The Holiday Break

Last week seemed to fly by, sort of. It was a productive week for meeting with family that I haven’t seen in well over ten years. So in that regard it was worth it and pleasant. But back to work this week.

On the eight hour road trip that it takes to get form here to the town in which my family lives in. I was able to do some good work on the D&D campaign. I developed NPC’s, a major hook, major plot, side plots, and other little things that will help me piece together an actual campaign worth playing. One of the major things that I’m really excited about is the Story Hook that will take them form point A to point B.

To get an idea of what I’m working,

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“You’re sitting in the town’s tavern, The Blue Flagon as patrons slowly begin to ween out in the night and retire to their homes. It’s been a long day for these people but you can’t seem to tell why and the people are reluctant to trust you. That is until you hear a loud crash come from outside the tavern. Something is happening. Something bad. You rush out of the tavern to see that the gates you only just walked through are engulfed in flames. Roll a dexterity check.”

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This is just a simple hook but what I hope will lead to so much more in the coming days. As far as the players characters are concerned they are finished and ready for the character sheets. And I have to say I’m a little excited to see how some of them play out.

We have

• Set the Half-Elf Warrior
• Xander the  Human Cleric for the Deity of Tyr
• Dobby a High Elf Sorcerer
• Ralakas a Tiefling Rouge

The interesting thing about this group is that their character profiles are all across the board. So I’m expecting that at some point in time they will clash when it comes to what is right and wrong in a very serious way that could alter my story which gives me a minor migraine but also keeps me on my toes when it comes to adapting my world to their decisions. I look forward to sharing more.

A Friday Night

My sister called me the other day and one of the first things on the agenda to talk about was of course the election, her state of being, and then ultimately my state of being. She asked “Are you doing okay. Like okay, okay, or just eh-okay.” I told her it’s probably a mix of them all. I couldn’t really tell. Even now I can’t tell. It’s like being in a drifting state where everything seems upside down and odd.

We spoke on the phone for a good while and I expressed that I felt that with this election all that has taken place nothing I want to do with myself seems possible or important for that matter. Just because, you know, there are bigger things out there that matter more than me. But I have to understand that in my life the things that matter to me in the long run are important. They do matter. But, I can also make a difference in those other things that I believe in. I won’t express what those “things” are because I want to stay away from politics, for now at least, but that shit weighs on me. I think for so long I tried to be indifferent about it but at this point in our history as humans I can’t really ignore it. So we bounced feelings off of one another while I played the Overwatch PTR to give Sombra a test run. It helped. Made me feel that yes I can feel like a human who wants to help others and inspire other to bring about change in this world and time while also pursuing my passions and dreams. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier.

As I sit here and write this on a Friday night at 11:53 pm I’m just thinking about the things that I need to do and by the Eight (Because Talos was a human and not an Aedra so that means not by the Nine) it’s a lot of crap. I mean a lot. I got back into streaming again and it was okay. Not great but something weird started to happen. I was streaming Overwatch one night and OBS kept crashing I couldn’t figure out why. After doing some research on the forums it turns out that Windows 10 causes the crash and as of right now there is no fix. That’s according to OBS devs. They are adamant that it’s not OBS. So I will believe them and try to not be one of those people who rage over on the forums about their problems because they mean more than yours. Not my style. I’m more “The suffer in silence” kind of type. However, man-o-man is it always something that happens when I try to stream. One would think that maybe streaming isn’t something that is going to happen for me and maybe that’s true. Should it stop me it has in the past but I’m trying to endure it. 

Couple of things has caught my attention in the time that I wrote about whatever it was that I wrote. Dishonored 2 came out and I really truly enjoyed the first one but never finished it. So that kind of bummed me out because I didn’t want to play the new one without playing the other. Lucky me I bought the collection edition of Dishonored 2, yes the one with the badass replica Corvo mask, and it came with a digital copy of Dishonored. So like the champ that I am. I put Overwatch to the side for a while focused on Dishonored. I power played the hell out of that game but was still able to most of the content. Took about 25 hours but I forgot how good the story was and the DLC was phenomenal. With the finishing of that I couldn’t wait to play the second and it truly looks great. I look forward to beating it. 

I might have a thing about Dishonored but who the hell knows if I’ll ever get around to writing about that. Maybe I will. 

Also a couple years back I started learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons. I can’t remember why it was that I got into it. But when I did, man I embraced it like it was school all over again. Just because there is so much content and rules. Naturally this is something that I like to do because there is a ton of lore. Well we formed a group with some friends of mine and we started to play. However as with what happens to a lot of D&D groups we broke up and stopped playing. Recently I have been feeling the itch again so I called the old group to see if they would be interested in getting back into it. The reaction was a little better than I thought it’d be. The group is back together. Hopefully we can get together before the holiday to make the characters so I can get the campaign going here soon. That I know I will blog about just because it’s something that I did with the last campaign on Tumblr. Mostly because I just enjoy writing the content of what the group does and what I plan on doing in the future to them. It’s a good way to keep track of all the content for the group.

So that is all right now. Not too much going on. I’ll try harder to write because it’s important for my sanity, I hope.

Sombra Sombra Sombra!

Made a quick video for Sombra’s gear. I’m too excited about her. The Hype is real and I’m fan-boying hard. I plan to make more but honestly who knows but I am in love with Sombra already. I look forward to raging over the fact that I can’t play her very well in the near future.

Bates Motel Easter Egg in Overwatch?

As excited as I was when the Summer Games released their special collectible skins and what not. This Halloween one is an omen of amazing things to come from Blizzard. I can’t get over how awesome this patch is.

It’s so good! So ghoul?

Also this has to be a bates motel thing, right?

Patch 7.1 Reveled for WoW:Legion

World of Warcraft Legion is here. And only being a week into it’s life so is the reveal of the next major patch, “Return to Karazhan.” Veterans of World of Warcraft will gather together once more wear their finest garments for the return to a palace where the former great Medivh once called home

Patch 7.1  according to Wowpedia will feature:

• A new 5-man Karazhan dungeon with nine bosses
• A “Small Raid” within the Emerald Nightmare and the Nighthold to conclude the Stormheim story line
• Add on content to the Suramar story to continue the Nightfallen story line 

The patch is expected to release on the Public Testing Server (PTS) within the month of September.

Join the conversation on the Blizzard Forums: Patch 7.1: Return to Karazhan

“You are not prepared!”No, I was not.

Legion has dropped this week and as expected it has taken my attention like an uncontrollable green storm. It’s pretty fantastic. In the next couple of paragraphs or so Ill do the best to remain as spoiler free as possible. Now it’s worth mentioning that I’m not that very far but some amazing things have happened so far.

Legion begins almost exactly where Burning Crusade left off. If you start as Demon Hunter which, of course is the new class. They’re pretty fun I will say but if I’m having to rush into battle in the name of Azeroth. I’m heading in as my Night Elf Druid, Taurile.  Ah, I remember the first time she and I ventured out into the world and began questing. She was once a lowly druid scouring the grounds of Darnasus for herbs and roots. Studying the whisper of the tress and ways of the beast that roamed them. That is until the call came that it was time for her to leave her novice life behind and head into the world and fight in the name of Elune and the Alliance. With me at the helm and the love of all Night Elfs in my heart there was no way we could fail, but we did because playing a game like WOW has a pretty steep learning curve. Frankly, I’m still learning to this day.

This expansion is no different. When it comes to learning curves that is. I did not play much of the prologue for Legion and I kind of regret that. Mostly because I’m unfamiliar with the changes that have gone into this game. Plus I’m terribly under-geared for a solo play through. Which is why im taking it slow so I can learn the new styles, sets, changes, and a ton of other stuff im putting off to learn. But that’s okay all in good time I suppose.

!SPOILER ALERT ! You’ve been warned!

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The prologue of this game immediately sets the tone that this is going to be the final battle for many. This is the battle that is going to determine everyone’s fate and if the right people don’t lay down their lives, there will be Hell to pay. You eat your last meal, receive a blessing, polish your blade for what could be the last time, and it’s time to go. You take an air ship to the Broken Isles because the Legion has burst through the lines that once held them at bay, but no more. They have arrived.

This is the part of the game where I got to experience something that I have never experienced the entire time I have played WOW. A massive group of people playing at one time. I’ve always heard people talk about the “good ol’days” where Burning Crusade was where the true fans made their marks in the game and where massive amounts of people populated servers forging full blown player economies. I can finally joins those ranks of players, for how long, where that’s up to end game content to decide. But getting back to the game. As my massive group of players pass mob after mob we finally make our way to the final boss, Guldan.

The final boss battle leads into some amazing cut scenes that putting into words would do no justice and because there are two version of that outcome it’d be way too long. So I’ll just link the videos. Again…

SPOILERS!

 

The ending of this intro really put it all into perspective and it was infuriating to see King Varian Wrynn and Vol’Jin die. The only solace I could take from this was that they both passed defending what they believed in. A better Horde. A better Alliance. A better Azeroth.

The game tugs on your heart strings in every way. There have been scenes that have literally broken my heart because you spend so much time learning their story and investing in these characters that you feel awful to see them go. But again, this is a battle (expansion) where all those that need to will lay their lives down for Azeroth. It’s a hard pill to swallow but it’s the truth.

One of the best changes in Legion is the Guild Hall’s set for each type of hero. For Druids it’s the Dream Grove. The Dream Grove itself is often confused with the Emerald Dream because of how pure it is in both spirit and nature. It may not be the Emerald Dream but it’s as close as it can get in the physical world of Azeroth. It’s no wonder why Druids would call this place home.

There have been a myriad of changes to World of Warcraft so far and people have already deemed this expansion the best yet. All this with only being officially a week into its release. It’s a great sign to see WoW reigning like it has in the past because it proves that when the call is made the heroes of Alliance and Horde will come out in full force and fend off any threat the Legion thinks they can throw.

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Just a little heads up. I’m working on a bio/intro on my Druid and her adventures through out Legion. So far it reads fairly well and I’m excited to see it grow. Because man-o-man do we have some tales to tell. I’ll post more soon!

Streaming Is On My Mind Yet Again

Monday: 8/22

The other night I came home from work which was the first Midnight Launch of the year. Fun stuff right? Not really the game that came out was Madden 17 and contrary to what the game might advertise it hasn’t much changed since the last time I played a Madden which was 2008 when Vince Young was on the cover in a Titan’s uniform. That seems like a lifetime ago now. But as I lied there preparing to fall asleep it hit me. That moment of realization that everything that you want to do might be for nothing. All the work that your have put into being the person you have always wanted to be in your head may need to be thrown out the window for a normal regular life.

Do you remember that episode of Spongebob where that guy wakes up with the same look every morning, brushes his teeth, drives to work, goes to work, comes home from work, and sleeps only to wash and repeat the next day. (Cringe) That’s something that I have tried to avoid my entire life. I much rather throw myself back into culinary and work a hot 8-9 hours, on my feet, and cooking food that brings me no passion. A sad kind of thought isn’t it. It’s just an uncomfortable feeling that I’m sure we have all felt at some point.

Monday: 8/30

What I’m trying to get at is that I have been considering jumping back into streaming, but I’m nervous. I feel like this third time could be the final and I’m approaching it as such this time around. I know this doesn’t have to be the final try. Hell, if you want to do something and you keep failing at it that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to quit at it. All it really means is that you’ve found a way to not do what you want to do. That may be redundant but in my head it sounds right. Right? Anyway, I’ve been putting the stream back together. Putting pieces where they should go, setting up the proper settings, I even went out a bought a new processor mostly for Legion and the amount of people that will flock to my server, but it’ll help with streaming. So that’s a win-win. I’m getting there however. I’m getting to a point where in my head I’m prepared to get back into streaming. It’s a reassuring feeling and for as scary as it can be it feels good to feel like I’m working toward something. That feeling in itself it motivating.

Hopefully an update will follow soon on what’s in the making.

(In the weak between the two entries I was setting things up. Installing new RAM a new CPU. Trying to get my head around what I’m trying to do. Meaning, running video feed, recording, editing, updating, testing and seeing how things look. It was a productive week as far as setting up a stream of some sort)

No Man’s Sky: Travel With Me

One of this year’s most anticipated titles has finally been released and has been out now for about two weeks. The game, No Man’s Sky and according to Steam the reviews for the game is practically at a dead lock. 49,257 reviews and 52% of those votes leave No Man’s Sky at a less than stellar “Mixed” review. But why? Did we over hype this game like we tend to do with every other game or did Sony and Hello Games just mislead us, it could be both. Regardless, No Man’s Sky is still a very unique game that inspires the gamer to embrace his or hers sense of adventure through time and space.

I haven’t yet put in the time that I wanted to in NMS and with Legion just around the corner I may not be able to fully give it my attention but it’s not going to keep me from trying. Collectively I have put in a little over 20 hours in NMS and so far from what I have done and what I have felt, it’s that the space odyssey game that is shrouded in mystery I have been looking for sense I finished Mass Effect for the third time.

The beginning of the game was a little rough I can admit. Mainly because I wasn’t really sure what I was playing. And when it comes to playing a game with limited direction the feeling of being overwhelmed by a new game can be defeating. Also it didn’t help that the red blob known as Atlas wasn’t much help in guiding me on my new found journey. So safe to say I spent the first hour or so trying to figure out the mechanics of the game. Honestly I’m still learning but the further I delve and the more words I learn throughout the planet the bigger fan I become.

NMS is at its core an immersion game. A game that drops you in the middle of a desolate planet with not much more advice other then “just survive.” It’s a lonely game that at times has made me feel exhausted about seeing the same mountain or hill over and over again. But to know that there might be something new just over the mountain range keeps me trekking along. Scouring the planet for a particular metal or element while your life support meter drops and the flashing of lights from your suit begins. This brings out the fact that this game isn’t just about exploring and discovery but it’s also about survive. When I play NMS or any game for that matter I easily let the want to adventure get the best of me. Luckily in most games it’s not such a bad thing because of the sand box map layout. However in NMS adventuring just a couple meters beyond a valley could really get you turned around, but If my feet can take me there. I’m going. The great thing that I realized on Sunday was that you can actually ping a marker in distance through the binoculars. Whether it be a trade hub, drop pod, or battered down shelter the marker tool helps keep you moving without getting to far from your target of interest. This for me makes the game that more immersive. Not only are they areas to save your game or to upgrade/sell your gear but they become these areas that you actually look forward to. They become areas of great relief after walking for hours on end in hopes to discover more of the games lore. This past Sunday I made it a personal mission to dig a little dipper in the language in the game and because there is no actual map of reference you just need to follow your feet. So I went. In a span of two days I discovered a fair amount of words. But the crown jewel was when I came across a massive stone that showed me more of the language which led me to understand that there is way more to this language then just game filler. I’m on a planet that is mostly inhabited by creatures native to this planet and yet there are stones with lore enlightenment willing to teach me. But because I was low on inventory, because I’m a hoarder, I needed to return back to my ship. It took me at least an hour to get back. Sure the marker said “Arrive in 21.00” but it doesn’t count if and when you get side tracked. On arrive I had this rye smile that I was home or at least somewhere where I knew where things were. Close to home as I’m going to get for now.

Which leads me into, what I think to be a very special part of the game, the alien interaction and their language. It’s not known why or how you arrived on this planet. Are you the last hope for some nearby dying planet that is looking to relocate or are you simply a rocket man burning out his fuse up in this galaxy alone. We don’t know yet. But we aren’t alone that’s for sure. The language is a key part throughout No Man’s Sky. If you want to trade you will need to know a few words so you don’t offend or scare one of the organic life forms. More importantly the language is going to further delve into the lore of NMS and with a game that is going to be further expanded through patches I would recommend that in this universe word farming is pivotal. Also to get a better understanding of what the language lore might bring in the future check out the official PlayStation Blog NMS a Universe Filled with Lore and Language.

All in all I enjoy No Man’s Sky. I look forward to finding new planets and species. Learning more languages and meeting new aliens. Sure it may have been subjected to over hype by us gamers and maybe we expected it to be so unique that maybe we can’t even appreciate it in our time, much like the Nintendo Game Cube. However No Man’s Sky is it’s own game and if you ever dreamed of drifting alone through space in hopes to find adventure and mystery No Man’s Sky is your game. Take it for what it is and not for what the mass media painted it to be. No Man’s Sky is a unique adventure and a breath of fresh air.

E3 2016

Another E3 is here and I’ll be honest and say I haven’t actually kept up all that much on what’s going on. Primarily because I worked yesterday morning, but I did however make it in time to see Sony run away with yet again the honors of slaying it on Day Zero.

With E3 here and live it brings about that feeling in me that makes me think, “How awesome it’d be to be there as a part of this industry.” This is now my fifth E3 that I’ve given my focus to and it seems that every year it feels the same. Not in a bad way but in a way that makes me feel renewed about my interest, passion, and overall gaming community. It’s a week where gamers all around the world sit on the edge of their seats and wait in anticipation to see what is lined up for the coming year and the near future.  It’s like Christmas in the summer, just better. It’s much more hopeful.

We are all so lucky now to live in a time where we have access to instant information via twitter and constant coverage thanks to sites like Youtube and Twitch.Tv. It’s a blessing but let me tell you I really do miss the G4Tv days where Adam Sessler, Morgan Webb, and Kevin Pereira ran the floor covering all the up to date info on what was going on during E3. It felt even more like a special event. I remember I had it all set up. Wake up in the morning, coffee, set up my laptop, iPhone, and TV. That would be my entire day. I spent all day sitting and watching live coverage and reading every update I could find. Even on games that I could care less about, but the point was that this was a time to learn and see what every company was doing. What they were planning, the moves they were making, the new IPs on the verge and what companies were teaming up with what console for the year. It was a time and still is that time to see the business side of the gaming world but most importantly the creative side of the gaming world.

Day zero is the show and conference king of E3. All the major Platforms come out to bring their best for E3. A couple years ago it was the release of the new “Next Gen Console” for all platforms, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. The head liners were the reveal of the “Xbox One”, “Nintendo Wii U”, and “PlayStation 4.”It was the best way to enter this new generation of console gaming, underlined comments via twitter, ridiculous console prices, crazy launch day requirements, and hopeful titles to carry these consoles into a new age. All I could remember was how excited I was about seeing console gaming on a new level. I was also a little scared because I knew it would cost money which at the time I didn’t have but excited none the less.

Yesterday brought forth that same excitement.

I went into work in the morning knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to have my phone out checking my twitter to see what is going on but I did however get a call.  It was around noon when the store phone rang. I answered and it was a guy asking me if it was possible to preorder the new Xbox One console. I was like “New console, didn’t that conference just start?” The guy on the phone says “Yep.”  I instantly in my head thought they are launching off their conference with the reveal of a new upgraded console. That can’t be good. What was funny was I actually said this to the guy on the phone and his response was too funny. He just kind of stuttered and said “Huh, yeah?”But for some time now we have all known that Microsoft has been slacking behind the PS4 in sales and popularity. So revealing a new console to hopefully change the way people look at Xbox was a must need move, but this isn’t the time to compare and contrast the two consoles. Maybe at the end of this week when all is said and done. However, being home in time to watch the Sony conference was amazing. Seeing the orchestra and the stage instantly set the tone for what was about to take place. It was a conference for games and the gamers that play them. “The drums, they are coming,” okay so I won’t reference Lord of the Rings too much, but the DRUMS! And then we saw it, him. This brutish, hulking of a man with familiar tattoos and the burliest of beards that even puts mine to shame. Stood there and arose from the shadows, Kratos. Kratos has been a figure head of the PlayStation since PS2 and to see his rebirth on the PS4 put a smile on my face for nearly an hour and eighteen minutes. Just thinking about it is giving me chills. This is the magic of E3 where anything can happen.

And we still have the rest of the week to delve deeper.

But this is truly why I love the gaming industry. Change is about and everyone is on edge to see what new games are on the horizon. Nintendo had their conference this morning which has slowly evolved from an actual conference to a gab fest where they just talk about the games with the creators. Which is still great, but forty minutes of Pokémon Sun and Moon is a little too much. But we did get a chance to see the new Zelda games which looks great. So with that, Ill wrap this up and like you I will continue to stay posted on what’s going on at E3 and later on this week I’ll do coverage of the games I’m most looking forward to. So, should be fun.

So until then happy E3!

The Tale of Two Dragon Brothers

Earlier today Blizzard released their third animated shot entitled “Dragons.”

The animated short “Dragons” delves a little deeper into the rocky relationship between Hanzo and his brother Genji. We learned that the two were brothers when the announcement trailer of new characters dropped a while back during the closed the beta. But never really knew the extent to why the two were on opposite sides.

The video goes into some detail setting up the two characters’ bio in a classic Japanese story telling kind of way. Which is ultimately leading to the final climax between the two brothers on a balcony in Hanamura. The video is jam packed with emotions and feels. For me at least it’s inspired me to work on my ninja skills when Overwatch drops later this month on the 24th.