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.
I just received this email
Of course this is not a real email. It's an attempt at phishing-- the link, which appears to be a runescape server, is in fact, some other server.
If you get such an email, do NOT click the link!
What is also interesting is that i got a couple of them sent to different email addresses.
Broke the link, just in case. ~Tanks
Quote:
Dear Player,
This is an automated message sent to inform you that your account has been suspended for Real World Trading. Please visit the Appeal section under Account Management to view evidence of your offence and to appeal any offence(s) that you feel were unjustified.
To view the evidence please click here: https:// secure.runescape.com/m=weblogin/loginfor m.ws.htm?mod=offence-appeal&ssl=1&expired=0&dest=account_history.ws
Please note: Due to a recent bug in our offence system, some accounts may have received an void offence. The majority of void offences have been removed but we can not ensure that all offences have been removed. We apologize for this and urge you to visit the appeal section to appeal any unjustified offences that were received due to system errors.
Many thanks, Jagex Ltd.
Copyright © 1999 - 2011 Jagex Ltd. Jagex, RuneScape, FunOrb, War of Legends and Stellar Dawn are registered trademarks of Jagex Ltd in the United Kingdom and trademarks used in other countries of the world. By using our service you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
This is an automated message sent to inform you that your account has been suspended for Real World Trading. Please visit the Appeal section under Account Management to view evidence of your offence and to appeal any offence(s) that you feel were unjustified.
To view the evidence please click here: https:// secure.runescape.com/m=weblogin/loginfor m.ws.htm?mod=offence-appeal&ssl=1&expired=0&dest=account_history.ws
Please note: Due to a recent bug in our offence system, some accounts may have received an void offence. The majority of void offences have been removed but we can not ensure that all offences have been removed. We apologize for this and urge you to visit the appeal section to appeal any unjustified offences that were received due to system errors.
Many thanks, Jagex Ltd.
Copyright © 1999 - 2011 Jagex Ltd. Jagex, RuneScape, FunOrb, War of Legends and Stellar Dawn are registered trademarks of Jagex Ltd in the United Kingdom and trademarks used in other countries of the world. By using our service you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Of course this is not a real email. It's an attempt at phishing-- the link, which appears to be a runescape server, is in fact, some other server.
If you get such an email, do NOT click the link!
What is also interesting is that i got a couple of them sent to different email addresses.
Broke the link, just in case. ~Tanks
25-May-2011 – Death Hats, Draynor and Upgrades
Posted by Matt258 on May 25th, 2011, 10:24 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
25-May-2011 – Death Hats, Draynor and Upgrades
This week's various updates include the wildstalker helmet and duellist's cap 'death hats', which track your Wilderness kills and Duel Arena victories, a graphical improvement for Draynor Village and Manor, plus a variety of small tweaks taken from player suggestions on the forums.
Death Hats
Laying down the smack in the Wilderness and defeating opponents in duels is all about the prestige (and money), right? So it's only natural to want to show off and demonstrate your ability to others. Well, free-players and members who wish to do so can visit Estocada at the Duel Arena to pick up a duellist's cap, and Mr Ex in Edgeville to receive a wildstalker helmet.
While snazzy looking in their own right, these hats will keep track of your skilful victories and unlucky defeats, but only while you are on a members' world. As your body count rises, your hats will morph into ever more impressive states, as will your ability to brag about your accomplishments with the emote each hat bears (after their first morphing).
While this does mean that you can only increase your stats and morph your hat while a member, lapsed members will still be able to wear their hats on free worlds, in whatever state and with whatever stats they had accrued as a member. Once you've got some victories under them, both hats also allow you to transform into a commemorative statue of yourself, which others may read for a summary of your endeavours, including (should you wish) your kill/death ratio and your all time most valuable kill in the Wilderness.
Good hunting.
Mod Moltare
RuneScape Content Developer
Draynor Graphical Improvement
The already quite spooky Draynor Village and Manor have become even spookier with today's graphical improvement. The market has been given a more bazaar makeover, the buildings are more fittingly sombre, a murder of crows has flocked to the tiny village and the whole area is now shrouded in darkness and fog. Why not drink in the sights next time you pay a visit to Diango or the Wise Old Man? Just not literally – that fog is a real pea-souper, and who knows what it consists of...
RuneScape Graphics
Upgrades
We’ve compiled a list of tweaks to existing content, taken entirely from player suggestions on the forums. The changes are as follows:
The RuneScape Team
In other news...
We've changed the golden mining outfit from last week's Lava Flow Mine release, for players who own both the complete outfit AND any version of the Varrock armour reward from Varrock Tasks. The change means that these players can wear either platebody while mining, and receive both the 2.5% boost to earned Mining XP (so long as they're wearing the other four parts of the golden mining outfit) as well as having the chance of receiving extra ores (up to whatever ore your Varrock armour would normally allow).
Below the 'Play Now' button on the homepage is a new 'Log in with Facebook' button, which you can use to log into the RuneScape game. (You can also access our site features, such as the forums, through a similar button on the website login page.) Normally, this will log you straight in, but the first time you use this button you’ll need to log into your Facebook account (which installs a RuneScape app on your Facebook account; you will need to grant permission for this), and associate it with a Jagex account of your choice (optional). You can toggle this account association on or off in RuneScape Account Management. The RuneScape app can also be removed to revoke the permissions you granted, through the Facebook site under 'Privacy Settings', should you ever wish to do so. If you are using a shared computer, we also highly recommend you check that you are logged out of Facebook too after leaving the game. For more information, check out the Facebook Connect - FAQ forum thread.
This week's various updates include the wildstalker helmet and duellist's cap 'death hats', which track your Wilderness kills and Duel Arena victories, a graphical improvement for Draynor Village and Manor, plus a variety of small tweaks taken from player suggestions on the forums.
Death Hats
Laying down the smack in the Wilderness and defeating opponents in duels is all about the prestige (and money), right? So it's only natural to want to show off and demonstrate your ability to others. Well, free-players and members who wish to do so can visit Estocada at the Duel Arena to pick up a duellist's cap, and Mr Ex in Edgeville to receive a wildstalker helmet.
While snazzy looking in their own right, these hats will keep track of your skilful victories and unlucky defeats, but only while you are on a members' world. As your body count rises, your hats will morph into ever more impressive states, as will your ability to brag about your accomplishments with the emote each hat bears (after their first morphing).
While this does mean that you can only increase your stats and morph your hat while a member, lapsed members will still be able to wear their hats on free worlds, in whatever state and with whatever stats they had accrued as a member. Once you've got some victories under them, both hats also allow you to transform into a commemorative statue of yourself, which others may read for a summary of your endeavours, including (should you wish) your kill/death ratio and your all time most valuable kill in the Wilderness.
Good hunting.
Mod Moltare
RuneScape Content Developer
Draynor Graphical Improvement
The already quite spooky Draynor Village and Manor have become even spookier with today's graphical improvement. The market has been given a more bazaar makeover, the buildings are more fittingly sombre, a murder of crows has flocked to the tiny village and the whole area is now shrouded in darkness and fog. Why not drink in the sights next time you pay a visit to Diango or the Wise Old Man? Just not literally – that fog is a real pea-souper, and who knows what it consists of...
RuneScape Graphics
Upgrades
We’ve compiled a list of tweaks to existing content, taken entirely from player suggestions on the forums. The changes are as follows:
- We've added a toggle option to the Summoning pouch/scroll creation interface, so you can view either all possible pouches/scrolls that can be made or only those you're currently carrying the tertiary component for. This should make things easier for those who already know what pouches/scrolls they are planning to make. The option you choose will persist between logins.
- The following in-game messages are now filtered out by the 'Game chat' filter:
"Note: anything your familiar is carrying...will be placed on the floor."
"You have reached the maximum number of hanky points..." – Thieves’ Guild
"You can't deposit more than 12,000 coins..." – Mage Training Arena (Alchemists’ Playground) - We’ve added a 'Make-All' option to opening coconuts with a hammer and filling vials with coconut milk, as well as for adding feathers to bolts. There’s also a 'Plant-X' option for putting seeds of the same type into plant pots, and you can automatically water as many plant pots as your can is able to.
- The following bosses and monsters can now be attacked with a left-click: all God Wars bosses, Dagannoth Kings, King Black Dragon, Kalphite Queen, Bork, Skeletal Horror, tormented demons, dark beasts, iron/steel/mithril dragons, strykewyrms and mutated bloodvelds.
- The archaeological expert at the Digsite now has a right-click option, which turns all held 'unidentified liquid' into vials of nitroglycerin, so you no longer have to convert them one at a time through chat.
- A fast reset wave option has been added to the Barbarian Assault commander, and you’ll get the option to reset when trying to enter wave 1 if your current wave is higher.
- Lokar Searunner no longer mentions needing a seal of passage if you've completed the Elite Fremennik Tasks and spoken to Chieftain Brundt about not needing one.
- Bob Barter at the Grand Exchange is now able to decant 4-dose potions into 2- or 3-dose potions, which is useful for those mixing barbarian and/or extreme potions.
- Crystal bows and shields can now be recharged to full regardless of their current charge, so you don't have to use them until they revert to seed form.
- The gnome glider/boat route from the Tree Gnome Stronghold to Ape Atoll (Daero > Waydar > Lumdo) now has right-click options for speedier travel.
- Notifications in the chat window related to the Grand Exchange and bird’s nest drops have been made more noticeable.
- Nulodion has an extra op to help you retrieve your multicannon faster after it decays.
- A fast payment option has been added to the furnace door in Shilo Village.
The RuneScape Team
In other news...
We've changed the golden mining outfit from last week's Lava Flow Mine release, for players who own both the complete outfit AND any version of the Varrock armour reward from Varrock Tasks. The change means that these players can wear either platebody while mining, and receive both the 2.5% boost to earned Mining XP (so long as they're wearing the other four parts of the golden mining outfit) as well as having the chance of receiving extra ores (up to whatever ore your Varrock armour would normally allow).
Below the 'Play Now' button on the homepage is a new 'Log in with Facebook' button, which you can use to log into the RuneScape game. (You can also access our site features, such as the forums, through a similar button on the website login page.) Normally, this will log you straight in, but the first time you use this button you’ll need to log into your Facebook account (which installs a RuneScape app on your Facebook account; you will need to grant permission for this), and associate it with a Jagex account of your choice (optional). You can toggle this account association on or off in RuneScape Account Management. The RuneScape app can also be removed to revoke the permissions you granted, through the Facebook site under 'Privacy Settings', should you ever wish to do so. If you are using a shared computer, we also highly recommend you check that you are logged out of Facebook too after leaving the game. For more information, check out the Facebook Connect - FAQ forum thread.
16-May-2011 -Lava Flow Mine
Posted by 258 For Life on May 16th, 2011, 9:59 pm. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
Players who have completed King of the Dwarves will already have seen the Lava Flow Mine, where the dwarves of Keldagrim have tapped into channels of liquid rock in order to power their city’s machinery. The lava flows require constant tending to keep the dwarves of Keldagrim have tapped into channels of liquid rock in order to power their city’s machinery. The lava flows require constant tending to keep the power supply steady, and the new king has finally decided to let humans into the mine to help out.
The Lava Flow Mine allows miners to gain a good rate of XP without producing any ore (although you have a chance of finding gems). You can mine anywhere in the area, but you get the maximum rate of XP by consulting the flow gauges and finding the place where the lava is flowing most slowly.
A few random events will pop up from time to time, and keeping an eye out for them could net you additional rewards. Boilers will break, and you can fix them for Smithing XP if you have the required level. Mischievous ancestor spirits will make off with the dwarves’ pickaxes, and catching them will give you a temporary bonus to Mining XP in the area. If you help the Tzhaar hero on his endless quest to catch a lava monster, everyone in the area will have an increased chance of finding gems.
Finally, the Liquid Gold Nymph may take pity on your dull clothes and give you pieces of an outfit so eye-achingly flamboyant that it grants a bonus to Mining XP everywhere in the world – the complete outfit grants a total Mining XP bonus of 2.5%.
Mod John A
Senior RuneScape Content Developer
Summary:
In other news...
We've made a number of fixes and improvements to RuneScape's clan support and the Clan Camp. For a full list of these changes, please read this release's patch notes.
The image of the world map in the Downloads & Wallpapers section of the website has been brought up to date.
The Lava Flow Mine allows miners to gain a good rate of XP without producing any ore (although you have a chance of finding gems). You can mine anywhere in the area, but you get the maximum rate of XP by consulting the flow gauges and finding the place where the lava is flowing most slowly.
A few random events will pop up from time to time, and keeping an eye out for them could net you additional rewards. Boilers will break, and you can fix them for Smithing XP if you have the required level. Mischievous ancestor spirits will make off with the dwarves’ pickaxes, and catching them will give you a temporary bonus to Mining XP in the area. If you help the Tzhaar hero on his endless quest to catch a lava monster, everyone in the area will have an increased chance of finding gems.
Finally, the Liquid Gold Nymph may take pity on your dull clothes and give you pieces of an outfit so eye-achingly flamboyant that it grants a bonus to Mining XP everywhere in the world – the complete outfit grants a total Mining XP bonus of 2.5%.
Mod John A
Senior RuneScape Content Developer
Summary:
Quote:
Where to find the Lava Flow Mine:
Go through the entrance in the east wall of Keldagrim.
Requirements to use the Lava Flow Mine:
Must have completed King of the Dwarves.
Bring your own pickaxe.
Go through the entrance in the east wall of Keldagrim.
Requirements to use the Lava Flow Mine:
Must have completed King of the Dwarves.
Bring your own pickaxe.
In other news...
We've made a number of fixes and improvements to RuneScape's clan support and the Clan Camp. For a full list of these changes, please read this release's patch notes.
The image of the world map in the Downloads & Wallpapers section of the website has been brought up to date.
Patch Notes 16/05/11 wrote:
The following small fixes and adjustments have now been made to the game. If you spot any further bugs in-game, please use the Bug Report feature ('Submit a Bug Report' under the 'Help' drop-down menu of the website).
Graphical
Quests and Tasks
Activities and Distractions
Miscellaneous
Clans
Graphical
- Weapons are now hidden when performing the veteran cape emote.
- The Plank Make spell no longer flashes white in Safe Mode.
- The amulet of zealots no longer stretches when resting.
- The lunar teleport spells have been darkened when inactive to display the difference between the Catherby Teleport better.
- Pauline from Livid Farm now stays floating when turning.
- Beefy Bill's animations have been updated.
- The Odd Old Man no longer stretches when stroking his beard.
- Players now wield chaotic mauls with Torag's platebody correctly.
- The Soul Wars cape no longer causes players’ heads to stretch when wielded with a facemask.
- The dragon footprints in the tutorial no longer flicker.
- The flags in the Drill Demon random event no longer stretch.
- A flickering issue around the entrance to the Stronghold of Player Safety has been fixed.
Quests and Tasks
- A typo on destroying the ruby key in While Guthix Sleeps has been fixed.
- The ‘Can’t Touch This’ Task now functions correctly with players who have their max life points greater than 990.
- The ‘Skeletal Horror’ Task now appears in the Task List when not completed, instead of after being completed for the week.
Activities and Distractions
- A typo has been fixed in the Artisans Workshop when smithing decorative swords.
- It is no longer possible to take the royal wedding celebration items into Castle Wars.
Miscellaneous
- The capes of distinction can now be stored on a POH cape rack by using the hood on the rack.
- The upgraded completionist cape will now remain available even if a player has removed the statue of Dahmaroc from their POH.
- Trying to play the max cape animation no longer complains about NPCs in the area.
- The max and completionist capes now award the correct amount of coins on death.
- The Remote Farming spell now states the correct information for grown magic trees and My Arm's herb patch.
- The Runecrafting level-up message now states to go to Larriar for the skillcape.
- A typo has been fixed on Baba Yaga's clothes rack.
- Three tiles south of Falador can now be correctly walked over.
- A typo on "Further information" in the Quick Chat guide has been fixed.
- The Mining micro-tutorial has been altered to stop telling players about prospecting.
- The Forinthry bracelet’s ‘repel’ effect no longer carries over onto free worlds.
- George Laxmeister in Piscatoris now talks about “glassblowing” instead of “glassbowing”.
Clans
- Players can now temporarily ‘switch off’ their Clan Chat channel in-game by clicking a button on the Clan Chat side interface.
- The Friends Chat and Clan chat interfaces have been graphically updated to match the Friends List interface.
- It is now possible to change your clan name by speaking to the clan scribe. This may be done once every 28 days, and only by the clan’s owner.
- The clan vexillum now has a ‘Teleport to Clan Camp’ option.
- Players can now set members of their clan to be a ‘Recruiter’ using a checkbox near to the Rated Clan Wars leader checkbox.
- The bank pin system has been installed on clan owners leaving, demoting themselves or promoting deputies.
- A notification system has been added to clan events that will remind players of upcoming events at 60-, 30-, 15- and 5-minute intervals. The notifications for each event can be turned on or off by viewing the event on the Clan Camp noticeboard.
- A new ‘Last guest clan entered’ feature has been added when trying to join a guest clan, similar to when joining a Friends Chat channel.
- The clan national flags displayed is now using a current flag pack, and has had several new countries added to the list.
- It is now possible to rematch a clan previously fought in Rated Clan Wars instantly once, before having to fight four other clans.
- The time limit in Rated Clan Wars has now been recalculated to allow for shorter battles with fewer players.
- Players’ banks will now open every time the player is killed in Rated Clan Wars.
- The Clan Camp noticeboard will now correctly check if an event is in the past, taking the clan time offset into account.
- "Clan Camp" has been added to the list of locations on the Clan Camp noticeboard.
- "Any skill" has been added to the skill list on the Clan Camp noticeboard.
- "Pest Control" has been added to the activities list on the Clan Camp noticeboard.
- A typo has been fixed on Fist of Guthix on the Clan Camp noticeboard.
- Added a drop-down the Clan Settings interface to filter clanmates by rank.
- Reorganised all buttons on the Friends, Friends Chat and Clan Chat interfaces to the bottom. This includes moving the ‘Leave Clan’ button from the Clan Settings interface onto the Clan Chat interface.
- Chairs in the Clan Camp can now be sat upon!
RVET #46: Rune x Village (Game over: hOnK wins!)
Posted by Sayaka on May 15th, 2011, 2:32 pm. Category: Global announcement
It's finally come--our week is up, and it's time to announce the winner of the first ever RVET RuneVillage Crossword Puzzle! I won't keep you in suspense--it's hOnK (also known as BZZZZZZZZZZZZ (also known as Steely Mallon (also known as Stalesoul)))! Congratulations hOnK, you have won 1,000,000 gp from the RVET! 
hOnK was the only player to get all 50 out of 50 answers correct, although at least two people would have also scored a perfect score if not for misspellings. Sorry, guys, but the RVET commends you on your superior knowledge of all things RV/RS!
For those of you that couldn't quite figure out certain parts of the puzzle, I've given the answer (and, if necessary, its explanation) to every clue within the spoiler tag below, so be sure to check it out! To everyone else--a big thanks to everyone who participated, and we'll see you at our next event!
~~~
RVET Event #46: May 2011
Rune x Village: A RuneVillage Crossword
Goten scratched his head with his left hand while he twiddled his pencil with his right. "Some of these are kind of tough! 'The name of the Questions Forum was once a parody of blank', six words. 'RuneVillage's only employee, Bob, is a blank', nine letters. 'Blank is well-known for his tan cavalier', five letters." "Goten," Jaron said, chiming in. "What?" Goten asked, looking up. Jaron stared at him for a few moments before sighing. "The second one is librarian." "Oh, thanks! I've got this in the bag; that prize money's mine!" Goten said, scribbling down the answer.
General Information
What: Crossword Puzzle
When: Sunday, May 15th to Saturday, May 21st
Crossword Puzzle Information and Rules
This month's event is something the RVET has never done before--it's a crossword puzzle, heavily (but not completely) centered around RuneScape and RuneVillage! Feel like testing out your knowledge of Jagex's most popular game? Think you know all about the RuneVillage of past and present? Here's your chance to prove it--and if you're lucky, perhaps win 1,000,000 gp while you're at it!
I think pretty much everyone knows how a crossword puzzle works, so we'll jump right to the official rules of this month's contest! This puzzle, which contains 50 clues, will be up until the end of this week, just before midnight CST on Saturday, May 21st. At any time between now and then, PM your answers to Jaron. We don't mind if you print the puzzle itself, write in the boxes, and rescan and send it in, or if instead you just want to type in all of the answers in a list. What we do mind, however, is your spelling! By the nature of crossword puzzles, correct answers give clues to the other blanks, so if even one letter is wrong in any of your answers, that answer will be counted as incorrect.
The winner of the event will be the person that gets the most answers correct out of 50. If more than one person gets all 50 right, the winner will be chosen at random from the group of people that get all 50 right. This person will win 1,000,000 gp from the RVET!
Are you ready to put your RS/RV knowledge to the test? The puzzle is in the spoiler tag below. You've got one week--good luck--go!
(Special thanks to Tanksandguns for generating the crossword puzzle, and Jackstick for making it look awesome!)
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!
April '11 Skilling Contest Winners (FI & HU): Flick & Grackman
November '10 Skilling Contest Winners (ST & AG): Ranger Blue & Glodenox
October '10 Hide and Seek Winners: yogirl223 and kikori kid
October '10 Costume Contest Winners: yogirl223, Ventrue, and n00b 4 m1nin
August '10 Games Room Champions: Guirun (Runelink) and Jaron (Draughts)
July '10 Skilling Contest Winners (SL & CK): Grackman and Regulus
May '10 Who's that Villager II Winners: Monk Basher and Muscular Ape
February '10 Skilling Contest Winner (CON): Grackman
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 led by Jaron with strong support from Dark Paladin, Jackstick, Landerpurex, Mackerel, n00b 4 m1nin, sammich, and Tanksandguns. 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 -
hOnK was the only player to get all 50 out of 50 answers correct, although at least two people would have also scored a perfect score if not for misspellings. Sorry, guys, but the RVET commends you on your superior knowledge of all things RV/RS!For those of you that couldn't quite figure out certain parts of the puzzle, I've given the answer (and, if necessary, its explanation) to every clue within the spoiler tag below, so be sure to check it out! To everyone else--a big thanks to everyone who participated, and we'll see you at our next event!
Hidden:
~~~
RVET Event #46: May 2011
Rune x Village: A RuneVillage Crossword
Goten scratched his head with his left hand while he twiddled his pencil with his right. "Some of these are kind of tough! 'The name of the Questions Forum was once a parody of blank', six words. 'RuneVillage's only employee, Bob, is a blank', nine letters. 'Blank is well-known for his tan cavalier', five letters." "Goten," Jaron said, chiming in. "What?" Goten asked, looking up. Jaron stared at him for a few moments before sighing. "The second one is librarian." "Oh, thanks! I've got this in the bag; that prize money's mine!" Goten said, scribbling down the answer.
General Information
What: Crossword Puzzle
When: Sunday, May 15th to Saturday, May 21st
Crossword Puzzle Information and Rules
This month's event is something the RVET has never done before--it's a crossword puzzle, heavily (but not completely) centered around RuneScape and RuneVillage! Feel like testing out your knowledge of Jagex's most popular game? Think you know all about the RuneVillage of past and present? Here's your chance to prove it--and if you're lucky, perhaps win 1,000,000 gp while you're at it!
I think pretty much everyone knows how a crossword puzzle works, so we'll jump right to the official rules of this month's contest! This puzzle, which contains 50 clues, will be up until the end of this week, just before midnight CST on Saturday, May 21st. At any time between now and then, PM your answers to Jaron. We don't mind if you print the puzzle itself, write in the boxes, and rescan and send it in, or if instead you just want to type in all of the answers in a list. What we do mind, however, is your spelling! By the nature of crossword puzzles, correct answers give clues to the other blanks, so if even one letter is wrong in any of your answers, that answer will be counted as incorrect.
The winner of the event will be the person that gets the most answers correct out of 50. If more than one person gets all 50 right, the winner will be chosen at random from the group of people that get all 50 right. This person will win 1,000,000 gp from the RVET!
Are you ready to put your RS/RV knowledge to the test? The puzzle is in the spoiler tag below. You've got one week--good luck--go!
Hidden:
(Special thanks to Tanksandguns for generating the crossword puzzle, and Jackstick for making it look awesome!)
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!
April '11 Skilling Contest Winners (FI & HU): Flick & Grackman
November '10 Skilling Contest Winners (ST & AG): Ranger Blue & Glodenox
October '10 Hide and Seek Winners: yogirl223 and kikori kid
October '10 Costume Contest Winners: yogirl223, Ventrue, and n00b 4 m1nin
August '10 Games Room Champions: Guirun (Runelink) and Jaron (Draughts)
July '10 Skilling Contest Winners (SL & CK): Grackman and Regulus
May '10 Who's that Villager II Winners: Monk Basher and Muscular Ape
February '10 Skilling Contest Winner (CON): Grackman
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 led by Jaron with strong support from Dark Paladin, Jackstick, Landerpurex, Mackerel, n00b 4 m1nin, sammich, and Tanksandguns. 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 -
well... we no longer have an active clan or army, but some of you who enjoy pking may wish to team up for this event:
jagex wrote:
On the 14th and 15th May, we’re holding a massive PKRI extravaganza to celebrate the Clan Community and combat in-game. We're inviting all communities and your clans, Wilderness lovers, combat experts and collectors of shiny loot to join us for this PKRI Free for all in the Wilderness. The PKRI event will be a perfect outlet for any violent tendencies your clans may be harbouring. The previous PKRI event we held was a great success with 50k players participating and we think we can beat that with your help.
This event is being run due to issues with our clan ladder tournament causing it to be postponed. We reckoned that for you PvP lovers out there, waiting for action is unacceptable so we made sure that you had your fill this week-end with some awesome player-killing fun!
We want your fansite to be as excited about this event as we are. Don’t be afraid to tell your community and visitors about the upcoming excitement which will have all its details displayed on our front page. Of course, if you wish to set some bitter rivalries to rest, don’t be afraid to have friends, foes, nemesis challenge each other and partake to set disputes once and for all. Everyone is welcome to participate. The weekend will be here soon so make sure that all your clans and players are ready and are preparing for the fight to come and we look forward to seeing all of you on the battlefield.
Once again, if you want more information, please go and watch the news here: http://services.runescape.com/m=news/pl ... -for-glory. The event will take place in Worlds 23, 57, 84, 124 & 136.
Good luck,
This event is being run due to issues with our clan ladder tournament causing it to be postponed. We reckoned that for you PvP lovers out there, waiting for action is unacceptable so we made sure that you had your fill this week-end with some awesome player-killing fun!
We want your fansite to be as excited about this event as we are. Don’t be afraid to tell your community and visitors about the upcoming excitement which will have all its details displayed on our front page. Of course, if you wish to set some bitter rivalries to rest, don’t be afraid to have friends, foes, nemesis challenge each other and partake to set disputes once and for all. Everyone is welcome to participate. The weekend will be here soon so make sure that all your clans and players are ready and are preparing for the fight to come and we look forward to seeing all of you on the battlefield.
Once again, if you want more information, please go and watch the news here: http://services.runescape.com/m=news/pl ... -for-glory. The event will take place in Worlds 23, 57, 84, 124 & 136.
Good luck,
Runescape.com wrote:
Go with the flow in May with flowing capes of distinction and mining at the Lava Flow Mine; then behold players 'walking tall' with hats that morph depending on your Wilderness and Duel Arena kills, and hear even taller tales in the form of the Fremennik Sagas. Finally, round off May with some general upgrades taken from player suggestions on the forums.
Capes of Distinction
Kicking off the merry merry month of May will be some snazzy new capes, as first revealed in the Capes of Distinction blog, and which was soon followed by a Guaranteed Content Poll to let players decide the look of one of these capes – the veteran cape.
That winning veteran cape design will soon be available to all players who have had a RuneScape account for at least five years. Joining it is the Classic cape, for all of those who have at some point logged into RuneScape Classic on their account.
Alongside these two will be a series of nine player-crafted capes that can be woven (on a loom) once you’ve trained ALL of your skills up to a multiple of ten. For example, the milestone cape (20) can be made when all of your skills have reached level 20. The first of these capes will be the milestone cape (10) (all skills at level 10) going up to the milestone cape (90) (all skills at level 90).
So, the natural question to follow that is: ‘What happens when you’ve trained all your skills to level 99?’ It’s not like you can wear all your skillcapes at the same time – for a start, the colours would clash, and you’d get a bit hot with so many layers. In which case, you’ll probably want to track down Max in Varrock and buy a max cape from him. Don’t think that a max cape is Max’s cape, though, as you can make it very much your own by customising its colours how you wish, much like with clan cloaks.
Even the max cape is not the end of it, for there is at least one more cape to be claimed only by those deemed worthy of it – it’s on display on the top floor of Varrock Museum. What will it take to prove you are its rightful owner? The only way to find out is to try to take it!
Finally, the veteran, Classic, max and ‘Varrock Museum’ capes all come with emotes and ever more fancy designs.
Dwarf Lava Flow Mine
Those of you who have played the King of the Dwarves quest should already be aware of the Lava Flow Mine, a striking example of dwarven ingenuity that supplies power to the whole of the underground city of Keldagrim. And if you’ve helped the dwarves with that little regal issue, the mine will soon become a new mid- to high-level (68+) area in which you can train the Mining skill.
You’ll need to dash around the mine to stop too much crust from forming and to keep the lava flowing. Doing so will provide you with a decent amount of Mining XP, but you should also keep an eye out for other things going on nearby, including boiler breakdowns, a lava monster and TzHaar hero, haunted pickaxes, and the elusive liquid gold nymph who, once appeased, will reward you with parts of a golden mining suit, the full version of which grants a 2.5% Mining XP boost. (Think of it as the Mining equivalent of the lumberjack outfit.)
Death Hats
Who doesn’t like hats? Hats are great! They keep the sun out of your eyes, warm your head in cold weather, can be worn at a jaunty angle, thrown in the air and left to just simply exude general hat-ish qualities. Come mid-May, they’ll also be able to show off to the rest of RuneScape just how many players you’ve PKed in the Wilderness and defeated in the Duel Arena.
The wildstalker helmet will track your Wilderness kills and the duellist’s cap your victorious duels, each morphing into ever more terrifying styles as you reach certain milestones. Both hats will give you the ability to transmogrify into a commemorative statue, upon which other players can behold your various PvP stats, and they’ll also let you perform a suitably fear-inducing emote. Don’t fear the reaper; fear the owner of a fully morphed death hat!
Upgrades Week
One of the weeks in May will see a variety of minor updates, fixes and improvements, which have been compiled from some of players' most discussed issues on the forums. For example, there will be: an optional filter for the Summoning pouch/scroll creation interface, so you can choose to view either all pouches/scrolls or just those you’re currently able to make; the herbalist at the Grand Exchange will decant potions into two or three doses; an ‘open all’ option will be added when using a hammer on a coconut; and the message when a bird’s nest drops while Woodcutting will be made more noticeable.
Graphical Improvements
Two more areas of RuneScape are set for some visual overhauls in May. Draynor Village will be the first to be given a new lick of paint, and Rellekka will be jumping on the bandwagon towards the end of the month.
Fremennik Sagas
Rounding off May will be the Fremennik Sagas. These will be a slightly new type of content – a mix of Dungeoneering and quests. They’re presented as a series of three replayable stories, as told by a cursed Fremennik going by the name of Skaldrun...and you’ll get to relive them! You’ll take control of and experience first-hand the lives of some of Daemonheim’s denizens and those who have struggled to uncover the secrets of its depths.
Step into the giant boots of Dungeoneering’s mighty Fremennik skill master and Thok It to ‘Em, by bashing everyone and everything on the head! Become the last of a group of forgotten warriors and take Vengeance on a party of ‘heroic’ dungeoneers! Finally, prove that Three’s Company, by leading Ariane, Ozan and Sir Owen on the hunt for a notorious bandit hiding out in Daemonheim, marking these characters’ first in-game appearance! (Keep an eye out for these three wandering around elsewhere too...)
If you don’t have the level requirements to play a complete saga, you’ll still be able to play an abridged version of it, from which you’ll get only a small part of both the reward and the story...but you can always return to play through them again when you do have the levels required to play the unabridged versions. Three’s Company (30 Attack, Magic and Ranged) will be completely available to free-players, with Vengeance (55 Agility and Thieving) and Thok It to ‘Em (70 Strength) being for members.
Have fun!
Mod Mark
RuneScape Lead Designer
Capes of Distinction
Kicking off the merry merry month of May will be some snazzy new capes, as first revealed in the Capes of Distinction blog, and which was soon followed by a Guaranteed Content Poll to let players decide the look of one of these capes – the veteran cape.
That winning veteran cape design will soon be available to all players who have had a RuneScape account for at least five years. Joining it is the Classic cape, for all of those who have at some point logged into RuneScape Classic on their account.
Alongside these two will be a series of nine player-crafted capes that can be woven (on a loom) once you’ve trained ALL of your skills up to a multiple of ten. For example, the milestone cape (20) can be made when all of your skills have reached level 20. The first of these capes will be the milestone cape (10) (all skills at level 10) going up to the milestone cape (90) (all skills at level 90).
So, the natural question to follow that is: ‘What happens when you’ve trained all your skills to level 99?’ It’s not like you can wear all your skillcapes at the same time – for a start, the colours would clash, and you’d get a bit hot with so many layers. In which case, you’ll probably want to track down Max in Varrock and buy a max cape from him. Don’t think that a max cape is Max’s cape, though, as you can make it very much your own by customising its colours how you wish, much like with clan cloaks.
Even the max cape is not the end of it, for there is at least one more cape to be claimed only by those deemed worthy of it – it’s on display on the top floor of Varrock Museum. What will it take to prove you are its rightful owner? The only way to find out is to try to take it!
Finally, the veteran, Classic, max and ‘Varrock Museum’ capes all come with emotes and ever more fancy designs.
Dwarf Lava Flow Mine
Those of you who have played the King of the Dwarves quest should already be aware of the Lava Flow Mine, a striking example of dwarven ingenuity that supplies power to the whole of the underground city of Keldagrim. And if you’ve helped the dwarves with that little regal issue, the mine will soon become a new mid- to high-level (68+) area in which you can train the Mining skill.
You’ll need to dash around the mine to stop too much crust from forming and to keep the lava flowing. Doing so will provide you with a decent amount of Mining XP, but you should also keep an eye out for other things going on nearby, including boiler breakdowns, a lava monster and TzHaar hero, haunted pickaxes, and the elusive liquid gold nymph who, once appeased, will reward you with parts of a golden mining suit, the full version of which grants a 2.5% Mining XP boost. (Think of it as the Mining equivalent of the lumberjack outfit.)
Death Hats
Who doesn’t like hats? Hats are great! They keep the sun out of your eyes, warm your head in cold weather, can be worn at a jaunty angle, thrown in the air and left to just simply exude general hat-ish qualities. Come mid-May, they’ll also be able to show off to the rest of RuneScape just how many players you’ve PKed in the Wilderness and defeated in the Duel Arena.
The wildstalker helmet will track your Wilderness kills and the duellist’s cap your victorious duels, each morphing into ever more terrifying styles as you reach certain milestones. Both hats will give you the ability to transmogrify into a commemorative statue, upon which other players can behold your various PvP stats, and they’ll also let you perform a suitably fear-inducing emote. Don’t fear the reaper; fear the owner of a fully morphed death hat!
Upgrades Week
One of the weeks in May will see a variety of minor updates, fixes and improvements, which have been compiled from some of players' most discussed issues on the forums. For example, there will be: an optional filter for the Summoning pouch/scroll creation interface, so you can choose to view either all pouches/scrolls or just those you’re currently able to make; the herbalist at the Grand Exchange will decant potions into two or three doses; an ‘open all’ option will be added when using a hammer on a coconut; and the message when a bird’s nest drops while Woodcutting will be made more noticeable.
Graphical Improvements
Two more areas of RuneScape are set for some visual overhauls in May. Draynor Village will be the first to be given a new lick of paint, and Rellekka will be jumping on the bandwagon towards the end of the month.
Fremennik Sagas
Rounding off May will be the Fremennik Sagas. These will be a slightly new type of content – a mix of Dungeoneering and quests. They’re presented as a series of three replayable stories, as told by a cursed Fremennik going by the name of Skaldrun...and you’ll get to relive them! You’ll take control of and experience first-hand the lives of some of Daemonheim’s denizens and those who have struggled to uncover the secrets of its depths.
Step into the giant boots of Dungeoneering’s mighty Fremennik skill master and Thok It to ‘Em, by bashing everyone and everything on the head! Become the last of a group of forgotten warriors and take Vengeance on a party of ‘heroic’ dungeoneers! Finally, prove that Three’s Company, by leading Ariane, Ozan and Sir Owen on the hunt for a notorious bandit hiding out in Daemonheim, marking these characters’ first in-game appearance! (Keep an eye out for these three wandering around elsewhere too...)
If you don’t have the level requirements to play a complete saga, you’ll still be able to play an abridged version of it, from which you’ll get only a small part of both the reward and the story...but you can always return to play through them again when you do have the levels required to play the unabridged versions. Three’s Company (30 Attack, Magic and Ranged) will be completely available to free-players, with Vengeance (55 Agility and Thieving) and Thok It to ‘Em (70 Strength) being for members.
Have fun!
Mod Mark
RuneScape Lead Designer
3rd May 2011 - Capes of Distinction
Posted by Sarah on May 3rd, 2011, 11:19 am. Category: RuneScape News
Runescape.com wrote:
A distinct series of new capes have been added to the members’ game, including milestone capes for those who train every skill, the Classic and veteran capes for those who started playing RuneScape a long time ago, the max cape for players with 99 in all skills, and the completionist cape for those who have seen and done it all.
Veteran Cape
If you voted in the recent Guaranteed Content Poll, you’ll know what this one will look like! Head over to Hans in Lumbridge (the first NPC to be mapped down in RuneScape!) who’ll sell you one of these fine capes for 50,000 coins – though your account will need to be five years old to claim one – then try out the cape’s emote.
Classic Cape
Members who have at some point logged into RuneScape Classic will find themselves able to talk to Iffie in Varrock’s clothes shop about buying a Classic cape (for 50,000 coins). The Classic cape comes with a suitably Classic emote.
Milestone Capes
These are a series of nine cosmetic capes that are earned each time all of your skill levels reach a multiple of 10. You can only wear these capes if all of your skills’ levels are all equal to (or higher) than the level of the cape – e.g. you’ll need all skills at or above level 10 to wear the milestone cape (10) all the way up to 90 for the milestone cape (90). To make a milestone cape, take some balls of wool to a loom and weave yourself one.
Max Cape
So, if the above isn’t enough for you, and you’ve trained all RuneScape skills to level 99, then you should try to hunt down Max in Varrock. He’s obsessed with skilling and rarely stops for a breath, but those who can catch him smithing, alching or otherwise training in East Varrock will find he will sell them a max cape. It’ll set you back 99,000 coins times the number of skills in RuneScape, which adds up to 2,475,000. In line with existing skillcapes, this cape also features an emote – this cape somehow manages to show off all 25 skills!
Completionist Cape
Still not enough? Well, if you’ve gone beyond RuneScape’s skills and have completed all quests, Tasks, mini and hidden quests, have unlocked all music and spellbooks, and performed a number of other such feats, you might be able to claim rightful ownership of a completionist cape. This ancient cape was enchanted by the mage Dahmaroc himself (of Shattered Heart fame), but only recently unearthed and put on display on the top floor of Varrock Museum. Head there to try to claim it! If you do have what it takes, make sure you’re also carrying a spare 5 million coins... The emote for this particular cape should be suitably showy for those who are able to wear it.
And There’s More...
We’re not quite done yet! A few more things that might interest prospective cape owners:
The max and completionist capes share a colour scheme, but this colour scheme can be custom coloured by you. Pick the colours to assign to the four different parts of these capes to personalise it, and these colours will be reflected on both capes (and hoods).
Overall, the max cape is second only to the completionist cape in terms of stats.
The completionist cape also counts as a TzHaar fire cape (for fighting ice strykewyrms), Ava’s Accumulator (i.e. it collects arrows, but not junk), and has the same teleport options as the Ardougne cloak 4!
All capes can be stored in your player-owned house’s costume room.
Mod Chris L
RuneScape Content Developer
In other news...
The Holly and Hawthorn Easter event has been removed from the game. Should you find an ice sculpture from the event on your travels, you can now remodel it with a hammer and chisel.
The Friends List has been changed to no longer state "RuneScape" next to players' names, in line with player feedback. It will now display a small "RS" logo with the world number alongside.
Veteran Cape
If you voted in the recent Guaranteed Content Poll, you’ll know what this one will look like! Head over to Hans in Lumbridge (the first NPC to be mapped down in RuneScape!) who’ll sell you one of these fine capes for 50,000 coins – though your account will need to be five years old to claim one – then try out the cape’s emote.
Classic Cape
Members who have at some point logged into RuneScape Classic will find themselves able to talk to Iffie in Varrock’s clothes shop about buying a Classic cape (for 50,000 coins). The Classic cape comes with a suitably Classic emote.
Milestone Capes
These are a series of nine cosmetic capes that are earned each time all of your skill levels reach a multiple of 10. You can only wear these capes if all of your skills’ levels are all equal to (or higher) than the level of the cape – e.g. you’ll need all skills at or above level 10 to wear the milestone cape (10) all the way up to 90 for the milestone cape (90). To make a milestone cape, take some balls of wool to a loom and weave yourself one.
Max Cape
So, if the above isn’t enough for you, and you’ve trained all RuneScape skills to level 99, then you should try to hunt down Max in Varrock. He’s obsessed with skilling and rarely stops for a breath, but those who can catch him smithing, alching or otherwise training in East Varrock will find he will sell them a max cape. It’ll set you back 99,000 coins times the number of skills in RuneScape, which adds up to 2,475,000. In line with existing skillcapes, this cape also features an emote – this cape somehow manages to show off all 25 skills!
Completionist Cape
Still not enough? Well, if you’ve gone beyond RuneScape’s skills and have completed all quests, Tasks, mini and hidden quests, have unlocked all music and spellbooks, and performed a number of other such feats, you might be able to claim rightful ownership of a completionist cape. This ancient cape was enchanted by the mage Dahmaroc himself (of Shattered Heart fame), but only recently unearthed and put on display on the top floor of Varrock Museum. Head there to try to claim it! If you do have what it takes, make sure you’re also carrying a spare 5 million coins... The emote for this particular cape should be suitably showy for those who are able to wear it.
And There’s More...
We’re not quite done yet! A few more things that might interest prospective cape owners:
The max and completionist capes share a colour scheme, but this colour scheme can be custom coloured by you. Pick the colours to assign to the four different parts of these capes to personalise it, and these colours will be reflected on both capes (and hoods).
Overall, the max cape is second only to the completionist cape in terms of stats.
The completionist cape also counts as a TzHaar fire cape (for fighting ice strykewyrms), Ava’s Accumulator (i.e. it collects arrows, but not junk), and has the same teleport options as the Ardougne cloak 4!
All capes can be stored in your player-owned house’s costume room.
Mod Chris L
RuneScape Content Developer
In other news...
The Holly and Hawthorn Easter event has been removed from the game. Should you find an ice sculpture from the event on your travels, you can now remodel it with a hammer and chisel.
The Friends List has been changed to no longer state "RuneScape" next to players' names, in line with player feedback. It will now display a small "RS" logo with the world number alongside.
Hidden:
