Unfortunately, I am still without a PC able to handle video editing. I will be able to put together videos once again around Christmas time. I am also thinking of making a Team Fortress 2 video guide series as well. Hopefully, I will be able to do so.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Updates on hold.
Unfortunately, my main PC has died on me. Which means, I no longer have constant access to a PC and I am unable to edit videos for the counterstrike: source guides. Updates will pick up again within the coming weeks, but don't expect any videos immediately.
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Sunday, August 26, 2007
Games Convention WoW News
Teza at World of Raids has posted a great summary of all the WoW news released at the Games Convention. For those who were not able to keep up with all the news released, here is all the compiled information.
"Games Convention information report
General
- The art for the expansion will look more like classic Warcraft (gothic fantasy), and less like Outlands art (high fantasy). (4)
- WotLK will have "just as much" 5-man instances as TBC and more 10-main instances due to the popularity of Karazhan. (4)
- The world map is rough and players can expect the map to change and new things on the map will be revealed over time. (Source)
- When asked about class balance, they said they had no plans for any major changes to classes. (4)
- Future hero classes could be Demon Hunter, Arch Mage, and Blademaster. (1)
Leveling
- Current plans are for a pre-expansion change to the experience curve and gain. (Source)
- Levels between 20 and 60 are going to have the experience required per-level reduced, and the experience rewarded by quests is being increased by around 30%. (3)
Heroic Badges
- In addition to the new items added in 2.3 to the heroic badges vendor, Blizzard might add new armor sets to that vendor. (3)
Flying Mount Level
- From a design standpoint, we don’t want people to just fly over continent and skip things when they are leveling up. Instead we want people to explore and experience the environment around them when they first reach the shores of Northrend. You will walk (or ride) from one quest to another as the zones unfold before you instead of just flying over it without batting an eye. At some point though you will definitely be able to fly in Northrend. We are currently thinking around level 78, but haven’t made a final call on this yet. (Source)
Dustwallow Marsh
- A new goblin town with several new quests will be added to Dustwallow Marsh. (3)
PvP
- A new PvP area called Lake Wintergrass ('roughly the size of Westfall') will combine world PvP with the new siege weapons and destructible buildings. The faction that controls this zone may receive an effect that not only applies to the zone, but to the whole continent. (4)
Dungeons
Sunwell Plateau (3)
- Sunwell Plateau will be released before the expansion "Wrath of the Lich King", Tigole said its planned for a patch after Zul'Aman (so it might be 2.4 minimum to get it). Sunwell Plateau is a new instance which can be found in Quel'Thalas (forest region north of the continent of Lordaeron). The instance is divided in 2 parts, one of them is designed for a 25-man raid instance (said to be the most diffcult in WoW, harder than Black temple), the other part is a 5-man instance (Normal and Heroic Modes).
Zul'Aman
- Zul'Aman will be released as soon as voice chat comes off the PTR and will be after the next patch before appearing on the PTRs. (Source)
Nexus (3)
- Tigole talked about a new instance "Nexus" located in Borean Tundra, it should be the first instance you will zone in when entering Northrend by Borean Tundra; this instance will be divided into three wings:
* A 5-man instance for level 70-71 called Ice Caverns
* A level 80 instance
* A 25-man raid instance where you will encounter Malygos (the blue dragon), that instance is located at a rift in the sky
Caverns of Time: Stratholme (1)
- There will be a new Caverns of Time instance: Stratholme, which one will be a level 80 instance 5-man. You will travel to the past before Arthas was corrupted and help him rid the city of demons and burn it down.
Utgarde Keep (3)
- Utgarde Keep which is located in Howling Fjord, will be a winged dungeon with two instances: the first wing is a level 70 instance for players to level up in (we already know about that one) and the second wing for level 80 players is called "Utgarde Pinnacle". Both instances will have Normal and Heroic modes.
Naxxramas (5)
- Tigole confirmed than Naxxramas will be retuned to be 25-man raid instance in Northrend, also he said it will be the first 25 player raid instance in the next expansion. They want as many players as posible to have a chance to see one of the best instances so far. Some encounters will be reworked to adapt them to a 25-man raid.
Professions
Inscription (3)
- The Inscription profession will do more than increases effectiveness of spells and abilities. Tigole said the team working on it wish for Inscription to be more versatile such as increasing more elements like range, duration (for example: Frost Nova having a wider radius).
Woodworking (3)
- Blizzard is considering a Woodworking profession, it will allow Hunters to create their own arrows.
Classes
Death Knight
- Death Knight requirements: According to Tigole, you won't need to be level 80 to unlock the Death Knight, it would rather be between level 55 and 60. Players can then create their Death Knights and have to go through a trial in order to be able to play their Death Knights.
- Death Knight's resourcing system (Runes): Runes are engraved by the Death Knight into his weapon (sword or axe). There will be three different kind of runes: Unholy, Blood and Frost. The Death Knight will obtain various abilities, depending on how the DK combines the runes, the number of runes than you can combine is limited to six (for example: 2 of every rune type or 4 Unholy and 2 Blood runes type), you can change your rune combination to change your playstyle/role (Tank, Dps or PvP combination mixing both with less power). Upon using his abilities, the DK consumes his runes. One DK skill example using runes: a DK skill called "Army of the Dead", which summons Ghouls, requires Blood and Unholy rune types, therefore you would not be able to use this ability with only Frost runes carved into your weapon.
Hunter
- Blizzard is considering a Woodworking profession (hunters will be able to create their own arrows),and a Mortal Strike-like shot that will reduce healing effectiveness on the target of the shot (the purpose of this idea is to increase the desirability of hunters in arena). (3)
Priest
- In the playable Wotlk demo at Games Convention, the priest spell "Pain Suppression" has been changed, the cooldown has been reduced to 1 minute and you can cast it on a friendly target up to a 20yards range. (Source)"
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Friday, August 24, 2007
Bioshock Hands-On
The long-awaited Bioshock has finally been released and does not disappoint. Bioshock is a FPS released by 2K Games.
Introduction
When the first few trailers came out for this game many people were very excited, including me. The game is set in Rapture, a very interesting and science fiction type world. The main protagonist Jack is immediately thrown into this underwater setting after his plane crashes into the mid-Atlantic ocean. Jack spots a large tower jutting out of the surrounding water and when he enters it, he finds a lift which takes him down below the water into Rapture. Jack is given a speech via video by Raptures creator Andrew Ryan. Ryan rejected all of the ideas like communism and democracy and built a self sufficient city where every man received what he deserved, but when Jack finally reaches the city he finds that it is not what it once was. With the man waiting for his arrival is killed by some kind of mutated human being, Jack is assisted through radio by a man named Atlas. Atlas tells Jack that he was separated from his family and believes Jack is the only way he will be able to be reunited with them. This is where the game really begins and the player must begin to fight his way through Rapture.
Gameplay
Jack continues through Rapture with Atlas’s assistance and finds a wrench which he uses for melee attacks. Jack continues threw Rapture until he finds a needle containing Plasmids. When he injects the needle into his arm, his genetic code is rewritten and he obtains a new ability such as shooting lighting bolts or fire from his hands. The player uses many combinations of Plasmids and weapons throughout the game to defeat his enemy’s. The main objects in Bioshock are Adam, Eve, and Money. Adam is used to increase the characters ability’s. Eve which is what many residents of Rapture are after is used for plasmids. Money is used to buy new weapons or upgrade them. These bring a nice RPG feel to the game. There are also many ways to use plasmids to your advantage or disadvantage in certain environments. If the enemy is standing in a pool of water and a lighting Plasmid is shot into the water, the enemy is electrocuted and killed. If an enemy is hit with fire he can run to the nearest source of water and put himself out. Later in the game the character can use electricity to use enemy machines for his own uses. The many possibilities of all these abilities make Bioshock very exciting to play.
Characters and Enemies.
The character interaction in Bioshock is very unique. The residents of run-down Rapture are either working under Andrew Rain, Psychotic, or after ADAM. The enemies called the “little sisters” can harvest Adam and are protected by the “big daddies” who everyone else fear. You can often find Characters fighting each other over ADAM or other resources. The game can also be very eerie when you run into the psychotic enemies. Many of the residents of Rapture have a low grip on reality and are stuck in the past when Rapture was thriving, and will do anything to survive or get what they want, so when you come across these enemies they will usually attack you for what you have.
Rapture
Rapture is an awesome place to be in and explore. The game is set in the 1960’s, but Rapture has a very 1920’s feel to it. Having started to decay around that time when Adam was first being created, and having no ties to the outside world, Rapture was stuck in that time period. Most of the technology and music has a very 1920’s look and feel to it which makes Rapture such a unique place. The game also does a great job of immersing the player into Rapture which makes the game much more exciting.
Final Thoughts
Bioshock is a great example of the storytelling capability's games are beginning to achieve. The game sets single-player FPS games to a higher standard and is really a great game. I would recommend fans of FPS or even general gamers to go out and play this game.
This is a video of me playing through some of the beginning of Bioshock. Its a great example of the storytelling, gameplay, and some of the character interactions. Dont worry, no real spoilers.
Download This Video! FileFront
The Bioshock demo can be downloaded here: Gameshadow
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
New Metal Gear Solid 4 Trailer
Game Convention 2007 Trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4. Crazy new enemies, possibly the new bosses? They seem to have a connection to Psycho Mantis's ability's. Possibly given to them through genome therapy or the nanomachine's in Foxdie? The enemy's almost seem half or maybe even full machine, maybe they are been controlled through the nanomachines like the other soldiers in previous trailers. Crazier things have happens in MGS's history!
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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Fighting Hunters in PvP
I plan on doing an article on every class in WoW to help you beat them in PvP. These guides will not be based on specific class vs class, but more on how to identify what talent spec your opponent is, the dangers of his spec, the weaknesses, and how to defeat them.
Hunters
All hunters can be defeated by taking advantage of the dead zone. The dead zone is the area a few yards around the hunter. You want to be in this area as much as possible. All hunters have to deal with this regardless of spec. Once inside the dead zone, use all skills available to you to keep the hunter as close as possible. Be aware you will be wing clipped if you get into melee range, which is similar to a warrior's hamstring.
All hunters also have access to traps. Traps commonly used in pvp are frost trap, freezing trap, and snake trap. Freezing trap entraps your character in a block of ice, preventing all actions from you until damage has been caused. Once broken, you must close the gap fast in order to stand a chance of beating the hunter. Frost trap places a patch of ice which slows down movement of all enemies standing upon the patch. This trap also has a chance to snare your character if the hunter is specced with the appropriate talent in the survival tree. Snake trap releases many low level snakes that cause poison damage to whoever they land on, usually used on healers to make them focus on cleansing themselves.
Other notable skills all hunters have regardless of spec are concussive shot, viper sting, flare, and hunter's mark. Concussive shot slows down your character shortly, but also increases the damage of steady shot for the hunter while concussive shot is active on you. Viper sting drains mana fairly quickly, and should be removed ASAP if you are able. Flare will take stealth classes out of stealth if you are close enough to the flare. Hunter's mark will also allow the hunter to see you in stealth, however it is not a big deal for classes that do not have stealth.
Identifying the spec of the hunter.
I recommend you read all specs, due to hybrid specs. However if you ever see a 41 talent point ability used, you can rule out 21 talent point skills of another talent tree.
Beastmaster
Pet damage will be higher than other hunters. Also look for how fast skills like claw are occuring. Beast mastery gives hunters a talent granting their pets increased energy regeneration. While Marks hunters get a similar effect, it's not as consistent as beast mastery.
Beast mastery also gets 2 unique skills; Intimidation and Beastial Wrath/The Beast within. Intimidation is a 3 second stun, and when cast, a blue-ish aura will radiate from the pet. Beastial Wrath/The Beast Within is easily seen. Once cast, both the pet and hunter will grow in size, and become red. Once this happens, the hunter and pet are immune to all CC's and get increased damage.
-=- Defeating Beast Mastery Hunters -=-
A significant source of DPS from beast mastery hunters comes from the pet. In group pvp such as the arena, it may be worth your time to kill the pet. Stuns should be used whenever possible on the hunter. While the hunter is stunned, he cannot cast bestial wrath and trigger the beast within, or intimidation. You're going to want to kill beast mastery hunters quickly, and avoid the beast within at all costs.
If the beast within is triggered, you have to either stay in the dead zone, or somehow get away for 18 seconds. Hunters with the beast within active are very deadly. It's basically a god mode for hunters. Some classes can escape the hunter pretty easily though. Rouges can Cloak of Shadows and vanish, or frost mages can double ice block, if you chose to use those cool downs. A good healer should also be able to manage to keep you alive as well.
Overall, once the beast within is gone, beast mastery hunters shouldn't prove to be that tough to take down.
Marks
Marks spec hunters are not easily identifiable visually, however they have some unique skills that can be easily seen. Burst damage is a lot more common with marks hunters, if you're hit by a 3.6k aimed shot followed by a 1.5k multi shot, you're most likely facing a marks hunter. Pet damage is low, unlike beast mastery hunters. Casters can immediately a marks hunter if they are ever interrupted by Silencing Shot.
-=- Defeating Marks hunters -=-
Marks hunters are somewhat glass cannons, due to most stacking high Agility and attack power gear to get the most out of their damage. Once you close the dead zone for the first time, expect to be scatter shot and possibly trapped. If you are trapped, once again close the gap and use all possible CC's to keep the hunter slowed down. Ranged classes are going to want to avoid being nuked by the hunter, due to the high burst damage that is possible.
Marks hunters don't have as many options for survivability as the other specs, however, skilled marks hunters offer the highest threat to you. Avoid letting them get far away from you, and they should fall easily.
Survival Hunters
Survival hunters are generally more PVE oriented and pose the least threat to you as a PVP opponent, unless they are extremely well geared. Survival hunters have increased trap durations, and all traps can snare you with the entrapment talent.
Survival hunters have 3 abilities that can be activated by them; Deterrence, Wyvern Sting, and Readiness. Deterrence increases the hunters chance to dodge and parry by 25%. Deterrence can be easily countered by staying behind the hunter, making it imposable to dodge and parry. Wyvern sting is more of a PVE CC ability. Once shot, you will remain sleeping for 12 seconds, then get a DOT which causes 942 nature damage. Any damage will awaken you. Readiness acts just like rogue's preparation. Readiness will put all of the hunter's cooldowns back to 0, so expect some trap abuse.
-=- Defeating Survival Hunters -=-
Once again, due to survival being PVE oriented, you can generally just use simple hunter tactics to beat them. Get in the dead zone, keep them there, and drop them. However readiness allows the hunter to use some unique strategies, such as chain trapping. If chain trapping occurs, you should trinket out of the second trap, not the first, then close the distance. If you trinket out of the first trap, you may run into the 2nd one right after, and have wasted your trinket. Using your trinket on the 2nd trap will insure you cannot be trapped again for another 30 seconds. I recommend you get some add on that will alert you of the use of readiness, such as Natur Enemy Cast bar.
All specs of hunters are best taken down quickly. If the hunter is ever at a distance from you, and you have no skills off cooldown to reach the hunter once again, consider yourself dead. Identify the talent spec, expect and deal with abilities the hunter has available to him, and remain in control.
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007
New CS Guide, Aiming and Firing Tactics!
The 2nd of our Counterstrike: Source video guide series. This one focuses on aiming and firing. If anyone has requests on videos they would like to see made, reply in a comment.
Download Aiming and Firing Tactics
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