Bungie is planning to accept submissions for beta applicants for their next game. This could get you into their Alpha and or Beta phases of their next project which they will need a minimum of 100,000 people. Rumor has it that they are creating a persistent online world which would require this large number of active testers but they do also say the following on their own website about testing their next game.
"In exchange, we’re offering you the unique opportunity to help us continue making improvements to our playlists, features, and online community…and the potential to help us shape our glorious future."
Here's the link to the article which shares with you how to get accepted.
(Polly, you are coming over to my house and we are calling XBOX live and getting your shit sorted once and for all!)
As a side note, I'll see you on CoD tonight, it's time for 1st Prestige.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Merger Begins
I just bought and started moving our blog over to the new site. I'll be designing and customizing it over the next month or so and I'll have it up and ready soon enough. Stand by for more news on this. This is your last time to request features. Pretty soon it will be extremely difficult to add them in. For now the features stand at basically this. I will have a section where the main news is. I will also have a section that I have not named yet which will allow all of you to make original posts. There will also be a strategy page where we can discuss strategies of anything from How to Get Achievement X to setting up a Spawn lock, or even building strategies for your favorite RTS game. I'm contemplating a media page and maybe a separate page for all things Halo. Another thought of mine has been adding a calendar that we can all add events to, or an events page where we can list upcoming and pertinent events. For example, next week customs on Saturday at 10:00. (No seriously at 10:00 see you there...) Or we could say today that Fallout New Vegas has come out with a little blerb about it or the achievement list or something. I'll leave the rest up to you all, comment below or send me a message on Xbox Live if you have any thoughts.
In other news I read a great article about the top 10 games you must play before you die. I decided that while this list was a fairly good list I would rather make a more relevant one. So without further ado, the top 10 games you should play this console generation.
1. Halo - If you haven't played a Halo game you are truely missing out. Especially the two from this generation which honestly are two of the most balanced and well put together feature rich FPS if not games of all time.
2. Half-life 2 - Okay so this is slipping a bit into the last generation but it would never have played on the original xbox at the time it came out and it honestly was way ahead of it's time as valve games usually are.
3. StarCraft 2 - I had to include the legendary RTS and while I've only had a limited amount of time with this game I can say hands down that it is amazing. There are no words for this game...
4. Fallout 3 - This game brings back the excitement of exploration and really pushes the envelope as to what an RPG can be. When you play this game you really get a good understanding for what is going on this world and you become so involved it's hard not to love every minute. Whether you are freeing the world from the tyranny of a robot army, saving a town from two nut jobs or hunting down unsuspecting humans and enslaving them for extra cash, this game takes the RPG to a whole new level.
5. Gears of War - In addition to the fantastic over the top gore and language that makes this game a true mature title this game offers something much more. Gears has redefined what a co-op experience should feel and play like. Even in the limited interactivity between characters you can understand the strategies and how you should work together. There is not I in team and certainly not in Gears of War either.
6. (Insert MMO here) - If you haven't played one of the MMO's this generation you are truly missing out. Although I don't personally believe MMO's have hit their full potential their evolution this generation should be experienced. There's a reason you have to pay to play these games. They are fun, there's free content and you get to play with and against more people than any other game, you have to experience this.
7. Call of Duty - I don't think there is a person left on this planet who owns a game console and doesn't own at least one version of Call of Duty. Say what you will about their balancing practices or how competitive this game is but I have to say it's fun. It capitalizes on everything that made Counter Strike good and the newer versions include an RPG like mode where each challenge seems just another game away. The momentum keeps you playing and that's why it's on this list. Pick it up and I doubt you'll ever put it down.
8. New Super Mario Bros. - This has to be on the list although there were several Nintendo titles that came to mind. If you liked mario ever, even just a little bit this game will rock your socks. There are no words to describe the elated feeling you get chucking your friends into a pit so you can make the gap and spring to victory. 2D Screen scrolling mario but with 4 player co-op = WIN!
9. Portal - The greatest puzzle game ever was Tetris. Play this game...
10. Left 4 Dead 2 - I have to say that Left 4 Dead is a must play. Whether you are a fan of killing zombies or not this game is fun, hands down. You can't beat the four player co-op action, chainsaws, machetes or even a chance to be a zombie yourself.
I can think of a few that almost made the list like Crysis for it's tech or Forza for it's realism. I'm sure I missed something or left something out. Let me know about it below...
In other news I read a great article about the top 10 games you must play before you die. I decided that while this list was a fairly good list I would rather make a more relevant one. So without further ado, the top 10 games you should play this console generation.
1. Halo - If you haven't played a Halo game you are truely missing out. Especially the two from this generation which honestly are two of the most balanced and well put together feature rich FPS if not games of all time.
2. Half-life 2 - Okay so this is slipping a bit into the last generation but it would never have played on the original xbox at the time it came out and it honestly was way ahead of it's time as valve games usually are.
3. StarCraft 2 - I had to include the legendary RTS and while I've only had a limited amount of time with this game I can say hands down that it is amazing. There are no words for this game...
4. Fallout 3 - This game brings back the excitement of exploration and really pushes the envelope as to what an RPG can be. When you play this game you really get a good understanding for what is going on this world and you become so involved it's hard not to love every minute. Whether you are freeing the world from the tyranny of a robot army, saving a town from two nut jobs or hunting down unsuspecting humans and enslaving them for extra cash, this game takes the RPG to a whole new level.
5. Gears of War - In addition to the fantastic over the top gore and language that makes this game a true mature title this game offers something much more. Gears has redefined what a co-op experience should feel and play like. Even in the limited interactivity between characters you can understand the strategies and how you should work together. There is not I in team and certainly not in Gears of War either.
6. (Insert MMO here) - If you haven't played one of the MMO's this generation you are truly missing out. Although I don't personally believe MMO's have hit their full potential their evolution this generation should be experienced. There's a reason you have to pay to play these games. They are fun, there's free content and you get to play with and against more people than any other game, you have to experience this.
7. Call of Duty - I don't think there is a person left on this planet who owns a game console and doesn't own at least one version of Call of Duty. Say what you will about their balancing practices or how competitive this game is but I have to say it's fun. It capitalizes on everything that made Counter Strike good and the newer versions include an RPG like mode where each challenge seems just another game away. The momentum keeps you playing and that's why it's on this list. Pick it up and I doubt you'll ever put it down.
8. New Super Mario Bros. - This has to be on the list although there were several Nintendo titles that came to mind. If you liked mario ever, even just a little bit this game will rock your socks. There are no words to describe the elated feeling you get chucking your friends into a pit so you can make the gap and spring to victory. 2D Screen scrolling mario but with 4 player co-op = WIN!
9. Portal - The greatest puzzle game ever was Tetris. Play this game...
10. Left 4 Dead 2 - I have to say that Left 4 Dead is a must play. Whether you are a fan of killing zombies or not this game is fun, hands down. You can't beat the four player co-op action, chainsaws, machetes or even a chance to be a zombie yourself.
I can think of a few that almost made the list like Crysis for it's tech or Forza for it's realism. I'm sure I missed something or left something out. Let me know about it below...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Santa Clause
He's making a list and checking it twice....
So this actually isn't at all about Santa but it is about making a list. I think we all have little details that we would like fixed in Halo Reach and I plan on brining them before Bungie in a well thought out argument in favor of some changes. Almost every single change we wanted from the beta made it into the final version of the game and unfortunately a few other little details slipped in or slipped by. That being said I think we know most of them but lets make a list. I'll write it all up and start a discussion on Bungie.net and then post the link to the forum here. I expect all of you to actively participate as this is the last halo game ever and we should have an active hand in shaping the first combat update which every halo has had since the dawn of Xbox Live.
I think I'll be categorizing everything as I go so don't be surprised if I reorganize a couple of times or add your thoughts into the main post. For any entries like that I will use the following nomenclature. * (Denotes an addition from your comments below.) ** (Is the recognition of any move or change of category.) Any other updates will be listed at the bottom in my notes.
Game Mechanics: This is perhaps the hardest section to really post in as it is extremely controversial and any changes here will dramatically effect the gameplay regardless. As for the armor abilities, I feel they are almost perfectly balanced. The melee feels great, shield popping is amazing and grenades feel pretty darn good too. Most of my overall grievances lie elsewhere so I'll leave it up to you guys to add your input here.
I do however have one thought to add. MLG 1.1 is out and for everyone who has had a chance to play I think many of you will agree, the changes to jump height, fall rate and run speed feel pretty good. I know they would cause problems with sprint but it's always something we should be thinking about.
Vehicles
I'm dreading getting to this so I'll come back to it at the end.
Weapons
The Sniper Rifle: The Sniper Rifle feels awesome, it feels powerful but honestly it's too powerful. It needs to be toned down just a tad. I'm not saying it should be completely nerfed but I do feel the Auto Aim could come down a tad and it shouldn't be the vehicle destroying monster that it is. I have no problem with it popping the top off the Scorpion I do however have a problem with a 50 Cal sniper rifle knocking the engine block out of a heavily armored futuristic tank in any number of shots. If you want to kill someone in a vehicle with the Sniper, you should have to shoot the person not the headlight.
The Concussion Rifle: It sucks, it needs a light damage increase to make it worth picking up. It lacks the brute shot shoot smack that made the brute shot a usable weapon. This isn't too priority for me though as it's not on very many levels. If any gun should do a lot of damage to vehicles though it should probably be this one.
The Plasma Launcher: While it needed a major nerf in the beta it now just plain old sucks. They nerfed every aspect of this damn thing to the point that there is no reason to pick it up. It needs some loving, any ideas?
Game-types
King of the Hill: The hill moves way too fast. 30 seconds is not enough to let anything play out in the hill. You can't wait to attack or assess the situation because if you do you get the last 4 seconds of the hill and it becomes more about where the hill moves than how you dispatch your opponents.
Another change I would like to see to King of the Hill is an alternate version which allows use of Armor Abilities in the Hill. Why turn off your 4th leg of fun? Invis and Armor lock make KotH fun. Why did they get rid of Jet Packs in KotH? Perhaps Crazy King is the Armor Abilities on version, King Classic is no armor abilities in the hill and so on.
Territories: I have a similar grievance to KotH with this one, how could you take away a large part of the game when you are in the hill. Bring them back, they are fun. Make a classic version and an AA packed version.
Capture the Flag: Where to start... First we need two versions again like ye olden days, CTF classic which is Flag at home to score and touch return and another version Multiflag which allows scoring when your flag is not at home with a reasonable return rate.
The return rate, I can't stress this enough but it seems Bungie will never get this right. Flag return rates should scale with the map. If i'm playing on a BTB map I should have enough time to get back once and maybe twice if I die quickly and really hurry. It shouldn't be the same time on Countdown, a map you can cross in one sprint, as it is on Hemorrhage a map more than 10 times the size of Countdown.
Finally, you shouldn't have to straddle the flag pole to return it. Honestly that's the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Not only that but it shouldn't instantly reset your return process when you step off the flag. That's insane... I think this can be easily argued do the overwhelming power of the large grenade radius. Which I personally agree with having in the game but in this particular case it breaks another rule. Therefore the flag return radius should be increased in order to fit the balance of the rest of the sandbox.
Arena
The Arena is pretty damn fun but I think they need to make it more competitive. Less armor abilities and no radar to start. Perhaps having an MLG arena along side the original version will solve this.
Map Glitches/Bugs/Exploits/Layouts
I have very little to say about this, just a few exceptions.
1. We need more arena maps, give us lockout and wizard we know you have them. Hook us up with that amazing version of Beaver Creek, Noble Creek. It's a great remake and we all know and love our favorite water bound fragging spot.
2. Swordbase, Bring back the sniper. I'll argue this on the forum but we've all been talking about how it took skill to use and it balanced the map etc etc. I have other thoughts about weapon configuration on this map and we'll get into them soon because It's defiantly something that needs to be addressed, this map plays like shit which is unfortunate because it was a great experience in the beta.
3. Over and under use of just about every vehicle on all the maps. On most of the maps there are far too many vehicles and power weapons to keep track of. While this is fun for a while it becomes less about the skilled use of these tools as much as it becomes how can we beat the other team over the head with an endless onslaught of power weapons and vehicles. Where's the finesse.
I'll leave the bug collecting or reporting up to you guys. Or just let me know what's bugging you. Pun intended....
So this actually isn't at all about Santa but it is about making a list. I think we all have little details that we would like fixed in Halo Reach and I plan on brining them before Bungie in a well thought out argument in favor of some changes. Almost every single change we wanted from the beta made it into the final version of the game and unfortunately a few other little details slipped in or slipped by. That being said I think we know most of them but lets make a list. I'll write it all up and start a discussion on Bungie.net and then post the link to the forum here. I expect all of you to actively participate as this is the last halo game ever and we should have an active hand in shaping the first combat update which every halo has had since the dawn of Xbox Live.
I think I'll be categorizing everything as I go so don't be surprised if I reorganize a couple of times or add your thoughts into the main post. For any entries like that I will use the following nomenclature. * (Denotes an addition from your comments below.) ** (Is the recognition of any move or change of category.) Any other updates will be listed at the bottom in my notes.
Game Mechanics: This is perhaps the hardest section to really post in as it is extremely controversial and any changes here will dramatically effect the gameplay regardless. As for the armor abilities, I feel they are almost perfectly balanced. The melee feels great, shield popping is amazing and grenades feel pretty darn good too. Most of my overall grievances lie elsewhere so I'll leave it up to you guys to add your input here.
I do however have one thought to add. MLG 1.1 is out and for everyone who has had a chance to play I think many of you will agree, the changes to jump height, fall rate and run speed feel pretty good. I know they would cause problems with sprint but it's always something we should be thinking about.
Vehicles
I'm dreading getting to this so I'll come back to it at the end.
Weapons
The Sniper Rifle: The Sniper Rifle feels awesome, it feels powerful but honestly it's too powerful. It needs to be toned down just a tad. I'm not saying it should be completely nerfed but I do feel the Auto Aim could come down a tad and it shouldn't be the vehicle destroying monster that it is. I have no problem with it popping the top off the Scorpion I do however have a problem with a 50 Cal sniper rifle knocking the engine block out of a heavily armored futuristic tank in any number of shots. If you want to kill someone in a vehicle with the Sniper, you should have to shoot the person not the headlight.
The Concussion Rifle: It sucks, it needs a light damage increase to make it worth picking up. It lacks the brute shot shoot smack that made the brute shot a usable weapon. This isn't too priority for me though as it's not on very many levels. If any gun should do a lot of damage to vehicles though it should probably be this one.
The Plasma Launcher: While it needed a major nerf in the beta it now just plain old sucks. They nerfed every aspect of this damn thing to the point that there is no reason to pick it up. It needs some loving, any ideas?
Game-types
King of the Hill: The hill moves way too fast. 30 seconds is not enough to let anything play out in the hill. You can't wait to attack or assess the situation because if you do you get the last 4 seconds of the hill and it becomes more about where the hill moves than how you dispatch your opponents.
Another change I would like to see to King of the Hill is an alternate version which allows use of Armor Abilities in the Hill. Why turn off your 4th leg of fun? Invis and Armor lock make KotH fun. Why did they get rid of Jet Packs in KotH? Perhaps Crazy King is the Armor Abilities on version, King Classic is no armor abilities in the hill and so on.
Territories: I have a similar grievance to KotH with this one, how could you take away a large part of the game when you are in the hill. Bring them back, they are fun. Make a classic version and an AA packed version.
Capture the Flag: Where to start... First we need two versions again like ye olden days, CTF classic which is Flag at home to score and touch return and another version Multiflag which allows scoring when your flag is not at home with a reasonable return rate.
The return rate, I can't stress this enough but it seems Bungie will never get this right. Flag return rates should scale with the map. If i'm playing on a BTB map I should have enough time to get back once and maybe twice if I die quickly and really hurry. It shouldn't be the same time on Countdown, a map you can cross in one sprint, as it is on Hemorrhage a map more than 10 times the size of Countdown.
Finally, you shouldn't have to straddle the flag pole to return it. Honestly that's the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Not only that but it shouldn't instantly reset your return process when you step off the flag. That's insane... I think this can be easily argued do the overwhelming power of the large grenade radius. Which I personally agree with having in the game but in this particular case it breaks another rule. Therefore the flag return radius should be increased in order to fit the balance of the rest of the sandbox.
Arena
The Arena is pretty damn fun but I think they need to make it more competitive. Less armor abilities and no radar to start. Perhaps having an MLG arena along side the original version will solve this.
Map Glitches/Bugs/Exploits/Layouts
I have very little to say about this, just a few exceptions.
1. We need more arena maps, give us lockout and wizard we know you have them. Hook us up with that amazing version of Beaver Creek, Noble Creek. It's a great remake and we all know and love our favorite water bound fragging spot.
2. Swordbase, Bring back the sniper. I'll argue this on the forum but we've all been talking about how it took skill to use and it balanced the map etc etc. I have other thoughts about weapon configuration on this map and we'll get into them soon because It's defiantly something that needs to be addressed, this map plays like shit which is unfortunate because it was a great experience in the beta.
3. Over and under use of just about every vehicle on all the maps. On most of the maps there are far too many vehicles and power weapons to keep track of. While this is fun for a while it becomes less about the skilled use of these tools as much as it becomes how can we beat the other team over the head with an endless onslaught of power weapons and vehicles. Where's the finesse.
I'll leave the bug collecting or reporting up to you guys. Or just let me know what's bugging you. Pun intended....
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Complete MLG V. 1.1 up. Check it out here.
Let me know what you think after you've downloaded and play them. I'll let you all know soon enough.
Let me know what you think after you've downloaded and play them. I'll let you all know soon enough.
Halo Reach Map Pack Released
I'll save you the long introduction but mostly because I'm at work. Here's the link to the Noble Map Pack. My thoughts when I take my lunch break, post yours below.
For those of you who are lazy, so all of you, here's the quick breakdown of what you need to know.
1. It comes out November 30th
2. It will cost 800 points, or 10 dollars
3. There will be three maps.
a. Anchor 9 - An orbital dry dock that also allows seamless travel between the dock, space and back again.
b. Tempest - A beach assault similar to the current Pinnacle and reminiscent of the Halo 1 Silent Cartographer mission.
c. Breakpoint - Think last encounter of the second to last mission in Reach.
For those of you who are lazy, so all of you, here's the quick breakdown of what you need to know.
1. It comes out November 30th
2. It will cost 800 points, or 10 dollars
3. There will be three maps.
a. Anchor 9 - An orbital dry dock that also allows seamless travel between the dock, space and back again.
b. Tempest - A beach assault similar to the current Pinnacle and reminiscent of the Halo 1 Silent Cartographer mission.
c. Breakpoint - Think last encounter of the second to last mission in Reach.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Top 10 Series
So I know it's been a while since I've made a post and most of that is due to the fact that there has been very little worth writing about. I've also started making a new blog which will replace this one and as I said before I'm taking suggestions on features that should be added to it. Would you like to see a strategy page for all recent games or would you rather have a separate halo section to help lighten the load of the overwhelming halo posts. Another idea would be whether or not you guys would like to make posts and where they should go. Should you have a separate page or should you be able to post right on the home landing. Let me know what you think.
Anyway let me get back tot he topic at hand, the Top 10 Series. I may not have made it into the main Top 10 but I was featured in the honorable mentions which is featured below.
I'm honored to have made it and I won't say that my clip should have been in the Top 10 but some of the entries were much weaker than those in the honorable mentions.
Anyway let me get back tot he topic at hand, the Top 10 Series. I may not have made it into the main Top 10 but I was featured in the honorable mentions which is featured below.
I'm honored to have made it and I won't say that my clip should have been in the Top 10 but some of the entries were much weaker than those in the honorable mentions.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
New Live Action Trailer
I don't see how a halo movie can't get funding with something as quality as this being produced on little to no funding. I think lots of people.... no I know lots of people would watch a halo movie. If an Evercrack movie can be made and find someone to produce it and fund it than they should be able to find a way to do a halo movie right. I can just imagine the Fall of Reach book being done as a movie. It would be amazing.
Enjoy
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/deliver-hope-halo-reach/703586?type=flv
See you on the 14th!
Enjoy
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/deliver-hope-halo-reach/703586?type=flv
See you on the 14th!
Monday, August 9, 2010
It comes in Liters?
I could get used to this.
So a quick update because we have to hit the road. Everquest 2 and 1's next expansion packs have been announced. They look awesome, more on that later.
Battlefield 3's feature list should be coming out within the next two weeks.
Oh and Everquest Next was announced. Wait what you say, you'll have to wait till I get to Rheim since I'm next to take a shower. Have a good one. Oh and when I get there I'll fix the picture too.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Paris to Fussen
Yesterday I drove for nearly 14 hours straight. We stopped twice for gas of course but basically it was straight through. We began our trip in Paris where driving means everyone shares one giant lane and can gutter fuck each other like it's Glendale. Its like the entire idea of lanes is liquid there and as long as you don't bump up no one cares. If that sounds intense imagine limited signage, low hanging stop lights six point intersections and new lane markings. Of course once we got out of Paris it was pretty smooth as the highways are pretty easy. You have to frequently adjust your speed because there are speed traps everywhere. Thankfully our GPS would let us know when each one was coming up.
Then we got to Germany and now I get it. If you want to know how bad ass they really are you really have to come try this. I know it rains everywhere but this was supposedly a light storm. Seriously I now understand how they took over France twice not to mention the fact that for a long time they successfully fought off multiple countries at once on multiple different fronts. While we drove to the mountains and then in them we experience the most torrential rainstorm I have ever experienced. That coupled with the fog meant I could only see about 50 yards ahead of me at best. However what made the Germans bad asses is still in them today. The crazy people of this country were still following the speed limit and some of them were even going faster than it. Multiple people passed me at the equivalent of 80 or 90 miles an hour. Hurtling around tight bends over bridges with nearly 0 visibility. WOW
Needless to say the rain added nearly 4 hours to our trip yesterday but we are here and its absolutely beautiful. As soon as the girls wake up I'm going to take a shower and head on down to the nearest bar to enjoy the company of some of the locals.
Reach Update
Here's my update for reach. While I was carefully navigating the mountain and then of course again while I was sleeping, bungie added several updates to their site regarding reach. Head on over to bungie.net to see new multiplayer maps, campaign and much more. The easiest way to sort the data is to view which ones have the reach icon next to them and click through.
~ Jared
Then we got to Germany and now I get it. If you want to know how bad ass they really are you really have to come try this. I know it rains everywhere but this was supposedly a light storm. Seriously I now understand how they took over France twice not to mention the fact that for a long time they successfully fought off multiple countries at once on multiple different fronts. While we drove to the mountains and then in them we experience the most torrential rainstorm I have ever experienced. That coupled with the fog meant I could only see about 50 yards ahead of me at best. However what made the Germans bad asses is still in them today. The crazy people of this country were still following the speed limit and some of them were even going faster than it. Multiple people passed me at the equivalent of 80 or 90 miles an hour. Hurtling around tight bends over bridges with nearly 0 visibility. WOW
Needless to say the rain added nearly 4 hours to our trip yesterday but we are here and its absolutely beautiful. As soon as the girls wake up I'm going to take a shower and head on down to the nearest bar to enjoy the company of some of the locals.
Reach Update
Here's my update for reach. While I was carefully navigating the mountain and then of course again while I was sleeping, bungie added several updates to their site regarding reach. Head on over to bungie.net to see new multiplayer maps, campaign and much more. The easiest way to sort the data is to view which ones have the reach icon next to them and click through.
~ Jared
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Wall of Shame
So while riding the train to Versailles I enjoyed all the wonderful sites of the Parisian and shortly after French countryside. However when we returned at night there was far less to see and so I began reading one of the magazines that I brought with to kill time in just a situation like this. The result was that I found a very interesting article about one gamers wall of shame.
Seeing that Halo Reach is dangerously close and the last weeks of summer seem to hold little in the way of entertainment, unless of course you bought Starcraft II; it's time for us to start thinking of creative ways to enjoy our last weeks of freedom. While we could enjoy a little of the new free Everquest II, I think instead we should fill out our walls of shame and give them a go.
What is a wall of shame? It's all the amazing video games that you have yet to finish. It doesn't matter how old or new, the style of the game or the platform from which it comes. Your fall of shame is your personal list of games that you wish you had beaten. Some may list final fantasies or perhaps like my brother you never actually went through the ODST campaign. I'm going to compile 2 short lists, one of games that I want to beat and another of games I would like maybe to get the remaining achievements in. As for you guys make similar lists and please feel free to ask for help in getting the remaining achievements. I'd love to join you on your quest, or to invite you over to my house while we play separate single player games in hopes of calming our pre Reach jitters. One quick recomendation, keep to games you still own or could get very easily. If you would like to give me cash I'll pick up a nice version from GameStop with my discount if you sold it back ever.
Donkey Kong Country
Yes I own Donkey Kong Country and no I've never beat it. In fact it's one of the few retro games that I own or owned as a kid that I have yet to beat. While technically I've never beat sonic the hedgehog on the console and only on an emulator, I've never even touched an emulated version of this game.
Halo Wars
I didn't finish the campaign. I quit playing the story switched to multiplayer and got tired of Covenant leader rushes and underpowered scarabs. I'd really like to get through this at least once if not try it again on Legendary, I think... If anyone would like to join me you are welcome and I would really like to play multiplayer so perhaps I'll check one extra out from the store and someone can borrow it.
Assassin's Creed 2 -
I know I know, how could you not finish this? I don't know... It's definitely on my list and I'm going to crush it out of existence.
Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess -
I was about half way through this game and some other amazing game came out and I took a pause for the cause to join the multiplayer madness with the likes of you and now I have no idea what to do whenever I boot it up. Perhaps a little online strat guide cheating or some help from Dan will get me back in and help me finish it.
Team Fortress 2 -
New achievements are out and I'd like to get my new Engineer Gear! Not entirely shameful but something that I can finish before Reach.
Gears of War 2 -
I'd like to finish the game co-op finally. Those are the achievements I want.
Halo Wars -
At least a few of the easier ones that I've left out.
Rainbow Six Vegas Two -
There's a lot of these I'm missing and this game rocked, perhaps it's time to break it back out and give it a whirl.
Battlefield 1943 -
One to go, just got to finish it...
Shadow Complex -
One to go, really want to get it...
What's your list? Comment Below...
Seeing that Halo Reach is dangerously close and the last weeks of summer seem to hold little in the way of entertainment, unless of course you bought Starcraft II; it's time for us to start thinking of creative ways to enjoy our last weeks of freedom. While we could enjoy a little of the new free Everquest II, I think instead we should fill out our walls of shame and give them a go.
What is a wall of shame? It's all the amazing video games that you have yet to finish. It doesn't matter how old or new, the style of the game or the platform from which it comes. Your fall of shame is your personal list of games that you wish you had beaten. Some may list final fantasies or perhaps like my brother you never actually went through the ODST campaign. I'm going to compile 2 short lists, one of games that I want to beat and another of games I would like maybe to get the remaining achievements in. As for you guys make similar lists and please feel free to ask for help in getting the remaining achievements. I'd love to join you on your quest, or to invite you over to my house while we play separate single player games in hopes of calming our pre Reach jitters. One quick recomendation, keep to games you still own or could get very easily. If you would like to give me cash I'll pick up a nice version from GameStop with my discount if you sold it back ever.
Jared's Wall of Shame
Donkey Kong Country
Yes I own Donkey Kong Country and no I've never beat it. In fact it's one of the few retro games that I own or owned as a kid that I have yet to beat. While technically I've never beat sonic the hedgehog on the console and only on an emulator, I've never even touched an emulated version of this game.
Halo Wars
I didn't finish the campaign. I quit playing the story switched to multiplayer and got tired of Covenant leader rushes and underpowered scarabs. I'd really like to get through this at least once if not try it again on Legendary, I think... If anyone would like to join me you are welcome and I would really like to play multiplayer so perhaps I'll check one extra out from the store and someone can borrow it.
Assassin's Creed 2 -
I know I know, how could you not finish this? I don't know... It's definitely on my list and I'm going to crush it out of existence.
Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess -
I was about half way through this game and some other amazing game came out and I took a pause for the cause to join the multiplayer madness with the likes of you and now I have no idea what to do whenever I boot it up. Perhaps a little online strat guide cheating or some help from Dan will get me back in and help me finish it.
Team Fortress 2 -
New achievements are out and I'd like to get my new Engineer Gear! Not entirely shameful but something that I can finish before Reach.
Achievements Lost in the Heat of Battle
Gears of War 2 -
I'd like to finish the game co-op finally. Those are the achievements I want.
Halo Wars -
At least a few of the easier ones that I've left out.
Rainbow Six Vegas Two -
There's a lot of these I'm missing and this game rocked, perhaps it's time to break it back out and give it a whirl.
Battlefield 1943 -
One to go, just got to finish it...
Shadow Complex -
One to go, really want to get it...
What's your list? Comment Below...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Long Time No See - Literally
Here I am in Paris awaiting an email so I can finish the last assignments of my online class and get back to exploring the world. From my window I can see the Eiffel Tower and just down the block from me is the Arc de Triumph. So it's rather funny that I'm posting now when I've waited so long to post already.
Firefight + Complete Customization
Firefight Versus
New Red Small Wraith
Several New Weapons Confirmed
Forge Confirmed
Forge World (WTFOMG Quit Life) More on this when I get back
Several New Trailers
Halo Space Battles!
A Huge Armory Reveal (Unlimited Customization)
New Armory Pieces will be released with time to keep people interested
A new Campaign Trailer (Featured Below)
All of this new news and they haven't talked about saved films, zombies, new gametypes, full features of race, the entire list of forge objects and tons of things I can't even begin to remember.
Starcraft II came out
Battlefield 3 beta with MoH collectors
Respawn to announce new game*
Gears III has versus firefight
APB Sucks but has the greatest customization ever
Bobby Kotic is still a dick and
EQII now has a free to play option.
*For those of you who don't know, Respawn is the name of the company founded by the heads of Infinity Ward, makers of Modern Warfare 2. The company due to a crazy legal dispute that had the halo announcer yelling Suing Spree has in essence broken up and reformed under EA. Great job Activision! They will now be making first person shooters for the publisher that owns pretty much every great FPS. The short list: The Battlefield Series, Medal of Honor Series, and Crisis. Lets keep out all the third person shooters and hybrid rpgs like the aforementioned APB, which sucks.
For Nathan who likely skipped all that other shit because he's now freaking out and probably left this page; hopefully he stayed because I put his name in bold. EQII is now free, WHAT! you say. Well not entirely, John Smedly, the guy behind SOE and one of the most controversial game makers has created a system that I think will take hold in all future MMO's. It's very similar to what LOTRO has done by creating a tiered system of subscriptions and optional buy ins to increase your fun. Chill out Nate, I promise they won't suck you back in. Basically the way it works is that you get access excluding the latest expansion but on a separate server. Still sounds interesting I know, but you have a bank cap and you only get 4 races and 8 classes. You can however buy away the bank cap and gain access to 2 more races and classes for 15 dollars in addition to a few more perks and bonuses. You can also pay money per class and or race that you wish to add to your character select screen. You only get to make 2 characters I believe. I know what you are thinking, where's the real drawback I'm fearing a relapse or for those new to the game I'm sure you can taste the free EverCrack right now. Fear not my friends! John has found a way to ruin the entire thing. In order to use legendary or fabled items you have to subscribe. Oh and let me not forget that you can only get Adept spells so you can't even use the master crafted ones. In addition to this available only on this server is wow mode. Because they didn't want to ruiin the game for other players by making the game easier to play they decided to make it easier by giving you the opportunity to purchase good gear. Basically it's gear that although they deny it is near to fabled and legendary quality but can only be obtained through use of your wallet. Not only that but experience potions, potentially tradeskill levels and other so called convience (easy mode) items can be acquired only on this new server. It's possible for 30 dollars to transfer your old character to this new server but once it's there it can never go back.
What I find absolutely hilarious about the whole thing is that the developers honestly don't know their own game. What EQII does really well is create group and raid based encounters and stories that are really fun and engaging with interesting and unique rewards. That has always been it's unique selling point. It is designed for the hard core and so they decided to make it easier for people to get into. That's smart business but by taking out legendary and fabled items you just made end game not hard but impossible. Raids cannot be completed with that gear and even if you could complete them you wouldn't be allowed to wear anything inside them. That's not to mention all of the group content in the late game that would suddenly be pointless. What are you thinking John! That's okay why don't you go and spend more money changing the Star Wars Galaxies combat system again that way you can finally close the servers down.
PS. How is it that EQ is still not free yet WTF! I just got another server combine message.
And for those of you who made it to the bottom. [Click Me] and don't forget it. BTW, that line works all over Europe.
Your Halo Update: (uber brief)
Firefight + Complete Customization
Firefight Versus
New Red Small Wraith
Several New Weapons Confirmed
Forge Confirmed
Forge World (WTFOMG Quit Life) More on this when I get back
Several New Trailers
Halo Space Battles!
A Huge Armory Reveal (Unlimited Customization)
New Armory Pieces will be released with time to keep people interested
A new Campaign Trailer (Featured Below)
All of this new news and they haven't talked about saved films, zombies, new gametypes, full features of race, the entire list of forge objects and tons of things I can't even begin to remember.
The Cinematic Trailer, Enjoy!
Other Game News(The List)
Starcraft II came out
Battlefield 3 beta with MoH collectors
Respawn to announce new game*
Gears III has versus firefight
APB Sucks but has the greatest customization ever
Bobby Kotic is still a dick and
EQII now has a free to play option.
*For those of you who don't know, Respawn is the name of the company founded by the heads of Infinity Ward, makers of Modern Warfare 2. The company due to a crazy legal dispute that had the halo announcer yelling Suing Spree has in essence broken up and reformed under EA. Great job Activision! They will now be making first person shooters for the publisher that owns pretty much every great FPS. The short list: The Battlefield Series, Medal of Honor Series, and Crisis. Lets keep out all the third person shooters and hybrid rpgs like the aforementioned APB, which sucks.
EverCRACK II
For Nathan who likely skipped all that other shit because he's now freaking out and probably left this page; hopefully he stayed because I put his name in bold. EQII is now free, WHAT! you say. Well not entirely, John Smedly, the guy behind SOE and one of the most controversial game makers has created a system that I think will take hold in all future MMO's. It's very similar to what LOTRO has done by creating a tiered system of subscriptions and optional buy ins to increase your fun. Chill out Nate, I promise they won't suck you back in. Basically the way it works is that you get access excluding the latest expansion but on a separate server. Still sounds interesting I know, but you have a bank cap and you only get 4 races and 8 classes. You can however buy away the bank cap and gain access to 2 more races and classes for 15 dollars in addition to a few more perks and bonuses. You can also pay money per class and or race that you wish to add to your character select screen. You only get to make 2 characters I believe. I know what you are thinking, where's the real drawback I'm fearing a relapse or for those new to the game I'm sure you can taste the free EverCrack right now. Fear not my friends! John has found a way to ruin the entire thing. In order to use legendary or fabled items you have to subscribe. Oh and let me not forget that you can only get Adept spells so you can't even use the master crafted ones. In addition to this available only on this server is wow mode. Because they didn't want to ruiin the game for other players by making the game easier to play they decided to make it easier by giving you the opportunity to purchase good gear. Basically it's gear that although they deny it is near to fabled and legendary quality but can only be obtained through use of your wallet. Not only that but experience potions, potentially tradeskill levels and other so called convience (easy mode) items can be acquired only on this new server. It's possible for 30 dollars to transfer your old character to this new server but once it's there it can never go back.
What I find absolutely hilarious about the whole thing is that the developers honestly don't know their own game. What EQII does really well is create group and raid based encounters and stories that are really fun and engaging with interesting and unique rewards. That has always been it's unique selling point. It is designed for the hard core and so they decided to make it easier for people to get into. That's smart business but by taking out legendary and fabled items you just made end game not hard but impossible. Raids cannot be completed with that gear and even if you could complete them you wouldn't be allowed to wear anything inside them. That's not to mention all of the group content in the late game that would suddenly be pointless. What are you thinking John! That's okay why don't you go and spend more money changing the Star Wars Galaxies combat system again that way you can finally close the servers down.
PS. How is it that EQ is still not free yet WTF! I just got another server combine message.
And for those of you who made it to the bottom. [Click Me] and don't forget it. BTW, that line works all over Europe.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
E3 is here...
So since E3 is here I'm going to start posting like a mad man. When I see it I'll try and cue you in to it. Today I'm going to briefly touch on two things. As always I'll give you the reach update and then I'll let you know what happened in the main press conferences for each major consol developer. Throughout the day today I'll try and come back later and add a second post about the main goings on with the PC.
Adding this as well, it's a live studio demo reel from 1up. As each game gets added you can come back and see your favorite stuff. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179905
A word of apology first. As I'm hurrying to keep up with all the news and what not between all the things I'm doing these posts will be ugly, contain errors and will probably not feature any pictures or videos at first. Eventually I'll catch up with everything and throw down a highlight video or two.
Halo Reach -
So there are a number of videos going out there and I'm sure if we combed through all of them we could find tons of cool stuff. For now here's the short list of features that we now know to exist.
They showed a campaign video which included these features:
Four Player Co-op
Elite Armor Lock (it's red)
Advanced Ai, including Jackals making a phalanx
Space Battles
Wait what space battles you say. Are we doing a space walk or do you mean rogue squadron behind the cockpit stuff. I'm talking about the latter, and so far rumor has it that it's available in as a separate multiplayer mode as well.
Another video is floating around as well that confirms firefight mode:
Firefight confirmed (fully customizable, think custom games x10) <-- create your own skulls...
New Armor Ability, Bubble-shield/regen sort of thing called the drop shield
Brutes confirmed in firefight, possibility for more new weapons
New targeting lazer with hammer of dawn like capabilities, think orbital strike. Possibly calls in a Mac round or two.
Some sort of artillery strike was also seen, will need more to know what it was.
Custom game like customization for firefight which can be seen in the list on the following page which also contains the video.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179906
Moving right along:
So the conferences were for the most part unimpressive. In fact this year the winner of best conference was undoubtedly nintendo. Here's a brief rundown of each consols press conference.
Sony:
So to be completely honest all bias aside Sony had the worst show. Their line up of games was predictable, their psp showing was absolutely garbage and they had only 2 new announcements. Twisted metal 2 looks okay which was really announced prior to the show accidentally but I'll give them that as a new announcement. Their second announcement was that Portal 2 was coming to the PS3, this is interesting enough but it isn't going to be a simultaneous release. They relied heavily on their new 3d tech which seemed rather dull although obviously it needs to be experienced in person. The other thing they relied heavily on was the move which seemed to me to be wii motion plus and nothing more. Honestly I own a wii and the waggle controls are fun but they aren't anything special. I don't really see a reason to go this way which brings me to the next press conference.
Microsoft: While their press conference was rather lack luster as well they did have a few great announcements. Gears 3, Halo Reach and several other heavy hitters were there in full force. In addition to the usual triple A titles we got to see a new quieter 360 that would be out that very day and natal now named Kinect. The later of these looked very promising, offering a new experience in which your entire body becomes your controller. This seems to be a new and fresh way to look at motion sensitive controls. I'm very excited to see what developers do with it.
Nintendo: Honestly the best showing here. Finally we got to see a large line-up of hard core nintendo games that fans want to see. I'll make a quick list and allow you guys to see them on your own. A new side scrolling Donkey Kong Country and a new Kirby game. A remastered Goldeneye remake that aside from the Wii graphics looks like a Call of Duty style triple A shooter. A new legend of Zelda featuring Wii Motion plus controls. Metroid Prime M, made by team ninja. A new kid icarus game on the 3ds, a Mario Sports game (volleyball, basketball, hockey, and dodgeball) and tons more. It's games like these and the full line up of 3DS titles as well as the announcement of no glasses 3d that made their press conference without a doubt the best.
Adding this as well, it's a live studio demo reel from 1up. As each game gets added you can come back and see your favorite stuff. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179905
A word of apology first. As I'm hurrying to keep up with all the news and what not between all the things I'm doing these posts will be ugly, contain errors and will probably not feature any pictures or videos at first. Eventually I'll catch up with everything and throw down a highlight video or two.
Halo Reach -
So there are a number of videos going out there and I'm sure if we combed through all of them we could find tons of cool stuff. For now here's the short list of features that we now know to exist.
They showed a campaign video which included these features:
Four Player Co-op
Elite Armor Lock (it's red)
Advanced Ai, including Jackals making a phalanx
Space Battles
Wait what space battles you say. Are we doing a space walk or do you mean rogue squadron behind the cockpit stuff. I'm talking about the latter, and so far rumor has it that it's available in as a separate multiplayer mode as well.
Another video is floating around as well that confirms firefight mode:
Firefight confirmed (fully customizable, think custom games x10) <-- create your own skulls...
New Armor Ability, Bubble-shield/regen sort of thing called the drop shield
Brutes confirmed in firefight, possibility for more new weapons
New targeting lazer with hammer of dawn like capabilities, think orbital strike. Possibly calls in a Mac round or two.
Some sort of artillery strike was also seen, will need more to know what it was.
Custom game like customization for firefight which can be seen in the list on the following page which also contains the video.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179906
Moving right along:
So the conferences were for the most part unimpressive. In fact this year the winner of best conference was undoubtedly nintendo. Here's a brief rundown of each consols press conference.
Sony:
So to be completely honest all bias aside Sony had the worst show. Their line up of games was predictable, their psp showing was absolutely garbage and they had only 2 new announcements. Twisted metal 2 looks okay which was really announced prior to the show accidentally but I'll give them that as a new announcement. Their second announcement was that Portal 2 was coming to the PS3, this is interesting enough but it isn't going to be a simultaneous release. They relied heavily on their new 3d tech which seemed rather dull although obviously it needs to be experienced in person. The other thing they relied heavily on was the move which seemed to me to be wii motion plus and nothing more. Honestly I own a wii and the waggle controls are fun but they aren't anything special. I don't really see a reason to go this way which brings me to the next press conference.
Microsoft: While their press conference was rather lack luster as well they did have a few great announcements. Gears 3, Halo Reach and several other heavy hitters were there in full force. In addition to the usual triple A titles we got to see a new quieter 360 that would be out that very day and natal now named Kinect. The later of these looked very promising, offering a new experience in which your entire body becomes your controller. This seems to be a new and fresh way to look at motion sensitive controls. I'm very excited to see what developers do with it.
Nintendo: Honestly the best showing here. Finally we got to see a large line-up of hard core nintendo games that fans want to see. I'll make a quick list and allow you guys to see them on your own. A new side scrolling Donkey Kong Country and a new Kirby game. A remastered Goldeneye remake that aside from the Wii graphics looks like a Call of Duty style triple A shooter. A new legend of Zelda featuring Wii Motion plus controls. Metroid Prime M, made by team ninja. A new kid icarus game on the 3ds, a Mario Sports game (volleyball, basketball, hockey, and dodgeball) and tons more. It's games like these and the full line up of 3DS titles as well as the announcement of no glasses 3d that made their press conference without a doubt the best.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Forge Contest - Tower of Power
As promised, it's time for a forge contest. I know you are all burnt on games in general at this point so lets take a chance to become the creators of one instead for a bit. Now this isn't anything near to what real devs do but they've given us tools so that we can manufacture our own fun and it's about time that we do. For those of you who are afraid to get in and get your hands dirty send me an email. I know you guys have ideas, I'm sure we have all sat up at night unable to sleep thinking about some stupid game type or another. Maybe even imagining a new version of tremors or how you would like to see one flag play out on your favorite map. Perhaps you might wonder what it'd be like to play Valhalla without snipers and lasers?
Enter forge contest number one...
Tower of Power
Your task is to create or recreate a version of Tower of Power. I have the gametype and will post it to my file share some time this week but I urge you all to try out your own game variants and push it as far as you would like.
I'm going to give everyone two to two and a half weeks. You may build it however you like. It can be done in the sky box or on any level you deem fit. I strongly urge you boot up Halo 2 and check out Ascension and check out the tower and give some thoughts not to the geometry but to what made tower of power fun. It might have been the single path up to the top or it could have been something completely different, you be the judge.
If you fear the land of forge comment below or send me a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible with some tips or a time for us to meet to discuss your idea and help get it in motion. It shouldn't be about your skill in forge but the concept and feel of what you create. I'm more than willing to help you set up your idea and get it working nicely. When all is said and done we will play all the maps and game variants that have been created and then work on tweaking them for a future custom game night.
I'll keep you posted; until then happy forging.
Enter forge contest number one...
Tower of Power
Your task is to create or recreate a version of Tower of Power. I have the gametype and will post it to my file share some time this week but I urge you all to try out your own game variants and push it as far as you would like.
I'm going to give everyone two to two and a half weeks. You may build it however you like. It can be done in the sky box or on any level you deem fit. I strongly urge you boot up Halo 2 and check out Ascension and check out the tower and give some thoughts not to the geometry but to what made tower of power fun. It might have been the single path up to the top or it could have been something completely different, you be the judge.
If you fear the land of forge comment below or send me a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible with some tips or a time for us to meet to discuss your idea and help get it in motion. It shouldn't be about your skill in forge but the concept and feel of what you create. I'm more than willing to help you set up your idea and get it working nicely. When all is said and done we will play all the maps and game variants that have been created and then work on tweaking them for a future custom game night.
I'll keep you posted; until then happy forging.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Two Updates in One
So once again I've waited quite a while to post but as summer kicks into full swing I'll start posting a lot more. Fortunately I've been able to talk to you guys in person but for those of you who have missed some of it I'll update you briefly and then I'll tell you about the future.
Update 1: Reaching for the perfect game
When making a game like Halo balance is everything. With Reach we all enjoyed the new tweaks and changes to create a more competitive game and while some changes were welcome others made the game less fun. Let's all be honest for a moment when we look at grenades. As fun as it was to kill someone with them it was not fun to die suddenly to a grenade that you just couldn't escape. Nor was it fun to be on the receiving end of nade spam. It always seemed to hit you no matter how far you were. If you were in the same room as a grenade you were taking damage regardless. It's things like these that they have already adjusted. I'm going to make a list and update it as I go but hopefully I'll have covered everything. Each of these are confirmed changes that have already gone into Bungie's internal builds. That being said, each change is also subject to change as balance is always in flux.
Base Player Traits
Run Speed - Slightly Increased
Jump Height - Slightly Increased as well...
Elite Shield Regen - Longer timer, Increased from 3 Seconds to 4.
Melee - Slowed down to match exact speed of Halo 3.*(See Below)
Armor Abilities
Armor Lock - Meleeing a locked opponent no longer removes shields, stun still in place.
Invisibility - No longer jams a teammate's radar. This was a bug.
Weapons
Pistol - Firing Rate slightly decreased, .1 seconds.
Assault Rifle - Damage slightly increased
DMR - Clip size increased to 15, means 3 full kills with no misses
Needle Rifle - Clip size increased, 3 full kills with no misses
Sniper Rifle - Auto Aim slight increase, exact words (Sniper is now more idiot proof)
Plasma Launcher - Tracking slightly decreased, Speed slightly decreased, Lock on time slightly increased, Firing time slightly increased
Grenades - Damage slightly decreased, Radius slightly decreased, (couple this with the movement speed and jump changes and they are not nearly as volatile)
Vehicles
Closer to Halo 3's design
No more spontaneous combustion after damage cap reached (aka. GTA car explosions)
Misc
Stockpiles moved on powerhouse for a more fair experience
Flag position moved on sword base one flag to glass room
Flag position in Powerhouse 1 Flag now above cubby between Power House 2 and Pro Pipe 3. Ensures that the flag is easier to get out and defending becomes more exciting allowing play throughout the map.
All game type changes are things that can be altered later...
Forge was finally officially confirmed in exact words. How it works is still unknown...
*I know it's going to be questioned when we get to the actual game so allow me to explain what was wrong with melee and why it will be perceived as faster than Halo 3 despite the fact that it is exactly the same. So first and foremost there was a bug causing melee's to contest despite insanely long gaps between their melee and yours. This would cause people to die far too often despite getting the jump on someone. Part 2 is they decreased the melee speed to be more in line with Halo 3. While the animation displays at 25 frames and it seems that you can melee once again at that time you can press the button to cause an interrupt which would begin your second melee at exactly 30 frames which is the time that it would take exactly in Halo 3. Thus making it seem faster but in actuality you are hitting at the same rate. More on this later I'm sure...
Update 2: E3
With E3 Coming up I'd like to know what games you guys are looking forward to seeing more of most. I've compiled a list of 10 things so if you come up with anything like what I've got please put it down in the comments below. This is a great chance to share what you are looking forward to. If you want a list of games and things that you may see hit up 1up.com, gametrailers, or ign. They all have their own top 10, top 50 and so on.
My top 10: (in no particular order)
1. Diablo 3
2. Halo Reach Campaign
3. Fallout New Vegas
4. Everquest Next,*
5. Call of Duty Black Ops
6. Star Wars Old Republic
7. Project Natal
8. Wii HD?
9. Surprise Announcement from Valve
10. Crysis 2
*Whatever SOE has in mind for the next EQ although likely we'll just see their spy mmo and their free realms styled star wars MMO.
Update 1: Reaching for the perfect game
When making a game like Halo balance is everything. With Reach we all enjoyed the new tweaks and changes to create a more competitive game and while some changes were welcome others made the game less fun. Let's all be honest for a moment when we look at grenades. As fun as it was to kill someone with them it was not fun to die suddenly to a grenade that you just couldn't escape. Nor was it fun to be on the receiving end of nade spam. It always seemed to hit you no matter how far you were. If you were in the same room as a grenade you were taking damage regardless. It's things like these that they have already adjusted. I'm going to make a list and update it as I go but hopefully I'll have covered everything. Each of these are confirmed changes that have already gone into Bungie's internal builds. That being said, each change is also subject to change as balance is always in flux.
Base Player Traits
Run Speed - Slightly Increased
Jump Height - Slightly Increased as well...
Elite Shield Regen - Longer timer, Increased from 3 Seconds to 4.
Melee - Slowed down to match exact speed of Halo 3.*(See Below)
Armor Abilities
Armor Lock - Meleeing a locked opponent no longer removes shields, stun still in place.
Invisibility - No longer jams a teammate's radar. This was a bug.
Weapons
Pistol - Firing Rate slightly decreased, .1 seconds.
Assault Rifle - Damage slightly increased
DMR - Clip size increased to 15, means 3 full kills with no misses
Needle Rifle - Clip size increased, 3 full kills with no misses
Sniper Rifle - Auto Aim slight increase, exact words (Sniper is now more idiot proof)
Plasma Launcher - Tracking slightly decreased, Speed slightly decreased, Lock on time slightly increased, Firing time slightly increased
Grenades - Damage slightly decreased, Radius slightly decreased, (couple this with the movement speed and jump changes and they are not nearly as volatile)
Vehicles
Closer to Halo 3's design
No more spontaneous combustion after damage cap reached (aka. GTA car explosions)
Misc
Stockpiles moved on powerhouse for a more fair experience
Flag position moved on sword base one flag to glass room
Flag position in Powerhouse 1 Flag now above cubby between Power House 2 and Pro Pipe 3. Ensures that the flag is easier to get out and defending becomes more exciting allowing play throughout the map.
All game type changes are things that can be altered later...
Forge was finally officially confirmed in exact words. How it works is still unknown...
*I know it's going to be questioned when we get to the actual game so allow me to explain what was wrong with melee and why it will be perceived as faster than Halo 3 despite the fact that it is exactly the same. So first and foremost there was a bug causing melee's to contest despite insanely long gaps between their melee and yours. This would cause people to die far too often despite getting the jump on someone. Part 2 is they decreased the melee speed to be more in line with Halo 3. While the animation displays at 25 frames and it seems that you can melee once again at that time you can press the button to cause an interrupt which would begin your second melee at exactly 30 frames which is the time that it would take exactly in Halo 3. Thus making it seem faster but in actuality you are hitting at the same rate. More on this later I'm sure...
Update 2: E3
With E3 Coming up I'd like to know what games you guys are looking forward to seeing more of most. I've compiled a list of 10 things so if you come up with anything like what I've got please put it down in the comments below. This is a great chance to share what you are looking forward to. If you want a list of games and things that you may see hit up 1up.com, gametrailers, or ign. They all have their own top 10, top 50 and so on.
My top 10: (in no particular order)
1. Diablo 3
2. Halo Reach Campaign
3. Fallout New Vegas
4. Everquest Next,*
5. Call of Duty Black Ops
6. Star Wars Old Republic
7. Project Natal
8. Wii HD?
9. Surprise Announcement from Valve
10. Crysis 2
*Whatever SOE has in mind for the next EQ although likely we'll just see their spy mmo and their free realms styled star wars MMO.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Halo Reach Post-Mortem
I know I havn't posted in a while but this is a must see. If you wanted to know what it looks like when a pro gets his hand on the new sniper and dmr here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7TzmNTNvVQ
This guy makes me miss reach even more, wow he's good.
There's a ton of great stuff coming out still and lots of interviews and media releases that are all going to be leading up to the Reach launch. Check bungie.net frequently for updates and news regarding all things halo and beyond. They even have an interview with IGN up right now detailing fixes that they have made to the beta already including proposed changes to player speed and jump height.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7TzmNTNvVQ
This guy makes me miss reach even more, wow he's good.
There's a ton of great stuff coming out still and lots of interviews and media releases that are all going to be leading up to the Reach launch. Check bungie.net frequently for updates and news regarding all things halo and beyond. They even have an interview with IGN up right now detailing fixes that they have made to the beta already including proposed changes to player speed and jump height.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Moment You've Been Waiting For
Or not, most likely you're all just playing the beta right now.
Warning, this post is going to be long...
I intend to cover each aspect of the beta here. I'm going to break it down by section and I'm going to try and post a little bit more as I go. Until I'm finished posting the bottom will say "More to come soon." That being said feel free to comment as I go and I'll try and adress anything else you bring up that I may have left out unintentionally.
I'll start us off with weapons, and balancing. Since I could probably make an entire post about all of my thoughts on the weapons and each individual change I will currently keep this short. My current opinion on the state of the weapons is that they are far more balanced than in any previous Halo, or maybe even first person shooter for that matter. Each weapon fulfills a specific roll within the gameplay and as such each weapon is powerful in its own right. That being said I can see one underpowered and one overpowered weapon in the game. I'm sure many of you have heard my complaints but honestly the sword needs some tweaking. I don't care if you can contest the sword on rare occasions, I actually think thats kinda cool. It's pretty rare to begin with. What I do take issue with is the fact that you can sprint with a huge hammer and use it immediately but the sword in that capacity is useless? The sword is the single most underpowered weapon in the game. Most of the other weapons have received nice tweaking to make them useful again, or to scale them back and force them into their specific roles. The DMR is a perfect example of this. As predecesor to the BR it is the mid to long range headshot weapon. It fits this role perfectly and becomes significantly more difficult to use over increasing and decreasing distances giving it greater purpose. I personally find this to be good, you should have to choose your weapons wisely, not pair X Y and Z with BR and you get an instant win. While this should and could work in a situation like MLG, this is not the way the game has to play. Weapon combinations, including range choices, should be a large part of a player and subsequently a teams strategy. This should take into consideration what the player has already, what their armor ability is, what their teammates weapons and armor abilities are and what the current objective is. The latter includes taking a position on the map for optimum slaying capabilities. I think I got lost somewhere in there, back to my original grievance; the weapon I find most overpowered, the Plasma Launcher. I have no problem with the mechanics of this gun except it's tracking is a bit much at close range. My real problem is that it yields no way to avoid it. Even the new fangled powerful needler can be avoided should you catch it in time, or have the upper hand based on position. With the Plasma launcher there is little to no warning that someone has locked onto you and whats worse is that they can kill you pretty easily without actually hitting you. The gun is almost there, it just needs some adjustments in some areas to make it a more skill based weapon. What if it fired more straight with slightly increased velocity but didn't track? Food for thought...
Armor Abilities? I love them, but I was definitely right to assume that they would be for a less hardcore crowd. They're fun and I think they will be best used in a big team battle session. What they are best at is creating those epic halo moments that we are all familiar with. A lone soldier sprints toward the new rocket spawn but is assassinated by an invisible guy he passes on the way to the spillway. Little did the invisible guy know but above him flying on a jetpack was some jackass with the pro pipe. With the fiery death of the invisible guy comes a reward, Rockets. Here comes one more to the party to experience them first hand, but wait, he has armor lock. The rocket that seemed to have the late comers adress dialed in was instead returned to sender. Imagine this but 8 vs 8 with Elites vs Spartans, vehicles and flags. It will be like 1000 ninja's running through a hospital zone on fire and oh yeah here comes the Spartan laser! So to be completely honest I love them. You can turn them off so hell yeah I love them. Using them together adds that much more variety to your team. Where you cover and with what armor abilities can make all the difference in the world. Sprint I think adds the most to the game as it stood in halo 3. It creates the ability to change the tide with a spike of speed boost. Used correctly you can do all sorts of wonderful with it. Just look at the overkill I got on the fileshare, sprint is win.
I'm goign to continue on to Elites now because it's definitely related to armor abilities. Elites are my favorite! Hands down, I like being an elite in this one. I feel like a badass, not like the wimpy ass Spartans who seem to run away, hide, bare a shield or fly away. Elites are faster, more agile, stronger and can jump like beasts. I wish they would make a spinoff based on the Elites in this game. It's fun to play as them, I love their tech, I love their evade!
It's what makes Elites fun that detracts from the overall game. Spartans feel weak. They don't jump high enough, they don't shoot as accurate, the sniper feels a bit too slow, and everyone seems to like non-headshot weapons. All in all it does feel a bit less hardcore, a bit less about the individual and very team oriented. This is and isn't a good thing. It should be based on your teams performance, but at the same time a single individual should be able to go clutch. I think games should mirror Basketball. What I mean is that there should be star players who can hit the three pointer with 1 second left on the clock. Similarly a team should be able to win by struggling together to push for the win. It is a team effort but Kobe can rally the team. Perhaps thats a tired metaphor but I think it rains true through to the end. Halo 3 really feels like that. To be honest I would play a Halo 3 with an updated BR spread, better connection and fancier graphics. Thats what we have to remember, this isn't Halo 3 upgraded, it's Halo Reach. The checks and balances are different, there are different things to do and the game plays slightly different. It still feels like halo, although it leaves the taste of HL2 in my mouth because of it's new frantic pacing coupled with low jumps and gimmicky armor abilities but hey, Half Life rocks. This is the beta, so somethings can still change. I don't mind the grenades and I could live with the new DMR, it adds a unique team element and keeps you at range. What I really want is jump hight increased and some UI revisions cause honestly it's confusing. We'll see what everyone thinks come Friday with invasion mode.
Warning, this post is going to be long...
I intend to cover each aspect of the beta here. I'm going to break it down by section and I'm going to try and post a little bit more as I go. Until I'm finished posting the bottom will say "More to come soon." That being said feel free to comment as I go and I'll try and adress anything else you bring up that I may have left out unintentionally.
I'll start us off with weapons, and balancing. Since I could probably make an entire post about all of my thoughts on the weapons and each individual change I will currently keep this short. My current opinion on the state of the weapons is that they are far more balanced than in any previous Halo, or maybe even first person shooter for that matter. Each weapon fulfills a specific roll within the gameplay and as such each weapon is powerful in its own right. That being said I can see one underpowered and one overpowered weapon in the game. I'm sure many of you have heard my complaints but honestly the sword needs some tweaking. I don't care if you can contest the sword on rare occasions, I actually think thats kinda cool. It's pretty rare to begin with. What I do take issue with is the fact that you can sprint with a huge hammer and use it immediately but the sword in that capacity is useless? The sword is the single most underpowered weapon in the game. Most of the other weapons have received nice tweaking to make them useful again, or to scale them back and force them into their specific roles. The DMR is a perfect example of this. As predecesor to the BR it is the mid to long range headshot weapon. It fits this role perfectly and becomes significantly more difficult to use over increasing and decreasing distances giving it greater purpose. I personally find this to be good, you should have to choose your weapons wisely, not pair X Y and Z with BR and you get an instant win. While this should and could work in a situation like MLG, this is not the way the game has to play. Weapon combinations, including range choices, should be a large part of a player and subsequently a teams strategy. This should take into consideration what the player has already, what their armor ability is, what their teammates weapons and armor abilities are and what the current objective is. The latter includes taking a position on the map for optimum slaying capabilities. I think I got lost somewhere in there, back to my original grievance; the weapon I find most overpowered, the Plasma Launcher. I have no problem with the mechanics of this gun except it's tracking is a bit much at close range. My real problem is that it yields no way to avoid it. Even the new fangled powerful needler can be avoided should you catch it in time, or have the upper hand based on position. With the Plasma launcher there is little to no warning that someone has locked onto you and whats worse is that they can kill you pretty easily without actually hitting you. The gun is almost there, it just needs some adjustments in some areas to make it a more skill based weapon. What if it fired more straight with slightly increased velocity but didn't track? Food for thought...
Armor Abilities? I love them, but I was definitely right to assume that they would be for a less hardcore crowd. They're fun and I think they will be best used in a big team battle session. What they are best at is creating those epic halo moments that we are all familiar with. A lone soldier sprints toward the new rocket spawn but is assassinated by an invisible guy he passes on the way to the spillway. Little did the invisible guy know but above him flying on a jetpack was some jackass with the pro pipe. With the fiery death of the invisible guy comes a reward, Rockets. Here comes one more to the party to experience them first hand, but wait, he has armor lock. The rocket that seemed to have the late comers adress dialed in was instead returned to sender. Imagine this but 8 vs 8 with Elites vs Spartans, vehicles and flags. It will be like 1000 ninja's running through a hospital zone on fire and oh yeah here comes the Spartan laser! So to be completely honest I love them. You can turn them off so hell yeah I love them. Using them together adds that much more variety to your team. Where you cover and with what armor abilities can make all the difference in the world. Sprint I think adds the most to the game as it stood in halo 3. It creates the ability to change the tide with a spike of speed boost. Used correctly you can do all sorts of wonderful with it. Just look at the overkill I got on the fileshare, sprint is win.
I'm goign to continue on to Elites now because it's definitely related to armor abilities. Elites are my favorite! Hands down, I like being an elite in this one. I feel like a badass, not like the wimpy ass Spartans who seem to run away, hide, bare a shield or fly away. Elites are faster, more agile, stronger and can jump like beasts. I wish they would make a spinoff based on the Elites in this game. It's fun to play as them, I love their tech, I love their evade!
It's what makes Elites fun that detracts from the overall game. Spartans feel weak. They don't jump high enough, they don't shoot as accurate, the sniper feels a bit too slow, and everyone seems to like non-headshot weapons. All in all it does feel a bit less hardcore, a bit less about the individual and very team oriented. This is and isn't a good thing. It should be based on your teams performance, but at the same time a single individual should be able to go clutch. I think games should mirror Basketball. What I mean is that there should be star players who can hit the three pointer with 1 second left on the clock. Similarly a team should be able to win by struggling together to push for the win. It is a team effort but Kobe can rally the team. Perhaps thats a tired metaphor but I think it rains true through to the end. Halo 3 really feels like that. To be honest I would play a Halo 3 with an updated BR spread, better connection and fancier graphics. Thats what we have to remember, this isn't Halo 3 upgraded, it's Halo Reach. The checks and balances are different, there are different things to do and the game plays slightly different. It still feels like halo, although it leaves the taste of HL2 in my mouth because of it's new frantic pacing coupled with low jumps and gimmicky armor abilities but hey, Half Life rocks. This is the beta, so somethings can still change. I don't mind the grenades and I could live with the new DMR, it adds a unique team element and keeps you at range. What I really want is jump hight increased and some UI revisions cause honestly it's confusing. We'll see what everyone thinks come Friday with invasion mode.
First Impressions
First impressions are often lasting, and usually are the most brutally honest because you have had less chance to be influenced by other points of view. What you see and feel creates a more visceral response rather than a calculated one.
What are your first impressions of the beta? Do you find it to be more or less balanced than previous Halos? Is it easier, harder or about the same? Do you like the DMR, hate it, prefer the needler, loathe the Microwave gun, or what exactly are your thoughts regarding the Pro-Pipe? Then of course there is the biggest question of all, what do you think of armor abilities? The follow up might then be what do you think of elites as well?
I'll save my opinion for later, but for now let me here yours.
What are your first impressions of the beta? Do you find it to be more or less balanced than previous Halos? Is it easier, harder or about the same? Do you like the DMR, hate it, prefer the needler, loathe the Microwave gun, or what exactly are your thoughts regarding the Pro-Pipe? Then of course there is the biggest question of all, what do you think of armor abilities? The follow up might then be what do you think of elites as well?
I'll save my opinion for later, but for now let me here yours.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Anxious Much?
For those of you waiting for the beta to go live I'll give you something to do. If you haven't already seen the Joystiq video's go down below and give em a watch. At least see the one about the controls, since that will help you all get into it much faster. For everyone else, or after you watch those videos, here is something else to do.
Click Me, Click Me, Please Click Me!
Afte watching this you can click on the rendered films button on the left. Then press the today button on the main page. I've watched through about four pages of stuff and it's all pretty enlightening. If anything it will keep you wet with anticipation. Of course you could always get on EverCrack and give the P99 server a whirl before we start our weekly group.
Click Me, Click Me, Please Click Me!
Afte watching this you can click on the rendered films button on the left. Then press the today button on the main page. I've watched through about four pages of stuff and it's all pretty enlightening. If anything it will keep you wet with anticipation. Of course you could always get on EverCrack and give the P99 server a whirl before we start our weekly group.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Mc Donalds?
This is a real quick post cause I'm super busy. However, Matt has let me know that there's something going on Tuesday that you may not want to miss. Tuesday is the school's fundraiser night where you'll get the opportunity to buy McDonalds from our school teachers. I'm not exactly sure how it works, I'm sure they train them in the how-to's of McD's fry making or something but hilarity should ensue. So come on down between 5 and 8 I believe, Matt correct me in the comments below if I'm wrong, and come get something to eat. The proceeds go to help our school!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Cleaning House
I'm going to start by warning you that this is going to be a long post. I also recommend that you read straight through to the end. There's tons of news from the last few days and I'm going to clue you all into it as well as update you on the latest news about the beta, some tidbits about EverCrack, and a lot more. Hold on to your hats and glasses kids cause this here is the wildest ride on the interent.
I'll start us off with the current beta news. Hit up the link here to get the latest news and whats what on the beta. Basically this link gives you the break down of how to get on, what are the controls, the playlist schedule and much more. Due to the poor timing of the beta (finals yay!); I'm going to start a list of important days for you to remember. These are the days we should be assembling to play.
May 3rd, Launch day: I will definitely be on at sometime, my goal is to make it on from 10:00 to 12:00 that day.
May 7th, Invasion opens: This is the day that everyone should save in their calendars. This is conveniently a Friday. I don't have a time for this but we should get on and make a big team battle group. It's 6 vs 6, Spartans vs Elites, Invasion and Invasion slayer their new game modes on Boneyard.
May 14th, Network Test 1, or Generator Defense opens: We'll be breaking off into squads of three for this new three on three list. It's Spartan's vs Elites again with the Spartans once again defending. Another day to not miss since this gametype might not make the final cut. If we like it we should let them know by playing the shit out of it.
Other days that I will be playing the shit out of this game on are....
May 6, 10, 13, and every day after the 17th when Elizabeth takes her trip to China.
The next big thing on the list of omgwtfbbq happened this week is that Steam on the Mac finally has an official date. Unfortunately I forgot it, but I think it was May 14th. More on that soon, but lets be honest, none of us are going to touch that until after the beta.
With that out of the way I have some scary news to share. Bungie found a publisher, Activision, for it's next game, which is a new IP outside of the halo world. For those of you who just shat yourself calm down for just a second, there is good news to meet the bad. Bungie remains the sole owner of their IP, and their own company. Which means no "Infinity Ward"-like situation of total unrest. However, this does mean one thing, bungie is going multiple platforms. They haven't discussed which they will be making their game on although I'm sure one will be the 360. That being said there is a really good chance that this game might come out on the PS3, gulp. Before you all cry out in anger, "Sell Outs!" keep in mind that this could also mean that we're getting a Bungie game on the PC, and gasp, perhaps even the mac. I'm going to keep an open mind since it seemed that publishing under Activision had no effect on the quality of Blizzard's games, which include the soon to be released Starcraft II and the announcement of Diablo III which looks amazing.
This takes me to my last and final piece of information for the week. For those of you who have been following you'll likely know that Josh, Tom, Polly, and I have been playing EQ. A few months ago in addition to the previously mentioned Nathan as well as Tim joined us on Diablo. I know lots of you love to play RPG's, it's a great social way to let off steam and feel a sense of accomplishment in your life even if it is just a stupid sword. But hey that sword looks bad ass! So why recant old news that all of you pretty much experienced. Well we have another joining our EverCrack fix, Matt Marbles. Why should you care? That's a good question. Josh and I have decided to play on the legit classic server, Project 1999. That doesn't mean we've abandoned our old server, EZ server rocks. But we wanted something that was a little more of a challenge and something a little more balanced. Granted it's not a perfect port of the original game in 1999 but it's as close as it gets. I bring this up because I want to ask all of you to join Josh and I on this new server. I've already hoped on and given it a whirl. It was a ton of fun and I think it would be even more fun if we had a steady group going. What I've recommended is something similar to what we're doing now, a Thursday night group where we play a character that is just for this group. It would be really casual and meant solely for fun. Perhaps we might even try a roleplaying night if you guys are up for it. On the side you guys can play your other characters on EZ and we could have a special night for that as well, or you could do as I do which is having a separate character just for soloing. Please give it some consideration, the group won't start until after the beta. If you are interested give me a call, I'll get it set up with you on the phone and give you some pointers. Please, Please, Please, comment bellow and let me know what you guys think. I'm going to do this no matter how many people are interested. So that being said, if I only get one other person to join I will start to post on a new blog, which will only have information relative to EQ or whatever future mmo that we play. On there I will include step by step guides. Leveling information and links to other sites with class guides and other pertinent information. Basically all the things you need to know to get by in the harsh world that is classic EQ. I'll include pictures, screen grabs and all sorts of stuff to make your lives easier as a thank you to joining me. I know you'll be glad you joined it, I promise it will be tons of fun, and the best part is, It's free! I'll put up a link to the new blog here once I get your opinions.
Halo Reach Beta
I'll start us off with the current beta news. Hit up the link here to get the latest news and whats what on the beta. Basically this link gives you the break down of how to get on, what are the controls, the playlist schedule and much more. Due to the poor timing of the beta (finals yay!); I'm going to start a list of important days for you to remember. These are the days we should be assembling to play.
May 3rd, Launch day: I will definitely be on at sometime, my goal is to make it on from 10:00 to 12:00 that day.
May 7th, Invasion opens: This is the day that everyone should save in their calendars. This is conveniently a Friday. I don't have a time for this but we should get on and make a big team battle group. It's 6 vs 6, Spartans vs Elites, Invasion and Invasion slayer their new game modes on Boneyard.
May 14th, Network Test 1, or Generator Defense opens: We'll be breaking off into squads of three for this new three on three list. It's Spartan's vs Elites again with the Spartans once again defending. Another day to not miss since this gametype might not make the final cut. If we like it we should let them know by playing the shit out of it.
Other days that I will be playing the shit out of this game on are....
May 6, 10, 13, and every day after the 17th when Elizabeth takes her trip to China.
Steam on Mac Update
The next big thing on the list of omgwtfbbq happened this week is that Steam on the Mac finally has an official date. Unfortunately I forgot it, but I think it was May 14th. More on that soon, but lets be honest, none of us are going to touch that until after the beta.
Activision to Publish Bungie's Next Game
With that out of the way I have some scary news to share. Bungie found a publisher, Activision, for it's next game, which is a new IP outside of the halo world. For those of you who just shat yourself calm down for just a second, there is good news to meet the bad. Bungie remains the sole owner of their IP, and their own company. Which means no "Infinity Ward"-like situation of total unrest. However, this does mean one thing, bungie is going multiple platforms. They haven't discussed which they will be making their game on although I'm sure one will be the 360. That being said there is a really good chance that this game might come out on the PS3, gulp. Before you all cry out in anger, "Sell Outs!" keep in mind that this could also mean that we're getting a Bungie game on the PC, and gasp, perhaps even the mac. I'm going to keep an open mind since it seemed that publishing under Activision had no effect on the quality of Blizzard's games, which include the soon to be released Starcraft II and the announcement of Diablo III which looks amazing.
Snorting Some EverCrack
This takes me to my last and final piece of information for the week. For those of you who have been following you'll likely know that Josh, Tom, Polly, and I have been playing EQ. A few months ago in addition to the previously mentioned Nathan as well as Tim joined us on Diablo. I know lots of you love to play RPG's, it's a great social way to let off steam and feel a sense of accomplishment in your life even if it is just a stupid sword. But hey that sword looks bad ass! So why recant old news that all of you pretty much experienced. Well we have another joining our EverCrack fix, Matt Marbles. Why should you care? That's a good question. Josh and I have decided to play on the legit classic server, Project 1999. That doesn't mean we've abandoned our old server, EZ server rocks. But we wanted something that was a little more of a challenge and something a little more balanced. Granted it's not a perfect port of the original game in 1999 but it's as close as it gets. I bring this up because I want to ask all of you to join Josh and I on this new server. I've already hoped on and given it a whirl. It was a ton of fun and I think it would be even more fun if we had a steady group going. What I've recommended is something similar to what we're doing now, a Thursday night group where we play a character that is just for this group. It would be really casual and meant solely for fun. Perhaps we might even try a roleplaying night if you guys are up for it. On the side you guys can play your other characters on EZ and we could have a special night for that as well, or you could do as I do which is having a separate character just for soloing. Please give it some consideration, the group won't start until after the beta. If you are interested give me a call, I'll get it set up with you on the phone and give you some pointers. Please, Please, Please, comment bellow and let me know what you guys think. I'm going to do this no matter how many people are interested. So that being said, if I only get one other person to join I will start to post on a new blog, which will only have information relative to EQ or whatever future mmo that we play. On there I will include step by step guides. Leveling information and links to other sites with class guides and other pertinent information. Basically all the things you need to know to get by in the harsh world that is classic EQ. I'll include pictures, screen grabs and all sorts of stuff to make your lives easier as a thank you to joining me. I know you'll be glad you joined it, I promise it will be tons of fun, and the best part is, It's free! I'll put up a link to the new blog here once I get your opinions.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Reach Beta Video Blowout
Tons of new Halo Reach video's have been popping up everywhere. Here's just one of many links to videos available. This particular video set is a nice compilation of explanation and unadultrated gameplay. Head to the bottom map specific videos to get a good understanding of what Reach is going to be like. Skip the overlook video, it's just 10 mins of race. Otherwise you'll get to see lots of people playing who have pretty sound strategies. I just can't wait to see some of these abilities in the hands of veteran players.
Pre-Beta footage from Joystiq
More to come when I get back from work.
Pre-Beta footage from Joystiq
More to come when I get back from work.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Anxiously Waiting
For those of you looking for something to do while you wait impatiently for the Reach beta I have two things for you to keep you busy. So for this weekend you can get your fix with Halo 3's Zombie playlist. When that loses its charm you can break out the old Left 4 Dead 2 and try out the new DLC. It's free on the PC and like 7 bucks on the 360. It bridges the gap between L4D and L4D2 giving you the chance to play the second game along side the heroes of the first one. Rumor has it that one of the characters of the first game died. Gasp! Please let it not be Zoey, Please not Zoey, Please not Zoey. At least one hot white chick needs to survive the apocalypse. I know I'll be giving it a whirl, and anyone else who's interested should send me a message so we can go through it together. Other things to look forward to in this new installment are a new melee weapon, a new gun, two new game modes and the ability to play against bots in the typically man on man versus mode. Finally a way for newbs to get practice without getting trashed by all the L4D2 vets out there. Grab your shotgun and fire axe, it's zombie slaying time.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Get Excited
New Multiplayer Vidoc is up....
After having watched it I can tell you that I am a huge fan of the new assassinations and a bigger fan of armor abilities. Below, the youtube video, go to bungie.net and watch it in hi-def! After you're done watching, let me know if you saw anything you found interesting or just your thoughts in general. I can tell you right now that I'm going to be using sprint, which is hands down my favorite. Likewise I look forward to using the elite's evade. Seemlessly transitioning in and out of engagements allowing you the chance to recharge your shields or to force your way into a friendly's engagement and help keep them alive. Or of course if you're me you use it to kill jack right...
After having watched it I can tell you that I am a huge fan of the new assassinations and a bigger fan of armor abilities. Below, the youtube video, go to bungie.net and watch it in hi-def! After you're done watching, let me know if you saw anything you found interesting or just your thoughts in general. I can tell you right now that I'm going to be using sprint, which is hands down my favorite. Likewise I look forward to using the elite's evade. Seemlessly transitioning in and out of engagements allowing you the chance to recharge your shields or to force your way into a friendly's engagement and help keep them alive. Or of course if you're me you use it to kill jack right...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
More Great Halo Reach Stuff
Here's a great new video outlining the new Invasion mode coming to Halo Reach and the Reach Beta as well. It has tons of new footage that can be seen in HD over at gametrailers. Unfortunately at gametrailers it's really broken up too. While your at it, Anoj has posted his fifth weekly reach update, if you missed the last four it's time to get caught up. The Reach beta is just weeks away, and I'm sure like me none of you can wait.
Oh and here's some updated info on what we'll be able to enjoy on the Bungie website for the beta. It's supposedly just a taste of all the new features that will become available come the games full launch. If anything it's a good up close and personal look at the new medal style.
Bnet's Reach Beta Features
Oh and here's some updated info on what we'll be able to enjoy on the Bungie website for the beta. It's supposedly just a taste of all the new features that will become available come the games full launch. If anything it's a good up close and personal look at the new medal style.
Bnet's Reach Beta Features
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Goodbye Halo 2
As a goodbye to Halo 2 I leave you with one of the most entertaining montages I've ever seen. Enjoy...
Friday, April 16, 2010
Oopse, this got long...
Ok I've been lazy over the last few weeks but it was spring break... So I'm going to start this new season or so to speak with a quick update and a brief request. If you guys could give me your schedules for this semester it would help me better plan meeting times and get us coordinated. Include anything you think is relevant. For example, I usually work Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights in addition to my regular school attendance. I would also suggest that you list your last final and when you plan on being back home. I would prefer you send this to me in an excel document with times by the hour in an attachment via email. For the lazy like me, my email address is easy to remember, jaredhentz@gmail.com.
As for other news, with the halo reach beta coming up there's tons of info out there. Some of you might be asking, how can I get the low down without trolling the forums or spending countless hours reading the same information repeated over and over. Have no fear, I have the solution. Rather than share with you the news myself and waste time trying to dissect and explain the information I will point you in the direction of someone who already has. Anoj, the same guy who does the amazing top 10 series on youtube has put together a series of videos which outline the vast amount of information pouring out of the internet. Below I'll include a link to his video once I'm out of class.
Finally, while Halo Reach is just around the corner, we'll still have an entire summer with very few new titles to play while we wait. So I'm going to be setting up some forge contests or competitions. There won't really be a prize but I'd encourage you all to try some new stuff and put in an entry which we'll play following the completion of each round. The first contest doesn't begin until school is out but it will end very abruptly, about 3 weeks following the beta's full run. To give you all a head start, the theme will be in honor of the silent passing of our dear old friend halo 2. I challenge each of you to create and or re-create the Tower of Power from Halo 2's epic custom games on Ascension. Don't limit yourself to a port of it, think instead of what the feeling was and what made it fun. Create something similar or something completely different. Perhaps your new imagining of the tower of power is a pyramid. Your interpretation may be completely different. It's a two part contest, part 1 is the map, and part 2 is the gametype rules. There will be no judge for any of these contests, we will judge them as a group and help constructively critique them to make them a more fun addition to our custom game nights. If you have questions feel free to comment on them below, or if you need help making your idea come to life let me know below as well and I'll be happy to set up a time to work on the map with you. Likewise for pre-testing purposes post below as well.
See you all online...
Here's the link to the first video, I believe there are at least 3 now...
Click Here
As for other news, with the halo reach beta coming up there's tons of info out there. Some of you might be asking, how can I get the low down without trolling the forums or spending countless hours reading the same information repeated over and over. Have no fear, I have the solution. Rather than share with you the news myself and waste time trying to dissect and explain the information I will point you in the direction of someone who already has. Anoj, the same guy who does the amazing top 10 series on youtube has put together a series of videos which outline the vast amount of information pouring out of the internet. Below I'll include a link to his video once I'm out of class.
Finally, while Halo Reach is just around the corner, we'll still have an entire summer with very few new titles to play while we wait. So I'm going to be setting up some forge contests or competitions. There won't really be a prize but I'd encourage you all to try some new stuff and put in an entry which we'll play following the completion of each round. The first contest doesn't begin until school is out but it will end very abruptly, about 3 weeks following the beta's full run. To give you all a head start, the theme will be in honor of the silent passing of our dear old friend halo 2. I challenge each of you to create and or re-create the Tower of Power from Halo 2's epic custom games on Ascension. Don't limit yourself to a port of it, think instead of what the feeling was and what made it fun. Create something similar or something completely different. Perhaps your new imagining of the tower of power is a pyramid. Your interpretation may be completely different. It's a two part contest, part 1 is the map, and part 2 is the gametype rules. There will be no judge for any of these contests, we will judge them as a group and help constructively critique them to make them a more fun addition to our custom game nights. If you have questions feel free to comment on them below, or if you need help making your idea come to life let me know below as well and I'll be happy to set up a time to work on the map with you. Likewise for pre-testing purposes post below as well.
See you all online...
Here's the link to the first video, I believe there are at least 3 now...
Click Here
Friday, March 19, 2010
Make A Connection
Perhaps it's cheesy to say it but I'll do it anyway. Whenever you read this I want you to do something nice for someone. I'm not asking for a weekly commitment to doing favors but I'd like you to do something genuinely nice for someone. Not just someone you know, or know of but someone that's a total stranger. It could be something as simple as buying the guy in front of you his Starbucks, or in our case his Del Taco; or you could walk an old lady across the street. Whatever you do, I don't care about your motivation and you shouldn't either. Do it just because! What I really want you to do is to trust someone and for them to trust you. If you're not comfortable helping a stranger out just yet, talk to one. Make a connection... My point really is that as American's we've lost touch with one another. Why is that we'll trust a total stranger, an anonymous one at that to cover our rear flank, to watch us while we plant the bomb, to drive our brand new shiny warthog, or to heal us in the depths of a dragon infested dungeon. It shouldn't take a zombie apocalypse for us to have each others back. After all we share one thing, something that should transcend our fears and anxieties. We need to reconnect where our parents have inspired distrust and a world in which we mind our own business. It is our business, we should know our neighbors and we should really know the people we see everyday. Go out and meet someone, help someone or just do something for someone other than yourself. Have a great weekend.
For those of you who are wondering where this came from and perhaps more importantly how it relates to this blog, here you go: Article and Video, Gamers save the world, this time for real!
For those of you who are wondering where this came from and perhaps more importantly how it relates to this blog, here you go: Article and Video, Gamers save the world, this time for real!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mac Users Rejoice!
The news broke earlier this week but I've been so busy I haven't had the chance to post about it yet.
The popular software distribution system Steam is finally coming to the Mac. Of course this news comes with tons of questions and I'm sure the first one most of you are asking is of course why. Apparently Mac as gone in the past 2 years from a 10% market share to a strong 30%. Who knows what this can be accredited to but facts are facts and either way it means good things especially for those of us who now have macs.
Steam on the mac leads to many other questions that are far more pertinent. Like, "Will there be any games for it on launch day?" or "Will people actually develop games for the mac then?" The answer is yes and yes! On launch day some time in April steam will be launching with ports to Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, the complete Half-Life 2 series and several other soon to be named titles. Of course any game that already works on the mac can be brought into steam the same way you do it on the PC and all of these games will be available for purchase on launch day including Battlefield 2142. Which brings me to the next big news, Dice along with several other popular developers have already started work on a Bad Company 2 port for the mac and it's rumored that their next title Battlefield 3 will launch simultaneously on both platforms. Apparently lots of developers have expressed interest in developing for both platforms especially as it is becoming increasingly easier to do so. The best news still comes from valve who has promised simultaneous releases on all future titles starting with their next big title, Portal 2.
Many have been wondering, will I have to re-purchase my games to play them on the mac? That question is answered with another question that many have been asking as of late which is, "What the hell is the Steam Cloud really for." Countless silent updates have come to this seemingly simple feature. The Steam Cloud allows you to transfer your game profiles including keybinds and other information between computers that you use. The same idea will apply to the new mac platform. All of the games that you've purchased from valve will be available for use on the mac at no additional charge. By forging the way with this idea valve hopes that others will adopt the same system which goes by a similar name and is heralded as a feature that developed out of the Steam Cloud's interesting feature set. Many developers have in fact adopted this ideology and have begun porting some of their older games but for the most part this should be a feature that is used going forward.
I for one am very excited to hear this since I have a mac now myself. It's not that I wouldn't have played games on it, it just means I can play my favorites with very little hassle now. While 90% of the programers out there use PCs, 95% of the designers out there use Macs. The two have been interfacing in Video game studios for years now and it's about time that the other half of the office can play at home without a double investment. If you have further questions about these features feel free to check out the full article at Kotaku or the official statement from valve at Steampowered.com.
The popular software distribution system Steam is finally coming to the Mac. Of course this news comes with tons of questions and I'm sure the first one most of you are asking is of course why. Apparently Mac as gone in the past 2 years from a 10% market share to a strong 30%. Who knows what this can be accredited to but facts are facts and either way it means good things especially for those of us who now have macs.
Steam on the mac leads to many other questions that are far more pertinent. Like, "Will there be any games for it on launch day?" or "Will people actually develop games for the mac then?" The answer is yes and yes! On launch day some time in April steam will be launching with ports to Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, the complete Half-Life 2 series and several other soon to be named titles. Of course any game that already works on the mac can be brought into steam the same way you do it on the PC and all of these games will be available for purchase on launch day including Battlefield 2142. Which brings me to the next big news, Dice along with several other popular developers have already started work on a Bad Company 2 port for the mac and it's rumored that their next title Battlefield 3 will launch simultaneously on both platforms. Apparently lots of developers have expressed interest in developing for both platforms especially as it is becoming increasingly easier to do so. The best news still comes from valve who has promised simultaneous releases on all future titles starting with their next big title, Portal 2.
Many have been wondering, will I have to re-purchase my games to play them on the mac? That question is answered with another question that many have been asking as of late which is, "What the hell is the Steam Cloud really for." Countless silent updates have come to this seemingly simple feature. The Steam Cloud allows you to transfer your game profiles including keybinds and other information between computers that you use. The same idea will apply to the new mac platform. All of the games that you've purchased from valve will be available for use on the mac at no additional charge. By forging the way with this idea valve hopes that others will adopt the same system which goes by a similar name and is heralded as a feature that developed out of the Steam Cloud's interesting feature set. Many developers have in fact adopted this ideology and have begun porting some of their older games but for the most part this should be a feature that is used going forward.
I for one am very excited to hear this since I have a mac now myself. It's not that I wouldn't have played games on it, it just means I can play my favorites with very little hassle now. While 90% of the programers out there use PCs, 95% of the designers out there use Macs. The two have been interfacing in Video game studios for years now and it's about time that the other half of the office can play at home without a double investment. If you have further questions about these features feel free to check out the full article at Kotaku or the official statement from valve at Steampowered.com.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Halo Reach Multiplayer Goodness
Forget the usual long intros, just watch:
Now that you've seen it, let me know what you think. Feel free to check out a higher quality one, 1080p on xbox live or check out the one on bungie.net. See something interesting, pause it, note the time and write about it below. I know some of the things in the video might be shocking but the more I think about them, they are definitely shocking good. The more I think about the new features the more I start to like them. Seems they will add just one more layer of chaos and awesome, two things that are the core of halo games. What I'm really excited to see is a feature I've been dieing to see for a long time. Covenant vs. Humans! I have wanted to see that for so long and I'm glad they'll finally include it in this one. Ok I'll stop writing so you can get back to watching it again.
Now that you've seen it, let me know what you think. Feel free to check out a higher quality one, 1080p on xbox live or check out the one on bungie.net. See something interesting, pause it, note the time and write about it below. I know some of the things in the video might be shocking but the more I think about them, they are definitely shocking good. The more I think about the new features the more I start to like them. Seems they will add just one more layer of chaos and awesome, two things that are the core of halo games. What I'm really excited to see is a feature I've been dieing to see for a long time. Covenant vs. Humans! I have wanted to see that for so long and I'm glad they'll finally include it in this one. Ok I'll stop writing so you can get back to watching it again.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Websites to follow
The internet has been known colloquially as the "web." While most of us know our way around it rather well some things don't stick to the web as well as others and fly right on by. Things that exist on the far reaches of the edge are often the best. Sometimes its hard to find what you really want and so I'm going to start a list. Here are the sites that you really should be checking out. As I think of more I'll be updating this list so feel free to shoot out a comment if you think of any I've missed.
]The Bungie Developer Blog- http://www.nobleactual.com/
This is the official Bungie Developer blog. This little gem is a good one to start off with because most people don't even know it exists. It's a great site to get insider news and personal postings from the guys inside. It's also a great way to get your voice heard since most people don't know about it yet.
Bungie.net - http://www.bungie.net/
Not a hard one to find but I would be remiss not to mention it here. Get up to date info on all bungie projects. Stop by on Fridays to read the weekly update and throughout the week to enjoy all the community stuff they blog about. There are all sorts of little gems that they throw in like anoj's Top 10 series, machinima's or the occasional montage. Don't forget that you can also check out all your halo stats which are updated within a few games if not immediately.
Halo Charts - http://www.halocharts.com/
This is an amazing website. For those of you who have used it I'm sure you agree. It offers up to date stats that can't be accessed on Bungie.net. You can compare yourself with your friends, check your stats against members in your region and more. No explanation can do this site justice. You have to just go there and check out all the stats listed there.
Gametrailers - http://www.gametrailers.com/
The title of this site says it all, well most of it. This site has up to date Trailers, Reviews and Game Videos that no one else has. What makes it great is that members can submit videos including leaked videos of games that weren't supposed to be seen yet. You can get lots of great game footage before you buy something or as a preview. If you want to get more involved they do have a video watching reward system which gives you points toward buying games and other things. All you have to do is watch movies, post and refer the site to other people. I strongly urge you to check out some of the extra videos there like the bonus round which features a developer round table among other things. It's a good way to get in touch with what the industry thinks about the games it's making.
1 Up - http://www.1up.com/
I've actually just bookmarked their news page myself but I wanted to give you the main adress because there's lots of good stuff inside. For the most part I usually just read their news feed which gives almost to the minute gaming news. I would recommend this one over Kotaku for 90% of the gamers out there because it's not as in-depth and the writers are much more friendly. While Kotaku is a great site for gaming news 1up is really for the less hardcore. They don't bore you with unnecessary details and all of their posts get right to the point. If you want to know more about why the Playstation 3 just stopped working you can get that news here as it breaks. As a side note, they also have lots of great features like the Retronaugts which explores old games.
Kotaku - http://kotaku.com/
Kotaku is the other side of the coin. If you like 1up but you want more, this is where you go. I don't usually go to Kotaku but what they say, even rumor is usually law. While they don't have as many fun features as 1up it is a great site to read up on all game related news.
]The Bungie Developer Blog- http://www.nobleactual.com/
This is the official Bungie Developer blog. This little gem is a good one to start off with because most people don't even know it exists. It's a great site to get insider news and personal postings from the guys inside. It's also a great way to get your voice heard since most people don't know about it yet.
Bungie.net - http://www.bungie.net/
Not a hard one to find but I would be remiss not to mention it here. Get up to date info on all bungie projects. Stop by on Fridays to read the weekly update and throughout the week to enjoy all the community stuff they blog about. There are all sorts of little gems that they throw in like anoj's Top 10 series, machinima's or the occasional montage. Don't forget that you can also check out all your halo stats which are updated within a few games if not immediately.
Halo Charts - http://www.halocharts.com/
This is an amazing website. For those of you who have used it I'm sure you agree. It offers up to date stats that can't be accessed on Bungie.net. You can compare yourself with your friends, check your stats against members in your region and more. No explanation can do this site justice. You have to just go there and check out all the stats listed there.
Gametrailers - http://www.gametrailers.com/
The title of this site says it all, well most of it. This site has up to date Trailers, Reviews and Game Videos that no one else has. What makes it great is that members can submit videos including leaked videos of games that weren't supposed to be seen yet. You can get lots of great game footage before you buy something or as a preview. If you want to get more involved they do have a video watching reward system which gives you points toward buying games and other things. All you have to do is watch movies, post and refer the site to other people. I strongly urge you to check out some of the extra videos there like the bonus round which features a developer round table among other things. It's a good way to get in touch with what the industry thinks about the games it's making.
1 Up - http://www.1up.com/
I've actually just bookmarked their news page myself but I wanted to give you the main adress because there's lots of good stuff inside. For the most part I usually just read their news feed which gives almost to the minute gaming news. I would recommend this one over Kotaku for 90% of the gamers out there because it's not as in-depth and the writers are much more friendly. While Kotaku is a great site for gaming news 1up is really for the less hardcore. They don't bore you with unnecessary details and all of their posts get right to the point. If you want to know more about why the Playstation 3 just stopped working you can get that news here as it breaks. As a side note, they also have lots of great features like the Retronaugts which explores old games.
Kotaku - http://kotaku.com/
Kotaku is the other side of the coin. If you like 1up but you want more, this is where you go. I don't usually go to Kotaku but what they say, even rumor is usually law. While they don't have as many fun features as 1up it is a great site to read up on all game related news.
Friday, February 26, 2010
More Free Time?
I just finished my first project in my motion class. Now I'll have more free time. Then again I have two more huge projects in that class. Anyway, here's the link, enjoy...
B.Y.O.B System of a Down
B.Y.O.B System of a Down
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What the Wisemen Brought
To a year filled with chips salsa and beer. I know we all don't have much time to play games, but hopefully this will make it a bit easier. Hopefully by the end of the week we can each make an effort to post a day or two that we plan to get online share in some fraging, flag capping and good old fashioned t-bagging. I will set up this blog so that we can all share what we're doing. From tips and tricks all the way down to the little things like a link to the Call of Duty emblem and title list. Hopefully by passing around the bag of chips and dipping in the same bowl of salsa we'll all have a more full gaming experience. Since X-Box live won't provide the tools to keep in touch I've gone ahead and given us a way to do just that. As always, I ask that you keep your arguments to a minimum and that you all play fair and nice. If not I'll stop sharing my beer with you...
For now I'll see you at Del Taco
P.S. The Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo is up. Get it downloaded so we can play this weekend. For now I'm shooting for Sunday night, 6-9.
For now I'll see you at Del Taco
P.S. The Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo is up. Get it downloaded so we can play this weekend. For now I'm shooting for Sunday night, 6-9.
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