DATE: 25 Nov 2008, 8:19 pm / MOOD: Other

I know I said I was done with Guild Wars, but something with the game finally clicked for me and I think I short-changed the game in my last post. . I dinged the game because I didn’t find the search for skills to be all that interesting. I also noticed that people kept saying the game was like a collectible card game. The other day this finally clicked for me and I understood what they were talking about. I just couldn’t stop thinking of the game in the terms I was familiar with, and it was giving me some kind of idiot mental block about it. I expect RPG games to follow a line of steady progression of character development from weenie to Wonderboy. I thrive on this sort of thing, and that expectation kept me from seeing the strategy game staring me in the face the entire time. You can only have have eight spells or abilities avilable at any one time. I thought this was like, an interface limitation. You know, that’s how many spells fit on your hotbar, spell toolbar, whatever you call it. But this has nothing to do with not wanting to make the hotbar larger. The eight-spell limit is one of the parameters of the strategy game. In town, you can completely re-spec your character. You can replace any of the eight spells with any eight others you’ve learned at will. (Think of the total spells you’ve acquired as your “deck”, and you can only have eight of those cards in play. ) Once you’re out of town, you can’t change what’s on the hotbar. Each spell comes from a skill. Healing Magic, Fire Magic, Ice Magic, etc. The strength of those spells comes from how many points you have invested in the related skill. As long as you have one point in fire magic, you can take any of the fire spells you’ve acquired and place it on your hotbar, where you’ll have access to it outside of town. You can sink more skill points into fire magic to make your fire spells more potent, but the cost goes up sharply each time you want another level in the skill. At the same time, the benefits of spending those skill points are fairly modest. The guy with level seven fire magic is only going to be doing a little more damage than the guy with level six fire magic, despite the fact that it cost him a lot of skill points to make the jump from level six to level seven. This creates a strong incentive to diversify your skills as opposed to dumping everything into fire magic. (Which is what I’d been doing for most of the game. ) You can reclaim all skill points and re-allocate them anytime you’re in town. People are saying this is a Magic: The Gathering sort of thing, although CCGs never did anything for me. cheap wow gold I can’t help but think of it in a Mech-building sort of way, where selecting your eight spells and allocating your skill points is like mounting weapons on hardpoints and adjusting your loadouts. In any case, your performance on the battlefield is strongly tied to how well you configure your skills, and raw character level is of secondary importance. Now that I “get” it, I can see why the game never clicked for me. mp3 players I wanted to mention this because I know some people thrive on this sort of thing, and from my earlier posts you would probably just conclude this was a tepid game of character-building. The truth is that this is, at its heart, a strategy game with a little leveling and looting added in. "So who does what in GvG. world of warcraft gold Everyone can't do everything, so you need to assign roles that various people are going to fill, hopefully according to their strengths. While some are more important than others, everything serves a purpose. There are a few roles that don't appear in every build you see, but that all depends on what type of build is being run. wow gold The first role to look at is the caller, sometimes also referred to as the leader. The caller has quite a few responsibilities in a match, from picking a target to be pressured/spiked, to deciding when to split and where the group goes. If you're a control freak, this job is for you. wow gold Next, there are the healers, which in days of yore (aka a couple months ago) were Monks, most often the Boon Prot; nowadays Ritualists (and in the future possibly Dervishes as well) are filling in these roles as well, since they have a large variety of healing power that has gone overlooked due to the lack of the Divine Favor attribute which really gives healing a nice oompf. They're the backline that are responsible for keeping people alive. If you like getting beat up and yelled at (well, maybe not yelled at as much if you're on a team of friends), this will be a perfect fit for you. wow gold kaufen Now on to one of the most hated roles in GvG: the flag runner. Very few people enjoy this role because more often than not you're on your own and are away from the support of your team. If you get attacked you're probably going to be taking a dirt nap.

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DATE: 25 Nov 2008, 8:18 pm / MOOD: Other

However, it is useful to know the exact changes when planning the builds and strategies to be used. Enemies differ both in their AI and raw power: Monsters in hard mode are of a higher level (minimum level 20) compared to their normal mode counterparts. Monsters have a 33 to 50 percent shorter casting duration, faster movement and faster attack speed. In terms of AI: Monsters in hard mode respond and escape from AoE damage more quickly. Monsters in hard mode will be more likely to kite for longer periods of time. Melee monsters in hard mode avoid focusing their attacks on one target. All of these changes are meant to make monsters harder, but they can also be exploited. For example, a 50% faster attack speed means 50% more damage dealt to your party. At the same time, it also means 50% more damage dealt by hexes like Spiteful Spirit and Empathy. Team build As a rule of thumb, only the most efficient PvE builds will do for hard mode. Many sub-optimal builds are still able to complete the normal mode missions; hard mode, however, is less forgiving. Also, while using one general-purpose build for all areas might do for normal mode, in hard mode it becomes much more important to adapt your build to the special situation at hand. Check beforehand on the type of enemies you will be facing (melee or casters. hex spam or condition spam. ) and alter your build accordingly. Since monsters have much higher health in hard mode, your party will need to deal much more damage to them. Since you might need more healing and interrupts as well, only the very best builds in terms of damage output should be used. Because of the harder damage coming your way, the same is true for your monk builds: More healing output is needed. Because the damage in hard mode can at times resemble the spikes of PvP, it might be worthwhile to look to PvP monk builds for inspiration on how to counter this. Light of Deliverance monks with Infuse Health or Blessed Light protectors have been found to be quite effective. Also, the higher attribute levels and faster casting/attacking make damage prevention more important. buy wow gold Interrupts and all kinds of anti-melee skills will become very useful. One or more skilled rangers using traps can give your team an initial advantage, often even killing a few enemies before combat even starts. Minion masters are also useful, but only if your team provides corpses fast enough, otherwise it may be better to bring a different character. cheap wow gold The Enemies Your playstyle should revolve around the AI: Counter its advantages and exploit its disadvantages. The AI will kite away from your melee fighters. Bring along snares to counter this if you field melee fighters. mp3 Use the AIs fast response to AoE as a means of dispersing enemies (if needed) and do not use AoE if you want your enemies clustered. This means that if using Fire Storm, the enemy shall back out. Mostly used when a party member is in trouble. wow gold The AI will not focus on one target. Bring skills which protect more than one target (e. g. wow gold Aegis or Ward Against Melee) or those which recharge faster. Due to their higher level, monsters hit much harder. Skills that prevent extreme damage (e. wow gold g. Protective Spirit) or such that outright cancel damage (Reversal of Fortune) are more useful compared to those that restore health after the attack than they are in normal mode. At the same time, higher monster levels make all skills that benefit from having an enemy with higher health more useful.

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DATE: 25 Nov 2008, 8:17 pm / MOOD: Other

I have tested it multiple times, just to make sure that the first time through wasn't a fluke, and so far I've been 5 for 5 with it. Equipment Armor: Max armor, Mysticism Hood. I used a superior vigor, but the way the runs went it didn't seem essential. As far as runes you will need a major mysticism, major earth prayers, minor wind prayers, and a Rune of Vitae or Attuenment, either is fine. For insignias, the only one that I would very highly recomend is a Windwalker's Insignia for your chest piece. You can use Radiant or Survivor Insignias if you want, just for a little extra energy and health on the remaining pieces of armor. Weapons: I used a totem axe, but any simmilar one handed weapon will work, as long as it has +20% enchanting(18% or 19% will work too if you you have one laying around). I used a modded offhand with +45 health w/enchanted and Halves Recharge of Spells 10%, but if you dont have something like that laying around one of the offhands that you can craft at Droknar's Forge that gives +45 Health and +5 Armor w/enchanted should work just fine. Attributes These are all with the runes included. Mysticism: 15 (you can keep this at 14 but no lower, i just used 15 for the extra energy when the enchants end) Earth Prayers: 10 Wind Prayers: 11 Protection Prayers: 2 Skills: Vow of Silence 5 energy, 1 second cast, 10 second recharge(Enchantment): For 10 Seconds,12 with the weapon, you cannot be the target of spells, or cast spells. (this needs to be the LAST spell you cast before you start running, im not gonna explain why, you can figure that out) This only needs to go up when you are around imps and golems, and those damn heretics. As long as you cast this right before you run into a group the 12 seconds should be plenty of time to clear 1 or 2 groups, and then you just need to stop for a second to recast it. Fleeting Stability 10 energy, 1 second cast, 10 second recharge(Enchantment): For 18 seconds, about 22 with the weapon, you cannot be knocked, if this enchantment lasts its full duration you are knocked down. Well you arent gonna let that happen, it can be recast in 10 seconds and if you renew it you dont get knocked down. moving on Signet of Pious Light 1 second cast 20 second recharge(Signet): Lose 1 enchantment. Heal target ally for 90 health, if an enchantment was removed this way the signet recharges immediately. This is a saftey skill for the build, you can use this to remove Vow of Silence if you forgot to recast one of your other enchants and it will recharge immediately, plus it gives you a little extra healing. Enchanted Haste 5 energy 25 recharge(Stance): For 16 seconds you run 25% faster if you are under the effects of an enchantment. This one should explain itself. mp3 player Featherfoot Grace 10 energy 1/4 second cast 20 second recharge(Enchantment): For 16 seconds you move 25% faster and conditions on you expire 50% faster. This is the running skill that you want up when you are running through a group with pinesouls just incase you hit their traps You can use Mend Ailment for the cripple and and just let the bleeding run out on its own since its cut short. Harrier's Haste 5 energy 20 second recharge(Stance): For 12 seconds you move 25% faster. world of warcraft gold Just an all purpose running skill. Vital Boon 5 energy 1 second cast 8 second recharge(Enchantment): For 20 seconds you have +80 health when it ends you are healed for 158 health. Not much to explain here. wow Mend Ailment 5 energy 3/4 second cast 5 energy(Spell): Remove one condition (poison, disease, blindness, dazed, bleeding, crippled or Deep Wound) from target ally. For each remaining condition, that ally is healed for 14 health. I'm not going to get too in-depth about the run itself, just a couple key spots. wow gold Lonars 1. Wurm cave: When you get to the area in lonars with the imp patrol, you have 2 choices, wait for them to run away and take a second to get all of your enchants up, or if you end up with one of those ""Wall of imps"" spawns, put on VoS,The apprentice tailor vital boon, and make a run for it to a spot where you can setup for the rest. When you are ready to run through the cave you should put up your enchants in this order: Fleeting Stability -> Vital Boon -> VoS. wow gold Once you make it out of the cave itself, hit SoPL to cancel VoS if it hasn't worn off yet, and immediately recast fleeting stability, then recast VoS. Run like hell through the golem and pinesoul group right ahead of you, stop to recast VoS if needed, but it shouldn't be. 2. wow gold Wurm Alley: You wont need VoS here. Just keep up Fleeting Stability, and alternate your running skills. You will run into a few Groups of Grawl. don't get close to them, they will use chillbains and strip fleeting. 3. I don't have a name for it but its where you see walls of golems and pine souls.

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DATE: 25 Nov 2008, 8:17 pm / MOOD: Other

If Guild Wars reminds you a bit of Blizzard's classic Diablo action role-playing games, that's probably because developer ArenaNet was founded by Blizzard veterans. . While Guild Wars isn't a massively multiplayer, persistent-world game like EverQuest, the goal in the game is to explore a vast, virtual world while battling both computer-controlled enemies and other players. However, Guild Wars will require you to do a lot more than just rapidly click on the mouse button to hack and slash your opponents. The game also incorporates a vast and intricate skill-based system reminiscent of the card game Magic: The Gathering. Each character can have dozens, if not hundreds, of skills in his or her inventory, but prior to each adventure, you can only select a handful of those skills to bring along. We had the chance recently to ask producer Jeff Strain how the gameplay in Guild Wars will adjust to accommodate veteran and casual role-playing gamers. He's about to deliver a splitting headache. GameSpot: We've already had a basic introduction to the character classes in Guild Wars: the elementalist, the monk, the mesmer, the ranger, the necromancer, and the warrior. In Guild Wars, you can choose a primary and secondary class for each character. Why was the decision made to allow players a secondary class. How are all the different combinations being made into viable choices. Jeff Strain: The dual-class system provides richness of strategy by allowing us to make the professions strongly themed, in terms of strengths and weaknesses, without locking players into a specific play style. For instance, a warrior/ranger and a warrior/elementalist are both good front-line tanks (melee fighters that can absorb a lot of damage), but each has different specialties that make for a unique gameplay experience. The professions are equal in terms of raw power, but while some operate in a fairly straightforward manner, others are more difficult to master. For example, a warrior/ranger is going to be roughly balanced with a mesmer/necromancer, in terms of power, but it will be much easier for a novice to play the former, because the mesmer/necromancer strategies are a little more complex--a factor that appeals to veteran players. GS: How, if at all, are skills being adjusted for smaller and larger games. Can we expect to see players switching different skills in and out of their regular rotations for a smaller two-on-two match, as opposed to a four-on-four match. How is the game being designed to accommodate larger and smaller engagements. JS: We want skills to behave predictably, so we don't adjust them based on game size. There are 450 skills in Guild Wars, of which at least 150 will be available to each character, and the skills have to be easily learnable. Guild Wars contains enough strategic depth that there's no need to overcomplicate things by changing the way skills behave. We might tweak death penalties or resurrection, but skill behavior remains constant. mp3 players Players will, however, tend to adjust their skill sets depending on the situation. They might choose general, broad-use skills for small teams and more-specialized skills for larger teams. For example, in a large party with several monk healers, one monk might focus on healing, while another lays down protection spells. world of warcraft gold Meanwhile, a third removes hexes and resurrects dead allies. Player strategy, rather than skill behavior, will change depending on the size of the conflict. GS: And how is the game being adjusted to accommodate players of different skill levels and play schedules. wow Is Guild Wars being developed to appeal to hardcore fans who will carefully puzzle out ideal combinations of different skills to make killer characters and war parties. And how will Guild Wars be enjoyable for casual fans who don't have many hours a week to devote to trying out different skill sets. Will they just log in and be destroyed online by veteran players. wow gold Bone creatures are the animated skeletons of fearsome monsters. And they look cool. JS: In guild-versus-guild play, your guild is ranked based on past performance, and it will be matched up with guilds of a similar rank. wow gold kaufen In tournament play, due to the elimination structure, teams are also matched against teams of similar skill. Because Guild Wars is a skill-based game (that is, we reward skillful and creative play rather than hours played), players of varying levels can team up and have fun completing missions together. No matter how new you are to Guild Wars, you are never ""useless. wow power leveling "" Some players may be more skillful from day one, but they will tend to play against players of a similar type. We'll match casual versus casual and veteran versus veteran.

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DATE: 25 Nov 2008, 8:14 pm / MOOD: Other

It started out as just something to do to pass the time but after playing games such as Mafia Wars, Mobsters, and Dragon Wars I realized how addicting it could be. The problem is that with a full time school schedule and a full time job I just do not have the time to keep up with those people who can afford to spend 9 to 10 hours a day playing those games. So what did I do. Well I basically went on a quest to find any cheats, hints, tips, and codes for Mafia Wars that I could uncover. Also Instead of playing the game the regular way, I looked at ways that I can get ahead faster than the average person just clicking and waiting. I crunched numbers, I looked at the code, I asked other players. you name it I did it all. After doing all of this research I came to the conclusion that the developer did an excellent job of protecting Mafia Wars from cheats and hacks. However, no one is perfect and through my research I did find many cheats and glitches for the game that once worked. Unfortunately none of them were working up until the time of this writing. I was disappointed but I persevered and AT LAST I found two ways that someone who cannot afford to put in those long hours can get ahead in Mafia Wars. 1. Have a HUGE mafia so you can win more battles 2. Find a program to automate mundane tasks so that you only have to be there for the fun parts! So instead of focusing my energy on finding holes in the game I focused on these two areas which so far have done wonders for my Mafia wars account. Even though there may not be any Mafia Wars cheats these two things can help the average person keep up with those who have much more time to spend on the game. Do you want to gain Access to The minds of over 4,000 Current Members, including many ELITE players from many social network games. How about an automatic friend adder for all of your Myspace Apps. "Warriors generally choose to either spec for PVP , Raid-DPS, or Raid-Tanking. In this article you will learn exactly how you should spec if you have chosen PVP. mp3 players The most common spec for PVP is a standard Mortal Strike build (33/25/3) and all other variations stem from this basic outline. In the next section I will outline what this basic outline consists of. The most critical step to any PVP build is to get the Mortal Strike talent. world of warcraft gold This requires at least 30 points (+1 for mortal strike itself) in the Arms tree. The next step is to get the Sweeping Strikes talent. This requires at least 20 points (+1 for itself) in the Fury Tree. wow Now once these 2 crucial components are chosen we are left with 9 points to play around with. These 9 points and the pathway to these 2 major talents are what really differentiates one PVP spec from another. Next I will talk about which talents to pick along the way up to the main talent Mortal Strike: Arms In the Arms tree we need to pick 30 points to arrive at Mortal Strike. wow gold This tree has somewhat less variation than the Fury tree and most warriors generally choose the same thing. The most common spec choices I will simple list and specify how many points. When a notable decision occurs I will go into more detail: Deflection (5/5) Iron Will (5/5) Improved Overpower (2/2) Anger Management (1/1) Deep Wounds (3/3) Impale (2/2) Two-Handed Weapon Specialization (2/5) at this point the warrior chooses one of 3 Weapon Specializations and takes (5/5) in this talent. wow gold one talent is for Swords, one for Axes and Polearms, and one for Maces. I personally recommend choosing Maces for 2v2 and most 3v3 Arena. I recommend Swords for all 5v5 and for 3v3s that require high burst DPS and less crowd control. wow gold kaufen Death Wish (1/1) Improved Intercept (2/2) Now again we reach a place where some warriors may not agree on. The choices you have for the last 2 points before Mortal Strike are either more points in Two-Handed Weapon Specialization or Improved Hamstring. I have found on countless occasions that Improved Hamstring has saved me and won me many Arena matches and I strongly recommend choosing 3/3 in this talent.

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