Prep for Dungeon Siege 3

Installing it on my computer as we speak. The Dungeon Siege 3 LP is a long way off yet, but I'm prepping for it now because I'm going to have some problems trying to determine what the right levels of audio are, what mic settings to use and how well it records with Fraps. Different computer = completely different settings. All I know is that my laptop can't handle it. If can barely handle Dungeon Siege 2 at the moment. I am now backing up after every session to ensure that if anything stupid happens, I can still recover it somewhat. At any rate, I was cruising through some old posts of mine and found this:

http://drschwa.blogspot.ca/2011/06/my-aura-has-never-been-pinker.html

This was my initial opinions on the game, which have since changed. It'll be interesting to see how the LP goes and what I think about these opinions by the time I'm done. I never actually finished the game, though I know I was close. The controls were just too infuriating. Apparently, the controls have been tweaked since then because the GAME DEVELOPERS, realized they sucked. That's right, they figured out AFTER release that the controls were complete shit. Good job guys.

My Top Ten Favourite Games

This was...difficult. I have too many favourite games. I was sitting in the car on the way to Canmore and I began to think seriously about what games I would pick as my top 10. Picking out the games that have had the most influence on me would be way easier, but that would make up another list entirely. So I decided to think of what games I have invested the most time and interest in and came up with this list. I will warn you that if you haven't played the games before and don't want anything ruined, these will contain some spoilers. I plan on posting some of my other lists in the near future, but for now...

*PS - Sorry for any bad grammar or typos. I'll look over this later...I'm just really tired right now.

 10 Lost Kingdoms (Gamecube)

This one was hard, because a lot of games could have taken this slot. I had to think a long time about it, but I decided to go with Lost Kingdoms, a game I discovered by renting. When I browsed rental stores (and now game stores), I look for art or concepts that pop out at me. This game was one of those. I had it for five days when I rented it in my teenage years and I played it A LOT. The concept behind the game is that a princess, Katia, must fight off the monsters and find her father. To do this, she uses cards that summon monsters to fight (insert YuGiOh joke here). The game leaves a lot of room for strategy and appeals to my pack-rat, collector side. The night it had to go back I was on the final boss, which nearly drove me to insanity. I had to try so many times to beat that boss, but I finally did it just before the game had to be returned. A couple years later, I played the sequel to the game, which was decent, but not the same experience as this game by far. At this point, I decided that I had to have the game, and immediately search all my local game stores, pawn shops and second-hand stores. I couldn't find it, so I went to e-bay. I eventually found good combos for a deck (and a way to break the final boss), which pleased me greatly. I chose this game because I constantly replay the game and enjoy every minute of it.

9 Dungeon Keeper 2 (PC)

The first copy I owned of this game was a burned copy given to me by my dad's friend back when I was about 7 or 8 (seems to be the age of enlightenment for me in terms of video games). I played a lot of this game at that age, mostly the “My Pet Dungeons” where I had all the time I needed to build perfect dungeons filled with heaps of cash and spells and happy evil creatures. This is one reason why I haven't tried minecraft. I poured hours into this game, playing little of the campaign and more of the free-play dungeons. I remember I got stuck on the third pet dungeon because I couldn't figure out how to group creatures during possession, so my 8-year-old brain deduced that the only way to beat the level was to buy hundreds of alarm traps for the points. It took me a very long time to get enough points and I nearly ran out of money. I returned to this game later on when I got my laptop and played through the entire campaign. I found this extremely entertaining and really got into fighting off other keepers and heroes for what was rightfully mine. This game has that fantastic dark humour that I just love. Something about savagely murdering the heroes of “Lovesong” and “Smilesville” that's just so satisfying. I know that a lot of people love the first Dungeon Keeper, but I never played it until recently, and I just didn't find it as immersive. It's a good game, but I can't compare it to a game I grew up with and loved for many years.   

8 Dungeon Siege (PC)

Dungeon Siege was one of those games that I constantly replayed and I had no idea why. The game itself was cheesy with its over-the-top dialogue and story, but after doing and LP of it, I think I realized why I kept returning. The game is silly, but it makes an effort to create a huge, unique world with creatures not seen in other games. Granted there are many similarities, but the environments and creatures encountered were so varied that every chapter had something new in store for the player. The game was also a challenge on hard mode. I have no idea how many times my characters died, how often I had crisis when running out of potions and the amount of difficult mobs that I fought. I was forced to try harder, think of solutions and play better than I would in a lot of other games. This game gave me a challenge, and I accepted it with gusto. Dungeon Siege 2, in my opinion, was another fantastic game, but not quite as good as the second. The game was bigger and focused more on items and parties and abilities while the first one was more story and adventure oriented. Nostalgia plays a huge role in making a lot of choices that I made, including Dungeon Siege.

7 Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3)

Oh Ezio, why are you just so God damned loveable? One of my favourite characters from one of my favourite games, so naturally I needed to place this game on the list. I played Assassin's Creed 1 in university months before AC2 was released for the PS3. Despite the extremely laggy area between towns, the random game-ending glitches and slightly monotonous gameplay, I loved playing this game. My favourite parts were when you had assassinated someone and had to run from an entire city as it was on alert for you. The story was good, the concepts and plot was interesting and engaging and I really loved the creativity (especially with the assassinations). This is why I was super excited for its sequel, and boy did it deliver. Most of what the first game did wrong, the second one did right. The gameplay was smoother, the moves were more refined, the graphics and environments were epic, the quests and tasks were far more varied and there were some intense twists. I got to care about the characters, have a few good laughs and leap off of rooftops onto unsuspecting victims. It was delicious. I enjoy the sequels (expansions? mu?) Brotherhood and Revelations a great deal, but I almost found them to have too many gadgets and that Ezio had too much experience. While I was entertained by the new environments and seeing the continuation of Ezio's life, I've been ready for something new for some time. I was never really into the multiplayer either so...the games were basically just add-ons for me. Assassin's Creed 2 had a great mix of story and fun gameplay, which keeps on bringing me back to play more. It also has a kick-ass soundtrack. Just putting that out there.  

6 Age of Empires 2 (PC)

This series successfully mixes two of my favourite pastimes: history and video games. I love that these games are based on history and give the player a chance to re-enact stories and legends I had heard about. I have never been good at RTS games. As I have mentioned time after time, I just don't have the focus or micromanagement skills. This is one RTS that I absolutely loved, and thought I was pretty good at it. I didn't play with too many people (as the multiplayer is a pain to get to work), but I found so many ways to fight and achieve my objectives. I also tended to be a little bit silly and mass units like battering rams or fire ships and just troll the people I was playing with (or against). I also loved to build my own maps and scenarios with the editor. I liked to make up stories of fortresses and champions and heroes and legions of demonic monkeys. I'd normally give the hero a few pet wolves for good measure. I played through a lot of the campaigns, even when I was younger. I wasn't always good at them, but I found they gave me a challenge and I enjoyed seeing history unfold before my eyes. Age of Empires 2 was a game that I played constantly from when I was quite young to this day. Granted I haven't been playing AoE2 too much lately because I can't find the CD, but it's around somewhere...I'll find it.

5 Infamous (PS3)

I downloaded this game for free off the PSN after they went down for a month when awhile back. I was just happy to get a few free games, but what I didn't expect was one of the best games I've ever played. I got hooked on this game really quickly as it had a fun concept, a lot of fun moves and a good story to go with it. When Infamous 2 came out, I was super excited to get it, more than I have been for a lot of other games (except maybe Skyrim). What added to that excitement was the fact that I had no money, so I had to WAIT until I did before I got it (no one got it for me for Christmas...). I picked Infamous 1 over its sequel, however, because I felt that the story was more tight and complete. There is a huge plot hole in Infamous 2, which I really don't want to get into here because it's on the verge of becoming a paradox and I honestly don't want to make this explanation four times as long. While Infamous 2 had a lot of new, shiny abilities, a good story, some crazy plot twists and an awesome sandbox environment, I still have to say the first one is my favourite. I got so engaged that I'd feel bad about some of the decisions I made, or angry when I was betrayed, or shocked when I found out the truth about the game's antagonist. I just found that the game had a more significant impact on me than the second one. Both are fantastic games though, taking this fifth spot on my list. Electrocution for the win.

4 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)

Sonic the Hedgehog and I have a long history. One of the first console games I ever played (that wasn't on Colecovision or Commodore 64) was Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on my uncle's genesis. Whenever we went to his house, I would ask him to set up the game for me on his tv. He often declined because the only tv in the house was the one where everyone was sitting and visiting, but occasionally he would set it up for me. I LOVED this game as a kid. I played this game and Sonic Spinball every chance I got. The one problem was my poor 4-year-old self couldn't get past Stage 2 in the Chemical Plant Zone. The rising chemical water part would always kill me. My uncle would sometimes play for me, but I only ever saw him get to the Aquatic Ruin Zone. Years later after my uncle lost (and then later dug out of storage for me) the genesis, I got my Gamecube. This was my first console (as in I owned it and not someone else). One of the games I got for it was the Sonic Mega Collection, which had Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on it. I played it and on my first try I got past this level that stumped me as a kid. I was so excited that I continued to play, seeing all these levels I hadn't seen when I was younger. I played this game for hours as a teenager, and eventually beat it after playing one of the most difficult final levels and final boss sequences I've encountered in a game. One of my favourite games (and a close second for this spot) would have been Sonic Adventure Battle 2, which was one of my first games for Gamecube. My Sonic Phase re-emerged in high school and I ended up playing this game for hours. It also has a fairly tough final boss, which still gives me a bit of trouble when I play (though I am REALLY out of practice). I have played and enjoyed a lot of other Sonic games (I was super hyped for Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, which I couldn't play because I didn't own a console that could play it...turns out it's rather silly), but never as much as Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Regardless, the game and the character have a special place in my heart.

3 Half Life (PC)

I don't know how or why I watched this as a child. The game was released when I was 8 years old and I used to watch my dad play it all the time. He loved the survival aspect to it (I should really introduce him to Left4Dead) and how Dr. Gordon Freeman was on his own underground (though he didn't like the “random alien world” parts so much apparently). I only saw bits and pieces of this game when he played. I could usually only watch for a short while before I got too scared (I was still afraid of a lot of Disney villains at the time, so I really shouldn't be surprised), but I remember the game vividly. In my first year of university, I picked up the game again and installed it on my laptop. I wanted to see why it kept my dad's interest. I played through the game and since I have re-played it many times. I love this game and it's unique story-telling, suspense and all-around entertaining gameplay. This game encouraged me to buy the Orange Box and continue the story. I love Half Life 2, but there's something about the first one that really stands out as one of my favourites. This is the reason I have played these games, got interested in Portal, and am STILL waiting for Episode 3. I am planning to do an LP of this game...probably text as I will most likely be posting on the Dungeon Keeper YouTube page, but I really look forward to playing it, whatever I decide.

2 Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Gamecube)

The first time I picked up this game was in a movie rental store back when I was still in high school. I had no idea what sort of game it was or what I was getting into. As I took it home and began to play, I was pleasantly surprised by its turn-based, board game-like style and interesting characters. I remember playing the third or fourth mission and had one of my characters die. I was surprised at the end of the mission that the character was actually dead and not just incapacitated. So I started the game over and made it my goal for all future Fire Emblem games to complete it without killing any of the characters. I just love the multiple strategies, the different ways to fight, figuring out which methods worked best and all the neat character conversations and dialogues. The game is legitimately a challenge for me and keeps my interest for hours. It also works great with my schedule and lifestyle as each level is anywhere between 10 mins to 1hr 30mins long. I think the longest I ever spent on a level was 2 hrs, and that's because I'm an idiot and really messed up with my characters. The game is set up so that if I have a period of time where I need to work or want to pull an all-nighter and marathon it, I have those options. My only complaint would be that there were no save points in the levels, so if you messed up, you had to start over from the beginning. On the other hand, that's one of the reasons why the game is so good. It can be extremely unforgiving and gives me that challenge I mentioned (that and the computers totally cheat...I get pissed off when the numbers don't quite add up to me...). I also like how out of all the Fire Emblem games, this game has a group of mercenaries as the protagonists, not the princes and princesses of a nation. The game deals with issues like war, slavery and racism as well, which is interesting. If I had to pick a second favourite from the series I'd choose Fire Emblem for GameBoy, because that game was excellently executed and has tons of gameplay options. I also like how the player ends up being a character as well.  

1 Oblivion (PC)

I can see a lot of people hating me for this, but I cannot deny the fact that I just love Oblivion. It seems like that black sheep in between Morrowind and Skyrim that most people declare was good, but not AS good. I honestly have to disagree. I love the Elder Scrolls series. I have to admit, I have not played the first two, so I have no opinion of those, but out of the other three, Oblivion has the most engaging story and quest lines for me. I can literally talk about this game for hours without getting bored. I have racked up over 700 hours playing it and have archived the save files for almost every single character I've played. I know a lot of the glitches, a lot of the exploits, where to find special items, how each of the quest lines end, which builds work best for me etc. What I haven't done is play a lot of the mods made for this game, which I will probably do once I exhaust my interest in the rest of the game. The only quest lines I haven't done really is the Arena, which I am currently working on right now with an Imperial Monk specializing in hand-to-hand. ANYWAY, before I digress more, I want to clarify what parts of the game are better than the others in the series. First off, I have to admit that Skyrim has much better graphics, more beautiful and varied landscape, better controls and a much more immersive world HOWEVER, my level of engagement is based on how much of myself I can put back into the game. I liked how a lot of the skills were handled in Morrowind and how doing anything in that game was more difficult and realistic than Oblivion, but a lot of its mechanics were too clunky for me to get used to fully. What it really comes down to for me is story and combat. Feed me a good story or a good fight and I can guarantee you'll have my interest, even if everything else is sub-par. The quest lines and guilds in this game were addictive, interesting and in some cases extremely intense. My favourite was the thieves' guild. Holy man was that an intense finale for me. As for the main quest line, it was long enough that I didn't feel like I was being ripped off and had a decent ending. Point is, I can role-play characters much easier in Oblivion and enjoy the story a lot more despite its glitchy, silly moments. While I have dumped a great deal of time and effort into the other two games, Oblivion is the one I keep coming back to over and over. It's a nasty addiction I call “Oblivion Phases” and they usually appear around exam time.  

*Runners Up: Haunted Mansion (for Gamecube...in which I'd say almost ties Lost Kingdoms for guilty pleasures, especially since I've played through it about 15 times now...thinking of doing an LP for this one), Portal 1 and 2 (PC), Diablo 1 (PC), Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Gamecube...“Watch Out! Those testicles are powerful!”), Super Smash Brothers Melee/Brawl (Gamecube and Wii), Overlord (PC)*

Graphics Upgrade

I mention it in the video I will be posting, but I have a new graphics card for my encoding computer. The card on the left is the old and the card on the right is the new, so significant size change.

This means that I can now play games on it without shadows flipping out or having pieces of the floor missing. My laptop is getting old, and its really beginning to show. After DS2, Broken World and maybe the Half Life text LP, I will be retiring the laptop from LPs. I just don't think it can handle it anymore. I'll still use the machine until it completely dies, but it has served me well these past five years.