B.G. Willers

07.23.12

Guild Wars 2 – Final Pre-Release Impressions

Guild Wars 2 could be the worst thing to happen to my real world social life.  Or the best thing.  Depends on how you look at it.

I spent as much time as I could playing the beta this past weekend.  It started off with a race to get onto the server we wanted.  A process which included remotely logging into the home computer from work and enduring the slideshow of setting up a character and choosing a server.  It’s a good thing we did though, otherwise the server would have been full by the time I got home from work.  I say “good thing” though the people who I was trying to play with on that server never ended up getting on… Hope you had fun doing less fun, more lame things.

I created an Asura elementalist.  I chose both a race and profession I don’t intend to play as my main character when the game is released.  But it turned out to be fantastically fun.  I’ve never particularly enjoyed the spellcaster role in games, but this just feels so much different.  You aren’t standing in one place spamming spells.  You’re constantly dodging attacks and trying to get position so your onslaught has the greatest effect.  It had a lot more similarities to the Mesmer I played last beta weekend, but I really enjoyed the zipping back and forth between close and ranged attacks that the Mesmer had.

I played a fair amount of PvE; just general exploring and questing along with the multitude of dynamic events that pop up as your wandering around.  The Asura starting area is very cool.  But not as mind blowing as the human area.  It’s hard to compare to Divinity’s Reach, though Rata Sum, the Asura city, does have a very techy sci-fi feel to it that fits their personality to a tee.

But by and large what consumed most of time time was World vs. World.  This is multiplayer PvP on a massive scale.  Literally hundreds of players on a single map battling for stratigic locations.  Supply camps generate supply and allow you to reinforce your castles or build siege weapons to bring down opposing structures or players.  They are relatively defenseless but are often near the edges of the map behind castles or keeps making them somewhat secure by geography.  Towers and keeps are heavily fortified and a battle to take down a keep can take literally hours depending on how well defended it is.

Supply can be carried by players and used to repair the damage that the attacking force, sometimes 50 or more players, are doing.  Or it can be used to build weapons to repel the mass of attackers.  The result is battles for a single map position that can last hours and require some loose strategic thinking.  I use the term loose, because there are really not clear “commanders” on your team.  The result is more like a large flock of birds that moves as a process greater any one individual in that flock.  I’m sure as the community matures more effective strategy will become common place.  For now it’s fun just being a part of this “force” that crashes against walls like waves against a cliff until that wall finally gives way.  When the walls on a castle come down and your group pours through, it really feels like what you see in the movies when the gates fall and the hordes go rushing in.  Except less pillaging.

Though the rewards are still compelling in WvW.  You get experience for everything you do.  Whether its straight forward attacking, or just escorting supply packs from A to B.  You can really play at your own pace and make a meaningful contribution to your team’s objective.

I was excited to play WvW, but I certianly didn’t expect to get sucked in like I did.  But that pretty much sums up everything about this game I’ve played so far.  Everything I’ve tried has been fun and engaging.  But most of all, it all just feels so natural.  Now just 4 long weeks until I get to play again.  But I won’t feel required to play as intensely during these beta weekends, because I’ll know at that time, I can log on whenever I want… no subscription fees.  Hells yeah.  This game is going to rock.  Now just to find a good guild.

07.2.12

Just What I Needed

Yesterday was the first time in a while I didn’t leave the house.  Well I didn’t leave the driveway at least.  No work, no travel.  Just some honest to goodness free time.

First I slept in.  I highly recommend it if you ever get to try it, but like anything else, you don’t want to get used to it.  So I rolled out of bed at 8:15am and started up some coffee, and went out to the garden and pulled up a nice batch of potatoes and a fresh yellow onion. We didn’t have much for breakfast, but I fried those up and Andrea made some muffins and it was a pretty alright breakfast!  Just needed some bacon and eggs to be perfect!

Afterwards I went back outside and aired up the pool for Luke and I to play in.  It was a hot day, but didn’t feel too bad once you hopped in.  Luke did pretty good, but the water was a little bit deeper than his bathtime, so he had to get used to the fact that he couldn’t just crawl and flop around like he’s used to.  He inhaled a big gasp of water once, and that was a little scary, but he coughed it up, and went right back to playing again.  Haha.

I also got to play some of my “new to me” Super Off Road game I scored for 99 cents on eBay.  I remember renting the game back in the day, but I never owned it.  I probably played it for almost an hour non stop.  I made it as far as race 40 and was getting my butt kicked.  That one sitting was worth the 99 cents right there.  So my NES collection continues to grow.

So it was a great Sunday.  And even with that one day of R&R I feel ready to face the week.  Of course it helps that it’s going to be a short week with the 4th of July smack dab in the middle.  That helps the motivation too.

04.29.12

Beta is Over

I wish I could stay up for the finalie, but that’s going to be at 1AM.  I don’t think I can handle that.

I’ve had a ton of fun this weekend.  This game is seriously as good as I would have hoped and more.  It’s fun to play, and the sheer scale of it, from size to the number of things there are to do, it’s just amazing.

It wasn’t without its flaws.  It was a little tough to play together with Biebs as we’d end up in different instances of the same world.  Something the development team says they’re working.

I really want to keep playing, but sleep, work and the impending end of the Beta weekend keep that from happening.  But there’s supposed to be one weekend per month until release… when I can then quit my job, ignore my family, and forego bathing to play this game without end.

At the very end, Andrea showed me how to enable hi-res screenshots.  I wish I had this the entire time!  The pictures it renders from the game are absolutely jaw dropping!  The amount of detail in this game is ridiculous!

I’m posting scaled down versions here, but CLICK HERE for an example of one of the screenshots in its full 5656×3308 glory!

And that’s just one small part of the small part of the game I was able to play.

 

04.26.12

Life is Good

I’ve gotta apologize to everyone who’s been either around me, or following me on Twitter the past few weeks.  I’ve been under a lot of pressure and haven’t handled it as well as I’d like.  Everyone at work seems to keep telling me otherwise, but I really feel like there’s been a few moments where I could have kept a little more composure.  Nevertheless things are starting to quiet down and I’m able to get back to my “old” self.

I’m just way to laid back of a person.  I don’t “care” about much.  So being all business and cracking the whip just isn’t my style.  I guess you can say I’m lazy if you want.  Doesn’t hurt my feelings.  I prefer to think that life is too short to worry about most things.  That’s kind of how I approach each crossroad.  “Will the decision I make here have any significance 5 years from now?”  Most of the time the answer is “No” and if that’s the case, what’s the point stewing over this small stuff.

So now I’m kicking it.  I have to work a little late today, but I decided that if that’s the case I’m going to go in a little late too.  So I slept until 7:30am and I’ve just been relaxing with the family.  It’s fun to see Luke when he wakes up.  He’s always in such a great mood.  Lots of smiles.  And we haven’t been doing much, but we’re at least all hanging out together, something that hasn’t happened much.

I also love sleeping with the windows open.  It’s awesome waking up to fresh air and the sounds of the birds chirping.  Like they way an alarm clock should be.  We have an east window in the bedroom so the sun this time of year starts shining through a little before 7AM.  I woke up the first time at 6:30 and thought, I should get up and around.  But then thought…. well heck, I don’t have anything to do so I laid back down until my phone rang at 7:30… from work.  They just can’t live without me I guess.

So today is Thursday.  And I’m super excited.  Because tomorrow is Friday.  Which means the Guild Wars 2 Beta begins tomorrow as soon as I get home.  I’m going to be late getting home again tomorrow because of a baseball game… but once I am home… I am free all weekend.  I have absolutely nothing planned.  And unless something super important comes up… it’s going to stay that way.

So sorry I’ve been complaining a lot.  I feel like I’m getting a little burnt out at work and just have to vent some of it.  I’ve got a vacation scheduled though here in a few weeks.  That makes a big difference because it gives me a finite date in the future to look forward to.  Instead of never knowing when it will end.  But I’ll try to keep the whining to a minimum.  I’ve got it pretty darn good.

03.27.12

Monster Truck Rally!

We went back to SWK for my nephews’ birthdays.  It was lots of fun.  They decided that instead of a pizza party they were going to go to the Monster Trucks at the arena.  Wise choice!

I really hate our digital camera.  Unless you’re in direct sunlight or your subject is completely still, the pictures are just a blurry mess.  I’ve seen cellphone cameras that take better pictures.

At any rate it was alot of fun!  I haven’t seen monster trucks since I was probably 12 years old.  I don’t know if they’ve changed much.  I’d assume they’re a bit more sophisticated now.  We got to get pretty up close to them.  They look pretty intense.  A lot more sophisticated and heavy duty than your average hauler.

There’s a lot of similarities between the monster truck circuit and the pro-wrestling circuit.  They both have over the top stories and weird fans.  Of course any time you go to see monster trucks you gotta know if “Bigfoot” is going to be there.  And he was… technically.  I did a little research and apparently there have been 18 trucks that have been “official” Bigfoot trucks.  We saw Bigfoot #16.  Was probably the nicest put together truck, but the driver just didn’t have the gusto.

The real bad ass was a 68 Mustang called “Ghost Ryder”.  This guy was balls to the wall all the time!

All in all it was awesome.  I just let myself act like a kid again.  The nephews had a blast and all the parents did too!  Sadly there were some classy cars crushed that day.  Some looked a little too much like mine!

 

02.17.12

TGIFFFA

Thank God It’s Finally Freakin’ Friday Again!

I’m really looking forward to the weekend.  It’s the first weekend since probably November that I will have nothing to do.  We aren’t going anywhere, and I don’t have to work (crosses fingers).  So I’ve got big plans.  Okay, maybe not BIG plans.

Need to do a few odd things around the house.  We want to seal up the windows in the guest bedroom to keep bugs from crawling in this spring like they did last year.  Probably should go a head and bug spray the house while I’m thinking about bugs.  Honestly haven’t seen too many creepy crawlies since we moved in.  But don’t want to give them any ideas.

One thing I’m really hoping to do is a Vanquish campaign in Guild Wars of Kryta, Northern Shiverpeaks and Old Ascalon.  That will take a while, and there will be lots of AFK time as I’ll be bouncing back and forth between the game and hanging out with Luke.  Andrea might even join in.  It’s sure to net a lot of cash and hopefully some good items too.  But that’s something that might take the whole weekend on and off.  Plus I still want to get in some time with Zelda and Mario 3D Land.

I’m also working on another project on the side that I’m not quite ready to disclose yet.  I like the way its starting, but I don’t know if I’ll have the follow through to complete it for one, and two how it will turn out when it’s done.  So if you never hear about it again, know that it must not have turned out well!  Haha.

I hope your weekend is fantastic.  I’m hoping to Livestream a lot of the Guild Wars vanquishing this weekend, so check the Livestream tab from time to time and see what’s up.

01.17.12

Mario Kart 7: Final Thoughts

I’m going to get this out of the way right at the beginning.  My favorite Mario Kart is still Mario Kart 64.  To be fair Mario Kart 7 never really even had a chance, as I have such a long history with the 64 version, I can’t say it’s even possible to unseat the game atop my list of favorite games anymore.  Objectively though, Mario Kart 7 is without question the most advanced game in the series.

Honestly I wasn’t expecting much from 7.  Perhaps that’s why I’m so blown away by its awesomeness.  Where to start…

Some of the most obvious changes to the series are some of the least exciting to play in my opinion.  Karts can now fly or dive into water.  Flying is somewhat fun as it’s more of a controlled float back to the ground after you launch off a big ramp.  The fun part is aiming for multi-tiered paths on the track.  Some are higher than others and if you miss, you’re forced to take an alternate route that you hadn’t planned on.  The underwater driving though, isn’t as exciting, as you’re still driving a kart on a course, only with far more floaty physics.  While you’re underwater, there’s nothing particularly unique about it compared to driving that it just feels unnessicary.

One obvious new feature that does work well is the 3D display.  For the most part the effect isn’t used in extreme.  The tracks are rendered beautifully and tastefully.  And while driving, especially going around tight high banked corners, you really “feel” the 3D effect.  I use the word feel because it’s not something you’re really actively paying attention to while you’re playing, but especially in certain moments, you get that feeling of “whoa” when you know there’s a different perspective that you aren’t used to getting from a normal screen.  Other 3D effects are pulled off very well.  One of the best executed is Blooper’s ink that splotches your screen.  The 3D brings that ink out infront and on top of the rest of the display, and really gives you that sensation that you get when a big truck goes by on the highway and sprays your windshield.  If only there were a windshield wiper effect to clear the ink.  Over all the 3D effect is used modestly and appropriately.

Kart customization makes its debut in Mario Kart 7.  It’s a novel feature, but one that I appreciate.  I remember when Double Dash came out and I was not excited at all by the goofy kart designs.  There’s always been a more traditional go-kart available, but this time around the classic Mario Kart 64 kart is back as the “Pipe Frame” kart!  Of course you can customize any of the karts with big monster truck type wheels that have better offroad speed, or tiny shopping cart like wheels that have good handling.  I prefer the old fashioned wheels that match the kart.  You also have the option to pick different gliders which have slightly different flying characteristics.  Before each race/cup you select your character, kart frame, wheels, and glider.  It’s not a feature I’d say is mind blowing, but it’s fun to play with and fun to unlock more stuff as you gather coins.

For me, the things that make Mario Kart 7 so great, are the things that have made Mario Kart great from the start, just done better.  The controls on the 3DS are amazingly solid.  It strikes that perfect balance between easy to pick up and play, and skilled finesse beneath the surface.  Turboslides are performed by drifting around corners.  The tighter your turn, the faster you build your turbo, so you are rewarded for taking the right line around any given curve, or punished for not doing so.

The tracks are phenomenal.  16 brand new courses and 16 retro courses.  I always find myself wishing I could pick my own retro courses as my favorites never tend to make the list. (I want Royal Raceway!) But the new courses are absolutely fabulous.  Detailed, alive, and fun to drive.  They take advantage of the 3D screen to its fullest to really make you feel like you’re driving at some crazy angles sometimes.  And everything runs super smooth.  You will be turbosliding, jumping, gliding and boosting almost constantly.  Additionally there are some tracks that instead of running 3 laps, you will actual race a long course from point A to point B.

Online multiplayer has been a blast.  It’s fun to know you’re not just racing against the computer, and when you win it makes the victory that much more satisfying.  That said, it’s much harder to win!  Everyone is holding on to those items until the last stretch, and that’s when all hell breaks loose.  Coming around the last corner in 1st place is about the last thing you want to do in Mario Kart VS mode!  The frantic chaos is what makes it so great.  And for me, the most enjoyable part is you don’t get to chat with any of these people.  So they could be screaming adolescents on the other side of the internet for all I know, but I prefer to think that they are all sophisticated folks like myself.  It works for me.

Mario Kart 7 is probably everyone else’s favorite Mario Kart game.  And for good reason.  It takes everything that has made the previous installments great, does it better, makes it portable, and does it in 3D.  But for me, until they release Mario Kart 64HD3D with an authentic N64 throwback controller with analog sticks that don’t grind to powder… Mario Kart 7 will be an extremely close second.

05.22.11

It’s such a good feeling

What an outstanding day it’s been!  Started off by not having to wake up to an alarm.  It doesn’t take me long to wake up once I’m out of bed, but that initial  roll off the mattress is always a killer when you have to do it.  I used to be able to sleep until well past noon back in my slacker days.  Now I sleep until 8am and I feel like a king or something.  Helps I guess that I don’t go to bed at 3:30am anymore.

So up and around easing into the day with a cup of coffee.  Thinking about how its nice not having all sorts of “floaties” in my beverage since the water softener has been working.  After a cup or two I figure might as well go mow the yard before a hot day takes over.

Too late.  The temperature wasn’t bad but it was a crystal clear day and even at 9:30 in the morning the sun was beating down and making some hot work of pushing the little mower around.  I should get me a riding mower some day, but this works and I get some much needed exercise.  One of the most rewarding feelings is looking back at a freshly cut lawn, I think.  Just so nice and neat.  Like a green carpet.

Anywho, after that and hosing off the outdoors Andrea and I played a little Guild Wars.  She’s working on getting one of her characters through all three chapters and I’m taking a character through the first game for the first time.  So were helping each other.  Knocked out a couple missions today.  Got the bonus on one but not the other.  Oh well, something to come back for.

Andrea is more tired these days.  Don’t blame her.  Growing a baby is a lot of work! So while she was napping, I tried to think of something to do.  Decided I would take one of the extra florescent lights above the garage and relocate it above my work bench.  Good news is I think I wired it up safer than before!  And now I have some much better light to work with.  I still need to find a place for everything in the garage though!

By now its late afternoon, Andrea ie up again do so we go shoot some hoops in the driveway for a while and head back in for supper.  One of the things I’m trying to do is cook more stuff that will have leftovers.  We don’t get to come home for lunch anymore so if we don’t take something, its either go hungry or spend crazy money eating out.  So I cooked up some shrimp and rice stir fry.  Made lots so there should be a couple days worth of leftovers.

So productive, satisfying, and relaxing.  Those are the words of the day.  Actually ready to face a busy work week after a weekend like this!

05.12.11

Some clean pictures!

Man, it seems like it’s taking forever to get unpacked!  Close to done though in the living room and kitchen.  Everything else either still has boxes or is just empty.  But I can’t just leave those messy pictures from days ago up and not post a few proving that we’ve cleaned up the place!

04.4.11

Much to talk about…

The poor blog.  Fallen almost into a state of neglect as of late.  It’s just been busy.  Well… busy and with what free time I have I’ve been playing Guild Wars or N64.  Next few weeks should continue to be busy, but there’s a lot of things that could use a little more detail and should probably be dished out on the blog before I forget them forever.

We’re getting ready to move in about two weeks!  Finally leaving our weed selling, hillbilly neighbors behind!  The ones that have the cops visiting once a month and ride their ATVs through my yard.  Man, I’ll miss those guys.

Work is going at a furious pace, but going well.  Seems like I’m taking on more and more everyday.  Just often enough though, I have a day where I’m super productive and I am able to knock a ton of things out without interruption.

Little Luke is doing great as far as we can tell.  Andrea says he’s a kicking little guy, but I still can’t feel him very often.  We’ve got another appointment next week for some more baby checkups.

Off to work now, more blogs to come.

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