Ask Gauss

Sunday! Here we are on yet another Sunday answering more and more of your questions. It really has become to me something of a tradition one I hope to keep up with for quite some time. So without getting super sappy or anything like that let us get on with the questions.

Have you had a chance to play the prologue missions for Legacy of the Void, and are they worth getting?

If you are getting the game you will get a chance to play them regardless. The questions comes down if you want to play them right now. All 3 missions were very good not realty that challenging, but I wasn't expecting them to be. They are story driven with everyone's favourite protross Zeratul. Only draw back for me now is that I want to know more of the story which is the most frustrating part to me. So if you are like me in that regard I would suggest waiting as long as you can as to not have to wait even longer to play the rest of the game.

Is every game now made with a sequel in mind?

I don't think every game is made that way. I feel like there always seems to be room for series to expand. Companies want their games to be a sucess and maybe just maybe if the fans enjoyed it enough there could be a sequel. I think most start up games now though may take The Last of Us as an example. Could there be a second game? Yes, of course, there could be but there doesn't have to. The ending fits and you can go on from their. Even using Naughty Dog as a prime example every Uncharted game thus far could have been the end, but they kept making them because of the love of the characters and the amount of fun you get out of the game.

Are we ever going to see another Soul Calibur?

Well I hope so.

There  you have it questions for the week. Well at least the ones I chose to put on here. As always thanks to everyone who sent something in as it could not be possible to do this without all of your contributions. Now you can sit back and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

You Are Banished From Death

Wednesday already? That's what I thought when I woke up this morning. I was though excited to release this list. I thought of it during my holidays and figured I would do it as the first one back. What list is that you ask? Well I was having an argument the other day on what I would define as an "Immortal" I see it as someone who cannot be killed without some highlander type stuff going on. So then I came up with this list of the best Immortal Characters in Video Games.

5. Ganondorf - Legend of Zelda

Now truthfully I am not 100% sure if he is actually immortal or it is just Ninetendo being lazy. I do though recognize his signifgance to the gaming world so he makes my list, but comes in at number 5.

4. Zasalamel - Soul Calibur

Generally in fighting games there really isn't that interesting of a backstory to characters. Zasalamel on the other hand has one of the deepest stories not only for a fighting game, but also most fantasy games out there.

3. Vincent Valentine - Final Fantasy VII

I am sure many of you saw this coming. You may have thought he would have made it higher up the list though. Vincent has one of the most tragic stories of immortality there is. He was a human experiment who only became so because he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to do the right thing. On the plus side though has pledged his life to revenge.

2. Alucard - Castlevania

The child of Dracula who fights Dracula. Need I say more? Alucard really is exactly what everyone thinks when they think of gaming and immortals. Well at least anyone that I have been talking too.

1. Talion - Shadow of Mordor

So of all the Characters I have here none of these dies repeatably for you to see again and again. Talion is executed but is banished from death to serve a purpose. Sure you can die but you just keep coming back again and again to fight again.

There you have it this week's list. Sure there are people I missed and I will get ripped into about it, but really it doesn't matter make your own list!

Is His Majesty Albert Alright?

Armor? Check. Sword? Check? Noble Birth? Does that really even matter? Well if you haven't guessed I am referring to something you cannot escape when it comes to fantasy games at all. That is the knight. Everyone has their favourites and with today being a day for a list well here is the perfect opportunity for you to know mine!

5. Cecil Harvey - Final Fantasy IV

The main character in an often forgotten Final Fantasy game. He is the definition of everything a knight should be even if he rebelled against what were supposed to be his knightly duties. Honorable, driven, and there to save the day when needed!

4. Esbern - Skyrim

He is one of the last surviving member of the blades. He is there as an archivist and has made it his goal to predict the return of the dragons. He then is their when the prophecy unfolds and takes you under his wing to prepare you for the war ahead.

3. Sir Arthur - Ghosts N Goblins

What does one do when the princess is captured? Well what any good knight would do. Grab your lance and be off to save her. On the way be sure to kill anything you see to make sure the blue haired princess is yours when it is all over.

2.Siegfried - Soul Calibur Series

So not only does he have noble goals in mind for his quest to avenge his father's death he has a big ass sword! His quest is one which rips him apart and spawns Nightmare a being of pure hatred and evil based upon the emotions he has gone through. In the end though he is able to defeat Nightmare and maintain his purity and honor.

1. Lavitz - Legend of the Dragoon

Was there really any doubt? This is someone who gave his life for those he was sworn to protect. He was always honorable from day one and stood up for everything he believed in. Still get the feels when i watch his death scene.

There it is my favourite and what I believe to also be the greatest knights in video games. Think otherwise? Well be sure to let me know even if I won't agree

You Fail At Fighting Games If...

Fail Day! With the release of Mortal Kombat X just around the corner I figured now was the best time to use this Fail Day that I have kept pushing back for awhile now. What is it you may ask? Well it has to do with fighting games in what I believe people fail more in than any other game. So here we go.

You Fail At Fighting Games If...

• You have no idea where "Finish Him" comes from
• You believe your skills as a button mashing facerolling pally makes you the perfect fighting game player
• Your idea of a combo is using more than one button
• You believe people who use ultimate attacks or finishers must be hackers because you can't do them
• You always play characters which have the designation of cheap
• You don't know what the differences are between all the Street Fighter II games
• You predictably go for grapples whenever in close range
• You play the guest characters in other games because they come from games you play
• You don't think wrestling and boxing games are fighting games
• You turn down gore whenever possible
• You don't play them because they are not realistic
• You play them for their story mode
• You think your ability to beat the single player mode makes your awesome in everyway
• You rely on ring outs in Soul Calibur

and finally

• You have an opinion on the best fighting game there is but it is the only one you play, and you could careless what anyone thinks

There you have it this week's edition of Fail. Hope you enjoyed it or raged through the entire thing. Either way I am completely cool with it.

More Important To Know Yourself

Wednesday. It is here and time for a list. I know the last couple of weeks people have been all over me about the wrong choices. So this week I decided to go with a list where people are going to disagree about everything, even if I think this list totally makes sense. So here it is my list for the most unfair characters in fighting games!

5. Scorpion - Injustice: Gods Among Us

Adding Scorpion from Mortal Kombat seemed like a good idea at first but then when you actually faced off against him there was some pretty obvious mechanical flaws, which just lead to constant raging.

4. Akuma -Street Fighter Series

So he shares the same move sets as Ryu and Ken. So it seems all well and good except for the fact that he is stronger and can throw fireballs from the air? What were they thinking

3. Eddie Gordo - Tekken Series

See the key to any fighting game is being able to read your opponent and plan out your attack. Against a ok to good Eddie Player this becomes very difficult as he is dancing around and you can't get a read off of his attacks.

2. Meta Knight - Super Smash Bros Brawl

His speed, recovery, and move list are bad enough to have him outlawed, but then when you add in his wide attacks and his ability to fly it all just makes him a nightmare to play against in the most unfair ways possible.

1. Yoda - Soul Calibur IV

So every Soul Calibur game has a guest character. In part IV we had some Star Wars characters including the Jedi Master Yoda. The problem with Yoda was with his size many of your abilities would hit to high and miss along with the fact that he could not be grappled and could grapple you seemed slightly unfair.

There they are my choice for the most unfair fighters in fighting games. I am sure many of you have your own opinions so as always let me know your thoughts

Ok You Drink

So let's be honest here for a second. Coming this Christmas season all of us will be doing a lot of gaming. Also we will be doing a bit of drinking. Especially if you are like me. Many of these times the two of them will mix for not only your enjoyment but just for some simple hilarity. So I decided to day to share some of my favourite drinking games you can play for the holiday season which involve gaming.

Wii Sports

Not only is Wii sports fun to play with random people. It is also amazing to play with people while you are drinking. This almost always adds to more drinking and more fun. Two of my favourite drinking games to play with Wii Sports are with Rock Skipping and Bowling. For rock skipping it is simple however many skips you are beaten by in each round that is how long you have to chug your beer for. With bowling however many pins you are beaten by in each frame is how many shots you owe. 

Soul Calibur

Every time you are beaten in a round you take a sip of beer. Every time you are soul crushed or ringed out you have a shot. The best part about this game is in a tourney setting with multiple people the championship match is always the most entertaining.

NHL

Every goal scored against you is a shot along with every time you lose a fight. This is best to play on the lowest difficult setting as your goalies tend to play like peewees and the score ends up being 10-9.

Civilization

If you are beaten to a world wonder it will cost you a beer. If you capture a city they drink if you raze a city they have a shot. This can get out of hand quickly and the game never seems to get finished every time I play.

There are the games I know so far. I am planning to come up with one for Hearthstone this coming Christmas. If you have any ideas send them my way.

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!

I Can't Build There, Something Is In The Way

So here we are and today I thought I would come up with a post which will probably not only cause people to going insane with rage, but one I feel I may have been avoid because I am not really in the mood to read email upon email of people being a bunch of tools. What you may ask is this about then? Well this is about gaming and about skill. Now this is about at top level play, of course, in the games I will be listing anyone can come in and "play". Also I am going to focus on current games as to not have to deal with the ideas of older games requiring more skill or were they just more difficult. That is another point I want to make. In my mind difficulty is not the same as skill. Something can be hard, but that doesn't mean it is skillful. As an example a lot of RPGs are difficult in the sense you need to know certain things about environments or elements, but in my mind knowing those things doesn't make you skillful as a gamer it makes you knowledgeable ,which is something completely different. So here we go!

5. Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Fighting games in general require players to be able to visually see and anticipate what their opponent is going to do. This in addition to being able to execute combinations of buttons and speeds which casual gamers find near impossible. The Tekken series in my mind in consider quite skillful because the combinations are done at a much faster speed then any other fighting game because you really are just punching and kicking each other endlessly and nothing really fancy.

4. League of Legends

Now some would say I give MOBAs a lot of shit for not being skillful. This is not true I give them crap because the players believe because they can play the game they are the best gamers in the world. Now LoL liek all MOBAs requires you to have knowledge of your opponent and what they are capable of and adapt to it. Not every game is the same. The problem is the map actually is.

3. DotA2

For all the same reasons that LoL made this list DotA2 does. Why did it rank higher on my list? Well it just comes down to more choice, more adaptations and more anticipation and adaptation. That really is the only reason.

2. Soul Calibur V

In my mind the most difficult and skillful fighting series around. SCV in my mind wasn't the most skillful but like I said was going current. What makes this different? Surroundings are much more important and the game is much more balanced on a character to character basis. Everyone is not quick and everyone doesn't have the same strength. You need to not only understand how much damage you can do, but in addition how much you are able to withstand and in my mind makes it much more of a skill orientated fight.

1. Starcraft II

In my mind RTS is the most difficult genre there is and SC2 is the only RTS of note. You are not only anticipating how one character is going to reacted but an entire army, while maintaining your own army. This is not just a mico orientated game but a macro one as well which makes this miles ahead of the competition in every aspect of skill.

There it is. I am ready have at it with your thoughts.

True Strength Lies Within Me

So this past Sunday's Game of Thrones got me thinking. If we were to match gaming characters vs other gaming characters in say a battle of skill using swords who would come out on top? No other powers or anything like that just pure skill with the blade. So thinking that way eliminated some people who could actually compete on the list. So after many hours of thought this is the list I came up with.

5. Zack Fair

One would ask why Zack makes the list Sephiroth and Cloud do not. Sephiroth is completely genetically engineered to be what he was, while Cloud by his own admission wasn't close to the fighter he was because of his exposure to Mako energy. So with that I went with Zack because honestly have you played the end of Crisis Core?

4.  Caim

Caim is one of the most well trained swordsmen in any game. This point is spoken to again and again about how he has developed his craft by any means necessary. He views every fight as a challenge to learn and this is what makes him dangerous. 

3.Alucard

Alucard has speed and strength in the perfect combination. He just knows what has to be done and how to win. He will fight clean or dirty. Whatever it takes to rid the world of the influence of his father.

2. Auron

Auron became the youngest warrior monk in the history of Spira at the age of 25. He views his skills with the blade to be that of an art form. He believes every strike and every swing has a purpose and nothing ever should be put to waste.

1. Heishiro Mitsurugi

In a world where everyone is looking for more power Mitsurugi just wanted to prove he had enough. His only goal has been to prove he is the best in the world always seeking a new challenger. He has yet to find one who could prove him wrong.

There you have it. What do you think? Agree or Disagree let me know whats on your mind.

Frostmourne Hungers

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

5. Soul Calibur

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

4. The Hidden Blade

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

3.  El'druin

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

2. Frostmoure

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

1. The Buster Sword

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

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

Ask Gauss

Sunday! And Sunday of a long weekend making it an even better Sunday because the Monday which follows isn't truly a Monday. Makes as much as something I said the other day "That's all you, but... that's just me". One of those things where it made sense when you were saying it but when you say it again it just makes you shake your head. Anyways, it is Sunday so let's do this Ask Gauss thing.

So there is a lot more datamined information coming out of D3 have you taken a look at it and what are your thoughts?

Honestly, so far I haven't found anything I haven't liked about the new stuff coming in D3. Sure I have some concerns but I will wait for Blizzcon and when they make their big reveal about D3. You see I am not one of those people who just hated on Diablo III just because it was the "cool" thing to do. Believe it or not I think Diablo III is a great game. It used an older style of game in a new gaming age. This is why I think it got a lot of critizism which to me made no sense. Sure there were things I would have changed but it by no means made it as I have heard "a complete and horrible game".

Anytime someone says D3 is a horrible game to you ask them to explain why. They really have no reason why it is horrible. They may give you some reasons why they dislike certain aspects of it or they may have no even played it and just want to be part of the "cool" kids club. Regardless I got off topic. I am liking everything I have seen from the datamines and really so far it may be the part of Blizzcon I am most excited for.

Is Beyond:Two Souls going to give The Last of US a run for its money for game of the year?

Beyond:Two Souls has an amazing story keeps you involved in the game and always makes you want to know more about what is going on. It is a game I would recommend to gamers and non gamers alike for all of those aspects. I don't think anyone who would play it or watch it could say in good conscience say it wasn't a great game. With all of that being said No there is no competition and really anyone who says otherwise really needs to think.

The Last of Us is a masterpiece a generation game. It probably is the best story based game I have ever played. I am thinking of playing Uncharted 2 again just to make this point to myself. There is no competition and I don't see how anyone could argue this isn't the game of the year at the very least.

Fumiest thing you have heard?

Soul Calibur 6 is being delayed over how big Ivy's breasts should be in the next game. Actually not sure if this is funny or sad.

Questions answered for the week! Hope you all got something out of them. Enjoy the rest of your weekend long or short!

All For The Laughs

So here we are on another Wednesday. What does one do in the middle of the week, besides pretend like nothing much of importance is happening, well not much. So what does one do on Wednesday to pass the time? Simple we make a random list to cause random arguments over pointless things. Then we call it Wist Wednesday just to spark that much more outrage. Genius isn't it?

This week I decided to make a list of gaming characters who are pretty much just joke characters and really serve no purpose at all besides comic relief. So here goes.

5. The Dog - Duck Hunt

This dog served no purpose but to infuriate you countless times. When the ducks just wouldn't die. Why was he even there in the first place? Why didn't he get the ducks. Why was I shooting random ducks in the first place, and why did the ducks keep coming?

4. Mojo - Chrono Cross

This giant walking, talking, voodoo doll was a funny addition to Serge’s crew in Chrono Cross. Seeing Mojo dance and cartwheel against enemies next to the likes of Glenn and Kid was unforgettable and hilarious.

3. Dampierre - Soul Calibur 5

Now there are a lot of joke type characters in fighting games. But I don't think anyone is quite as bad as Dampierre. A random grapple where you spank your opponent or having a temper tantrum and stomping over and over on them. Yes he was quite special.

2. Gamon - World Of Warcraft

Now he is no longer the joke he used to be, but he is still the Gamon we know and love. The one we killed countless times just because we could. Or the one we saw charge at the random Deathknights entering Orgrimmar for the first time. We will never forget Gamon.

1. Gilgamesh - Final Fantasy

Was there really any doubt? He has extra limbs armed with swords which work and don't work and speaks in random riddles, which even he doesn't quite understand. Not to mention epic music. He may be a joke character but everyone loves Gilgamesh.

There you have it this week's listen. Tell me what you think agree or disagree I don't care always great to hear rants going either way.

Ask Gauss

Sunday is upon us once again. That day of the week when you are still happy it is the weekend, but then you realize most likely while eating your bacon and pancakes in the morning that the following day is Monday. So before you go down in a spiral of depression remember that Sunday also means it is time for Ask Gauss. The post of the week where I go through the questions sent to me throughout the week and answer a few of them. How do I send in such questions you ask? Well that is simple! There is a little button on the top right push it and you will find a variety of ways of getting a hold of me. So with that out of the way let's do this thing!

I was taking a look at the populations in your high population region. And I saw several cities over 700k. How did you do this?

Well without giving away all my secrets I can tell you a few things. With the way the buildings are designed you will need to square off your cities so that there is as little wasted space as possible. This isn't to say you need to have a grid city. As seen if you look at my cities I have many arc road cities. The most important thing isn't that there is the most houses possible it is that every section of your city can expand to high density. Sure this will make your city grow much smaller at the start because it will have a lot of wasted space when everyone is in their trailers. What you will realize is in all of my max population cities there is no wasted space between any skyscrapers. Also one important this if you are going for max population you cannot have buildings that take up excess space. Recycling centres, trade depots, theme park, or any mining or oil operation. This means your ability to make income can be hindered if you try to expand things too fast so be careful.

I have seen some of your Soul Calibur V creations. Any tips on how you get them so accurate?

Actually it is pretty simple. I tend to have a picture of the character and go piece by piece until it looks right. Some of them took hours to make especially the Vivi and Brox creations. I am assuming these 2 are the ones you saw since they are on the high rated lists. Other trick is if something is not available improvise. For example, Vivi is actually in a mummy suit which I detailed black in order to make him appear as a black shade. Also his eyes are actually apples which I dyed the yellow colour and pushed them into the head so you could not tell they were actually apples. Things like that are the final touches you need to make things look as they need to.

So is WoW dying?

Well according to this weather report I am pretty sure Blizzard Headquarters burned down in Irvine.

Enjoy what is left of your weekend!