Grizzleheim – Wizard 101’s version of Australia?
OK, I have been exploring Grizzleheim for a little while now and I think I have it figured out. Sure it’s supposed to represent the proud and fierce viking warriors of the North, but in reality, they have modeled it more after Australia.
Why Australia, you ask? Surely the lush forests and streams don’t remind me of the great Australian outback or the limitless pristine shorelines around the Great Barrier Reef, do they? No, not at all. The topography and landscape of Grizzleheim looks nothing like Australia, and those noble bears inhabiting the deep green forests are pure Viking – or at least the furry cartoon bear version of the vikings…
So why Australia then? Because apparently in Grizzleheim, much like Australia, EVERYTHING WANTS TO KILL ME!!!!
I have never been so terrified just to walk out of the main inhabited area. I fully understand why they invented these nifty teleporters, because walking more than seven feet from the village will get you attacked, cooked, eaten, and digested by something out these in the woods before you can say ‘Sunbird’. It comes out more like ‘Sunbi—-argh!!!’
Even cute little flitting fairies just come right over and thump me across my furry orange head. It’s a crazy, crazy place that makes Krokotopia look like a vacation hotspot. Sure you’ve got your sand scorpions and evil Nirini warriors, but at least you know they’re coming!! In Grizzleheim you turn a corner and come up against some giant spider or long-taloned grendel or something else that just walks up and makes a snack out of you.
I admit, I am not brave – typically we monsters are not, ironically. Just look at Grover and ‘The Monster at the End of this Book‘ – spending the whole narrative afraid of himself…. and that’s pretty typical for us, really.
So I’m going to keep exploring Grizzleheim for a little while longer, all in the name of entertainment (since that’s where my ‘Daring Adventures’ are taking me lately… ) but I think I’ll be making more trips to the pet pavilion to calm my nerves…. And someone in town actually said ‘this is nothing, just wait until Jotun’… I wonder what that meant? Sounds bad in any case…
Ditto plays the Cannon Game again….
I know people love this game, and Madame Jasmine has started to enjoy it too – though she is requesting that I start using a pet who actually has WINGS for the ‘flying through the air’ games… she prefers to stay on the ground most of the time.
I think it would be cool if a winged pet was better at this game, actually… I do have fun with this one, and when you get a windy day or buildings in the way, it becomes quite challenging…
A furry orange monster’s guide to casting Heck Hound
This could also be called ‘Fabricated Americans are bad at math’….
I got my Heck Hound spell recently and started using it. I understood that it was a very powerful damage over time spell – probably the most powerful in the game – but I wasn’t really getting hthe results out of it I had expected. I did some research and finally figured out why…
The Heck Hound - powerful damage over time fire spell
You see, when I read the card, it seemed pretty straight forward. It does 120 fire damage per pip for three rounds. Of course to me – I am a furry orange monster, after all – I was figuring 120 damage per pip per turn, and I was getting really confused when I was casting it with three or four pips and not seeing that kind of damage….
So now let’s talk about what the card REALLY does, ow that I finally figured it out… So if I cast the spell with only one pip, it will hit my opponent for 40 damage points per round for 3 rounds, totaling 120 points. The more pips you use the card with, the more damage you cause.
So, say I max out at 7 power pips, that’s really 14 pips. 14 x 120 = 1680 Total Damage over 3 rounds, which means 560 damage per round – that’s impressive! And if I add a fire blade to that spell, then it’s even MORE damage per round. That’s not a bad spell, assuming you can get it set up right. And assuming you actually understand math….
The Dreaded ‘Gobbler Drop’….
So here it is, me and Madame Jasmine playing ‘Gobbler Drop’…. I don’t know if my Fabricated American reflexes are just not up to the task or if there is just something about this game that I don’t get, but I am just so awful at it, it’s sad, really… I think we’ll stick to the maze game and the cannon game while leveling up for the Pet Derby.
And if anyone is wondering – this game was played AFTER hearing the great guide on the last episode of Ravenwood Radio, so before that I was even WORSE at this game, if that’s even possible…
Madame Jasmine loves the Maze Game…
Madame Jasmine’s favorite Pet Pavilion game is definitely the Maze Game – it’s like a first-person version of Pac Man and it’s just a lot of fun! Madame Jasmine definitely likes apples best, but she’ll eat just about anything really.
The Pet Pavilion games really are pretty well done – even the Gobbler Drop, which I am really, really terrible at. It’s just a lot of fun and kind of extra immersive to play the game as your pet and help level them up, gain skills with them, etc… and then finally bring your grown-up pet to the Pet Derby and race against other players! I know I’m actually having a ton of fun with it and have been doing more pet pavilion play than actual questing lately, and I’m having a lot of fun doing it!!
I think I love mounts….
I got a Starlight Pony 1 day mount while battling Rattlebones and I really liked it! It was more than just getting around more quickly – which was useful – it was also the experience of it, and it made me look around more at other mounts, like the dragons and cats and brooms, and I definitely want one! So now I just have to figure out which one best suits me, you know? I’ll have to check them out and think about it.
One disappointment is that our pets disappear when we are riding our mount. I kind of wish they could ride with us, or fly along side, but that’s not a big deal really.
So here is me riding Princess Noodles for the first time. Yeah I know you can’t name your mount, but I did anyway…
Ditto and ‘Pet Farming’
After listening to Ravenwood Radio on Wednesday night I decided that ‘pet farming’ sounded kind of fun – or at least interesting – so I headed to Unicorn Way and started fighting Rattlebones. After a couple fights I streamlined my deck down to just Sun Birds and Leprechauns, so that I could take out old ‘bones and his minion in either 2 or 3 turns, minimizing my downtime. I am very pleased to say that after ‘a while’ of pet farming I won a 1 day pony mount and Miss Madison, a Myth Sprite. I know she’s not a super-duper pet, but I was pretty thrilled just to have gotten her, and she’s very pretty – here are pictures and a quick video of me doing some pet farming and kicking some Rattlebones butt…
DItto’s video blog – June 17th
Another video blog – I went back to my old camera, I haven’t been as happy with the newer rig I was using. It was easier for me to use – you know, three fingers, furry, makes a lot of technology tricky to use – but the quality wasn’t as good…
So this week I’m just talking about pets, pet farming, and other fun in Wizard 101. I like the video blogs, they are fun to make, I hope you like them too…
Return to Grizzleheim, Narrator Troubles…
So Ditto has returned to the lush green forests of Grizzleheim – somewhat against my will if you have heard my latest daring adventures… I do love Grizzleheim, though, and the quests this time around are far more impressive and fun than what I experienced during my last trip. The woods of Grizzleheim are frought with danger – which is just fine for me, but Madame Jasmine gets a little nervous. Some ferocious fire dinosaur she turned out to be.
There are a lot more quests and adventures than I expected, too – I guess I hadn’t really read up on Grizzleheim much, I thought it was more of a ‘fun little side quest’ area, but it’s as big and full and detailed as Krokotopia, including it’s own Prospector Pete quest line. I’m really getting into it and it might be a little while before I head back to Krok, not sure. Grizzleheim is a nice change of pace and scenery, but I’m one of those somewhat obsessive-compulsive Fabricated Americans who likes to ‘finish’ stuff, so it’s bugging me a bit to see the unfinished Krokosphynx quests in my quest log….
Of course thanks so much to Leesha and the Ravenwood Radio gang for including yet more of my Daring Adventures… In case you missed it, I finally fired my crazy annoying narrator and hired a new narrator from a bargain narrators site at the last minute. I’m not sure she’s working out just yet, but I’m curious what everyone else thought. Steven and Leesha seemed to enjoy the segment, in any case, and though picking berries isn’t exactly what I’d consider a ‘daring adventure’, I’m sure it will pick up next episode though, right? She certainly seems nice in any case… and far less crazy.
Madame Jasmine is adult and nearly ‘ancient’ now and we’re having a ton of fun at the Pet Pavilion, but after last night’s Ravenwood Radio episode I’m also thinking I want to do a little pet farming, because there seems to be some awesome pets out there. It this something a level 21 pyromancer can do readily, or is the really good pet famring saved for higher level players and areas? I’m hearing a lot of people farming Rattlebones – that’s a lower level instance, right? Maybe I’ll try that a few times. I think I’ll head over to the PetNome project and some of the other great pet sites and get some more info…
Until next time – see you in the spiral!!
Ditto’s Video Blog – June 9
Just me, your favorite furry orange monster, talking about other games (gasp!) like LOTRO going free to play and the new Clone Wars free to play game that was just announced. Also – a big announcement regarding ‘The Daring Adventures of Ditto’….
New Celestia teaser!!!
So we’ll be able to start doing quests to get ready for Celestia soon!! From Wizard 101 news:
Are You Ready?
Are you ready for the perils that await you in Celestia, young Wizards?Very soon you may have the chance to find out if you have what it takes when you begin the first of many trials that await you. Wizards must earn their entry into Celestia by completing a series of new quests that will begin late June, early July.
Watch the Ravenwood News for updates on these quests.
Look for this and more in the Wizard 101 newsletter!!
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The Daring Adventures of Ditto – Episode 3
Here it is – Episode 3 of ‘The Daring Adventures of Ditto’, where our intrepid duo find themselves deep within the dreaded Krokosphynx – what evils await them in the icy halls of that dread place? Listen and find out!
The Daring Adventures of Ditto – Episode 3 As heard on Ravenwood Radio Episode 17
A really nice blog post about Ditto…
I just stumbled upon this (thanks Google) and it made Ditto very happy -another Blogger from a blog I even know already, the wonderfully named Homework in a Graveyard, has a great post about me that was really nice and made me a very happy Fabricated American. Thanks so much!!
Homework in a Graveyard – ‘My Jaw Just Dropped’
More Pet Pavilion – Cannon Time!
Yes, Ditto gave into peer pressure and shot Madame Jasmine out of a cannon. It was actually kind of fun, and I think Madame Jasmine liked it.. She loved cupcakes apparently.
Madame Jasmine goes to the races…
My first try at the Pet Derby in the Pet Pavilion – we came in third, but it was so fun! Madame Jasmine had a good time too. I’m going to be doing a lot more of that…
Ditto Explores the Krokosphynx
I have started my explorations of the dark and mysterious Krokosphynx! I don’t get very far before I find myself face to face with my arch nemesis the dreaded Ice Spiders…
I made it to the Krokosphynx!
So I finally got my videos transferring again – had a bit of technical difficulty thanks to a virus software upgrade. And as a helpful tip – if you run AVG anti-virus, the ‘link checker’ scanner can prevent you from successfully transferring files to YouTube. You need to disable it to get that transfer to work. Something I wish I knew a week ago…
So without further ado – Ditto reaches the Krokosphynx!
The Pet Pavaillion is Open!!
So today Wizard 101 officially opened the Pet Pavilion today! I’m already patched up and hatched my first piggle egg, Sir Sam. Madame Jasmine is already having a great time too. Still not sure I’ll be shooting her out of a cannon, but I’m looking forward to some great Pet Derby races! I wonder what foods she’s going to like best?
Here are a few early pictures…
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- Madame Jasmine enjoying herself in the Pet Pavilion
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- Sir Sam, my new Piggle in the Pet Pavilion
Ditto’s vBlog for May 23
Here’s my Video Blog this week – just me chatting about stuff. I didn’t put any script together so there’s a lot of babbling I think…
Another unplanned delay between posts
I wanted to apologize for the time between this post and my last. Nothing bad happened, just, you know, ‘life’ – and let me tell you, the life of a Fabricated American is no less complex than regular people’s lives. Sometimes – like job hunting – it can be much more difficult. There’s still a lot of anti-Fabricated American prejudices out there in many industries. sure we’ve made huge strides in children’s television and stand-up comedy, but even in 2010 there are still a lot of industries that won’t take a Fabricated American job candidate seriously…
So as you might have guessed from the above mini-rant, this hiatus was due to me job hunting yet again. My roommate has dropped a few subtle hints lately, like ‘Get a job or I’ll turn you into a dishtowel’, which indicated that it was once again time to start looking for gainful employment. Thankfully, as of yesterday I have a new job with actual pay, working at the local public library reading to kids. Well, OK, it’s sweeping the floors and general custodial services MOST of the time, but I do an hour a day for Storytime… Granted it’s during my lunch break and so far no children have stayed to listen – I wonder if I should have started out with something a little easier than ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’? Hey, it’s a paycheck and my roommate is off my furry orange back, so I’m happy!
I would have done this as a video blog entry, but I’m at work now and they don’t have a camera, so I’ll have to put more video blogs together tonight after work. Also, the library BLOCKS Wizard 101! Can you believe that?!?! Unbelievable, I know. I’m curious what the over/under is for me getting fired again? Stay in school kids!!!
So speaking of Wizard 101, I am now well on my way to level 21 and then on to level 22 and Meteor Storm!! I really can’t wait! However I have a minor dilemma now – I’m in the middle of Krokotopia, in the Krokosphynx now, but Headmaster Ambrose wants to send me on a new mission to Grizzleheim! So do I drop Krok and go where Merle tells me, or do I keep focusing on Krok until I’m through, then hit the Grizzleheim tasks before Marelybone? What do other people do?
Finally, thanks everyone who sent me warm wishes and appreciation for my ‘Daring Adventures of Ditto’ radio drama, and thanks so much to Ravenwood Radio for playing them!! I have a great time doing them and I’m glad people are enjoying them – there’s definitely more coming. I do have to fire that narrator some day, though…
Ditto’s Video Blog for May 6, 2010…
Ditto was on Ravenwood Radio last night!! I had so much fun making my ‘Daring Adventures of Ditto’ spot – did people like it? I hope people liked it! I’m going to do more of them and hopefully will keep getting them played on Ravenwood Radio – thanks so much to everyone who helped me do that!!
Anyway, here is this week’s video blog – Ditto is trying a new camera and it’s not as high-def but much easier to use so let me know what you think of this week’s vBlog… PLOX!
Battling Pike SpiritCrusher
Here is the finale of my epic boss fight. After defeating those nasty ice spiders I had to duel their boss, the cyclops Pike SpiritCrusher. Pike was pretty annoyed with me after I told him Pike was the name of a fish, and the battle commenced. Thankfully I was victorious, since I did not want to duel those ice spiders again…
And does anyone know why his Ghoul spell was able to bypass my Spirit Armor? It absorbed damage from his other spells after that, but Ghoul seemed to do full damage? Do death spells bypass those absorbs? If so, that’s pretty sweet… For death school, anyway. Kind of a bummer for me.
Pet Pavillion!!!
So I’ve been playing with the new pets system on the test world. Overall I love it, the derby is lots of fun and I like the pet systems. The mini games seem a little weak to me – the ‘dancing pets’ game is simple but amusing, the ‘falling food’ game is neither simple nor amusing, it’s just confusing.
Madame Jasmine is having a blast. I’ve been trying different snacks with her and I’ve done a few races in the derby, I’ve even won a couple. I haven’t taken any video, but it’s on my to-do list. Even if this were the only thing coming out with Celestia, I think I’d be excited, but the best part is that this is just the first taste of things to come. I’m certainly looking forward to lots more!!
For people who want more detailed info, I’ve been going to Diary of a Wizard most of the day, they’ve been posting great updates based on their test server experiences and they’ve already got some guides up, so check them out!
Ditto versus the Ice Spiders…
Here it is, my epic (10+ minute) battle against two ice spiders in Spirit Crusher’s Tomb. Many fire shields and no fire elf cards made for a really long fight, but I was victorious in the end!! It does teach me that I need to work on my treasure cards more and that I need a good shield breaker, as my staff (Ascendant Staff) casts balance, not fire….
Ditto Monster's Bloggy Thingy 