synide

The beta was one of the best experiences I've had in a long time. It was ideal, they gave us the bulk of what the gameplay was going to be like, and it looks like they've taken the feedback and produced some great tweaks and a heavy offering of things to do in multiplayer. Sites everywhere are giving it acclaim, even with the very short campaign. Quite ironic, that the main knocks to games like Shadowrun were a "short multiplayer", low number of maps etc.

The tiny taste of perks and achievements from the beta were nothing compared to what the full game has, yet still manages to stay well-balanced. Aside from a couple of very annoying perks like Last Stand and Martydom (Matador as Nexy calls it), every ability serves to cater to playstyles, as opposed to counter each other. They never seem to overpower anyone, or limit the opposing team.

Matchmaking scoring is RPG-like. This game is nothing like an RPG, but seeing +5 for every kill I make, and having it count towards an overall ranking is a big plus. Not to mention, the text lets you know when you've kiled someone, or got an assist for someone else's kill. There is still the text in the lower part of the screen that logs kills, and lets you know what weapons people are using, but having the text pop up mid-screen helps to alleviate the annoyance of not knowing if you killed someone, that has become more prominent as games become more graphically indulgent.

The weapons seem to be well balanced. From the beta, the M4 Carbine was the weapon of choice, with the AK seeming underpowered and the m16 seeming like a starting weapon you want to get rid of quickly. Now, the AK is my favorite weapon, and the m16 seems to be most people's weapon of choice. Right now I am trying to max out every assault gun, and I couldn't wait to get rid of the m4. There's several classes of weapons, but much like R6, the assault rifles tend to be versatile enough to be all you need. Sniping has some merits for the less aggressive player, especially after unlocking the .50 cal. Noscopes are non-existent at all but injection range, but the blains remain.

The huge problem I see with the game, is that none of the perks or create-a-class are available offline. This will cause the same problems R6 had. The game worked fine on LAN, but could be so much more if Infinity Ward answers cries to patch the game. I don't expect the feature to be unlocked, but with competitive gaming's ever increasing influence on the gaming industry, I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

So why are so many people calling this game better than Halo 3? Because its solid. You don't find yourself calling BS on random deaths nearly as often, the game is consistent. There also aren't any lame weapons in the game. The maps are almost all solid. The matchmaking playlists are also nearly all great. The netcode is among the best I've seen in a host-based game.

The BIG flaw I could potentially see with this game however, is repetition. I don't see a lot of room for the game to evolve. There is not a lot of game-changing variables that people will experiment with, like with a game like Halo. To an extent, you have some depth in your weapon and perk choice, but most of the strategy in the game will be based on holding areas. There just is not the breadth of things that can happen in a match that Halo has. There are not as many "HOLY ****" moments, so the spectator value of the game can be limited. I don't know many people who enjoyed watching R6, but luckily this game is not nearly as slow. The lack of spectator mode and demo recording is also a major bummer, especially since this game already features "KillCam" and the CoD series always enjoyed those features.

Like I said before, the game is solid. I'm playing it now, and until H3 becomes a more competitive game, CoD 4 will fill in the spot where TF2 left me hanging.

skate. may very well be the greatest game I will ever play. I say this by only playing the demo. It's the second coming of skateboarding games. I thought that tony hawk was amazing, but skate is like the game I always tried to make Tony Hawk. The way I loved to play was free skate mode, doing more realistic tricks. I thought "nail the trick" was great, but even that was so over-the-top that I would constantly limit myself to simple tricks just to kill the goofiness.


Look at all the videos in the Game Room, already several for the game, and its just a demo. I don't expect your average person to get this, but for anyone who is really interested in skating, technically, then rejoice.

So BBCode now works in blogs. Here are some examples (taken from http://www.mlgpro.com/forum/misc.php?do=bbcode )


Smilies also should work (taken from this page http://www.mlgpro.com/forum/misc.php?do=getsmilies )

In light of the amazing wii announcement of Jenga:

http://www.gamespot.com/wii/puzzle/jenga/images.html?tag=tabs;images

Let's just remember how epic that game can be:

I used to be quite the hardcore gamer before competitive gaming took hold of me. Until games like Quake 3 , Unreal Tournament, and HaloPC came along, I did actually partake in single player experiences. There are a few that I never quite finished that I really wish I had though. Here are a few of them...

Super Mario Bros

Yeah, I know this isn't starting it off good. SMB was the first game I ever played and I always died around the level where the Hammer Bros came knockin. There was a neighborhood kid who would come to my house and beat it for me. He was truly the coolest guy ever at that point in my life.

Cyberia 2

The original Cyberia came with my 100mhz IBM Aptiva. It was so epic that I had to have the second one. I only got about halfway through it before the rail-based shooting got boring, but I definately want to know what happened.

Elemental Gearbolt

A light gun RPG? Hell yes. And 2-player was equally as amazing. Never did beat this, but it was amazing the entire time. I never could find a copy to purchase (only rent), and had to borrow the time crisis guns, so I never got to finish it.

Phantasy Star 4

Another renter. This is the first RPG I played, and it got me hooked. Kept it 3 days before the parent's were pissed for late fees. Remember 1-day rentals? Actually, remember rentals at all?

Flashback

Strange and epic as they come. This game was really hard for me when I played it. Back then it didn't take me much frustration to give up on a game.

Snatcher

I never had a Sega CD, but with all the hype on this one, I had to try it out via emulator. It was incredibly unique, but the age showed a little too much to hold my interest.

The long-awaited Shadowrun is finally upon us. I had a hunch about this game from the beginning. At the beginning of the year I was heckled in the office for the idea that a D&D inspired game with elves, trolls and magic would produce a competitive gamer's dream. But Shadowrun had all the right elements to take a huge step in competitive gaming's direction. It was multiplayer only, had Halo 1 talent onboard, and rumors were that they were getting top CS players as testers instead of the clowns that just think its cool when things blow up real biglike. The developers were very obviously ripping off CS and Halo and fusing that with a franchise that allowed them to put reason for magic and new ideas into the game, but these are all good things. This game reminded me of the development ideas behind Warsow and hopefully this becomes a more and more used idea in game development and further propels the genre of multiplayer-only games.

I had a chance to get a relatively early sneak peek in the beta a while back, and I really loved the game. I thought the game was far from perfect, but miles ahead of any competitive console shooter since Halo 1.So now the final retail build is out, and though I only have had to play it for one sitting, the game feels mostly the same. There are a few new animations and effects, but I didn't notice a lot of gameplay change. Gust seems to be a lot more powerful, perhaps powerful enough to make me buy it now. Some weapons are a bit more accurate and the pistol is now always available which is great. I am sure some other things have changed, but I didn't get super in-depth with the beta and haven't had a chance to get immersed in the retail game yet.

The reason I didn't get super involved with the beta was because I feel that this game could be a lot better at its core. My main gripe is still present in the game, which is that the game is more about using your magic than your weapons. This may have been a gameplay choice or one of the many nerfs to try to make the cross-platform play more balanced, but I can't help but imagine that it was the latter. I wonder how much better this game would have been if your shot was as important as your tactics (a la Halo 1).

Aside from the feeling of gunplay being deemphasized, the rest of the game I love and am pleasantly surprised how well the different magical abilities are pretty well balanced while keeping a really diverse offering. They are even better balanced than in the beta. MLG sent FASA a ton of feedback and from initial impressions and conversations with some of the other staffers who have got a chance to play more than me, it seems like they listened. I just hope that the post-launch support is there to fix the soon-to-come exploits and cheating that tends to ruin competitive multiplayer online experiences. As the game evolves, I am sure there will be the need for tweaks to gameplay mechanics and such.

I'm pretty excited about the maps, in my initial run-throughs they all seem pretty solid and only one or two seemed too big for 4v4 play. Though there seems to be a leaning towards 6v6 play, I just don't see that as a good thing for competitive gaming. Things like keeping teams together, marketing players, splitting prize money, coordinating schedules, and just overall consistency are MUCH better when teams are comprised of 4 players instead of 5 or 6.

I'm a little on the fence about the usage of the Shadowrun license. This game has very little to do with that beloved franchise, and it seems that many shadowrun fans have taken this as a slap in the face. Though I only casually played the old genesis and snes versions on emulators, I personally enjoy the usage of the license. It adds another layer of interest and casual top-level SR nostalgia. However, being a competitive gamer, and not too invested in the Shadowrun franchise, I see the skinning of the game as Shadowrun from a different perspective. I understand why SR fans are upset, and when Halo starts spawning all of these multiple games from RTS to MMO to cell-phone side-scrollers I am sure much of the Halo OGs will have similar complaints.


So Shadowrun is amazing. It's my new game. It's what I have been waiting over a year for since Halo 2 evolved past me. Despite being such a milestone for the sport, I can't help but worry about the negative ratings and feedback from the casual gaming crowd. Though these do not matter to the hardcore gamers, large-scale public interest filling tournaments is what creates legitimate competition.

Everything runs through VGA, via 360 VGA cable, 2 x2VGAs, and a 4-port KVM switch w/ audio.


Equipment:

Sony GDM-FW900 24" Wide-Screen CRT Monitor
This is a rare beauty. The only Widescreen CRT monitor I've seen, this thing sold for $2500 a few years back when it debuted. Now you can find them for 300-500 on eBay and around. Widescreen Monitor = HD gaming (I play my 360 on 1920x1080 (1080p) ) CRT = 0ms response rate. HERE is a pretty long thread discussing the monitor, mostly about using it w/ 360. HERE is a review calling it "the best monitor to ever grace our offices, bar none, end of story, period."

Xbox 360
I pull it out when I play, as it gets hot in the bottom compartment.

Xbox
For online play.

Xbox (modded)
Performs as my media center, streaming movies from my PC's hard drive.

Other accessories:
Xbox 360 Vision Camera
Kitchen Timer
Cambridge Soundworks 2.1 system
x2VGA (original direct-plug model)
x2VGA (new 2.0 model)
Starview KVM switch (4 port + audio)
PS2 (never use anymore)

[14:09] shockwav3: when does the photo gallery go up
[14:30] synidebass: when you eat your vegetables
[14:30] shockwav3: hahahahahahahaha

[14:30] shockwav3: tell joe do die
[14:31] synidebass: i wouldnt say that. he just got diagnosed w/ noob
[14:31] synidebass: hes basically a goner
[14:31] shockwav3: hahaha

there are actually lots more, only showing the ones of interest:



2049:

Bug: Add As Buddy & Send Message links should populate the field with name

Resolution:  Add As Buddy & Send Message links now populate the field with name

 

2045

Bug: Comments Expansion functionality needs to be added

Resolution:  Now 5 comments show and there is a link to show all

 

2017

Bug:  "< " shows up after the user name when you comment in a blog/profile

Resolution:  no longer see any “<” after the user name

 

2018

Bug:  Sending a Message -- Blank Recipient Box

Resolution:  Profile name now appears in the recipient box

 

2010

Bug:  After registering the email should send an activation link to your email address. If this email is lost, automatically deleted by your email provider, or deleted by mistake by you or any other way that prevents the user from accessing the activation link, the account can never be activated. There is no button or request area for MLG to send another email with the activation link on it.

Resolution:  user get the message: "If you have already registered but lost your activation email, or have any other questions, please contact the Administrator."

 


1978

Bug:  custom block is getting pushed out in IE when string is too long

Resolution:  now it works correctly

 

1975

Bug:  scroll down pros - - - grey background turns white

Resolution:  now gray all the way down

 

1925

Bug:  'Thread Tools' and 'Search this Thread' links should be right-aligned.

Resolution:  Currently right-aligned

 

1902

Bug:  the rollover for online tournaments makes the word jump - roll on and off it with your mouse and you will see the word jump a little left and right.

Resolution:  the button no longer “jumps”

 

1871

Bug:  comments go out of the box.

Resolution:  Comments no longer go outside of box

 

1858

Bug:  Blog Posts should not paginate if not enough entries

Resolution:  No longer has pagination if not enough entries

 

in case you missed the launch extravaganza bonanza:

We are nearing completion of wrapping up the first wave of VoD coming early this week.

Here's a post j0kr made with names of all the matches that will be coming out over the 2 or 3 waves we will be releasing (H2 only). Wave 1 should consist of a little over half of those vids, plus a lot more.


Here's a partial list of what I'm capturing this weekend at the TV studio, as I go over footage from Episode 105.


everyone shower j0kr w/ much love, because between all the hard work he's been putting in, and the relentless intern treatment hes been getting (see one blog below), he cant be in good spirits.

5ORL

WBF:
ogre1
ogre2
karma
gandhi

LBF
walshy
saiyan
t2
cpt anarchy

FIN
ogre1
ogre2
ghostayame
shockwave


These are whats guaranteed to come out of wave 1, but theres a lot more to cap, including all the 1v1s, and many of the mainstage matches that werent listed in j0krs post.

[12:38] interninator: yo
[12:38] synidebass: ?
[12:38] interninator: my mom signed me up for 2 doctors appointments today
[12:38] interninator: which i i need fr school
[12:38] interninator: and forgot about
[12:39] interninator: it's totally my fault
[12:39] interninator: i can come in around 3
[12:39] interninator: or so
[12:39] interninator: depending on the bus schedule
[12:39] synidebass: youre fired
[12:39] synidebass: dont even worry about it
[12:39] synidebass: since youre fired

[12:40] interninator: i hate you
[12:40] interninator:
[12:41] interninator: do you want me to come in or am i really fired
[12:41] interninator: ?
[12:42] synidebass: both
[12:42] synidebass: i want you to come in
[12:42] synidebass: so i can fire you to your face

CBN beating FB is a fluke.


Also, FB was paid off to lose.


Also, it was all staged, like the moon landing.


Also, CBN used not-yet-found-soon-to-be-illegal sneaky glitches.

www.speedtest.net


whats yours?


update: speed here at the MLG office



we pay more for this in a month than i pay all year for mine at home

I don't see what all the hype is about this movie. I went and saw it and it was terrible.

bold prediction:


Team Fortress 2 x360 MLG 2007

http://synide.net/netflix/


netflix is amazing.

Check the front page.


the only thing more amazing than ghost, is of course, Dan


enjoy, rejoice, and thank Dan

TO CHIPWNTOWN

check out the new vid on the front page or in the archive.


Dan Chosich is the leet.

or didnt you know?

get vanqd