21 Jump Street; A Review
Posted by Landerpurex on March 19th, 2012, 3:05 am. Category: Scribery Entry
9/10
I consider myself a comedy connoisseur. Whether it's the fine wine comedy of Monty Python, the outrageous antics of Will Ferrell in Step Brothers or Old School, or the recently over-the-top Wanderlust, and even further back to classics such as Caddyshack, National Lampoon, Animal House, and even further to the Stooges and Charlie Chaplin. I've seen it all. I have not, however, always enjoyed it all.
21 Jump Street was, simply put, a fantastic comedy. I wouldn't consider myself a huge Jonah Hill fan, but he does well in this movie. The star who really excels is Channing Tatum, however. As some other reviewers mention, seeing the actor exit his (boring, in my opinion) romantic role and enter into a comedic one is fantastic. His simple, yet sincere character is one we've seen time and again, but it's incredibly funny and somehow fresh in this film. Jonah Hill's character is similar to those in the past, the outcast bookworm, but again, it fits the movie.
The premise of the movie is that Tatum and Hill are newly graduated policemen, and aren't at all good at their job. After losing some perpetrators doing drugs in the park, they are reassigned to the run-down undercover unit at 21 Jump Street. Here, their captain (A hilarious Ice Cube) assigns them to pose as students to try and take down the supplier of a new hallucinogenic drug called HFS (Holy F'ing
). Simple enough premise. A large part of the comedy of this movie is currently edgy, and will hit home with our generation for years to come. Tatum and Hill return to school to find that studying, caring for the environment, and being tolerant is now 'cool'. This, of course, is openly satirizing the abrupt shift that is taking place with youth today, for good or ill and remains a very potent comedic strand throughout the movie. In a memorable scene, when the two first return to high school, they are bombarded by new cliques, such as asians dressed in cosplay and the now infamous hipsters. Again, it's humor that has a target audience and works incredibly well for us who are mired in these new cultural phenomena.
Interestingly enough, there are a few good action scenes to be had in this movie as well. It's no Jackie Chan movie, but the director manages some good action, explosions (and satirizing the convention of explosions), car chases and shootouts to change the pace when a change is warranted.
This isn't an art film, and will not wow you with presentation, cinematography, sound, or any other technical aspect. It is driven by its humor, strong acting, and script, which is always enough with a successful comedy. We are meant to pay attention to the jokes, not what the camera angles suggest. It is sufficient enough technically that we aren't distracted by *bad* decisions, there is just not anything that will wow you in that respect.
There are many laughs to be had in this movie, for people of all ages and backgrounds. The guys are forced to try the new drug right away to prove they're not police, and the insanity ensues. Tatum bursts into the band room and destroys and disrupts. Hill returns to drama class and somehow nails himself the lead part in the school's production of Peter Pan. In an attempt to get in with one of the dealers, the guys throw a party of wicked proportions, and kids from a rival school show up. This ends in Tatum punching almost anyone who steps in front of him and Hill getting stabbed with some kind of artifact. Then, their parents return and break up the party.
This movie toes the line between ridiculous and incredibly funny exactly the way a great comedy should. It's witty, edgy, and simply funny nearly all the time, with very strong acting and writing throughout all the while remaining grounded in a decent enough story. There are even a few great surprises to be had, including a fantastic cameo. The ONLY reasons this film garners a 9 instead of a 10 from me is because it falters in the final scenes, going too far with a shock device that seems totally unnecessary given the merit of the rest of the film. There are also some cliches to be had, but they serve their purpose in the plot.
In short, go and see this film as soon as possible.
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Guild Wars 2 (Pre-Purchase) April 10th
Posted by killa kiaba on March 15th, 2012, 6:52 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
https://buy.guildwars2.com/
All pre-purchase editions include these exclusive bonuses:
Access to all Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Events
Three days of headstart access
Hero’s Band (+2 to all stats)
DIGITAL EDITION $59.99
Guild Wars 2 game
DIGITAL DELUXE $79.99
Guild Wars 2 game
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
Rytlock Miniature
Golem Banker
Chalice of Glory
Tome of Influence
COLLECTOR'S EDITION $149.99
Guild Wars 2 game
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
Rytlock Miniature
Golem Banker
Chalice of Glory
Tome of Influence
10-inch figurine of Rytlock
112 page Making of Guild Wars 2 book
Custom Art Frame
Art Portfolio and Five Art Prints
Best of Guild Wars 2 Soundtrack CD
Minimum System Requirements*
* Due to potential changes, system requirements may change over time, and you may be required to upgrade your current system (or obtain a new system) to continue to play the game.
Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or better · 2 GB RAM
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3, AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 or better
NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800, ATI Radeon™ X1800, Intel HD 3000 or better (256MB of video RAM and shader model 3.0 or better)
25 GB available HDD space
Broadband Internet connection
Keyboard and mouse
All pre-purchase editions include these exclusive bonuses:
Access to all Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Events
Three days of headstart access
Hero’s Band (+2 to all stats)
DIGITAL EDITION $59.99
Guild Wars 2 game
DIGITAL DELUXE $79.99
Guild Wars 2 game
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
Rytlock Miniature
Golem Banker
Chalice of Glory
Tome of Influence
COLLECTOR'S EDITION $149.99
Guild Wars 2 game
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
Rytlock Miniature
Golem Banker
Chalice of Glory
Tome of Influence
10-inch figurine of Rytlock
112 page Making of Guild Wars 2 book
Custom Art Frame
Art Portfolio and Five Art Prints
Best of Guild Wars 2 Soundtrack CD
Minimum System Requirements*
* Due to potential changes, system requirements may change over time, and you may be required to upgrade your current system (or obtain a new system) to continue to play the game.
Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or better · 2 GB RAM
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3, AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 or better
NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800, ATI Radeon™ X1800, Intel HD 3000 or better (256MB of video RAM and shader model 3.0 or better)
25 GB available HDD space
Broadband Internet connection
Keyboard and mouse
The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet (3/27/2012): A Review
Posted by defeat on March 12th, 2012, 8:14 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating: 9/10
There are few bands I expect to blow me away with every release, and The Mars Volta is one of them. In any form of art there is an indefinite number of artists trying to take their chosen medium to the next level of originality. This is especially true in music, but most tend to get hung up on the concept of genres. It’s an easy thing to do, as genres are the best reference points art has to describe it. A genre is sometimes necessary for description, but at other times putting a label on a work of art can hinder the art itself. Trying to describe The Mars Volta’s music is hard enough, but putting one specific genre or label on it is simply impossible. One thing that they have stuck by, however, is the pop format. Granted, their songs aren’t the verse/chorus/verse all-in-under-four-minutes that Top 40 radio stations have come to embrace (it’s more like intro/verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus/outro, all-in-sometimes-10-minutes-or more), but they do have choruses that fans of intensely poetic, non-linear lyrics can try and sing along with. I say try, because, come on…Who can sing that hauntingly beautiful falsetto like Cedric Bixler-Zavala?
Throughout their career The Mars Volta have incorporated everything from jazz to Latin into their music, but their latest release, entitled Noctourniquet, comes closer to being a pop/rock album than any of the others. There. I said it. It’s a pop album. This shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me, as the last release, 2009’s Octahedron, only had a single song over eight minutes (a huge departure from the band’s early days that spawned songs like the 35+ minute epic “Cassandra Gemini”). It was a surprise, though. Maybe it’s surprising because this is the first album they’ve released that I’ve heard parts in songs that could have come from other bands. “Aegis” has a feel reminiscent of Muse in the verses. “Zed and Two Naughts”’ drums instantly brought A Perfect Circle’s song "Weak and Powerless" to mind. Even the lead single has a guitar riff that could have come from any of the songs on Queens of the Stone Age’s album, Era Vulgaris, or any of Jack White’s past and present projects. I’m not saying that they were trying for any similarities, but when you make a pop album, it’s impossible to completely avoid them, even for The Mars Volta…
…And a The Mars Volta album it is! Even with these few similarities, the above mentioned songs are undoubtedly and uniquely straight from TMV’s songwriter and producer, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. His guitar playing is as riff-tastic and sometimes nothing but effects per-usual. He’s always been an experimental little guy, and even with Noctourniquet’s pop sensibilities, he's still pushing the boundaries of music. Their usual use of keyboards has changed from jazzy piano and organ to synth (possibly due to the departure of keyboardist "Ikey" Owens), although their trademark sound manipulation can be heard throughout the album’s entirety. Fans of The Volta’s past efforts won’t be disappointed, especially with the songs “Dyslexicon”, “Molochwalker”, and “Trinkets Pale of Moon”, which range from in-your-face to soft and sweet, respectively. One thing some fans tend to complain about is the revolving door of drummers since Jon Theodore stopped playing with the band in 2006. I never jumped on that band wagon, and really enjoyed Thomas Pridgen’s drumming on the last two albums. However, the only complaint I have about Noctourniquet is just that, the drumming. New drummer, Deantoni Parks, just doesn’t do it for me. He seems to be trying way too hard to live up to the sonic pummeling that the previous albums have featured, and sometimes fails miserably (evident in “Lapochka”).
If you haven’t heard The Mars Volta before, disliked their previous efforts for being too artsy, or are one of the many who haven’t liked an album of theirs since the full length debut (2003’s De-Loused in the Comatorium), Noctourniquet is a great album to get acquainted with, as it’s their most accessible and listener friendly album to date. Fans of the entire discography beware…
It’s a pop album. There. I said it again...
Recommended if you enjoy: Radiohead, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris and/or Jack White
The official lead single can be listened to here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh0stkLanx4&ob=av3e
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning; A Review
Posted by Landerpurex on February 15th, 2012, 12:33 am. Category: Scribery Entry
Overall rating: 8/10.
I've done my homework on this game, both before and after buying it. Everyone seems to be looking at it completely the wrong way. Other reviewers and consumers are comparing this game to Skyrim, Mass Effect, and many other juggernaut RPGs. This is a mistake. Reviews range from a 9/10 from IGN to a 5/10 from Adam Sessler at G4TV.
Kingdoms of Amalur is similar to other RPGs in some respects, and in others it is radically different. If we analyze and enjoy this by itself, it's a great game. If we stand it next to Skyrim, it falters badly in some respects, and excels in others.
The things this game does well are apparent from the moment you start playing. Environments are very vibrant, and are sufficiently unique. They're somewhat linear, but also allow for quite a bit of exploration and free roam. There are enough hidden treasures, places, and quests to keep you busy for many hours. Often I would venture off the path in search of a treasure that showed up on my map thanks to my 'detect hidden' skill, and would instead spend a few hours saving a town from some kind of spider woman. This had nothing to do with the main quest or any of the 'factions'.
The story for this game is very good, and has RA Salvatore's flair. Sometimes, however, this is its undoing. Every little quest has five minutes of backstory or lore, when you might simply be trying to complete a quest for a quick buck or exp gain. I sometimes found myself skipping dialog for meaningless side quests. On the other side of this issue, the main storyline and faction quests are well-done. I especially loved the storyline of the House of Ballads, a group of elf-like people who endlessly reenact battles and adventures long past. In short, the overarching story isn't anything unconventional, but there are many originalities and nuances to be enjoyed. It's easy to see the care that went into the story, and that a good novelist was the one who oversaw it.
I can't write a review about this game without mentioning it's greatest strength: the battle system. It's fast-paced and more than simple button mashing. I like the emphasis on combos and certain attacks, such as those that 'pop up' your enemy, making them vulnerable for further hits. The amount of attacks is satisfying, but the key is exploring which ones work best together.
The game's skill system is pretty basic but fulfilling at the same time. There are plenty of skills and styles to be explored, without there being *too* much. The destiny system is great, you can unlock bonuses for your character as you dump points into any of the three skill trees. You can also unlock destinies for hybrid classes, even ones for supporting all three trees. This allows for a fantastic amount of customization with ample reward for whichever tree/s you choose to support.
That being said, this game's mechanics allow for one of the best roleplaying opportunities I've seen. The destiny system and hybrid classes make for an experience that really hasn't been amply explored in other titles. If you couple this with the strong story and hundreds of quests, then you have a very enjoyable recipe.
The game, of course; is not without faults. Some consumers have complained about the voice acting, but I actually enjoyed it. I found it more inspiring than some, and dialog seemed to fit the character saying it. I will be the first to admit that character models and facial expressions are lacking. Though the voice acting is good, it is not paired with good facial modeling. The characters are expressionless and half the time, their mouths don't even follow what they're saying.
Other cons involve slight dips in framerate, but nothing that was at all gamebreaking. I also often found the shops lacking, I finished the game with over 5 million gold. Granted, I was a money-making machine with max mercantile and detect hidden skills, but there was literally nowhere for me to spend my money after about 2/3 of the way through the game.
I spent about 50 hours on this game, and I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience. There seems to be dozens more hours of content, as I finished with over 50 side quests unfinished, and who knows how many more I left not taken. The replayability of the game is high as well, with trophies/achievements awarded for each playstyle. Though it would be just as easy to totally re-allot your skill points than to start over, but what's the fun in that?
The game is pretty standard fantasy fare on almost every front, while excelling in a few respects; namely the battle system and the major storylines. As other reviewers have pointed out, this game seems to borrow the best features of a lot of other titles and implement them in game to the point where they work together to near perfection. Loot, story, battling, skills, environment, and more. Overall, this game was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new, solid RPG to play from a new studio, but with some very hard-hitting names behind it.
The Woman in Black; A Movie Review
Posted by Landerpurex on February 6th, 2012, 1:05 am. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating: 7/10
This was a good movie, not a great one. It did its job, it scared me (badly) at times, and there were very great technical things happening with this movie. However, it was inconsistent and Radcliffe's acting was just awful.
This movie is pretty typical as far as horror stories go, it's set in early 1900s England. The main character Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) plays a lawyer or paralegal, hard up for a break. He is sent by his firm to a sinister house near a small town, where the spirit of a woman terrorizes the town and the house. His son and their nanny are supposed to join him at the house after some time. Don't be fooled by the PG-13 rating, I learned with Insidious that underrated movies can be terrifying.
The opening scene of this movie was literally the most technically sound, and perhaps the best scene in the movie. While any opening scene should be great, it shouldn't be the best scene in the film. We're shown three young girls playing in an upstairs room, and nothing seems to be wrong. After a few moments, one of them drops their little teacup. It shatters. They then get up and advance towards the three windows, one of the trampling the teapot on the way. Here we have many good things in the cinematography and editing. Short takes. Shades of montage. Short jump cuts. This serves to confuse us, and it works very well. The three girls step up to the sill simultaneously, and jump out the windows. Then we're taken to Arthur's house, shocked by the previous scene and left with many questions.
The worst thing about this film, I felt, were its inconsistencies. It's easy to see that the aforementioned scene was meticulously cared for during production, whereas the rest of the film only shows glimmers of that care. As I said previously, Radcliffe's acting is terrible. He never shows any emotion, both when he realizes his wife has died in childbirth, nor at the end of the film when he is reunited with his son. This movie didn't call for him to strive for any awards, most of the time Arthur runs through the house chasing various noises. I was disappointed that when the script called for a little acting, he didn't deliver. And this took me away from the movie.
The movie delivers through jump-scares that we've come accustomed to with modern horror cinema. The cinematography is sound, with several first person shots that round corners, raising suspense. Of course, the scares don't come when we expect them. Moreover, there are several scenes in this film with these creepy, awkward, grimy toys that often act on their own. This was perhaps the most unsettling thing about the film. Picture a porcelain clown toy from that era, that contorts itself and ends with a close-up shot of his grinning face. Don't see this (or do) if you're afraid of clowns. *shudder*
Along those same lines, there is a scene where Arthur is (you guessed it) checking a noise he heard in the house. He's using a candle, and upon entering the room, there are closeups of the aforementioned toys, and the light of the candle is reflected in their eyes. It's moving with Arthur, and subsequently, moving in the eyes of the toys, making it seem as if they are following his movement. There are similar scenes to this, such as one where Arthur sees the reflection of the ghost in a mirror, but when he turns to check, she is gone. Subtle tricks like these make this movie a positive experience.
The house is a major star in the film, as it should be. It is sinister, old, foreboding, dusty, cobwebby, and simply everything a haunted house should be. There is a cemetery on the grounds that adds to the feeling. In addition to that, there is a lone wooden cross in the front yard where a little boy died when he sank into the swamp.
When we are first introduced to the house, Arthur goes downstairs, exploring. His job in the place is to make sure there are no more official papers in the home and to try and find the owner's last will and testament. When he enters the room, there is a newborn baby crow on the floor. He picks the baby up and puts it in the nest nearby. As soon as he does so, he is attacked by mama bird. I enjoyed this scene, it seemed an homage to the horror of yore, movies like The Omen and Hitchcock's The Birds, where birds figure heavily in the horror.
Additionally, this scene bears a stark parallel with the final moments of the movie. Clever foreshadowing, or heavy-handed symbolism? Go see the movie and find out!
In short, I really enjoyed this movie, both at the surface level of modern horror and as an amateur film student. Its inconsistencies are many, but the great scenes it offers do redeem it. It is scary in the same way that other modern horror films are, and is easily enjoyable by anyone that loves the horror genre. I recommend this film.
The Devil Inside: A Movie Review
Posted by Landerpurex on January 25th, 2012, 3:43 am. Category: Scribery Entry
Before we get started, let me state that there will be plot points discussed in the following text, but I will do my best to keep crucial points a secret. Let me also state that I am not a professional critic, but have more critical film expertise than most people; having taken several film courses in college.
Rating: 3/10
The premise that a woman named Maria Rossi kills three people in 1989. Her daughter, Isabella, goes to the hospital in Italy where her mother has since been committed. Isabelle then attends a class full of priests about exorcism. She befriends two of them, and sets out to find what has actually happened to her mother and document it on camera.
Let me first say that this movie was completely horrible. Awful. Terrible. The plotline was as jagged as a piece of broken glass, and not nearly as sharp. I don't even know where to begin with this one. The movie opens with a short black-screened scene that lets us listen in on the 911 call after Maria has killed three priests. This is, without a doubt, one of the scariest scenes in the movie, which isn't saying much. Then we are treated to some convoluted storyline and some basic 'travel' footage of Isabella and her cameraman in Italy. There's nothing of significance in the first portion of the film.
After a bit, we see Isabella visit her mother in the hospital. I was intrigued by the fact that the staff seemed to trust the woman, even though she had a violent past. I was surprised that her daughter was even allowed to see her. This was one of the numerous gaping plotholes in the movie, but I was willing to forgive if it could deliver in the scary department.
Maria Rossi's character is sufficiently creepy, especially on the first meeting. She's clearly insane, and looks the part. Her hair is frazzled, she looks completely gaunt and malnourished, and she has been cutting crosses into herself, into painful areas like the inside of her lip. She asks her daughter if she knows how to "connect the cuts..." which was creepy. But it wasn't nearly enough. Maria screams a scream that is certainly not human, and Isabella leaves the hospital.
Between 'exorcisms' we're treated to mundane storyline, and the ever present battle between the two priests. One wants to exorcise Maria and others like her to help them, the other is afraid of losing his priesthood as the two are doing these exorcisms without the church's consent. While the idea is nice, and shows another side to the politics of the catholic church, it is the same conflict between characters we've seen in thousands of other movies. It fails to deliver, and the bad acting doesn't help.
The film's only redeeming scene comes when the priests decide that Isabella should accompany them on a separate exorcism to learn more about the practice. In this scene, the victim does numerous disturbing things, such as popping her shoulder out of place and generally contorting her body. It's nothing more than what we've come to expect from this genre, but it is effective still.
After this, the film loses all its merit. The group returns to the hospital to exorcise Maria, only to have her multiple demons jump into one of the priests, the cameraman, and Isabella. There are generic scenes such as one when the lights go out with the possessed priest upstairs.
Lastly, I must comment on the ending of this movie. I warn you, I am about to spoil it. But then, a movie as poorly made as this doesn't deserve the decency of secrecy.
In the final moments of the film, with the possessed priest dead, the cameraman is rushing Isabella to an exorcism expert in Rome. He becomes 'possessed', takes off his seatbelt, and veers into oncoming traffic, causing a wreck and the presumed death of the people in the car. The movie then ends. Abruptly. We are told the case is unresolved, and that we can visit http://www.therossifiles.com/ to find out more. Is this a clever blending of modern technology to enhance your moviegoing experience, or is this cheap, pathetic advertisement? A good film shouldn't need some website to further explain itself, and the site doesn't even do that from what I could gather.
The way endings like this work in a positive way is if we have been on a satisfying journey throughout the movie. In this one, we have not. We don't care about the characters. We can barely process what's going on as we see multiple exorcisms and the demons jump into the characters. There are no technically sound aspects to speak of, this movie is low-budget and it shows. It takes from a really great genre, the 'documentary', 'found-film' horror. Such titles like the Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity work because they utilize the cheap camerawork to make it look real. There are clear plot arcs. There are foundations in classic horror, and there are innovations as well that make up for unknown (but not always bad) actors. The Devil Inside has none of these, as I've mentioned.
The Exorcism horror sub genre never stood a chance. In it's premier, the original Exorcist movie got it right the first goddamn time. And no good exorcism movies have been made since, only cheap, floundering copies cashing in on the same idea.
There were some decent things about this film, but not enough to make it any good and certainly not enough to redeem the ridiculous ending. It was as if the movie itself were saying "Ha-ha for watching this garbage, now go yourself" and the ending was the exclamation point on that statement. Don't waste your money on this movie, hopefully it'll soon be out of theaters and we can move on.
Rating: 3/10
The premise that a woman named Maria Rossi kills three people in 1989. Her daughter, Isabella, goes to the hospital in Italy where her mother has since been committed. Isabelle then attends a class full of priests about exorcism. She befriends two of them, and sets out to find what has actually happened to her mother and document it on camera.
Let me first say that this movie was completely horrible. Awful. Terrible. The plotline was as jagged as a piece of broken glass, and not nearly as sharp. I don't even know where to begin with this one. The movie opens with a short black-screened scene that lets us listen in on the 911 call after Maria has killed three priests. This is, without a doubt, one of the scariest scenes in the movie, which isn't saying much. Then we are treated to some convoluted storyline and some basic 'travel' footage of Isabella and her cameraman in Italy. There's nothing of significance in the first portion of the film.
After a bit, we see Isabella visit her mother in the hospital. I was intrigued by the fact that the staff seemed to trust the woman, even though she had a violent past. I was surprised that her daughter was even allowed to see her. This was one of the numerous gaping plotholes in the movie, but I was willing to forgive if it could deliver in the scary department.
Maria Rossi's character is sufficiently creepy, especially on the first meeting. She's clearly insane, and looks the part. Her hair is frazzled, she looks completely gaunt and malnourished, and she has been cutting crosses into herself, into painful areas like the inside of her lip. She asks her daughter if she knows how to "connect the cuts..." which was creepy. But it wasn't nearly enough. Maria screams a scream that is certainly not human, and Isabella leaves the hospital.
Between 'exorcisms' we're treated to mundane storyline, and the ever present battle between the two priests. One wants to exorcise Maria and others like her to help them, the other is afraid of losing his priesthood as the two are doing these exorcisms without the church's consent. While the idea is nice, and shows another side to the politics of the catholic church, it is the same conflict between characters we've seen in thousands of other movies. It fails to deliver, and the bad acting doesn't help.
The film's only redeeming scene comes when the priests decide that Isabella should accompany them on a separate exorcism to learn more about the practice. In this scene, the victim does numerous disturbing things, such as popping her shoulder out of place and generally contorting her body. It's nothing more than what we've come to expect from this genre, but it is effective still.
After this, the film loses all its merit. The group returns to the hospital to exorcise Maria, only to have her multiple demons jump into one of the priests, the cameraman, and Isabella. There are generic scenes such as one when the lights go out with the possessed priest upstairs.
Lastly, I must comment on the ending of this movie. I warn you, I am about to spoil it. But then, a movie as poorly made as this doesn't deserve the decency of secrecy.
In the final moments of the film, with the possessed priest dead, the cameraman is rushing Isabella to an exorcism expert in Rome. He becomes 'possessed', takes off his seatbelt, and veers into oncoming traffic, causing a wreck and the presumed death of the people in the car. The movie then ends. Abruptly. We are told the case is unresolved, and that we can visit http://www.therossifiles.com/ to find out more. Is this a clever blending of modern technology to enhance your moviegoing experience, or is this cheap, pathetic advertisement? A good film shouldn't need some website to further explain itself, and the site doesn't even do that from what I could gather.
The way endings like this work in a positive way is if we have been on a satisfying journey throughout the movie. In this one, we have not. We don't care about the characters. We can barely process what's going on as we see multiple exorcisms and the demons jump into the characters. There are no technically sound aspects to speak of, this movie is low-budget and it shows. It takes from a really great genre, the 'documentary', 'found-film' horror. Such titles like the Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity work because they utilize the cheap camerawork to make it look real. There are clear plot arcs. There are foundations in classic horror, and there are innovations as well that make up for unknown (but not always bad) actors. The Devil Inside has none of these, as I've mentioned.
The Exorcism horror sub genre never stood a chance. In it's premier, the original Exorcist movie got it right the first goddamn time. And no good exorcism movies have been made since, only cheap, floundering copies cashing in on the same idea.
There were some decent things about this film, but not enough to make it any good and certainly not enough to redeem the ridiculous ending. It was as if the movie itself were saying "Ha-ha for watching this garbage, now go
yourself" and the ending was the exclamation point on that statement. Don't waste your money on this movie, hopefully it'll soon be out of theaters and we can move on.
Lamb Of God - Resolution (01/24/12): A Review
Posted by defeat on January 23rd, 2012, 5:49 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating: 7/10
I almost didn’t review this album after listening to the first half of it. I was thinking, “Oh….It’s (2009's) Wrath…again, and I’ll have nothing to say…” After giving it another chance, the second half of the album was indeed Lamb Of God’s saving grace.
Every member of Lamb Of God have seemingly evolved over the years, except for the second most talented member, drummer, Chris Adler. Don’t get it wrong. He’s a favorite drummer of many, as he’s a consistent, speed drumming machine with great fills and feet faster than light. Come with the dynamics already, though, Chris! Maybe, it’s the production that’s held you back with your sound. Maybe, it’s the way you tune your drums (Let them resonate a bit next time, eh? Every, single, solitary drum shouldn’t have the short thump of a bass drum…). Maybe, you just don’t care. Some don’t. Oh, well...so it goes. (I've been reading a lot of Vonnegut as of late.)
Resolution, contradictorily to the drumming, is LOG’s most dynamic release yet. Some thought the band had been lost to “The Graveyard of Previously Great Bands” with the bore that was their previous release, Wrath. It just seemed like a filler album without any originality. Resolution is an adventurous turn of events in LOG’s discography. Guitarists’ Mark Morton and Willie Adler have given us a new take on The New Wave of American Heavy Metal with some softer, more progressive, off-time riffs in the songs “Barbarosa”, “King Me”, and lead single “Ghost Walking”. In most metal, the bass guitar is just a copy of the lead riff, just lower. In this release, though, bassist John Campbell is pleasantly noticeable in parts throughout Resolution’s entirety.
It would be fantastic to have Machine back at the production helm instead of Josh Wilbur, as some minor kinks in the production are what took away some audio enjoyment points. The drums have been mentioned as a major issue. Other kinks were really just post-production snafus. “Barbarosa” and “Invictus” is clearly one song. With fourteen tracks, it’s not like LOG were scraping the barrel for material. Some of the songs on the second half of the album should have been mingled with the first half to break up the turn off of early monotony. This takes away from the listening experience the most. God, is that second half great, though…
In other news, vocalist, Randy Blythe is still alive.
Lead single: "Ghost Walking" Official Video
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows; a review
Posted by Landerpurex on January 7th, 2012, 7:28 am. Category: Scribery Entry
Before we get started, let me state that there will be plot points discussed in the following text, but I will do my best to keep crucial points a secret. Let me also state that I am not a professional critic, but have more critical film expertise than most people; having taken several film courses in college.
Rating: 8/10
Everyone knows the story of Sherlock Holmes, renowned detective. This movie is no different, with Holmes needing to solve a difficult case involving a sinister man named Professor Moriarty. The movie is deliciously mysterious, with Moriarty's motives in question until the final moments. Holmes of course enlists in the help of Dr. Watson, who is newly married; and the two go on an adventure that spans the European Continent to uncover Moriarty's plans and to try to save his intended victims that include Dr. Watson, his wife, a gypsy, and eventually all of Europe.
This movie was fantastic. Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, and Jared Harris can do no wrong. The acting is superb, though sometimes over the top. I have, however, come to expect this of Downey Jr in general as well as within this franchise, so it works. He and Law make a fantastic pair, and the charisma and camaraderie come across well. Jared Harris makes a great villain as well, it's that simple.
The film lives up to its predecessor. It leaves a trail of clues that you are expected to notice, but not expected to piece together as Holmes does in the end. Certain important items are centered in the shot from Holmes' point of view, labeling them as imperative. The cinematography is sound, using multiple angles and distances when necessary. Sound is coupled with this approach as well. For example, there is one scene where one of Moriarty's lackeys is shown smoking a hand rolled cigarette. The cherry burns extra bright, and the sound of it burning can be heard over the other things going on in the frame. I wondered to myself, 'how is this important?' And I had a great time racking my brain trying to figure it out. I felt accomplished when it was revealed that the cigarette was important to the plot. This movie's greatest quality is that it makes you think and guess along with Holmes.
The film's comedy is fantastic, though sometimes ridiculous, as with the killing and revival of the poor bulldog (again). Though, once again, Downey Jr has made Holmes his own and put a modern spin on the man. That is not to say that the movie doesn't take certain liberties with the classics, because it does. Which is one of the reasons it remains an 8 out of 10 instead of a 9 or perfect score.
The great fighting scenes narrated strategically by Holmes return, though they go awry by variants not considered by Holmes. In the final scenes, Moriarty himself interjects in Holmes monologue and engages in a match of wits with the detective that is both exciting and original.
Speaking of which, editing must be mentioned. The film uses jump-cuts when necessary, and very effectively as well. Just before the scene mentioned prior, parallelism is used to near perfection as Holmes and Moriarty are having a game of chess. The movie cuts between chess moves and the exploits of Watson and the gypsy as they attempt to reveal an assassin and ultimately, Moriarty's plot.
My biggest problem with this movie was the extreme slow-motion. It was only in one scene, but that makes it stand out and it went on for far too long. Ever since 300, movies have been abusing slow motion. It was over the top in that title as well, but at least it was consistent. In an otherwise great, sound, smart movie I felt this was the only thing that seemed uninspired and frankly, too stereotypical Hollywood.
In closing, this move was very enjoyable. It was a bit on the long side, but I was sad it was over. In some ways, it is very typical action, in others, it is original, fun, and smart in a lot of ways modern movies are not. It is technically sound, but not ambitious. The cast delivers and I hope they continue to do so. The plot keeps you guessing right until the final moments, and there are many twists and turns to be had.
Go and see this movie while it's still in theaters.
Rating: 8/10
Everyone knows the story of Sherlock Holmes, renowned detective. This movie is no different, with Holmes needing to solve a difficult case involving a sinister man named Professor Moriarty. The movie is deliciously mysterious, with Moriarty's motives in question until the final moments. Holmes of course enlists in the help of Dr. Watson, who is newly married; and the two go on an adventure that spans the European Continent to uncover Moriarty's plans and to try to save his intended victims that include Dr. Watson, his wife, a gypsy, and eventually all of Europe.
This movie was fantastic. Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, and Jared Harris can do no wrong. The acting is superb, though sometimes over the top. I have, however, come to expect this of Downey Jr in general as well as within this franchise, so it works. He and Law make a fantastic pair, and the charisma and camaraderie come across well. Jared Harris makes a great villain as well, it's that simple.
The film lives up to its predecessor. It leaves a trail of clues that you are expected to notice, but not expected to piece together as Holmes does in the end. Certain important items are centered in the shot from Holmes' point of view, labeling them as imperative. The cinematography is sound, using multiple angles and distances when necessary. Sound is coupled with this approach as well. For example, there is one scene where one of Moriarty's lackeys is shown smoking a hand rolled cigarette. The cherry burns extra bright, and the sound of it burning can be heard over the other things going on in the frame. I wondered to myself, 'how is this important?' And I had a great time racking my brain trying to figure it out. I felt accomplished when it was revealed that the cigarette was important to the plot. This movie's greatest quality is that it makes you think and guess along with Holmes.
The film's comedy is fantastic, though sometimes ridiculous, as with the killing and revival of the poor bulldog (again). Though, once again, Downey Jr has made Holmes his own and put a modern spin on the man. That is not to say that the movie doesn't take certain liberties with the classics, because it does. Which is one of the reasons it remains an 8 out of 10 instead of a 9 or perfect score.
The great fighting scenes narrated strategically by Holmes return, though they go awry by variants not considered by Holmes. In the final scenes, Moriarty himself interjects in Holmes monologue and engages in a match of wits with the detective that is both exciting and original.
Speaking of which, editing must be mentioned. The film uses jump-cuts when necessary, and very effectively as well. Just before the scene mentioned prior, parallelism is used to near perfection as Holmes and Moriarty are having a game of chess. The movie cuts between chess moves and the exploits of Watson and the gypsy as they attempt to reveal an assassin and ultimately, Moriarty's plot.
My biggest problem with this movie was the extreme slow-motion. It was only in one scene, but that makes it stand out and it went on for far too long. Ever since 300, movies have been abusing slow motion. It was over the top in that title as well, but at least it was consistent. In an otherwise great, sound, smart movie I felt this was the only thing that seemed uninspired and frankly, too stereotypical Hollywood.
In closing, this move was very enjoyable. It was a bit on the long side, but I was sad it was over. In some ways, it is very typical action, in others, it is original, fun, and smart in a lot of ways modern movies are not. It is technically sound, but not ambitious. The cast delivers and I hope they continue to do so. The plot keeps you guessing right until the final moments, and there are many twists and turns to be had.
Go and see this movie while it's still in theaters.
The Darkest Hour: A Movie Review
Posted by Landerpurex on January 7th, 2012, 6:49 am. Category: Scribery Entry
Before we get started, let me state that there will be plot points discussed in the following text, but I will do my best to keep crucial points a secret. Let me also state that I am not a professional critic, but have more critical film expertise than most people; having taken several film courses in college.
Overall rating: 5/10
This movie was nothing that the previews didn't show. In short, it's about a pair of software designers either fresh out of college or in the twilight of their college careers. They are in Moscow to pitch an idea for a user-based online comprehensive travel guide to some executives. They meet with a Swedish exec who has basically stolen their idea and screwed them out of a major (multi-million dollar?) deal. After this, the guys go to a club and meet a couple girls vacationing as well, and know of one of them due to her use of their program. Then come the invisible aliens. The creatures are made of electromagnetic energy and are somehow able to vaporize people. But their weakness is that they give themselves away and set off any and all lights and electronics when they approach. The rest of the movie is spent showing the characters trying to escape these creatures and get 'home', though they soon find similar landings and destruction have happened all across the world. Near the end, the group find out that there is a nuclear submarine waiting to help transport survivors back to their homes and/or to a safer facility.
First, it takes some time for the creatures to land. This is notwithstanding the fact the the premise of the guys' reason to be in Moscow is convoluted, not paramount to the plot, and completely forgettable. Though there were a few comic moments, there was nothing to be had in the first quarter of the film. Once the creatures land, I was intrigued. This movie's lone strength is the originality of the aliens and the plausibility of their form and powers. But the scripting failed to deliver more on the subject, with only a few lines from a Russian militant describing the nature of the aliens in no terms understandable by most people; myself included.
Speaking of the Russian militants, their characters are amusing, but completely stereotypical and over the top. They spout catch phrases like 'welcome to Russia' when fighting the creatures, they speak stereotypical nationalist dialog such as stuff about protecting their home, as well as typical, completely uninspired dialog about war and tactics. Couple this with forgettable characters all around and it makes for an equally forgettable experience.
The technical side of the movie was unimpressive as well. Nothing incredible in terms of cinematography, sound, or anything else.
The star of this film is the city of Moscow. It's exotic, beautiful, and foreboding. The architecture is fantastic, and there are some shots that are worth looking at.
In short, this was a movie that offered very little in terms of excitement, technical inventiveness, writing, and basically everything else that makes a film good. It had a tiny bit of originality with the creatures but this was not appropriately handled by anyone. The city was fantastic, but left one wanting. I did not see this movie in 3D, but I'm positive it would have been a debacle.
This movie was far from the worst I've seen, but falls very short. If you've seen the preview, you've seen everything cool there is about the movie.
Overall rating: 5/10
This movie was nothing that the previews didn't show. In short, it's about a pair of software designers either fresh out of college or in the twilight of their college careers. They are in Moscow to pitch an idea for a user-based online comprehensive travel guide to some executives. They meet with a Swedish exec who has basically stolen their idea and screwed them out of a major (multi-million dollar?) deal. After this, the guys go to a club and meet a couple girls vacationing as well, and know of one of them due to her use of their program. Then come the invisible aliens. The creatures are made of electromagnetic energy and are somehow able to vaporize people. But their weakness is that they give themselves away and set off any and all lights and electronics when they approach. The rest of the movie is spent showing the characters trying to escape these creatures and get 'home', though they soon find similar landings and destruction have happened all across the world. Near the end, the group find out that there is a nuclear submarine waiting to help transport survivors back to their homes and/or to a safer facility.
First, it takes some time for the creatures to land. This is notwithstanding the fact the the premise of the guys' reason to be in Moscow is convoluted, not paramount to the plot, and completely forgettable. Though there were a few comic moments, there was nothing to be had in the first quarter of the film. Once the creatures land, I was intrigued. This movie's lone strength is the originality of the aliens and the plausibility of their form and powers. But the scripting failed to deliver more on the subject, with only a few lines from a Russian militant describing the nature of the aliens in no terms understandable by most people; myself included.
Speaking of the Russian militants, their characters are amusing, but completely stereotypical and over the top. They spout catch phrases like 'welcome to Russia' when fighting the creatures, they speak stereotypical nationalist dialog such as stuff about protecting their home, as well as typical, completely uninspired dialog about war and tactics. Couple this with forgettable characters all around and it makes for an equally forgettable experience.
The technical side of the movie was unimpressive as well. Nothing incredible in terms of cinematography, sound, or anything else.
The star of this film is the city of Moscow. It's exotic, beautiful, and foreboding. The architecture is fantastic, and there are some shots that are worth looking at.
In short, this was a movie that offered very little in terms of excitement, technical inventiveness, writing, and basically everything else that makes a film good. It had a tiny bit of originality with the creatures but this was not appropriately handled by anyone. The city was fantastic, but left one wanting. I did not see this movie in 3D, but I'm positive it would have been a debacle.
This movie was far from the worst I've seen, but falls very short. If you've seen the preview, you've seen everything cool there is about the movie.
1-6-2012 Modern Warfare 3
Posted by Tanksandguns on January 6th, 2012, 4:43 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
As a man who has played every Call of Duty game since Call of Duty 3, and sporadically before that since Big Red 1 I like to consider myself one of Call of Duty's biggest fans. Call of Duty has taken it's place as THE First Person Shooter. It's the franchise that comes to mind first when one talks about FPS games, and until recently, has had little to no competition in the field.
Rating: 9/10
Campaign
Modern Warfare 3 builds itself off of the same story line that we saw in CoD4 and MW2. It follows multiple story lines as you play several different characters across each and also brings back the memorable duo of Captain Price and Soap MacTavish. Modern Warfare 3 starts right where Modern Warfare 2 left off. The world is in chaos, and Makarov is still at large. The game has the player visit several cities completely ransacked with war and destruction, including New York City and Paris, France.
The overall flow of the campaign is excellent. The transitions between missions and the pacing is wonderful. And the whole games had sitting on the edge of my seat, with a subtle anxious feeling the whole time. I was constantly wondering what would happen next, and where I was traveling to.
The game is also very challenging. Having completed the first two games on Veteran difficulty, this was my first choice on my first play through of the game. I quickly learned, that this game doesn't beat around the bush, and I couldn't even make it past the first checkpoint. I quickly dropped the difficulty to Hardened, and again to Normal. Even while playing Normal, I found myself dieing fairly frequently, and I loved it. I enjoy a real challenge while playing video games, and to get one in a FPS is no easy task. I also didn't find myself in the slow buildup of anger mode that usually comes with the frustrating deaths of FPS Campaigns. At one point, mid-combat, the game cycles between one the ground fighting, and in the sky fighting in an AC-130 gunship. This is one of the best moments that I can remember throughout all the games, second only to 'Ghillie in the Mist' from Call of Duty 4. The developers did a stunning job of transitioning immediately after an explosion from the AC-130 missile, to the ground troops in the smoke and debris of where the shell had just impacted.
The game itself is really beautiful (or as beautiful as a war-torn city can be). I played the entire campaign on a non-HD TV, and still found myself staring in amazement at the graphics. When I moved over to an HD TV for multiplayer, I found that they were spectacular.
The storyline does an excellent job of wrapping up the first two games. I had few questions left after I had finished, and even teared up at one point during the story. If you played the first two, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed in the final game.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer has been reworked again from Modern Warfare 2. They have new Kill Streaks, and introduced things called 'Strike Packages.' Strike Packages affect what kill streaks you are awarded, and how they are awarded. They offer three types you can choose from: Assault, Support, and Specialist. Assault focuses on killing enemies to gain enemy killing kill streak rewards. It includes, AC-130, Predator Missiles, and Attack Helicopters. Support focuses on objectives such as capturing a flag, planting a bomb, capturing a Domination point, etc. It doesn't require kills to advance through the rewards, but kills also help. Also, Support doesn't reset on death, so you can keep on dying and unlocking rewards. This was my personal favorite. This can give you UAV, Care Packages, Stealth Bomber, etc. The final Strike Package you can use is Specialist. Instead of giving you kill streak rewards, it unlocks perks every 2 kills the player makes. By 8 kills, the player then has all the perks in the game. These have really reworked how the multiplayer feels, and it feels a lot more balanced than the second game ever did.
My main problems with Modern Warfare 2, were that there were kill streaks in the air almost constantly, and there was little anyone could do about it. That feeling has really subsided with Modern Warfare 3. There doesn't seem to be helicopters, AC-130's, and Predator Missiles clogging up the sky nearly as much as it did in the second game, and there's more that can be done about it. More launchers, Sam Sites, and fewer overpowered kill streaks make for the multiplayer experience to be a lot more enjoyable.
Another complaint that I had with MW2, was the the Sniper Rifles seemed extremely underpowered. It took 2, sometimes 3 shots to kill someone in a Core match. In MW3, this has been fixed. One shot to the torso is more often than not, a kill shot. I find this to be my favorite change that was made. I'm finally not getting angry that my high velocity round isn't killing someone when it should.
With CoD: Black Ops came the addition that CoD had been missing for all of its games that Halo and the likes had picked up on. Split Screen multiplayer available online, either through multiple Xbox Live accounts or the use of Guest Accounts. Modern Warfare 3, thankfully, did not change this. You can now play with a buddy on the same TV, online.
Usually with First Person Shooters, I find myself hating a majority of the maps. For whatever reason, Modern Warfare 3 seems different. I only really dislike one or two maps. All the others I seem to have a blast on! They're all beautiful, fun and fairly small. The only complaint I have, is there's really no open area map that is good for Snipers.
All in all, I was extremely happy with the subtle tweaks they made to the multiplayer experience. Prestige Mode now goes to level 80 (ten times), and they added Prestige tokens which can unlock little bonuses such as Double XP, Double Weapon XP, and Emblems and Titles, among other things. Each player starts out with 3, and since I haven't prestiged yet, I'm unsure whether you get 1 ever prestige level or more than that.
Spec Ops
Modern Warfare 3 sees the return of the Spec Ops mode. This can be done either solo or with a friend. I tried doing several of these solo, and found that once I had a friend help me out, they became significantly easier.
Spec Ops mode is a series of missions and objectives, some from the campaign, some completely fresh that test your speed and accuracy. Also, they can be a major challenge. From capturing the Russian President aboard his airplane, to killing waves upon waves in a Firefight type game mode, Spec Ops is nothing short of fun. Infinity Ward added a new style that resembles Horde from Gears of War and Firefight from Halo, where you face wave after wave of enemies including foot soldiers, dogs, helicopters and the infamous Juggernaut soldiers. For those looking for something after the campaign and after you get bored with multiplayer, I would recommend Spec Ops with a friend. It's an absolute blast!
Conclusion
All in all, I would say that Modern Warfare 3 was definitely worth the money I spent on it. It provided me with hours of entertainment, and will continue to do so for months to come. It fixed a lot of the issues I had with the previous game, and added some awesome touches as well. It did not disappoint me, and so far has lead to a lot less frustration with the game than Modern Warfare 2 did. I would recommend this game to any First Person Shooter fan, any fan of the Call of Duty franchise, and anyone looking for one of the best multiplayer experiences in gaming. I won't beat around the bush though, some of the fan-boys and the some of the casual players of MW3 can ruin your multiplayer experience, but that's why there's a mute feature.
~Tanksandguns
Rating: 9/10
Campaign
Modern Warfare 3 builds itself off of the same story line that we saw in CoD4 and MW2. It follows multiple story lines as you play several different characters across each and also brings back the memorable duo of Captain Price and Soap MacTavish. Modern Warfare 3 starts right where Modern Warfare 2 left off. The world is in chaos, and Makarov is still at large. The game has the player visit several cities completely ransacked with war and destruction, including New York City and Paris, France.
The overall flow of the campaign is excellent. The transitions between missions and the pacing is wonderful. And the whole games had sitting on the edge of my seat, with a subtle anxious feeling the whole time. I was constantly wondering what would happen next, and where I was traveling to.
The game is also very challenging. Having completed the first two games on Veteran difficulty, this was my first choice on my first play through of the game. I quickly learned, that this game doesn't beat around the bush, and I couldn't even make it past the first checkpoint. I quickly dropped the difficulty to Hardened, and again to Normal. Even while playing Normal, I found myself dieing fairly frequently, and I loved it. I enjoy a real challenge while playing video games, and to get one in a FPS is no easy task. I also didn't find myself in the slow buildup of anger mode that usually comes with the frustrating deaths of FPS Campaigns. At one point, mid-combat, the game cycles between one the ground fighting, and in the sky fighting in an AC-130 gunship. This is one of the best moments that I can remember throughout all the games, second only to 'Ghillie in the Mist' from Call of Duty 4. The developers did a stunning job of transitioning immediately after an explosion from the AC-130 missile, to the ground troops in the smoke and debris of where the shell had just impacted.
The game itself is really beautiful (or as beautiful as a war-torn city can be). I played the entire campaign on a non-HD TV, and still found myself staring in amazement at the graphics. When I moved over to an HD TV for multiplayer, I found that they were spectacular.
The storyline does an excellent job of wrapping up the first two games. I had few questions left after I had finished, and even teared up at one point during the story. If you played the first two, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed in the final game.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer has been reworked again from Modern Warfare 2. They have new Kill Streaks, and introduced things called 'Strike Packages.' Strike Packages affect what kill streaks you are awarded, and how they are awarded. They offer three types you can choose from: Assault, Support, and Specialist. Assault focuses on killing enemies to gain enemy killing kill streak rewards. It includes, AC-130, Predator Missiles, and Attack Helicopters. Support focuses on objectives such as capturing a flag, planting a bomb, capturing a Domination point, etc. It doesn't require kills to advance through the rewards, but kills also help. Also, Support doesn't reset on death, so you can keep on dying and unlocking rewards. This was my personal favorite. This can give you UAV, Care Packages, Stealth Bomber, etc. The final Strike Package you can use is Specialist. Instead of giving you kill streak rewards, it unlocks perks every 2 kills the player makes. By 8 kills, the player then has all the perks in the game. These have really reworked how the multiplayer feels, and it feels a lot more balanced than the second game ever did.
My main problems with Modern Warfare 2, were that there were kill streaks in the air almost constantly, and there was little anyone could do about it. That feeling has really subsided with Modern Warfare 3. There doesn't seem to be helicopters, AC-130's, and Predator Missiles clogging up the sky nearly as much as it did in the second game, and there's more that can be done about it. More launchers, Sam Sites, and fewer overpowered kill streaks make for the multiplayer experience to be a lot more enjoyable.
Another complaint that I had with MW2, was the the Sniper Rifles seemed extremely underpowered. It took 2, sometimes 3 shots to kill someone in a Core match. In MW3, this has been fixed. One shot to the torso is more often than not, a kill shot. I find this to be my favorite change that was made. I'm finally not getting angry that my high velocity round isn't killing someone when it should.
With CoD: Black Ops came the addition that CoD had been missing for all of its games that Halo and the likes had picked up on. Split Screen multiplayer available online, either through multiple Xbox Live accounts or the use of Guest Accounts. Modern Warfare 3, thankfully, did not change this. You can now play with a buddy on the same TV, online.
Usually with First Person Shooters, I find myself hating a majority of the maps. For whatever reason, Modern Warfare 3 seems different. I only really dislike one or two maps. All the others I seem to have a blast on! They're all beautiful, fun and fairly small. The only complaint I have, is there's really no open area map that is good for Snipers.
All in all, I was extremely happy with the subtle tweaks they made to the multiplayer experience. Prestige Mode now goes to level 80 (ten times), and they added Prestige tokens which can unlock little bonuses such as Double XP, Double Weapon XP, and Emblems and Titles, among other things. Each player starts out with 3, and since I haven't prestiged yet, I'm unsure whether you get 1 ever prestige level or more than that.
Spec Ops
Modern Warfare 3 sees the return of the Spec Ops mode. This can be done either solo or with a friend. I tried doing several of these solo, and found that once I had a friend help me out, they became significantly easier.
Spec Ops mode is a series of missions and objectives, some from the campaign, some completely fresh that test your speed and accuracy. Also, they can be a major challenge. From capturing the Russian President aboard his airplane, to killing waves upon waves in a Firefight type game mode, Spec Ops is nothing short of fun. Infinity Ward added a new style that resembles Horde from Gears of War and Firefight from Halo, where you face wave after wave of enemies including foot soldiers, dogs, helicopters and the infamous Juggernaut soldiers. For those looking for something after the campaign and after you get bored with multiplayer, I would recommend Spec Ops with a friend. It's an absolute blast!
Conclusion
All in all, I would say that Modern Warfare 3 was definitely worth the money I spent on it. It provided me with hours of entertainment, and will continue to do so for months to come. It fixed a lot of the issues I had with the previous game, and added some awesome touches as well. It did not disappoint me, and so far has lead to a lot less frustration with the game than Modern Warfare 2 did. I would recommend this game to any First Person Shooter fan, any fan of the Call of Duty franchise, and anyone looking for one of the best multiplayer experiences in gaming. I won't beat around the bush though, some of the fan-boys and the some of the casual players of MW3 can ruin your multiplayer experience, but that's why there's a mute feature.
~Tanksandguns
Skrillex-Bangarang (12/23/11): A Review
Posted by defeat on December 23rd, 2011, 7:11 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating 5/10
Listen. I’ll start off by saying I’m as on the fence with the newest Skrillex release, entitled Bangarang, as I have been with all the others. The guy is an exciting producer, and the voice samples/hooks he’s used are unforgettable. However, as with his other releases, the mid-register robotesque bass lines, four to the floor beats, and general feel are the same as they ever were and absolutely forgettable. You’ve got the electronic industry by the balls, Skrillex, and the time to fix your broken record is nigh.
When Skrillex became an instant success, and his songs could be heard everywhere, I was impressed with the mash up of genre’s with him and Korn in the Korn single “Get Up“, and really enjoyed "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" and “Kill Everybody” off of Skrillex’s EP with the same name Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. It seemed like a fresh, American take on the dubstep scene. That fresh take quickly turned into endless copycats and the post dubstep sub-genre dubbed “brostep”. As the forerunner of this new trend, Skrillex didn’t impress me with his first release, mildly did with his second release, and fails to with his newest.
There are definitely moments of production clarity on Bangarang in the title track (a song referencing the movie Hook?! Awesome!) and the non-bass line heavy house song “Right On Time“, but he even uses a broke up, syncopated, unintelligible, Asian sounding voice on the track “Summit” juuuust like he did on the track “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. In a nutshell, Bangarang should be entitled Sonic the Househog On Crack. It’s got a Sonic the Hedgehog music + house + brostep sound on most of the songs on the seven song EP. If you are already a die-hard Skrillex fan (and I know you are out there as I just read the comment “Skrillex is life.“ from a fan on Skrillex’s Facebook page), you are going to absolutely love this album. If you haven’t ever heard Skrillex, and are into dubstep, you are probably going to like this album. The rest of us will either like it, dislike it, or think it’s OK (Mitch Hedberg anyone?). It does have bass drops and a couple buildups/breakdowns that make you smile with delight, so even after I write this review.....I’m still on the fence.
The title track:
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross-T.G.w.t.D.T.Soundtrack: A Review
Posted by defeat on December 12th, 2011, 11:14 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating: 10/10
When Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor work together, they don't just make music. They mold sounds into layers of emotional synesthesia, and their newest masterpiece, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is no different. Your brain and body don't quite know what to do with themselves. You smile. You get the chills. You get creeped out. You contemplate, yet sometimes you stop thinking all together.
After the near three hour playtime ended, I took my headphones off and the first thing to come to mind was Homer's epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. If Homer were alive today, he'd be furiously writing a screenplay, day in and day out, so Reznor and Ross could give it the sonic pulse it (I'm sure) would deserve. They are just that good.
Reznor has always been one of my favorites as far as extremely layered music goes. I consider Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile to be the greatest double-album of my generation, and it's a perfect example of Mr. Reznor's musical depth. Atticus Ross, on the other hand is more of a minimalist, and I was first introduced to his music when he did some programming and/or produced Nine Inch Nails' last four albums. He also caught my attention whilst watching the movie The Book of Eli. The entire time I was thinking to myself, "This HAS to be either Trent, Atticus, or Saul Williams doing the soundtrack for this...." It was indeed Atticus, and I became a fan.
The soundtrack for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a drone type of electronica with some darker ambient soundscapes layered in, and when I write "layered in", I mean it as emphatically as is possible. It's the most complex minimalistic album ever created, if that's even possible. You'll always hear synth, and you'll sometimes hear keys, bells, guitars, strings, vibrations, xylophones etc., etc. One of the songs even has vocals, and oddly enough it's a cover of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (featuring Karen O on vocals) In a nutshell, it's epic in every way possible. Find three hours and treat yourself to what's bound to be a Grammy winner.
Recommended if you enjoy: Sigur Ros, Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails, The Book of Eli (soundtrack), The Social Network (soundtrack)
When Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor work together, they don't just make music. They mold sounds into layers of emotional synesthesia, and their newest masterpiece, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is no different. Your brain and body don't quite know what to do with themselves. You smile. You get the chills. You get creeped out. You contemplate, yet sometimes you stop thinking all together.
After the near three hour playtime ended, I took my headphones off and the first thing to come to mind was Homer's epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. If Homer were alive today, he'd be furiously writing a screenplay, day in and day out, so Reznor and Ross could give it the sonic pulse it (I'm sure) would deserve. They are just that good.
Reznor has always been one of my favorites as far as extremely layered music goes. I consider Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile to be the greatest double-album of my generation, and it's a perfect example of Mr. Reznor's musical depth. Atticus Ross, on the other hand is more of a minimalist, and I was first introduced to his music when he did some programming and/or produced Nine Inch Nails' last four albums. He also caught my attention whilst watching the movie The Book of Eli. The entire time I was thinking to myself, "This HAS to be either Trent, Atticus, or Saul Williams doing the soundtrack for this...." It was indeed Atticus, and I became a fan.
The soundtrack for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a drone type of electronica with some darker ambient soundscapes layered in, and when I write "layered in", I mean it as emphatically as is possible. It's the most complex minimalistic album ever created, if that's even possible. You'll always hear synth, and you'll sometimes hear keys, bells, guitars, strings, vibrations, xylophones etc., etc. One of the songs even has vocals, and oddly enough it's a cover of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (featuring Karen O on vocals) In a nutshell, it's epic in every way possible. Find three hours and treat yourself to what's bound to be a Grammy winner.
Recommended if you enjoy: Sigur Ros, Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails, The Book of Eli (soundtrack), The Social Network (soundtrack)
allbroke- Broke/Free EP (12/02/2011): A Review
Posted by defeat on December 6th, 2011, 11:23 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Rating: 10/10
The dubstep scene is in two factions at the moment. You’ve got the UK kids who are all, “Yeah, Yeah dubstep…it’s played out and now the Americans are catching on late….yet again.” And we also have the US kids who are getting into dubstep because the US producers/programmers decided to 1-UP the UK’s scene. I personally don’t get into all that myself. If the track is good…..the track is good, wherever and whenever it came out.
Now on to the album you all need to know about. Allbroke has had a few songs independently released recently, and his Facebook was droppin’ hints about a present to us all (his fans). It’s here. His present is the absolutely free EP Broke/Free.
This you are going to enjoy. It’s a mix between UK and US dubstep in all the right ways. The music itself tells a subtle sci-fi story in it’s four song way. Makes me wish dubstep was around when The Matrix was being produced. I think It would have been very cool for Allbroke to have had a couple songs on there.
“The Device” is the opener, and from start to beginning it walks us through a device being used to make some nasty drops. It’s a very unique song. I have yet to hear of anyone doing what Allbroke is doing here. With this opener you know you’ve stumbled upon something unique.
“Nostromo” is second in line and well. It’s pretty chill at first until 55 seconds in when it drops and don’t stop….in a good way. Enter some sci fi dialogue. Great song.
“Orion” The third track I really, really, really , really enjoyed. Sweet, sweet tension and release I am a fan of. This one however has more of a UK sound to it. Not that I’m complaining .
“Field Medic” This closure is the epitome of what I was trying to get across up in hurr. It’s a UKUSA dubstep orgy.
Over all this albums broke down the boundaries between UK and US dubstep with one fell swoop. I was impressed with the dynamics of it all. Solid, Solid, EP.
Recommened if you enjoy: Ed Solo, Datsik, skrillex, Nero
Now how about a music video combining the songs for maximum epic? EH?
The link to the FREE EP is
http://www.facebook.com/spirographed?ref=tn_tnmn#!/Allbroke
Like the page, download the nasty.
The dubstep scene is in two factions at the moment. You’ve got the UK kids who are all, “Yeah, Yeah dubstep…it’s played out and now the Americans are catching on late….yet again.” And we also have the US kids who are getting into dubstep because the US producers/programmers decided to 1-UP the UK’s scene. I personally don’t get into all that myself. If the track is good…..the track is good, wherever and whenever it came out.
Now on to the album you all need to know about. Allbroke has had a few songs independently released recently, and his Facebook was droppin’ hints about a present to us all (his fans). It’s here. His present is the absolutely free EP Broke/Free.
This you are going to enjoy. It’s a mix between UK and US dubstep in all the right ways. The music itself tells a subtle sci-fi story in it’s four song way. Makes me wish dubstep was around when The Matrix was being produced. I think It would have been very cool for Allbroke to have had a couple songs on there.
“The Device” is the opener, and from start to beginning it walks us through a device being used to make some nasty drops. It’s a very unique song. I have yet to hear of anyone doing what Allbroke is doing here. With this opener you know you’ve stumbled upon something unique.
“Nostromo” is second in line and well. It’s pretty chill at first until 55 seconds in when it drops and don’t stop….in a good way. Enter some sci fi dialogue. Great song.
“Orion” The third track I really, really, really , really enjoyed. Sweet, sweet tension and release I am a fan of. This one however has more of a UK sound to it. Not that I’m complaining .
“Field Medic” This closure is the epitome of what I was trying to get across up in hurr. It’s a UKUSA dubstep orgy.
Over all this albums broke down the boundaries between UK and US dubstep with one fell swoop. I was impressed with the dynamics of it all. Solid, Solid, EP.
Recommened if you enjoy: Ed Solo, Datsik, skrillex, Nero
Now how about a music video combining the songs for maximum epic? EH?
The link to the FREE EP is
http://www.facebook.com/spirographed?ref=tn_tnmn#!/Allbroke
Like the page, download the nasty.
A battle of time on communities
Posted by Demon on December 5th, 2011, 6:42 pm. Category: Scribery Entry
Time moves on inevitably, as I’m sure anyone can tell. Childhood memories become just what they are – memories. Not much can stay the same in a world rapidly evolving with people snaking along just as quickly towards some mysterious, unknown goal of worth we, as a society and race, have decided is vitally necessary. This is also true for the internet, but at a much broader and faster rate because of instant gratification and the scope of available tools for developers to build. While driving down ‘memory lane’ after twenty-odd years may bring the shock of finding your childhood home destroyed and a new shopping plaza in its place, you can still find your breath taken away at the vast and expanding internet. Simply visit Google and type in a keyword relative to your life (anything) and you’ll find more information instantly available than you can possibly read in your lifetime… with more being released as you’re reading!
Thus, what happens to a memory of a place once you can no longer visit it or feel that connection you once felt? How often do you drive or walk down a new, but familiar street where memories seem to come alive and flood into your conscious? Where do you go when you begin to relive those days of happiness, the shared, raw energy of a community? The whole experience can be quite a downer once you start thinking about those childhood playmates or perhaps the teenage adventures while testing the world, knowing you had your parents as a safety net. Where, then do you go when that memory is an online community?
Too often I’ve found myself needing information and simply visiting search engines like Google and Bing to find a quick resolution to any situation which may arise. This includes anything from technological break-downs, news, or entertainment; basically anything which would be best served instantly. It seems, at least to me, that technical forums and online ‘gurus’ have become a thing of the past. Why? Most times, ‘Googling’ an issue will bring up a laundry list of posts in forums with the exact problem, usually followed with an answer. However, the post was made and answered anywhere from ten years to a more recent four years. In either case, unless it’s a new product, there is no real need for posting on a forum only to wait days (if you’re lucky) for an intelligent response and possibly longer to get a true answer.
So where do communities fit into this? It seems only natural that communities, though once warm and welcoming to the casual internet browser, has become a thing of the past. They’ve been replaced with blogs and social networking where, again, everything revolves on instant gratification for the end-user. What kind of communities have survived? Other than those directly linked with a brand (Dell Technical Support – Love them) or with a particular product (Tip.It – A fansite based on a MMO game), it would seem there is little opportunity for growth among other communities. Yet there are still communities with mixed interests (Runevillage – A fansite-turned-general interest) where a wisp of memory and the attachment of veterans keep the community together, even through difficult times.
Despite the fondness of memories in our compulsive visits to places we’ve known and grown to love, there is a sort of sweet sorrow in their parting. Just as we must one day say goodbye to our parents, it feels there is an inevitable end to all communities – online or not. In a more directed note, while the Village may be the dear home of a few dedicated users who have stayed around for nearly the entirety of its life, the difficulty lies not in reviving the dead, but re-angling the community to be both ageless and timeless where simple trends don’t direct the life of the site as a whole. I’d say this has been the bane of countless sites with a targeted audience, because there was never any room allowed or even acknowledged to open the door for a broader scope of inclusion for outsiders and thus lays the self-imprisonment of sites with too little a mind to approach a large audience.
Simply putting it, the only means by which to survive in the rapid change and growth of the internet is to build and evolve with it, rather than staying focused on a single niche. A stubborn, slow mind will only be left behind as the community gathered moves on to bigger and better things, though they may still visit every so often (like an old man in a retirement home, perhaps). There can only be success where success is actively perceived and rendered into a useable model; building a strong community is great while there is community to build, but there has to be some means of bringing new users in and getting them attached the same way everyone else has become attached.
Thus, what happens to a memory of a place once you can no longer visit it or feel that connection you once felt? How often do you drive or walk down a new, but familiar street where memories seem to come alive and flood into your conscious? Where do you go when you begin to relive those days of happiness, the shared, raw energy of a community? The whole experience can be quite a downer once you start thinking about those childhood playmates or perhaps the teenage adventures while testing the world, knowing you had your parents as a safety net. Where, then do you go when that memory is an online community?
Too often I’ve found myself needing information and simply visiting search engines like Google and Bing to find a quick resolution to any situation which may arise. This includes anything from technological break-downs, news, or entertainment; basically anything which would be best served instantly. It seems, at least to me, that technical forums and online ‘gurus’ have become a thing of the past. Why? Most times, ‘Googling’ an issue will bring up a laundry list of posts in forums with the exact problem, usually followed with an answer. However, the post was made and answered anywhere from ten years to a more recent four years. In either case, unless it’s a new product, there is no real need for posting on a forum only to wait days (if you’re lucky) for an intelligent response and possibly longer to get a true answer.
So where do communities fit into this? It seems only natural that communities, though once warm and welcoming to the casual internet browser, has become a thing of the past. They’ve been replaced with blogs and social networking where, again, everything revolves on instant gratification for the end-user. What kind of communities have survived? Other than those directly linked with a brand (Dell Technical Support – Love them) or with a particular product (Tip.It – A fansite based on a MMO game), it would seem there is little opportunity for growth among other communities. Yet there are still communities with mixed interests (Runevillage – A fansite-turned-general interest) where a wisp of memory and the attachment of veterans keep the community together, even through difficult times.
Despite the fondness of memories in our compulsive visits to places we’ve known and grown to love, there is a sort of sweet sorrow in their parting. Just as we must one day say goodbye to our parents, it feels there is an inevitable end to all communities – online or not. In a more directed note, while the Village may be the dear home of a few dedicated users who have stayed around for nearly the entirety of its life, the difficulty lies not in reviving the dead, but re-angling the community to be both ageless and timeless where simple trends don’t direct the life of the site as a whole. I’d say this has been the bane of countless sites with a targeted audience, because there was never any room allowed or even acknowledged to open the door for a broader scope of inclusion for outsiders and thus lays the self-imprisonment of sites with too little a mind to approach a large audience.
Simply putting it, the only means by which to survive in the rapid change and growth of the internet is to build and evolve with it, rather than staying focused on a single niche. A stubborn, slow mind will only be left behind as the community gathered moves on to bigger and better things, though they may still visit every so often (like an old man in a retirement home, perhaps). There can only be success where success is actively perceived and rendered into a useable model; building a strong community is great while there is community to build, but there has to be some means of bringing new users in and getting them attached the same way everyone else has become attached.
LLL: Updated 1/07; info on my future in the scribery
Posted by Landerpurex on December 1st, 2011, 2:55 am. Category: Scribery Entry
**EDIT**
Alright, so I daresay you editors and high ranking officials at RV are not interested in pure literature or creative works being put on the front page. Though I think that is ludicrous, I also see why that is. The bottom line is that I go to the movies, like, A LOT. Think on a weekly basis, pretty much. I hope to make some topics there on the front page through reviewing new movies. I have already written two and dedicated several hours to doing so in an effort to help this place. I know they are somewhat outdated, Darkest Hour being most so but I intend to review newer releases soon. I plan on seeing The Devil Inside tomorrow, so perhaps you can expect that review soon.
I also know that there are tons of other movie review sites, far more comprehensive and those that have professional critics (HA), but I tried to take a frank, fresh approach to the movies that will help anyone who is looking for such information. I also have to say that I am inspired by Defeat, but no longer will I allow him to take the brunt of the responsibility here, and the glory along with it.
Bottom line is, I am not going to write nor post creative works if they have no chance of being used, similarly how I am not going to write to no end for the Villager.
If someone wishes to refute or update me on Scribery and subsequently, front page quality policy, I would be much obliged.
Also it should be noted that I would like to buy the new RPG coming out in February called Kingdoms of Amalur, so dibs on that review assuming I actually get the game.
***
This is the thread I'm gonna reserve for the (hopefully) many contributions I make to RV in its new direction. For now, I'm only posting one poem but expect more in the future. This is perhaps my favorite piece that I've written, and I believe it shows. Later, expect more poetry, short stories, and snippets from my novel/s.
That said, I need to post a small disclaimer: I hope to make a living as a writer someday, and much of what I post will be some of my best work. I retain all rights to my work as the author. In the unlikely event that I sell the rights to some of my work, I may ask for it to be taken off the site but that does not seem to be something that is possible for me to accept.
This was something I wrote for a two week intensive poetry seminar. I wrote this in response to my classmates who often said that my work was too triumphant, that it wasn't sad, depressing, or void of conflict. I hope you appreciate the satire. It's a form called "letter poetry" which I had never tried before, but I seem to be at least somewhat good at.
Alright, so I daresay you editors and high ranking officials at RV are not interested in pure literature or creative works being put on the front page. Though I think that is ludicrous, I also see why that is. The bottom line is that I go to the movies, like, A LOT. Think on a weekly basis, pretty much. I hope to make some topics there on the front page through reviewing new movies. I have already written two and dedicated several hours to doing so in an effort to help this place. I know they are somewhat outdated, Darkest Hour being most so but I intend to review newer releases soon. I plan on seeing The Devil Inside tomorrow, so perhaps you can expect that review soon.
I also know that there are tons of other movie review sites, far more comprehensive and those that have professional critics (HA), but I tried to take a frank, fresh approach to the movies that will help anyone who is looking for such information. I also have to say that I am inspired by Defeat, but no longer will I allow him to take the brunt of the responsibility here, and the glory along with it.
Bottom line is, I am not going to write nor post creative works if they have no chance of being used, similarly how I am not going to write to no end for the Villager.
If someone wishes to refute or update me on Scribery and subsequently, front page quality policy, I would be much obliged. Also it should be noted that I would like to buy the new RPG coming out in February called Kingdoms of Amalur, so dibs on that review assuming I actually get the game.
***
This is the thread I'm gonna reserve for the (hopefully) many contributions I make to RV in its new direction. For now, I'm only posting one poem but expect more in the future. This is perhaps my favorite piece that I've written, and I believe it shows. Later, expect more poetry, short stories, and snippets from my novel/s.
That said, I need to post a small disclaimer: I hope to make a living as a writer someday, and much of what I post will be some of my best work. I retain all rights to my work as the author. In the unlikely event that I sell the rights to some of my work, I may ask for it to be taken off the site but that does not seem to be something that is possible for me to accept.
This was something I wrote for a two week intensive poetry seminar. I wrote this in response to my classmates who often said that my work was too triumphant, that it wasn't sad, depressing, or void of conflict. I hope you appreciate the satire. It's a form called "letter poetry" which I had never tried before, but I seem to be at least somewhat good at.
Lander wrote:
Dear self,
You will never triumph against anything.
To presume otherwise is nothing
short of maniacal nonsense.
Wallow in your self pity,
Fill a pool with it,
Drown in it,
Glub.
Write your farewell poem in blood,
Then hang yourself.
Um, don’t do any of that.
I’m being facetious.
It surely wouldn’t kill you,
To let your weakness through
Every now and again.
Death dances around you.
He dances a jig in Swedish clogs.
He trips over his own robe,
Wreaking hellish havoc.
Pontificate.
Your father, dead by simultaneous stroke and heart attack
Your Uncle, dead by spidery spider cancer
Your cousin, dead by asthma attack
Your cousin, dead by drowning
Your mother, dead by house fire
Let a tear chart a new course
Down your cheek.
Taste bitterness.
Become angry.
Shout for no reason,
Curse the people who get under your skin.
Do it to their faces.
Your car’s a piece of,
Drive it til the wheels fall off,
Then light it on fire.
Loosen up and stop hiding
Your past and your trials.
They happened.
Pretending they aren’t real will only
Cause a quarter-life crisis.
Affectionately,
Me
You will never triumph against anything.
To presume otherwise is nothing
short of maniacal nonsense.
Wallow in your self pity,
Fill a pool with it,
Drown in it,
Glub.
Write your farewell poem in blood,
Then hang yourself.
Um, don’t do any of that.
I’m being facetious.
It surely wouldn’t kill you,
To let your weakness through
Every now and again.
Death dances around you.
He dances a jig in Swedish clogs.
He trips over his own robe,
Wreaking hellish havoc.
Pontificate.
Your father, dead by simultaneous stroke and heart attack
Your Uncle, dead by spidery spider cancer
Your cousin, dead by asthma attack
Your cousin, dead by drowning
Your mother, dead by house fire
Let a tear chart a new course
Down your cheek.
Taste bitterness.
Become angry.
Shout for no reason,
Curse the people who get under your skin.
Do it to their faces.
Your car’s a piece of
,Drive it til the wheels fall off,
Then light it on fire.
Loosen up and stop hiding
Your past and your trials.
They happened.
Pretending they aren’t real will only
Cause a quarter-life crisis.
Affectionately,
Me
By far, the most exciting news in the last year was the announcement of the latest entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim. Along with this announcement was a vast amount of detail on what would be included in the final product, as it would be released in less than 12 months, on November 11. The game is now out, and the biggest question series fans have had is this: Is it going to live up to previous games in the series?
I have to say what excited me was the announcement that this game would attempt to walk the line between Morrowind and Oblivion; Morrowind being one of my favorite games from childhood, and Oblivion being a technically good follow up set in a fairly generic setting. This is a pretty tall order. The magic of Morrowind, anyone can tell you, was in the discovery. You never knew what powerful ring you would find in that tomb across the river, or what daedric relic you'd pull out of the abandoned dwemer tower just outside of town.
Oblivion did away with this system, simply rewarding you these one of a kind items through quests; sure, a dungeon might provide a bunch of loot, but none of it had "pizzazz". None of it belonged to some great, unnamed warlock, and it certainly didn't belong to a demigod. You had to go talk to those guys in person, and you had to make sacrifices, but only when you hit the right level. Not the right level? Go back to Rockmilk and wait for those bandits and marauders to kill each other! Maybe after about ten delves you'll have fired your bow enough to get a level or two. It kind of got... boring. Not that other games don't have ridiculous amounts of grinding, but in a game claiming to be bigger and better than Morrowind, I expect even more relics to be dug up, not to just be handed to me for running between vendors and grabbing a shovel.
Skyrim, I'm happy to say, walks the line and leans toward the Morrowind side of the series. There's no telling what you'll find in any given cave, be it a powerful enemy wielding a magic weapon or a dragon wall providing you with immense power. The quests to find powerful artefacts often trigger just from discovering the tomb or strange item, so you still get the thrill of finding the artefact without feeling like you're a means to an end.
The world is wonderfully alien, just as it was in the good old days of the series. Expansive plains have herds of mammoths and giants wandering through, with beautiful mountains always in view. Rivers and streams flow through the landscape and look wonderful, although they are as much a nuisance as they are a beauty to look at. Often, there is no good way to cross a river without walking for what seems like miles out of your way. Attempting to wade across often goes awry, as there typically isn't a good way to climb out of said river. At this point, the best you can hope to do is survive the waterfall inevitably waiting 200 feet downstream and hope that you'll come out somewhere close to an actual road on the other side.
That's not to say that Oblivion's additions to the series were completely cut from the game; if anything, its shortcomings were tweaked until they became strengths for the game. While it didn't provide much in the way of setting, the fourth game in the series did a few things right: It simplified everything, and it added randomness in items. Skyrim expands on this.
Previous entries in the series required you to build your character around your Attributes, which governed skills, of which several selected as Major and [sometimes] Minor. You could only level up by increasing one of these selected skills, and then you had to weigh the pros and cons of increasing an attribute. These dilemmas are no more. Attributes: Gone. Major Skills: Nope nope. Minor Skills: That's been out of fashion for like ten years! All skills start the same, save for racial bonuses. You don't pick a class. You don't make a class. Whatever you use increases, and when a certain number of skill increases has been achieved, you level. You choose to increase your Health, Magicka, or Stamina bars, and then you get a perk to use to specialize in something. That's it. While I DO miss the challenge of increasing my luck, it's even better that I don't have to worry about respecializing in things after I've made my character. That isn't even a concern until after level 15 or so.
Building on the simplification of "Blade, Blunt, and Marksman", the weapon distinction has now become "One handed, Two handed, and Archery", with different sub-specializations within each skill tree that are up to you. One handed weapons include daggers, maces, swords, and one handed axes, and are great for damage dealers who don't want to take any damage. It goes hand in hand with the stealth tree, which only serves to make assassin characters even more overpowered (a common complaint I've heard of the game). From here you have the option to dual wield, a new feature to the series. It dramatically decreases your ability to block an attack, but the idea here is that you aren't going to be hit before this happens. Two handed is for people who don't mind getting punched in the face a couple times while swinging there weapon. These include greatswords, axes, and warhammers. Where does archery fit into all this? Very neatly, since it's so much more powerful than it ever was before. Put enough points into it, and it’s just as effective as any other weapon you could use.
Delving dungeons simply for magic items is always beneficial, especially at lower levels. Don't wear heavy armor, but still REALLY want that archery bonus? With the return of the Enchantment skill, items can be destroyed to learn their properties for use in making new ones. This means that equipment gathering is no longer the endless cycle of finding and selling and paying your first born to the Mage's Guild to make stuff temporarily better.
Oh, and dragons. With how late this review/rant is coming out, you've probably heard a lot about them already. Not a whole lot I can say on that matter except that they are far more fun than any of the other boss fights I have been involved with in this game up to this point. Fight them. Relish them, but remember that they are common throughout this game. If I had a nickel for every time I came out of fast travel and had to save a town, I wouldn’t have much money, because I don't think I've killed more than 20 dragons, and only like half those attacked towns. But I still feel like a boss.
Last, the main quest. I'm not going to get too much into this, because I honestly haven't done much with it. This shouldn't be a problem for many fans of the series, as no one really plays through it. From what I've seen of other people playing it, it is greatly improved story wise from Oblivion. What I can tell you is that guilds are back, with the Fighter's Guild and Mage's Guild being replaced by awesome. Dark Brotherhood is more disturbing than ever, and the Thieves Guild is... changed...
While a great game in and of itself, it stacks up with the best of the Elder Scrolls series. If you enjoyed any of those, give it a shot. It's definitely the best entry in the series. If you didn't, check it out anyway. Enough has changed that you may find yourself a new fan.
I have to say what excited me was the announcement that this game would attempt to walk the line between Morrowind and Oblivion; Morrowind being one of my favorite games from childhood, and Oblivion being a technically good follow up set in a fairly generic setting. This is a pretty tall order. The magic of Morrowind, anyone can tell you, was in the discovery. You never knew what powerful ring you would find in that tomb across the river, or what daedric relic you'd pull out of the abandoned dwemer tower just outside of town.
Oblivion did away with this system, simply rewarding you these one of a kind items through quests; sure, a dungeon might provide a bunch of loot, but none of it had "pizzazz". None of it belonged to some great, unnamed warlock, and it certainly didn't belong to a demigod. You had to go talk to those guys in person, and you had to make sacrifices, but only when you hit the right level. Not the right level? Go back to Rockmilk and wait for those bandits and marauders to kill each other! Maybe after about ten delves you'll have fired your bow enough to get a level or two. It kind of got... boring. Not that other games don't have ridiculous amounts of grinding, but in a game claiming to be bigger and better than Morrowind, I expect even more relics to be dug up, not to just be handed to me for running between vendors and grabbing a shovel.
Skyrim, I'm happy to say, walks the line and leans toward the Morrowind side of the series. There's no telling what you'll find in any given cave, be it a powerful enemy wielding a magic weapon or a dragon wall providing you with immense power. The quests to find powerful artefacts often trigger just from discovering the tomb or strange item, so you still get the thrill of finding the artefact without feeling like you're a means to an end.
The world is wonderfully alien, just as it was in the good old days of the series. Expansive plains have herds of mammoths and giants wandering through, with beautiful mountains always in view. Rivers and streams flow through the landscape and look wonderful, although they are as much a nuisance as they are a beauty to look at. Often, there is no good way to cross a river without walking for what seems like miles out of your way. Attempting to wade across often goes awry, as there typically isn't a good way to climb out of said river. At this point, the best you can hope to do is survive the waterfall inevitably waiting 200 feet downstream and hope that you'll come out somewhere close to an actual road on the other side.
That's not to say that Oblivion's additions to the series were completely cut from the game; if anything, its shortcomings were tweaked until they became strengths for the game. While it didn't provide much in the way of setting, the fourth game in the series did a few things right: It simplified everything, and it added randomness in items. Skyrim expands on this.
Previous entries in the series required you to build your character around your Attributes, which governed skills, of which several selected as Major and [sometimes] Minor. You could only level up by increasing one of these selected skills, and then you had to weigh the pros and cons of increasing an attribute. These dilemmas are no more. Attributes: Gone. Major Skills: Nope nope. Minor Skills: That's been out of fashion for like ten years! All skills start the same, save for racial bonuses. You don't pick a class. You don't make a class. Whatever you use increases, and when a certain number of skill increases has been achieved, you level. You choose to increase your Health, Magicka, or Stamina bars, and then you get a perk to use to specialize in something. That's it. While I DO miss the challenge of increasing my luck, it's even better that I don't have to worry about respecializing in things after I've made my character. That isn't even a concern until after level 15 or so.
Building on the simplification of "Blade, Blunt, and Marksman", the weapon distinction has now become "One handed, Two handed, and Archery", with different sub-specializations within each skill tree that are up to you. One handed weapons include daggers, maces, swords, and one handed axes, and are great for damage dealers who don't want to take any damage. It goes hand in hand with the stealth tree, which only serves to make assassin characters even more overpowered (a common complaint I've heard of the game). From here you have the option to dual wield, a new feature to the series. It dramatically decreases your ability to block an attack, but the idea here is that you aren't going to be hit before this happens. Two handed is for people who don't mind getting punched in the face a couple times while swinging there weapon. These include greatswords, axes, and warhammers. Where does archery fit into all this? Very neatly, since it's so much more powerful than it ever was before. Put enough points into it, and it’s just as effective as any other weapon you could use.
Delving dungeons simply for magic items is always beneficial, especially at lower levels. Don't wear heavy armor, but still REALLY want that archery bonus? With the return of the Enchantment skill, items can be destroyed to learn their properties for use in making new ones. This means that equipment gathering is no longer the endless cycle of finding and selling and paying your first born to the Mage's Guild to make stuff temporarily better.
Oh, and dragons. With how late this review/rant is coming out, you've probably heard a lot about them already. Not a whole lot I can say on that matter except that they are far more fun than any of the other boss fights I have been involved with in this game up to this point. Fight them. Relish them, but remember that they are common throughout this game. If I had a nickel for every time I came out of fast travel and had to save a town, I wouldn’t have much money, because I don't think I've killed more than 20 dragons, and only like half those attacked towns. But I still feel like a boss.
Last, the main quest. I'm not going to get too much into this, because I honestly haven't done much with it. This shouldn't be a problem for many fans of the series, as no one really plays through it. From what I've seen of other people playing it, it is greatly improved story wise from Oblivion. What I can tell you is that guilds are back, with the Fighter's Guild and Mage's Guild being replaced by awesome. Dark Brotherhood is more disturbing than ever, and the Thieves Guild is... changed...
While a great game in and of itself, it stacks up with the best of the Elder Scrolls series. If you enjoyed any of those, give it a shot. It's definitely the best entry in the series. If you didn't, check it out anyway. Enough has changed that you may find yourself a new fan.
26-Feb-2010- Save the date / Double xp weekend
Posted by Gil Galed on February 26th, 2010, 10:46 am. Category: RuneScape News
Quote:
On the weekend of the 12th of March 2010, we will be running a "bonus XP weekend" for RuneScape members. This has been officially announced in our newsletter (if you haven't already, then sign up for it here).
We've put together this blog as more of an FAQ to answer any questions about the weekend and we will be around on the forums to answer any questions that come up.
What exactly is a bonus XP weekend?
As the name implies, there will be the opportunity over the weekend of the 12th of March to gain extra XP for standard training activities
When will this be happening?
Between the hours of 12:00PM GMT on Friday 12th March and 12:00PM GMT Monday 15th March (so, all of that Saturday and Sunday). These times are a rough estimate, but we will put a news post out as soon as the event starts.
I don't use GMT! Tell me what time this will be in my country.
Here's an idea of times in different areas:
EST - 07:00 AM Friday 12th to 07:00 AM Monday 15th
PST - 04:00 AM Friday 12th to 04:00 AM Monday 15th
Australia - 23:00 PM Friday 12th to 23:00 PM Monday 15th
CET 12:00 PM Friday 12th to 12:00 PM Monday 15th
Brazil (east) - 09:00 AM Friday 12th to 09:00 PM Monday 15th
For more information, please use the handy and helpful Time Conversion Thread.
How does the bonus XP work?
When you initially log in on the weekend, you will gain approx 2.7x XP for all "normal training" activities (see the question below for a list). While you are logged in, a timer will be running over the time you are logged into the game. Over time, the bonus will decrease to a minimum of 1.1x your usual rate.
Your XP rate will be shown in-game over the course of the weekend, and you will have access to an interface showing a running total of the extra XP you have earned (over what you would have normally earned) as well as the amount of time you have logged in. Your bonus XP rate will NOT decrease when you are not logged into the game, so do not feel pressured to play continuously.
What activities will earn me bonus XP?
Normal training activities will earn you the bonus XP. Every fight, log cut or hunter trap you lay will grant you a multiple of the XP it would normally give.
Typical training activities for each skill (not an exhaustive list):
* Attack and Strength - melee combat
* Ranged - ranged combat, Circus
* Magic - magic combat and other spell casting (e.g. enchanting jewellery, alchemy, teleporting), Circus
* Defence and Hitpoints - from all forms of combat
* Agility - completing courses, using shortcuts, Circus
* Construction - building rooms/furniture in your POH
* Cooking - cooking food on range/fire/spit
* Crafting - crafting pots, armour, jewellery, battlestaves, blowing glass
* Farming - weeding, planting/harvesting crops, checking tree health
* Firemaking - lighting fires, burning evil tree roots, lighting beacons
* Fishing - catching fish
* Fletching - fletching bows/arrows/crossbows/bolts, etc
* Herblore - cleaning herbs, mixing potions
* Hunter - setting/checking traps, butterfly/bird/impling catching, falconry
* Mining - mining ores/gems, mining shooting stars
* Prayer - burying bones
* Runecrafting - crafting runes at any altar, combination runes
* Slayer - doing Slayer tasks
* Smithing - smelting ores, smithing metal bars
* Summoning - infusing pouches, summoning familiars
* Thieving - pickpocketing, thieving from chests/stalls
* Woodcutting - cutting trees/evil trees
What is the specific calculation for my modifier?
Formula and graph of bonus XP calculation
Formula and graph of bonus XP calculation
WARNING: Maths below.
The calculation for this is as follows:
If you put this into a graphics calculator or even Wolfram Alpha you will see a parabolic curve. It has a nice smooth reduction over time. At 10+ hours we set the multiplier to be 1.1 (the tangent of this equation).
We hope any of you that are studying maths will get a kick out of knowing the internal calculations we are doing to get the value of your multiplier, and of discussing it on the forums.
What activities will NOT earn me bonus XP?
* Quest XP rewards
* Items that give XP (e.g. genie lamps, tomes of experience)
* XP rewards at the end of minigames (e.g. Tears of Guthix, Soul Wars, Pest Control)
* Anything which allows point exchange for XP (e.g. Penguin Points, Brimhaven Agility Arena tickets, Slayer incentives, Mrs Winkin's World of Seeds shop from Vinesweeper, jade vine)
Can I use my clay items, Penance horn, brawling gloves, etc, to add to my bonus XP?
These items will not work during the weekend as the effects of the bonus XP weekend will override any other items or areas that enhance XP rates. The item will not degrade when used during the bonus XP weekend. This includes clay items, Penance horns, brawling gloves, flame gloves/ring of fire, Fishing/Runecrafting/dragon slayer gloves and POH altars.
Why are you running this?
It's an idea we've had for a while (and we’re obviously not the first gaming company to think of it; many online games have bonus XP weekends). We wanted to give people a chance to do training on existing skills before we launch the new one (note: this isn't a teaser for the skill's release date).
I'm not around that weekend. Will I be able to use my quota another time?
No. The bonus XP effects will only be available over this weekend.
What happens if I miss out
Don't worry. If this event goes well, then we will likely be running further bonus XP weekends.
Why is this members-only?
Future bonus XP events may well be opened up to free players as well, but we're waiting to see how this one works before making that decision.
But what if I don't want to play for the whole weekend?
The ideal time for training with bonus XP is during your first few hours of in-game time over the weekend - the diminishing returns means that once you’ve played for more than 10 hours you will no longer be getting a significant advantage in your training.
Don’t you think this cheapens training?/I already have 99 in all skills.
We think this is an update which appeals to a wide spectrum of players - from people who have just started out and will welcome a boost, to mid-level players striving for a goal, to high-level players training their last few skills, and even to those maxed-out players who are aiming for the 200 million mark in a skill. As everyone is being given the same opportunity, and that the significant benefit only lasts for ten hours, we do not feel it cheapens anything.
Isn’t this going to ruin the economy?
Ten hours of increased XP isn't going to harm the economy any more than the release of any other new way of training skills. We do expect prices for certain items to rise in the run up to this weekend, but to then naturally level out afterwards. This is one of the reasons we are giving plenty of advance warning.
What will you do to stop merchant clans, etc, taking advantage of this knowledge?
To effectively manipulate a price you need a unique item that doesn't usually have a lot of variation in value. We're expecting demand to go up for certain items in the run up to this update, but this isn't something which can be set by a single agenda as the economy as a whole is going to be up.
Who developed this/who will answer my questions?
Mod Fnord was the technical developer for this project, with Mod Chihiro helping with design and Mod Knox being around to answer questions.
Any further questions that we haven’t covered will be edited into this blog entry in time for the bonus XP weekend. We’ll be monitoring the forum thread for the next few days, but please be aware we can’t always give personal answers to questions immediately.
If you'd like to discuss this blog on the forums, please visit this forum thread.
We've put together this blog as more of an FAQ to answer any questions about the weekend and we will be around on the forums to answer any questions that come up.
What exactly is a bonus XP weekend?
As the name implies, there will be the opportunity over the weekend of the 12th of March to gain extra XP for standard training activities
When will this be happening?
Between the hours of 12:00PM GMT on Friday 12th March and 12:00PM GMT Monday 15th March (so, all of that Saturday and Sunday). These times are a rough estimate, but we will put a news post out as soon as the event starts.
I don't use GMT! Tell me what time this will be in my country.
Here's an idea of times in different areas:
EST - 07:00 AM Friday 12th to 07:00 AM Monday 15th
PST - 04:00 AM Friday 12th to 04:00 AM Monday 15th
Australia - 23:00 PM Friday 12th to 23:00 PM Monday 15th
CET 12:00 PM Friday 12th to 12:00 PM Monday 15th
Brazil (east) - 09:00 AM Friday 12th to 09:00 PM Monday 15th
For more information, please use the handy and helpful Time Conversion Thread.
How does the bonus XP work?
When you initially log in on the weekend, you will gain approx 2.7x XP for all "normal training" activities (see the question below for a list). While you are logged in, a timer will be running over the time you are logged into the game. Over time, the bonus will decrease to a minimum of 1.1x your usual rate.
Your XP rate will be shown in-game over the course of the weekend, and you will have access to an interface showing a running total of the extra XP you have earned (over what you would have normally earned) as well as the amount of time you have logged in. Your bonus XP rate will NOT decrease when you are not logged into the game, so do not feel pressured to play continuously.
What activities will earn me bonus XP?
Normal training activities will earn you the bonus XP. Every fight, log cut or hunter trap you lay will grant you a multiple of the XP it would normally give.
Typical training activities for each skill (not an exhaustive list):
* Attack and Strength - melee combat
* Ranged - ranged combat, Circus
* Magic - magic combat and other spell casting (e.g. enchanting jewellery, alchemy, teleporting), Circus
* Defence and Hitpoints - from all forms of combat
* Agility - completing courses, using shortcuts, Circus
* Construction - building rooms/furniture in your POH
* Cooking - cooking food on range/fire/spit
* Crafting - crafting pots, armour, jewellery, battlestaves, blowing glass
* Farming - weeding, planting/harvesting crops, checking tree health
* Firemaking - lighting fires, burning evil tree roots, lighting beacons
* Fishing - catching fish
* Fletching - fletching bows/arrows/crossbows/bolts, etc
* Herblore - cleaning herbs, mixing potions
* Hunter - setting/checking traps, butterfly/bird/impling catching, falconry
* Mining - mining ores/gems, mining shooting stars
* Prayer - burying bones
* Runecrafting - crafting runes at any altar, combination runes
* Slayer - doing Slayer tasks
* Smithing - smelting ores, smithing metal bars
* Summoning - infusing pouches, summoning familiars
* Thieving - pickpocketing, thieving from chests/stalls
* Woodcutting - cutting trees/evil trees
What is the specific calculation for my modifier?
Formula and graph of bonus XP calculation
Formula and graph of bonus XP calculation
WARNING: Maths below.
The calculation for this is as follows:
If you put this into a graphics calculator or even Wolfram Alpha you will see a parabolic curve. It has a nice smooth reduction over time. At 10+ hours we set the multiplier to be 1.1 (the tangent of this equation).
We hope any of you that are studying maths will get a kick out of knowing the internal calculations we are doing to get the value of your multiplier, and of discussing it on the forums.
What activities will NOT earn me bonus XP?
* Quest XP rewards
* Items that give XP (e.g. genie lamps, tomes of experience)
* XP rewards at the end of minigames (e.g. Tears of Guthix, Soul Wars, Pest Control)
* Anything which allows point exchange for XP (e.g. Penguin Points, Brimhaven Agility Arena tickets, Slayer incentives, Mrs Winkin's World of Seeds shop from Vinesweeper, jade vine)
Can I use my clay items, Penance horn, brawling gloves, etc, to add to my bonus XP?
These items will not work during the weekend as the effects of the bonus XP weekend will override any other items or areas that enhance XP rates. The item will not degrade when used during the bonus XP weekend. This includes clay items, Penance horns, brawling gloves, flame gloves/ring of fire, Fishing/Runecrafting/dragon slayer gloves and POH altars.
Why are you running this?
It's an idea we've had for a while (and we’re obviously not the first gaming company to think of it; many online games have bonus XP weekends). We wanted to give people a chance to do training on existing skills before we launch the new one (note: this isn't a teaser for the skill's release date).
I'm not around that weekend. Will I be able to use my quota another time?
No. The bonus XP effects will only be available over this weekend.
What happens if I miss out
Don't worry. If this event goes well, then we will likely be running further bonus XP weekends.
Why is this members-only?
Future bonus XP events may well be opened up to free players as well, but we're waiting to see how this one works before making that decision.
But what if I don't want to play for the whole weekend?
The ideal time for training with bonus XP is during your first few hours of in-game time over the weekend - the diminishing returns means that once you’ve played for more than 10 hours you will no longer be getting a significant advantage in your training.
Don’t you think this cheapens training?/I already have 99 in all skills.
We think this is an update which appeals to a wide spectrum of players - from people who have just started out and will welcome a boost, to mid-level players striving for a goal, to high-level players training their last few skills, and even to those maxed-out players who are aiming for the 200 million mark in a skill. As everyone is being given the same opportunity, and that the significant benefit only lasts for ten hours, we do not feel it cheapens anything.
Isn’t this going to ruin the economy?
Ten hours of increased XP isn't going to harm the economy any more than the release of any other new way of training skills. We do expect prices for certain items to rise in the run up to this weekend, but to then naturally level out afterwards. This is one of the reasons we are giving plenty of advance warning.
What will you do to stop merchant clans, etc, taking advantage of this knowledge?
To effectively manipulate a price you need a unique item that doesn't usually have a lot of variation in value. We're expecting demand to go up for certain items in the run up to this update, but this isn't something which can be set by a single agenda as the economy as a whole is going to be up.
Who developed this/who will answer my questions?
Mod Fnord was the technical developer for this project, with Mod Chihiro helping with design and Mod Knox being around to answer questions.
Any further questions that we haven’t covered will be edited into this blog entry in time for the bonus XP weekend. We’ll be monitoring the forum thread for the next few days, but please be aware we can’t always give personal answers to questions immediately.
If you'd like to discuss this blog on the forums, please visit this forum thread.
22-Feb-2010 - Impetuous Impulses Improvements
Posted by Glodenox on February 22nd, 2010, 9:34 am. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
There is a bit of hubbub in Puro-Puro, as implings with new tastes come and join the already unruly crowd. The spirit implings (level 54 Hunter) are keeping an eye out for those tasty charms, pouches and secondary Summoning ingredients; zombie implings (level 87 Hunter), despite claiming to be after braaains, seem to carry rather bonier loot; and the greatest of clamours is reserved for the very rare appearance of the rulers of them all, kingly implings (level 91 Hunter), who have a taste for all kinds of luxury and riches (including a fittingly regal new outfit).
To the keen hunter, rewards should no longer be the sole reason to take the time to net the little blighters in their home plane, as they now give a generously improved amount of Hunter XP when caught. Watch out for the imp defenders, though!
Elnock Inquisitor seems unperturbed by all this, but is prepared to give you a little extra help. He’ll stretch to sell you a few of his empty impling jars every day, in case you accidentally used your last one, and will also store a butterfly net, some imp repellent and a fair amount of empty jars for whenever you next decide to stop by.
Meanwhile, on Gielinor, the greedy implings seen flying around are getting tired from all their wandering, so you can now grab them with your bare hands (much like barehanded butterfly catching). It’ll be trickier to catch them this way than with a net, but it can be done (and gets easier the higher your Agility level), and if you achieve this feat without even having a jar to hold them in, you will just get the loot and the XP directly. Hunter XP for catching implings outside of Puro-Puro has also been greatly increased.
Finally, if you’re lucky enough to come across and enter one of the wandering crop circles (i.e. not the one in Zanaris), you will benefit from a farmer’s affinity bonus, which will let you push through Puro-Puro’s magical wheat faster for the next thirty minutes.
Time to go and help control the seemingly infinite influx of implings!
Mod Maylea
RuneScape Content Developer
In other news...
The Orb of Oculus’s aim mode should now be a fair bit smoother, which should allow for some great camerawork.
Duradel now has a small chance of giving ice strykewyrms as a task, but they're quite uncommon. Kuradal is still your best bet by far if you want to fight them.
To the keen hunter, rewards should no longer be the sole reason to take the time to net the little blighters in their home plane, as they now give a generously improved amount of Hunter XP when caught. Watch out for the imp defenders, though!
Elnock Inquisitor seems unperturbed by all this, but is prepared to give you a little extra help. He’ll stretch to sell you a few of his empty impling jars every day, in case you accidentally used your last one, and will also store a butterfly net, some imp repellent and a fair amount of empty jars for whenever you next decide to stop by.
Meanwhile, on Gielinor, the greedy implings seen flying around are getting tired from all their wandering, so you can now grab them with your bare hands (much like barehanded butterfly catching). It’ll be trickier to catch them this way than with a net, but it can be done (and gets easier the higher your Agility level), and if you achieve this feat without even having a jar to hold them in, you will just get the loot and the XP directly. Hunter XP for catching implings outside of Puro-Puro has also been greatly increased.
Finally, if you’re lucky enough to come across and enter one of the wandering crop circles (i.e. not the one in Zanaris), you will benefit from a farmer’s affinity bonus, which will let you push through Puro-Puro’s magical wheat faster for the next thirty minutes.
Time to go and help control the seemingly infinite influx of implings!
Mod Maylea
RuneScape Content Developer
In other news...
The Orb of Oculus’s aim mode should now be a fair bit smoother, which should allow for some great camerawork.
Duradel now has a small chance of giving ice strykewyrms as a task, but they're quite uncommon. Kuradal is still your best bet by far if you want to fight them.
RV needs your help - Join the Guide Writers!
Posted by Jackstick on February 17th, 2010, 8:27 pm. Category: RuneVillage News
Hello villagers,
I'm sure you've all seen a topic like this before so I'll just get right to it - RV needs your help! If you've been in the Guide Writers usergroup in the past year-ish, you'll know that it's not quite as active as it should be, but we're still able to pump out some excellently written quest guides every now and then (usually for new quests), and that's because we've been reduced to a small, but powerful, group of active users.
Unfortunately there is still so much that needs to be done, and we can't expect that small group to do it all, it's unfair to them, and the last thing we need is for them to burn out. There are old guides that need updating, new game content that needs guides, and even some older things that have no guides at all. It sucks, I know, but this is not something we can't fix, all we need is more hardworking users who want to help RV and who have time to write or help write guides.
Before you sign up, please understand that, depending on our priorities and how much work needs to be done, there may be assignments with due dates and all that fun stuff, and if you want to be a part of the Guide Writers usergroup then you'll need to be able to keep up with the active users and help out in some way (meaning you don't necessarily have to write guides, but you could help users take pictures, or even just comment on guides... but you have to be active, post in discussion topics, etc). It is a volunteer job and we certainly don't expect or want anyone to put RV ahead of their real homework and life, but at the same time we don't want people to join and then forget one week later. Join because you want to help out in any way that you can, even if it's just commenting on guides.
I seriously encourage you all to consider joining, RV's survival depends on up-to-date content to attract RuneScape players, and believe it or not it's pretty fun to help out and know that you're making a difference. The usergroup is open to anyone who wants to join. If you have any questions, please post in this topic and I or another member of the Guide Writers group will be more than happy to answer them.
Thanks!
I'm sure you've all seen a topic like this before so I'll just get right to it - RV needs your help! If you've been in the Guide Writers usergroup in the past year-ish, you'll know that it's not quite as active as it should be, but we're still able to pump out some excellently written quest guides every now and then (usually for new quests), and that's because we've been reduced to a small, but powerful, group of active users.
Unfortunately there is still so much that needs to be done, and we can't expect that small group to do it all, it's unfair to them, and the last thing we need is for them to burn out. There are old guides that need updating, new game content that needs guides, and even some older things that have no guides at all. It sucks, I know, but this is not something we can't fix, all we need is more hardworking users who want to help RV and who have time to write or help write guides.
Before you sign up, please understand that, depending on our priorities and how much work needs to be done, there may be assignments with due dates and all that fun stuff, and if you want to be a part of the Guide Writers usergroup then you'll need to be able to keep up with the active users and help out in some way (meaning you don't necessarily have to write guides, but you could help users take pictures, or even just comment on guides... but you have to be active, post in discussion topics, etc). It is a volunteer job and we certainly don't expect or want anyone to put RV ahead of their real homework and life, but at the same time we don't want people to join and then forget one week later. Join because you want to help out in any way that you can, even if it's just commenting on guides.
I seriously encourage you all to consider joining, RV's survival depends on up-to-date content to attract RuneScape players, and believe it or not it's pretty fun to help out and know that you're making a difference. The usergroup is open to anyone who wants to join. If you have any questions, please post in this topic and I or another member of the Guide Writers group will be more than happy to answer them.
Thanks!
Signature of the Month #5 - We're all mad here
Posted by Jackstick on February 17th, 2010, 7:28 pm. Category: RuneVillage News
Greetings artists,
First thing's first, winners of SotM #4! Keaz in first place, Tru Ninja in second place, and Jocund in third place. Good work as always.
This month we have a very interesting theme, Alice in Wonderland! If you've read the book then I'm sure you already have some ideas of what to do, if not then I suggest you spend a few minutes reading the Wikpedia Article, though I'm sure most of you are at least familiar with the story. The idea is to create something imaginative, psychedelic, etc, but it must have something to do with Alice in Wonderland, not just an ordinary sig with cool effects. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.
The deadline for SotM #5 is March 10th, 2010. The results for this competition will be announced in the next competition's topic and in the Winner's List.
Need some help? Check out our Graphics Tutorial Supersticky and our Graphic Design Resource Guide.
» Rule 1: The signature size limits for the SotM are 500x150 pixels and 150kb file size. Users who submit signatures above these limits will be pmed. If they don't resize the image, they will be disqualified from the competition.
» Rule 2: All signatures must be made by you and no one else! You may work with stock images but you have to actually add a significant amount of your own work to it for it to be submitted in the competition. You may NOT find an existing signature, add onto it, and submit it as your own.
» Rule 3: All RuneVillage Rules apply to this competition. If the signature you submit violates any of the rules, it will not be submitted and you -may- be disqualified from the competition.
» Rule 4: Some SotM competitions will have themes, and you must follow the theme to be entered in the competition.
» Rule 5: You may only submit ONE signature in each competition. If you submit more than one, you will be asked to pick one to submit.
» Rule 6: You may not enter in any SotM competitions if you are a SotM Judge.
» Rule 7: Any signature you enter must not have been submitted in any previous SotW or SotM competitions and must not be submitted in future SotM competitions.
MiKeBoY2003
If you have any questions about the SotM please post them in this topic or pm Jackstick or Rocky Martin.
Thanks!
- The Signature of the Month Team
16-Feb-2010 - Machinima Q&A Video
Posted by Matt258 on February 16th, 2010, 1:43 pm. Category: RuneScape News
Since the launch of the Orb, Community Management have collected lots of feedback and answered many Orb-related questions. Some questions, though, were best answered by the Orb’s developer himself, and so this week, Mod Hohbein caught up with Mod Fnord to pass on the feedback and ask a few of the community’s burning questions.
You can see what Mod Fnord had to say and also see how the community have been putting the Orb to good use by visiting the RuneScape YouTube channel (youtube.com/runescape). While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel to show your support!
See you there!
Mod Paul M
Community Management
You can see what Mod Fnord had to say and also see how the community have been putting the Orb to good use by visiting the RuneScape YouTube channel (youtube.com/runescape). While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel to show your support!
See you there!
Mod Paul M
Community Management
16-Feb-2010 - Guaranteed Content Poll: Recolouring
Posted by Matt258 on February 16th, 2010, 1:43 pm. Category: RuneScape News
If you have recently visited Commander Connad in Barbarian Assault, you may be aware that he is willing to paint abyssal whips for a fee. This has proved popular, so he has expanded the enterprise to include one more item.
To decide what that item will be, vote in this week's guaranteed content poll, accessed from the left-hand side of the RuneScape front page. The winner will be announced on Monday, 22nd of February, and the recolouring option will be released in a future game update.
Mod Osborne
RuneScape Editor
To decide what that item will be, vote in this week's guaranteed content poll, accessed from the left-hand side of the RuneScape front page. The winner will be announced on Monday, 22nd of February, and the recolouring option will be released in a future game update.
Mod Osborne
RuneScape Editor
16 of Feb Familiarisation
Posted by Matt258 on February 16th, 2010, 1:42 pm. Category: RuneScape News
Ever had an out-of-body experience? Well, you will have after undergoing the process of ‘Familiarisation’, the act of mentally projecting yourself into the spirit plane. The druids of Taverley need people to undergo this process and then gather resources from the spirit plane (from which the druids create spirit shards), all the while avoiding the resident familiars. Summoning pouch components or (temporary) triple charm drops are up for grabs for any who lend their brain.
Like with other D&Ds, you’ll first need to find out where it is, for which your best bet is having a chat with Pikkupstix in Taverley. He’ll be able to give you some indication of the location of his new apprentice, Pikkenmix. This will typically be at whichever Summoning mini obelisk is currently ‘active’, through which you’ll be able to project your mind once per week.
Mod Maz
RuneScape Content Developer
Queen of the Squirrels
Summary:
Where to start Familiarisation:
Look out for any small Summoning obelisks that are sparkling. If you have trouble finding one, Pikkupstix in Taverley will give you a rough idea of where to look.
Requirements to play Familiarisation:
There are no requirements to play Familiarisation, not even having to complete the Wolf Whistle quest. You can partake in Familiarisation once a week.
In other news...
The Guthix balance (unf) potion now has a make-all option (as does adding garlic to stat restore potions).
The bone key from Shilo Village can be obtained again if you destroyed it. Speak to Yanni for a replacement.
The staff of light can now be lent out.
Like with other D&Ds, you’ll first need to find out where it is, for which your best bet is having a chat with Pikkupstix in Taverley. He’ll be able to give you some indication of the location of his new apprentice, Pikkenmix. This will typically be at whichever Summoning mini obelisk is currently ‘active’, through which you’ll be able to project your mind once per week.
Mod Maz
RuneScape Content Developer
Queen of the Squirrels
Summary:
Where to start Familiarisation:
Look out for any small Summoning obelisks that are sparkling. If you have trouble finding one, Pikkupstix in Taverley will give you a rough idea of where to look.
Requirements to play Familiarisation:
There are no requirements to play Familiarisation, not even having to complete the Wolf Whistle quest. You can partake in Familiarisation once a week.
In other news...
The Guthix balance (unf) potion now has a make-all option (as does adding garlic to stat restore potions).
The bone key from Shilo Village can be obtained again if you destroyed it. Speak to Yanni for a replacement.
The staff of light can now be lent out.
12-Feb-2010 - Armies of Gielinor: Saradomin Strikes Cam
Posted by Dark Paladin on February 15th, 2010, 10:27 pm. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
The land is in turmoil. Zamorak advances from the newly-established Morytania, while Zarosian and assorted Bandos followers spread chaos and disarray across Gielinor. Even nature itself seems to rise against you from the north! A new order must rise. By the word of Saradomin, this land shall be united again! Foil the evil plans of Zamorak in his search for precious artefacts and cast out the invaders from our rightful territory.
Saradomin Strikes, the second single-player campaign of Armies of Gielinor is now available to FunOrb members! Reclaim the lands of Asgarnia and Misthalin, protect Port Sarim, conquer the secrets of the Wizards' Tower, and seize the Chaos Temple - all in the name of Saradomin. Different trinkets and unlockable units will be at your disposal in your fight over the 21 missions. To victory!
Also, if you have yet to try it, the Zamorak Returns single-player campaign is still available to free players. Take over the land of Hallowvale by fighting tooth and nail, raising undead armies and summoning great demons to do your bidding. Playing through the 17 missions will let you unlock every unit in the Zamorak grimoire, so as to push the Zarosian remnants out of the east and establish a foothold from where to fight Saradomin.
Wait no longer, for the God Wars rage on, and the battle demands a victor!
Mod Shade
FunOrb Developer
Saradomin Strikes, the second single-player campaign of Armies of Gielinor is now available to FunOrb members! Reclaim the lands of Asgarnia and Misthalin, protect Port Sarim, conquer the secrets of the Wizards' Tower, and seize the Chaos Temple - all in the name of Saradomin. Different trinkets and unlockable units will be at your disposal in your fight over the 21 missions. To victory!
Also, if you have yet to try it, the Zamorak Returns single-player campaign is still available to free players. Take over the land of Hallowvale by fighting tooth and nail, raising undead armies and summoning great demons to do your bidding. Playing through the 17 missions will let you unlock every unit in the Zamorak grimoire, so as to push the Zarosian remnants out of the east and establish a foothold from where to fight Saradomin.
Wait no longer, for the God Wars rage on, and the battle demands a victor!
Mod Shade
FunOrb Developer
11-Feb-2010 - RuneScape Q&A - Content Team
Posted by Dark Paladin on February 15th, 2010, 10:25 pm. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
The next round of Q&A responses come from Mod Fetzki, the Head of RuneScape, and other members of the RuneScape Content Team, including Paul Gower.
The questions answered in this batch deal with the RuneScape game, what updates we have planned, and the choices that we have made about RuneScape's future. We’ve posted the questions and answers on this forum thread, so you can discuss the answers.
Mod Fetzki and Paul's live Q&A session will be held on the forums today, starting at 5pm (GMT). Players will be able to post questions in this thread; answers will be posted in this thread.
The RuneScape Content Team received a lot of questions, as you could probably imagine, so to make sure we get to answer as many as possible, we are also planning to publish a second batch of answers next week.
Mod Kelvin
Head of Community Management
The questions answered in this batch deal with the RuneScape game, what updates we have planned, and the choices that we have made about RuneScape's future. We’ve posted the questions and answers on this forum thread, so you can discuss the answers.
Mod Fetzki and Paul's live Q&A session will be held on the forums today, starting at 5pm (GMT). Players will be able to post questions in this thread; answers will be posted in this thread.
The RuneScape Content Team received a lot of questions, as you could probably imagine, so to make sure we get to answer as many as possible, we are also planning to publish a second batch of answers next week.
Mod Kelvin
Head of Community Management
08-Feb-2010 - Standard Detail and Safe Mode
Posted by Dark Paladin on February 15th, 2010, 10:23 pm. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
Today we have launched an update to the Standard Detail graphics mode for players with the Windows operating system (Windows 2000 onwards) and with Sun Java 1.4.2 or higher. The new Standard Detail mode is faster than the previous version. It also has options to turn on textures, shadows and lighting, which can make it look very close to the quality of High Detail mode.
For players who do not have Windows, or who wish to carry on using the old Standard Detail mode, there is a new ‘Safe Mode’ graphics detail option.
Mod Nick
Head of Core Technologies
For players who do not have Windows, or who wish to carry on using the old Standard Detail mode, there is a new ‘Safe Mode’ graphics detail option.
Mod Nick
Head of Core Technologies
08-Feb-2010 - Music Playlist
Posted by Dark Paladin on February 15th, 2010, 10:21 pm. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
For those who like to listen to RuneScape’s music while playing the game, you can now set up a custom playlist of up to twelve of your favourite tracks. When the playlist option is turned on, the game will play the tracks from your playlist; turned off, music will randomise as before, but your playlist between will be saved between sessions.
Adding to and removing songs from your playlist requires just one click, and you can reorder them by dragging them up and down the list. We’ve also taken the time to make ‘shuffle’ and ‘clear playlist’ buttons. As with randomised music, the only time your playlist is interrupted is when a new song is unlocked or a jingle (such as for gaining a level) is played.
We hope you enjoy this new feature and we welcome your feedback.
Mod Bond and the Audio Team
Adding to and removing songs from your playlist requires just one click, and you can reorder them by dragging them up and down the list. We’ve also taken the time to make ‘shuffle’ and ‘clear playlist’ buttons. As with randomised music, the only time your playlist is interrupted is when a new song is unlocked or a jingle (such as for gaining a level) is played.
We hope you enjoy this new feature and we welcome your feedback.
Mod Bond and the Audio Team
RVET #30: Skilling Competition IV - Winners Announced!
Posted by Sayaka on February 14th, 2010, 10:52 pm. Category: Global announcement
RVET Event #30: February 2010
Skilling Competition IV
With his final Strykewyrm defeated, the adventurer packed up his belongings and teleported away to receive a new Slayer task. Until recently, he had been doing other miscellaneous jobs: crafting Dragonstone Necklaces, chopping Ivy, fletching shortbows, and dashing around the Gnome Stronghold Agility Course, just to name a few. But for the next seven days, his sights were set solely on slaying his enemies. Because he had, of course, heard the old adage:
"Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
That's exactly what he was hoping for.
General Information
What: Skilling Competition
Skill: Hitpoints
When: February 21 through February 27
Skilling Competition Information
The RuneVillage Events Team is holding its fourth Skilling Competition, with a little bit of a change from the last couple we'd had! This month, as usual, you'll all have one week to gain as much experience as you possibly can, but the difference is that it's only in a single skill--Hitpoints. That's right, be it through training Slayer, Combat, Ranging, or Magic, the key to victory will be gaining Hitpoints experience! And while we don't have rewards from the updated Jagex Store this month, the new trading rules allow us to be slightly more generous with our GP gifts, so much so that we're including a prize for the fourth place winner! This brings the possible prizes to the following:
1st place: 1,000,000 GP from the RVET
2nd place: 500,000 GP from the RVET
3rd place: 250,000 GP from the RVET
4th place: 100,000 GP from the RVET
Interested in participating? Read below carefully to learn how:
- February 14-February 20: Sign up! You can post here, or if you wish to remain secret and get a jump on your opponents, PM Jaron. We'll add you to a hidden list of participants.
- February 21-February 27: The contest begins! Sometime between February 20th and 21st, we'll record the starting Hitpoints experience of every player. At the end of the week, the person who has gained the most experience will be declared the winner. The winners will (obviously) go up on the leaderboard below, as well as win valuable cash prizes from the RVET!
- February 28: Winners announced!
Are the new Slayer creatures already stirring your quest for HP EXP? Perhaps extending your life span has always been a goal you've just never gotten around to? Either way, remember to sign up here--the contest begins on February 21st!
Recent RVET Event Winners
This section proclaims the winners of past RVET events. Want to have your name up here on a Global for all to see? Come on down to our events and give it your all!
November '09 Skilling Contest Winners (MI & SM): Glodenox and Simons Pure
August '09 Games Room Champions: ZinyX (Runelink) and Jackstick (Draughts)
July '09 Skilling Contest Winners (FI & WC): Avian Maid & Glodenox
April '09 Skilling Contest Winners (FM & RC): Vincent Ashe & mentos
February '09 Barbarian Assault Team: Glodenox, Weirdocal, Jaron, Vincent Ashe, Jimmybe
January '09 Staff vs. Villagers War: Villagers win
December '08 Fight Pits Champion: Jaron
August '08 Who's that Villager Winner: Jackstick
May '08 Castle Wars Winners: Team Saradomin
April '08 Trouble Brewing Team: Caedo, Goten, Jaron, Justin, Shadow7, Simons Pure
March '08 Egg Hunt Winners: Simons Pure (2 eggs), Shadowsmage, Zinyx, Devil Fly
February '08 Snowball Fight Victors: Justin's Wind Faction
January '08 Fight Pits Champions: Simons Pure, Paidea, Ges2
December '07 Games Room Champions: Dark Paladin, Jaron, The123king, The Slayer
About The RuneVillage Events Team
The RuneVillage Events Team is a team lead by Dark Paladin and Jaron, with strong support from Jackstick, Jimmybe, Tanksandguns, and Zapp. Together, we plan one event every month for all of RuneVillage to participate in. Hopefully, you will enjoy this event as well as every other event we host, as a lot of thought and time goes into each and every one we do. Also note that if you have an idea for an event and want our help, please do not hesitate to contact us and we shall see if we can help out.
- The RuneVillage Events Team -
08-Feb-2010 - Strykewyrms
Posted by adamdamico5 on February 8th, 2010, 11:03 am. Category: RuneScape News
The humungous and deathly strykewyrms are happy to harmlessly tunnel about RuneScape, but they have trained senses that can smell a slayer from a mile off. Those who are assigned a strykewyrm task will find that they lure strykewyrms from the ground, but they may wish they hadn’t; once roused, a strykewyrm will do their very best to take them down!
Three breeds of strykewyrm are known to the Slayer masters of Runescape: jungle strykewyrms (level 73 Slayer) can be found near the coast north-west of Oo’glog; desert strykewyrms (level 77 Slayer) stir the sand east of Al Kharid (over the stile by the palace); and ice strykewyrms (level 93 Slayer) churn up the ice in a cave near to where you find the Muspah (but only after you’ve completed the Tale of the Muspah). Ice strykewyrm assignments are unique to Kuradal. You will need to own a TzHaar fire cape to be assigned them, and you will need to wear a fire cape to inflict any damage.
As with other Slayer creatures, each strykewyrm has a rare drop, which should prove to be very useful for slayers, mages and rangers. The jungle and desert strykewyrms, respectively, drop the hexcrest and the focus sight, which give combat and Slayer bonuses for Magic and Ranged (much like the black mask already does for melee). Indeed, anyone with a slayer helmet, focus sight and hexcrest can combine them all into a full slayer helmet, which incorporates all of these items’ bonuses into one slayertastic piece of headgear.
The ice strykewyrms’ unique drop, the staff of light, can be used as a slayer staff, has stats roughly equivalent to a dragon weapon, causes +15% Magic damage, has a special attack that reduces any melee damage that is received by 50% for one minute AND has a 1/8 chance of not using up runes each time a damage-dealing spell is cast with it!
The rune-saving effect can be combined with a full set of combat robes (improving the chance to 1/5) or battle robes (for an impressive 1/2 chance of saving runes). Also, any time the staff does not save your runes, the robes themselves will still have their usual chance of saving you any mind, chaos, death or blood runes used by the combat spell you are casting. These robe sets can both be earned as rewards from the Fist of Guthix minigame.
From beneath it devours… Happy slaying everyone!
Mod Chris L
RuneScape Content Developer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news...
After listening to your feedback, the F2 key will now toggle the chat window when you're holding the orb of oculus, otherwise known as the machinima camera. This should help you direct your actors on camera!
Three breeds of strykewyrm are known to the Slayer masters of Runescape: jungle strykewyrms (level 73 Slayer) can be found near the coast north-west of Oo’glog; desert strykewyrms (level 77 Slayer) stir the sand east of Al Kharid (over the stile by the palace); and ice strykewyrms (level 93 Slayer) churn up the ice in a cave near to where you find the Muspah (but only after you’ve completed the Tale of the Muspah). Ice strykewyrm assignments are unique to Kuradal. You will need to own a TzHaar fire cape to be assigned them, and you will need to wear a fire cape to inflict any damage.
As with other Slayer creatures, each strykewyrm has a rare drop, which should prove to be very useful for slayers, mages and rangers. The jungle and desert strykewyrms, respectively, drop the hexcrest and the focus sight, which give combat and Slayer bonuses for Magic and Ranged (much like the black mask already does for melee). Indeed, anyone with a slayer helmet, focus sight and hexcrest can combine them all into a full slayer helmet, which incorporates all of these items’ bonuses into one slayertastic piece of headgear.
The ice strykewyrms’ unique drop, the staff of light, can be used as a slayer staff, has stats roughly equivalent to a dragon weapon, causes +15% Magic damage, has a special attack that reduces any melee damage that is received by 50% for one minute AND has a 1/8 chance of not using up runes each time a damage-dealing spell is cast with it!
The rune-saving effect can be combined with a full set of combat robes (improving the chance to 1/5) or battle robes (for an impressive 1/2 chance of saving runes). Also, any time the staff does not save your runes, the robes themselves will still have their usual chance of saving you any mind, chaos, death or blood runes used by the combat spell you are casting. These robe sets can both be earned as rewards from the Fist of Guthix minigame.
From beneath it devours… Happy slaying everyone!
Mod Chris L
RuneScape Content Developer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news...
After listening to your feedback, the F2 key will now toggle the chat window when you're holding the orb of oculus, otherwise known as the machinima camera. This should help you direct your actors on camera!
The spam rule has changed
Posted by Henner on February 7th, 2010, 10:57 am. Category: RuneVillage News
rules.php
It now is
From
It's still one step per violation
And bumping is now allowed in all forums.
Happy posting
It now is
Quote:
3.Do not spam. Spamming includes, but is not limited to: Creating topics that contain the same information as another topic, posting pointless, annoying, or disruptive messages in a topic or forum, and posting advertisements that do not contribute to the topic or the forum in any way.
From
Quote:
Do not spam (one word responses, double posting, only posting a quote by someone else, posting the same topic more than once, etc.)
It's still one step per violation
And bumping is now allowed in all forums.
Happy posting
05-Feb-2010 - New Items in the Online Store
Posted by Glodenox on February 7th, 2010, 6:26 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
Three awesome new items have been added to the Jagex online store, and are available from today. Continuing with our plans to stock the online store with more stuff, check out our latest additions:
Zamorak hoodie
Bear the crest of the ZMI with this dark, deep red hoodie, lined with the horns of Zamorak inside the hood, and thick enough to keep even the coldest blood warm.
99 Hitsplat shirt
When it comes down to pwnership, the shirt of death says it all! We designed this iconic T-shirt in response to the huge demand we received for a ‘hit-splat’-tee. Enjoy!
Zaros cap
Look and feel like the most stylish of avatars in this Flexfit Zaros-brimmed cap featuring a silver embroidered Zaros icon on the front, with Jagex Game Studios across the back.
Head over to the store now!
Mod Dan H
Business Development
Zamorak hoodie
Bear the crest of the ZMI with this dark, deep red hoodie, lined with the horns of Zamorak inside the hood, and thick enough to keep even the coldest blood warm.
99 Hitsplat shirt
When it comes down to pwnership, the shirt of death says it all! We designed this iconic T-shirt in response to the huge demand we received for a ‘hit-splat’-tee. Enjoy!
Zaros cap
Look and feel like the most stylish of avatars in this Flexfit Zaros-brimmed cap featuring a silver embroidered Zaros icon on the front, with Jagex Game Studios across the back.
Head over to the store now!
Mod Dan H
Business Development
Jagex Interview #4: Machinima Competition & the CM Team
Posted by Jackstick on February 6th, 2010, 11:34 pm. Category: RuneVillage News
Hello villagers!
Recently we were offered an interview by Jagex to ask questions about the Machinima Competition and the Community Management (CM) Team. The questions have been answered and sent back to us, so here they are! Thanks to everyone who posted questions and to Jagex for offering us this and the three (1, 2, 3) previous interviews!
Jagex Interview #3: Machinima Competition and the CM Team
Glodenox: How many people are currently active within the Community Management team? Do you guys also have a team logo?
»Mod Hohbien: If you take into account all of our non-English community management representatives, then well over 30. We don’t really have a team logo – but I want one. Thanks for reminding me!
_______________________________________________________________
Glodenox: Can you give some examples of which work the Community Management Team performs?
»Mod Paul M: One of the good things about Community Management is that we work on a huge range of projects. Today for example, we’re judging a competition, preparing copy for an upcoming newsletter, creating an in-game for event planned for a couple of months down the line, answering questions on our YouTube channel and getting ready for tonight’s Clan Awareness Week events. Then there’s moderator support, collecting feedback, scheduling events... Shall I go on?
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: Who, in your opinion, is the most interesting member of the of the CM team?
»Mod Hohbien: Mod Timbo. He fascinates me.
_______________________________________________________________
Glodenox: How would you describe the reaction of the community on the events you've managed lately?
»Mod Hohbien: Simply awesome. We’ve had such a fantastic response from our playerbase, and we’ve had a lot of ‘first tries’ over the past year or so – so it’s really nice to know that we’re on the right track.
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: How often do you attend in-game events? What are your favourite ingame events? When you do, do you ever have a bit of fun with the Mod Powers to perhaps achieve victory?
»Mod Hohbien: All the time. Mod Howes, our events guru, schedules JMods to attend player events throughout the week, and especially on weekends. We’d never use short cuts to achieve victory in a mini game though. Who was it that said “with great power comes great responsibility”?
_______________________________________________________________
Glodenox: Which have been your most memorable moments leading the Community Management team so far?
»Mod Paul M: I’ve a terrible memory which doesn’t help answer this question but I’d say that some of the company outings have resulted in some very memorable moments. You’ll have to use your imagination there though as I’ll get someone into trouble if I elaborate too much.
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: Is looking after the Player Moderators a tough job? Do you enjoy this aspect of Community Management? Most importantly, does Mod Poppy enjoy being the "boss"?
»Mod Hohbien: I spent the first couple of years of my time in the CM team looking working with the PMod Community – and I loved it. They are a dedicated, genuinely lovely bunch of people and I do miss working as closely with them as I once did. Mod Poppy isn’t the boss of me! Don’t tell her I said that please.
_______________________________________________________________
Thedefencema: What made you guys come up with the Idea of RuneScape Machinima Contest?
»Mod Paul M: We’ve always really enjoyed watching RS Machinima videos, long before the first competition was announced last year. We’ve followed the videos of some of the famous video makers out there for ages, and the idea of creating more famous video makers and, importantly, getting a bunch of new funny/awesome videos was really appealing. The competition element to it came about through the usual method – an adhoc brainstorm session during a lively lunchtime beverage.
_______________________________________________________________
Landerpurex: Lifetime membership is a great reward. Exactly how long is a lifetime membership? Will the character receive membership FOREVER?
»Mod Hohbien: FOR LIIIIFE. Actually I believe our membership counter goes up to something like 4,000 days (11years). That’s not a problem though as in 11 years time, my calendar will remind me to add some more.
_______________________________________________________________
Landerpurex: What are the primary aspects the videos are judged upon?
»Mod Hohbien: Aside from the basic entry requirements (which a surprising number of people miss out) – we don’t really have a strict set of guidelines when it comes to judging videos. At the same time though, we aren’t unfair – we do consider a number of factors such as how well the video was put together technically, how good the audio/voiceover is, whether the entrant made their own music – that sort of thing.
_______________________________________________________________
Glodenox: Roughly how many videos are you expecting to be submitted?
»Mod Hohbien: Well we’ve had about 1000 entries so far, and it’s only a week in. We found with the last competition that there’s a spike toward the end, with all the last minute entries flooding in.
_______________________________________________________________
MiKeBoY2003: How do you all handle that many videos? Do you outsource some of the viewing to other areas in the staff, or sift through them all on your own?
»Mod Paul M: Once we’ve removed entries that don’t comply with the rules, the remaining entries are judged by a small group of us mostly made up of senior management types like Mark and Andrew and your very own RuneScape Community Management team. Fortunately, it’s actually lots of fun reviewing entries (last year for example, I spent many an evening staying up till 5am to review entries!)
_______________________________________________________________
TrendyHaz: Have you been suprised by the talent that is out there in the Runescape Community?
»Mod Paul M: We knew we’d get some great entries as we’d checked out the previous work of many of the entrants. By the time the competition closed though, it was clear that many brains had been wracked as the standard surpassed what we expected. It’s probably also worth pointing out that there were loads of entries that really made us laugh but couldn’t be included in the competition because they broke a rule or two. So even in the ‘sorry but no’ pile, there was some absolute gold!
_______________________________________________________________
Landerpurex: Do you plan the video competition to be an ongoing event? Will the rewards remain the same? Will there be a theme from now on as well?
»Mod Paul M: Absolutely. As long as there’s a community of players who want to make and watch videos, we’ll be very happy to support them through our YouTube channel and future competitions. We don’t want to get a reputation for just doing video competitions though as there are plenty of other skills that we’d like to celebrate too. So yes, among a great many other competitions we have planned, we certainly haven’t seen the last of the RuneScape Machinima Competition.
_______________________________________________________________
TrendyHaz: Do you feel the machinima competition could be used to "head hunt" future staff members for in-game cinematics?
»CM Team: Interesting question – not being in a recruitment specialist I couldn’t really say. But I know we’ve employed some experienced RuneScape players in the past and we definitely understand the value they can bring to the company.
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: There is often a lot of suggestions posted on the RS forums, how common is it come across one that really stands out and is a possible candidate for becoming a basis of a future update. When this happens, or if this happens, is there any contact/appraisal for the original idea the update is based on? Has this actually happened before?
»Mod Hohbien: This would probably be best answered by our content team. But from a CM perspective, we keep a log of suggestions posted on the forums and we make sure they’re passed on to our content teams on a regular basis. Interestingly enough, rather than seeing just one suggestion stand out, we tend to see numbers of people suddenly post very similar ideas at the same time. So it’s almost like a collective ‘eureka’ moment you could say. Things like that certainly stand out.
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: Does your Runescape Content Liaison 'Officer' often find it difficult to make posts on the forum, particularly the Future Updates forum, without leaking any information about future content? What is their favourite part of this particular role?
»Mod Paul M: You must be talking about Mod Emilee. Well, Emilee’s quite used to walking the line on what to say and what not to say and knowing her sense of humour, I’m sure she enjoys the inner turmoil that creates. What’s the favourite part of her role? Well, Emilee can answer that better than I can of course but I know that getting positive feedback on an update having seen it go from concept to release is something that brings a smile to her happy face. =)
_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: Is Mod Emilee really a monkey?
»Mod Paul M: No comment. But yes.
Recently we were offered an interview by Jagex to ask questions about the Machinima Competition and the Community Management (CM) Team. The questions have been answered and sent back to us, so here they are! Thanks to everyone who posted questions and to Jagex for offering us this and the three (1, 2, 3) previous interviews!
Jagex Interview #3: Machinima Competition and the CM Team
Glodenox: How many people are currently active within the Community Management team? Do you guys also have a team logo?
»Mod Hohbien: If you take into account all of our non-English community management representatives, then well over 30. We don’t really have a team logo – but I want one. Thanks for reminding me!
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Glodenox: Can you give some examples of which work the Community Management Team performs?
»Mod Paul M: One of the good things about Community Management is that we work on a huge range of projects. Today for example, we’re judging a competition, preparing copy for an upcoming newsletter, creating an in-game for event planned for a couple of months down the line, answering questions on our YouTube channel and getting ready for tonight’s Clan Awareness Week events. Then there’s moderator support, collecting feedback, scheduling events... Shall I go on?
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Muscular Ape: Who, in your opinion, is the most interesting member of the of the CM team?
»Mod Hohbien: Mod Timbo. He fascinates me.
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Glodenox: How would you describe the reaction of the community on the events you've managed lately?
»Mod Hohbien: Simply awesome. We’ve had such a fantastic response from our playerbase, and we’ve had a lot of ‘first tries’ over the past year or so – so it’s really nice to know that we’re on the right track.
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Muscular Ape: How often do you attend in-game events? What are your favourite ingame events? When you do, do you ever have a bit of fun with the Mod Powers to perhaps achieve victory?
»Mod Hohbien: All the time. Mod Howes, our events guru, schedules JMods to attend player events throughout the week, and especially on weekends. We’d never use short cuts to achieve victory in a mini game though. Who was it that said “with great power comes great responsibility”?
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Glodenox: Which have been your most memorable moments leading the Community Management team so far?
»Mod Paul M: I’ve a terrible memory which doesn’t help answer this question but I’d say that some of the company outings have resulted in some very memorable moments. You’ll have to use your imagination there though as I’ll get someone into trouble if I elaborate too much.
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Muscular Ape: Is looking after the Player Moderators a tough job? Do you enjoy this aspect of Community Management? Most importantly, does Mod Poppy enjoy being the "boss"?
»Mod Hohbien: I spent the first couple of years of my time in the CM team looking working with the PMod Community – and I loved it. They are a dedicated, genuinely lovely bunch of people and I do miss working as closely with them as I once did. Mod Poppy isn’t the boss of me! Don’t tell her I said that please.
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Thedefencema: What made you guys come up with the Idea of RuneScape Machinima Contest?
»Mod Paul M: We’ve always really enjoyed watching RS Machinima videos, long before the first competition was announced last year. We’ve followed the videos of some of the famous video makers out there for ages, and the idea of creating more famous video makers and, importantly, getting a bunch of new funny/awesome videos was really appealing. The competition element to it came about through the usual method – an adhoc brainstorm session during a lively lunchtime beverage.
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Landerpurex: Lifetime membership is a great reward. Exactly how long is a lifetime membership? Will the character receive membership FOREVER?
»Mod Hohbien: FOR LIIIIFE. Actually I believe our membership counter goes up to something like 4,000 days (11years). That’s not a problem though as in 11 years time, my calendar will remind me to add some more.
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Landerpurex: What are the primary aspects the videos are judged upon?
»Mod Hohbien: Aside from the basic entry requirements (which a surprising number of people miss out) – we don’t really have a strict set of guidelines when it comes to judging videos. At the same time though, we aren’t unfair – we do consider a number of factors such as how well the video was put together technically, how good the audio/voiceover is, whether the entrant made their own music – that sort of thing.
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Glodenox: Roughly how many videos are you expecting to be submitted?
»Mod Hohbien: Well we’ve had about 1000 entries so far, and it’s only a week in. We found with the last competition that there’s a spike toward the end, with all the last minute entries flooding in.
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MiKeBoY2003: How do you all handle that many videos? Do you outsource some of the viewing to other areas in the staff, or sift through them all on your own?
»Mod Paul M: Once we’ve removed entries that don’t comply with the rules, the remaining entries are judged by a small group of us mostly made up of senior management types like Mark and Andrew and your very own RuneScape Community Management team. Fortunately, it’s actually lots of fun reviewing entries (last year for example, I spent many an evening staying up till 5am to review entries!)
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TrendyHaz: Have you been suprised by the talent that is out there in the Runescape Community?
»Mod Paul M: We knew we’d get some great entries as we’d checked out the previous work of many of the entrants. By the time the competition closed though, it was clear that many brains had been wracked as the standard surpassed what we expected. It’s probably also worth pointing out that there were loads of entries that really made us laugh but couldn’t be included in the competition because they broke a rule or two. So even in the ‘sorry but no’ pile, there was some absolute gold!
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Landerpurex: Do you plan the video competition to be an ongoing event? Will the rewards remain the same? Will there be a theme from now on as well?
»Mod Paul M: Absolutely. As long as there’s a community of players who want to make and watch videos, we’ll be very happy to support them through our YouTube channel and future competitions. We don’t want to get a reputation for just doing video competitions though as there are plenty of other skills that we’d like to celebrate too. So yes, among a great many other competitions we have planned, we certainly haven’t seen the last of the RuneScape Machinima Competition.
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TrendyHaz: Do you feel the machinima competition could be used to "head hunt" future staff members for in-game cinematics?
»CM Team: Interesting question – not being in a recruitment specialist I couldn’t really say. But I know we’ve employed some experienced RuneScape players in the past and we definitely understand the value they can bring to the company.
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Muscular Ape: There is often a lot of suggestions posted on the RS forums, how common is it come across one that really stands out and is a possible candidate for becoming a basis of a future update. When this happens, or if this happens, is there any contact/appraisal for the original idea the update is based on? Has this actually happened before?
»Mod Hohbien: This would probably be best answered by our content team. But from a CM perspective, we keep a log of suggestions posted on the forums and we make sure they’re passed on to our content teams on a regular basis. Interestingly enough, rather than seeing just one suggestion stand out, we tend to see numbers of people suddenly post very similar ideas at the same time. So it’s almost like a collective ‘eureka’ moment you could say. Things like that certainly stand out.
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Muscular Ape: Does your Runescape Content Liaison 'Officer' often find it difficult to make posts on the forum, particularly the Future Updates forum, without leaking any information about future content? What is their favourite part of this particular role?
»Mod Paul M: You must be talking about Mod Emilee. Well, Emilee’s quite used to walking the line on what to say and what not to say and knowing her sense of humour, I’m sure she enjoys the inner turmoil that creates.
What’s the favourite part of her role? Well, Emilee can answer that better than I can of course but I know that getting positive feedback on an update having seen it go from concept to release is something that brings a smile to her happy face. =)_______________________________________________________________
Muscular Ape: Is Mod Emilee really a monkey?
»Mod Paul M: No comment. But yes.
04-Feb-2010 - RuneScape Q&A – Andrew
Posted by Dark Paladin on February 4th, 2010, 4:40 pm. Category: RuneScape News
RuneScape.com wrote:
All of the questions asked in this round of Q&A sessions have been forwarded on to the relevant teams to be answered in their own sessions. The vast majority of those posed to Andrew made more sense to be answered by other people – e.g. any and all questions related to game content have been sent over to the RuneScape Content team – or have already been covered in Mark Gerhard’s Q&A last week.
As a result, we shall only be holding a live Q&A session with Andrew this time around. Also, the time of Andrew’s live Q&A will now be taking place an hour earlier than previously stated, at 3pm (GMT). Players will be able to ask questions in this thread, with the answers being posted to this thread.
Mod Kelvin
Head of Community Management
As a result, we shall only be holding a live Q&A session with Andrew this time around. Also, the time of Andrew’s live Q&A will now be taking place an hour earlier than previously stated, at 3pm (GMT). Players will be able to ask questions in this thread, with the answers being posted to this thread.
Mod Kelvin
Head of Community Management
01-Feb-2010 - Rune Mechanics
Posted by Glodenox on February 1st, 2010, 9:25 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
Apprentice Clerval at the Mage Training Arena is utterly useless at magic...and pretty much everything else. He needs your help in getting his head around Rune Mechanics, our latest novice quest. In particular, he’s trying to build a rune guardian from scratch, something that hasn’t been done for generations.
Rune Mechanics carries on for the Rune Mysteries quest, teaching those who have just learnt the basics of Runecrafting a bit more about the skill (namely, how to craft combination runes). Those adventurers who help Clerval may well find themselves with a brand-spanking new rune guardian pet on their hands.
Certainly, the rune guardians that already roam the halls of the Mage Training Arena would be happy to introduce those unfamiliar with the place to the various Magic training challengers on offer. With enough training, any mage will one day be able to wield a master wand, sport some fancy infinity robes and turn bones into juicy peaches (should they want to). Well, any mage but Clerval...
Mod Nancy
RuneScape Content Developer
Summary:
In other news...
Based on your feedback, we've changed the stats on the Penance armours from Barbarian Assault. Check out this Knowledge Base page for more details on these items.
We’ve added a second trident to Barbarian Assault's rewards. The original trident remains unchanged, but can now be upgraded to a master trident for free. The master trident has an Attack level requirement of 70 due to its increased melee combat stats (in addition to the Magic level requirement of 70 it shares with the original trident).
We’ve updated the Adventurer’s log to contain a larger selection of NPCs including, but not limited to, the KBD, the Penanace and Kalphite Queens, and the Corporeal Beast. A log will be created any time you defeat these creatures. Additionally, instead of spamming your log with “I’ve killed a creature” for every one that you defeat, it will now attempt to group these together in one message.
We've added a feature to allow you to more easily reply to the last private message you received: just hit the ‘TAB’ key on your keyboard!
We've changed the gnome restaurant and associated shops in a few ways. Firstly, if you complete a delivery task, the food and cocktail ingredients shops will be restocked. Secondly, we've adjusted the rewards for the deliveries, so you're more likely to get better items such as mint cakes or seed pods.
All types of spirit shield have now been properly textured and should match the recently updated inventory icons.
You may have noticed that cannons were not always hitting the enemy they were aiming at. The targeting code has been improved and should have more consistent behaviour in all directions.
A more detailed explanation of how the ring of wealth works has been added to the this page in the Game Guide.
Rune Mechanics carries on for the Rune Mysteries quest, teaching those who have just learnt the basics of Runecrafting a bit more about the skill (namely, how to craft combination runes). Those adventurers who help Clerval may well find themselves with a brand-spanking new rune guardian pet on their hands.
Certainly, the rune guardians that already roam the halls of the Mage Training Arena would be happy to introduce those unfamiliar with the place to the various Magic training challengers on offer. With enough training, any mage will one day be able to wield a master wand, sport some fancy infinity robes and turn bones into juicy peaches (should they want to). Well, any mage but Clerval...
Mod Nancy
RuneScape Content Developer
Summary:
Quote:
Where to start Rune Mechanics:
Speak to Apprentice Clerval in the basement of the Mage Training Arena.
Requirements to complete Rune Mechanics:
Rune Mysteries
Wolf Whistle
27 Magic
25 Construction
20 Runecrafting
Speak to Apprentice Clerval in the basement of the Mage Training Arena.
Requirements to complete Rune Mechanics:
Rune Mysteries
Wolf Whistle
27 Magic
25 Construction
20 Runecrafting
In other news...
Based on your feedback, we've changed the stats on the Penance armours from Barbarian Assault. Check out this Knowledge Base page for more details on these items.
We’ve added a second trident to Barbarian Assault's rewards. The original trident remains unchanged, but can now be upgraded to a master trident for free. The master trident has an Attack level requirement of 70 due to its increased melee combat stats (in addition to the Magic level requirement of 70 it shares with the original trident).
We’ve updated the Adventurer’s log to contain a larger selection of NPCs including, but not limited to, the KBD, the Penanace and Kalphite Queens, and the Corporeal Beast. A log will be created any time you defeat these creatures. Additionally, instead of spamming your log with “I’ve killed a creature” for every one that you defeat, it will now attempt to group these together in one message.
We've added a feature to allow you to more easily reply to the last private message you received: just hit the ‘TAB’ key on your keyboard!
We've changed the gnome restaurant and associated shops in a few ways. Firstly, if you complete a delivery task, the food and cocktail ingredients shops will be restocked. Secondly, we've adjusted the rewards for the deliveries, so you're more likely to get better items such as mint cakes or seed pods.
All types of spirit shield have now been properly textured and should match the recently updated inventory icons.
You may have noticed that cannons were not always hitting the enemy they were aiming at. The targeting code has been improved and should have more consistent behaviour in all directions.
A more detailed explanation of how the ring of wealth works has been added to the this page in the Game Guide.
01-Feb-2010 - Trading With Friends
Posted by Glodenox on February 1st, 2010, 9:22 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
How much wealth you are able to trade with your friends has been made more generous. Exactly how much depends on how long you’ve been friends (i.e. how long you've been on each other's Friends Lists).
If you’ve been friends for at least one month, your trade limit will be doubled; for two months your limit is tripled; and for three months your limit is quadrupled!
As before, when trading, you will continue to be limited by whomsoever has the lower trade limit, but remember that you are able to increase your trade limit by earning Quest Points.
Mod Hope
RuneScape Content Developer
If you’ve been friends for at least one month, your trade limit will be doubled; for two months your limit is tripled; and for three months your limit is quadrupled!
As before, when trading, you will continue to be limited by whomsoever has the lower trade limit, but remember that you are able to increase your trade limit by earning Quest Points.
Mod Hope
RuneScape Content Developer
01-Feb-2010 - Chance of Double Law, Death and Blood Rune
Posted by Glodenox on February 1st, 2010, 9:21 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
Based on player feedback to last November’s Runecrafting update, we’ve extended the ability of double-crafting runes to include law, death and blood runes. As the Runecrafting level to guarantee double-crafting of these runes would lie much higher than level 99 (following the pattern established in the rest of the skill), you will only have a chance of doing so, with that chance increasing the closer your Runecrafting level gets to 99.
The ability to double-craft law, death and blood runes now means that it is possible to receive more than one of each type of rune from a single essence. The greater chance, at higher Runecrafting levels, of crafting two law, death or blood runes per essence should provide more incentive to train the skill through the last few levels.
Mod Nancy
RuneScape Content Developer
The ability to double-craft law, death and blood runes now means that it is possible to receive more than one of each type of rune from a single essence. The greater chance, at higher Runecrafting levels, of crafting two law, death or blood runes per essence should provide more incentive to train the skill through the last few levels.
Mod Nancy
RuneScape Content Developer
01-Feb-2010 - Machinima Tool – The Orb of Oculus
Posted by Glodenox on February 1st, 2010, 9:19 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
As discussed in the recent blog, the Orb of Oculus is a new item, available to all players from Faruq in Al Kharid, which should help budding RuneScape filmmakers to more easily set up shots for their videos. Held in the hands, it gives you more control over the in-game camera, allowing you (or a friend) to act as a cameraman and set up shots for you to then capture with your preferred video capture software.
The hope is that it will make things easier for any players who enjoy making RuneScape videos, and encourage a wider number of players to enter our imminent machinima competition. So, if you’ve ever wanted to make a video of someone taking on the KBD with a bronze dagger (or joke about what you might do should you ever meet Jagex’s CEO...), then the Orb of Oculus should help you to realise your vision.
Although the orb’s primary function is to help make things a bit easier for budding filmmakers, we also fully expect it to be put to other, equally inventive uses, much like Faruq’s other 'emergent gameplay' tools for games.
Mod Fnord
RuneScape Content Developer
The hope is that it will make things easier for any players who enjoy making RuneScape videos, and encourage a wider number of players to enter our imminent machinima competition. So, if you’ve ever wanted to make a video of someone taking on the KBD with a bronze dagger (or joke about what you might do should you ever meet Jagex’s CEO...), then the Orb of Oculus should help you to realise your vision.
Although the orb’s primary function is to help make things a bit easier for budding filmmakers, we also fully expect it to be put to other, equally inventive uses, much like Faruq’s other 'emergent gameplay' tools for games.
Mod Fnord
RuneScape Content Developer
