Cinematic Propaganda

Now this is supposed to be Reader Post Friday but I am a little angry so this is going to turn into a rant. So the Reader Post will be back next week. Now since that is out of the way what is it that has got me so much up in arms? The Elder Scrolls Online. No I am not going to be one of those people complaining about how every MMO needs to be free to play. Why? Because those people are idiots a company can choose whatever model they like or think will work for them. No what I have a problem with is far simpler. You see I am a big fan of CE especially when it is done right. I also think there is a time and place to showcase that CE when you are releasing a game. Companies do it all the time by showing off the opening cinematic when a game is released. What I have a problem with is when you pass off a trailer or a cinematic as actually gamplay. This infuriates me to no end. Not to mention when you pay to have 8+ minute cinematic to sell your game. This to me really makes me wonder if your game is even that good.

This is what I am talking about

Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed this cinematic I thought it was awesome, but the way it has been presented just makes me angry. This is an MMO and the graphics themselves look great as you can see from above but why do this? I have been on the fence for this game for quite some time. I love the Elder Scrolls series and I want this to succeed but I don't see myself playing this at all till I know for sure especially with what they are trying to pull with this cinematic.

Enjoy your weekend.

Heroes Q&A

So last week there was a big Q&A about the upcoming game Heroes of the Storm. You know Blizzard's launch into the MOBA market. Now I am actually pretty excited about this game. Not only because I love Blizzard games and their characters which is what this game will be full of but because of how they are making their game for the MOBA genre. You see I have played quite a few MOBAs and my main problem with them is a single player can influence a game in a negative way. Now this could be because they are skilled at what they are doing or because they are really bad and pump up the other team. In Heroes because of team leveling this will not nearly be as much about how an individual plays but how well they lay as a team.

For example if you play team games in Starcraft II(I know team games are kind of stupid balance wise but this still works). You can be a great player but if you don't work as a team you are going to lose because a team game focuses on team play as a unit. Sure if you play well you can help a weaker players but not to the extreme as what currently happens in MOBAs. So I have been keeping a close eye on things and hoping this works out how I hope it will.

The Q&A while not all the questions I would have asked still brought some light onto the situation and the gameplay showed the game itself is getting closer to beta which I really cannot wait to get my hands on and tell all of you abut it. I am sure there will be many Heroes posts in the future so by all means tell me your thoughts on the game and what you are looking for. I will link the Q&A and the game casted by Dustin and Day[9] below.

I'll Be Going Too, Of Course

Here we are another Wednesday and time for another list. Before we get to that though a little background on today's list. You know when you are playing a game and there is someone who talks and talks or just bothers you so much you just wish they would die or injured in such a way that you never had to deal with them again? I know you are all smiling and nodding right now. Well that is what today's list is about. Those characters you just wish death upon.

5. Aerith

Ok so her death was sad. Really sad, but that didn't stop me from hating her endlessly while going through the game. I never understood why people liked playing her or would level her up to 99 and be angry they killed her off. She was bad, like awful bad and really your party was worse if you used her. I remember being so angry when I was forced to use her and she would continually die all the time. I was so angry because she was taking XP away from the character I could be using. So yes her death was sad and shocking but doesn't mean I deep down didn't want it to happen.

4. Tails

So Tails could do everything Sonic could do but he could also fly. Awesome so why not instead of struggling all the time and mimicking Sonic you could actually help? Like I have never been so frustrated with a video game character in my life. I not only wished Tails dead the name Tails actually makes me visibly angry.

3. Leah

Ok so we get it you want to open a damn Inn somewhere. You did stuff with your awesome Uncle, which doesn't make you awesome. When she says "not today monsters" I would rather viciously hit her with my weapons then hit the damn monsters. She actually makes me consider muting the game when she is with you. I was actually not upset or angry at all when her soul was lost and she will never get to open her Inn. I think I actually smiled knowing that.

2. Penelo

Final Fantasy XII is somewhat known as an oddball of the series. Regardless of that there is a true amount of hate and anger I have towards Penelo. I have never played as her character let alone spent any points for her in the leveling process. If she dies at any point when I was required to use her I actually don't even bother reviving and wait for the game to do it for me. I am not even 100% sure why I hate her so much just got under my skin so much and I find her completely useless.

1. Lakitu

Nobody has even not known they were going the wrong way in the history of a Mario Kart. All that was accomplished by telling you was making you even more angry at what was going on. Also we saw you again when we fell off a track and you picked us up and heard our endless bitching on how such and such was unfair. We hate you we all hate you and I am pretty sure humanity would be better off not knowing you.

There you have it this week's list. Let me know what you think or do you have someone who you think would have been a better fit? Let me know.

You Fail At Mists Of Pandaria Lore If...

Fail Day! Oh yes that is correct that time of the week. Time to poke fun at others for our own enjoyment. For all of those who say that is wrong and we shouldn't do it you are the reason a post like this happens. So we all than you! Now since I am back playing WoW and Mists of Pandaria is almost over I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do a lore fail so let's do it.

You Fail At Mists Of Pandaria Lore If...

• You did not know Garrosh is the final boss of this expansion
• You didn't know they are Pandaren not Pandas
• The sound of Lorewalker Cho's voice doesn't make you smile
• You thought trolls didn't make an appearance this expansion
• You still don't know who Lor'themar is
• You did not know weapons of mass destruction were used on Theramore
• You were not aware Garrosh tried to assassinate Vol'jin
• You did not know some of the Mantid are good people
• You don't think Nazgrim is one of the most honorable heroes in the game
• You believe white tigers don't do a lot of watching
• You were not in the know of Emperor Shao'hao was the mists surrounding Pandaria
• You didn't know Jania has a new look

and finally

• You were not aware Vol'jin is the new Warchief

There you have it this week's edition of fail. Try not to fail so much next time.

Lore According to Garrosh

Happy Monday! Yes I know it is Monday and there really is nothing to be happy about in the first place but HAPPY MONDAY! This is why we have Machinima Monday so we actually have something to look forward to. This week I decided to go with something that will make you laugh and scratch your head. It is a mock trial about Garrosh and his war crimes created by SimplyImpressive. So have a watch and you can thank me later



I know that awesomeness was strong with that one

Ask Gauss

Sunday! Fresh off some pancakes and ready to go. Always a reason to love Sunday and not think about tomorrow being Monday. Although you could be one of those people not having pancakes on a Sunday and for that I feel sorry for you. Enough of that though being Sunday it does mean it is time to answer some questions. There are still some of you unsure of how to send in your questions so apparently the mass of ways on the side is hard to find. So you can't find it or are too lazy to look gaussafication@gmail.com. Is the way to go. So let's get to this thing

So coming back to WoW what did you miss about it most?

That is actually a really easy answer. I know more about the lore and the story of the game then pretty much anyone. I am Wowpedia in my own right. There is one thing knowing it and explaining it to people but actually being there and experiencing it is something completely different. It is part of the reason I enjoy older content so much. Not only because of the memories and thinking about how this was before but knowing why such and such is there and why we are helping them to such and such a thing.

This is also why I love the scenarios so much. They are a great way to show of the depth of the story of the game without much time invested. It really lets those just playing the game have a taste of what is involved.

Have you had a chance to look at the Lightning Returns new battle system?

Yes I have. Reminds me a lot of the Chrono games and Crisis Core, which is a not a bad thing.  Remember the evolution from XIII to XIII-2. You expect things like this obviously it is a new game. Not to mention you will be playing as Lightning the Entire time so there has to be some form of customization and change with it all.. I am excited though February 11th cannot come soon enough. For those who haven't seen the new battle system have a look at this video.

Has the craziness calmed down yet?

Never...

There you have it this week's questions answered. Thanks to everyone who sent one in. Wouldn't be possible to do this without them. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

Requiescat in Pace, AREEEEESSSSSSSSS!!

Safiree Saturdays

Happy Saturday everybody. I'm hoping your beginning to 2014 isn't going too bad. Gauss and I have been rep grinding Pandaria like champions. It's insane how many you need for exalted. Honestly, if it weren't for Gauss keeping me in line, I wouldn't do a single daily ever. They are terrible :(

 Alot has been announced for the familiar games of our preferences. Reaper of Souls, and the next patch for Starcraft II. I have a feeling, alot of the newer features coming in the new patch for Starcraft will be very much abused. I can just imagine how many dicks are going to ruin it for everyone. Isn't that how it goes. 

 I dropped Rift completely. Things went south in the guild I was in, and I got to the point where there really was't anymore content I could explore. And fuck all that pvp grinding, and PA farming. lol So many of my friends have been talking about their excitement for Elder Scrolls online. Will be subscription based, obviously...but I think overtime It will end up f2p. I don't know how I'd feel picking up ANOTHER mmo rpg.. lol there are only so many I can commit to. World of Warcraft will always be very special to me. You all know why :)

 Earlier in the week I was contacted, and informed about, one of my readers creating a mobile app for screenshots. They made it easy to share, and display screenshots and even make it possible for guilds to create albums for boss kills etc. Tons of other features, I thought it was a brilliant idea, and since they are loyal to this blog, it's only proper I give them the loudest shout out :D

More info @ wow-screenshots.com 

 Anyways, hope your weeks are fantastic. Again, thank you for the amazing screenshots you've sent. Keep them coming. Oh, and btw I finally got exalted with the Cloud Serpent people. Got my mount, and it's so awesome. We've finally begun the beginning of Siege of Orgrimmar. Breath taking so far.  :D:D:D

Love,
Safiree
Title is of 2 different games.
Guess which.

It Is All Velen's Fault

For the longest time as many of you can attest to I have basically explained Warcraft as we know it only exists because it is all Velen's fault. He turned down Sargeras which led to him escaping Argus and he was never stopped being chased and everything which happened from that point on only happened because of this single act. It is pretty remarkable when you think about it. How different would the Universe be if he just said yes?

With all of that in mind it brings me to this week's Reader Post submitted by Trassk who basically just comes out and says the Alliance including the Draenei don't feel guilt but they feel they are above the other races.

Alliance races never do feel guilty for anything they do, even when they should. Alliance constantly want to try and make Horde races face blame and forced guilt for anything the horde does to them, but its NEVER the other way round and the alliance wipes it hands of anything.

1 - The Forsaken. Its been brought up many times, that when the Forsaken were freed from the Lich Kings grasp, many of them tried to reunite with there still living families, but there still living families rejected them as monsters, leaving them alone with the forsaken. It was never these Forsaken's fault they became drones of the Lich King, but that wasn't enough to make the still living humans of the alliance think they were victims of Arthas, they were not humans, therefor they are monsters and had to be wiped out.

2 - Obviously I have heard many of your discussion about the Draenei and how they don't even feel guilt for what they caused.  The problem with the Draenei, yes, they are responsible for what became of the Orcs and Draenor, as they did lead the legion there while trying to escape it, not just Draenor, but any planet the Draenei came to. They suffer from the sin of hubris, or more so just naive to there own actions having ramifications in leading to planets being dammed for it. 

3 - While there's is a solid reasoning for this, you can also argue that the night elves are so religiously naive, they don't want to accept the idea that they are related to trolls. Night elves, as discovered by the alliances own Brann Bronzebeard, are related to trolls, but many of them simply believe they are children of the stars, instead of being related to a primitive race like trolls. You would expect the smarter night elves to open up to this and find some common ground with them, since trolls themselves have approached the Cenarion Circle with there own druidism, but nope, they don't want to believe they are related to them.

And yes, there are plenty of things the Horde is responsible for against the Alliance, that's how Warcraft works in its two and throw, but its the alliance belief that they are all white knights and can't be held accountable for anything that makes the Alliance such an arrogant group of races.

There you have it. Really quite eye opening when you think about it. Everyone always thinks about the Horde as the "bad" ones but who is it really?

Starcraft Patch 2.1

So if you haven't heard Patch 2.1 happened over in Starcraft land. Quite a few new things have been added so you were unaware or too lazy to check the patch notes here is a quite run down.

• Arcade is now free
• Clan Logos
• Clan improvements
• Game mods
• Level Cap Increase
• Carbot Portraits

Sure there is a lot more but those are the main things. With the arcade being quite the popular feature making it available to everyone who has access to the starter edition is quite a big deal. Makes it now so only muliplayer and the campaign is not available for free now. 

Being able to make your own decals is pretty awesome. It is a way now where you can support your clan. Now something that does worry me is this may pave the way for ads being without the game on the pro scene. Think about it this is like ads on the boards in hockey except now it is around your CC, Hatch or Nexus.

The improvements make it easy to schedule events for your clan, practice or anything else you happen to do together. Makes yours good of people feel like they are closer together.

The mods they have in not only looks cool but something to make the game slightly different you have played many times. Moving mineral patches seems hilarious and anger inducing all at the same time.

Increasing the level cap is really a good reason to take part in all these changes and it is only 5 levels per race so it isn't insane but still feels like you are actually playing for some reason if it is non ladder.

Who doesn't love Carbot? Like really? Anyone who loves Starcraft loves them some Carbot and what better way than bringing them together.

So there you ahve it. I have been excited about this patch since first hearing about it back at Blizzcon any changes to one of my favourite games is a welcome change. GLHF eveyone!

Frostmourne Hungers

Weapons. Those iconic weapons we see from games are something that when we see them the memories and the conversations begin. Which brings me to the topic for this week's list. I thought I would state what I feel are some of the most iconic weapons from games. When i decided to do the list I then made the decision it would be 1 weapon from a particular game or series as to not get so many repeats. Then I realized this was actually going to be a really difficult list to form just based on not only choosing 5 but choosing a weapon a weapon to represent a series in general. So here they my 5 iconic weapons.

5. Soul Calibur

In a game filled with countless weapons there is one which stands out from all the others. It so happens it is the one which is a symbol of all that is good wielded by the true champion. Regardless of all that it is pretty awesome looking sword in its multiple variations of the years. The one seen above from Soul Calibur 4 being my favourite.

4. The Hidden Blade

You would be hard pressed to find a gamer who doesn't know what the hidden blades are or where they came from. In fact they probably know more about the hidden blades then they do about specific Assassins or the games themselves. So with that being true these silent out of no where killers make the list pretty easily.

3.  El'druin

The sword of justice beats out all other possibilities from the Diablo Universe and I don't think anyone could argue with that. Tyrael is probably the most recognizable hero from the franchise even in his current "mortal" state. El'druin's light most certainly has helped me through many a challenges.

2. Frostmoure

I went back and forth on what weapon was going to represent Warcraft, but even with so many choices all of which could have made a list like this I don't think you could argue with Frostmourne. The sword which destroyed a Paladin who all he wanted to do was save his kingdom and in the end just lost his soul.

1. The Buster Sword

I don't think there is any doubt on what is the most iconic weapon in gaming. Maybe the Buster Sword is because it is so ridiculous? Maybe it is because of the ones who wielded it? Regardless of why I don't think there is a gamer around love or hate doesn't know about the Buster Sword and that to me is why I couldn't not put it at number one. So even if I wasn't a Final Fantasy fanatic there would be no way arguing this.

There you have it my top 5 iconic weapons from games. Would you have chose differently? Probably but I really don't think there is an argument to be made against any of these but I am sure I will hear it anyway.

You Fail At LFR If...

Fail Day! Yes it is that time of the week. You know when I first started Fail Day I thought Tuesday was the perfect day because it was the day raids reset in WoW and Fail and the first day of raiding for the week tended to go hand and hand. Still unsure why this was true but it never failed. As most of you know I took quite the breaking from WoW and now being back and max level I have gotten my first taste of LFR. With all my previous raiding experience I have always wondered how this would go, and well now we have a Fail Day for it.

You Fail At LFR If...

• You expect to have fights explained to you
• You love to experience the joys of standing in many different types of things covering the ground
• Swapping targets and the word hard go hand in hand
• You think topping the DPS meters matters
• You think topping any meters matters
• You happen to get a rez timer
• You think it is everyone else's job to follow the mechanics
• You are not prepared to deal with people who are "awesome"
• You think it counts as raiding
• While explaining anything you use the words tab targeting
• You think you are better than others because you have a whole set of "normal" gear
• You don't think LFRs only point is to make sure everyone can seethe content
• Your main concern is what pet you will be showing off during the raid

and finally

• You actually think this will prepare you for real raiding

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. Hope you all enjoyed it more than being in your latest LFR.

Epic Fan Heroes Trailer

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a good weekend mine was pretty good so there was that. It is Monday though so that makes it kind of depressing. That it the norm though so it isn't news. Being another new week though it means it is time to showcase a video for this week's Machinima Monday. First off there are a lot of fan made trailers out there. Some of them are what I would say are completely awful because really it is just a bunch of clips from a games horribly edited together. Then there is one like the one showcasing today which is done perfectly well. So have a look at this fan made Heroes of the Storm trailer by Masta Lin


I know it was awesome.

Ask Gauss

Sunday! Yes here we are at the tail end of the weekend once again. At least it is a perfect day for pancakes. This week has been pretty crazy though. Some people still popping by on WoW to welcome me back, and talk about times they remember me from. It certainly is fun and interesting catching up with all of you. Not much to update on the WoW front in general besides just doing the WoW thing catching up on everything Mists has to offer. You really see how much content is in an expansion you you become a part of it at the end. That is not what you all came here to see me talk about though so why not just get to the questions

So less than a month before Lightning Returns are you ready?

I have been ready. I have been excited for this game for quite some time. I know a lot of people have some hate on for FFXIII because it has been more linear. Although I don't really understand how you can consider part 2 linear. I think people just need to realize each Final Fantasy game has a model and it follows it. XIII just happens to be this way. The story has been extremely well written and I would argue it is one of the better overall stories in the series. This may be unfair though since it is going to have 3 games to tell that story while in the past the most has been 2. I will be there day one picking this up though and will be sure to tell all of those interested all about it.

Is BoA on Diablo going to ruin player interaction?

This is the crap I don't understand people complain and complain how Diablo is a single player game and now it truly has a complete single players aspect and those same people complain. BoA is going to make your drops better and allow you much more individuality in the game along with making you play the actual game to get the items you want. I know crazy concept. I just think people are born to bitch and this is just what they are doing. Trading doesn't make Diablo killing demons endlessly and getting that legendary drop that means something is what makes Diablo.

Sylvanas got nerfed.

No worries it is still amazing for 6 cost.

There you have it questions answered for the week. Thanks to everyone who sent in a question if it was answered here or not. Keep sending them in I will always get to them eventually.

Because Day9 made me do it.

Safiree Saturdays

Happy Saturday to everyone :) Hope your week was good, as always. I reconnected with a friend from High School, and she asked me how I was doing, how I spent most of my time and I was telling her about most of the games Gauss and I play together, and some of the content we experience and she just looked at me dumbfounded. She then proceeded to tell me that "gaming is a waste of time" an that you gain absolutely nothing from it. Now obviously, I contained myself from smacking the shit out of her, instead I asked her a simple question. "How is gaming a waste of time, when you probably sit at home all day on Facebook waiting for a notification?" I got nothing back.

I know there are some people out there are still believe gaming consists of only Mario, or Pacman but honestly....anyone who owns a type of device that connects you with the outside world should know technology is growing at a very fast pace. So this very topic, I could not shake from my thoughts. I did some research, and came up with some facts, basically on the benefits of gaming.

1. Video games like Super Mario have been used to treat patients with a vast range of mental disorders like, Alzheimers, Schizophrenia, and even Post- traumatic stress disorder.

2. Video games can also benefit those who have healthy brains, but improve "cognitive flexibility" to complete tasks with greater accuracy, and speed. Games like "The Sims", and "Starcraft" are both used to also help people with Dyslexia.

3. Studies have been shown, that most teen gamers end up being better at Virtual Surgery, than real medical residents. This is believed to be mostly because Med students are more challenged with maintaining academics, rather than hands on experiments.

4. Most kids gain confidence, and show a major difference in self esteem, and depression starts fading away. When playing fantasy games, most help to restore some sort of glory, and through that gain achievements they can feel proud of.

5. Making lifelong friends. With some people, I don't know where i'd be if it weren't for them. With good friends, it doesn't matter how far away they might be. If they are good to you, you could be closer to them than the people down the street.

I don't think it's right for someone to tell you, what you enjoy spending your time with is a waste of time. There will always be people who don't understand our perspective on gaming, but like I said with the whole facebook thing... They most likely aren't doing anything quite as admirable as killing THE LICH KING FUCK YEAH!
-Safiree

Note: She and I are no longer friends. LOL

Something We Don't Know?

Friday! I know I know everyone is excited maybe not for the same reasons but you are nonetheless excited. Who knows maybe you are excited to see what is going on this week for the Reader Post. Recently I have been getting a lot of questions about what the Reader Post submission actually needs to be. Does it have to be a certain length? Does it have to be about certain topics? The answer is No. I just has to be something interesting. Like today's is just something small from Lavannah who discovered something on the Timeless Isle and has been wondering since this is supposed to be removed from time what does it mean.

A few days back my sister suddenly flipped a table over a question from Timewalker Historian Evelyna on the Timeless Isle. It asked what the name of Varian's first wife was. At first thought I didn't see the issue, but then she brought up that the question specifically mentioned Varian's "first wife". Officially so far, Varian has only had one wife, Tiffan (Tiffan Ellerian Wrynn for the answer to the Timewalker question). 

This could just be the devs trolling the lorehounds, or it might allude to something later down the line, or it was meant to be nothing at all. 

Since my sister was a dork and didn't get a screen grab of it when she first saw it, I went and likely pissed off Evelyna and got every question intentionally wrong until the one I wanted popped up. Here's the proof of the question. What do you think any thoughts?

Honestly this is a really interesting question. Although I believe it is correct English to say first wife regardless, but feel "late wife" would be the completely correct way to say it. This really is interesting to me indeed but they I am all about the Lore and to everyone else probably answers it without thinking.

Keep this in your thoughts throughout the weekend!

Offline Really?

So let me first state the blog today is going to be a little bit of a rant. A rant on something which angers me without end. I feel when you are passionate about something it is when your opinion most matters. So maybe just maybe that is why this aggravates me so.

It was recently announced Simcity is developing offline play. They are in turn acting like this is something big engineering achievement. You know the way we used to play games years ago. To be honest I have no problem with games which are online only. They tend to be better secure and more put together. They tend to be updated more and have bugs worked out. So this to me is the absolute last thing people should be concerned about. The fact people have been asking for this boggles my mind. The fact this is something so important to a player makes no sense. How about the other problems with the games? You know the things which really matter? The things which will make the game an overall better game?

I could talk about how the game requires bigger space. I have talked about this before when they stated bigger maps will not be coming. I think the very fact they are not doing this because of graphical issues on lower end machines is a travesty to the franchise. I very much like how regions work off each other put the massive amounts of open space or the fact some areas are so small to build on with the terrain makes original city ideas practically impossible.

Or how about the game punishing you for not building in a grid pattern. The amount of wasted space caused by non grid cities to to the point of stupidity. Sure you can make them and they look nice but you run out of valuable real estate within minutes of creating your city.

Also why can we not modify the terrain of the map like every other Simcity game? Sometimes you want to have a house on a hill. Not having this takes away original ideas in city planning the game has been known for. Instead everyone is forced to build on the same areas doing the same thing. It is boring and makes the game dull after just a few regions.

I have played this game a lot. I had a globally ranked #1 population region and a globally ranked number #1 high wealth population region. This is not a rant about someone who has no idea what he was doing. This is from a real player of the game and the series. I am beyond disappointed when I had so much hype for this game. I didn't even buy the expansion because of it something I have never done for a Simcity game.

So congrats to all the people who wanted the useless offline play. Maybe someday things the game actually needs will be fixed or added. 

I Dreamt I Was A Moron

Middle of the week already? That is the first thing I thought about when I started to throw ideas around for this week's list post. Then it got me thinking how some things in a game are so obvious and thrown out there you wonder how so many people never pick up on them. It is like they cannot see what is right in front of them. You then get into arguments with them how this and that is not true or that never happened, or there was never any proof. This is when having the conversation with myself turned into how I have to make a list about this. My top 5 obviously things in games people never picked up on. Now if you haven't played these games there is some spoilers here so keep this in mind before you go complaining about spoilers.

5 Vlad Is A Vampire - Magicka

So this one is rather silly and obvious but some people think it is a joke and not actually true. Even after the whole must kill the vampire level. Setting the record straight for everyone Vlad is a Vampire.

4. Drake and Elena are Married - Uncharted Series

So this one is a little less obvious, but the writing is on the walls the entire time. With the "ring" that mattered along with being separated along with the scene I chose for the picture. Everything points to this without it actually being said. Anyone who thinks otherwise honestly makes me facepalm every time.

3.  Assassin's Creed Games Contain Real History

You would be surprise how many people argue against this. There is even some stats on how you can learn more about history from Assassin's Creed then in an actually history course. You know tose little pop ups about the buildings you encounter that crap wasn't made up it was true. Along with the people you encounter. This is why the stories seem to make sense and fit in so well because they were created into real history.

2. Haschel is Dart's Grandfather - Legend of the Dragoon

I have had this argument with people over and over. They always quote Albert saying how common a name of Claire is. They also never talk about the singing or martial arts which disprove the whole naming theory. Haschel even figures it out and when his part of the Divine Tree comes he doesn't want Dart to know jsut yet.

1. Laguna is Squall's Father - Final Fantasy 8

This one is less obvious, but the conversation before "the end" is the final push towards this. It is never explicitly stated but signs point towards it. The whole "sis" thing and squall remembering certain things which no one else tends to remember even though they all have memory issues. The way Edea describes everything to him after she is saved. I am sure a lot of you are now having mindblown moments now, but just let it all sink in.

There you have it this week's list. Do any of you know anything worth mentioning? Think of one I for lack of better words obviously missed? Let me know. 

You Fail At Pet Battles If...

Fail Day! Yes it has already been a week, I know it surprised me as well. Normally I have a mass of topics I could do for Fail Day not to mention many of you sending in requests of topics I should do. This coming week though I thought I would do one I have been putting off. So much so I didn't take a new screenshot for it. I started Pet battling because Safiree, Khulk, and I have been doing all the quests throughout Pandaria together. So while one or both of the others was unavailable I did these to pass the time. I never was into the whole Pokemon thing so the whole experience is rather new to me, but is like other things I have played. With that in mind let's do this thing.

You Fail At Pet Battles If...

• You don't spend at least 10 minutes having serious discussion about the names of your pets
• You don't track pets
• When you started playing you kept complaining about OP rats
• You caught a Fire beetle just for the explosion ability
• You think average pet level makes leveling pets in PvP stupid
• You want players to free your broom
• You leveled your first pets to 25 without actually checking out their abilities because you thought they were cool
• You use a turtle pet
• You use the Baneling Bust ability when it is your last pet alive
• You screamed WTF when facing your first Undead opponent
• You wonder why all these people are visiting Shadowmoon Valley
• You forgot there is not a boat in Darkshore for the Horde anymore

and finally

• You don't fear the power of Steve

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. Feel free to tell me I don't know much of anything about Pet Battles.

The Culling of Arthas

So it is Monday and we are somewhat angry that the weekend is ended. So I was keeping this in mind when I was deciding what to showcase for this Machinima Monday when it came to mind a machinima which I watch a few weeks ago which made me laugh for hours. I thought this will make anyone's day better. So I present to you The Culling of Arthas by Nixxiom.

Well that was Arthas....

Ask Gauss

Happy Sunday everyone! Crazy week. When I said last week I was bombarded with questions this week topped that like crazy. Must be big news with me coming back to WoW and all. Although with some of the things people are asking does put some pressure on things. I am having fun which is the important thing. It is Sunday though so let's get to these questions!

So I know you have came back to WoW but I see all of these streamer popping up playing WoW what do you think the reason is.

I have noticed others playing WoW either starting back up or picking it up again. I am not really sure why it seems new year new things to do. Like I said I am having fun going through the quests and leveling. Timeless Isle while is an easy way to get gear seems gimmicky to me but I can live with that. I know a lot of people are extremely interested in the new expansion pack so maybe this is the way for people to get ready for it. Or maybe they just think it is a great way to interact with people since tons of people do play WoW. I can say for a fact people seem to be really engaged with me coming back. Just seems to be what people want to see at the moment.

How ready are you for Lightning Returns?

I wish it was out already. Seems like it has been forever since the last one. Maybe it is just the way it ended and I want to know what is coming next. I know some people don't appreciated 13 for what it is, but those who really enjoy the story get it. You have to realize 13 is in a category all its own and don't expect it to be something it isn't. I will be playing it day one like crazy along with the week's after so all of those waiting to hear what I think of it no worries you will get plenty of it.

So Carbot portraits in patch 2.1.

I know and new levels should give myself and others things to aim for.

There you have it this week's questions answered. Once again thanks for everyone who sent something in and for those still waiting for me to reply I will get to yours eventually.

WHITE TIGER WATCH OVER YOU

Safiree & Gauss 

Mostly Epic Saturdays

Happy Saturday everyone! Hope your week was fantastic!! Another week for us playing WoW. I'm also still doing Rift, raiding with the guild i'm in. TOO MUCH MMO! ugh. Soon I think i'm going to drop Rift for a while. It was fun, but the grinding aspect is too heavy for me. Still reconnecting with old friends in WoW, trying to remember whether I met them in Threescore, or the guild I was in before I met Gauss. So confusing sometimes. When people greet me, i'm often hesitant because i'm not sure if they're "Gauss fans" trying to touch base with me, or people who actually know me but I don't remember them. (I have terrible memory.)

 Gauss and I tried the "Timeless Isle", and the Scenario stuff they added. He can't stand doing the Isle because he says, they are easy rare farms for idiots who enjoy not doing much to earn gear. Which technically he is right, but honestly we died 500 times each. Always a good time though lol. Scenarios are pretty interesting. Newer mechanics i'm not familiar with. Basically I feel brand new to WoW with most things in Pandaria. 

 Dailies are CRAZY! Legit so many for cooking, and fishing. I love it. So far we've completed questing in I think 3 zones total in Pandaria. The Heroics are simple. Nothing really too complicated we haven't been able to just BLINDLY GO INTO INSTANCES AND KILL STUFF. =) I love it. I'm so glad khulk, and I were able to convince him to come back. All of us at the same time made it even better. Think i'll always have a soft spot in my heart for WoW. (ADHD TIME) Did anyone else notice the Jade Serpents voice is the same as Tyraels in Diablo III. I nerdgasm fangirled that moment I realized.

 Anyways, I hope if you guys still play, Whisper and say Hi - Safiree-Llane. I'll be happy to hear from you.
Thank you (JayLOL) for the awesome screenshots you sent me. We also take ALOT of screenshots. :)
Feel free to send more QEDSAFIREE@GMAIL.COM
-Safiree

<3

The Noble Truths Of Hearthstone

Happy Friday everyone! One week back playing WoW and it has been fun if you read my post yesterday you would know all about it. Today though is a different day and a new season of Hearthstone is upon us. Which brings me to the Reader Post of the week submitted by Biggameover talking about the Noble Truths of Hearthstone. If you play you will enjoy this

The Four Noble Truths Are:

1.The truth of RAGE (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness)
2.The truth of the origin of RAGE
3.The truth of the cessation of RAGE
4.The truth of the path leading to the cessation of RAGE

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First truth: RAGE

The first noble truth is the truth of RAGE. Within the Hearthstone tradition, the term RAGE is commonly explained according to three different patterns or categories:

The RAGE of ordinary suffering - the obvious physical and mental suffering associated with losing.

The RAGE produced by change - the anxiety or stress of trying to chase the meta that is constantly changing.

The RAGE of conditioned states - a basic unsatisfactoriness pervading all decks, due to the fact that the meta is always changing, impermanent and without any inner core or substance. On this level, the term indicates a lack of satisfaction, a sense that our decks never measure up to our expectations or standards.

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Second truth: origin of RAGE

The second noble truth is the truth of the origin of RAGE. Within the context of the four noble truths, the origin of RAGE is commonly explained as craving conditioned by ignorance. This craving runs on three channels:

Craving for sense-pleasures: this is craving to win the match

Craving to be: this is craving to be something, to unite with an experience. This includes craving to be top ranked, to be a being that has a past and a future, and craving to prevail and dominate over others.

Craving not to be: this is craving to not experience hearthsone; a wish to be separated from losing

Ignorance can be defined as ignorance of the meaning and implication of the four noble truths. On a deeper level, it refers to a misunderstanding of TGCs.

Another common explanation presents the cause of RAGE as disturbing emotions rooted in ignorance. In this context, it is common to identify three root disturbing emotions, called the three poisons, as the root cause of suffering or RAGE. These three poisons are:

Ignorance : misunderstanding of TGCs

Attachment: attachment to winning.

Aversion: a fear of getting a bad draw, or not getting a good starting hand

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Third truth: cessation of RAGE

The third Noble Truth is the truth of the cessation of RAGE. The term cessation refers to the cessation of suffering and the causes of suffering. It is the cessation of all the unsatisfactory experiences and their causes in such a way that they can no longer occur again. It's the removal, the final absence, the cessation of those things, their non-arising.

Cessation is the goal of one's playing of hearthstone. According to the pandaria point of view, once we have developed a genuine understanding of the causes of suffering, such as craving and ignorance, then we can completely eradicate these causes and thus be free from suffering.

Cessation is often equated with nirvana, which can be described as the state of being in cessation or the event or process of the cessation. A temporary state of nirvana can be said to occur whenever the causes of suffering (e.g. craving) have ceased in our mind.

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Fourth truth: path to the cessation of RAGE

The fourth noble truth is the path to the cessation of RAGE. This path is called deckbuilder websites and it is considered to be the essence of hearthstone practice. Hearthpwn and Hearthhead are some you can google.

There you have it. May Rngesus be with you and enjoy your weekend!

Ding

I figured I would use today's blog post as a sort of update. I hit 90 on Tuesday not in a real exciting way just in an instance so no epic story involved there. I know it wasn't the fastest leveling but I have been enjoying myself among playing other games and doing other things.

I must say I have enjoyed my time back in WoW thus far. The game is different but there is still the same old things. I leveled up 3 pets to 25 and will continue doing that as it seems to be a fun thing to do to pass the time. As seen in the screenshot above I went with the tier 6 look may change my mind but will see.

To those wondering what I am going to do now that I am 90. I am not 100% sure. I know I won't be going hardcore and raiding 5 nights a week again. I don't ever plan on doing that again. Now there may be a little raiding in my future along with some PvP and Safiree and I were talking about it and all those waiting for it yes there will be some World PvP happening. I am not going to give you an exact date when I will start it up, but I will be sure to keep everyone in the loop.

Also wanted to thank all the people who have offered me help or who have just whispered my and chatted with me for a bit. I know I am not the most efficient at responding to people but I do get to the tells and appreciate the well wishes. You never really realize how much of an impact you had on someone's gaming experience till you really talk to them about it. I have had many of these conversations the last week and Safiree can attest to me being caught up in them and distracted by them.

Sometimes it is just nice to enjoy the moments you have in games past and present.

To Ask Why We Fight

Middle of the week and what a damn cold week it has been so far. Windchill and frostbite warnings everyday for the past week, actually kind of nuts when you think about it. When it is cold for a Canadian you know it has to be pretty damn cold outside. So with the weather I have had plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do for this week's list. When it came down to it I have returned to WoW so why not do a list of my favourite Lore Characters from the Warcraft Universe. Now this seemed easy when I first thought about it, but then I realize some epic characters would not be in my top 5. So with that in mind here we go.

5. Chen Stormstout

"With you I am, for once and truly, at home"

Now I have not yet completed all the Pandaria questline and from what I have seen from Chen there nothing changes my opinion of him. From a young age he felt different and wanted to see the world to become better at his craft. He went off and made friends with the unknown races. Only never sure where home truly was.

4. Medivh

"I failed humanity once before...and I will NOT do so again."

Medivh was supposed to be the one to watch over humanity and be the line of defence again demonic attacks. Although he never had a chance given tremendous power unknowing to to those around him he was corrupted by Sargearas himself and was in turn responsible for the opening of the dark portal and the first and second wars. Even with that he was brought back by his mother and he was the one who truly saved the world as "the prophet" during the third war.

3. Illidan Stormrage

"Whatever I may be - whatever I may become in this world - know that I will always look out for you, Tyrande."

Illidan is the one who seems to always get the short end of the stick. He always has the best intentions, but never goes about them the right way. He is that guy who goes to do the right thing then it blows up in his face. Perfect example he wanted to rid the world of the Lich King by destorying the Frozen Throne in doing so he ended up freeing Yogg Saron and we all know what happened in Northrend because of that. One thing though I am looking forward to is him confronting Sargeras he is the original demon hunter he should be there when the killing of "the demon" happens. Since he also is part demon also his returning to life wouldn't be a stretch at all.

2. Deathwing

"It is done! All that which must be given has been given, I now seal the Dragon Soul forever!"

Now people who just know Deathwing from WoW are probably thinking what in the hell can you possibly be thinking. The fact of the matter is before all that when he was first introduced we saw the formation of one of the best villains ever. People say Arthas has one of the best fall from grace stories and I believe Deathwing's makes his look just like a guy picking up a sword in a cave. He was smart calculated and would do anything to get what he wanted without letting you even realize what he was doing. There was nothing that wasn't a plan. He was patient, beyond patient whihc is why the only reason I can think of his end the way it was, was because he finally snapped.

1. Cairne Bloodhoof

"Now, you said that your warchief was in trouble – that the Horde needed the tauren once again. Well, Thrall did much for us in his time, and we will not fail him. My warriors will rendezvous with the warchief upon the battlefield, but I will be returning with YOU!"

Was there any doubt? Cairne was wise and honorable. He lived for peace but would fight to make sure those he cared for would have it. He power yet passive. He really would have been happen roaming the lands as Rexxar does. He is the type of person people strive to be and really is the reason I not only chose to play a tauren but a warrior as well.

There you have it this week's list. Who do you like? I know many of you will have issues with who is not on the list but as always if it was your list then it would be your list.