Another self-promotional podcast-type post, with another podcast link on it:

Van Hemlock (ep58): Cheapseats

With some news and a whole new feature to replace the Topic Bit!

Speaking for myself, I do worry that I've become a bit comfortable in my online gaming, with my three main choices (Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Lord of the Rings Online) becoming very fixed things which I don't see myself getting bored with any time soon. Not that there is anything essentially wrong with being a loyal repeat customer of a service you like and enjoy - quite the reverse in fact! But it would be dishonest of me to suggest its just those games themselves that has done this, and my now 'usual' MMO choices are as much (if not more) about the people I'm playing with, than the game I'm actually playing.

But I was a wanderer once, traveling the long and lonesome roads of the outer MMO darkness; soloing my way through a large variety of frequent free trials in search of some indefinable 'better'. You can even read about some of that in the Op. Cheapseats Category on the sidebar! I found some decent games and some real stinkers but the overall process was fascinating, becoming a bit of a game in itself for me. I'm long past the point where over-exposure to too many titles in a row makes them start to blend into each other, so may as well continue toward the full house, and thats what we'll be doing for the next few months on the alternate weeks of the show; reporting back on fourteen days of something completely unknown to us and perhaps, to you too.

We'll be working off of this list here:

MMORPG.COM: Game List (Released Only, by Rating)

I'm sure there is a lot of questionable junk on there, and also omissions of important MMO-like worlds that should be on it, but it serves as a handy and surprisingly large starting point for the odyssey. We've gone with two random picks for this first effort, but will be posting lists and asking folks to pick for us on future occasions.

Tune in to find out what gaming fate has picked out for us this fortnight!