Death to: Episode 1, World of Warcraft

The headline might sound a bit harsh, but there will come a time when World of Warcraft is shut down physically. I've been a WoW-player for nearly 6 years and today I can't understand (in general, the game still has its moments) why I became so "addicted" to this one game.

World of Warcraft is an MMORPG (duh!). You play with a billion other players (well that measurement is probably better for the money Blizz earn each month) but you get the drift. Some people love the multiplayer aspect of the game and some prefer to go on questing on their own, just minding their own busniness. World of Warcraft is beginning to show its age and its flaws. Believe me, it has serious flaws, at least from my perspective. Now, I can't just say "IT SUCKZ", "WORST GAME EVAH", "IT'S CRAP" without telling you why. Well I can, but that would be "fanboy-ish" of me. Let me start of with the graphics.

The graphics in World of Warcraft is seriously outdated (The new water is perhaps the only thing that is a little "newer"). The game was released in 2004 and Blizz probably started working on it in 1999 or 2000. Having outdated graphics has its advantages, the game can run on almost every computer out there (Maybe not grandpas computer from the 80's). The graphics are becoming more and more important in games today, not simply because it "looks better" but because it today plays a much more important role in making a game that truly captures the player and feels truly immersive. Good graphics doesnt mean actual great looking graphics sometimes, just look at Minecraft, but the role it plays is very important. Blizzard is working on their new MMO so expect to see a huge leap in graphics compared to WoW when it releases. Personally I’m tired of looking at fake trees and generic looking hills and caves.

The other aspect of World of Warcraft concerning graphics that I don’t like is the way they reuse their models so often. Sure they put another texture on, but its still the same model. How many times have you done quests that takes you into a building, cave and whatnot and known exactly where to go? You know that because they re-use the same things over and over again. And here comes the next part of World of Warcraft that I do not like (anymore).

The gameplay in World of Warcraft is horrible by my standards. Today its a shallow, quick fix that is as unrewarding as it can be. Surely some would argue that PvP-is the best and it is in some ways. But what does that give you? Well if you like a new piece of gear that makes you hit a tiny bit harder or a rank that means nothing then sure. Do remember that this is my personal opinion and I don’t presume that everyone feels the same. World of Warcraft doesn’t have the guts to let the classes be truly unique and have truly unique and valuable skills. The system has been dumb down to a bland soup. The classes have very similar skills, a lot of them share roles (How fun wouldn’t it be if you had a class that actually mattered? Of course you need tanks, healers and dps); 4 classes can tank, 4 classes can heal and ALL classes can dps. I mean, common... There is so much potential in making truly unique roles and unique classes. But that would probably not be as accessible for everyone.

After playing the new expansion “Cataclysm” as a Goblin, I want to salute Blizzard for bringing in the clowns of the world of Warcraft. Goblins are, by far, the funniest race I have ever played as and they, as a race, feel truly unique.

What I don’t like is that there are no new classes. And the classes that exist are not distinctive (Sure, we do have DPS, Tank and Healer), nor does it matter what race/class combination you choose. You will always be able to do everything, and get all achievements.

I wish that the choice of class and race would have a significant impact on some parts of the game-play and its events. I have always wondered why the different races get “racial” abilities that are insignificant in comparison to other skills. The racial abilities could do so much more and actually mean something other than being just another skill.

For example, when playing as goblin you get an ability which enables you blast yourself forward much like the mages “blink” ability. This ability could be used for so much more. Why not have dungeons (instances) where it actually matters what races you have in the team? The goblin ability could come to use in an event where the player needs to time it to jumping through or over some gap in the floor to do something on the other side so that the rest of the group can pass and go that way. If you don’t have a goblin in your group, you can’t take that path. Or a hunter for example, that must send his or her pet through a hole in the wall and guide it to some button on the other side to open a tunnel or whatever? Or the DK’s death-grip could be used for pulling a distant lever, grabbing a rock on the other side or something like that.

I would love that. I would love those moments where my class/race actually contributes to the path that my group can take. As it is now, almost every instance feels the same. You just fight your way from point A, being the start of the instance, to point B being the end or exit. Nothing special in between. Just some bosses and enemies that are always the same, every time you do these instances.

I would also love if professions would also work this way. An engineer could repair some machinery to open up one path, while a miner (several miners could be required) can clear a path for the group. So much could be done with all of this. I hope that I will someday see these kinds of things in World of Warcraft. It would greatly enhance my gaming experience. As an RPG World of Warcraft seriously lacks some role-playing.

My E3 2011 Predictions

1. NGP will get a name, pricing and release date.
2. First Party Game Series such as Uncharted, WipeOut, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance, Killzone, Ratchet & Clank and 2 New IP's.
3.XMB 2.0 will be announced to launch in PS3 on release of NGP. New Features should include Cross Game Chat, NGP Connectivity and new applications taboo.
4. Uncharted 3, The Last Guardian, Adrift, Resistance 3 and Twisted Metal will be shown off.
5. Sony announces Playstation Move Games and shows off Socery. Playstation Move Heroes (Renamed Heroes on the Move) and Socery.
6. HD Classics confirmed include Ratchet and Clank, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy.
7. The Getaway 3 and Eight Days are taken off hold.
8. Starhawk will be Announced.

Microsoft

1. Kinect Games such as Haunt, Project Draco and Star Wars will be shown a given release dates.
2. Kate & Milo will get announced.
3. A Xbox Live Kinect Arcade will be shown along with Avatar Kinect.
4. Microsoft will show the new Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, Prototype, Prey and Saint's Row with Exclusive Content.
5. Halo Reach DLC, Gears of War 3, Forza Motorsport 4 and Codename: Kingdoms gets shown.
6. Banjo Kazooie Reboot and Black & White 3 get confirmed to be games put on hold due to Kinect.
7. Halo: Combat Evolved HD and Perfect Dark Reboot get Announced.

Nintendo

1.The New Nintendo Project Cafe is Announced for Early 2012. Console is Displayed with new Controllers and Built In Motion Camera + New Blu-Ray Drive 3D Capabilities.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii is shown off with a Special Edition for Project Cafe.
3. Wii Fit 2 Announced and Shown Off.
4. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Pokemon Game,
5. F-Zero 3D, Super Smash Bros 3D, Pikmin 3D, Star Fox 3D, WarioWare 3D, Metroid Prime Hunter 2 and Super Mario 3D get shown off for 3DS
6. Update on The Grinder and PS3 & 360 Versions cancelled.
7. Wii Play: Motion and Kirby Wii are Shown off for Wii
Pikmin 3, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Mario Kart Wii 2, Kid Icarus and Possibly new Ip's get announced for Project Cafe.

Third Party Publishers

EA Games

1. Dead Space, Crysis and Need for Speed Games get announced for NGP.
2. Dance Central 2, DJ Club and Rock Band 4 get Announced from Harmonix
3. Crytek announces Star Wars Battlefront III for PS3 and 360 and Timesplitters 4 Exclusive to PS3.
4. Valve show off DOTA 2 and Announce Half-Life 2: Episode Three, both with steamworks on PS3. They also announce that Left 4 Dead is coming to PS3.
5. FIFA 12, Madden 12, SSX and more sports titles will be shown including new IP's
6. EA announces Burnout: Crash, Mirror's Edge 2, Mercs. Inc and Insomniac Games Project.
7. Battlefield 3 and Mass Effect 3 get shown.

Ubisoft

1. Beyond Good and Evil 2, Tom Clancy’s EndWar 2, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 6, Far Cry 3 and Assassin’s Creed III get Announced.
2. Assassin’s Creed: Holy Land for NGP, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction for PS3 and Just Dance: Freestyle for Kinect are announced
3. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Solider, Driver: San Francisco, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, RockSmith and I Am Alive get shown off.

Square Enix

1. Hitman: Absolution, Legacy of Kain Reboot, Final Fantasy: Fortress, Kingdom Hearts III and Just Cause 3 get Announced.
2. Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 get shown off and confirmed exclusively to PS3.
3. Final Fantasy: Type 0 for NGP and Dragon Quest for Project Cafe are shown off.
4. Tomb Raider: Lara Croft Reborn and Batman: Arkham City are shown off
5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Revealed for 2013.

Rockstar Games

1. New Bully, Manhunt and Midnight Club Games are confirmed to be in Production.
2. Agent gets a Late 2011 Release Date Exclusive to PS3.
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Stories and Beatrator 2 are confirmed for NGP
4. Grand Theft Auto V has 1 Year Exclusive on PS3 until going on PC and Project Cafe.

Activision

1. A Crash Bandicoot reboot, Bungie Project get Announced
2. Call of Duty for NGP shown
3. Prototype 2 and more get shown.

Bethesda

1.Rage gets shown and Wet 2 get Announced.

THQ

1. Saints Row: The Third and The Devil's Third get shown.
2. Darksiders 2 and Destroy All Humans gets Announced.

2K Games

1. Serious Sam III and Borderworlds get announced
2. Bioshock Infinite and The Darkness II get shown off.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.

Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.

For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.

Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.

When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.

Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.

Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >

[Source: Zynga]

Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment

Playstation Network downtime

The Playstation Network has been down now for over 3 days and the effects are starting to show. There has been the usual rage, despair and oaths never to touch Sony product ever again.

My own PS3 died last week after 4 years of gaming and good times. I was able to copy most of my saved data and I had bought a new slim 320 GB PS3. But because of the downtime I haven't been able to log on PSN and verify that the saves are actually mine so I haven't been able to play. For this I am little irritated of course. I was for example under one percent away from completing Red Dead Redemption 100% and thought that it would had been a fine thing to do this easter.

Last year there was fear that PS3 had a console breaking bug that prevented PS3 from working because the internal clock was confused about the date. The consequences have been very much the same this time. There have been the articles about changing to Xbox and what are gamers doing while PS3 is out of use (playing on PC of course).
At first when Sony didn't maybe actually know what caused the network going down there was very little information. Many concluded that Anonymous was behind this attack. Their lengthy campaign against Sony has been going on for couple of weeks because of Sony suing Geohotz. When Sony didn't actually verify this info at first many were already reacting to it. There was and is many new articles about why the Anonymous made a mistake attacking PSN instead of only Sony and its employees.

I personally think that Anonymous made a mistake attacking PSN causing more inconvenience on the consumers than on Sony. This was probably a move that cost more supporters on Anonymous than to Sony.

At the moment the PSN is still down eventhough Anonymous has stated that the attack has been halted. Sony has responded that they are building the PSN more secure at the moment and this is the reason network is still down. If this is true or not can't be really confirmed as Sony has been very scarce giving info on the situation and you never really should trust Anonymous.

I for one have been enjoying Metro 2033 while the PSN has been down. The game costs 10 euros on Steam sale. If you are fan of S.T.A.L.K.E.R or Fallout and don't mind playing a little linear game then it is worth the price.

Best we can now hope is probably Sony fixing the network soon. Maybe Sony hires the cyberpolice to backtrace Anonymous IP addresses