (The world can seem small, and your activities limited. The system is not as well developed as other MMORPGs.)

• The world seems small once you've explored it. (Although the 5th one is much harder to explore.)
• Activities boil down to grinding combat levels, harvesting/crafting, PVP over outpost control, and taking on bosses (often for crafting mats). (Can't rely on quest system to spice up the grind.)
• No aggro redirect or lowering, which makes combat less dynamic.
• Limited equipment appearance. 4 general race styles x 3 armor weights, 1 boss armor set, a few Kami/Karavan items.

Still, for free, you get to experience all the exotic atmosphere when you feel like it. I can't wait to go home to the jungle!

sometimes I wonder if the Lovecraftian cosmic dread is the reality

"Sometimes I feel that there's a reality that coexists with ours but that we're so caught up with trivial concerns we actually fail to see the cosmic dread that lurks beyond the veil of human consciousness…"
If you suffer from an overwhelming sense of dread brought on by the realization of your own insignificance in the universe, then you need Elder Sign.


Humorous somewhat related video.


Sometimes I wonder if that horror is the inescapable reality. I try to escape it, but it just makes it worse and more inescapable. Perhaps Lovecraft was merely making analogies to the everyday workings of real life rather than anything mystical on higher planes of existence; our governments and institutions.

But I've always entertained the notion that if such horrors were a reality, then it's in our nature and best interest to serve whatever function we have in it. Then again, knowing what that nature and purpose are may not be so easy or guaranteed. Plenty of people sacrifice themselves for their great but imaginary causes, regardless the size of their cult. To distinguish embracing one cosmic dread with embracing another cosmic dread. One leads to literal death, while other only leads to the death of the personality that was doomed to his self-enforced prison.

There are many lessons told of letting go of the safety of the known and willingly and joyfully taking that "leap of faith". An act which is insanity since it is against all your known self-interests, but is counter-intuitively best for you.

There of course are veils of perception just like this. Paranoia, hopelessness, despair. But I think those are just the other faces of the issue. The result of reacting one way instead of another.

Anyone actually understand what I'm talking about, or are you all interpreting this as paranoia, hopelessness, and despair?

high-fructose corn syrup is a gateway drug!

So I heard they were trying to rebrand HFCS as "corn sugar", and after watching the video, looked at related videos.

Here's the original.


and here's the parody. (really?? I couldn't tell!)


and the moral of the story is that HFCS is a gateway drug that leads to FGM and KKK. (and having one of your parents be a drag-queen, I guess.)

and yes, feeding your kids anything like Sunny-D should be grounds to call child welfare. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

FS: TF exclusives, non-excl., etc. (Chaotic Descent)

edit: added bootleg minicassette sets

IMPORTANT: Please contact me by email at ravagejunk@rogers.com , as my mailbox here fills up quickly and I like to keep messages for transactions. If you want to alert me to an email, just post in here.
I'm looking for below average (completed auction) eBay prices. (5-10% lower.) Anything that can't be priced using eBay, I don't know.
Everything is unopened unless otherwise noted. (MISB/MOSC/etc.)
Shipping is from Canada, so even moderate weight packages will cost more.


Please see the start of the "TF misc." listing for some nice items as well.
Table of Contents:

• Misc.
• BotCon
• Other exclusives
  • eHobby
• Micron Legend exclusives
• Henkei
  • Gentei
• Smallest
  • bootleg/knockoff Dinobots
• Micromaster
• TF misc.
• Bootleg minicassette
• MotU
  • mini-statues
  • MotUC
• misc.
• Final Fantasy
  • FFX PVC statues
  • FF8 Guardian Forces

Misc:

• Matrix statue (original version. unopened) $130

BotCon:

• 2006 main bagged set figures:
  • Optimus Primal
  • Rhinox
  • Cheetor
  • Rattrap
  • Dinobot
• 2007 main bagged set figures:
  • Thundercracker
  • Dirge
  • Thrust
  • BugBite
• 2007 souvenir figures:
  • Springer
  • Huffer
  • Weirdwolf
  • Alpha Trion
  • Unicron.com Vector Sigma set
• 2008 main bagged set figures:
  • Optimus Prime
  • Jazz
  • Goldbug
  • Starscream
• 2008 souvenir figures:
  • Megatron
  • Rodimus
  • Blurr
  • Sideswipe w. minicon partner
• 2009 main bagged set figures:
  • Scourge
  • Thunderclash
  • Kup
  • Flak
  • Landshark
• 2009 souvenir figures:
  • Banzai-Tron
  • SkyQuake
  • Razorclaw
  • Elita-1
  • Sweeps (selling individually)
• 2010 main boxed set (missing gun for Streetstar & missiles for SkyByte. box surface scuffed.)
• 2010 main bagged set figures:
  • Spark
  • Clench
  • Breakdown
  • Streetstar/Streewise
  • Sky-Byte
• 2010 souvenir figures:
  • Double Punch
  • Scorch & Shattered Glass Ravage
  • Cindersaur
  • Rapido
  • Sharkticon (Seashark bio card)

• convention comic (at cost, $5)
  • 2007 (regular)
  • 2007 (Diamond exclusive version)
  • 2008 (regular)

Other exclusives:

• TFClub Punch/Counterpunch
• eHobby Road Rage
• eHobby Crosscut
• eHobby Hauler (opened. minor chrome wear in places where it touches packaging bubble)
• Masterpiece Megatron (orange cap not glued. easily removed.)
• Pepsi Optimus Prime (Hasbro BotCon version) $40
• OTFCC Heroes of Cybertron PVC seeker set all sealed, but 2/3 generic Decepticons removed
• OTFCC Heroes of Cybertron PVC generic Decepticon seeker, loose (keeping one for myself)
• TFCclub Airazor *yawn*
• TFCclub Astrotrain *yawn*
• HTS Classics exclusive: $22 ea. *yawn*
  • Megatron
  • Drag Strip
  • Over Kill (sold?)
• Chevy Aveo Swerve *yawn*

Micron Legend exclusives: (no DVD/CD/comic/packaging. Just the Micron figures)

• Micron Booster v.3 (complete set but without chase figure. Also Bug, the minor variant of Unicron's Minicon is damaged)
• TV Boy Prime (green repaint of Minicon Sparkplug)
• Linkage DVD Speed Chaser Team: Top Gear, Mid Ship, and Tail Slide. (repainted Race Team) $100 OBO (loose. figures only. paint defect: missing silver on half of Top Gear's car seat)
• Linkage DVD Super Stunt Team: Flat-Out, Redline, Servo. (repainted Street Speed Team) $70 OBO (loose. figures only)
• CD audio soundtrack sets (no CD, but bubble tray included)
  • "show-accurate" Street Action Team / Bumble
    
  • blue Star Saber

Henkei:

• regular:
  • Grimlock
  • Bumblebee
  • Starscream
• Gentei: (Henkei exclusives)
  • Thundercracker
  • Thrust
  • Dirge

Smallest:

• wave 1: (all in opened boxes, larger case boxes available)
  • $65 set of regular figures (Soundwave, Starscream, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe)
  • figures from one set minus Soundwave available.
  • sideswipe & bumblebee available separately
  • chase trailer
  • chase red Bumblebee
• bootleg/knockoff:
  • set of 5 Dinobots
  • Xmas set with green Grimlock & anime Swoop
  • TFcon green Slag
  • Snarl
  • Grimlock

Micromaster "reissue" Six*:
(priority is given for the [large box that the smaller boxes go in] to people buying chase sets.)

• SixBuilder regular set. $22
• SixBuilder chase set. $45
• SixWing chase space shuttle. $14
• SixWing set minus space shuttle. (I'm cursed)

TF Misc.:

• Universe 2.0 Inferno
• Beast Wars 2nd LioConvoy
• Energon Wing Saber
• Energon Omega Sentinel
• RID Dreadwind & Smokejumper
• RID Megabolt
• Armada Mini-Cons 1st wave:
  • Air Defense
  • Land Military
  • Street Action
  • Street Action (square bubble variant)
• Energon Arcee
• Universe Snarl (man, this stuff isn't worth listing)
• Universe Reptillion (unsure if I have this)
• Beast Wars Depthcharge
• Beast Wars Transmetal Optimus Primal (opened box)
• Beast Wars Transmetal Terrorsaur
• Beast Wars Transmetal Waspinator
• Beast Wars Transmetal Waspinator repaint
• Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Ramulus
• Beast Wars Mutant Poison Bite
• Beast Machines Beast Changer AKA Savage Noble
• Robots in Disguise Super Prowl
• Robots in Disguise Storm Jet
• Classics Grimlock
• Classics Minicon Night Rescue Team
• Classics Minicon Dinobots

bootleg minicassette: (high quality. both have Frenzy & Laserbeak art & names on front)

• Frenzy(blue) & Laserbeak - clear variant (bent card corner)
• Rumble & Buzzsaw - clear variant (stickers different. Frenzy & Laserbeak bios)
• Frenzy & Laserbeak - clear-blue variant (Rumble & Ravage bios)

Non-Transformers:

MotU: (Masters of the Universe)

• MotU mini-statues AKA "stactions" (action-figure sized)
  • Jitsu (intact pony-tail)
  • Jitsu (broken pony-tail)
• MotUC:
  • King Greyskull
  • Webstor
  • Skeletor re-release
  • Beastman
  • King Randor

Misc:

• Resident Evil Alexia $30
• McFarlane Spawn - Mandarin Spawn (blue version)

Final Fantasy:

• FFX large PVC statues (8-12" tall?)
  • Lulu
  • Rikku
  • Auron
  • Yuna *yawn*
• FF8 Guardian Forces: (opaque/solid, North American versions)
  • Bahamut
  • Diabolus
  • Odin
  • Gilgamesh
  • Shiva
  • Siren *yawn*
  • Siren (loose)
  • Forsaken (will consider parting with)
• FF8 Guardian Forces: (opaque/solid, Japanese versions*, reissue, no Ragnarok parts)
  • Bahamut
  • Diabolus
  • Odin
  • Gilgamesh

*: they have very minor and subtle paint app differences, in addition to different packaging (greyscale background instead of red). these are later reissues that did NOT include the Ragnarok bonus pieces)

how wide is reissue Predaking's box?

how wide is reissue Predaking's box?

as a lesser question, is it true that the size/weights listed on HLJ include the packing material? I wonder if that's only for the weight, and the size is still the product size rather than the estimated packing box size.