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Battle for Azeroth Is Getting GOOD

Sixteen long (IRL) years ago, following the events in Warcraft 3, Lordaeron was lost to the Alliance. It has remained under control of enemies, be it the Lich King or the Horde. Birthplace of the Alliance, Lordaeron holds a special place in my gamer heart. Back when Cataclysm launched,  the area was updated thanks to the focus on Gilneas. I was a big RPer back then, and I pillaged the area regularly. I would gather raids full of RPers to attack Forsaken settlements in Silverpine, Undercity, and surrounding areas. My Paladin was leading the Free Lordaeron movement back before it was cool! Now that it’s going to be an in-game event?! This is possibly the most exciting moment for me since the launch of World of Warcraft.

Sylvanas Theory

With all the Horde fans in an uproar over Sylvanas pushing the Horde to do evil things, I think she has an ulterior motive. In the Legion opening cinematic, Sylvanas saves Varian’s life. To me, that hinted at a departure from her previously evil bent, towards something a little more grey. More in-keeping with the Horde’s ‘Thrall’ model for a warchief. Her surprise at being made warchief seemed to further develop the character into a more pragmatic leader.

But now she’s burned the world tree for funsies and that’s the end of that.

My conspiracy theory is that she wants to provoke someone into killing her. When she says she’s making “life” her enemy in the Warbringers video, I think that she means it literally. Whether she doesn’t think she deserves the warchief mantle, or whether she’s just tired of (un)living, Sylvanas wants to be done with life as she knows it. She’s ready to be ended by any means necessary.

With the release of the ‘Old Soldier’ trailer, it looks like the Battle for Azeroth is ready to steamroll through the world of Warcraft. It sets things up for a new Horde warchief, since the current Horde warchief is busy pushing the Horde to a more evil bent than ever before. Most importantly, the new trailer moves the setting to Lordaeron! I’ve been waiting for this ever since the Lordaeron area was fleshed out in Cataclysm.

What the Future Holds

Obviously there’s hinting towards Saurfang taking the warchief mantle. He’s stuck defending Lordaeron for now because, as you can see at the end of the cinematic, the battle has literally just begun. Who will end up in control of the Horde? Who cares, I’m all in on the Alliance. My small wishlist includes victory for the Alliance by returning of Lordaeron to it’s rightful people, and King Anduin to bite the big one thereby paving the way for Jaina to become Queen of the Alliance! Will Calia Menethil, Arthas’ older, yet now undead sister, assume power? I hope not. I think a light-created undead is really dumb. Not to mention, she’d be an immortal ruler, which is another check mark in the ‘no thanks’ column. I know there are a few ‘good’ undead already, but I’ve never liked that concept. For an expansion that’s drawing sharp lines between what is Alliance, and what is Horde, graying the lines between good undead and bad undead seems counter intuitive.

Unless…

Maybe we’re going to see the Horde and Alliance break off into a third faction, or start to allow races to cross faction? Much like the Blood Elves, it could be possible lore-wise. A clan of Orcs joins the Alliance, or maybe even an entire race like the Tauren? The Tauren, to me, always seemed to have the most potential to join the Alliance. Not sure who the Alliance would ‘send’ over to the Horde, but there’s a lot of discontent building in the Horde right now. Absent killing Sylvanas immediately, I can’t really see how the leaders are putting up with it. In the Horde Legion epilogue, the Tauren chieftain Baine Bloodhoof speaks to Saurfang, and neither seem pleased with what is going on. Either way, the situation is going to have to resolve itself, because I don’t think Blizzard would really leave this awful storyline to run its course.

Planning for Battle

As for me, I’ll be joining the Battle for Azeroth as soon as it comes to Lordaeron, which looks to be in a matter of days. I’ll be playing Alliance side with my Human Paladin and Worgen Warrior. You can catch me streaming most, if not all, of my gameplay over on my Twitch channel. I’ll probably put it over on my YouTube channel as well. As always, you can watch my Twitter for live announcements, videos, and all the social media type stuff. I’ve got some old friends joining me, but I could always use more! Grab your axe, sword, bow, or whatever your weapon of choice is, because it’s time to fight for Azeroth! Drop into the stream, and let me know your sword is available! Join me in my dream-battle against the Horde! FOR THE ALLIANCE and FOR LORDAERON!

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My E3 2018 Notes

I had a lot of fun co-streaming all the E3 events on Twitch. It will definitely be something I start to do more of in the future. I saw a lot of new games I’d like to give a first try. I’ve taken notes on what I found most interesting at E3 2018. I think Bethesda had the best overall show, but Ubisoft was a close second. I’ve highlighted my favorite announcement in each category. Let me know what your favorites were in the comments!

  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Singleplayer open world RPG. Play as a Padawan that escaped the initial purge/Order 66.
  • Battlefield V – Pretty standard lobby shooter. Large scale area control mode coming, but no details.
  • Battlefont II -New squad system, thank goodness. Starfighter mode where you dogfight with hero ships! A new large scale sandbox where you capture command posts & attack/take out capital ships?! Sounds awesome!
  • C&C Rivals – Decent looking RTS mobile game.
  • Play to Give – ? Never heard of this before? Money gets donated to charities based on player hours played.
  • Anthem – Feb 22, 2019 launch. Open world, 4 person co-op. You wear Iron Man looking suits called Javelins. You can change javelins so you are not locked into a specific class. Only monetization is cosmetic, no loot boxes.

  • Doom Eternal – Further details in August at Quakecon! Takes place on Earth. I’m hoping for open world and co-op!
  • Fallout 76 – Open world! All humans are players! West Virginia setting, the good old south! Can co-op with your friends on servers filled with dozens of players. Can transfer servers anytime. Launches November 14. Preorder now starting at $59.99 USD.
  • Elder Scrolls 6 announced. No details. Open world and co-op could make this my first venture into the Elder Scrolls universe.

  • The Division 2 – Better graphics than the original. Boss’s armor falls off gradually as you do damage? 8 person raids coming. The Division 2 is set in Washington DC. Launches March 15 2019.
  • The Crew 2 – Open beta June 21st, June 29 launch. Preorder now for $59.99 USD. Open world across the entire United States! I really liked driving in Ghost Recon, could be a match made in heaven.
  • Skull and Bones – Takes place in the Indian ocean. You can Co-op PvE to take down enemies, then turn on each other to fight for the reward!
  • Rainbow 6 Siege – 35 million players! Parabellum is a free update.
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Singleplayer, but looked very interesting. Battle scenes looked very realistic, and doesn’t look like a lot of stealth gameplay. Male or female character. Releases Oct 3, 2018.

 

  • Jurassic World Evolution – Take control on micro scale! Pilot the helicopter, drive the jeep, fire the darts! Sickness systems gives the game some complexity. I received a copy from the devs at Frontier Developments and will have it on stream!
  • GTFO – 4 person horror co-op shooter. Stealth gameplay is a big part, making melee weapons important too! Very intense looking whether you’re sneaking or fighting. Only 2 maps so far, that’s how careful they are about level design! Wow! Baddies have kind of a Silent Hill type horror look.
  • PuBG – Massive War Mode? No details but might be good.
  • Mavericks: Proving Grounds – New (lol) Battle Royale game, but! with 1000 players?! Massive chaos could be a good spin.
  • Hunt: Showdown – New weapons, and a new monster – THAT YOU FIGHT IN THE WATER?!
  • Maneater – Play as a shark! SharkPG?! Emphasis on roleplaying as a shark! Open world ARPG where you stalk Florida’s waterways.
  • Satisfactory – Welcome to the new Factory Survival genre! First person gameplay, similar to a survival game where you gather materials and build. You (and friends if you bring them) build industrial complexes instead of bases. Kind of an economy sim.
  • Resident Evil 2 – Remake of original RE2. No other info beyond a release date of Jan 25, 2019.
  • Just Cause IV – 3rd person, open world shooter. Multiplayer for the first time in the series! December 2018 launch! Sounds just like Wildlands!
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Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

I think Solo was overall a good movie. Like Rogue One, the the Force took a backseat in the storyline. Jedi are awesome, but there’s nothing like a good blaster at your side! There was obviously lots of character building for Han, like why he shoots first, and just WTF a Kessel Run is. The actor playing Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich, did a good job, although at times I felt like he tried to talk his way through a little too much. Harrison Ford is a hard act to follow though.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The movie opens on Corellia, my favorite place in the Star Wars galaxy. When the lightning flashes, you can see what looks like a Victory Class Star Destroyer under construction, which I have a problem with. Corellia is famous for it’s starships, but Star Destroyers are made elsewhere. Also Corellia isn’t supposed to be Imperial occupied, but that’s pre-Disney lore so I digress. It’s hard to un-learn things that you’ve embraced, so little things like this are hard to overlook. Young Han being owned by a gangster was fitting, and I loved the diversity of aliens involved.

As Han escapes into the welcoming embrace of the Imperials, getting his Solo moniker was kind of dumb moment I thought.  I also couldn’t help but wince at the ‘Three years later’ trope. The Solo movie is supposed to be a backstory, so why skip backstory during a movie about backstory? I would really have liked to see more of Han in the Imperial Navy. Han Solo is an excellent pilot, yet we really don’t get to see how he got there.

Meeting up with Chewbacca was bittersweet for me. You know the two are going to become friends, so that kills a lot of the suspense, but I thought Han speaking Shyriiwook was silly.  Like several parts of this movie, the scene felt a little forced.

Meeting the mercenaries, and participating in the heist was all great. Lots of close calls, blaster fights, and daring stunts in an awesome setting. I’m a sucker for snow, but something about barren landscapes in general juxtaposed with high-technology feels Star Wars-y. I like that we lost some of our ‘heroes’ because Star Wars has an over-abundance of plot armor. A dash of Game of Thrones will do it good.

Finally getting to meet top dog Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), and being reunited with Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) is where the movie actually started for me. Another long-shot plan is formed, and the stakes are raised when Vos puts Qi’ra’s neck on the line as well. Best of all, this leads to Lando Calrissian, arguably the best performance of the movie. You can hear Billy Dee Williams’ swagger in Danny Glover’s voice! I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of him in future movies. The famous sabacc games, and introduction of the Millenium Falcon were very well done I thought.  Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3 was hilarious, and another great addition to the legacy of droids with personality. Her full designation of L3-37 was quite fitting I think.

The Kessel assault and rebellion was new, but I’m not sure I enjoyed it. I loved getting to SEE this infamous section of space, and just how a Kessel Run is made. I just feel like this was another forced scene in that it really didn’t seem well guarded enough. The initial subterfuge seemed predictable. Also when Chewie ran off to help his family, I feel like it could have been done a little better. I got hit in the feels when Chewie left his family to stay with Han, and I think that moment would have meant a lot more if it had been elaborated on more initially. I think the escape scene from the black hole went on longer than it needed too.

The final showdown with Enfys Nest was a surprise. Although for the longest time I thought they were called Infest-Nest. Again, mind-boggling to skim over backstory in a movie about a backstory.  Anyway, I knew at this point that Enfys Nest was going to be the Rebellion. The Qi’ra vs. Dryden showdown was a bit meh, though the Teras Kasi reference was awesome. Han gunning down Beckett in cold blood was also a surprise, and I think will end up going down as one of the highlights in the franchise given all the ruckus about who shoots first in A New Hope.

At first I wasn’t sure it was Darth Maul in the hologram. I had to come back and start reading some spoilers before it clicked. I always thought killing Maul was a waste of an amazing villain. I feel mixed because I really don’t see how they can bring him back (yes, I know they did in the Clone Wars cartoon, but I never watched that, and it’s still a cartoon). I am willing to see their ideas though, because I really enjoyed what little I did get to see of Maul as a villain.

The final scene where Han wins the Falcon from Lando is another winner. I think it was at Maz’s castle? I was a little disappointed when he and Chewie rode off into the proverbial sunset straight to Jabba. I feel like, again, you’re cutting backstory out of a movie meant to fill in backstory. I wish they’d explore a little bit more of the unknown with Han Solo and Chewbacca before they rushed to meet their destiny.

I realize after writing this that I had a lot more problems with the movie than I realized. It’s almost like they wanted Solo to be two different things. The start of a series of movies exploring Han Solo’s history, or just in case it didn’t work out, a single movie to tell the story of Han Solo. They tried to do both, and didn’t really didn’t do a remarkable job of either. Still, I liked Solo better than The Last Jedi for several reasons I won’t go into. Suffice to say I feel like I’ve discovered a bias towards non-Force based movies. Han Solo is also my favorite character, which I think gives me a more critical eye, as well as rose colored space goggles. I’d place Solo in my top 5 favorite Star Wars movies. I most enjoyed the screen time Chewbacca got. While Han Solo may be my favorite, I’m quickly coming to appreciate what the wookie brings to the dejarik table.

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Multiplay May

There’s a few games that have all managed to present an opportunity to play together. A couple are at REALLY good prices, and a couple are hitting a big release with some new content. I’ve outlined them below with some quick thoughts of my own. I’ve provided affiliate links, so I do get a commission if you buy through them. Let me know here, on stream, or Discord if you pick any of them up so I know who to look for!

Gloria Victis

This is a medieval MMORPG that is buy and play, no subscription fee. It’s $4.36 in the Humble Wargamez Bundle currently, and the cheapest price I have ever seen Gloria Victis go for. I’ve been following it since just before launch, and I’ve mentioned it several times here on my website. The graphics and sound are great, and it has crafting and PvP involved. I don’t think the player base is that big, but I think it’d be worth the money even if we only got a small group going.

Destiny 2

A Sci-Fi MMOFPS, which is an MMORPG in FPS view with an emphasis on shooting. It’s just $12 in the Humble Monthly, and is the cheapest price for Destiny 2 anywhere right now. The reviews are not great about this game, but a lot of it is due to lack of content. For $12 (plus the other games you get from the monthly) I can’t imagine there isn’t enough content. The game looks beautiful, and I’m only level 12 so it’d be really easy to catch up if you jump in now. No subscription fee, but there are two expansion DLCs out. They will cost extra, but might be worth it if you end up enjoying the game enough.

Conan Exiles

I played Conan Exiles when it launched into Early Access, the devs were awesome enough to give me a key. It is a survival game (Think ARK) set in the Conan universe. I clocked in over 100 hours in game! I really enjoyed the building aspect, and that is probably what I’ll spend most of my time doing in game. MSRP is $39.99 on most sites, but you can get Conan Exiles with a 10% Discount using the code MAY10 over on Fanatical. (Fanatical is NOT a grey market site, it is an authorized Steam key re-seller.) Conan Exiles is a great game, and I’ll also be doing a giveaway of a key or two provided by the devs on my stream Friday May 11, 2018!

Space Hulk: Deathwing

space hulk deathwing terminators

This game is a Left4Dead type horde shooter set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It is definitely better than the reviews let on. It had a bad launch, but has improved greatly since then. It does take a little time to find a group, but I’ve always managed a full group. MSRP is $39.99 on most sites, but the best price for Space Hulk: Deathwing is with a 10% Discount using code MAY10 over on Fanatical. I do expect more sales closer to/on release day. I really enjoy this game, and am looking forward to the extra customization features on May 22nd. The majority of the enhanced edition features are already out for PC. I’m hoping to do a full playthrough on stream with viewers.

Update: 60% off sale in the Humble Store!

One More Consideration

I’m looking really, really hard at State of Decay 2. It’s a 3rd person arcade style survival game. From the little gameplay I’ve seen, it looks a lot like the original State of Decay, but has multiplayer co-op in it! It’s only $29.99 in the Microsoft store, but no Steam unfortunately. The good news is, console and PC should be able to play together! So if you have an X-Box, you can still join me. I haven’t pre-ordered yet, but once I see more about how the co-op play is, I’ll make my decision. There’s also a free trial available if you want to try before you buy from what I’ve read.

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Tips and Help for Hunt: Showdown

99 problems, but a bounty ain’t one. There are 99 bloodline ranks, and the higher ranks are filled with some nasty weapons. The bounties are going to be fiercely contested, and the higher ranked players will have an advantage in equipment at the very least. Don’t be afraid to go into a game and just farm. Find clues, kill low level monsters, and extract. This will get you money to buy more/better gear, and XP to level up your hunter. It’ll be easier to take on higher tier hunters with more health, abilities, and equipment. You can level up your tier 1 hunter to a tier 3 hunter in a couple of good matches. While you won’t have access to the same weapons, you will have definitely closed the gap an enormous amount. It’s not smart to go all in every time.

Take a well rounded load out. To me, this means (1) a long gun of choice, (2) something to melee with, and (3) a first aid kit. A lot of items are dual purpose like the Winfield Talon, which offers a long gun and melee weapon in a single package. Additional items you might want to consider are a vitality shot and fire bombs if your cash flow allows.

 

Refresh recruits after every round. You don’t have to buy all the recruits in front of you before you get a new batch. Look at the health, traits, and weapons each hunter offers. If it’s not a good deal for the money, take your chances and hit the refresh button after each match. You can stock up on up to 5 hunters, so don’t shy away from a good buy. Good traits to watch for early on are Determination, Quartermaster, and Greyhound.

Be a good teammate. Check over your shoulder every so often to make sure you aren’t leaving your partner behind. Communicate very clearly about what you want to do. I had a partner tell me he was going to discover the lair and come back. Once he discovered the lair, he proceeded to fight the boss leaving me outside alone just as a team of two showed up. I engaged one, and was shot in the back by the other. And my teammate died moments later.

Keep quiet. Especially after you get revived. My partner revived me once, I thanked him and immediately alerted the team we were in a gunfight with. Everything you say in game can be heard by anyone nearby! If you’re talking, you’re alerting nearby players to your presence. Watch for crows, watch for horses, and for the love of all that is good in this world, do not use an open mic!

L2 melee. Killing random zombies with melee weapons, even a simple knife, will keep things quieter. Shooting at zombies, hives, and even hounds sends up a virtual flare to your location for other players to see. Keep things stealthy until you’re ready to make your move. Additionally, if you can melee the boss, you won’t be sending out calling cards to players exploring nearby areas. Additional tip: Take a stamina shot just before attacking the boss and watch it die in record time.

Turn lights off at night. All the little lanterns inside, and outside, in game can be turned on and off. If you’re in a building, turn them off. That way you won’t cast shadows, and it will be harder to see you from the outside. The same goes for lanterns outside, turn them off. You’re much easier to shoot at standing in a well lit area. Turning off lights also includes flame carrying zombies!

Never stop moving. At first, my KD was terrible. I was standing still to look around a lot, and crouching too much. I got some tips from viewers in chat who also played the game, and I went from 1:3 to 1:2 in a week, and still steadily climbing. Don’t forget to jump occasionally as well. It can mean the difference from a lethal head-shot, to a survivable body shot.