Ask Gauss

Sunday! Yes it is that time already isn't it. Sunday means 2 things it is the end of the weekend and it is time for me to answer some questions. Only one of those things is true this week though, because it is a long weekend. So let's just go ahead with the questions!

Have you made a Seasonal Character yet it Diablo?

Yes I made a Hardcore Demon Hunter on Friday. Will in all likelyhood be my only seasonal character unless it dies a horrible death. It is a refreshing change of pace. I have always enjoyed running the campaign and this gives me a reason to do so with a bit of a challenge as well. I am not going to be forcing the issues or anything or going crazy compete mode. Although I say that know and it may change guess I will have to see.

Do you think a lot of people have beat Heroic Naxxramas?

I think a good number of people have. I have seen while just casually leveling up on the ladder a good number of people with the cardback. I would guess about 1/5 have had  the card back who have a rank of 10 and above. Anyone can look but decks suited to beat bosses after that it comes down to some luck and some execution. So i really expect anyone who wants to put the time in to it can get all the bosses down.

Still no Heroes?

Still nothing I am starting to think Blizzard is anti beta for me again.

There you have it some questions answered for the week. As always thanks to everyone who sent one in. I will get to answering to all of your questions regardless if they made it on here or not. Enjoy the long weekend or what is left of yours if you aren't so lucky!

Welcome to Hardcore

Now today being Friday it should be the Reader Post. I know that you all know that, but I came across something today on the Diablo III forums which not only made me facepalm, but just really spoke to the entitled nature of some gamers out there today. So with that in mind here is the link to the post from Allanon if you are too lazy here is the post itself

The intent of the disclaimer (as everyone knows) is that Blizzard does not want to handle cry babies from blaming Comcast or other circumstances out of their control upon the death of a hardcore character. However, what has happened to myself and perhaps a few others is completely different.

Blizzard may not have physically deleted my character, but they may as well. I logged in on Wednesday around 9:15 PM after an extremely busy day on my level 28 Monk and was unaware of the still present server issues. Around 9:30 PM EST, the servers were brought down for maintenance and I was greeted with a 3007(?) error while at full health in the middle of combat. 

After 10 to 15 minutes when the issue was "fixed", the servers were brought back up and I was greeted with a dead character.

I understood the "risks" that I signed away when I chose to play hardcore. Yes, I was and still am fully comfortable with losing my character to anything outside of Blizzard control...but this was within the realm of Blizzard's control. There IS no difference between what happened to me and what is happening to the normal characters that have been deleted and restored. Why should I be punished just because I clicked a button that said that I won't be resurrected? Should I not be compensated if YOU delete my character? If so, the line begins to blur. I demand answers.

Now I understand frustration in losing a Hardcore character. I have been there and have had to deal with all the crap associated with it. I have also lost one of my characters to server problems completely out of control. This is one of the things you have to deal with hardcore wise. You cannot get attached. If you are that type of person you aren't really meant to play hardcore. If you get upset over a level 28 just wait until you lose your max level character for the first time.

Reaper of Souls 2.1 Fun

Now if you have been living under a rock or "haven't been paying attention" as Captain Hale would say. So just in case you here is Blizzard's video of what is new in this patch.

Now we cannot officially take part in season till this Friday, but I have had a chance to experience everything else the patch has had to offer and I must say I have been quite impressed. Now I am playing completely hardcore these days so I haven't been pushing to the extreme on the Greater Rifts but they are quite challenging even up to the point where my DH is at. I havent been upgrading the gems but I will start as I think that really is going to be the only safe bet for pushing forward with the rifts.

Now the Dexterity to armor change is quite a big one. I can say my Demon Hunter can take a couple hits so Hardcore has been a lot less stressful, but it makes me bummed at the same time because the fear factor isn't there as much as it was before. On the other hand my monk is loving it as am I the removable of One With Everything. It will make gearing a Monk much easier and won't make secondary resists the be all and end all of gearing up.

So I will say if you haven't played for a bit or wondering if it will be worth the time I would say most definitely. I have been having quite a bit of fun with it the last few days. Also if I am not completely busy within my games feel free to drop me a line if you are up for some Hardcore craziness just no raging if your character happens to kick the bucket.

Happy Demon Slaying!

The Scourge Will Consume You

Here we are right in the middle of the week and I find myself right in the middle of trying to come up with a list for this week's post. I figured since all the cards available through Curse of Naxxramas are now available I would give my favourite 5 cards. Now, of course, I may have a different point of view but as always I don't really card about things like that. So here they are my top 5 Curse of Naxxramas cards.

5. Nerubian Egg

This card is great as protection against board wipes. It also is a great target for power overwhelming, taunting, and any other random buffs you can use. Overall just gives great value and can be very scary early game if popped.

4. Zombie Chow

Now reading the deathrattle of this card you might think it is pretty junk. When you think about it more though for 1 cost and 2,3 it gives you some great options at early board clears. Not to mention it has great effect for the deathrattle when paired with a soul priest punishing the opposing player for keeping it alive.

3. Reincarnate

Paring this card with any minion who has charge can cause ridiculous combos. I have used it to make multiple Leeroys, Al'Akirs, and to spawn Thaddius. This card is one which I think may see some adjustments in the future but for now I am enjoying it as is.

2. Sludge Belcher

The anti Zoo card if there ever was one. I really believe this was the purpose of this cards creation. Now it doesn't make zoo useless it just makes players adjust their deck with this card in mind. It also just makes for more interesting play when it always could be an option your opponent could throw down.

1. Baron Rivendare

Now on its own it is not that scary at all, but when pair with other things this card can get out of hand extremely quickly. Even looking up and seeing what could happen when this card is paired with any of the above is scary. I don't want to give away all my secrets but I have built decks with solely this card in mind, and will most likely continue to do so.

There you have it. What do you all think? Do you agree? Let me know what cards you cannot get enough of from Curse of Naxxramas, and maybe I might even see why while playing you on the ladder.

You Fail At Defeating Kel'Thuzad in Hearthstone If...

Fail Day! Yes it is here all of you who were worried about the lack of fails being pointed out while I was gone can now rest easy. Also since this was the first week of the Frostwing Lair was available for play I decided it would be fun to poke fun at those who have yet to defeat it. So here we go.

You Fail At Defeating Kel'Thuzad in Hearthstone If...

• You couldn't beat Sapphiron to unlock him
• You haven't seen what happens when his armor is removed
• You tried to use a weapon class
• You didn't emote him just to see what his response was
• You didn't realize phase 2 starts when he has no cards in his hands
• You kept getting your super buffed minion stolen
• You didn't yell "tank grab the adds" when the popped just to make yourself smile
• You thought you would finally get the Betrayer of Humanity
• You think complaining on the forums about him cheating will be of a help
• You believe the only reason you didn't win is because you didn't pay to win and have such and such legendary
• You Net-Decked
• You Net-Decked and still lost

and finally

• You have yet to try Frostwing Lair

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. If you are still plugging away in Naxx keep at it. Heroic KT can be a pain just takes some patience!

Lords Of War

Happy Monday everyone! Now instead of going on and on about how crappy Monday is today I am just going to get right to it. There are games who have back stories and then there are games who have back stories. The Warcraft universe is one of these. There is lore piled upon lore so much you could spend weeks discussing it. With Warlords of Draenor we are being reintroduced to some of these people from the past, and Blizzard came up with a great idea to remind us or show us for the first time what we will be dealing with. This series is called Lords of War and will be showcasing a Warlord we will be encountering in the upcoming expansion. So here is part one.



If you are like me more of these cannot come soon enough!

Ask Gauss

Sunday and my first real post since I have been back from vacation. Even though I did have a pretty great vacation I am glad to be home. There really is just something about coming home after a vacation and realizing how much you missed it. That though is not really the topic of the day though is it? It has been awhile so let us answer some questions!

I would ask if you saw the Warlords of Draenor Cinematic, but I know you did. What I want to know is what you thought of it?

First if you are living under a rock here it is



I know I probably say this abut every expansion opening cinematic, but I think this one is the best thus far. It really brings old to new very well. I also really appreciated the salute to the Warcraft cinematic almost got that you cannot change what is supposed to happen moment. I have actually found myself watching it randomly again and again just because of how pumped it makes me to take part in it.

So all the Naxx cards are now in, what do you think?

The meta is still evolving, but I have been seeing quite a few different decks leveling up then I would have expected. I have also been having a blast trying to build my own decks with all of the new cards. Now I also think next season will be a really interesting one as I think the meta will be all over the place as people are adapting. This really is in my opinion an exciting time to play Hearthstone.

Did you miss gaming during your vacation?

Of course, but then it was also nice to have a nice relaxing break.

There you have it. For all of you who sent in questions especially while I was gone it will take some time to catch up and reply to them all. So please be patient I am not ignoring you! Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

Vacation Over

My vacation is over and I am back. Everything will be returning to normal come Sunday figured I would give you all a heads up to prepare yourselves.

Going On Vacation

Picture says it all. Just letting you all know I will bet taking a small vacation and won't be posting while I am away. So sorry in advance for your Gauss withdrawals! Everything though will be back to normal as soon as I get back so no worries!

The Swapper

So I have been at a loss lately with new games and what to do. I have been playing a lot of the older games I have, but I was looking for something new to play when I game across a game which had got pretty good reviews, but I just never looked too much into it. I am glad now that I was actually bored enough and downloaded The Swapper off the PSN network.

The game itself is a puzzle solving game so I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you are looking for something new to do while waiting for other games this really is something I would say check out. The levels themselves are visually amazing I would say without a doubt the best looking puzzle game I have ever played, and I really enjoyed how it required you to think out of the box to try and solve the puzzles.

The game requires you to use this experimental weapon which creates a clone of yourself to turn on lights, open doors, get across areas and so on and so forth. Also it is never a bad idea to actually use your brain once in awhile while gaming instead of mindlessly grinding. I'll leave the launch trailer below for anyone who interested during this summer time lull.

How Imaginative

So there comes a time when all of us have our moments when we just have to release our anger and throw out insults. It happens all the time, sometimes we mean it sometimes we want to hurt people and sometimes we can't even say them without laughing. This only holds true in the games we play. Sometimes the characters do the same and spit out insults we will remember forever, and this is what this week's list is all about. My favourite insults from gaming.

5. "Chicken-wuss" - Seifer Final Fantasy VII

This insult may seem tame, but the best part of it was Zell's overreaction and how he kept calling me it again and again. I swear I cannot play this part without laughing like crazy.

4. "You're an inspiration for birth-control" - Duke Nukem 3D

Now Duke has always had the epic lines even if his games have been lackluster at times. This one is just one of my favourites of his.

3. "You look jet lagged and by that I mean you look like shit" - Battlefield 3

When I first heard this I am pretty sure I kept saying it over and over for about a week.

2. "Looks like the Good Lord got your ass and your face mixed up" - Red Dead redemption, John Marston

Pretty sure when this happened I spit out my drink and wanted to high five the screen.

1. "No, let me clarify  if you don't watch it, I'll be wearing your ass for a shoe" - Fallout, Vault Dweller

So many great insults from this game I could have made a best Fallout insults list. I am sure anyone who has had the pleasure would agree without question.

There you have it. I know there are a bunch more I could have added to the list and surprisingly this was a much harder list to narrow down then you would think. Enjoy the rest of your day, who knows maybe you will even hear one of these directed towards you!

You Fail At Using Broken Game Mechanics If...

Fail Day! Yes you can sit down and stop with the stand ovation. It is my favourite day of the week too. Some might think it is hard to come up with things every week, but every time I may have that thought someone proves to me just how easy it is. This week is no difference as the Hearhtstone Forums gave me some great inspiration. So here we go.

You Fail At Using Broken Game Mechanics If...

• You use your "ability" to not die in Beyond Two Souls to finish the game faster
• You take bio breaks during the puzzles in Uncharted to come back and let the game tell you the answer
• You ring out yourself while spamming force abilities with Yoda in Soul Calibur IV
• You forgot to libra monsters while spamming auto ability in Final Fantast XIII
• You got game over while trying to get infinite lives in Super Mario Bros
• You forgot to plug in a second remote to just out of pits in Megaman 3
• You use a strategy guide for every RPG you play and still cannot beat the game
• You used an ability program controller in Street Fighter 2 and still couldn't beat M. Bison
• You died as a Druid in WoW because your flight-form button was macro'd incorrectly
• You don't use smoke bombs in Assassin's Creed
• You use pistols to kill Bloaters in The Last of Us
• You don't put high level red gems in the weapons of the characters you are leveling in Diablo III
• You didn't kill your entire party up one character when attempting to defeat Ruby Weapon in Final Fantasy VII
• You never use Dark Templar on Protoss Campaign levels in Starcraft

and finally

• You tried to use Alexstrasza on Heroic Loatheb

There you have it this week's edition of fail. Hope you all had a good laugh, simple, or whatever else you may do!

Warlords Anonymous

Happy Monday! A very Happy Monday to those who are enjoying the Civic Holiday, and a very shitty Monday to those who have no idea what I am talking about. With that in mind some of you may need something to cheer yourselves up, and what better way to do that then with some Machinima, after all it is Monday isn't it. This Machinima comes from Ian Beckman who I have showcased many times, but it really is because his Machinima always amuse me. I figure the same goes for all of you, so enjoy!



I was right wasn't I?

Ask Gauss

Here we are on the Sunday of a long weekend. These Sundays are always the best Sundays because you realize you don't have to do anything tomorrow. Unless, of course, you don't have a long weekend then they are basically a slap in the face and me pointing it out really just makes you angry. On that note it is Sunday so let's answer some questions.

So do you think the Plague Quarter was better than the Spider?

Besides the obvious bugs which happened I think so. I thought the bosses on Normal were not as easy as they were last week, and the heroics were tougher in the sense that I built specific decks to take each boss down. To me I thought that is what the heroics would be anyway. One of my favourite parts of Hearthstone is making a deck with a purpose, and the Heroics this week actually let me do that causing me to consider using cards I would never find myself using. So here is hoping the same happens next week.

Do you think the Last of Us remaster is a money grab?

Honestly no. I really feel they noticed the influx of Xbox users from the previous generation and figured this is a great opportunity to allow them to play one of the best games ever made. Sure some who have already played may buy again, but the point of this really is to showcase to the former Xbox users and get them to stay with Playstation, and truthfully this may be the best game to do it with even if it is from the previous generation.

Which Hero would you add to Heroes of the Storm?

I think Thrall is the Obvious choice.

And we are done with questions for the week. Thank you to everyone who sent something in and long weekend or not, enjoy the rest of it.

The Arakkoa

Happy Friday everyone! Also a Happy long weekend to all my Canadian friends! Don't you always feel better on a long weekend? I know I do. So I was thinking, and with that time in thought I realized I had not done any posts concerning WoW Lore in quite some time. I have been getting a lot of emails about WoD beta and some of the stories going on within it. So I figured this would be a good time for one of you to pass on some information about some questlines in the beta. Now if you don't want anything spoiled keep in mind there will be spoilers here so don't read. So here is Gamespud and his findings regarding the Arakkoa.

So I've been playing in beta and I'm in Spires of Arak atm. I'm not 100% done with it but I've already found a lot of interesting facts about the Arakkoa. So it seems there are 3 variety of Arakkoa split by their deities. There is the outcasts who we work with who worship anzu and follow the teachings of Terrok. There are the Setthek who worship seethe (the creator of the curse) who does not appear to be an old god btw.. impossible to say unrelated but we literally kill him (again) so yeah.. Then there are the adherents of Ruhkmar who worship.. well.. you guess.. and like to burn people with fiery beams of doom. 

One interesting thing I found in the zone is that the adherents did not create their tech themselves. In fact they are just using apexis tech dug up from excavations. You get to peek inside these a little bit and let me say they seem suspiciously reminiscent of Uldum. The tech seems very titanic in origin. It's hard to say if anything is really old god related as nothing directly states so but they have hinted at odd things in my opinion like "returning to the old ways". Then again its hard to say anything on the Arakkoa definitively at the moment as the whole zone is very much filled with mystery and is kind of a chase for answers. 

I love the zone as each quest is basically little tidbits to taste at as you constantly search deeper in the darkness trying to uncover these secrets. So I was mostly just reporting what I've learned from beta to you who I know is a big lore buff and was hoping to get some thoughts from you on the subject.

The Arrakoa have always been interesting to me as they seem to have the Old God connection without it being stated outright, and now with what might be a titan influence on Draenor is even more interesting. Thanks to Gamespud for the report and I look forward to hearing more from you and everyone else.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!