Engineer: The Mastermind
Rather than kits, this version of the Engineer summons tiny golems and clockwork robots to do their work for them. Wielding a horn in the off-hand, the Mastermind collects a small army of mechanical helpers and sets them loose, at which point the player gets up and makes a sandwich only to come back and find that they have somehow slipped into another game and are now fighting the forces of Longbow. Just go with it.
Thief: The Arsonist
This Thief specialization gets not one but two new weapon options with the ability to wield Torches in either the main hand or the off-hand. All of your utility skills are now about fire. Fire will clean everything. Pure, blazing fire. So hot. So loving. Everything is in flames. Burn them. Burn them all.
Ranger: The Hunter
Why don’t Rangers get to wield firearms? They do now, with the new rifle-toting Hunter specialization that lets Rangers take part in the time-honored modern sport of hunting. Assemble a blind, sit in it, drink copious amounts of beer, dye all of your armor bright orange, and eventually kill an animal from half a mile away without it having any idea that you’re there in the first place. Then post about it on Tyrian Facebook.
Commando: The Answerer
Reads and answers What Are You Playing. That’s it.
Bonus question: What’s a treat you like to get just for yourself, not for anyone else you may live with?
​Andrew Ross (@dengarsw): Pokemon Go will be happening since my friend wants to do all the Fashion Week stuff at the last minute, bleh. She’s also my Monster Hunter Rise partner, and apparently we’re a bit behind on some lesser updates (read: non-hardmode Rajang additions), so we may do a little of that if we don’t wrap it up after getting Rush on release night. I’ll probably also hit up some Pokemon Unite and, fingers crossed, wrap up Deltarune’s second chapter since it has been a very busy week.
Honestly, I share a lot. Especially food. I don’t even really buy alcohol since my folks don’t drink. The only thing that vaguely comes to mind is Barq’s root beer, since my mom rarely drinks soda and my dad can’t taste the difference between coconut walnut pudding and chocolate. As Barq’s has become rare during the pandemic, the over-priced case I bought has largely been hoarded… in public view. So while my family could take some if they like, it’s basically just for me.
Andy McAdams: I’m not sure – I am unexpectedly going to a fancy-pants charity gala this weekend so that will eat into my gaming time. I’ve been dropping into Guild Wars 2 periodically to just futz around, but without a guild there, it’s a bit of a lonely experience. Fun, but lonely. I’m really eager for New World to come out. I wouldn’t say that I’m hyped, just desperate for an MMO to really sink myself into for a while. I’ll probably play more Rimworld, as that has been my go-to while in the MMO slump.
Bonus: Not really something I do. My husband and I like about 95% of the same things, so anything I would get for myself, he would also enjoy so I end up getting for him too.
Brianna Royce (@nbrianna, blog): I’m not sure! I wish the Guild Wars 2 test were through the weekend so I’d have more time there, but alas. I’ll probably do a few final things to prep Star Wars Galaxies Legends for a break ahead of New World.
Hmm, I buy watermelon juice. Fun story, I’m allergic to watermelon and my husband and kids hate it, but over the pandemic I got delivered watermelon juice by mistake. I hadn’t tried it since a trip to Mexico many years ago, but anyway, I tried it again just to see, and apparently my body can tolerate that amount now. And I love it. So yay, now it’s my default juice, and nobody else in the family will steal it.
Chris Neal (@wolfyseyes, blog): With confirmation that Dancer will be my main job going into Endwalker, most of my time this weekend will involve Final Fantasy XIV as I get some better gear. Also, I’ll see about having some time with Actraiser Renaissance. Color me genuinely (and pleasantly) surprised that game got a remastering.
I am a gummi candy fiend, and nobody else gets to touch my gummi candies but me. A bit of trash panda gourmet recommendation for you fine folks: Find Albanese brand gummies if you can. Those are excellent.
Eliot Lefebvre (@Eliot_Lefebvre, blog): Honestly, most of this weekend will be devoted to a game I’m wrapping up a review on, and other than that I’m not sure. Probably nothing terribly intensive, maybe a bit of FFXIV to keep getting myself prepared ahead of the expansion. (You know, more than I already am.)
My wife and I are both pretty much on the same page of getting ourselves little treats that the other one doesn’t tend to like much; mine tend to me sodas she doesn’t care for, peas, and the occasional snack cracker she can’t stand. We also get a bunch of other treats that we both like equally, so it balances out.
Sam Kash (@thesamkash): I’ll be spending time with Guild War 2 beta as long as it lasts. It’s certainly nice having these beta time frames to see how it each class plays prior to the actual release. Other than that I’ve been playing a single player dungeon crawler called Curse of the Dead Gods. It’s not really my style of game in general but I’ve been having a lot of fun with it.
Bonus: I get coffee. No one else in the house likes it, the monsters. I basically run on coffee. It is the lifeblood.
Every Saturday, join the Massively OP community and staff for What Are You Playing, our roundup of what MMORPGs and other games we’re hoping to play this weekend (with a bonus question or two for our amusement). Tell us what you’re up to! Go off-topic! And don’t forget to have fun!
