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Thread: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume I, Issue II

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    Default The Gamer's Gazette - Volume I, Issue II


    November has at last arrived, which means we have reached the mid point of the great fall video game release schedule. Games such as Assassin's Creed 3, Dishonored, and Borderlands 2 are out in stores, while Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Hitman: Absolution, and the Wii U, Nintendo's latest console are mere days away from being released. Celebrate this joyous assault on your wallets with something both free and entertaining; the release of the second edition of TWC's newest publication, the Gamer's Gazette. The writers here at the GG are here to provide you with the latest news, reviews, and critiques of video gaming and its culture, and their articles once again do not disappoint. And to help celebrate the "holiday" releases, we're once again offering prizes, courtesy of Daily. We're giving out two beta keys to PlanetSide 2, a soon to be released free-to-play MMOFPS. To be eligible for this contest, you have to post in this thread answering the following question, interpreted however you want: What game do you most regret buying? The winner will be selected at random. Each person may submit only one entry. The contest will be open for one week and users will be able to submit their answers here until 6:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 9th, 2012. As a final note, we at the GG would like to give a massive thanks to Legio, who has stepped aside from his role as the GG's Editor to tackle that popular game known as real life. Only the most courageous succeed at that challenging game, and Legio is counted among their hallowed halls. GLORY, dear readers.

    Gamer's Gazette Editor
    Confederate Jeb



    Contents







    In Verbis Virtus Demo 0.2 Commentary Video
    In Verbis Virtus Demo 0.2 Commentary Video
    In Verbis Virtus Demo 0.2 Commentary Video


    Tiny Wings 2 Review
    Tiny Wings 2 Review
    Tiny Wings 2 Review

    Intro If smartphone games have taught us anything, it's that being a little bird isn't easy; and that is most certainly the case in Tiny Wings 2. You play as a little bird who always dreamed about flying but can't due to its tiny wings; a plot that is as simple as it's brilliant. Luckily the beautiful world that lies ahead of you is full of hills that lets you slide on them to gain speed to fly.


    Gameplay & Controls
    If the story is considered simple then we'd need a new word for the controls. You simply press one finger on the screen and that's it. Now a game with just a single tap wouldn't be considered fun by most of people, but fret not, you will need timing and planning to reach the top heights, both in scores as well in heights. As you press down your finger you fold in your wings and thus press yourself down towards the ground. Doing this in conjunction with downhills creates speed and speed is something very important. You see a tiny bird can only fly through the day else he becomes sleepy. The day cycle is not static, once you jump from one island to another you'd get more sun thus more time. Be aware though as each island is harder than the last one and the night will come closer and closer.

    Once pressed down the hard part comes. You are to remove your finger at the moment the hill starts going upwards and thus use the speed to fly away from the hill as if it was a ramp. Most birds do stay in the air once they are up if they so wish to; though you don't have that luxury being born with a pair of very small wings and so you fall down just as quickly as you once flew up. This adds the second timing exercise as you have to land in the start of a downhill to gain maximum speed and then repeat the jump again, this time, if done correctly, with even more speed and thus more hight. The simplicity allows everyone from those like us, strategy foxes, to less used gamers like your mother or heck who knows, your grandfather (my own plays it). And that's where the absolute brilliance lies within this game. Everyone can play it, and everyone will have a good time doing so.


    Audience
    My grandpa is not what you would call a hardcore gamer. I’m certain that he would frown if I called him that. He plays the game casually between his many meetings or during his flights. For him getting to the next hill isn't a goal, it's a feature that removes the annoyance of having to "try again" after being caught up by the night.

    For those who are like me, a casual hardcore gamer (yes those I do exist) scores and goals are a bit of a necessity in these type of games. Tiny Wings 2 makes good use of pleasing both sections by implementing different goals. At first these goals are easy, allowing even your grandparents to complete them after a few trials, although to be honest that is probably entirely unintentionally, but even the best of players are going to have a struggle as you reach the later ones.

    To beat the first goal you'd need to reach the fourth island, perform 7 perfect slides and collect minimum 100 coins during one game. Doing so unlocks a new nest for your bird which adds a multiplier to your score. The more goals you beat the higher the score you get at the end of the game. The second goal is to touch the clouds once, be in a fever mode for 5 seconds (more on that later) and gain 5000 points on the first island. Still not very hard but an increase. At the fifth nest you are tasked to do 32 great slides, reach the fourth island in fever mode and turn your device upside-down, reaching the fifth island. That last goal can be really tough, or as I've come to noticed among friends even easier than the normal gameplay for some. As you keep "nesting up" you'd have a harder and harder time reaching the new goals, and the game transforms itself from casual gameplay to countless of restarts and huge amounts of fists semi crunching iPhones towards the sky in a desperate pose of despair.

    Somewhat more depth for number crunchers is added through coins spread out in groups over the islands as well as clear blue speed coins that allows you to take new heights. Getting up in the clouds also earns you extra points as does fever mode, a mode that starts after you performs three perfect slides in a row and grant you a speed boost and a score multiplier. Keeping it is tricky though, as it ends once you fail to perform a new perfect slide. Overall another name for combo boosts which adds some level of depth as further skills needed to reach the top scores.


    Update
    All of this makes for a really solid game and at its $0.99 price a real bargain but that's not the end of it. All of this is actually what was once known as the original Tiny Wings, which was released last year. The sole developer of this game, Andreas Illiger released Tiny Wings 2 as a free update to the original game rather than as a new game "because then my fans will be happy on the release day when they see that the sequel isn't a separate app and they will get it for free. I worked on the 2.0 version for the last 12 months and everyone told me I should make a separate app out of it and sell it again (because it is almost a new game and I would earn a lot more money). It was a heavy decision for me to give away this new version for free but it feels right..." This is something I (and hopefully many more gamers) applaud. The updated adds a new game mode for the iPhone version of the game while the newly released iPad version gets all of the iPhone features as well as a same-device multiplayer mode.


    Flight School
    The first new chapter is called Flight School and starts with you picking one out of four baby birds to race against the unpicked AI ones across 15 all new levels. Finish first and you get the best fish from your parent, or finish last and be the unlucky one to get a shell. The AI gives a fair amount of resistance enough for this mode to be really hard from times to times but thankfully it isn’t perfect. You wont have to play for long to notice some of the AI birds missing jumps and thus losing most of their speed. That makes this mode feel more like playing against real human players than a perfect AI as is so common in many racing games.

    The Flight School mode also adds new things to the levels. Small water ponds are added which drains most of your speed if you happen to jump into one, big flowers that gains you a boost if you bounce on them, new hill shapes and night maps. Coins and the speed coins are however absent in this game mode. All this makes for a solid update and Andreas promises that even more levels will be added.


    Hill Party
    Chapter number three; Hill Party is a iPad exclusive game mode that allows you to challenge your friends in two different submodes. Island King challenge you to be the first to earn 10.000 points on an island, while Five-Course Meal is won by earning the highest score after five islands. Each player may choose one out of the 4 different baby birds and set a handicap timer. The timer is as simple as it gets, giving one player a few seconds head start. There is also an option for Automatic Handicap which works really well to balance the game for new players. Island King allows you to choose any of the 15 levels as your playground while Five-Course Meal makes you choose between a three different sets, each including 5 islands. The game is as made for multiplayer, and thus it strikes me a bit strange that a non local multiplayer game mode is absent.


    Conclusion When it comes to recommending iOS games, you can hardly beat Tiny Wings 2. It's a game that will give joy to all but those with a solid stone heart. The adorable graphics style will drag you in, but it's the nest goals that will make you stay; and stay you certainly will.



    Gaming Staff Expose Column #1
    Gaming Staff Expose Column #1
    Gaming Staff Expose Column #1
    It's been a few months, but the most bizarre usergroup on TWC just keeps getting weirder. You know, those green guys who magically appeared over night late summer and then randomly turned light orange a few weeks ago? And does anyone even know what exactly they actually do here on TWC? Well look no further dear readers, for the Gamer's Gazette, explorer of all things gaming, has you covered. Let's take a look at the Gaming Staff, what they do, what they're about, and how you can get involved in the expanded Total War Center gaming community. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first edition of the Gaming Staff Expose Column.

    Q: What the heck is Gaming Staff? What do they do?

    A: Gaming Staff actually encompasses three different members of staff: Clan Overseers, TW Overseers, and Minecraft admins and mods. Clan Overseers, the largest portion of Gaming Staff, are staff representatives for each official TWC clan. Their job is to attended to a few administrative things, such as accepting new members and keeping a record of them as well as acting as the local mod for their sub-forum, but most importantly to make sure that the Code of Conduct is adhered to. For every other issue the Clan Overseer is exactly the same as any other clan member, unless he is elected to an office within the clan. TW Overseers, meanwhile, organize and administer tournaments within the various Total War games, and develop a ruleset for fair play within the community to prevent gamey tactics, unfair army compositions, and general flaming and mud slinging. Minecraft admins and mods take care of the four Minecraft servers hosted here on Total War Center. They can be seen in game killing me for jumping of the Brother's Wall again. I didn't learn my lesson the first time apparently. Gaming Staff as a whole also helps organize and run site events and tournaments, such as the TWC Olympics.

    Q: You said Clan Overseers are part of Gaming Staff, but what about Clan Leaders?

    A: Clan Overseers are appointed by Staff to represent them within the clan. Clan Leaders are (for the most part) elected within their community. As such they are not members of staff. Have we confused you yet?

    Q: Alright, so tell us about the Official TWC Clans. What are they for, and what do I get out of them?

    A: The Official TWC Clans were made to cater to the needs of other game communities within TWC, as well as provide sub-forums for TWC members to gather together to recruit new members, discuss their game, and arranged matches. While each clan conducts their business in their own special way, each clan has a public area devoted to general game discussion and recruitment as well as a private area for members to discuss strategy, clan hierarchy, and meeting times. Each clan also has a Clan Leader, a Clan Overseer, and regular members. Whether or not other positions are included is up to the individual clan.

    Q: This clan stuff sounds interesting. How can I start my own clan?

    A: In order to start an Official TWC clan for the game of your choice, you need to start a thread in the Official TWC Clan sub-forum. In the new thread you will need to include the following four things:

    1) The name of the person wishing to be the Clan Overseer.
    2) The name of the game and a link to the game website.
    3) Information on starting a clan for this game. Does it cost anything to start a clan for this game? Is there an in-game management tool for clans?
    4) Any additional information regarding the clan itself: do you play on specific servers? Are there any unique needs this clan might have? Provide any details you feel are important regarding the Clan itself.

    In addition to this, you must demonstrate that there is ample interest in a clan. Whether that be through posts in your new thread or a link to an interest thread, you will need a decent amount of members to state their interest. There isn't an exact number, however. The member wishing to submit themselves as the Clan Overseer must have good moderation history and be active both on TWC and in the chosen game. As they will be representing Staff, they must behave in a manner that does not disappoint all-mighty Hex. Once you have your thread, the current Clan Overseers (Gaming Staff) will review the application behind the scenes and determine if the request is worthy of a sub-forum or in need of improvement. If this sounds scary, don't worry; if your clan has the interest and the Clan Overseer has a pure heart (Read: is in it for something other than the badge. Yes, we've already had that happen.) you'll be approved and moved into your new home in no time.

    Q: I'd rather join a current clan. How do I go about doing that?

    A: Joining an already active clan only has two requirements. First, you must post within their public area showing interest in joining the clan. Second, you must go to the Group Membership page of your account and select to join the usergroup representing the desired clan.

    Q: Is there anywhere else I can go to find more information?

    A: Way ahead of you dear reader! Check out this thread as well as this one for a general overview on the clans, how to create your own, and what each position's role is within the clan. You can also go to this thread for the Official TWC Clan Code of Conduct that is used for all clans, in addition to whatever clan specific rules are implemented.

    Q: Alright, so now I have all the information I need (I think). Give me a run down of all the Official TWC Clans so far.

    A: Getting a bit demanding aren't you reader? Fret not, as we've gone straight to the source for this tidbit of info. Listed below are blurbs from the Gaming Staff of each clan giving you a run down of their clan, as well as the Official TWC Minecraft Servers. Not included below are the TW Multiplayer, World of Tanks, and Mount and Blade Napoleonic Wars

    Red Orchestra 2 - SturmChurro
    The Official TWC Clan: Red Orchestra 2 is exactly what is sounds like. An official TWC clan for the game Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad. We are recently formed and have already planned events. We plan on having great and fun times together. The clan is open to any and all members of TWC who would like to come and play some matches with us! Check out our sub-forum for more information and how to join us!

    PlanetSide2 - I WUB PUGS We are the TWC Chairborne Rangers; the official TWC clan for PlanetSide2. We are currently in the BETA stage of the game and only a handful of our members have access. If you would like to join the Chairborne Rangers then please contact I WUB PUGS or view the join page and forums here. We already have a leadership elected and are working on organizing game times for the players that have access to the BETA. Sony will be gradually opening the BETA to more and more players and we would like to have a good base with a solid structure pre-launch. PlanetSide2 is Free2Play and offers the largest FPS platform. If you didn't know, the game is essentially 3 Factions comprised of thousands of players vying for control of massive maps. You have to join the clan and get a BETA key before you can play with us!

    TWC Minecraft Servers - Lord Romanus III The Official TWC Minecraft Servers offer a variety of server types, including: Player versus Player, Creative, Competitive, and Collaborative to play on. The Player versus Player server is our largest server and it offers a great experience for anyone interested. It is a constantly changing world that is full of intrigue, warfare, and politics. The Creative server offers players land to build gigantic construction projects by allowing spawned blocks. TWC's Competitive server hosts a variety of competitive gaming events for anyone who is willing to sign up for them. Finally, the Collaborative server is set up to provide players a "player versus environment" type of challenge. If you're interested in the servers, come check out the local forum for Minecraft on TWC!

    ArmA II - Danny_K_1 The Official TWC Happy Fun Time Platoon (HFTP) is a long running ArmA II clan for TWC, dedicated to failing in a spectacular fashion in combat zones across the world; occasionally we actually do our jobs and complete our objectives but only on a good day. Currently the HFTP is on somewhat of a break, games tend not to happen nightly like they do in Winter and Summer because everyone is off but sadly people have things to do other times in the year. However with the upcoming release of both ArmA III and the DayZ standalone game activity won't be long in picking like it always does!

    Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - SturmChurro
    The Official TWC Counter-Strike: Global Offensive clan was formed at the start of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's PC release. We accept any TWC member who wants to join and play some CS:GO matches with us. If you have any questions on how to join, or just about the clan or game itself check out our sub-forum! Looking forward to seeing you all in game!

    Battlefield 3 - Kjertesvein
    The name is Total War Center: Battlefield 3 Clan (T.W.C.B.3.C). We were one of the first clans to get established right after the Official Clan -forum got started up. Pinkamena Diane Pie led the forces the first few weeks, but had to leave due to certain collage duties. MasterBigAb is taking over ironrule over the clan these days.
    Armoured Kills is just released and we intent to get some new games played. Make sure to bring some microphones, the team will help you get connected to to the network, Teamspeak 3.
    Have you ever felt like you're playing with mindless drones? Do other team"bots" regularly drop out after you've lost a game? Do you miss a dedicated forum for the study of tactics and strategy? - You can find us inside Non-Total War games --> Official TWC Clans --> Official Clan Subforums --> Battlefield 3 Clan.

    League of Legends - Confederate Jeb
    The TWC League of Legends Clan is the gathering place of LoL players on TWC looking for fellow gamers to play with, whether to just get play days organized or official ranked teams formed. We are fairly small compared to the other clans as LoL did not have an established group before the formation of the TWC clans, but we are growing at an excellent rate. If you want to find fellow LoL players from TWC or are just looking for a new game to play, check out our sub-forum. We are accepting members from the North America, EU East, and EU West servers, and a few of us are located on multiple servers, so the more members we have for each server the better.


    Hopefully this little introduction to the Gaming Staff and their jobs is a little less mysterious now. In the future we plan on keeping you up to date on the various affairs of the Gaming Staff community. All you have to do is read our publication to stay informed! Pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself.

    - CJ



    Daily's First Impressions: Prison Architect Alpha
    Daily's First Impressions: Prison Architect Alpha
    Daily's First Impressions: Prison Architect Alpha



    Introversion Software


    Subversion was a complex and intriguing foundation of a game


    Introversion Software is an Indie company starting out in 2001. The creators of the company Chris Delay, Mark Morris, and Thomas Arundel started out small, working from their separate homes instead of owning an office and hand-making the first cartridges of their very first release Uplink. They managed to get money back from their investment and their future as a indie developer was set, for now. Their next releases Darwinia, a real time strategy, and DEFCON, a game where you try to annihilate as much as the enemy population with nuclear attacks while saving your own, sold even better and got critical acclaim from the press. Their next game was Multiwinia, a multiplayer adaption of Darwinia, but the sales could not compete with DEFCON. And the game after that, Subversion, was cancelled altogether. But not in vain.

    From the ashes of Subversion a new game came out and this game is what you now can see taking shape in Prison Architect. As the guy who takes care of most of the coding and making of the game, Chris says in his presentation at Rezzed that though he wanted something interesting to happen out of Subversion it still wasn't fun to play. He was starting to have doubts and after a trip to Alcatraz in 2010 he scrapped the game completely and started laying out the foundation for the game Prison Architect. After three weeks the basic buildings blocks were placed featuring workers, walls and even items such as beds and toilets. Now two years have passed and Introversion have released their game as a paid Alpha in the same style as Minecraft was funded.



    First I really want to punctuate that this game is in Alpha. It has a high amount of bugs and I do not recommend getting the game if you are not specially interested. Now finally unto the game itself which I
    Guard watching as the prisoners brush their teeth
    have ravaged my wallet to be able to play. My first impressions are good, very good, so good in fact that I almost says this has the potential of a game of the year. Sadly I restrain myself based off of experience with other games with potential that was ultimately not met *cough* Minecraft *cough* but I have enjoyed the Alpha very much and though the bugs are apparent and a lot of features not present it still provided me with a nice experience and I even managed to make a semi-decent prison.

    One of the main inspirations for Prison Architect is Dwarf Fortress and as Chris says he really likes the way that the game is so open so that the players themselves experience things on their own instead of things that the developers have planned. He also likes the chaos and how every single individual has a personal story. This is relayed into Prison Architect neatly where prisoners have different personalities and needs. Specifically Chris mentions on many occasions Maslow's Hierarchy of needs which is a theory within psychology that talks about humans and how they prioritize their needs. Look at this picture for reference. He also want to point out that the prisoners themselves will become more and more demanding as you meet their basic needs. The most important things at the beginning is sleep, food, shower, some fun and family (phone calls home). But later there might be necessary to make a common room or maybe even open up a school inside your prison.
    Good example of how my prison looked before I found the grants page

    Now the game itself is a 2D Sprite game with a simple but aesthetically pleasing color pallet. Your prisoners comes in different shapes and colors and trudge around the prison leaving shoe prints on the ground. The ground will wear down over time and you will have to hire gardeners and janitors to keep the prison nice and tidy. While this might not have been necessary so early in the game I felt it was a weakness when the walls started to crack. Luckily my janitors can magically swipe their broom over and poof, cracks gone. Luckily many of the things occur automatically like Guards rushing towards trouble or taking troublemakers to isolation cells. Sadly this game is very buggy and many of these things don't work properly. I've had unconscious men lying in the shower for 4 days before one of the guard saw fit to drag him to a doctor. Also I have big grievances with the lack of information provided in the tutorial and I used the first two hours of my game having 9500 dollars to start out my prison without knowing anything. Luckily I used the internet and found out about Grants, which is basically large amounts of funds you get to build a certain type of building. Like a medical ward, cell blocks, or administrative offices. There is a whole other part of the game which is the administration and here you can choose what you want to unlock first. Be it guard patrols, janitors, or lawyers that work to decrease the negativity you get from people escaping or murders happening in your prison. Sadly many of the features are not yet present. I have heard rumors of guard towers as a late game addition.



    Dark indeed

    It's a very charming game but with a dark background. The tutorial is basically you making a execution chamber for this poor fellow, there are constant shankings and fights and I even had a murder rampage against my small chubby work force. How Introversion plans to sail this ship of controversy I do not know but they said at Rezzed they will not shun from it. They want to have all these things that make prisons unique and interesting even though they might deal with some complaints from the gents across the sea. There has also been a lot of controversy on why Introversion is charging a staggering 30$ for Alpha access. The reasoning behind, as I have understood it, is that they wanted only people who really cared for the game and put a very high price for the game to exclude the not so devoted from getting the game. Astoundingly there have been a huge silent audience who are waiting for this game and as Eurogamer report Introversion made 100 000 dollar in just 72 hours which they themselves said have left them dumbfounded. So will this be one of the huge indie hits that changes our look on gaming and our so called culture? Well I am certainly hoping for a positive outcome since Management games is one of my favourite genres.

    Prison Architect is out for Paid Alpha here. I would also recommend checking out this video from the Rezzed gaming conference. It holds tons of information about Introversion, how Subversion became Prison Architect and Prison Architect itself. This newer video has Chris talking about more system like prisoners digging tunnels and how riots work. Also recommended though skip to around 16 minutes since if you watched the first video it is a lot of the same. As Introversion says on their Alpha introduction video, that since they are Introversion the development process will be long.

    I hate all this waiting...


    Daily out




    Old Skool-Warcraft: Rise of a Franchise Part 1
    Old Skool-Warcraft: Rise of a Franchise Part 1
    Old Skool-Warcraft: Rise of a Franchise Part 1
    World of Warcraft is to many of us, either a point of sore contention or pure bliss, however from a purely objective point of view (namely lack of playing said game) my view is that it's an interesting if not poor choice in video game evolution. All throughout my childhood and young adulthood to even now I have long been a fan of the Warcraft franchise. Watching it from it's pointlessly awkward beginnings to it's almost monolopizing standard over the MMO-RPG genre. It's within this a written prose that I bring a mission of nostalgia of sorts. Doing away with the over the top narrative you get Stealth at his core. Sincere.



    In the early 1990's Blizzard Entertainment was founded and initially was a porting company. For titles such as BattleChess and J.J.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings; Vol 1 Of all things. However it did achieve limited success with Rock and Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings. The former I played on a Gameboy advance port and enjoyed it. However come 1994 after they had recently been bought out for just over 6 million of your american dollars came Warcraft; Orcs and Humans.

    What would have happened if Warcraft hadn't been such a breakaway hit? There would have been no Diablo, let alone Diablo III, no Starcraft and without a doubt no World of Warcraft. What would the world have been like? Probably much the same actually. But the main innovative strength was how Warcraft changed the world.

    In the early 90's there were two big sellers already released. Westwood the Blizzard of it's time, known for Command and Conquer and Sid Mier whom we all know is running the Civ 5 train at the moment. With only Civ 1 in it's infancy the main seller at the time was Dune II. A flagship design in Real Time Strategy and whose core format still is in use in modern C and C titles.

    The Title Screen for Dune II


    Dune II's success was riding on Sierra's adventure game based on the Movie based of the Legendary Dune novel. The second game took a more...liberal stance with the lore but was just successful. The key features were resource management, defence and expansion, the classic 4x game. The interface was simple, resource management was largely automated and sequential leaving the tactical emphasis to the player. However with the unit selection being capped at a single unit and the AI employing perhaps the most cheats of any game it was difficult. The last mission featuring a drastic change from the single base conquer to all the enemy factions in one super base attacking you at once. In the end the player would either be locked in a war of attrition or simply had to be lucky.

    Warcraft was a breath of fresh air. With sleeker graphics and an innovative yet radically different system in an original setting. The stage was set. Right from the off the differences in game play was crucial. Rather then having a cap on the amount of buildings a player could have at a time restricted through power and landscape to build on. Blizzard opted for a restriction on the units. Thus making for a better performance. Adding a second resource to harvest forced optimisation and perhaps the greatest strength was balence. In Dune II there was a balence. Different Houses had slightly different units availible and different end game units. Meaning that in the long run. Whom ever had the biggest guns would always win. In Warcraft all units were fundamentally the same. Humans had slightly longer range and Orcs did more damage but it was balenced. Everyone was on the same playing field.

    With the introduction of differing missions adding another critical element of attractiveness the standard build your base up and conquer style of Dune seemed dated in comparison. In Warcraft you had Skirmish missions. Dungeon missions where you a handful of units alongside a Hero unit with boosted stats and a random map Generator for custom missions where you could set the variables. Well it wasn't THAT random and had a few maps but it was better then the rehash of old missions that Dune II offered. Plus the ability to select more a total of four units was clearly a more professional choice.

    But due to such games being in their infancy it did fall prey to some of the genre's now game breaking issues. Right mouse button did almost nothing. Pathing was tedious. And often it was still a game of whom has more bigger guys wins.

    It's clear to see that with that with the advancement in Visuals, Sound, Gameplay and live acted Voices for the majority of content. Warcraft was a clear must buy for 1994. However Blizzard had never intended to release a sequel to their work. With promising sales and positive reaction to their work. Production of a Sequel began in earnest.



    With the foundation for a sequel laid. The hero's developed and a fresh market to explode into. Blizzard released Warcraft II; Tides of Darkness in 1995. Before I delve into the technical and the historical I want to take a moment to allow a personal note to seep in. Back in the very late 90's I had a serious stutter, significant enough for my parents to invest time in relatively new type of speech therapy. Which looking back reminds me of an AA meeting. But part of it was heavy group therapy and naturally it was featured in some academic paper. But along side titles such as Tekken 2, Shogun (the ing board game that Shogun total war was based on and the premise for this entire site) there was also Diablo and Warcraft II. Naturally with a bunch of similarily aged boys, therapy and video games the point was to give a running narrative to avoid have hands off the mouse and keyboard. Being the age I was I had no idea what was going on, apart from keep talking to keep playing. Of course stuttering caused a penalty as well. It was injustice! But looking back I have nothing but the fondest of memories of the game. Even if it does cause me to get a lump in the back of my throat...

    In 1995 Command and Conquer had been released and Westwood Studios was ringing in the big bucks. Civ had faded away. Yet in December of 1995 came Warcraft II and the competition alone between those two games brought incredible popularity, not just to the genre. But to both franchises. This battle alone set the tone for future popular RTS titles of the 90's. Age of Empires, Total Annihilation, Dark Reign.

    Command and Conquer followed suit with the success of Dune, but improved apon it. Singular automated resource management, similar GUI, limiting the buildings over Units constructed and setting their scene for their own dynasty of games, overhauling the graphics. Blizzard took a different approach. Compared to it's father; Warcraft II was a completely different animal. Increasing the complexity of the resource management by adding a tertiary resource, which offered them the chance to add naval assets as a theatre of war. Which combines with their expansion into the skies as well offer a triple arena for players to fight over. With full unitary statistics in their GUI now allowed players to see their units in incredible detail. A tech tree which was easy to understand and linear. Further development of the hero characters from the first Warcraft.

    A classic Warcraft II battle.


    Unlike Command and Conquer whom were developing their own lore Blizzard were free to add additional content and Lore to their game which was excellently received. Humans could fight alongside Elves and Dwarfs while the Orcs could count on Trollish and Orge allies in their campaigns. With increased Ai capabilities, a powerful map and unit editor and increasing technology in Wireless gaming the birth of Battle.net perhaps the worlds most recognised gaming dedicated server was born. It was no wonder that Warcraft II had an expansion in store for it.

    Warcraft II; Beyond the Dark Portal (1996) laid the ground work for Starcraft and the later released Warcraft III. Whilst the core gameplay hadn't changed the key features was an introduction of more character driven story. In the original release of Warcraft II there were a handful of 'hero' units which were marginally stronger then their counterparts. Wheras in Beyond the Dark Portal the roster was expanded significantly and included some now household names. Deathwing for example and Grom Hellscream. Key features involved unique artwork and palate swaps. Significantly enchanced statistics and an instant defeat clause if they were defeated. This style of gameplay became especially prevailent in Starcraft which was a heavily character driven story.

    Overall the commerical and critical success of the first three Warcraft Games spawned a play station release for Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal and an eventual Battle.net edition which combined both and changed from DoS to a Windows based system.

    However the impact that Warcraft and Warcraft II had on the RTS genre was significant. Starcraft alone was a change of setting but still used alot of the mechanics and idea's behind the core games. Age of Empires followed a similar suit, adding an additional resource and capping the number of units a player could construct. Total Annihilation was all about building insane amounts of troops and had limited resource and man management but shared a similar GUI.

    All things considered Warcraft II was designed with a sequel and that sequel changed the face of modern gaming.

    Next Episode.

    How DotA caused Gaming to implode on itself.
    Ganked. Oh so Ganked.




    Sleeping Dogs Review
    Sleeping Dogs Review
    Sleeping Dogs Review

    Sleeping Dogs Review

    Conflicted loyalties Sleeping Dogs has a rather tumultuous history behind its development. When United Front Games first approached Activision it was meant to be an original IP. But Activision with their unrivalled business acumen had a better idea! Why not publish it as the new instalment of the Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row series' vastly inferior and critically not really that acclaimed competitor: the True Crime series? Wonderful idea, nothing what so ever wrong with that!
    A bunch of lukewarm marketing statements later and Activision cancels development, supposedly because they wanted to focus on online games with a higher profit margin -read Call of Duty- and, they claimed, because the game would not be able to compete against heavyweights like Rockstar's stable of open world games and the new Saints Row. A rather strange decision considering the game was pretty much in a beta-release state.
    Luckily for us, UFG didn't simply call it quits. Instead they found a second chance under the auspices of Square Enix, dropping the True Crime brand and back to releasing it as an original IP.
    Rebranded as Sleeping Dogs, UFG's firstborn promises to take us into the criminal underworld of Hong Kong, and the dilemmas that go with the life of an undercover cop.

    With the ever rising popularity of the open world action genre, and the mass appeal's big bucks behind it, a new contender of course has to make a mark and differentiate itself from the competition. GTA brought us oodles of gameplay and pretty much defined the genre; Saints Row focused on over the top euh, well, everything. What Sleeping Dogs brings us, is -in my humble opinion- a world and a plot that aspire to rival any criminal thriller out there.


    Part street thug, part hard ass cop, all wrapped in a nice blanket of deceit and subterfuge
    Going undercover with serial killers and bananas
    The protagonist Wei Shen, a US police officer, is seconded to the Hong Kong Police Force to infiltrate a triad known as the Sun On Yee. Shen, himself Hong Kong-born, seems like the perfect candidate; fluent in Cantonese, spent his childhood in the same Old Prosperity Projects many low-level Triad members hail from and combines all that with high intelligence and impressive fighting skills. There are a few stains on his report however, stains that indicate a rather brutal and aggressive personality.
    If you've seen Infernal Affairs, you'll have a good notion of the kind of atmosphere the writers tried to build. Wei Shen not only suffers under the stress of his secret double-life and the constant lies, but feels conflicted about his loyalties. These Triad members he associates with aren't just violent criminals, they're also people with loved ones, dreams, even ideals however skewed they may be; against better judgment, after all his entire reason for being there is dismantling the whole organization and potentially putting them all behind bars, they rapidly become his friends.
    To top it off, his immediate superior in the Hong Kong police isn't exactly the shining example of justice and honor. Getting his hands dirty seems to come far too easily to him.
    Wei Shen constantly needs to walk a fine line: the Sun On Yee expect him to commit crime, often violent and lethal, yet he's still a police officer, sworn to protect and serve; his friends expect him to back them up, to be loyal to them, yet he works ultimately to put them all behind bars; his boss expects him to get results and rise in the Triad hierarchy, regardless of the cost. But it gnaws away at his sense of morality and humanity.

    In the center of this plot we not only find Wei Shen himself, but also Jackie Ma, an old childhood friend. Reconnecting with Jackie serves as his “in” to the Water Street Gang, a street gang lead by a Red Pole -think captain- called Winston Chu, who's ineffective tactics and leadership have faltered against the more competent rival Jade Gang. Both gangs however, are nominally part of the same Triad, a first sign that within the Sun On Yee a power struggle is brewing. To take down the Triad, which is his ultimate assignment as a cop, he needs to get closer to the higher ranking members; the Dragon Head in particular. In order to do so, he bolsters the Water Street gang's leadership with his advice and fighting skill. And not before long his actions grab the attention of the Sun On Yee's leadership, attention however that also marks him and his now friends in the Water Street Gang as players in a deadly gambit for power and the position of Dragon Head.


    A world of designer knock-offs and neon-lit cock fights
    Just cruisin'
    The world this all happens in, is a fictionalized version of Hong Kong. The city's cosmopolitan atmosphere, the contrast between its almost picturesque traditional -and poor- neighborhoods and the opulence of the financial districts, the geographical isolation that resulted in a cultural and political micro-climate,... it all serves as the perfect backdrop for both a criminal thriller and an open world action game.
    And despite being touted as a game of the same vein as the Grand Theft Auto-series, this is first and foremost a thriller. Creatively, they've made this clear by resolutely going for a more demure, more sober setting.
    Take for example the visuals of the fighting, they could have gone far over the top stylized wire-fu, or a ridiculous gung-ho blood- and gorefest. Instead we have a sometimes disconcertingly realistic -or at least to my eyes a plausible- depiction of brutality: knives and wrenches are a real danger, Shen uses his environment from simply slamming a head into a wall or railing to rather gruesome uses of engine blocks and fishing hooks and some of the martial arts moves he pulls of will make you -and your opponents- wince.
    Graphically the game gives the competition a run for its money. The PC-version comes with a high resolution texture pack, and Hong Kong's apparent neon-lights fetish really makes the lighting stand out at times. It's far from perfect: textures could be just a tad sharper still, some character models could look better and a lot of the generic locales look like they've been recycled a lot; but considering the lack of load times and stuttering (at least on my system) the general picture is damn pretty.

    On the whole it's a working formula, plot and atmosphere push this game at least to equal position as the genre's heavyweights. There are a few shortcomings though in this department, for example we're supposed to bond with our fellow gang members and plotwise we're pretty much told these are our friends after a few missions. But rather than this informed case of friendship, I would have preferred they expanded on the actually becoming friends-part. Some gameplay elements don't mesh well with the general mood of the game either. Combat becomes too easy when you've upgraded your moves, the whole girlfriend mechanic feels tacked on (or is it a clever play on an undercover cop's inability to truly pursue a relationship combined with a Triad member's expected machismo?) and in general there is too little a drawback when breaking the law while simply roaming free. It feels off that I can kill dozens of people outside of a mission and still pretend I'm a cop.


    How a rat spends his days
    That looks painful...
    The actual body of most missions is fairly straightforward and simplistic. Shoot this, run over here, break a few limbs, drive at break neck speeds, take a picture,... and save for a few short stealth sequences that's pretty much the whole package. So we have the inherent variety that goes with the territory of an open-world action game, but not exactly all that much inspiration to go above and beyond the norm.
    This being an open-world game, we expect extra-curricular activities as well. Unfortunately this might be where the game falls short. There are a few possible activities: pretending you're playing a fashion sim and buying clothes (complete with ridiculous outfits completely breaking any semblance of immersion), races, drug-busts, stealing or hijacking certain vehicles,... but they're relatively scarce, far too easy and repetitive. If it wasn't for their XP bonuses, I would have simply ignored all of them.
    Speaking of experience, there are a few variants of it. Triad XP unlocks powerful melee moves; Police XP unlocks vehicle and gun abilities; and Face unlocks some passive abilities and allows you to buy better clothes . A fairly simple mechanic that I wouldn't even have mentioned if it wasn't a bit broken. Triad XP is far harder too accrue than Police XP, which tends to result in you not having access to some of the more spectacular abilities until the very end of the game. Wouldn't be a problem if there was enough content to keep you satisfied after the main story's finished, but alas, their goal of a condense gaming experience also means replayability/longevity is fairly low for a game of the genre.

    ...and I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to bend that way
    Anyone who's ever played Arkham Asylum or its sequel will feel immediately at home when firing up Sleeping Dogs to go look for a bit of a scuffle. You're not required to spend a half hour or more getting used to controls and overly complicated button combinations. No, Wei Shen follows Batman's example and uses a deceptively simple control scheme to show off its ultraviolence. Far more important than the dexterity of your fingers is keeping your eyes open and trusting your reflexes. Once you're in the flow of combat, you can dispatch mooks by the dozens. However in the early stages of the game it's not a walk in the park either, your flow can be brutally interrupted by countering an attack too slowly or misjudging an enemy's weaknesses. And when your rivals hit back, they hit hard.
    While fun, its not without its flaws. Controls aren't always as responsive as they should be which is especially infuriating when attempting to counter, and the AI is at times questionable. Especially their irritating tendency to not gang up on you and instead attack you in sequence Hollywood-style, can be rather immersion-breaking. Yes, I feel like a badass when it allows me to defeat a dozen mooks without a sweat, but it doesn't feel appropriate in such a grounded game.
    I'm not much of a fan of the gunplay either, it feels imprecise and the auto-aim when using a controller was quite jarring, but it manages to do the job adequately. Regardless, unless the enemy comes at you guns blazing, you'll prefer to bash heads in manually.


    Conclusion
    Wait...what? I'm not supposed to kill cops when undercover?
    Sleeping Dogs two top contenders are of course GTA IV and Saint's Row 3, so is there room at the top for United Front Games' newborn? In my opinion, yes. The GTA franchise laid out the groundwork in a pleasurable mix of goofy randomness and criminal action; and where Saint's Row took the genre to new heights of ultra-violent absurdity and over-the-top slapstick, Sleeping Dogs underscores the seedy underbelly and brutality of crime, comfortably nesting itself in the dimly-lit back-alleys where the Triad foot soldiers make their home. If a sequel would focus just that little bit more on the curricular activities and go even deeper in the story's psychological aspects, then we might very well have a new king in the land of criminal open-world games.

    Gameplay: The game's meat and bones is decent all around, but it's the melee combat that will provide the fun.

    Atmosphere/Plot: A dense, action-packed thriller that will have you hooked until the credits roll.

    Sound and visuals: It's not top tier all-around, but there some pretty damn nice visuals out there.

    Replayability: You'll get about 15 hours from a single playthrough, and a few more if you really want to have done every single race and event. But for an open-world game, you kind of expect more.




    Manco's First Impressions: War of the Roses and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
    Manco's First Impressions: War of the Roses and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
    Manco's First Impressions: War of the Roses and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

    Impressions on decapitations and the mechanics of mercy-killing




    For the fourth time that evening I lock eyes with the dastardly Lord Dusty -it occurs to me that it's a rather silly name for a nobleman- twice I managed to overcome him but each time it left me near dead. Muscles tense up, weapons are drawn, challenges uttered and profanities hurled. Slowly we come nearer, we start to circle each other, test each other's reactions with feigned strikes. Then the fight starts in earnest, he lunges forward with his halberd, I bring up my shield and catch the powerful blow. While he reels back from the impact, I unleash a flurry of strikes with my sword. Alas, my shorter reach means I'm mostly hitting air, none the less one slash hits him in the arm. He recuperates fast, kicks me back, negating my close quarters advantage and readies a thrust. I try to block, but it's a feint and instead he mercilessly batters down on my head. Critically wounded I smash him with my shield and just flail away so he can't strike back but must focus on his defense. It seems my desperate attempts to push him back are more successful than I anticipated, I slash his unprotected neck and his head comes clean off. Gasping for air, I look around me and see how my team's offense has ground to a halt. I look to my health bar and think to myself “screw it” and throw myself in the confused mess that is the melee: “For Agathaaaaaa.”

    One references CoD, the other yells out Headshot. Is it a hipster thing? (WotR)
    It's as if the gods of gaming are in turn playing games with us. Years go by with no melee-focused MP games in sight, notable exception being Mount and Blade: Warband which I'm not that much of a fan of (boo, heresy!), and now two come out at nearly the same time: the third person game War of the Roses, henceforth WotR, and the first person-oriented Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, likewise now known as C:MW.
    Just because I had money to spare -or rather I thought I had, my apologies, grumbling stomach that hasn't seen solid food in days- I thought I'd be a sport and give my early impressions on both games to those who're holding off on buying either or both.

    Let me start by saying that this isn't an honest to god review, I haven't got enough hours under the belt to make that kind of definitive judgment. No, consider this a quick rundown of my first impressions, juxtaposing each game. (and I point you to the relevant threads in the other games subforum where several people have posted their experiences with both as well. Captain Arrrgh! and Comrade_Rory to name two members have also compared the two games in some of their posts.)


    Once upon a time... Don't expect anything plotwise, these are after all MP games. Never the less a quick word about the setting might be in order as, in my opinion, it shapes your expectations regarding the gameplay as well.
    WotR is situated during -what's in a name- the Wars of the Roses: a period of dynastic conflict pitting the House of Lancaster versus the House of York. This being 15th century warfare there's a large focus on plate armor and those weapons specifically designed to counter or circumvent its defensive capabilities. Generally the game stays loyal to the real-life setting; expect to see fairly elaborate armors brandishing colorful coats of arms, billhooks and halberds, crossbows and bows, two-handed swords and a variety of maces and axes. Some liberties have been taken, for example the usage of shields is a bit more prevalent in the game than it actually was during the era (if my rather tenuous grasp on history serves me correctly). Troops are completely custom, but roughly there are four types: ranged players, offensive and defensive melee and cavalry.

    C:MW on the other hand is based on a fantasy conflict where the evil Mason Order dukes it out with the righteous Agathian Knights. The fantasy setting allows them to give each side and class a more distinctive look as accuracy or plausibility give way to easy recognition. The weapons as well show off a few fantasy tropes, a humongous maul and a double-sided axe most prominently, but all in all it stays within the realm of low fantasy and doesn't delve into Warcraft-ish luminescent demonic swords or anything. Interestingly, the horse is absent in the Kingdom of Agatha, instead the game focuses completely on infantry.


    Knights in shining armor
    Hmm, what shall I wear today? (WotR)
    Your mileage may vary, but to me customization is pretty important in any MP game. I want to fine-tune my load-out, let people know who killed them and I want to be able to survey the battlefield to spot those players that just humiliated me, usually in hopes of returning the favor.

    Both games come with a fair amount of functional customization, which is to say the class, armor and weapons you'll be brandishing. WotR comes with 30 different weapons, most of which can be customized even further with specific pommels, edges,... and 3 types of armor that can again be further customized with specific pieces. Much of the fine-tuning will be barely noticeable for the casual player, however the depth is there for those who take their fights seriously.
    C:MW comes with a whopping 48 weapons (if I counted that correctly) spread out over 4 distinct classes, respectively the defensive brute that is the knight, the offensive vanguard specializing in longer and hard hitting weapons, the fleet footed men-at-arms and the archer whose name speaks for itself.

    Tools of war (C:MW)
    Visually, WotR allows for a lot more flair. Combine the various armors, their possible colorings and your personal coat of arms and each warrior on the battlefield looks fairly distinct. However while each soldier might be unique in the details, it does mean that telling friend from foe is sometimes quite difficult and you'll be overly reliant on the color of the floating name-tags instead.
    In C:MW, your look is decided by your faction and class. Apart from that it's simply your weapon that varies (luckily weapons, or at least their archetype of spear/sword/axe/..., is easily recognizable). There is a system in place for various helmets but at the time of writing only Kickstarter backers have access to an actual alternative helmet. Here's to hoping they'll add options for the masses as well.


    't Is but a flesh wound Gameplay-wise, WotR comes with 2 game modes; Team Deathmatch and Conquest. C:MW adds regular Deathmatch, King of the Hill and a duel mode. It must be said however that not only has C:MW more gamemodes, its objective based modes are significantly more elaborate. Where WotR's Conquest mode is simply capturing a few designated areas, C:MW's counterpart of Objective mode involves escort missions, destroying specific targets, regular capture zones,...

    Stabby stab stab! (WotR)
    The actual swordplay is fairly different as well. Both games reward precision, C:MW with critical hits and instant deaths by decapitation or chopping off of limbs, and WotR with massive damage on exposed or lightly armored body parts. Unfortunately, WotR's third person point of view kind of makes the precision meaningless as the perspective often throws you off, and this is despite precision potentially being more important in WotR's longer fights.
    The fights potentially being longer is mostly due to the prevalence of plate armor and the various damage types having different effects on the armors. Your trusty arming sword might make short work of an archer in nothing but cloth, engaging an armored knight might mean several harmless deflections and even when a hit connects, damage might be mostly absorbed. Conversely, your large axe or billhook are almost assured to do at least some damage when hitting, the problem becomes actually landing a hit since axes and pole arms have much smaller heads. That is where the aforementioned accuracy would come into play by hitting the exposed face or the joints, but the third person view makes it feel clumsy to me. Customizing your weapons might alleviate some your ineffectiveness and enhance your play-style, in the end I still feel I lack some sort of feedback in order to better gauge my strikes.
    C:MW on the other hand uses a simpler model. Instead of having to make sure your weapon's actual head connects with the enemy, you just point and strike in one of three ways, at which point your weapon will hit anything it comes into contact with. Practically it means you don't have WotR's minimum range to account for. Likewise for the damage model, some classes are better at soaking up damage and hitting some body-parts hurts -a lot- more than others but you won't have your strikes deflected or absorbed wholesale by armor. It's just a matter of how large your health pool is.

    WotR's control scheme uses the movement of the mouse to direct your swings and feints, combined with timing your right mouse button for blocks. C:MW instead opts to give every function its own key, i.e. a swipe is done with the left mouse button, a thrust by rolling the mouse wheel downwards and an attack is feigned by following it up with Q.
    Both systems have its advantages and faults, and preference will mostly be personal I reckon.
    Personally however, C:MW's approach feels more intuitive after the initial few hours. A duel in C:MW can become an adrenaline-fueled game of chicken, trying to goad the other into dropping his defences, each person carefully maneuvering, knowing positioning and reflexes can stop or avoid pretty much any attack, giving you a window of opportunity to strike unopposed. And once that opportunity is taken, the fights are basically decided. Combat is quick and brutal, and just feels more visceral in C:MW. As mentioned before, WotR's fights are potentially longer, but button spamming is also more likely to occur.


    The sights and sounds of a battlefield
    You try and take screens when fighting real people! (C:MW)
    For the graphic whores among us there's a clear victor. WotR is simply put a beautiful game. Foggy battlefields, glistening arms and armors,... at times you'll feel as if you've gotten lost on the set of Riddley Scott's latest movie. The art direction as well is quite good. Being based on actual history, pretty much everything is a digital reproduction of real armaments and looks the part.
    Likewise the maps are good-looking, and often of a fairly decent size. Good-looking doesn't always mean interesting however and level design is often spotty, especially the wide expanses, roofs and battlements favoring archers too much at times.
    C:MW on the other hand feels as if the production values are quite a bit lower. Perhaps its history in the Half-Life 2 modding scene has something to do with it or perhaps its because I know the current Unreal engine is capable of much more, but it all feels less like a triple A product and more like an elaborate mod. Of note is also the hammy voicework, I get how it fits in the fantasy atmosphere, but it sounds cheap.
    Maps feel more condensed in C:MW, and often more linear as they are designed for the Objective mode. This isn't a bad thing however, it means your enemies are easy to find regardless of the number.


    What will the future bring? The developers of both games have already promised to deliver an array of free content and customization updates, so if you're undecided whether you'll buy one or both, it might pay off to play the waiting game. Of course you'll run the risk of walking into a deserted wasteland by then.
    Can't wait? They're both cheaper than most games, with C:MW being a tad cheaper still, and both will give you quite a few hours of enjoyment.

    If I have to recommend one of them at this stage, I would advise you to go with Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. Maybe it's simply because it's fresher in my mind, but I recall having more fun with it. And pure, simple-minded entertainment is the main goal of a game like this.




    List of Contributors/Other
    List of Contributors
    List of Contributors


    Confederate Jeb - Editor/Writer
    I've got a list of cool games for you all to try if you have time/money. If you're looking for a unique game try Rock of Ages. Monty Python-esque cutscenes combined with a unique strategy version of bowling makes for a fun if somewhat brief experience. Rovio's new Bad Piggies is also hilarious, and is well worth the extra cost on PC if you are like me and have a dumb phone. And finally the rerelease of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle has come to the Xbox 360. This is one of the games that defined my childhood, and is probably the last great sonic game that came out. You all will be able to catch me playing Borderlands 2 or Minecraft on the Xbox most of the time though, so feel free to hit me up if I'm online.


    apple - Writer
    I'm currently still spending most of my time playing minecraft, and with the recent update it doesn't look all to well for other games. Still I've been spending more and more time with Crusader Kings 2; a game that surely will keep me in it's grips now that the second big expansion has been released.


    Manco - Writer
    Taking a final stab at the MMO genre with Guild Wars 2, which I suspect will sap away what little time I have for the coming few weeks.
    Whenever I get sick of looking at my toon's behind, I'm back in Rapture, splicing it up; or roaming the battlefields of, err, Battlefield 3.
    I might also be in a certain beta of a F2P sci fi game, but I can't talk about that.


    Leonidas the Lion- Writer
    I'm new to YouTube and have started uploading gaming vids. Most of them are Let's Play but I've been known to dabble in co-op as well! I'm currently playing Guild Wars 2, Alan Wake, Darksiders 2, Battlefield 3 and Left 4 Dead 2.


    Daily - Writer
    I am Daily and for the month of October I have been throwing myself at several games that you might enjoy. Dwarf Fortress I have been playing again and delving into the complex world of dwarves, ale and digging to unknown horrors. If you can't get into Dwarf Fortress for several reasons I recommend Gnomoria a small but charming management game where you dig, build and grow. There hasn't only been kingdom building in this big Norwegians heart but also murder and death. I recently acquired Chivalry: Medieval Warfare and it is truly brutal. Get if you want a fast paced hack'n'slash experience. Ohh and of course Prison Architect but you kind of already knew that.



    StealthEvo - Writer
    I'm the Jeremy Clarkson of TWC.


    Legio - Contributor
    Special thanks go to Legio for overseeing the further development of the Gamer's Gazette, and for putting up with all of my questions.


    Check out the other Content publications!





    Last edited by Confederate Jeb; July 17, 2013 at 10:56 AM.

  2. #2
    Legio's Avatar EMPRESS OF ALL THINGS
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    A fabulous issue, JEB. All men must read this.

  3. #3

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Hey guys,

    There are some really good articles in this. I really approve the overall quality of the articles in the GG. In my opinion this is what writing is. No AAR stuff or storytelling but good articles with an good funded opinion. This is what you can show in your job interview if you ever intend to work for an gaming website or magazine

    I suggest tough that you won't release the next issue with such an information bump. Its way to much for the casual reader to read all articles, and you would get way more publicity with an own - subforum, where you create a new thread and lay-out for each article. Then add tags, and the views will come in fast

    +rep for the contributes.


  4. #4

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Impersive!

  5. #5
    Aikanár's Avatar no vaseline
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    An awesome issue guys! I'm really loving it


    Son of Louis Lux, brother of MaxMazi, father of Squeaks, Makrell, Kaiser Leonidas, Iskar, Neadal, Sheridan, Bercor and HigoChumbo, house of Siblesz

    Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.

  6. #6
    Bernardius's Avatar Decanus
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Thanks for the work involved in these articles! Very interesting and exciting to read!
    EB II is finally out! ...NOW!!!...

  7. #7

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Thanks for reading guys! Please give the writers a lot of rep; they've worked extremely hard over the past two months and are the reason the publication is an awesome piece of work.

  8. #8
    Boustrophedon's Avatar Grote Smurf
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    I loved the review of War of the Roses by Manco and pretty much agree on everything

    Great issue altogether and will spread some rep when I can!

  9. #9
    apple's Avatar Searching for 42
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Great to finally see this out.
    Son of Legio
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  10. #10
    Kjertesvein's Avatar Remember to smile
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    *Grinds my hands togather*

    Thanks. I have not read all of it yet, so I don't know what to say jet, but I know one thing - I won't do much else at work tomorrow, then reading this.

    Quote Originally Posted by Confederate Jeb View Post
    Thanks for reading guys! Please give the writers a lot of rep; they've worked extremely hard over the past two months and are the reason the publication is an awesome piece of work.
    I would like to spread some rep. I have a thesis on how to make sure your team is well payed in rep for their work:

    I'm part of the War of the West team, and we added "rep" buttons directly in the credit. Everyone could easily give rep, right there, without having to look for posts to rep. Look at the lower par of the OP here for the example we use: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=493154

    I got 10 rep for that single "rep" button myself.

    ~Wille

    ~Wille
    Last edited by Kjertesvein; November 01, 2012 at 08:38 PM.
    Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga
    I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
    - The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.













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    Quote Originally Posted by Finn View Post
    This is the only forum I visit with any sort of frequency and I'm glad it has provided a home for RTR since its own forum went down in 2007. Hopefully my donation along with others from TWC users will help get the site back to its speedy heyday, which will certainly aid us in our endeavor to produce a full conversion mod Rome2.

  11. #11
    Leonidas The Lion's Avatar Until we win! Or die.
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Great job to my fellow writers!
    Quote Originally Posted by Jom View Post
    When using the stick and carrot approach, remember that what you have to do is shove the carrot up their arse and then beat them with the stick.
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  12. #12
    Akaie's Avatar Sangi Ukon'e no Chūjō
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Sleeping Dogs and War of the Roses/Chivalry. I am going to enjoy this one. Excellent work guys .

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  13. #13

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Don't forget, if you want to have the chance to earn a PlanetSide 2 beta key, you need to answer the question What game do you most regret buying?

  14. #14
    Shankbot de Bodemloze's Avatar From the Writers Study!
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Aye, great work everyone. The exposure column was a good read.

    Oh and the game I regret buying the most?

    Civ 5.

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  15. #15

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Nice write up on war of the roses and chivalry. For me obviously the historical authenticity of WOTR wins every time.

    This kind of attn to detail has me happy enough..
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Last edited by Confederate Jeb; November 02, 2012 at 10:27 PM. Reason: Spoilers added.

    Sail your ship as part of a fleet. Devs previously worked on: Darthmod, World of Warplanes, World of Tanks, RaceRoom, IL2-Sturmovik, Metro, STALKER and many other great games..

  16. #16
    Menumorut's Avatar Ducenarius
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Impersive!

    »MY GRAPHIC WORKSHOP« UNDER THE PARONAGE OF G☼D HIMSELF »MY ROMEII FAN ART«

  17. #17
    Narf's Avatar Reach for the Stars.
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Love from Narf.

  18. #18

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Only one participant in our sweepstakes? Unacceptable! Let's go people, answer the question What game do you most regret buying? and have a chance at winning one of two PlanetSide 2 beta keys.

  19. #19
    Shankbot de Bodemloze's Avatar From the Writers Study!
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    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Aww so I don't automatically win?

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  20. #20

    Default Re: The Gamer's Gazette - Volume 1, Issue 2

    Well, guess nobody wants those PlanetSide 2 Beta keys. Absolutely nobody.

    Wait, what?...

    ...I have just been informed that Shankbot is, in fact, not a "nobody," and therefore qualifies to win our prize. Congrats to Shankbot!

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