Ah, Boys, How About That Evac?

So if you are reading this you are most likely a gamer. If you aren't and just happened to pass by then great or maybe you are not a gamer and still find me a good read, although I question how that is possible, but I am cool with it. Anyways, as gamers you learn to expect certain things from the games you are playing. You try to guess where the plot is going or what is just going to happen around the corner. It really is a normal way to game. There are those moments though which might shock you in a way where you say "did that just happen?". This brings me to this week's list where it is my favourite moments in games where this happens. Now obviously there could be some spoilers involved here but none of the games are super recent so truly it is fair game so no complaining.

5. Drake On A Plane - Uncharted 3

So not only does Drake board a moving plane on a jeep he is then found on the plane and then shot at. All of which are crazy to begin with. Those though are really the most mild things which happen in the chapter. He then is thrown out of the plane only holding on to a segment of crates covered in nets or something which are hanging out of the plane. He(as is you) then climbs back on to the plane while being shot at. When he is back on the plane crates are flying everywhere along with bullets. The plane ends up on fire, then explodes. After he is flying in mid air where a crate equipped with it's own parachute almost hits him. Instead he grabs onto said crate. He then opens the parachute and watches the plane crash while he calming lands in the desert. Honestly did anyone play this and not say "wtf" followed by "that was awesome".

4. Cloud Is Not Cloud

Many gamers will go on and on about how Aerith death was a massive shocker, and it was. It really was a great moment in gaming as a whole, but to me that wasn't the biggest shock of the entire game. Cloud really wasn't who he was saying he was the entire game and he didn't even know he was just some messed up experiment.

3. Joel Is Impaled

I have said it over and over again, how The Last of Us is just a complete masterpiece of a game. It is an experience like none other out there. No one who played it or watched expected this to happen and didn't say "oh shit" when it did.

2. Haytham Is A Templar - Assassin's Creed III

So you are playing Assassin's Creed 3 and everything is going well and you are wondering why you are playing as this guy Haythem who is not on the cover of the game. When he ends up becoming friends with the Native American you understand and expect something horrible to happen to him and his son is going to take up the mantle to avenge him in some way. That was until you are sitting at a table then the bombshell drops that Haythem is a Templar and you have been playing as the enemy for the first part of the game.

1. Mengsk Leaves Kerrigan Behind - Starcraft

 

Everyone knows Kerrigan is the Queen of Blades, but the crazy thing was how this came to be in the first place. You are on a mission where you are supposed to defend the Zerg from the Protoss while you eliminate the Protoss threat which is going to blow up the entire planet. Kerrigan is down on the planet when this happens and when you finish everything and complete the mission Mengsk gives the command "Belay that order we're moving out". You left her behind. The entire campaign shifts and this Mengsk guy you think is one of the good guys turns out to be one of the most evil ones out there. This is even before you realize this whole turn of events turns Kerrigan into a mass murderer and it is still beyond messed up.

There you have it this week's list. What do you think? Any moments you think deserve a mention? As always let me know.

You Fail At Fail Day If...

So here we are on yet another Fail Day. You know the day where we poke fun at the things you do, someone you know does, someone who you have no idea who they are does, or something I may do. Why do we do this? Well it makes us smile and feel slightly better about ourselves. How do some people take it? The wrong way. Thus the inspiration for today' Fail Day.

You Fail At Fail Day If...

• You are easily offended
• Your ability to take a joke is often impaired
• You believe your Xbox is the be all and end all
• Your shit don't stink
• The most often reason for you losing is because of lag
• Your mother made you breakfast
• You believe in being politically correct
• You don't understand my hatred for ret pallies
• You think this is all about personal attacks
• You are currently writing an email response to this post
• The most common word used to describe you is entitled
• You mistook me for someone who cared about your "feelings"
• You think the thing the earth revolves around is you and not the sun

and finally

• You write an angry email to me thinking it will make a difference in how I do things

There you have it this Fail Day all complete. If you take anything from this be it not to take everything so serious.

The Same Destiny

Monday morning. Yes I know it is here and we cannot get away from it. Just like I cannot get away from showcasing something for you every Monday. yes I know that was a bad lead in but honestly it's Monday and I don't really care. What I do care about is actually looking for something to showcase, which is worth your time. So when I post something on here I really want something most people will enjoy. With this in mind I have been saving this particular one for a couple weeks. Ezio and Altair are not only my favourite Assassin's Creed characters but some of my favourites across all games. This machinima explains how their destiny has always been intertwined. For those who have played the games you will be watching this and nodding your head countless items for those who haven't this may actually want you to take the leap and play them. So enjoy

Ask Gauss

Sunday is upon us cone again. Besides a new episode of Game of Thrones it also means I get to go through a bunch of questions pick 3 and answer them right on here for this week's Ask Gauss. How does one send in questions? Well there is quite a few options on the top right of the page where you can find me or you can just send an email to gaussafication@gmail.com if you are too busy to tilt your head slightly. So with out going on and on with an intro which doesn't make too much sense let's answer these questions

Have you had a chance to play Dark Souls II yet?

I have not yet I actually have the game sitting around jsut haven't brought myself to play it yet. Mostly because I am in a pretty good spot and I don't feel like ripping those who I see and talk to heads off on a daily basis. Now that doesn't mean I am not excited to play it just haven't put aside the time a game of Dark Souls II deserves. I will get to it though and all of you will get to hear me rage about it, and I know you cannot wait for that.

Blizzard has been talking about how to makes Rifts in Diablo more exciting, what do you think would make them so?

Honestly I love killing monsters and besides an obvious fix to increase monster density which I believe is a needed fix. I would also increase the number of monsters if the density is increased to spawn the guardian. I would also like to see events be them chest or shrine events within the rift. Something besides just killing monsters. People are finding rifts boring because they are just that. Also I would be interesting if a random boss who wasn't the guardian just showed up. Would scare the crap out of me on HC, but hey at least it would be entertaining.

Do you plan on going to Blizzcon this year?

Still to be determined but I will of course let everyone know if that is the case.

There you have it questions answered for the week and you can feel like your weekend has accomplished what it has to. So enjoy the rest of it.

For Khaz'Modan!

Warcraft has a vast history of leaders who have came and gone. Some of them had their time in the sun while others had their moments but truly didn't reach their full potential. Magni Brozenbeard Warcraft's version of "The King Under the Mountain" is exactly one of the characters. One who I have always enjoyed but then story stopped short just when I was starting to like him more. You can visit him currently down in Old Ironforge and see his body encased in diamond. Is he dead? Well for this week's Reader Post Raelion has an interesting take on it.

Some people I've spoken to, while it be in trade or in guild, say Magni is dead.

In my thoughts, it seems too easy to just kill off a major capital leader so quickly. Although I am Horde for life, I've been having this feeling that something big is on the way and I'm feeling that Magni will return in an expansion soon. 

From what I remember from the videos of him turning to diamond or reading about it, was that he had read a tablet or something that began to turn his body and to protect himself he used his Stone Form but he would ultimately become encased in a Diamond shell. Now he's been sitting like this since the Cataclysm, and I feel there is potential for his story to rise.

From what I am thinking is that they are saving him for a future expansion that has to deal with the End Time. Those of you who remember the End Time instance, you had the faction leaders of sorts be corrupted and Nozdormu himself was the infinite leader known as Murozond. Though we may have stopped it in that potential reality, I get the feeling it is bound to happen no matter what. This also puzzles me as how are we to time travel in the upcoming expansion.

I feel that Nozdormu does regain his powers however he possibly can. Whether it be from the call from the old gods corrupting him over time or whatever, but the issue is that a lot of things start to become unstable. Though we stopped the potential reality from happening, who is to say that it won't happen still? What I feel may happen is the old gods are released in some fashion and Sargeras may be the one to who played a hand at their release. I don't know, I'm just thinking here. You have the faction leaders and key characters starting to spiral out of control; one example: Jaine Proudmoore. 

Even though she went berserk when Theramore was blown to bits, she still even went against her allegiance or fought Thrall and the one to calm her was Kalecgos. Her rage and twisted mind would even be seen in a way at the end of the Siege of Orgrimmar where she wanted to dismantle the Horde. Maybe its just her new way of thinking, or maybe she is starting to fall. 

So what I feel is that the first steps of Azeroth's impending doom is finally coming and what we know, the End Time shall show what we have to face. The world will more than likely become desolate and there will be some refuge here and there, some main characters die, but I feel that Magni, while he is encased in Diamond will soon break out of that, perhaps stepping out as a Titan to help save Azeroth from Sargeras and the Burning Legion and further aiding with the Pantheon.

I feel that Magni has found a way to leave his body physically and his spirit itself is able to travel to their world, is counselling and honing skills that when he returns before, during or AFTER the End Time apocalypse happens, he'll be a major character to save the world... of Warcraft.

Once again thank you to Raelion and everyone else who has sent something in. I always enjoy Lore thoughts and speculation as it gets my mind going on possible scenarios. So maybe I did that for all of you today as well, and with that enjoy your weekend!

Dragon Age: Inquisition

For those who know me they know one of my favourite things in gaming or not is dragons. I just enjoy any and all lore I can ever read about them. The creature itself is just a fascination of mine. This also is the reason I got into fantasy in the first place since dragons are pretty much almost everywhere. This was also the reason without even thinking got me to pick up a game known as Dragon Age:Origins back in 2009. The series itself has been one I have been a fan of since the very start. This hasn't changed and I am just as excited to get my hands on the new game in the series which we will be be getting in October known as Dragon Age: Inquisition.

If you have never played a Dragon Age game you really are in for a treat. With everything EA has done wrong over the years Dragon Age is the series which makes me believe they are capable of getting back on track. No screwing up one of my favourite series is also a possibility and doing that might be the final unforgivable fact. So Now I will sit and wait and see which way they will go.

Oh and in case you have yet to see it here is the gameplay trailer for Dragon Age: Inquisition 

Do you think they will let me down? Or let you down? Let me know

Destiny Is A Game, Is It Not?

There is so much talk lately complaining about games being remade. Recently Naughty Dog came out and said they will be giving The Last of Us a PS4 upgrade. People were up in arms as this being a money grab for those who already own it. They fail to realize maybe they are not the target audience. You see the Last of Us is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made and in my books it actually is, but what about those who didn't get a chance to play it because it was a PS3 exclusive. What about those people who didn't have a PS3 but do have a PS4 now they have that opportunity to play this masterpiece of a game. You see remakes are not always about making the same people buy the games who have already play it. They are also about those who never had the opportunity. Now older games that received an update basically give both parties the opportunity. Those who have played get the better graphics, sound, voice acting etc, and those who never had the pleasure get to play these great games for the first time.

So where is this going? Well this week's list is about those games which fit that perfectly. My top 5 games which should be remade.

5. Base Wars

Sports games in this day in age are getting so close to the actual experience. We have be a pro mode, going through the minor leagues to get to the bigs, games mimicking actual motions of the sports, and so on and so forth. Now this is great don't get me wrong there was a day when I never thought they would get this good. You can also see with the success of the NBA Street and NFL Blitz series that games which go to the other end of the spectrum can also be fun. Base Wars was a baseball game where you didn't have to accept being out you could fight your way to get yourself a home run. You could destroy all your opponents robots so they couldn't even send anyone to the plate and win because of it. I really think it is about time this was brought back.

4. Maniac Mansion

Games which make you think are always a plus to me. When they also have humor and a slight creepy edge as well that just adds to the fun. I remember playing this game back on my Commodore 64. Yes I know that dates me slightly, but it doesn't take away from the fun this game could generate in the current generation of gaming.

3. Soul Reaver

There are very little games out now which have a complex story are challenging and make you want to play them again. Soul Reaver although not the first game in the Legacy of Kain series is by far and away the best of the bunch. I have run into so many younger gamers which have never had the pleasure of this type of experience and well to me that really is a travesty

2. Battletoads

This to me even if my memory of the past is slightly skew is the original rage inducing game. The hardest game I have every played and that is even with me thinking I am overreacting  to how hard it was when I played it. The game besides being hard was although different and fun then everything else. Now the game doesn't have to be released today in its stupidly hard difficulty of the past but like before this is a game which should be experienced by the current generation of gamers.

1. Final Fantasy 7

There are not many games which changed the way games are made. There are also not many games which not only have 1 but 2 of the most iconic gaming characters ever made. This game had both of those things and even more. Now I see the harm in doing this. The game is on one of the biggest pedestals ever constructed. Would a remake expect too much of the game? That I do not know. This really is a game everyone such play jsut for the appreciation factor about what it brought to the industry and really making it current generation would make it much easier for the younger crowd to accept. 

There is the list. What do you all think? Have any you would include? As always let me know.

You Fail At Your Gaming Setup If...

Fail Day! The day you feel awful about being excited for, but you can't help but smiling knowing about it. This week I was actually thinking a lot about what I was actually going to focus on. Then I realize I have had this topic in the back of my mind for quite some time so  I put it into action. So here goes.

You Fail At Your Gaming Setup If...

• The word Mac is ever in your description
• You think peripherals are a waste of money
• You have trouble playing on minimum settings
• You don't display your games
• You think your laptops mouse pad is sufficient
• You have yet to experience more than one monitor
• You don't use an SSD
• You think having a Microphone means you are the coolest little shit
• You avoid telling people about your computers hardware
• You don't know what your computer hardware is
• You are set because you own an Xbox One
• You don't have enough power to support your graphics cards
• You have top the line graphics and play Minecraft
• You believe where you sit isn't important

and finally

• The only time your gaming habits change is when a new Call of Duty comes out

There it is this week's edition of fail. Feel better?

Azeroth Choppers

Monday, Easter Monday in my neck of the woods, which basically means a free day off. So on this Monday. which turns out to make the Tuesday of the week into the Monday we won't change from our Monday traditions. Did you get all of that? It means it is time for the showcase of the week for Machinima Monday,which isn't a machinima this week it is premier of a new web series which has just launched, Azeroth Choppers. Now it is a good start and I am interested whenever a mount is added to the game especially one on a scale such as this. So if you haven't watched the first episode here it is and if you have will you keep watching?


Well?

Ask Gauss

Happy Easter! At least in my neck of the woods it is. Hope it will be a good holiday for all of you celebrating or not. Holiday or not though it is Sunday which means I have some questions to answer so let's get to it.

Not sure if you heard but someone is already over Paragon 700, what are your thoughts on it?

I know there has been much talk about this and how he must be cheating or found some sort of exploit. I get it if someone is going against the rules something should be done and I would be all for it. What boggles my mind though is why so many people are concerned with others paragon levels. Diablo is essentially a single player game you have the option to play with a maximum of 3 others. It is not an MMO there is no direct competition You are playing this game to gear out your characters that is it. Play the game and enjoy it and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

Hearthstone on iPad is this going to make the game into a joke?

I don't think so at all. The game is a great fit for tablets. It is the kind of game you can just enjoy while doing something else. The competitive scene isn't going to change, but this is going to bridge the gap for the casual player and let's face it this is what Hearthstone was really created for. A game that is simple and fun to play and really the access to it on tablets only makes this much more possible for a larger audience.

So Frozen Orb.

It was a bug. Live with it.

There you have questions answered for the week. Once again Happy Easter to those celebrating and not and enjoy what is left of your weekend if it is a long one or not.

Entitlement

For quite awhile I have always complained about people who seem to be entitled when it comes to the games they played. They are angry because the game isn't exactly what they expected it to be. It is not what they believe the series is about. Games are games and because it isn't what you wanted doesn't make the game bad it means it really isn't what you wanted. Sometimes people fail to see the difference. This brings me directly to the Reader Post for the week written by StriderShinryu, which is basically everything I have ever wanted to say abut the subject put into a few words.

I have been saying the same thing for a while now: a complaint about entitlement usually comes from an entitled person. Be it a publisher that thinks they should have free reign to do whatever consumer unfriendly practice they want, the creator that thinks pleasing fans is the least important part of their job in lieu of pleasing themselves, or any social justice critic that wants everything put under the microscope but their own opinions, they're not any less people out to get everything they want than they think gamers are. 

From there, the attitude can entrench the entitlement because you stop treating people you want to change the opinions of as..well. people, and the angry backlash comes off as dodging the question. Why exactly did you like ME3's ending that I'm missing? Why should we be thrilled by always on DRM? Why is calling Call of Duty a Cancer, and lowering insults at those that play it Okay, but not Flappy Bird? Why are concerns about feminist methodology unfounded?

 Answering questions might reach people. Acting indignant that people don't agree with you, or have different opinions and values, there's no other term but entitled, and you can't hold on to yours while expecting others to let go.

There's nothing wrong with voicing your criticisms and opinions. In fact, fairly often, the "entitled" and the vocal critic have similar complaints, but it's in the delivery and expectation that the critic becomes the "entitled." If you take efforts to actually think about what you're saying, how to say it and what your expectations are, it's pretty easy to make complaints without coming across as an entitled petulant brat. That sort of approach is actually the basis of all professional criticism.

The other issue is expectations, and this ties into a lack of respect for a developers intentions. You are certainly in the right to voice whatever criticisms and complaints you want, but that doesn't mean you are owed a product that exactly matches your unique desires. You are owed a working game that falls in line with what the game was initially promoted to be. That's pretty much it. You can like or not like the final product but it not lining up with exactly what you want doesn't make it broken or bad, and it definitely doesn't make the company that made/published it evil. It just means that you don't like it. A developer can make whatever game they want to make with whatever IP they happen to be working on based on their own decisions and the guidance of their publisher should there be one. Just because there's a name attached to it that you're a fan of doesn't mean they have to make it based exactly on what you want or what that IP was in the past.

In short, be vocal with your complaints if that's what you want to be, but don't be a whiny brat when you do so and don't expect every game out there to be made exactly how you personally want it to be made.

Once again thank you to everyone who submitted a post, and make sure you enjoy your weekend.

What Do We Say To Death Today?

Usually I don't toast myself on achievements. I may joke around about it or state my goals and such and such but this is different. The other day I finished my last Diablo Hardcore character hit level 70. That is every class at level 70 hardcore. Now frankly this would have happened earlier but my Hardcore Demon Hunter said yes to death on a day she shouldn't have, which hurt because she was half way through level 69.

So what does this mean? Well this means that I am kind of awesome. Now I understand getting to Level 70 in Hardcore is only half the challenge, but I am not going to let it take away form me. Also because I didn't level safely which is part of the reason my Demon Hunter died. I play to enjoy the game not to level myself scared to die. If it happens what you going to do besides start all over.

It really is just one of those things. You set a goal and try to be done with it. When it is done you feel good about it, but kind of at a loss at what to do next. This post though is about accepting what I was able to do.

For those trying the same. It will be tough and you will have to accept when bad things happen. Elites with terrible affixes. Those times your heart is racing and those boss fights which really have an impact on what comes next. This is the world of Hardcore and if you are going to partake just make you are ready for all those disappointments and of course the satisfaction of your success.

Now time to gear up!

Endure and Survive

So last week for the list I went over what I thought were the best movie or television to game conversions. When I was making that last it really got me thinking. You know now there are quite a few games to movie conversions some of them good and some of them not. So if I could pick any game and make it into a movie what would I choose? This sounds a lot easier than I thought when I started to make a list. I had about 30 games which I would love to see made into a movie. I did though lower the amount to my trademark five. So here is the list I came up with. Also there may or may not be spoilers but the games are old enough it shouldn't matter

5. Heavy Rain

The story of Heavy Rain plays out so well and leaves you guessing. It makes you feel for Ethan every step of the way. You want him to find his son no matter the cost. Now if that doesn't scream Hollywood blockbuster don't know what does.

4. Uncharted 2

This game isn't on my short list of greatest games only because of the ganeplay. The story is beautifully done and action packed from start to finish. It has everything a movie could ever want to keep you on the edge of your seat. Unless of course you actually played the game. I have heard they are thinking of making an Uncharted movie so we may actually get to see it one day.   

3. Warcraft: Arthas' Story

There are many stories in the Warcraft universe but I don't think any would convert to film as well as Arthas' story would. From beginning to end it is a story of joy and sadness. A story you cannot help but watch and be drawn to till the very end, and isn't that what a movie is supposed to be?

2. Final Fantasy VIII

There have been 14 different stories created with the name Final Fantasy. So how do I come to choosing this one. Well it isn't the best game and I also don't think it the best overall story, but what I do believe it is the best which would translate into a movie. There are love stories in games as there are movies and I believe you would be hard pressed to find many which have a better one then this game.

1. The Last of Us

The greatest game in my books has the story to back it up. The time everyone fears when you are not only afraid of infection but what others will do to survive. A story of a journey and a struggle to save the world. Truly a masterpiece and which could also make one of the greatest movies ever made.

There it is list all put together. Like I said this was a lot tougher than it seemed and I left off a few games I thought were sure things when I first started writing them down. So what do you all think do you have some you would like to see?

You Fail At Bitching On Forums If...

Fail Day! Yes it is that time of the week again isn't it. This week I have just had a few things on my mind and a lot has to do with my weekly reading of game forums as to lose my faith in humanity. Now normally it is entertaining and enjoyable experience, but then the facepalms were quite more active then normal and I had to make this post. So here goes

You Fail At Bitching On Forums If...

• You post about how another game is better in a games forum
• You bump your own post after a couple minutes of no one responding
• You want an entire company to change the game is so it would be "better" for you
• You have tested your essay skills on the fact of something being OP or not
• Your post is too long for you to actually re-read it
• You have ever responded with a text picture
• You make up your own conclusions to point to a game being racist
• You have written a goodbye post
• Trolling is part of your daily routine
• You refer to the good old days in every post
• You call anyone who is supporting a game a fanboy
• You always find a way to complain about anything
• You always ask for games to have offline modes

and finally

• You actually believe someone cares

There you go this week's edition of fail. Maybe I will regain some faith in humanity this week, and yet most likely not.

Reaper Of Souls: Frozen Time

Monday morning everyone's least favourite time of the week, I wonder who was the first to decide Monday would suck. Wonder if they are laughing somewhere doing their best impression of Zoltan Kulle. Anyways, enough rambling. Monday means time to showcase something for all of you to see. Now I have always been a fan of time lapse video, but this week we have a slightly different style for it. It is a journey through Reaper of Souls frozen in time. It was put together by Mads Lund and I for those who have played or those who haven't I really think it is worth a look at.



Wasn't I right?

Ask Gauss

Sunday! That weekend and week went so fast, not to mention this Easter week just came out of no where. Where does the time go? Sunday does mean something though besides a new episode of Game of Thrones. It means it is time to answer some questions for Ask Gauss. Some of you may still be asking how to send in such questions. Well that is simple. Top right of the page or you can just email them directly to gaussafication@gmail.com.

So I often hear you talking about Hardcore characters in Diablo is it really worth the risk?

Well first off it is more of a challenge. Your character can die at any time and then the process starts all over again. To me though it is an added element into the game. It makes you a better player overall because you learn to accept danger and respond to them when you go back to playing softcore. Sometimes bad things happen. On Friday my last character to get to 70 Hardcore my Demon Hunter died at 69 because I got cornered by 2 elite packs of frogs. There wasn't too much to do about it. Sure it sucked but after a few deaths you learn to accept these things, and so I started a new one. All i can really say if you have attachment issues it probably isn't for you.

So Hearthstone Naxx?

What the game needs some new cards to make the builds you play and play against to have slightly more variety. Unless you are just messing around with friends currently you are basically playing decks which are min/max and meant to shoot you up the ladder. Not that this is a problem its bot the problem is with the amount of cards in the game is that when you get to specific ranks if you are playing such and such a class you know exactly the deck they are going to be playing, and that really isn't the most fun thing which could be going on.

Did you see that Heroes of the Storm Brightwing trailer? I feel like I am going to have nightmares forever now.

First off for those who haven't



But yes slightly disturbing.

There are the questions for the week. Thanks for everyone who sent something in and we will do it all over again next week.

MOBA SMOBA

Friday! Now didn't that jsut come out of no where. It is always better though when a Friday sneaks up on you rather than a Monday. Being Friday does mean Reader Post time and one submission in particular by NOSA2 contained something I have been saying forever about Heroes of the Storm. The game even in alpha wants to not jsut be part of the rest of the MOBA crowd. It wants to be its own game within the genre it doesn't want to have concepts, which to me are outdated and silly. It wants to have a game that is attractive to the new and casual player but yet also to be played at the top level will need quite a lot of skill. Almost exactly the way Starcraft II works except maybe even easier to get into playing. With that in mind here is the submission

From what I've seen from Heroes of the Storm (not in alpha). The point of this game isn't to replicate the current MOBA genre but to give an option that is different while still maintaining the play style. 

Current MOBA options are all very alike but are also plagued by the same issues.

• Kill ninja's
• Running back and forth for a new piece of gear/item
• A very intense learning curve including what classes/characters should be in which lane, what gear you need to buy and in what order to buy it. As well as loads of other really trivial side things that can drive a person to just hate them.

Blizzard is doing the right thing by not directly competing with these other titles by changing the game to suit a more casual player. The challenge of HOTS looks to be directly in how well you play your character and not whether you are tagging killing blows, buying the right pieces or in the lane you have to be in. Blizzard seems to be heading this way with a lot of their games now and from a business perspective it's the correct way. Broader audience means a larger player base which in turn equals more money spent. 

If you watch any of the current streamers vids, then you will know this game is not likely nor does it aim to steal people away from LOL or DOTA. It will develop it's own separate player base and the only players that would consider switching to this over those are the ones that like the differences (not many). That just doesn't matter though. Do MOBA players really need 5 different MOBA games all with the same rules and same play styles... change is good!

Why would they try for a piece of the current MOBA pie when they can bake their own pie? They have the power behind their name and the money to do what they want.

So there you have it this week's Reader Post. Thank you as always to all of your submissions it would not be possible to do this without any of you participating.

Shadow's Of Mordor

So you may have heard about it, you may not have. I am here to tell you that I will be playing it as Middle Earth lore is and always has been interesting to me. Afterall the father of fantasy did create it did he not. If you haven't seen the trailer here it is.

Also from there site here is a brief description to get you up to date

In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, you take on the role of Talion, a valiant ranger whose family is slain the night Sauron and his army return to Mordor, moments before his own life is taken. Resurrected by a Spirit of vengeance and empowered with Wraith abilities, Talion ventures into Mordor and vows to destroy those who have wronged him. Through the course of Talion’s personal vendetta, you will uncover the truth of the Spirit that compels you, learn the origins of the Rings of Power and ultimately confront your true nemesis. Shadow of Mordor will be released on 7 October 2014.

Now that you are all caught or maybe a little refresher if you were. My thoughts? Now even though there is the save dead wife and child thing going on and it has been done before it doesn't turn me away. Everything that I have seen makes this look like quite the interesting ARPG. The only thing which does concern me is that it will be coming out in October and will still be released on the last generation. Meaning the graphics and sound quality may be slightly behind. If the story and gameplay as while are great this won't really matter.

Every time there is a game in Middle Earth it is always talked about if the story can live up to that of Lord of the Rings. Now that is really unfair question to pose but it will be talked about more and more as the release date gets closer. Honestly though I just want to know more abut the game as it is a title which just snuck up on me and I am excited about it which really happens very rarely. I truly hope it does not disappoint.

Toss Me

So I answered an interesting question on this past week's ask Gauss about if I think we would ever see a Game of Thrones game. Now that actually gave me a great idea about what to do with this week's list. Best adaptations into games there has been over the years. Something I did realize though is this doesn't happen in a positive manner anymore. It really seems to work the other way around making games into movies, shows, or books. Back when I was younger it used to always happen and I actually do have some great gaming memories from this happening. So let's take a look.

5. Willow

Way back in 1989 we were graced with this game. Now I have always enjoyed this genre of movie and this may really have been my first taste of it. If you have never seen the movie I do recommend checking it out. Regardless the game followed the movie pretty well and was played out in a Legend of Zelda style. Something I also have fond memories playing back on my NES

4. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

Another movie I enjoyed when I was younger I was thrilled to get my hands on this game. The style of the game was the older model of action adventure and not a full on ARPG we see developed today. Regardless the game played well and was a lot of fun even with the minor differences from the film.

3. Bart Simpson's Nightmare

Bart's Nightmare is the only TV show listing on the list, but regardless is well worth making this list. The game is based off an episode of the the show in which Bart falls asleep writing a paper. It takes you on many adventures all of which will increase Bart's grade on his paper. If only things actually worked that way.

2. Golden Eye

How can you have a list like this without including the game which has defined us by how much we played it. The only reason this game is not getting number 1 is because even though it is based off the movie which came out in 1995 of the same name most of us didn't play it for the single player except to get the unlocks. We played the multiplayer and drove each other nuts for countless hours.

1. Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers

Considered by many to be the greats movie to game adaptation ever made there really wasn't a doubt when i was making this list that it was going to be number 1. Ever since this game came out it seems making games based on movies and television has been in serious decline. The games are not taking seriously and most of the time it is because the games don't have the production value put into them. This game though had seamless transitions and you really thought you were a part of the story. Something even modern ARPGs failed at accomplishing.

There you have it this week's list all there for you to argue about. Tell me what you think agree or disagree.

You Fail At Adventure Mode If...

Here we are on another Tuesday ready for another Fail Day. Isn't it a wonderful thing pokingfun at the way we or others mess up all the time. Sometimes I think about all the good I have done on Fail Day and just smile. This week we have another Reaper Of Souls focus mostly because that's what I have been playing lately. So sit back relax and get ready to point and laugh.

You Fail At Adventure Mode If...

• You haven't unlocked it
• You have yet to find out Normal mode gives you the best chance of legendaries
• You complain you have no gold when you are always doing bounties on Normal
• You opened a rift by wondering what this shinny thing was
• You don't wonder how much Tyrael actually ate
• You picked up a blood shard and then spent 10 minutes wondering why it wasn't in your bag
• You switch to a different act before completely the set
• You cleared the wrong zone for your 100 kills before noticing
• When someone says split farming you have a confused look on your face
• You have sold your cache to a vendor
• You use adventure mode to unlock your followers
• You try to skip cut scenes

and finally

• You think Kadala can hear you yelling at her

There you have all the Fail for this week! Good luck not failing today.

Game of Thrones in Skyrim

So here we are the Monday after the Game of Thrones release and I am here thinking what I am going to show you all today. That was then I realized the perfect choice. Skyrim has a world that is epic in all ways. The universe is expansion the cities and towns are recognizable it really is an extremely well constructed world. The the other day I saw this video which I am still unsure if it is a Game of Thrones tribute to Skyrim or a Skyrim tribute to Game of Thrones. I will let all of you be the judge.



Well?

Ask Gauss

Sunday and not just any Sunday but the new season of Game Of Thrones starts Sunday. I don't know how you could have forgotten it, but if you did there is your reminder. Even if there is something different this Sunday though doesn't change what we do here in Gauss Land and that is answer some questions so let's do it.

So I can see the drops are better but have your really got any Legendaries which really are that much better than anything else?

Honestly I have. My Softcore Monk has a pretty amazing 2 hander. So amazing in fact that I really have yet to see a better 2 hander out there from anyone. In addition my Softcore Demon Hunter had a pretty amazing quiver drop although still waiting for a weapon to use. Those are just a couple and that is just me. Now I have probably put more time into the game then others, but the drops are out there.

Do you think they will ever make a Game Of Thrones game?

They actually do have one although it is a shitty facebook game. I do hope for something but games based directly off of a story are not always the greatest. Just look at the Lord of the Rings Trilogy games for PS2 they were hit and miss although the Two Towers games I will admit was pretty amazing. So as much as I would love to see what they could I wouldn't know how it would work and the last thing I wouldwant is for the game to fail miserably.

Thoughts on Shadows of Mordor?

I will play it.

It is done. Questions for the week. Thank you to everyone who sent something in and a reminder if I don't get to them here I always answer them anyway. Enjoy GoT and the rest of your weekend!

Just A Little More

Here we are on yet another Friday and time for another Reader Post. What do we have this week? Well I can tell you there were a lot of Diablo submissions and rightfully so I would think since the game is fresh. A lot of them though talked about the same thing the post Edgeofthorns submitted. Now I agree with it and I don't and after you read it I think it is actually worth thinking abut.

I am sitting here wanting to make D3 my go to game for the next year or two easily, I enjoy ARPGs to death and while I don't have the TIME I used to have, I still can play daily and a good 3-5 hours a day for the most part, give or take a few.

My wizard I started a week ago and is lvl 70 paragon 50 I think, ive sunk in about 60 hours in a little over a week and for me that's a good bit of time, I realize others can do more...but im at the point where im not running bounties and rifts daily nonstop, and im just getting that burn out feeling simply because I just feel I need a few more carrots dangling at the end of the stick, just a small percentage bump.

The game isn't an MMO so im not sure why it has to be at such an insane rate on so many things. Like bloodshards, I realize its meant to be like a lotto but come on now, this is a video game for entertainment, not 500 million dollars. Id like to think that the rate could be a little higher.

Heres my final thought. You will keep me playing this game longer Blizzard if you simply reward me a little more for my time and effort, just a little more...not asking for an overdose of items. But if I get a little more ill last longer and grind more. But grinding and spending sometimes 2-3 hours to get a paragon level or 2 maybe, with nothing really to show for growth is a fast way to really burn out many folks I really believe.

I want nothing more than to level and work on 2-3 solid characters...but I need a little more incentive to keep grinding these areas, that's all. I don't think that is being unreasonable.

As always thanks to everyone who submitted something it would not be possible without them, and don't forget to have a good weekend!

What Is Fun?

So I have decided to go on a little rant today. What on you may ask? Well it is simple it is about fun. As a gamer you should realize that certain people have certain tastes. You may not understand why people like certain this or they may not understand what you like. A true gamer though can recognize this. I for one am not a fan of first person shooters. Just because I don't like them doesn't mean I am bad at them. It actually means I find their gameplay repetitive and boring. I could play for a day and I would be more than bored by the end.

I also dislike games which tend to have very poor developed story, mechanics makes no sense, are slow to get going etc etc. That of course is my opinion. I am sure there are people who would disagree with me when I say a story is poor developed, but that is the thing a disagreement doesn't mean I would look down upon someone for liking a game or not. Well maybe Halo but that is a different story all together.

This attitude that something is not fun because I say so is dumb and I don't know where it started but it just makes me shake my head. I get it you don't like a game. Don't go ripping into people because they do. Also don't say you know everything about gaming when you just play CoD everyday all day. People should not ignore other gamers opinions they should listen even if they don't understand. Of course you can disagree that is common just don't write people off because it isn't something you like or don't agree with.

You Know Nothing About Snow

Here we are in the middle of the week. No better time to start an argument by forming a list right? So what is the list about this week you may ask? Well on Monday I got my Hardcore monk to level 70 and defeated Malthael so punching was on my mind. It got me thinking there are so many memorable moments which have punching in them. So why not make a list about that I thought, and here we are.

5. Ryu

Nothing was better when I was younger than spamming Ryu's uppercut and owning everyone I was playing. So much so that the word Hadouken became and still remains a taunting measure among friends

4. Drake Bar Fight

There are bar fights and then there are bar fights. Not only does this get you right into the start of Uncharted 3 but is basically capped off by you owning this beast of a man with a toliet.

3. Raynor and Tychus Fight

The words will be forever stuck in my head "fix my jukebox". Tychus is just an awesome character and well Jimmy is Jimmy. Having the two buddies go at it was just funny and hilarious at the same time.

2. Lightning Punching Snow

I have talked about this before and it is still epic. Completely unexpected and I suspect one of the moments which made people enjoy Lightning as a character. I honestly could watch this happen over and over and it would never get old.

1. King Hippo

So maybe this dates myself, but how can someone not love King Hippo. Back then you had to figure things out for yourself and when you did there really was a sense of accomplishment. Then came the point where you got to tell everyone else how to do it. You were truly the definition of awesome.

There you have it this week's list. Have any great punching moments you want to share? Let me know.

You Fail At Reaper Of Souls Bosses If...

Fail Day! Oh yes here we are again. Many of you have been asking me if I have had any luck in public games. Honestly, I haven't taken part in any of them. Mostly because my experience with public games in the past of ended up with me having to do everything will the rest all are laying there dead. Now the new bosses are much more difficult the the Vanilla bosses for the most part and I figured I would give you my version of a guide for them. Now this may contain slight spoilers for the fights but nothing story based, so keep that in mind before you start complaining.

You Fail At Reaper Of Souls Bosses If...

• Falling debris is memorizing to you
• You still believe fire gives haste
• You believe an angel with a flamethrower only needs a hug
• When someone points a gun at you, you stop what you are doing wave and take it to the face
• You think glowing pink circles are the start of a game of twister
• You think standing in a pool of blood is the new thing
• You didn't realize the witch keeps telephoning back to the same spot
• You think throwing projectiles at someone reflecting them is a great plan
• You thought those blue swirlies were fireflies
• You take the charge from Malthael to the face every time
• You concept of standing behind someone is a difficult one
• You have always wanted to get lost in the clouds

and finally

• You have to open your game to the public in order to get the boss kill

There you have it this weeks edition of fail. Hope you all enjoyed it and hopefully you have better luck this week!