Pandamonium

Blizzcon has been and gone, and we now have the name of the next World of Warcraft expansion: Mists of Pandaria. This is a very risky expansion that doesn't follow the usual format of being centred around a known villain. Instead of all the hype being focused around taking on lore favourites, such as the Lich King or Deathwing, Blizzard now has the task of building up excitement for the overall experience, and is hopefully ready to present a storyline that's just as epic as you would expect.

From what I've seen, opinions are divided on Mists of Pandaria. Blizzard is either going to surprise, disappoint or prove a lot of people right.

Pandas, You Say?

The headline feature of the new expansion is the introduction of the pandaren race into World of Warcraft, as well as their homeland, Pandaria. The race of anthropomorphic pandas has actually been around for some time, and made an appearance back in Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne as a neutral unit. Still, by bringing them to the forefront of Warcraft lore in the new expansion, Blizzard has surprised many who may have only heard of them as an old April Fools joke.

It's easy to agree that a race of pandas seems a little out of place in a fantasy setting, but from the look of the artwork we've been treated to so far, they've made it work. It came as a relief that they don't look overly silly as you might first presume they would. Once you get over the fact that you're looking at a fluffy panda warrior, the creature you're seeing starts to become endearing. Somehow they fit in with the rest of the races, and I can easily imagine them fighting alongside orcs, tauren and goblins (my pandaren is going to be Horde, obviously).

The land of Pandaria also seems to be in keeping with the rest of Azeroth. I've always enjoyed the variation in landscapes when travelling between Kalimdor, the Eastern Kingdoms and Northrend, so it's interesting to now see an Asian inspired continent being added. What's impressive is that they've taken this Asian theme and made it look like it still belongs in World of Warcraft.

Furry Fists of Fury

Another risk that Blizzard has decided to take on is the introduction of a new class; the monk. The death knight, introduced in Wrath of the Lich King, caused all sorts of balance issues that have taken a lot of work to iron out, so it does appear to be very brave of them to be adding another new class so soon. Perhaps the revamped talent system (covered later) has somehow simplified the process of adding a new class. Whatever the case, a new class is always exciting, especially one that will have the low level zones full of pandas fighting boars and raptors.

The monk is a melee class that will rely primarily on his or her fists. The roles of dps, tank and healer will all be available to the monk, most likely in an attempt to increase the numbers of tanks and healers to shorten queue times for dungeon groups. I'm very much looking forward to following in the footsteps of Chen Stormstout and taking on the illusive title of Brewmaster, which will be the tanking specialisation for the monk.

War! Huh!

After putting down some of Azeroth's most troublesome foes, many were wondering "who are we fighting next?" It came as a surprise then, that Blizzard answered with "each other." Mists of Pandaria will further the story of the growing hostility between the Horde and Alliance.

It's been building up throughout Cataclysm, and Mists of Pandaria could be when it all comes to the crux, and full on war breaks out between the two factions. Thanks to certain events in Northrend, and a shift in leadership to a more vicious, warmongering chieftain, the Horde is fragmented, while the Alliance is standing as a more powerful, united force than ever. I'm sure it's not going to be quite as simple as one side against the other. Blizzard loves its shades of grey.

Cookie Cutters

Possibly the most drastic upcoming change is the revamped talent system. Talent trees, which have been in the game since the beginning, are to be thrown out. Specialisations will remain, so there'll still be such a thing as Arms, Fury and Protection for a warrior, for example. The difference is that you'll now be automatically given the abilities and bonuses that would have been in the talent tree, and you'll only make a choice once every 15 levels between 3 different talents. The aim is that none of these talents will be mandatory, and that it will all come down to personal choice and how useful you'll find them for your own style of play.

As expected, I'm seeing the knee-jerk words "dumbing down" being blurted out all over forums. If you actually stop and think about what's happening here, Blizzard is just removing a redundant system and replacing it with something that'll allow for more character customisation than ever before.

When a character reaches the level cap, the majority of WoW players will look up the talent spec that's best for their character, because someone has crunched the numbers and worked out the most optimum way of distributing talent points. It's usual that you'll find a 'cookie cutter' spec, with a few talent points left over to make your own choices with. Since you're only going to be putting yourself at a disadvantage by taking anything other than the optimum talents, most players will copy the spec they've found, and dump the remaining points in some filler talents.

The only part of this that Blizzard has removed is the mindless allocating of points to the talents that someone else has worked out as the 'correct' ones. Looking at the new warrior talents (my class of choice), it looks like I will have some real decisions to make that could change my style of combat significantly.

Of course, another advantage that comes with this is that players who DON'T do their research when deciding on their talent build no longer have the risk of ending up with a sub-par character. Coupled with the item level restrictions on the dungeon group finder, putting players on equal ground like this might be one more step to making pick up groups a little less painful.

Not All About Raiding

I don't raid, these days. I did once, and I enjoyed it, but through all the repetition and scheduling, it's a lifestyle I just couldn't keep up with in the end, at least not if I wanted time to play games other than WoW. I'll probably give the raid finder a try since it'll require less of a job-esque commitment than regular raiding, but I still need something more to keep me entertained at the level cap, or I might find myself just endlessly leveling alts.

That's why I have a great amount of interest in some of the new in-game activities announced.

PvE scenarios, for a start, could be a brilliant evolution of the now abolished group quest. The problem with group quests was that they only worked during the first month or so of an expansion, while everyone was leveling. Several months down the line, it's difficult to find enough people to help you with group quests as most people are done with leveling altogether until the next expansion. By moving these types of quests to the end-game and integrating them into the group finder tool, they could work again. Not only that, but by turning them into a series of quests with an ultimate goal, they should bear a little more meaning. The rewards won't hurt, either.

Dungeon challenges could add new life to the 5-man dungeons that would otherwise grow stagnant. Just as achievements nudged players into doing things they might not have usually thought of doing, challenges that reward medals (read: bragging rights) and vanity gear for transmogrification should offer plenty of fun goals for non-raiders and raiders alike to strive for.

And then there's pet battles. Let's take a look at the feature list:

• Companion pets can be leveled and used in battle against other players' pets. 
• You can capture wild pets, some of which will only appear in certain locations, at certain times or during certain weather conditions.
• You can train up a team of battle pets.
• Combat will be turn based, with each pet using a set of abilities.
• Pet masters will be found all over the world. When beaten, your pets can take on one of their abilities.

It's not in the least bit subtle, is it? I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard decided that being part of the Alliance or Horde denotes playing Blue or Red version of WoW, respectively.

For now, I'm going to call it an interesting idea and leave it at that until I can actually try it out for myself. Playing Pokemon while playing WoW is not something that's ever had a place on my wish list of features, but if Grymtooth the Hallowed, equipped with the Horseman's Helm and Blade, can send his Sinister Squashling into battle and strike fear into pet battlers everywhere, I might be on board. Maybe we'll all unwittingly catch pet battle fever, and there'll be an entire section on Elitist Jerks (The Elitist Four?), theorycrafting pet teams. Who knows?

Trophy Huntin' (25/09/11 - 22/10/11)

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood 
(Playstation 3)   

Fixer-Upper
Complete DNA Sequence 3

This sequence acted as another introduction to some of Brotherhood's mechanics, focusing on the various guilds (thief, courtesan and mercenary), which I haven't paid much attention to since. The different NPCs act the same way as they did in Assassins Creed 2, and you now get to choose which of them to deploy in each district. Honestly, with all the other tools Ezio has at his disposal, I've rarely made use of thieves, courtesans or mercenaries. Fellow assassins make them a little bit redundant.

Principessa in Another Castello
Complete DNA Sequence 4

With regards to stealth sections in games, I've been spoiled by Metal Gear Solid. It was the first game of its kind that I played, and got me used to playing with a radar that clearly pointed out the field of vision of guards. Many games that have you sneaking about don't include such a luxury, and I generally choose head-on combat when given the option.

Escaping from the manor in this sequence, fighting my way out was indeed an option. But Brotherhood hit me with another of its '100% sync' objectives, challenging me to sneak out without being detected at all. Usually, I wouldn't have bothered with remaining stealthy as killing is so much quicker and easier, but a challenge like this is not so easily ignored.

Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun approaching the mission this way. It required some concentration and observation, but it really made things interesting to be playing in a totally different style to what I'm used to. Thank you, Brotherhood, for putting me in touch with my rogue-ish side and making me feel like a true assassin.

Fundraiser
Complete DNA Sequence 5

More of the same; sneak in, kill a guy, run away. The target was one of those annoying debt collector types hidden behind a small force of armed help. I hate characters like that. Ending him was a pleasure.

Forget Paris
Complete DNA Sequence 6

Attack of the pallet swap guards! The blue uniforms mean they're French.

One of the things I enjoy about Assassins Creed is the variety of scenarios you're given. This time, I led a fairly sizable group of men, all disguised as guards, right into the middle of the enemy's base. There was no giant wooden rabbit involved, unfortunately.

Undertaker 2.0
Discover the Shrine in the Catacombe di Roma

That's the second of the Shrines of Romulus done, and I believe there are four more to go. There's a locked off room with a big, shiny treasure chest in the middle of it that I can only get to by completing all the shrines. I'm sure curiosity won't let me complete the game without finding out what the treasure is.

Bang!
Destroy the Machine Gun

Splash!
Destroy the Naval Cannon

Kaboom!
Destroy the Tank

As far as side missions go, Leanardo's machines have to be the best in the game, by far. The amount of scripting in them is impressive, and these could easily be part of the main line of missions.

I'm glad I did get myself acquainted with sneaky tactics in earlier missions, as all of these have included a section where detection is an instant fail. They require a lot of patience, but the pay off is that you get to play with a unique weapon of some kind, before destroying it for good so that it doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

So far, I've fired a machine gun from the back of a horse and cart during one hell of an escape sequence, fired a cannon from a small boat at the sails of some gigantic ships, and driven a tank. That last one doesn't even need further description. It's a tank.

Home Improvement
Renovate 5 buildings in the Antico district

I've got to the point now where money is no object. If I see a building pop up on the minimap that hasn't yet been renovated, I'll do so. It's not something I've had to pay much attention to; I'm just idly rebuilding Rome, as you do.

Brotherhood
Recruit 3 Assassins

This is the game changer, so much so that the game has been named after it. Having a guild of assassins that can be called upon at any time, at any location is unbelievably useful. Where they actually come from, I don't know, but they're very efficient and will arrive at the scene as soon as you make the call.

Best of all, having your assassins spotted by the guards doesn't count as detection for Ezio, so it's a very convenient way of removing a few pairs of eyes (not literally, blurgh) when you're trying to stick to the shadows.

Dust to Dust
Find 1 Artifact in 2012

Scanning the list of trophies, I found that this was the only one I had left that I'd need to obtain as Desmond.

Reluctantly, I returned to the present to grab it, before stupidly sticking around long enough to check Desmond's emails. I'd gone from the epic tale of a guild of assassins trying to overthrow Rome's evil dictators, to the story of a stolen yoghurt. And then my face rested firmly in my palm.

Spring Cleaning
Kill a guard with a broom

Trophy or not, why wouldn't you?

Your Wish is Granted
Throw money in a well    

I wished for a trophy. It came true.


Katamari Forever (Playstation 3) 

Single Player
Played through 50 single player Requests in a row

I never did finish Katamari Forever. Last time I played, I got stuck on the level that involves lighting a bonfire with a fiery katamari that annoyingly extinguishes when you're several minutes in. Loading it up again this week, I completed the level on the first attempt. It's an odd phenomena, but I find that happening quite a lot.

I made a lot of progress after that, before hitting another wall with a level that has me increasing the temperature of a katamari up to a certain point. Cold items are my worst enemy, and they are everywhere.


World of Warcraft (PC)

Character: Grymtooth (Orc Warrior) (Formerly Grimtooth. Transferred to a server where the name was already taken... /sniff)

Working Around the Clock
Obtain 525 skill points in two primary professions

Blacksmithing was a lot easier to max out this time around. I now have even more stuff to sell for profit! I'm sitting on a respectable 50000 gold right now. Let's see if I can double that by the end of next month.

Character: Zulgrim (Troll Death Knight)

Dual Talent Specialization
Visit your class trainer when you are at least level 30 and activate your Dual Talent Specialization

I wanted to try my hand at some group quest soloing, and picked up a second specialization (blood) purely for that purpose. It worked out pretty well, and I managed to finish all the group quests in Hellfire Peninsula all on my own.

Character: Grimrott (Undead Hunter)

Level 10
Reach level 10

Another alt? Since returning to the game after Cataclysm's launch, I haven't really touched the Eastern Kingdoms. There are a few things I want to do before the end of the expansion, and completing all of old world zones again is one of them. I started this undead hunter, and I'll be sticking to the Eastern Kingdoms while leveling. I'm sure there's a lot of new lore to discover there, and I don't want to miss any of it.


Team Fortress 2 (PC) 

General Achievements

Hardcore
Accumulate 1000 total kills

1000 people have been unable to "outsmart bullet."

Impenetrable Defense
Successfully defend Dustbowl without giving up a capture

Dustbowl has become a favourite map, alongside Badwater, and tends to be part of our weekly rotation. I don't know what the blue team were up to, but apparently it wasn't pressing forwards.

Demoman Achievements

There Can Be Only One
Decapitate your nemesis

I finally picked up the sword to go with my chargin' targe. I've never really played a demoman, but I've been killed many times by one charging towards me, sword swinging. Turns out it's quite fun when you're the decapitator, rather than the decapitated.

Spy Achievements

Counter Espionage
Backstab a disguised spy

I could claim that I've been observing spy patterns, and learning all their tricks, but I think this happened when a spy disguised right in front of me. A fluke, as usual.

May I Cut In?
Backstab an enemy and the Medic healing him within 10 seconds of each other

I crafted myself 'Your Eternal Reward', a knife that instantly disguises you as whoever you kill, and doesn't show the death animation to anyone around the victim. It's as if the kill never happened. This unfortunate medic didn't notice that the heavy he was healing had actually become me. It's a fun knife.

A Cut Above
Kill a gun-wielding Spy with your knife

I tend to panic when I'm discovered as a spy. Instead of switching to my gun, I usually flail around with my knife. This time I was lucky enough to be discovered by a spy who was a really bad shot.

Engineer Achievements

Quick Draw
Kill a spy and two sappers within 10 seconds

The Wrench Connection
Kill a disguised spy with your Wrench

"Spy sappin' mah sentry!" Both of these achievements were earned at the same time. This spy clearly hadn't realised you're supposed to run away when you've sapped a sentry gun, as it always results in an angry engineer, swinging his wrench around.

One Previous Owner, Liked to Dress as a Cat

Batman: Arkham City's release this week has been accompanied by the news that the Catwoman sections will only be available to owners of a brand new copy of the game. Anyone that buys it pre-owned will find these sections missing. This type of strategy to convince consumers to buy a game new has popped up on numerous occasions recently. Online passes are being utilised in more and more games, restricting online functionality to those that either buy a game new, or pay an extra fee on top of what they paid for their used copy.

Understandably, many gamers are not happy with this. It's not an uncommon view that a game, no matter how it was purchased, should be complete. After all, that part of the game is on the disc, it's just locked away to anyone who purchased the game used. Developers should be persuading us to buy their games new with the overall quality of the title, and promises of longevity that'll ensure we get our money's worth. There's nothing illegal about buying a pre-owned game, and there are many legitimate reasons to do so. Gaming can be an expensive hobby, and sometimes it's nice to get a good deal on a game that's been around for a while, and has started to show up in the used section of game stores.

That was perhaps the case a few years ago, but for some reason, video game retailers appear to be getting into competition with games publishers. Games that have only been out for a couple of weeks can be seen with a big fat "pre-owned" sticker on them, diverting attention away from the new copies of the game on the shelves a few feet away. Retailers stand to make more money from used games as they take all the profits, as opposed to with new games where the developer gets their cut. It appears that retailers are pushing for more used game sales than ever.

I was actually shocked at some of the tactics being employed. A games retailer here in the UK is running an 'experience points' system; your typical way of rewarding customers for their purchases with points that can be redeemed for discounts. However, there are extra ways of earning these points. Keeping up with the times, this retailer advertises 'achievements' that can be completed for extra experience points. Many of these achievements involve trading games in, an example being "trade in a game within 14 days of its launch." They're filling up their pre-owned shelves with the latest games by coaxing customers with promises of discounts and good deals.

The fact of the matter is every used game sold in place of a new copy is one less sale for the company that actually produced the game. This may not matter as much for a game that's been out for a couple of years, but when it's only been out for a couple of weeks, it affects the sales statistics drastically. Since sales figures play a large role in determining the success rate of a title, developers may only be seeing a portion of the success they were expecting. Revenue from games put out by a developer allows them to flourish, and continue making their next great game. When used games hurt the sales, budgets are going to be lower, and that affects the quality of the games that they can put out. And most obviously, if it's the developers that have spent time and effort making the games, shouldn't they be the ones that are rewarded for it?

This is why developers are resorting to drastic measures, such as charging owners of pre-owned copies of games to access online content, or by keeping certain content exclusive to new first time purchases only. It's not devious; they're just trying to do what they can to make money off the games that they've put so much work into.

I'm not arguing that we should all stop buying used games altogether. We can't help it. When faced with two prices for the same product, most people will choose the cheaper option, as it's usually the smart thing to do (yellowed Wii controllers that stink of smoke being an example of when it's not the smart option). What I'm arguing is that games developers are in their right to be using these new tactics to get us to buy their games new, as the stores now appear to be working against them, and their actions will ultimately damage the developers.

Rocksteady shouldn't need to do this with Arkham City. The general consensus from the press is that it's a high quality game that's of a decent length. It has plenty of side-content, challenge modes, and a higher difficulty level unlock that makes a second play-through of the main game worthwhile. That sounds well worth the £35-40 price tag for a new copy of the game. However, with used copies of the game being aggressively harvested and sold back to customers, can you blame Rocksteady for trying to add a good enough incentive to sway them back to a brand new copy of the game?