Gaming news happens even when I’m not stating it

Posted on 05-04-2017 by Benie

It’s funny, when things I need to say are happening without me having to say them. Two of them are because I’m still a bit shocked at the news, and one that I definitely need to say (but I’m been busy with Modded Minecraft).

Let’s get down to it. The first thing, you’ll find on my General blog (as it’s not related to gaming). The second (happened a few days ago), is apparently I’ve been invited into the The Elder Scrolls: Online Morrowind Closed Beta (though I feel it’s because I’m still paying the subscription for it..just haven’t played it for a LONG time).
Now, you guys know about phishing scams, right? Trying to get you to click on a link in an email to steal your password and stuff? This to me (of my first reaction) felt like one.
This was from the The Elder Scrolls Online team, “inviting” me to join the Morrowind Closed Beta. I looked at all the links, and they were authentic. But what got me was the initial wording, how it says “You’ve successfully redeemed a code”.. wha? Who!? I didn’t ‘redeem’ anything that has to do with that game! So why is it saying that I did it? Now you get why I was suspicious (yet again, all the links aren’t pointing to some phishing site, but indeed pointing to where they’re supposed to).
The second freakout is going down the email, and seeing what looks like something I had just ordered (yet it didn’t show anything about being charged).

Back when I was all super-hyped about WoD (and got to be part of the Beta before my birthday), that email was “you’re invited”. This made 100% sense, and got to the point. Yet this..telling me I’ve ‘redeemed a code’ that I know I NEVER did (and then scaring me with something that looked like I was charged for something I never asked for)… yeah, not cool.
Not really sure how to fully react to this. Links are legit, yet it looks really suspicious. Been too busy in Modded Minecraft to really research this.

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However, the 3rd thing may put more time into researching (and also backing up my C drive). Yep, I’ve finally saved up enough money to get new hardware (and it’ll be arriving sometime next week)!! NO more choppy gameplay! WOOT!! 😀
However, it nearly didn’t work like this. Infact, one time I felt I was going to be stuck with how my system is, for the rest of my life. See, Tulsi (who’s still on vacation, but is coming home tomorrow) was talking about how he didn’t wanna leave where he was.
Then he asked me (even though I already sent him the link a month ago) what parts I’m going to be getting. He saw I was getting a “Skylake i5”, then asked what OS I had. When I told him, he said “you’re gonna have a fun time…” Thought he was referencing to how ‘hard’ it is to reinstall Windows (which some of you guys know..I’ve done that a LOT over the years), but he mentioned how the Skylake is known to have issues with Windows 7, said mainly peripherals (keyboard/mouse..etc) and that I would have to “slipstream” it by using a USB.

All of that felt like a dragon-sized headache. I thought I was screwed. The next day, I was on Discord and saw one of the servers I follow (the official FTB Discord server) were talking computer stuff, so I chirped in and told them my issue (also posted on the EDEX Discord server as they helped me in the past).
The FTB Discord server, felt Tulsi didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. I told them that he told me, that the CPU has its own drivers that might overwrite Windows Update’s attempt. Again, they acted like Tulsi was full of shit.
Yet they never helped with giving me an alternative (going back to talking Modded Minecraft).
The other one, did help me (who I said again has helped me before), and offered an option that I just get a better CPU for my motherboard (instead of having to replace it).

And so, I made out my wish list. And this is what I’m going to be upgrading to;
CPU: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113347
New CPU Cooler: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAADY44C6845
Thermal Paste I’ll be getting(won’t be the one installing it): https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038

Lastly, even though I won’t have to reinstall Windows (since I’m not switching out the Motherboard), I feel my old C drive deserves a well-deserved retirement(for being the oldest thing in my computer(and still working)). So I got an SSD to be the new boot drive..
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147372
(and a mounting bracket, just incase): https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817997013

Now I have a week to back up everything I can on the C. Though I am slightly concerned about that mounting bracket, how it fits a 3.5mm. I have an old A drive (aka a 3.5 floppy, that I needed years ago when I still had XP), and if the guy (who I’m taking my computer up to, to get this done) has to take it out to get the SSD in, there’s going to be a nice hole where the A drive once was (allowing dust in).
I’m hoping he can fit it where the C drive used to be. But we’ll have to see. I never had an SSD in my computer, so it’ll be a new experience.

So if nothing goes wrong (RL/family/etc…) between now and when I get my parts (and able to get my computer up there), I can kiss my weak CPU goodbye (AND have a much…much faster Windows bootup(as it’s taking 10-15 minutes right now)).

Posted in Other, PC | Comments Off on Gaming news happens even when I’m not stating it

Just Cause 3 – PC Game Review

Posted on 05-01-2017 by Benie

When Dan called this the “best. game. ever” back in 2015, I feel it was from a selling standpoint instead of what he actually felt.
Watching his now completed series of the game’s story arc from start to completion, I can see he has his own dislikes. I too, have mine.

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Title: Just Cause 3
ESRB Rating: M
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Avalanche Studios
Price Tag: (Unknown how much I paid for it(got it late 2016 when it was on sale))
Release Date: December 1st, 2015
Game Engine: *unknown*
Available for these other systems: PS4, XBox One
Number of Players: Single (can compete against friends via leaderboards, such as highest fall, or most time surviving through Heat Level 5)
Genre: 3PS, Action-Adventure

Game Features: Rico’s back for more as he arrives in his homeland of Medici, and with new toys to cause even more chaos (such as the Wingsuit, and the modified Grapple that can fire tethers(which can be used to string up enemies, or make fuel tanks hug and explode together)).

Story: Six years have passed since the release of Just Cause 2. Rico decides to head to his homeland (with Sheldon), “Medici”, after (I assume) hearing more unrest with another dictator (named ‘General Sebastiano Di Ravello’) oppressing the people(this time involving his best friend ‘Mario Frigo’). Once arriving there, their plane comes under attack. After Rico manages to take down a few SAM sites homed in on taking the plane down, Rico gets knocked off the plane and meets up with his friend (after a fierce gun fight with DRM forces).

Main Character: For the ones who have never played Just Cause 2, go and do that to learn more about the main character.

Side Characters: Since Rico has no need for a sidekick (as he’s a one man army), I guess a mention would go to his best friend Mario Frigo. Not too bright (and tends to be a jokester), but his heart is in the right place.

Enemies: So there have been theories that the enemy force is based off of a fight with Ubisoft and it’s overuse of DRM(Digital Rights Management), how the player is liberating towns from the ‘DRM’, and this is causing more people (aka gamers) to rebel against them.

Combat/Health System: This is where the game really shines (and has since Just Cause 2). Rico has a plethora of toys (dual weld pistols/SMGs/shotguns/assault rifles/RPG’s/FOW’s/and DLC-only weapons) to liberate military bases and towns from the DRM.
Just like the previous game, Rico’s job is to blow up anything that’s red and gray and color(and are better seen at night as they show a red light). How he does it, depends on the player. He can tether two fuel tanks together and make them hug until exploding, place C4 and look away (as cool guys don’t look at explosions), or fill a generator full of lead until it explodes.
Health works by listening to a heartbeat sound (and the screen going red on the sides). When the screen suddenly flashes white and the player barely hears anything, they need to get out of there or risk death. If they die, all enemies are reset (but all chaos objects destroyed before, remain destroyed).

Maps/Levels/Chapters: Taking place in an area claimed to be the same size of the game world as Just Cause 2, Medici has (without any DLCs) three main islands (or Regions), with several smaller islands(including off-shore oil rigs).
Any one of these can be explored at anytime.

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What I liked;
-You can stop enemies from calling for reinforcements (by simply killing anyone trying to radio for help).
-The big island is absolutely beautiful with its pine trees, and it has trains.
-The trains on the big island can be destroyed (so can bridges). Bridges can also be destroyed on other islands. This doesn’t reward chaos, but it does fuck up the AI in thinking the bridge is still there(which is hilarious).
-Main characters of the story felt believable.
-If the player manages to kill everyone that was called in (including stopping NPCs calling for reinforcements), they will suddenly be listed as having ‘Escaped’ the enemies, regardless of Heat level.

What I didn’t like;
-Vehicles spawned by Rebel Drops have an (unexplained by the story) time limit before the player is allowed to ask for that same vehicle.
-HUD directional icons are really small and easy to miss.
-I don’t like how the whole ‘Gear MODS’ mechanic is gated behind forced challenges.
-The final boss has little to no effort put into it (compared to the rest of the game).
-Kill final boss, credits roll. Sandbox mode unlocked.. DRM vehicles still active?? Is this a ‘joke’ to gamers that “you cannot defeat DRM”?
-Towns with ‘Listening Posts’ aren’t a fun way as a step to liberate it (as it’s a ‘beat the clock’ scenario).
-Burial Tombs are extremely uninteresting (the player cannot enter them to have a new area to explore. They just hit E on a door and that’s it).

Neutral things;
-I couldn’t seem to grasp the story until later on.
-The player cannot dual weld one-handed items anymore (only pistols/SMGs). Aka, no more dual weld grenade launchers. 😛
-Enemy NPC Dispatch either spams “We are sending tanks/helicopters/boats to your location” or “Call off search! We lost him!” when attacking a base from the air.

Final Opinions/Thoughts;
For days (since the 23rd of last month) I’ve been debating if it’s worth working on this review (let alone post it) as I’m 100% sure I’ll get hate mail (for not appreciating the mechanics). Don’t get me wrong, I do love flying around blowing up chaos objects (and pissing off the DRM out in the open by blowing up their vehicles). But what has annoyed me since Just Cause 2, is when they send unending vehicles after you(especially in the higher Heat levels).
There is thankfully a way to stop this (by killing everyone before more vehicles show up). However this doesn’t always work and they will be in ‘Searching’ mode even through everyone’s dead. Still, it does feel satisfying when it happens.

I had major (nearly unplayable at times) issues with studdering and turning lag, due to my once beefy now weak CPU (where no one can help me optimize the game(via Nvidia Experience) as it’s that old). I also had a few crashes (granted, I was using a trainer to circumvent the Gear MOD restrictions).

All and all, I’m NOT saying Just Cause 3 is a bad game! I have never said that. It’s a good game…that has a lot of things that annoy me. But it also has things that I like.

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Dragon Quest Builders completed, thoughts

Posted on 04-19-2017 by Benie

Holy moly, this was a fun ride. The Dragonlord is defeated, and the light has returned to Alefgard. Completed Chapters 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Chapter 1 and 2 are the only ones where you gotta worry about the final boss destroying your base.
Chapter 4(the final chapter) is the most unique of them all.

Chapter 3 was probably my favorite(outside of Chapter 1), yet also hated chapter at the same time. It had a real love/hate relationship with me.
I loved how it wasn’t in a depressing-looking bog (and it felt resources were more plentiful), and how the NPCs “talk lik’ ’tis wiv their words. Cor Blimey!”. But what made me angered was the AI pathing of the villagers (who can assist you for the first time). They constantly got in the way of placing blocks to get up a cliff wall, or when they weren’t in the way…they couldn’t figure out how to follow the Builder (and kept getting into areas I was forced to make a path for their retard pathing to follow me).
..No, actually the thing that was worse, is Glutimus. I like his character, but the fact he’s such a coward…my base got 95% destroyed by an ogre during one of those ‘defend the base’ quests. I was..FURIOUS with him, because with him running around, the ogre was smashing up my base trying to get to him. Though I was more furious with the Ogre, as I had Obsidian walls(strongest block available in Story mode) all around my base, and it knocked them down.
Lastly, I found out cannons as base defense, is pointless (as they destroy blocks). They’re better used for mining, and carrying around when you need to say “**** you” to a group of monsters chasing you.
But possibly the best thing to come out of Chapter 3, is the ‘Bashmobile’. A rocket car with two spikes on the front. It takes some time to get used to it’s controls (it’s constantly moving and hard to steer, and only stops if you run into a wall or something), but it can do between 100-105 damage upon every successful bash.

Now unfortunately it’s time for spoilers (but I’ll have something under it for people against reading them). Once again, don’t click if you haven’t gotten this far into the game.

DQB Endgame Spoilers

Chapter 4 is when the story finally ties itself together, just intime for the final fight. But the message that was delivered before it, brought me to tears of just how beautiful the delivery was. Perhaps I’m being overly dramatic when I say that, but allow me to explain.
This has to do with the hero who was supposed to slay the Dragonlord, instead sided with him. No one knows why he betrayed humankind to claim half of the world, or even morbidly wondering why the Dragonlord, with his dark powers, didn’t just wipe out the human race (instead of taking away their power of creation).
For the Hero (and the player), it was all about ‘choice’..and also ‘curiosity’. Before the credits roll, one of the NPCs believes the Hero was simply curious of what would happen if he owned half the world. But just as real life, some choices can and occasionally do have dire consequences. Clearly, this was a reference to players who reload a save, just to see what they would see if they chose the other option.

As for the player character (the Builder), s/he felt of all the monsters (and bosses) they slew, surely they could do more than just make the future hero look good. The Builder kept on being reminded by Rubiss; “You are not a hero.”.. yet on Chapter 4, when all of his friends from the previous three chapters came to visit in order to deliver each artifact that was used to bring the light back to that chapter… these friends felt the Builder had the power to defeat the Dragonlord.
The Builder really wanted to be the hero, but s/he knew they couldn’t as both the Seer and Rubiss forbidded it. But when told the real hero may not show up for ten, fifty….or even hundreds of years in the future (and The Princess literally begging him to try), the Builder was given a choice; go against Rubiss’ wishes, or never be able to live long enough to see the darkness restored…
I really felt sorry for the Builder I created. I was even saying “Why, Rubiss.. why?! WHY won’t you let me be the hero?! My friends are counting on me! Don’t DO THIS!!”, and when I finally had the option….I was in tears. I was so happy. But this wasn’t when the message was delivered.
Though by going against the Goddess, she got pissed off and no longer watched over the Builder, leaving them in a weakened state. I’ll explain about this in detail later.

After the three increasing difficulty ‘defend the base’ quests (with the last one having a dragon being the leader of the monsters), it was finally time to take the fight to the Dragonlord.
The Dragonlord’s ‘mini-boss fight’ was pretty easy. With the strongest gear in the game equipped (‘Aurora Armor’, ‘Hero’s Shield’, and ‘Blade of Kings’), his defeat was guaranteed. But then he did a surprise move.
Before the Dragonlord showed his true form to the player, he offers the same option he gave to the hero. Except he promises the player’s half of the world, would not be bathed in darkness (if he sides with him); that it would be what the Builder wants, which is to build and not have to fight the monsters.
You can’t help but wonder if you as the player said “yes”, just like the hero did. He didn’t want half the world, he was just curious.

Also, a bit of a side note. Fighting the Fallen Hero was a complete joke. Of all of the monsters and bosses I faced and defeated, this guy was the most pathetic “boss” I ever did see. Sure, you gotta dodge his attacks, but if you used the Bashmobile on him, you know this guy is laughable (as you’re pretty much immune to damage unless you hit something).
His attacks are easily dodged, and he spawns only one monster to aid him (which goes down in a few hits with the Blade of Kings). And when “defeated”, he runs away like a pussy never to be seen again! Though I had assumed this wouldn’t be the last time I would deal with this guy (felt the Dragonlord would empower him and make him a worthy boss)..instead, Rubiss is all “you vanquished him”. And I’m all… “WAT?! THAT’S IT?!”.

Now back to the Dragonlord (sorry, but I just had to mention what a joke of a fight the Fallen Hero is). This guy (purple dragon who actually has wings, yet is too fat to use them) is definitely a worthy boss. His model was pretty damn cool, and the animation he does when he casts his dark magic is pretty cool(which is typically a breath attack, either ranged or sweeping).
The battle itself, though it wasn’t as intense like I fought in other games, it really made sure you knew everything you learned to dodge attacks and strike. Also, the power of friendship knows no bounds as occasionally, your friends would teleport in and give you items (as the Dragonlord destroys everything you own (except for your gear).
One time I had 1 HP left. I don’t know HOW in the hell I survived that, but I was able to heal myself in the nick of time.
Defeated him on the first try! 😀

The player character is a Builder, nothing more. Yet, he became a Hero this day. The message, is you don’t need to be born from the bloodline of a strong warrior to be a hero. A real hero is one who helps out the unfortunate, in this case by rebuilding towns (and friendships), the Builder’s creations (and friendship) helped defeat the king of monsters.
It was the player’s choice to rebuild. This whole game, was all based on choices. Everytime the player was given a Yes/No option, if the campaign continues or not depends on it.
That is a pretty powerful message to deliver, and I absolutely love the way they did it. It wasn’t a sappy “let’s hug it out” message, but a message we all can relate to. But another thing that really made me feel the feels, is watching the Builder building the Orb of Light (using all four animations from every crafting station in the game), then releasing it, and watching the darkness burn away.
The light coming back to Alefgard, and seeing a rainbow… **** man. That gets me in the feels!

This decision defeated the Dragonlord, but by trying to be the hero, the Builder is now dying(yep, typical “player character dies happily at the end” cliche). Rubiss mentions She tried to find someone that still had the knowledge of creation(the Builder of Legend), and She found the player character, but as a corpse (possibly killed by the monsters). The reason the Builder can speak to monsters, and see spirits that others cannot, is because.. the Builder is a reanimated corpse.
Now that the Builder’s destiny is completed, She cannot keep them alive any longer. This is the reason why She was against the Builder being a hero, as she knew the Builder (being in this zombified manner) can’t get stronger (as you have to be..alive). Which easily explains why she can bring the Builder back to life.
However, the Builder proved her wrong by defeating the Dragonlord.

And after the credits roll.. a surprise twist of seeing someone who looks like the Builder, now being named as “Boss” instead of the name the player gave them; or the leader of re-teaching the populace of Alefgard the power of creation. So uh, if the Builder has passed away(again), who is this guy who looks just like them?
It’s been 5 months since the launch of the game, and I have yet to find anything to explain it. Perhaps, this is hinting at Dragon Quest Builders II?
One of the NPCs mentions there would eventually be a new Dragonlord to be defeated (why does this feel like it’s copying off of Dragon Age 1?).

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To end this spoiler section off, since the Dragonlord is an obvious dragon (the Dragon of Darkness), does this mean Rubiss could be the Dragon of Light (even though humans see her as a human, or as a ball of glowing energy)? She mentions after the Dragonlord’s defeat, that the two have fought for a very long time between human and monster.

[collapse]

So now the Builder has completed their destiny, what’s the player to do? The answer to that is a world called ‘Terra Incognita’. This world is far outside Alefgard, and free of the Dragonlord’s darkness (which means no monsters). There’s also freemode building, allowing the player to express their full creativity with nearly everything from the story, unlocked in this. Though the only way to unlock everything is to complete all challenges (including “complete chapter in ## days”).
Now, I was going to go as far as saying this is ‘sandbox mode’, but it’s clearly not. Also, it doesn’t look like something I would be interested in. That’s mainly for the fact (as I said in my ‘real review’), the story (and having to max out a base level) gives me a purpose to build. Sometimes, gating things behind other things is actually a good thing.
Mainly, it’s for people who absolutely love to build. And from what I’ve seen, you’re not restricted to a box (as there’s no base level, any builds will work all over the island). Plus, you can download builds other players have made (and have them directly in your world). That is pretty cool.
Though, I just feel it’s not my thing. My creativity is dead.

Another reason, is I’ve already used up my $5 off Gamefly coupon (and I have to wait three months for the next one). Will definitely keep this game on watch.
But until I get another coupon, I had to send it back to Gamefly and await the next game they send me. It was fun.

Posted in Other, PS4 | Comments Off on Dragon Quest Builders completed, thoughts

My ‘real’ review with Dragon Quest Builders

Posted on 04-13-2017 by Benie

(FYI, this was when I had completed Chapter 1. I didn’t know Terra Incognita was a thing that you can freely build)

In my official review, I praised the game to heck and back (as I felt it was greatly deserving). Yet after playing (and completing) the first chapter, I feel it’s time to give you guys my ‘real’ review.
I didn’t complete the chapter on my own. Me, being creative? Hah! That was in the past. Followed a walkthrough. Yet I followed it so well, that I literally copied his builds for my base. And by doing so, paid off (of course).

Not revealing spoilers, defeating the final boss (of the first chapter) was quite unique. You had to keep it from literally destroying your base (which is the theme of these ‘defend the base’ assaults). It turned into using Obsidian all around the base(as its walls), and it won’t destroy it nomatter what it does. It was quite laughable watching it throw boulders at the walls and them not budging.
Now I’m on Chapter 2. Now, Chapter 1, even with the darkness, it felt peaceful and inviting…Chapter 2? Completely opposite. An ugly, depressing mess of sickness(and it also rains at times). Early game resources are more scarce (you really have to go out of your way, just to collect leaves needed for the Healing Cream).

And there’s the thing of having to build another town(after I just got done defending the last one). I went through hell to get my base to Level 5 (which is the max)…and now I have to do it again, in such a depressing atmosphere? It reminds me of The Sims: Bustin’ Out for the Gameboy Color, where you go to these houses and help improve their homes (yet while also having to go to work to have money).
At least, you can revisit the previous chapters you assisted (and go right back of where you last saved). So that’s fantastic.

Now this great game isn’t without its many flaws (such as using up a wall/floor kit (even though one has already been placed)). But there’s three major things that get on my nerves.

1. Not everything is craftable. I’ve been told it’s important to get one of anything that I’ve never seen before. This is true, as the player character (of certain blocks/items, can learn how to make things using those blocks). Yet some things (like books/signs/fences/paper/etc.. cannot be crafted.
But, I don’t know if these items can never be crafted. Maybe they can in the later chapters I’ll be playing. I know for a fact that most things that I’ve unlocked from the previous chapter, are available. If that means any new things I craft can be used in previous chapters…it’s hard to say at this time (as I just started with Chapter 2).

2. No fast travel points. Exploration is fun and all, but being forced to hoof it back to an area you’ve already been, is quite tedious. Mainly talking about big islands that take awhile to traverse in order to reach a quest area (or an area to harvest for resources). Having to continuously go back to it (to get more resources), is frustrating.
Having to go through the same monsters you fought before. Having to go the same path you went before. COME ON!! Give me fast travel points!

3. When your Colossal Coffer is full, you’re screwed. Inventory management is such a pain in these kinds of games. Some games offer assistance with this issue, such as Modded Minecraft for one example(with mods such as Refined Storage). The Colossal Coffer works like the Ender Chest from Minecraft.
The thing is, you cannot have more than one Colossal Coffer (per chapter). If you make one, you cannot place it. So when it gets full (which it will before (or by) the time you manage to get your base to its max level), you have to go back to inventory management.
I had considered making a room either in or outside my base, specifically for storage. But since I cannot craft signs (and I don’t know if they can be wrote on), having organized storage doesn’t seem to be an option in this game. Plus there’s no way to combine chests.
One thing going for this game, is items stack at 99 (instead of 64).

And this is all I can think of, and wanted to get off my chest for some time. Last night I had to use my phone to record my voice (as my mind felt I was forced to remember what I wanted to say today).

Posted in Other, PS4 Game Reviews | Comments Off on My ‘real’ review with Dragon Quest Builders

I will no longer cover ME:A (for at least 5 months), here’s why

Posted on 04-07-2017 by Benie

As of now, I will no longer be discussing ME:A, including the upcoming patches within ‘the next few months’ as Bioware states. The reason is…well, I messed up.
I did not see the system requirements of the game. The CPU requirement, even if Bioware was to have 50% off in price in order to gain more players, I couldn’t play it.
The minimum requirement of the CPU (for AMD), I need at least a 6350..and I only have a 4350.

Because of this, I’m not going to be covering the news of the game (at least for now). I need at least nearly half the year to save up enough money to afford upgrades (as PC parts greatly fluctuate in price), and this is what I’m going to be getting.
If any of you are good at picking PC Parts (I’m clearly not), please email me.

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ME:A – Did Patch 1.05 fix the ugly facial animations?

Posted on 04-06-2017 by Benie

Patch 1.05 has gone live, and the results are in! Most Youtubers are..well, ‘a picture says a thousand words’ can be used here, because this is what they’ve done. Instead of giving you their opinion, they show their viewers in a “you be the judge” fashion.
The infamous “my face is tired” cutscene, visually looks a lot better. Comparing the original to the fixed version (which most Youtubers have done), they’ve done a lot of changes;
-Shading to the upper iris of the eyes.
-Shading to the face.
-Removed the clown paint of her eyebrows.
-Made her shuffle around, fold her arms more sternly, lower her head and eyebrows, and..overall made her look like a bitch that you don’t want to get on her bad side.

Overall, they made her much more believable by giving her human-like qualities and emotions (instead of staring into your soul). Her face isn’t tired anymore!
This is a great start…, but I want to see more of this. Hopefully they can keep delivering in this same manner.
I want to see a complete overhaul of the writing (no more “you’re not a Pathfinder until you Pathfound” crap) and player/NPC interactions (and updates to cutscenes of the way NPCs move) within these next few months (which, again.. should had been done by delaying the game a few more months). If I see these changes, and they’re good.. then I will say “yes, it’s worth the money” and even buy myself a copy.

Though I just gotta say, Bioware confused me when they announced the patch. They listed it as a ‘multiplayer patch’ on Twitter, which had me rather upset with them. When I attempted to figure out where are the promised campaign fixes, someone attempted to troll me by saying how Bioware cares for multiplayer now (and also assumed I bought the game which I haven’t)
It was a successful troll sadly, and made me very salty against Bioware. I debated if it was even worth making a post about it, until I saw a sudden explosion of videos going over the 1.05 changes.

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Lastly, thank you very much for the emails I’ve gotten about Hainly Abrams. I was completely wrong about her being the ‘face is tired’ woman, and I’ll be rewriting those sections of my blog posts as soon as I can.
Sorry for the misinformation. I only assumed.

Posted in Other, PC, PS4 | Comments Off on ME:A – Did Patch 1.05 fix the ugly facial animations?

New ME:A accusation: did Bioware outsource character development?

Posted on 04-05-2017 by Benie

There’s been a rumor that’s been spreading around (caused by this video made on April 1st). This guy claims he has multiple sources coming directly from the horse’s mouth (Bioware). How this guy was able to talk to them that no one else could.. yeah, this should be taken with a grain of salt. However, what he has to say, could actually be plausible (and could even tie in the accusations of social group pandering).

This guy believes Bioware’s upper management not only saw character development as ‘low priority’, but relied on something called ‘cyberscanning’; which is basically the scanning of a human body(to be put into a video game). But he goes on to say that it’s not perfect as more work needs to be done to clean it up. This means they outsourced the body and facial animations of human characters to a company that can cyberscan, and send the results back..instead of taking the time of doing it in their own company.

And this gets better, folks. The company’s lower level area (the animators and artists of the game) actually were against this. But when they (according to this guy’s “sources”) decided to walk up to the management and offered to assist in cleaning up the cyberscans and make the models more realistic, they were turned away, stating once again.. the animations were a ‘low priority’. The management put too much faith on cyberscanning, and it blew up in their faces (yet they would rather leave it at that instead of have their animators and artists fix it).
A reason for this, is…you guessed it, the accusations of pandering to social groups of not making female characters ‘too attractive’ and not wanting to single them out, which caused so much SJW hate. And then, they have the nerve to release a $60 ‘beta’ and then say they’ll fix it within two weeks after the release.

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Again, folks…again, take this with a grain of salt. I have no idea how this person managed to get exclusive access to the Andromeda design team, but the guy’s words feel plausible (of something they would definitely pull off to feck us over..and it all fits for the first time since I heard the accusations).
So, let’s just assume this is all true. Because if it is, then EA had a major part to play. They made them fail, just like every company they claimed in the past with their infinite assets of cash from idiots like us who buy their crap. Makes me glad I never spent the $60 (with some saying they wouldn’t even pirate it because it’s so bad).
Well, tomorrow’s the first (of hopefully many) patches. I personally am curious if Bioware will fully fix most (if not all) the issues. Most say the writing can never be fixed, but…I don’t know. I guess I haven’t been around (or in the loop) enough to see if this is true.

In closing, this person’s statement doesn’t go over what the feck happened with the writing and dialog (which is equally important as high quality character models and faces, of an RPG).

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Bioware’s patch roadmap for ME:A, and my reaction

Posted on 04-04-2017 by Benie

–MAJOR UPDATE by Bioware addressing Hainly Abrams, read the bottom of this blog post for more details!–

The day has come for Bioware to state what’s upcoming for ME:A (which was released a half an hour ago). They start off their tweet by saying “Andromeda is the destination, but it doesn’t end there. Join us as we look at the road ahead.”, followed by this link.
This doesn’t feel like a “we f***ed up” response…

This response, they still haven’t proved nor denied the use of political beliefs affecting the game’s development and release, and I doubt at this time if they’ll ever give a response. They managed to cover their rears, it seems.
Thing is, no one in Youtube has said anything about it (since two weeks to nine months ago).
Anyway, bypassing the PR BS, there’s going to be a content & fixes patch coming as early as this Thursday(the 6th). The patch (notes found here) will address several issues mentioned by Youtubers, such as “Improving the appearance of eyes for humans and asari characters” and “Fixing Ryder’s movements when running in a zig zag pattern”(if that means the way she runs up stairs like a crab, who knows).
Unfortunately, “writing overhaul” isn’t one of said fixes.
Hopefully, it might come with future patches within “the next few months”. One of these fixes is “adjustments to conversations with Hainly Abrams”(who I assume is the infamous “sorry, my face is tired” woman).
In Bioware’s defense, I hope they actually keep that hilarious line in (but in like a different gamemode or something). Because that line is meme comedy gold.

The rest of their article, they want you guys who weren’t smart and spent the $60 to give them more feedback, and they will take it into account. You know, this is great. Bioware listening to their players, and willing to fix their faulty launch is always great.
Yet it begs a question, of why all of these ‘fixes’ weren’t in the game before it’s release. And thinking like a AAA company, I believe I know why. “Haha! Suckers! They’ll buy ANYTHING!! :D”
I’ve learned from Blizzard and WoD, to never give into hype..nomatter how tempting it is. It’s time for you, ladies and gentlemen, to do as well (so you won’t get suckered again). No Man’s Sky‘s fans, gave into hype tenfold…and look what happened to them. If I may say a famous quote that I don’t know who said it; “have you learned NOTHING?!”
Of course, they also lied about 80% of features that were supposed to come during release (and stopped talking to their playerbase). Bioware, didn’t lie about the features in ME:A(but released a $60 ‘beta’). Whenever it was EA that forced them to not have enough time to polish, or they deliberately did it (of what I said), who knows.
People, learn from this failure… please. I beg you… be smart about your video game purchases, and don’t preorder (or buy on Day 1). Wait until the reviewers get their hands on it, and then get it if they feel it’s worth the $60. It would save a LOT of headaches (and empty wallets).

In closing, I can’t wait to (hopefully) hear the positive videos of Youtubers of Thursday’s fixes (especially the cartoon eyes and running animations). Bioware has a chance to redeem themselves..IF they don’t mess up this opportunity.

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MAJOR UPDATE, Wednesday April 5th: 5 minutes ago, Bioware has opened up and apologized on Twitter to the transgender community about Hainly Abrams.
I originally thought this was the “my face is tired” woman, but I was wrong in that assumption. I’m told that you can meet this person later in the game, and even has a romance option with her. Players have expressed distaste of her.. doing something they don’t like, and the company has formerly apologized by basically saying “this was not intended, and we’re sorry”.

You can find the full article here.
This is a good, bold move by Bioware. Admitting a mistake is a step in the right direction for this company. Now if only they would go over the pandering accusations…

(Also, a footnote. I don’t often say this, but I really want to get this game to do a proper review(my fault for not taking advantage of this reviewer trial they did before the release). If anyone could possibly gift me a copy of this game through Steam, I would be eternally grateful.
If interested, please email me with the subject ‘ME:A gift’ and I will give you my Steam handle.

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My full thoughts on Dishonored 2, and is it really worth it?

Posted on 04-02-2017 by Benie

Alright, I completed Dishonored 2 a day ago. I did it as Corvo, in low chaos and got all the typical rare achievements (Clean Hands/Ghosted/Flesh and Steel/etc..).
And wow was it hard to do with no powers, even on Easy difficulty. But the main difficulty came from trying to follow any Youtube video walkthrough I could find that was fitting my playstyle.
The initial one I followed, ended at chapter 8 (and there’s been no videos from them since December of last year). I initially tried to do it without a walkthrough, but I kept running into a problem where citizens were freaking out over a body that wasn’t even there. I did my best to hide my unconscious bodies in an area where no one will see them, but it seemed no matter what I did.. “a body…?! HERE?!” kept screwing me over.
After trying to find a video that they too were doing the No Powers route, I saw I was doing it completely wrong (even though the game is all about finding different routes).

Defeating the final boss, was possibly even more underwhelming than the final boss in Dead Space 2. All I did was lock her in a painting, and then the credits rolled. Wow.

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Anyway, I’m trying to do my second playthough (as Emily, and this time using powers, but still going for a stealth playthough). I won’t have to worry as much of bodies being found(as I got the Ghosted achievement on my first playthrough), but I still want to keep them alive (I can’t really bare to kill innocents).
Playing as Emily also does feel quite different than playing as Corvo, as Emily doesn’t know as much as what Corvo has seen (and it actually feels like a sequel instead of Corvo reliving his glory days). Plus it shows that Emily was trained well by her father, and can definitely take care of herself (unlike her mother).
I also want to try to get all of the runes and bonecharms. Because of this, I..stopped playing, because of what hell I went through of trying to find a video series of my first playthough(that not only didn’t kill anyone, but also used no powers)..now I have to find another. I actually forgot most that I’ve learned from the last playthough, due to having not played it as I one day got tired of the same old thing, and didn’t play it again for a few months.

But honestly, I feel Dishonored 2 is a great game and it’s definitely worth your time. But like most AAA games, it’s not worth the full retail price tag (unless it’s a REALLY good game). Wait until it goes on sale, or do what I did and buy it on Gamefly (if you’re getting the console version). I saved $36.46, which isn’t bad at all. As for the claimed FPS drops, as I stated in my review, I’ve only seen it on Chapter 2 when heading into the city on the Skiff (and it’s been pretty smooth elsewhere).
My only real complaint is coming back to the Dreadful Whale, that even when you managed to save several people, only two remain on the ship in the later parts of the story (I believe by Chapter 7).
Oh, and there’s also the thing that you only have three save slots. I don’t get that, at all.

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Bioware to “address” player complaints of ME:A on April 4th

Posted on 04-01-2017 by Benie

Guys and Gals, this is red hot breaking news (and it’s not an April Fools joke). Still looking at Youtube videos about the game, and I stumbled upon this video stating Bioware has actually responded to players, and will make a full response on April 4th. The video didn’t provide the link to Bioware’s Twitter page as proof, but after a bit of digging I found it.
The full statement can be found here, but I wanted to quote an important snippet from it;
“We’ve received quite a lot of feedback, some of it positive and some of it critical. The feedback is an important part of our ongoing support for the game, and we can’t wait to share more of our immediate plans with you on Tuesday, April 4th.”

First off, kudos to Bioware for actually taking the time to say something about the complaints to the game (instead of blatantly ignoring it). However, this is not the response I was looking to see. It’s just a generic PR response, and their full statement doesn’t (at all) go over the accusations of political beliefs being what caused the bad facial models and animation. Perhaps, this would be mentioned on the 4th (maybe, if this is one of their “immediate plans”).
Who knows what they have in store, but I personally feel it’s going to be more BS (and cause even more hate against the company). But if they’re smart, maybe they’ll surprise us (either in a good or a bad way).
That is, if they want players to keep giving them money…

Now to the ones who say “the game isn’t that bad” to all of these hate-filled Youtube videos saying the game is insulting garbage, you’re well within your right to say that. I’m not against any of you. I would love to try the game out for myself, but I see spending $60 on a AAA title is as wise as trying to climb up a telephone pole without safety gear and pretend you’re a squirrel on live power lines. Both will kill you in their own way(through physical pain, or the pain coming from your wallet). And also my morals are too high to pirate it.
All I want to say to you happy with your purchase people is, they aren’t saying their hateful things against this game just to complain, they’re doing it because they care for the series. I hope most of you already know this, and kudos to that.

All I know is they had 5 years and 40 million dollars to play with(from EA), and we get this. Why only 40 million, when most games are twice that budget? Perhaps ME:A was an ‘experiment’ (since this happens between Mass Effect 2 and 3), and it takes place in another galaxy.
I still feel they should had delayed it just for a few more months and gave us a quality product. If this is the fault of EA rushing games out the door knowing suckers will still buy it, or this whole pandering thing, maybe they’ll open up the real reason.
Anyway, I guess we’ll find out in just a few days.

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