minecraft projec

 

minecraft projec

 

Diablo 3: Heavy armor is for wimps!

Who needs heavy armor? Definitely not the Diablo 3 Monk class.



What he lacks in armor and durability he certainly makes up with speed and offensive power. Add some useful abilities to buff himself and friendly characters and you've got a very effective means to take on the demonic hordes. (Joystiq's original article)

Games to play when you're ill

It's not very nice being ill and while being able to stay in bed all day is appealing at first, it soon gets dull. Thankfully though video games are on hand to make you feel better and the only effort they require is putting a disk into a drive. Here are a few games to help you get past the sick feeling and on the road to recovery.

Plants vs Zombies
A simple, colourful and addictive game. Plants Vs Zombies is particularly good as it's now available on most smart phones. What could be better than fending of undead legions from the comfort of your own bed?

Skyrim
Unfortunately being ill often means that you're not going to be able to go outside, so no fresh air or wondrous sunshine for you! Lucky though Skyrim is on hand to provide a stunning world for you to explore. From the sun covered valleys to the snow topped mountains, you're free to explore them all.

Modern Warfare 3
As you're ill you probably want to forget all about the misery that comes with a nasty cold. What better way to escape than with a few rounds of Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer? Just be sure to disconnect your headset when playing. No one wants to hear someone sneeze down the microphone.

Article: Why I still loved Mass Effect 3

As far as trilogies go Mass Effect has been one of the biggest the games industry has ever seen and while a number of people complained about it, there was one particular mechanic that left me feeling particularly impressed.

In the single player game you control Shephard as they travel the galaxy collecting what is referred to as 'War Assets'. A war asset is something that will make a significant difference in the fight against the Reapers and can be anything from a special character to a full sized fleet of ships, each asset is given it's own point value indicating how big a contribution they will make. A progress bar is used to indicate how close you are to having enough assets to begin the fight against the Reapers. It sounds straight forward but unfortunately each asset is affected by what is known as 'Galactic Readiness', this extra factor determines how much of each assets value will be applied and is determined by how much you play the multiplayer game. As an added layer of complexity the 'Galactic Readiness' decreases over time. 

So in order to do well in the single player you're forced to play online, don't worry though as Bioware have really made sure it's an enjoyable experience. Selecting a character class from the wide range of options you are dropped into a horde mode style of play and forced to face wave after wave of enemies, occasionally completing a mission with your allies where possible. As you complete each round your character will gain experience and be given the option to purchase new items, like guns or armor mods. Given enough playtime you will even be able to promote your character so that they become a war asset. 

If you're still concerned about the readiness decreasing when you aren't playing online then you'd probably want to investigate the 'Mass Effect 3 Data pad'. This handy little app has a number of features including a fully voiced codex, messages that are sent from "characters" in game, and best of all a 'Galaxy at War' mini game. This mini game allows you to dispatch fleets of ships to key areas, liberating them from Reaper control and increasing readiness as they go. In some way it reminds me a of a browser based game called 'Planetarion'.

Single player, multiplayer and even external mini games all working together to immerse me in the conflict between the Reapers. It was an enjoyable experience and while I was lucky to have the time to play online, and an iOS device to run the app it's one that really elevated Mass Effect 3 in my eyes.

Goodbye Game

While I only worked at a Gamestation store for a short while, I still remember how great it was to be there. Every single one of my colleagues was a great person to work with and some of the customers that came into the store could really brighten up your day.

I remember on one occasion I spent a whole day explaining to someones grandma what all the different consoles did, what the differences were and ultimately which one their grandchild would probably prefer.  I was just talking about a hobby that I loved but the woman in question was so grateful she insisted on seeing the manager. She then proceeded to tell the manager about what a great job I had done and how polite I was. Until the day that I left people would still wind me up about that moment but it was alright because almost everyone else there had similar stories.

What made Gamestation so great was that the people really enjoyed what they did. Each member of staff knew their hobby well, thanks in no small part to the company. Policies that allowed staff to borrow copies of games so they could play test them and improve their knowledge when talking to customers. Product nights where we talked about what was coming up soon over pizza and games of Ghost Recon. Even the staff discount which allowed me to purchase my first Xbox 360.

So now with Gamestation and Game going into administration,  I'm more than a little saddened.

I'm not worried about the staff, they were a clever and enthusiastic bunch who I'm sure will find work soon. Instead if disheartens me to know all those experiences I was fortunate to have will be lost.

Well here we are again....

HI again everyone! How've you been? I've been gaming... as usual. I got some new games lately! Got an Xbox360, along with kinect, Sonic Generations, Gears of war 3 and Dante's Inferno. I also got The Sims 3 for PC. So I have a lot of awesome gaming goin on here. I'll be sure to tell you guys what i think of them, and probably give you info about them. ;)

Btw, I'm going to take a few requests. Anything art or game related (or both) you want me to do, just comment.
Goodbye for now, but I'll be back when I have time!

~ SkyeBlue

News: Borderlands 2 Launch Trailer

If that trailer wasn't enough then there's also the release date.

"Borderlands 2 kicks off a new era of Shoot and Loot on September 18th in the US and September 21st Internationally!"

Looks good doesn't it?

News: Pokemon Yellow on iTunes? Not quite

An unauthorized copy of Pokemon Yellow recently appeared on Apple's App Store and quickly rose to number 3 on the paid chart as fans of the series snapped it up. Sadly though they quickly realised that the game wouldn't progress past the loading screen and were really victims of a scam.

The game that was billed as being "just like the original" featured screen shots that were actually from Pokemon Leaf Green/Fire Red.

Review: Genkibowl 7

Being a fan of Saints Row the Third, despite its numerous bugs and lacking storyline, I was quite looking forward to the release of the Genkibowl VII DLC. Not only would I get to spend some more time in the chaotic city of Steelport but I'd have an opportunity to achieve some of the more difficult accomplishments.

Genkibowl VII opens up a new set of missions for the player ranging from the combat based Apocalypse Genki to Sexy Kitten Yarngasm which plays like a game of Katamari Damacy

gone bad. The rewards for completing these missions are a few extra homies, some nice looking vehicles and a number of bizarre looking costume options.

While “Sad Panda Sky blazing” and “Sexy Kitten Yarngasm” are the good wholesome and ever so slightly demented pieces of fun you'd expect from a Saints Row game, the“Super Ethical PR Opportunity” and “Angry Tiger's Apocalypse Genki”missions are so similar to existing diversions that you begin to feel a little cheated. Annoyingly they're all fairly limited in number which makes it possible to complete this piece of DLC in a matter of hours.

Perhaps taking a levelled character with his infinite health and ammunition was my mistake but I would imagine a number of people would be using the same characters they've completed the original game with. Couldn't the missions have at least disabled some of these abilities to make it a bit more challenging?

There are still some good sides though which make Genkibowl VII worth purchasing. The new homies make interesting companions as you travel the streets of Steelport and the dialogue, as with every Saints Row game, is often laugh out loud funny.

If you find yourself desperate for a Saints Row fix and have completed everything else Steelport has to offer then try Genkibowl VII, at the very least it's a bit more time in a game you probably already love. Just don't expect it to last.

Hello Again!

Hi everyone! It's SkyeBlue here and I'm back! I know it's been a while since i've posted, but I hope to bring this blog back to life! Prepare for a post later on, I'll tell you what I've been doing!

~ SkyeBlue

Valentines Day!

Hopefully you haven't forgotten but if you have then Jemma Salume has you covered!

Now quickly! Print it off and turn it into a card before you're Fus Rah Done for!

News: Spaaaaaace!

PC gamers should consider themselves very lucky! Not only was the long awaited Creation Kit made available for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but a high resolution texture pack was released too. This official modification will allow players to experience Skyrim like never before. As if that wasn't enough Valve and Bethesda have teamed up to create the Space Sphere Mod, which contains this little guy;

Spaaaaaaaace! The space loving personality sphere will be available in Skyrim as a companion following the Dovahkiin as they continue their epic quest!

News: Hail to the... Queen?

Lollipop Chainsaw casts you in the role of zombie hunter and cheerleader Juliet Starling who, armed with nothing more than a chainsaw, sets out to liberate her zombie infested school San Romero. Her only backup is the disembodied head of her boyfriend. It sounds insane doesn't it? Well here's the trailer;

Looks like fun doesn't it? What makes this game even more interesting is the announcement of preorder bonus costumes. This is what Joystiq had to say;

"Amazon will allow you to dress Juliet in "Rockabilly" gear, Best Buy offers "Goth Girl" and "Foxy Funk," and GameStop includes an Evil Dead Ash costume. It's a cute visual reference and it's practical clothing!"

Evil dead references? How could you possibly go wrong.

News: Microsoft points to be phased out

According to an article on Inside Mobile Apps Microsoft are phasing out the use of Microsoft points in favour of using the appropriate currency for the country.

"By the end of 2012, all transactions will be based on the region set on the purchasing account and real money will be used to purchase all Windows Phone content. The move puts the Windows Phone Marketplace in line with the purchasing practices used in the App Store and the Android Market."


No indication has been given as to what will happen with those of us with Microsoft points after this date so it might be prudent to spend them now.

News: Skyrim 1.4 Beta

For those who haven't seen them yet here are the patch notes for Skyrim 1.4 update;

NEW FEATURES

• Skyrim launcher support for Steam Workshop (PC)

BUG FIXES

• General optimizations for memory and performance
• Fixed occasional issue with armor and clothing not displaying properly when placed on mannequin's in player's house. (PS3)
• Improved compiler optimization settings (PC)
• Long term play optimizations for memory and performance (PS3)
• Memory optimizations related to scripting
• Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
• Fixed crash in Haemar's Shame if player had already completed "A Daedra's Best Friend"
• Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
• Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
• Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
• Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
• Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
• Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player's home
• Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player's house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
• Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
• Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
• Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
• Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
• Fixed memory crash with container menu
• Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
• Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor's Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
• Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
• Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

QUEST FIXES

• The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing "Diplomatic Immunity"
• In "Breaching Security", the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
• Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if "Season Unending" was an active quest
• Fixed issue where starting "Season Unending" after finishing "Joining the Stormcloaks" would prevent "The Jagged Crown" from starting properly.
• Fixed issue progressing through "Message to Whiterun" while "Season Unending" was still open would block progression for both quests.
• In "Arniel's Endeavor", fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
• In "Forbidden Legend", the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
• Fixed rare issue in "Forbidden Legend" where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpose unaccessible
• In "The White Phial", the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
• "The White Phial" will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
• Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing "A Night to Remember"
• Fixed issue where leaving Riften during "A Chance Arrangement" would prevent quest from progressing
• In "Darkness Returns", a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
• In "Under New Management", if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
• "Onmund's Request" will now start properly if player has already found Enthir's staff before receiving this quest
• Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
• "Repairing the Phial" will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
• Finding Pantea's Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
• In "The Coming of the Dawn", fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
• Fixed rare issue in "The Mind of Madness" where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
• Fixed issue in "Pieces of the Past" where Mehrunes Dagon's Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
• "Blood's Honor" will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
• Fixed rare issue where "Dampened Spirits" would not start properly
• Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
• Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine woud block progression for "No One Escapes Cidhna Mine"
• Fixed numerous issues with "Blood on the Ice" not triggering properly
• In "Blood on the Ice", Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
• In "The Cure for Madness", killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
• Fixed rare issue in "To Kill an Empire" where an NPC would fail to die properly
• Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting "Boethiah's Champion" no longer prevents quest from starting.

Looks like alot of issues will be fixed! For those of you who are feeling quite brave it's possible to try the beta version of the update. All you need to do is;

1. Start up steam.
2. Click on "Steam".
3. Click on settings.
4. Click the "Change" button under Beta Participation.
5. On the dialog that appears select Skyrim Beta.

Don't forget to backup your save files first!

Funny: Macho Dragon

For no reason other than it made me laugh. Enjoy.

News: Mass Effect 3 Specifications released!

As well as the news of the upcoming demo, which will be available on February 14, Bioware have revealed the minimum specification for the upcoming finale to the Mass Effect series.

Mass Effect 3 System Requirements

Minimum Spec:

OS - Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1, Win 7
CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (equivalent AMD CPU)
RAM: 1GB for XP / 2GB RAM for Vista/Win 7
Disc Drive: 1x speed
Hard Drive: 2.5 GB of free space
Video: 256 MB* (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support)
*Supported chipsets: NVIDIA 7900 or better; ATI X1800 or better. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 9300, 8500, 8400, and 8300 are below minimum system requirements, as are AMD/ATI Radeon HD3200, HD3300, and HD4350. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.
Sound: DirectX 9.0c compatible
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c August 2009 (included)


Recommended Spec:

OS: Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1, Win 7
CPU: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (equivalent AMD CPU)
RAM: 2GB for XP / 4GB RAM for Vista/Win 7
Disc Drive: 1x speed
Hard Drive: 2.5 GB of free space
Video: AMD/ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB or greater, NVidia GeForce 9800 GT 512 MB or greater
Sound: DirectX 9.0c compatible

Nothing particularly bank breaking. In fact if you've upgraded your PC for the likes of Battlefield 3 then you've already got a more than capable machine. While community man Chris Priestly says the specifications might change it's likely to be just the hard drive requirement.

News: Intel caught faking Ivy Bridge Demo

In a rather odd move Intel were caught faking the prowess of the Ivy Bridge HD Graphics 2500 GPU last night at CES 2012. During a play through of F1 2011 you can clearly see that the tell-tale controls of the VLC media player pop up as the demo begins. Here's a screen shot;

Strangely though Intel vice president and PC group general manager Mooly Eden carried on with the demonstration before saying that it was actually being played back stage.

A rather odd series of events considering the circumstances as well as the fact that there has been a working demonstration of the Ivy Bridge GPU. Intel have since responded by saying the video was used "for expediency".

Guide: Saints Row The Third. Matt Miller bug

Saints Row The Third is a fantastic game and those of you who haven't bought it should check it out now. Unfortunately though there is a nasty little bug that can prevent you from completing an important mission.

The cause of the problem!

During Deckers.Die you encounter a larger than life boss in a virtual world. As you bring his health down a cut scene should occur where you copy his form and proceed to kick butt . Unfortunately those of us who updated on the 360 won't get the cutscene and find the boss just vanishes leaving you stranded in cyber purgatory. Thankfully though there is a work around. Just clear your system cache and ensure you don't download any further updates. While this has the side effect of having to redownload updates for your other games it seems to be the only way to consistently to avoid this bug. Here's how to clear your system cache.

To clear the system cache

• Press the Guide button on your controller, go to Settings, and select System Settings.
• Select Storage or Memory
• Highlight any storage device, and then press Y on your controller. (It doesn't matter which storage device you select; the cache will be cleared for all storage devices.)
• Select Clear System Cache.
• When prompted to confirm storage device maintenance, select Yes.