The Seeker

Friday! As with any Friday this will be a Reader Post, but will continue on the theme of the week that being Halloween. This week's submission is from Vesthara and her own story about Hallow's End in WoW. So have a read!

Desolation was far from an uncommon sight throughout this land, as The Seeker had come to learn over the past few months. She trudged up the long, chilled winds brushing against her ragged cloak each step of the way. The road was a broken mess. Cobblestones shifted under the weight of The Seeker’s worn down boots, and she found herself constantly clutching toward the gnarled roots and clusters of grass sticking from the ground. Every now and then, The Seeker found herself stepping over a skeleton, legs often twisted at a very crooked angle, or the skulls cracked in some cases.

Glancing over her shoulder, The Seeker looked upon a long, grey stretch of hill land, dotted by the broken remains of towers, villages, and crumbled castles. Though the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, not a single light glowed within the land. The Seeker’s gaze drifted upward, to the dark skies. Thick clouds hovered in the south, casting their shadow upon the land for endless miles. The Seeker turned her attention back to the climb, pace hastening.

By the time she had reached the cliff’s peak, the last of the light had died away. A void of black surrounded The Seeker in all directions. Not even the stars shined this night. The Seeker reached toward her waist, sharp nailed fingers unhooking the lantern that hung from her waist. With the twist of a rusted knob, a violet flame kindled to life, casting its glow upon the contorted trees and broken fences that surrounded The Seeker. She raised the light above her head, a chilled breathe escaping her lips.

Skeletons covered the road. Collapsed against the fences, on doorsteps, or beneath withered branches. As The Seeker slowly stepped forward, she could see a pair resting beneath a moss covered signpost, hands clasped together. That was when she realized what it was that had been confusing her about the scene: There were no signs of struggle. No swords littered the ground. No arrows penetrated bones. The skeletons were simply… there. The Seeker gave off a shudder, lifting the lantern toward the arrow pointing the way of her destination.

Sun’s Rest, its faded letters spelled.

Passing a final glance toward the hand holders, The Seeker continued on her journey. The further down the road she travelled, the more common signs of civilization became: Cabins and small houses sat apart from one another, covered in vines and, in some cases, rust. A door slammed open and shut against the rising gale, sending echoes throughout the empty valley. 

“CAW!” a crow screeched from a nearby rooftop, red eyes glaring down upon The Seeker. Its cry was immediately answered by dozens more, small, winged silhouettes bouncing on top the structures. “CAW! CAW! CAW!” 

The Seeker paid them no mind. She pressed on, taking note of empty benches, unlit blacksmiths, and the occasional toy lying on the road. Suddenly, she found herself stumbling to the ground with a loud grunt, landing against her hollow elbows and dropping the lantern. With a shudder, The Seeker rolled onto her back, looking toward what it was she tripped over. Her fingers tensed against the stones as she realized what she was staring at: An abandoned bag, children’s clothes spilling out from a hole that had torn open at its bottom. 

The Seeker snatched her lantern from the ground, rising to her feet and stumbling back. Turning on her heels, she raised the lantern, casting its purple glow upon a large, circular stone shape. A fountain, she realized, hands tightening around the lantern’s handle. Water still sat within it, covered by black leaves and feathers of similar color.

And yet… despite its broken look, there was something familiar about the fountain, the feeling itching away at the back of The Seeker’s head. A joy? Her eyes strayed away, looking to her left. Not to far ahead, she could see something in the darkness. A hill in the road? The Seeker approached it, taking much more caution with her steps. As she drew nearer, she lifted the lantern its way.
“CAW!” Winged silhouettes burst from the rooftops, flapping loudly above The Seeker’s head as they soared in all directions. Dark feathers drifted to the earth, several of them landing on top of what held her attention: A mound of skeletons, piled one on top of the other. Their bones were charred a bitter black, eyeless sockets staring toward The Seeker. They were of all shapes and sizes: Short and tall. Curved at the hips, or flat. Some were no larger than The Seeker’s leg, and there were many with cracks along their ribs and skulls. For a long moment, The Seeker just stood there, foggy breathes emitting from beneath her cowl.

Then she reached a hand forward, her frail fingers wrapping around a hand that looked to be in very similar condition. As The Seeker applied a grip, she caught sight of several white specs falling around her, beginning to cover the skeletons and all else that surrounded them. She pulled her hand away, stepping around the pile.

There it was: A house crammed between a stable and tavern. It looked just as abandoned as everything else in Sun’s Rest… but The Seeker knew this was the place she had been looking for. She stepped toward the door, the hinges letting out a squeak as she pushed it open with ease. She raised the lantern before her, purple light revealing a round, wooden table set before a cobweb covered fireplace. Dust enveloped the entire room, floating in all directions. The Seeker paid it no mind, making her way toward the stairs.

Each board let out a groan as she climbed upward. The planks that made up the second floor were in no better condition, The Seeker finding herself grateful for her lack of weight, ears straining against the creaking wood with each step forward. She found herself in a small hallway, rooms on either side. It was the one on the right that The Seeker chose, her steps slowly as she proceeded through the entrance…

...and into a very small room, where two beds half The Seeker’s length sat on opposite ends of the wall, both of them bordered by drawers. Wallpaper covered the walls, the horses it once depicted peeling away. Within both beds sat a stuffed animal: A rabbit to The Seeker’s left, and a lion to her right. Glancing to the lion, an unease formed within her lungs. An emotion that The Seeker had forgotten even existed: Guilt. 

She turned her head away, looking instead to the bunny. The unease drifted, giving way to something else: Want. The Seeker approached the bed, setting the lantern down. Her frail hands reached for the rabbit, cold fingers gently wrapping around its body and lifting it to her chest. Her eyes slid shut, a shudder escaping her lips as a third feeling swooped through The Seeker’s body: Warmth.

Slowly pulling the rabbit back, she opened her eyes, looking it over. Much of its fur had fallen off, and the poor thing was covered in dust. The buttons that served as its eyes looked ready to fall off at any moment. But that was fine. She could fix them with a little work, just as her mother had shown her before.

But then something caught her attention… a glint of light against the wall. The Seeker looked its way, squinting to see what it was. A fourth emotion clutched against her chest as she realized the answer: Terror.

For staring back at The Seeker was a yellow eyed monster, its flesh pale as the snow outside, bony claws wrapped around the body of her beloved rabbit.

Thanks once again to Vesthara and everyone else who sent something in. Have a safe and happy Halloween.

Carving As A Gamer

So as has been the case with the week thus far Halloween theme continues. Now one of the things that gamers talk about most around Halloween is playing Horror games. It has even become a streaming phenomenon, but that isn't the only way gamers show their Halloween spirit and definitely not the only way I do.

You see there is this other Halloween practice that takes place that gamers tend to go the extra mile to show not only their love of gaming, but their artistic talent. What would that be? Well that would be the act of pumpkin carving.

I have seen many great pumpkins over the years and it seems every year I see one that tops the rest. That could just be because my memory is fading, but let's not talk about that. The newest trend it seems in pumpkin carving is making not just one but a series of Jack-O-Lanterns that get something across. As shown by the picture I chose for today's post it can be quite amazing feat if done right.

Now I don't have the artistic talent to do something like this. The only gaming pumpkin I have every been able to pull off is when I made the buttons of a Playstation controller and I only came up with the idea because I had seen it somewhere else. Doesn't mean though that I cannot appreciate the time and effort put into it.

That being said I still carve at least one every year and then generally snack on the seeds while I am gaming so there is that connection! So as you are carving your pumpkin today if it is something spectacular or not keep in mind we all get the seeds.

You Promised To Take Me There Again Someday

Wednesday! Sticking with the Halloween theme I assume you can guess what this week's list is all about. I decided to go with the creepiest things we come across in gaming. Now these games themselves might not be the creepiest, but the enemies themselves is what takes the cake.

5. Scissorman - Clock Tower Series

Guy running around with giant scissors? Ya not many things get more terrifying then this

4. Blinded Woman - Fatal Frame

Not your ordinary ghost. As they can be freaky in general this one takes it to the next level with blood coming out of her eyes. Some would say the style of the game makes this scary, but even if that is so it is bound to make you think twice about it.

3. Slender Man - Slender Series

What isn't creepy about a guy following you? Also for some reason he can only be there if you turn around. just makes it that much creepier

2. Nemesis - Resident Evil 3

Run if you want, but he will still find you and kill you. There is many different types of enemies you have to deal with in the Resident Evil series, but Nemesis is the top guy and that is why it makes the list. 

1. Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2

So ya don't think there is any arguing this point. He is creepy by every description of the word and even today still gives me the creeps even if I know the story behind it all.

There you have it my list of the creepiest enemies in gaming. Agree or disagree or maybe in this case terrified let me know one way or another!

You Fail At Being A Gamer At Halloween If...

Fail Day! What better way to kick off the Halloween themed posts then with a Fail Day. I know you are excited, how could you not be? When thinking about what I would exactly posting about I figured I would just focus on being a gamer and it being Halloween. So here we go.

You Fail At Being A Gamer At Halloween If...

• You scheduled a raid on Halloween
• You have never gone to a costume party dressed as a gaming character
• You don't switch your gaming snack to mini chocolate bars
• You don't appreciated Halloween themed events in games
• You wont be playing a horror game this week
• You have never played a horror game
• You won't complain how the Resident Evil series seems to keep going downhill
• You don't randomly play headless horseman quotes from WoW
• You don't stockpile treat to use all year round
• You don't have a Headless Horseman Mount
• You find this is the time to wonder if there will ever be another Silent Hill game
• You don't argue endless on which games are the creepiest you have ever played

and Finally

• You don't come up with ways to give out candy and still keep gaming

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. Hope you all enjoyed it and are ready for Halloween!

Starcrafts Brood War Episode 5

So it is Monday and we need things to cheer us up. What better way to do that then laugh and cheer at everyone's favourite Brood War unit in the latest episode of Starcrafts brought to you by Carbot. Makes us wonder if we will ever see this little slug again.



We are vigilant!

Ask Gauss

Here we are end of the weekend and one more weekend till the clocks changing Well that is if you were part of the whole daylight savings time thing. If not then you can basically ignore everything I have said. It is Sunday though which means I have a job to do answering some questions so why don't I get on with that.

Impressions on Syndicate so far?

I think the game has built on what Unity did right. The combat makes it not just a button masher and I know some people hate the fact that you actually require some skill to take on multiple enemies, but to me it tends to the more realistic option and promotes stealth gameplay, which to me is what being an Assassin is all about. Story wise don't think I have completed enough to give an accurate semi review of it so will hold off for the time being.

Do you think we will get a platform game worth playing again?

I am not 100% sure what you mean, but I am guessing you mean the type of game that is "the game" to play. I will agree now it always seems like ARPGs tend to be the games that everyone says are "the game" to play. I think this is because it is the middle ground for the gaming world. They are not overly complicated, they have a story that brings people in and they have fun gameplay elements. They bring together all the things from other genres that people like and again it is why everyone no matter the type of games you "like" to play it is always a game that gamers enjoy playing. Games not in this genre have to be exceptional to really get others to come to "their side" and I think this will continue to be the trend.

Sorry about the Jays.

It's all good

There they are the answers to the questions. Hope you all got something out of it. Thanks to everyone who sent something in and as always will get to those eventually that were not answered on here. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

The One True God

Friday! I know Syndicate is out today and a lot of you will be playing it. For those that are not I did come across this really interesting submissions for this week's Reader Post from Elivyndyr. It talks about how the religion of the Protoss relates to some of the ancient religions from our history. So knowing I am a history buff I couldn't resist sharing.

So, is anyone else here semi studied in biblical history? It is widely accepted that the term 'Amen' stems from the use to sanctify the end of a sentence with respect to the ancient Egyptian worship of their sun god.. Amon Ra. So... Let's dive right into these ancient aliens.

Amon Ra was considered to be the king of all the gods -- basically, the god of gods, or titular God as if he was a God amongst Gods those other gods were lesser, right? Is this not how the Tal'darim have been instructed by Amon to see the Xel'Naga? 

Let's consider some of the similarities. The cult of Amon Ra and it's sun worship spread into the modern day monotheistic accounts through the Egyptian influence on Abraham. In ancient times, if the 'gods' had presence on Earth like the Xel'Naga had presence on Aiur, could not a similar event occur, with one god being seen as the 'Truth' amongst the rest? Going into the story Ascension gives us some clues about this. To Amon Ra, death is ascension. The annihilation of life such that it can all be 'with him in the Void' is the goal of this religion, almost akin to the necromongers of Riddick acclaim. There has been foretold a great sundering whereby the faithful will 'ascend higher than the highest master' on the day of reckoning. 

It comes down to the Khalai protoss being pantheists who see their gods as killable and potentially exinct, versus the Tal'darim protoss being monotheists who see their god as beyond this plane, it's eternal creator, and immortal. And, if any of these ancient alien links hold true tangentially (because we're playing devil's advocate with lore for fun now), then the Xel'Naga engineered humanity as well, potentially giving credence to a theory whereby a Xel'Naga saw Amon's plan and deliberately engineered humanity such that a being of psionic potential such as Kerrigan would arise to defeat Amon's Armageddon. It should be noted that when referring to In Utter Darkness in the Cantina and Bridge, Raynor says "Armageddon" specifically, to many different characters. 

The events in Starcraft II represent an Ancient Aliens view of the fight in 'heaven and Earth' between an alien that represents himself as a monodeity which will end all suffering and the rest of his race which represent themselves as mortal, creators, and benevolent which seek to expand life across the universe -- However, is Amon acting against the will of the rest of the Xel'Naga, truly, if the Hybrid are supposed to be the successors to the Xel'Naga or the new Xel'Naga, effectively continuing the cycle and truly ending no suffering at all? 

Didn't I tell you? Now you have plenty to think about going into the weekend.

Knowing When Someone Is A Hypocrite

Sticking with the theme of the week I decided to go on a little rant about Assassin's Creed. Many people have been all over me about how I can not be ok with sports games coming out each and every year and some how when a new Assassin's Creed game comes out I am not in the least upset about it.

So why is that? Well first off I have no problem with sports games coming out every year. The problem I have with sports games is that there is minimal competition so the changes to the games are minimal and really don't warrant the asking price for them. Now then people would argue that the core mechanics of every Assassin's Creed game is the same. I would also argue that this is a good thing. Why you may ask? Well that is simple just like any game where there is a sequel of some sort you want the game to actually build on what you already know. Sure there will be some changes but the game you enjoy playing should stay the same. It is what is different in every Assassin's Creed game which is the part I enjoy.

Now most of you know by now that I am a big fan of history. I love the weapons, the architecture, the culture, and everything else. This is what each and every game brings and it is done at another level compared to other games. Even when some of the games story was not as great as others the history came through and someone like myself was even able to enjoy the game just as much as the others.

Other yearly games just don't have that amount of depth to them. This is why as long as the quality remains the same I will never have an issue at the games coming out each and every year. So to all those chirping me as a hypocrite why don't you actually think before you speak.

So What's The Plan?

Weapons! Weapons which are also quite stealthy. That is the name of the game in Assassin's Creed. Not only do you want weapons which can act quickly but ones that can have a major impact. We all know about the Hidden Blade. Something every assassin has, but what about the other weapons? What about the ones which were the flare of the era they were found in? Well that is exactly what my list this week is about.

5. Blunderbuss - Assassin's IV Black Flag

Who doesn't like the shotgun of the pirate era? Not only does it pack a punch and cause massive damage, but it has a pretty sweet look to it as well.

4. Guillotine Gun - Assassin's Creed Unity

In the first DLC to Unity we were given this creation to try out. Not only did the gun itself pack quite the punch but the axe on the end of it made for some fun kills.

3. Poison Dart Gun - Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Nothing like a dart to cause a kill that no one is even aware of. Always a good time for Ezio once you got your hand on some of these. 

2.  Phantom Blade - Assassin's Creed Unity

With the skill required of the dart, but with a little more flare for the dramatic the phantom blade made sure you had some good aim or you were dead in the water.

1. Sword Cane - Assassin's Creed Syndicate

It is a sword cane how is it not awesome? I haven't even played the game yet and I know this one takes the cake.

There it is this week's list for all of  you to critique. How did I do? As always let me know some way or another.

You Fail At Being Ready For Syndicate If...

Fail Day! Yes here we are yet another week where all of us can have some fun poking at ourselves and others. This week I decided to look at the upcoming Assassin's Creed game and if you are ready for it's release. So let's get right to it.

You Fail At Being Ready For Syndicate If...

• You thought it was still called Victory
• You didn't know it takes place in London
• You were not aware that there is both a Male and Female protagonist in the game
• You didn't know there were siblings either
• You are excited about the multiplayer
• You don't like gang wars
• You think Jack the Ripper is in the main game
• You don't think cane swords are awesome
• You didn't know you can kidnap people and hold them for ransom
• You don't like Victorian era history
• You didn't know Darwin makes an appearance
• You were not aware they removed the companion app

And Finally

• You thought it came out today and not on the 23rd

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. Hope you all enjoyed it in one way or another.

Take Back London

Happy Monday!

If there is one thing I can appreciate it is when a fan takes the time to make a their own version of a trailer. Especially when the game is yet to be released and the available footage for said trailer only exists from trailers the actual game company has produced. Sometimes this fan made trailers are epic flops, but sometimes you get works of art. That is exactly what White24Room has provided us with this time. So have a a watch and get ready to play.

Was I right?

Ask Gauss

Sunday! Yes here we are ending our weekend and feeling awful because the weather is cooling down. Even my pool is closed up now making the realization that as Ned Stark would say "Winter Is Coming". Trying not to get me down too much as there is still plenty of things to do. Like go through my emails and pick questions for the week! So let's get to that!

When are we going to get the Warcraft Movie trailer?

Well that is simple Blizzcon. I have no doubt in my mind that the big reveal this year will be at Blizzcon. I think we will also get a Q&A with the cast as well as tons of other movie related material. I just don't see a better way than that to make a big splash at Blizzard's greatest stage. It actually would surprise me completely if this wasn't the case.

Even playing the Nathan Drake collection you can see how video games have became easier over time.

Anytime you play a trilogy even if the separation of years is large you can seeing the evolution of gaming. In a game like Uncharted it can be more evident towards the difficulty side of things just because I think they made the first game harder than they actually wanted it to be. Now I am talking core mechanics. Obviously you can turn up the difficulty and get the difficulty in the game you should be playing, but that really isn't what I judge a games "difficulty" on. If you compare the second and the third game I think you will see the mechanics of the game are pretty similar with just some minor tweaks to not make the game easier but just make it flow more. This to me is really what you would like in a series you don't want games to be miles away in difficulty because it aggravates some players and pisses off others.

So has Bautista bat flip already the cover winning for MLB The Show net year?

That isn't a bad idea.

There you have it this week's questions. Thank you to everyone who sent something in as this could not be possible without all of your questions. As always if your question was not answered on here I will get to it in the most timely manner possible. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Does Varian Die?

Friday! Yes here we are at the end of the week wondering what we are going to be up to this weekend. So why shouldn't I put something else on your mind with a Reader Post? Well Mimi has a theory that the High King himself will be kill before Legion even begins. And well here it is!

In Legion, both Anduin Wrynn and Genn Graymane (Varian's right hand man) are listed as main characters. Varian Wrynn is not mentioned. Strange, eh?

They showed a screenshot of Varian in a cinematic. I am willing to bet that it is the pre-event where we will witness that Varian dies.

In the Lore part on the Blizzard Legion site we can read the following:

"As the Burning Legion threatens to annihilate Azeroth, Anduin will learn the true cost of peace… and whether he's willing to pay it." - Is this cost watching his father die?

Let's be honest. One of the coolest weapons ever designed is Shalamayne, the weapon Varian wields. Gorehowl does not even come close. Not only is this a 2 handed Warrior weapon, it is actually 2 1 handed weapons merged together. This makes this weapon attracting for both Arms and Fury Warriors. A perfect artifact weapon.

Varian's lore is "done". Blizzard has really been giving Anduin a lot of attention in Mists of Pandaria and War Crimes. In the past expansions, we have seen a lot of drama on the Horde side about their leaders (Thrall, Garrosh, Vol'Jin, Cairne Bloodhoof, Sylvanas...) while Alliance has had little to no drama among the leaders. I bet Blizzard thinks it is time to do something about that. 

Making Anduin king will be a struggle for him and I bet some other racial leaders does not think he have what it takes to lead the Alliance. I have to admit, I know little about the Alliance racial leaders, so I don't know who would be against Anduin as the king of the Alliance.

Well thoughts?

Sure you will have many this weekend so you better enjoy it!

Yes $50

So did you get a chance to play the Star Wars Battlefront Beta? If you did you probably had a pretty great time like everyone else did. The game looks great plays pretty well for a game in beta and really I was thinking I may give the full game a shot. That was until I heard the news that EA unsurprisingly is releasing a Seasons Pass with the game, but better yet that pass will cost you an extra $50.

Yes $50 for a game that will cost you $70 to start with for the standard edition of the game. Now you might expect that for $50 EA will have a bunch of information on what this extra cash will get you. Well you thought wrong. All that they have told us is

"It extends the game with 4 expansion packs coming at a later date filled with new content that will take you to new locations in a galaxy far far away. Star Wars Battlefront season pass owners will also secure two week early access to each expansion pack and an exclusive 'Shoot First' emote."

Now using the word "expansion" to something that really is just adding new maps is kind of sickening. Now I understand not all companies add maps for free, but charging basically the cost of the game in an unknown time frame? It doesn't make you wonder why EA is known as a money first company.

First of all if you are charging this amount of money for something it should be comparable to what that price got you for the original game. Secondly, why not be a little bit more vague in what you actually will be getting. These 4 "expansions" really could just be 4 different locations meaning 4 maps.

The sad thing is people are going to pay these prices and then will keep making EA thinking this is ok. Soon we will be in a world where DLCs are going to be over and above the actual cost of the game, because we are approaching there without even realizing what we are getting out of it.

Thanks EA...

Long Live Play

Wednesday. Middle of the week already eh? I don't know if it is getting closer to Christmas or I have just been watching more TV lately, but I have noticed a bunch of video game commercials. Now this got me thinking that really what commercials for video games out there are the best? Well that is what today is all about!

5. Laundry Bear - BattleTanx

What do tanks and stuff bears have in common? Well nothing. That doesn't stop this commercial from making it the tanks purpose in life to destroy all teddy bears.

4. Perfect Day - PS4

The PS4 launch commerial was nothing short of spectacular. It was all about enjoying the system with your friends in endless competition. Just the thing every gamer wants to do!

3. Robin Williams Zelda - Ocarina of Time 3D

The late actor lends himself to this release and the series who his daughter is in fact named after. His descriptions make you wonder which Zelda is he really talking about.

2. What's Your Game - World of Warcraft

In these series of the commercials with a variety of celebrities talking about their World of Warcraft escapades borders on amazing in every possible way. You were always wondering who are they going to get next!

1. Michael - Playstation





Just had to show you this one on why to me it really is what gaming is. To me by far the best gaming commercial there has ever been!

There you have it. What are your favourite gaming commercials? I am sure there is a few that are on your list you will complain I didn't include.

You Fail At Old School RPGs If...

Fail Day! Yes it is that time of the week once again. Time to sit back and poke fun at things others or even ourselves do wrong. This week I thought about looking at older RPGs and what quirks they have. Mostly because I always tend to replay some older ones a few times a year for shits and giggles so it is on my mind. So just deal with it. So here we go.

You Fail At Old School RPGs If...

• You expect it to be voice acted
• You complain about bad voice acting
• You don't laugh when you say the word "HARPOON"
• You expect to have your hand held
• You hate grinding
• You don't think grinding is required
• You don't like "unfair" things
• You don't understand the importance of a save point
• You don't know what a save point is
• You don't follow elemental weaknesses
• You hate item resrtictions
• You don't wonder how spiders have gold
• You are unaware of the pain of status effects

And Finally

• You have never played one

There you have it this week's edition of fail. Hope you all got something out of it even if it was a jab!

Turkey Battle 2

Happy Thanksgiving! What better way to celebrate my turkey day then to watch a good old fashion turkey battle complements  of Myndflame and ROFLBear. Watch, remember and laugh, and in all honesty re-watch the entire ROFLBear series



Enjoy your Thanksgiving all!

Ask Gauss

Here we are another Sunday and another Ask Gauss coming your way. This one a little special since it is Canadian Thanksgiving tomorrow. You know the real time to celebrate Thanksgiving not the weird time in November that those south of the border celebrate. Ignoring all that though let's get to the questions

Do you think Naughty Dog released the Uncharted series so more non series followers pickup Uncharted 4?

I think that may have something to do with it. I also think though it has something to do with the same reason they released The Last of Us to the PS4. A lot of people who were xbox players didn't have the chance to play the series and this really is there chance to experience, which I believe is the best trilogy out there. So yes marketing aside it is also giving those who didn't have the chance to play on the previous generation to play on this one.

How do you like the medic?

I haven't had the chance to play her myself on the live servers, but from what I have seen and heard she really does work best as a second support because of mana issues. Now this could be because people are using her heal too early and need to play more to get a feel, but it does seem that there may need to be some mana rework of some sort if she is going to play as a solo support

Will there be a turkey day post?

Well I guess  you will just have to wait till tomorrow won't you?

There you have it this week's questions all answered. Thanks to everyone who sent something in and a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Hearthstone Rage Break

Here we are on yet another Friday and I am going through posts of what I think should be this week's Reader Post. Now I am often accused of picking posts that go in line with my thinking or never go against some of my favourite games or companies for "reasons". With that in mind while I don't take the extreme approach to the subject that Rehtael does in this week's post. I do agree with his thoughts on nerfs and bug fixes. So as this post is a bit of a rage rant it is well thought out and a good read.

I needed to express something, and that the Hearthstone dev team finds new ways to disappoint me every time an update comes out.

I've been playing since closed beta and have been an active member of the bug report forums.  I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of developers that don't seem to listen to the community, that spend ages working on patches that break more things than they fix, not addressing the quality of life issues that have been brought up thousands of times, (seriously, more than 9 deck slots will NOT confuse anyone who isn't already very easily confused) and overall, it feels like they're just out of touch with the community.

And no, this isn't about card balance, at least, not primarily. This is about every time an update or a patch comes out, in adds another game-breaking feature, such as charge not working, Nozdormu burning into opponents' turns, tracking not causing the timer to go off, and that's just naming a few. Knowing that they're pushing tournaments without first addressing bugs like these is a huge problem. The lack of a better reconnection feature, the lack of a better collection sorting system, the little things that players have been asking for, for years are just adding up and what was a few minor complaints have grown substantially over time, and seem to be ignored. 

It's not that I think that Team 5 is lazy, or doesn't care, or is just stupid, I just don't know what the case is that causes patches to be so slow in the presence of some really bad issues. And I respect the team for all they do, I know that they have a VERY difficult job, I myself am a game developer for a small indie company, but I just can't play this game anymore.

Something simple like letting people chose their card pack from the arena might pull me back in, but for someone who took a hiatus and fell behind, they've made it horrifically difficult to gain new cards. (I've been free to play since CLOSED beta. Refused a Golden Gelbin just on principle.)

And the "tactical nuke" approach to nerfing cards has killed some of my favorite decks. For example, Starving Buzzard. I was one of the pioneers of the Buzzard Hound deck, and the solution to fixing that deck was so VERY simple. All they had to do was change Buzzard's text to read: Whenever you play a beast, draw a card. But no. We get a useless 5-cost 3-2. Meanwhile, Warrior is in a place now where it's possible to deal 36 damage in one turn from hand with an empty board. (That's happened to me, I'm sure it's happened to others.)

The solution to bringing the weak cards in line would be taking advantage of the unique online platform that Hearthstone has. You could have buffed Booty Bay Bodyguard and Magma Rager. Why would this be better? Because arena exists. There are enough garbage arena cards without some being objectively awful, and instead of making two new cards which still aren't going to see any play, you could have included other minions which would have had a more meaningful impact on the game.

All in all, I love Hearthstone. It's just too painful to experience these days. The questing system at the moment punishes players for not playing multiple classes, which really doesn't need to be the case.

At any rate, that's enough from me.

Was I not right?

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Knowing When To Shut Up

So something right now I am really sick off. Why cinematic type games like the Uncharted series get looked done upon. Now even calling Uncharted a cinematic series is a stretch in itself. Sure it has many cut scenes to progress the plot, but there is a substantial amount of gameplay to back it up. This isn't a Beyond Two Souls type of thing where the gameplay itself is minimal and doesn't really matter what you do the story still progresses.

What is it that has got me all angry? A game and a series like this is looked down upon by some of the reviewing community because it does what it does better than anyone. Yet they praise games like Grand Theft Auto. Why? Now don't get me wrong I like the Grand Theft Auto series, but no one who knows anything about gaming and what makes a good game would ever rank a Grand Theft Auto game ahead of an Uncharted game. I really would like to understand why this is the case? Is it the popular thing to do? Is this a hating of Diablo III all over again. Reviewers think it is the cool thing to do and the masses of moronic idiots follow?

There is no doubt in my mind that the Uncharted games are some of the best ever. The require thought, planning, and have a story to back them up. Now I don't know if this is a xbox thing which has spured some media attention at the Nathan Drake Collection release because they will never have a series like this for their system. But give it a rest.

You can not like a genre of games and you can respect it. You can also rate a game highly even if you are not a fan of the genre, but being jealous or envious of a series just because it does things better or it might be the "cool" thing to hate on just shows that your really know nothing about what you are talking about.

There Is No Cow Level

So here we are with yet another week coming our way and we don't know what list I am going to throw your way this week. What would you say if I said it was a secret? Well it kind of is a secret secret in how these levels themselves are secret in their game. They are not bonus stages or anything like that they are levels which you have to do something different to access and are not part of the main arc of the game. So here are my choices for the best.

5. Star Road - Super Mario World

For anyone who has ever played Super Mario World you will know how getting to Star World can make progressing through the game much easier and less time consuming. It is a shortcut, which everyone who is moderately serious about the game should look into accessing.

4. Fight Reptile - Mortal Kombat

One of the more difficult secrets on my list, but not something that isn't satisfying for doing so. In the original Mortal Kombat if you complete a battle on the pit and win perfectly with a fatality while the moon is in view you are rewarded with this secret battle.

3. All Hallows - Tomb Raider 3

What many believe was supposed to be part of the game, but didn't want to waste the content they created we have this secret level to explore with Lara. One that back when this game was new was one of the best visually appealing levels in gaming.

2. Aztec Level - GoldenEye 007

For a game that wasn't too difficult this map itself was quite the step up. Actually regarded as one of the toughest FPS levels around this featured our favourite secret agent going through an Aztec pyramid  with enemies with the most perfect aim imaginable.

1. Cow Level - Diablo II

Who doesn't love a level spawning evil hellish cows with one thought on their minds? Not only that this level was probably the best grinding level in the game as long as you spared the Cow King.

There you have it this week's list full of secrets. Is there a secret level you think deserves a mention? as always let me know in some way or another!

You Fail At Complaining About New Heroes in Heroes of the Storm If...

So here we are on yet another Fail Day. Today is also a day when we get a new Hero in Heroes of the Storm. Now all things since the invention of the internet people always find reasons to complain. So with that as inspiration here is this week's Fail Day.

You Fail At Complaining About New Heroes in Heroes of the Storm If...

• You think the medic should have been Egon Stetman
• You never played Brood War
• Whenever a Warcraft Hero is announced you call it Heroes of Warcraft
• You complain how the hero is copied from DotA
• You always say they are trying to be LoL
• You purchased a hero that was reduced in price because of a new hero you demand to be refunded
• You comment "Where is Fenix?"
• You still comment "Where is Fenix?" when they explained why Fenix hasn't been added yet
• You make some offhanded comment about cloaked characters being OP
• You play Nova in Hero League
• You pick an assassin when your team requires you to play support
• You say a hero sucks after playing one game with them
• You demand your money back if you lose a game as them

and finally

• You don't even play Heroes of the Storm

There you have it this week's edition of fail. Hopefully you aren't one of the complainers and if you are well guess I may see you in the Nexus.

Assassin's Creed Legacies

Monday! The first of October in fact, which means holidays galore is about to be thrown down our throats. With that in mind why not a fan fiction trailer? Well Assassin's Creed Universe has it for you in this week's video for Machinima Monday. So have a watch and enjoy the prospect of this actually being a thing.



If only right?

Ask Gauss

Sunday! Yes it is that time of the week again. Time to sit back and realize that most of your week is now over and your weekend is coming to an end. Before you get all sad and disappointed let me get to my question choices for the week.

Do you feel like Heroes will ever compete with LoL?

In my mind once Heroes has more heroes and more established as well as some successful eSports events I think it will be up there with LoL in terms of viewership just because it really is a more exciting game to watch. That being said ever passing LoL is a stretch even if the game as a whole is better simple because it really is the established brand.

Do you think Legacy of the Void will save the RTS genre?

I think RTS are just not as popular because the average to below average players have migrated to the MOBA genre. It is simpler and has a much easier learning curve to be competitive and successful and nowadays that seems to be what is important to todays gamers.

Now I do think it will keep the RTS genre alive I just don't see the RTS genre ever being as big as it once was. It will though still be the most exciting eSport to watch so I hope sponsors and such will keep at it so we still have these large tournaments.

Halo 5 no split screen. Thoughts?

It is Halo who really cares?

There you have it questions for the week all answered. Hope you got something out of it and maybe even learned something.

Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

Thrall's Future

So I know some people have reservations about Thrall. He is if you want to admit it or not is a major lore character in Warcraft. Now he has one son that we know of Durak and as we know know an unnamed Son or Daughter. I am betting on a daughter but we will have to wait and see. So as happens quite a lot I have a lot of lore discussions with many of you through email and I thought I would share one. This is from Jokubas and his thoughts on the future of Thrall for this week's Reader Post.

What's in the future for Thrall?

Honestly, I can't think of much that should, and that really worries me. Thrall was a great character in Warcraft III. He was an underdog that fought hard to redeem his people. In World of Warcraft, his idea was ostensibly that of one now in command of a major power, trying to handle it wisely, unlike the Horde before him.

Then in Cataclysm he was suddenly the most powerful shaman in the world. Not a warrior who learned his spiritual heritage as a symbol of the redemption of his people, but a superhero who was able to save the whole world (mostly) by himself. Perhaps even more baffling, however, wasn't even that he put Garrosh in charge while he saved the world. What really broke Thrall was that in Mists of Pandaria, the assassination attempt on Vol'jin is used to bring him out of some sort of retirement, as he's shocked that Garrosh could do such a thing to one of Thrall's friends... after Tides of War in which Thrall very much knew of terrible things that Garrosh had done, and abandoned his own friend over it. Then to top it all off, when he finally confronts Garrosh in Nagrand, he takes on an air like he's above him, and he couldn't even admit he made the wrong choice.

Thrall just feels broken at this point. He played out his character arc, he had closure, and ever since he's been inconsistent and hypocritical. Apparently you either die a hero, or live long enough to be written poorly.

What I'd hope to see, is acknowledgement of Thrall's flaws since Warcraft III, but I still can't tell if they're intentional or not. I want an acknowledgement that he was so successful in creating a good Horde, that he started to forget that they didn't used to be good. Acknowledgement that he was so blinded by the good Grom did, that he prevented himself from seeing the bad. Make it canon that he ignored his advisers about Garrosh because of that blindness. Make it canon that Thrall has done so much good that he's become blinded to his own flaws, seeing himself as more heroic and better than others, to set him up for a fall where he finally has to confront all of the bad decisions he's made. That should be what brings him down and has him give up the Doomhammer. Maybe then, when he comes out of it, he can be the character we liked again.

Now I agree Thrall has had his ups and downs story wise, but I am in complete agreement in the fact he should realize his mistakes. Sadly I think this is going to take the death of Aggra. What are your thoughts?

Enjoy your weekend!

Glitch Acceptance

So it may just be me, but it has become practice over the years to point out glitches in the new NHL game every year. This bothers me to no end. Why is it ok for a company to release a game littered with glitches and then becomes a joke practice to point them out. How do some of these which can be honestly found with simple product testing make it through to the final production of the game. Also some of these glitches themselves are pointed out when players have access to the demo and they still make it into the final version of the game.

Now if EA patched these glitches in a respectable manner then maybe I would let it go, but that is rarely the case and they would rather release DLC content or consider them acceptable occurrences for the duration of the game.

Now I solved my issue with this years ago when I decided to stop buying games from EA sports division, but even with a vocal fan base being on the company every year with this they still release games littered with glitches, bugs, and crashes. As gamers we have tried the approach of reporting bugs, have tried to speak on forums or customer service. Truthfully the only way they will listen is if we force them to fix them and stop allowing them to release games that are obviously not release worthy.

Why is it sports games get a pass? Do you not remember the uproar with AC:Unity and the multi player? When was the last time something like that happened with a sports game? I don't know never. It has become common practice to let your normal gaming attitude give sports games a pass, and I for one think it needs to stop now.