I'm in ur blogz, updatin' ur postz

Hey guys, Just wanted to do yet another update on what's happening.

I haven't been able to play games really at all this week because of school (last term rush, I guess), but in my free time I've been reading everyone else's stuff. I've got a medium sized RSS list of which I read every day (which reminds me, I really need to update the blogroll) and there's been lots of cool stuff coming up, mainly about future releases, updates to games already out and something called OnLive which lets you play games on your TV without the need of a good PC or a HD... yeah? I don't know really. Like everyone else is saying, I'll believe it when I see it. It seems kinda cool but something about the whole "virtual" system kinda turns me off. What good is building rigs and stuff if this is going to come out? Dude.

Actually I lied. I have been playing games this week, if you count Kingdom of Loathing, a browser-based MMO. Syp spiked my interest in the game after I read his post a few days ago on it. I played it a few years ago but never really got into it. I started up again after his post and have been enjoying it since. Again, like Alien Adoption Agency, it's not something I would play ever day, but more just here and there.

All I've been able to think about considering games is when I will be able to play them. Darkfall is right up there with TF2 in my "must play" list. Now if only I could get my hands on it...

-Rav4ge

Strange things happening in TF2...

This happened today while I was playing, switched classes to a Sniper from pyro, and all of a sudden I had all the pyro weapons (and I was able to use them).

According to the TF2 blog, this is a bug that people have been "exploiting" and for doing so, Valve has taken action and suspended their use of the new scout unlockables. Yikes.

-Rav4ge

Scout Updates

So, the scout update is almost upon us. Valve is releasing each new feature to the game in a day-by-day orientation, so I will update this post with the newest stuff whenever possible.

First up - the sandman. This is the replacement for the scout's regular bat. It allows the player to hit baseballs at enemies, which stun them for a brief period of time. You can use this on anyone, even ubered enemies ( :O). While this all sounds great, as with every weapon there is a downside. In using the sandman, you lose your ability to double jump. Still though, it's worth it to be able to stop ubers and stun those pesky snipers. Heavies getting you down? No worries. Pop them in the head, then get in close for that bat kill. Obviously, I'm sure hitting someone with this thing is going to be somewhat of a challenge, but that's fine considering this thing can stop ubers.

Next - the bonk energy drink. This replaces the scout's pistol (I'm guessing). It is a consumable item, much like the heavy's sandvich but works differently. Drinking this grants you a few seconds of bullet time (no, not really) in which enemies cannot damage you. Well, there are consiquences for drinking this, as possibly indicated on the site:

Note: Bonk! contains several hundred times the daily recommended allowance of sugar. After the beneficial effects of the radiation wear off, drinkers have reported experiencing feelings of lethargy that can last several seconds. Reading this sentence absolves Bonk! of any liability for killing sprees inspired by or deaths resulting from the ingestion of Bonk! Enjoy Bonk! responsibly… Or by the case!

This indicates to me that you will lose health over time after the drink wears off - maybe even sometimes, and the amount of damage could be random/not do anything at all. This way when you drink it, you would be taking a small chance. Sounds like a good idea to me.

3rd weapon - The force of nature. I actually got this one yesterday, being the first unlockable. It's essentially a sawed-off double barreled shotgun. It carries 2 shots in it at a time, and (as indicated by the name) each shot pushes enemies back. Cons? Well, none really, at least so far. Apparently, it's supposed to have a slow reload, but the reload really isn't slow at all. You can also use the weapon to propel yourself into the air, but I haven't had a lot of luck with that. I guess it takes practice.

This one is great so far, probably my favorite unlockable they've made for TF2. It really makes me want to play scout more often (which I am). I mean, come on, who doesn't want to jump around enemies blasting them with shotgun fire?

Anyway, this has been a great update (though the achievements have been a little hard, mostly involving running/double jumping 1000n times/ect) and I look forward to the next, as soon as I get the rest of these guys unlocked :P

-Rav4ge

Spying 101

I was reading this post at The Escapist earlier today about TF2, and this quote interested me:

 "the Spy's disguise has nearly reached the end of its lifetime. Over time, average players have become much better at detecting and dispatching disguised Spies, making the ability pretty useless for all but the sneakiest of players. Additionally, Walker feels the Engineer's sentry guns have become "too binary." They're highly lethal to some players and wholly ineffective against others. Sentry guns are also easily dispatched by skilled players, leaving Engineers with little recourse. Keeping a delicate balance is important, as is adjusting problems that arise from the way players utilize the different abilities of each class in the game."

First, about the spy. It's a fun class to play and can be hard to play sometimes, especially when you are trying to get through a battlefront of anywhere from 5-10 enemy players. However, I was playing on 2fort yesterday as a spy and had my best run ever as the class. The disguise ability is not totally useless. It's just much safer to cloak, which is where the update they had a while back comes in. Anyway, I'd thought I'd give some pointers on the class to keep in mind:

- Enemy Dispensers are your friends. They will continue to recharge your cloak for you as long as you are beside them. The best strategy I found is to actually leave the dispensers be. I mean, after all they aren't really stopping your team from winning are they? 

 - Do as much as you can manage to get done with your first life as a spy. Chances are after an enemy kills you they will be keeping an eye out for when you return. A spy is most effective when the enemy is not aware of his presence.

- Don't be afraid to back out. This one goes hand in hand with the above example. If you are about to be seen/killed get out of there. Find a good spot and hope the enemy doesn't follow you.

- When Disguised, do not run if someone starts to shoot you. This might sound silly, but it works. Enemy players cannot tell if they are damaging you (applies to shotgun,SMG, and pistol). If you don't try and run away they might assume you are a teammate and stop. Other weapons such as explosives will send you flying while flame will light you up in a second. Also, be aware of the Medic's Blusauger. It also is a great spy-checking utility, seeing how it will give +3 HP to the medic per hit (and display that on screen).

- Stay away from pyros. This one should be obvious. If they light you up, you're done. The whole team will shoot you down.

Same goes for heavies, the minigun fire can give you away with a couple of hits. Be even more aware of Natascha-wielding heavies, they will give you away and slow you down.

- When sapping, wait till the Engie is out of sight until you place sappers. This will give you more time to get away and less time for the engie to react. If possible, stalk the engie out of the range of his turrets and other teammates and then kill him. You can then return to his work and get the job done (unless there are other enemy engies present.)

-Avoid disguising whenever you can. The game will randomly assign you a name (I think it depends on which enemy is closer) from the enemy team. This can give you away sometimes, seeing someone might see you with their name. The cloak is a much safer choice.

-Don't underestimate the Revolver. When this thing crits, it's lethal. If you've got someone following you don't be afraid to shoot them down. If that fails just cloak and get out of there. I used to underestimate the weapon myself all the time when I first got the game, and still do on occasion.

-Engies hate you. Keep this in mind. They are also paranoid as hell, and will do everything they can to prevent you from harming their precious sentries. Also be aware a wrench to the face usually kills, so make sure you're not in the engie's way when he's upgrading/repairing. 

-When cloaked, try and stay away from enemies. You will flicker if you come into contact with them, which will usually give you away. Same goes for the Disguise.

So yeah, those are some pointers. Keep those in mind and you will be well on your way to becoming a master spy. Still failing? Well, either keep trying or wait till the spy update :)

-Rav4ge