7-day solo flight

Yesterday I bid my friends in Sanggre Faction a temporary, but sad farewell. After finally figuring out how to transfer the FL rings, my small, cozy faction had a new leader in the person of Trianna.

It kinda felt weird not to have those shiny rings, but I guess it's all for the best. Trianna will be a good leader to the group, and perhaps the next time I encounter the faction, I'll be seeing new faces within the ranks.

Anyway, it's going to be a long week ahead of me as I go solo. It's a good thing I was able to redeem the Noble Court ranks now that my family level shaved off 3 points when I left the faction. I'll be regaining those hopefully in the coming week as I join the ranks of the ¤ ALL ¤ STAR ¤.

A new adventure awaits me very soon!

On the wings of lurve~

Pardon me for the rather corny pun to the title of this post. I'm just ecstatic that I've received the Rojo Puesta del Sol wings from the Hellena's Tarot Cards web event!

The wings have an inherent glow when worn. I'm really glad I bought 3 pairs that I can use on whichever MCC teams I choose to use. They look absolutely splendid on the girls. :)

On a personal note, I'm on my way to having a 5th Expert character! Unbelievable! I thought I'd only have my mains as Experts, but I've been hanging around a lot in AT AFKing most of the time, that in all those daily leveling activities, I managed to get my Bernelli promoted! Well, she's not yet promoted technically because I have yet to buy an Expert scroll for her. Not only that, my very own Selva is well on her way to the next level promotion as well. Things are looking good, if I do say so myself.

I've also made a decision to move to a raid-active faction after thorough contemplation. Although it really saddens me to leave my small faction, I think it's about time for me to start enjoying the game more by experiencing more activities like high level raids and everything. Truth be told, I haven't experienced any major raids, except when I tagged along LC for GOF and Garim. I'd like to know what it's like to participate in Uraeus, Griffon, GOL and all other raids with a big group that's reputed to be doing these raids on a daily basis.

I originally wanted to join LC for that purpose, since I've been with these people and have interacted with them on several occasions. But I feel that I'd be of more use in another faction, since LC does have 2 CCs in their ranks to date. And so, the automatic decision was to go to the ¤ All ¤ Star ¤ Faction.

It's actually my first time to try my luck in getting into a renowned faction. I remember back in Carracci and during the earlier days in Rembrandt, ¤ All ¤ Star ¤ was reputed to have top tier players as members, thus commanding a formidable army every Colony War.

Even though AS has had a change of FLs over the past 2 years of GE, I still have that same impression of power, skill and cunningness when it comes to these guys being active in the game. It's the perfect scenario for me to stop slacking off and really get serious in getting ahead.

Applying in itself was already nerve-wracking. I've been invited previously to join in LC, but I felt that at that time, and with my current team, I wouldn't be of much help to the faction. Now I think I have more or less the capability to go alongside most players in terms of getting ahead with power-leveled characters.

The AS peepz were quite thorough in putting me under a microscope. It's quite understandable that they set certain standards, although at one point I've questioned myself if I even fit the bill to join these guys. At that time I thought I must've been on crack to have ever ambitioned a spot in that really prestigious guild.

But looks like things are swimming well. I may have to leave my current faction sometime soon, but I can't seem to pass the FL rubber duckies to Trianna, as the system said that changing FLs isn't allowed when it's election period. Wow, I didn't even know such a function existed!

Ah well, I think it would be best for me to let the faction penalty blow off some steam for the meantime. There's a lot of things to do lately and I haven't been that much productive, hence the rather late post for today. XD

DS Blogiversary: Teh Winrar!

I now haz teh winnar! But before that, I'd like to thank everyone who visited my blog, whether you joined this contest or not. Thank you for still continuing to visit this humble blog, and for that, I shall keep on doing what I do best!

Anway, enough with the flak...join me in congratulating teh epic winnar of the Granado Espada super funky tumbler!

It's Vacciuolo of Rembrandt Server!

And just to spill the answers..

1. Tala the Musk, Sidapa the Scout, Amihan the Elem
2. Cervantes
3. CARNAGE
4. September 15, 2007
5. Female Elementalist in Robe of Fire
   

Thanks once again to everyone who participated! Watch out for more contests in my blog soon! :D

DS Blogiversary last day of submissions!

Just a quick post. :)

If you want to win a GE tumbler (and a seekret prize of lulz), you can still submit your entries to DS' Blogiversary Contest! Deadline is until 11PM tonight (2300 hrs GMT+8)!

To those who have submitted, good luck to all of you! I'll be announcing the lucky winner tomorrow, so watch out for it! :D

Celebrating Independence Day

Happy Independence Day, Philippines!

To celebrate one of the country's national holidays, I, along with my fellow Community Crew member Patronum, organized a small in-game get-together with the PH GE gamers. I started broading past 4PM to invite everyone for a fireworks display at the City of Auch in Channel 1 to commemorate the Philippine Independence Day.

I believe NineMoons made the same gathering last year, but this time, I was surprised to see so many people! Pinoys from Takhisis, E M I N E N C E and a few other factions were there, so were my good friends Vacciuolo (who finally went back to GE) and Trianna.

Instead of the usual fireworks thing, we decided to form a human "PH" sign at the city plaza. It took quite some time for us to rally the people to cooperate, but thanks mainly to Patronum's herding abilities (LOL), everyone managed to work together.

Here's some of the screenshots taken by Patronum:

And one pretty screenshot by Vacciuolo:

As for me, I was DC-ing so badly that I wasn't able to get any decent screenshots of my own. D:

Nonetheless, I'd like to thank all GE PH gamers who were present this afternoon, and even more so to the Malaysian players who joined in just for kicks! :D Thank you SO much for a successful gathering. :) Until the next one! ;)

Viva Las Islas Filipinas!

DeSanggria is two years old!

As promised, here's a little something for everyone reading this humble blog. :)

I actually missed out my site's birthday as it was last month, but as usual, I'd like to do things a bit differently by getting you guys working on a nice contest.

Now, this is just going to be a simple one. I will be narrating 5 questions about this blog and particularly the DeSanggria family in general. If you're sharp enough, you will find all the answers in this site. All you have to do is use the search button.

What's the prize, you may ask?

I'll be giving away a Granado Espada tumbler, the very same one that Uncle Meepoktah is auctioning in his own sale. The good news is, if you win the contest, I will ship it to you, wherever you are! It's a really nice and durable tumbler that you can use as a water container when you're out on the road or anywhere else.

Tumbler image c/o Mistress Hrin

Aside from the tumbler, I shall be including a secret prize that's not GE related. Hehehe. I just want to add something extra to make it worth your while. :D

Okay, let's get down to business!

What are the names of my main family in Rembrandt? Clue: Musketeer, Scout, Elem (all female)


From which server did I start off in GE when it was first launched?

What's the name of my first faction in this server (your answer to #2)?

When did GE Philippines celebrate its own launch party?

What was my first GE cosplay?

Again, I'd like to remind you that all the answers are found in this blog...all you have to do is use the search button. Easy, right?

After you've taken down the answers, email your entry to me at this address: desanggria[at]gmail[dot]com. You can only submit an entry once, and the winner will be determined via randomizer (so I really hope you're the lucky type hehe). Please use the following format when submitting:

*Real Name:
*Address:
IGN:
Server:
Faction:
Your answers:

*Information will be held in strictest confidence.

Deadline for submission of entries is Wednesday, June 17 at 2300hrs (GMT+8). I will announce the winner the next day, June 18, just in time for the weekly maintenance.

Got it? Good! Good luck guys and I hope you have fun in this contest! :)

Plantronics GameCom Blogger's Challenge

It was another typical late night for me yesterday when I got back from work. Little did I know that things aren't as common as they seemed.

This little banner at the GE forums got me curious. I thought IAH was just going to upload the collective posts of the bloggers who reviewed the awesome Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset, but pfeh....I shouldn't have underestimated things.

Click here to know why.

It's a blogging challenge! O_O

I didn't precisely know that our reviews will be pitted against each other (and with a rather juicy prize dangling right before us O,...,O). I just feel a bit privileged to see my blog alongside a few greats as well. :D

Wish us all luck! :D

P.S.: I shall have a contest very soon, so stick around to find out what it's all about! ^^

Eargasmic!

I am in surround sound heaven. <3

It's been almost a week since the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset arrived at my doorstep, and I'm loving every minute of it. :)

Since I'm almost always in front of the computer every day, having a nice headset/earphone is a necesarry accessory for my PC, moreso that all avid gamers need to have quality headsets to complete their gaming experience.

Using the GameCom headset in my day-to-day work and leisure activities on the computer was indeed the best experience ever. I've owned many headsets before, but nothing can quite compare to the digital surround sound that only this headset can give. Here are some of the situations where I use it most frequently.

• Listening to music while working. There's not a day that passes by where I don't open my iTunes to listen to some great sounds. I'm the kind of person who gets a lot of work done while listening to music. Having the GameCom headset glued to my ears the entire day brings the music literally closer to my ears! It's as if I could hear the synthesizers right on my ears! How's that for listening to Backstreet Boys? LOL!

• Playing Granado Espada. I have to admit that I've turned off the game's music since it gets to be repetitive, but I tried activating it when the GameCom headset on, and I have to side with Uncle MPT about this. Listening to the superb music of GE can really drive you to emo tears! I most especially loved repeating these songs:

Violin of Death (City of Auch bgm) - I've always been a big fan of string instruments, particularly the violin. Listening to this song on GameCom was like having several violins playing live!

Odyssey (Al Quelt Moreza bgm) - How does having a chorus of blending voices sound? Heavenly.

Nangman Trance (Tetra Catacombs bgm) - I really enjoyed listening to this track most of all, as it is my favorite GE bgm ever. I can distinctly hear almost all the intruments playing, which is something that I rarely experience while using my other headsets. It certainly brings back memories of my noob, power-leveling days. :)

• Watching videos. As earlier mentioned, the music, SFX and speeches are much more evident when I use the GameCom headset while watching videos. It's like being inside a cinema with all the hodgepodge of sounds blaring at your ears from all corners.

Having said all these, here's what I absolutely love about the headset.

1. Superb sound quality. I'm going to mention this again and again: you can never go wrong with the Gamecom headset when it counts to sound quality. If you're the type of person who listens to a lot of music or who just loves to play games, I couldn't recommend any headset like this.
2. Ergonomic features. The Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset probably has the best ergonomic features on the unit, particularly the soft cushions on the head and ear pieces. The most definitely provide the utmost comfort for that surround sound quality. It's like snuggling to soft, cozy sheets!
3. Discreet microphone. Safely (and inconspicuously) tucked away at the sides of the head piece is one little microphone that comes in handy when chatting with friends. I particularly use YM and Ventrilo, and I have to say that the mic carries my voice clearly and without static, unlike those in the headsets I've previously owned. What's even better is that I barely notice or feel the mic when I'm using it! It's placed a good distance from the face, making it seem like you're not using one. That's pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.
4. Volume controls. Unlike in my other headsets, it's very easy to adjust the volume with Gamecom. The volume dial makes it easy for me to know where to turn for louder/softer volume.
   

However, there are some things that I'd like to take note.

1. The uncomfortable pressure on the ears while wearing the headset for hours can be quite daunting. As much as I'd love to keep the headset on the entire day, I had to rest my ears from the discomfort. I hope the product's designing team can work out a way to provide more comfort while wearing it for longer periods of time.
2. The headset is rather big and bulky. Although it's not that heavy to carry around, it looks particularly massive than most headsets. I feel like I'm a disc jockey while wearing it. XD I wonder if there's a way to make it more lightweight while having those really nice ergonomic cushions? :D
   

Despite it all, there are many redeeming factors to the product, with the sound quality being the topmost plus factor. It may have a pricey tag, but it's something I'm willing to save up on, if only to get the best quality while listening to music or playing games. :)

Acknowledgement
This blog entry is a demo review of the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset. I'd like to thank the gracious people of Plantronics in Singapore, as well as to IAHGames for giving me this great opportunity to review a top-class product. Special thanks to Mistress Hrin because if not for her blog plug, I'd never have known there was such a promotion! :D

I've got mail!

...and this time, it wasn't just the bills. >:D

Just this lazy Saturday afternoon, I felt like it was Christmas in May. Look what just arrived at my doorstep!

Merry Christmas! XD

I thought for one that I was too late to apply for a blog review of the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset when I first saw it in Hrin's blog. But, lo and behold, the goodies are here!

Open eeeeet!

Teh loots.

The mother of all loots! >:D

The package contained the headset itself (in a small tote bag), a note from the people of Plantronics in Singapore, and the Demo Kit. I was literally hopping around with glee! Looking for the very first gadget to plug it in for an impromptu demo, I quickly grabbed this:

Playing Chrono Cross in PSP! :3

Okay, I know it wasn't the best gadget to try it out, but I was so excited, I could've plugged it anywhere. LOL.

Anyway, Hrin has also written her own review about the product (and with a teary-eyed pic of uncle MPT to boot!), and while browsing, I noticed one thing...the headset that was shipped to me didn't have any USB attachments. D:

Nevertheless, I shall be writing a more detailed review about the product as well as my experience in using the headset while playing GE (and a whole slew of other music tripping and voice chatting) in the next post, so stay tuned!

A fashion commentary on new GE costumes

Any avid GE gamer would have to be insane to pass up the opportunity to own costumes for their own characters. Whether it be for the stocks or RNPCs, GE's brand of fashion truly makes each one of us eager for new updates.

I'm not exactly a fashion guru, nor am I that well-versed when it comes to fashion terminologies and such. Let me, however, provide you with my personal comments on the up and coming couture that's going to hit our servers really soon!

The Trump Series

According to Mistress Hrin, things are well in the way for the next patch update this month. Although there's no final name to the patch itself, v.3.4 features the Arsene Circus, where a whole lot of circus-y stuff is bound to arrive in the New World. The main highlight of the patch of course, is the arrival of a new Elementalist-type RNPC, Hellena, and the opening of Ania's recruitment quest. Among these new characters, there's also new maps, boss monsters and mobs to encounter on this rather challenging patch update. I also got word that the cat pet (Sith/Nyato) will also be available in this patch.

The overall look and feel for this patch is obviously that of a deck of cards. From the costumes, maps, character/monster names, this update will bring a different spin to the costumes of the stock characters, aptly named as The Trump Series.

Now let's talk about them one by one, shall we? :D

Musketeer

As expected, Musks are the cloth-clad characters that don't go all-out for skin exposure. Just like the Le Blanc series, Musks don't show that much TNA, and the discerning elements of the Trump theme can be seen in the checkered patches and the heart choker for the female Musk.

I love Musks to bits, but I just feel that the female one looks tomboyish in most of her costumes. I just wish they'd flatter her feminine looks, much like what they did for the Clivia Sprite. The costume design looks a bit plain if you put her side-by-side with the Wiz and Elem.



Wizard

I think that the Wiz class truly embodies the costume theme with the checkered designs, and spade emblems on their clothes. The male Wiz looks right at home with the theme, as if he was made for such design. Meanwhile, the female Wiz looks like a regal courtier in her gown! Those accordion-like skirt frills reminds me of Shakespeare's collar. LOL.




Elementalist

No one would argue that Elems are the most flamboyantly dressed characters in the game, not to mention the most daring one as well. This one, however, got totally offhand.

For one, the male Elem's clothes are ok, but the stripes are a bit too much. The designers could've opted for a minimalist look, same with the male Musk and Wiz.

For the female Elem, now that's what you call a deck of cards exploding on a dress! She looks like a fondue cake with all the layered petticoats. It's a bit overdone for me. Besides, they went all clothed on this series, compared to the more revealing clothes in their other costumes. Quite a bit inconsistent, considering that players are actually peeping Toms when it comes to the female Elem. :p



Scout

I've always thought of Scouts as the innocent looking ones in the game, most especially the female. On this costume though, the innocence was totally smothered by the rather..uh...revealing outfit that makes the female scout look like a lolita for pedos or something. XD Although I have to admit that it matches her skin tone, but still, it's a bit far too revealing for my own comfort. The male one, on the other hand, looks ok. But there's too much purple that he reminds me of ice cream. :x It's also a far cry from the Croanian costume/Oiled Body look that really showed off his buff body.



Fighter

The male Fighter looks like something you'd expect from the anime Sailormoon. No kidding. And his arm's dislocated. XD

I'm a bit neutral to this, as I think the impressions would come when we see the costumes worn by the characters themselves. Based from my experience, the renders may look unappealing, but would look really nice on the actual characters. I'm still reserving my thoughts on this, though I have to say that the female Fighter's femininity is given some justice.

Overall, I'd say that the Wizard class tops the cool, sophisticated look for this series of costumes. It would also help if there was a bit of play in colors. So far I've noticed that the predominant shade was purple, and not everyone would look good at it. Still, the costume update is still worth something to anticipate. Hopefully they'd look a lot better once they're worn by the characters and we see them live in our servers. :)


Image Sources:
sGE Forums
GE Hanbiton