Tag: Gaming

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GAMING

Top 8 Gifts for Gamers 2017 – The Gamer in me GL-16

Christmas is just around the corner

Before it’s too late, and you find yourself fighting your way through other desperate shoppers one week before Christmas.  Never mind the hour it took you to find a parking spot at your local shopping center.  Do yourself a favour, and get your holiday shopping over and done with now.  Here’s a few great ideas for the hardcore Gamer on your Christmas list.

1 – Playstation VR bundle

The next evolution in gaming is Virtual Reality.  PS4 leads the way with their Playstation VR system.  Provided you already own a PS4.  This is still the most affordable way to get into true Virtual Reality gaming.  If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do.  It will blow your mind.

2 – Imperial Assault Heart of the Empire

Any of you that read my The Gamer in me posts are well aware of how impressed I am with Star Wars Imperial Assault.  The new full Campaign expansion takes your heroes to Coruscant to battle with classic characters like Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul.  How can you resist that!

3 – Miniatures Storage Box

This is something that every tabletop miniatures Gamer can fully appreciate.  Sure we love to display all of our fully painted miniatures.  You know what we love more though?  Actually taking them over to our friend’s place, or local Game store and playing with them.  A handy carrying case makes transporting your favourite figs so much easier.

4 – Wireless Gaming Headset

This falls into the gift for both of you category.  How many times have you had to ask your kids, or significant other to lower the volume on the TV?  A high quality Gaming Headset allows you to get some much needed peace and quiet, while the Gamer in your house can play until the coffee runs out.  You are welcome for the idea.

5 – 4K UHD high speed Game Screen

Depending on where the TV ends up.  This can qualify as a gift for both of you as well.  Who doesn’t want a brand new Ultra High Definition TV?  I’m considering buying another one for the bathroom so you know I’d welcome one for Christmas.  Movies look great on a high end TV, but videogames can look phenomenal.  Just go buy one for yourself, and tell your significant other that it’s for them.  You can thank me later.

6 – Card Game collector Albums

For years I played many of the most popular Collectible Card Games.  I honestly couldn’t have enough Collectors binders.  This is one of the gifts that you can spend a lot, or a little on.  Trust me the Collectible Card Gamer on your Christmas list will be happy with a custom collector’s binder, or a generic card binder.

7 – Simulator Gaming chair

This is quite simply the ultimate gift for the Gamer that you know that loves racing games.  Get them a copy of Gran Turismo, a high quality gaming wheel, and this chair.  Just be prepared to not see them until Spring, maybe.  As much as I would love to have one of these.  I don’t think my marriage would survive it.  Although it would probably be fine if I got two! Hmmm?

8 – Couch Slipcover

After picturing yourself setting lap records on Laguna Seca in your brand new Gaming chair.  The last item on my list is a Slipcover?  You are going to have to trust me on this one.  The living room couch takes a ridiculous amount of abuse when there are Gamers in the house.  It’s the only piece of furniture in my living room that is beat up.  A simple Slipcover adds some much needed comfort, protection, and washable solution when the stains inevitably happen.  This is really a gift for everyone, but give it to the Gamer.  They will most definitely understand your reasoning.

Have a truly happy Christmas

I hope this helps you narrow down your Christmas list.  Here’s to hoping that you get exactly what you were hoping for as well.

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GAMING Uncategorized

Hidden Agenda PS4 Review – The Gamer in me GL-15

First impressions

Finally!  I’ve been waiting for this game.  I absolutely loved Until Dawn.  I couldn’t wait for the next release from Supermassive Games.  I’m also a fan of the Playlink system so Hidden Agenda sounded like the perfect fit for me.  The accompanying cellphone Application is well designed.  Very simple to use, and I found it to be very responsive during game play.  I’ve read some reviews that claimed to have connection issues with the application, but I personally experienced none of that.  The actual game is a bit of a mixed bag for me.  Having played Until Dawn too many times, I was expecting a more action packed story.  That was not the case.  Fortunately what the story lacks in action, it more than makes up for it in mood and suspense.

Game play

The story in Hidden Agenda progresses smoothly.  It seems like every decision you make can have serious consequences later.  This is where the Playlink system really shines.  The majority of the decisions your group of Players make have to be unanimous.  This can lead to some serious debates among the Players.  That’s actually where the real action takes place.  Especially if you elected to play the competitive version of the game instead of the cooperative.  Hidden Agenda can be played as a group collectively trying to reach the same goal, or with a competitive twist where each Player is trying to steer the group along a specific path.  Whichever mode you choose, expect a fair amount of debate between Players about which choice is the right one.  Don’t expect the game to help steer you in the right direction either.  On my first play through I obviously failed miserably.  At least the failure wasn’t all mine.  The other Players got to share in the blame.  Unlike other Playlink games that I’ve played, there’s a lot of interaction going on in Hidden Agenda.  Your cellphone becomes a touch pad  at many points in the game.  You might have to use it to aim up a shot, move an item out of the way during a high speed chase, or search a room for clues.  The important thing to note here is that you aren’t just watching everything happening.  You are at times in control of it.  Miss an important clue, and someone could die.  I’m not even kidding!  Although the game can seem to be a little slow paced.  It manages to create the sensation that time is working against you, and speed is of the essence.  This can lead to you making decisions quicker than you necessarily have to.  This makes poor choices feel like the result of added pressure created by the situation.  Affectively immersing you right into the story as that particular character.  Absolutely amazing in my opinion.  Too often we feel like God’s moving characters around in the games we play.  It’s extremely rare to actually feel like what’s happening to a character in a game is happening to you.  Then having to debate with others what you believe to be the correct course of action for that character only increases your connection to the end result.  Just a brilliant bit of Game Design by the team at Supermassive Games.

Satisfaction

The whole thing takes between roughly two or three hours to complete.  For me that’s a bit short.  I was hoping for a four hour experience to be honest.  My first play through took just over two hours.  Thankfully my group totally shit the bed.  If we had beat it with our first play through in under three hours I would have been pissed!  Thankfully the correct choices that lead you to victory aren’t obvious.  Who knows, maybe it will take me a full four hours to actually win the game.  I won’t know for sure until that happens.  The good news is that I will thoroughly enjoy every time I try.  Hidden Agenda is a pleasure to play with a few friends.  It even has intermissions of sorts.  In case you need another beer, a smoke break, bathroom break, or refill of the snack bowl.  The pace of the game for a play group is pretty much perfect.

If you enjoy the odd get together with a few friends, and would like to try something a little different.  Then I would strongly suggest that you give Hidden Agenda a try.  For less than half the price of a typical PS4 game you really can’t go wrong.

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Imperial Assault review – The Gamer in me GL-14

A great Design

I’ve been playing board games for a long time.  One thing that I can say for sure is that Game Design has significantly improved.  I use to find major flaws with almost every game I purchased after a few times playing.  The percentage of games that are brutally unbalanced, or contain game breaking elements are far lower now.  Imperial Assault is no exception.  I’ve read other people’s reviews, and comments about Campaign balance issues.  After playing through the game a number of times.  I can assure you that their opinions are unfounded.  The concern is most commonly about one side (Rebels or Imperials) gaining a significant advantage by winning too many missions in a row, and gaining an insurmountable advantage.  With proper Strategy, no advantage is insurmountable if you focus on the objectives.  Another aspect that is overlooked by most is that in order to win, the only mission that matters is the last one.  Every other mission only helps determine which path you take to get there.  I’ve also come across discussions on the Forums about assembling super groups of Rebel Heroes.  Trust me there is no such thing.  As the Imperial player there will be some missions that provide you with a predetermined Imperial units load out that can significantly limit your chances of success.  Of course there are other missions that provide you with the freedom to select the best possible group of units to defeat the Rebels.  In this way Campaigns involving equally skilled players rarely feel unbalanced.  Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each and every character feel unique, and equally important.  Of course there are characters like Gideon from the Core set that can combine with others to create powerful effects.  This in no way makes other characters feel insignificant.

Unpredictable turn sequence

An interesting departure from the majority of RPG style dungeon crawler games is Imperial Assault’s Turn sequence.  Instead of all the Rebel Players playing their turn, then the Imperial player taking theirs.  Each Character or unit takes their turn alternating between the Rebels and Imperials.  The order isn’t predetermined by initiative or any other means.  Each side selects which unit they would like to activate next after the opponent has completed their last activation.  This makes choosing which unit to use next, and how to use them quite similar to Chess.  Although the game is character driven.  Rebel Players will be upgrading, and levelling up their Heroes as the Campaign progresses.  Imperial Assault is first and foremost a Strategy based Board Game.  Resource management, time management, character formations, and even sacrificing characters play an important role.  The simplest of Actions could be the difference between winning or losing a mission.  All of these elements combined make for a very enjoyable game to play.

Is it Star Wars?

There are many games on the market that are based upon existing storylines.  Whether they are video game adaptations, movie adaptations, literary adaptations, or historical adaptations.  A recognizable background story can make a game appeal to a far greater number of people.  Obviously Star Wars is recognizable by most people.  The Star Wars universe is so well known that it places an even greater importance on creating something that feels authentic.  Well Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each mission in Imperial Assault feel like a scene out of one of the movies.  The Rebels always seem to be out numbered.  Whenever they do appear to gain the upper hand.  A powerful Imperial character like Darth Vader shows up to wreck the day.  The sense of urgency that you feel throughout the majority of Star Wars films. The Rebels always seem to be running out of time.  That is also well represented in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  You might expect to see many of the most popular characters early and often in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  To be honest it’s what I expected the first time I played the game.  Well you would be wrong.  The Imperial Assault Campaign system does a good job of placing the importance on the Players Heroes, but still having your favourite characters from the movies be a factor.  This effectively helps keep everyone interested, and adds an additional element of excitement when a famous character from the Star Wars universe makes an appearance.

Conclusion

If you are a fan of the Star Wars universe, or just a fan of strategic dungeon crawler style Board Games.  Imperial Assault would make a great addition to your game collection.  As far as Campaign based Board Games go.  Imperial Assault has become my absolute favourite.  Although there are quite a few expansions, and character packs available.  Imperial Assault is perfectly playable with only the Core set.  If you have three or four friends that you can get together with on a regular basis.  Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Imperial Assault.  You won’t be disappointed.

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GAMING Uncategorized

A sad reality. The Gamer in me GL-12

I didn’t want to believe it

For the last two months I’ve used my free time at home to play XCOM2 on the PS4.  The game is a year old now, but I never got around to finishing it when it was first released.  I’ve always loved the XCOM games, and this one is no exception.  What brought me back to it was the lack of interesting games that have been released this year.  I’m a bit picky with the games I choose to purchase.  I usually find something of interest every couple of months, but not this year.  Actually the next game I’m interested in purchasing is Hidden Agenda by the makers of Until Dawn.   Hopefully it doesn’t run into some last minute issues and get pushed back.  Not having anything new of interest for so long has had me feeling disappointed with my PS4.  I haven’t bothered discussing it because I felt like it was just me that felt this way.  Keep in mind that there have been some big game releases this year.  They’ve just been games that felt too much like games I’ve played before.  Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 we’re welcomed by fight game fans.  The Witcher 3 set the modern Open World Fantasy game standard.  Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nioh, and Resident Evil 7 are just a few others that made quite a few gamers happy.  Still none of these titles had me waiting for the game store to open on release day.  So obviously it had to be me right?

Not so fast

Last night I had a few friends over to my place for a birthday get together.  Ironically part of what made this party a success was playing That’s You on my PS4.  Even though I haven’t rushed out to the video game store that often this year.  I have taken advantage of the monthly releases PS Plus offers.  That’s You was one such release that has been worth downloading.  While playing the game one of my friends asked me if I use my PS4 very much anymore?  The question surprised me, but I answered quickly.  “Not really” I said.  “The only game I’ve been playing lately is XCOM2” I told him.  He wasn’t surprised at all.  He hadn’t played a game on his PS4 for months.  Another one of my friends decided to join the conversation, and he felt the same way.  The last game he bought on release day was Resident Evil 7.

He absolutely loved the game, but unfortunately beat the game in a single weekend.  All of us agreed that the majority of games that have been released this year are pretty generic.  They felt the same way as me.  Keep in mind that all of us are casual gamers.  We don’t play video games every day.  We will binge play a game we really like until it’s completed.  That just doesn’t happen all that often anymore.

What does it all mean?

Now that I know that it isn’t just me.  I have to wonder how this has negatively affected the video game market.  If more and more people are disinterested about the types of games being released these days.  Then the number of games sold must be decreasing.  If you have read my previous gaming posts.  Then you’ll know that I believe that the large video game production companies are releasing too many games each year.  A reduced interest could actually be the reason why.  If you don’t expect to sell a huge number of copies of a single game.  Then why not just attempt to sell an average number of copies of many games.  As long as you divide your development budget between all the games.  That way your expected profits will remain same.  All you really require is for the hardcore Gamers to blindly buy whatever you release.  Trust me,  more people buy every hyped game that comes out than you think.

All the recent talk about PS5 development.  The Ultra HD upgrade consoles that are already on the market.  The introduction of Playlink to allow more people to play in a party atmosphere.  All of this is beginning to feel like an industry that’s getting desperate for our attention.

The problem with peaking

What really caused all of this to happen?  I’ll tell you what did it.  Technology has peaked.  It wasn’t all that long ago that a major Game release meant that the quality of video games was about to take a step forward.  We couldn’t wait to see the improved graphics, or amazing attention to detail.  Even if the game wasn’t great.  Experiencing the newest technology at work for the first time made it worthwhile.

I just hope that Hidden Agenda doesn’t disappoint.  It’s the follow up to Until Dawn, which was the last game I purchased that really impressed me.  It is taking advantage of the Playlink system which adds to my interest.  Sony does deserve some credit for looking ahead to where video games are going.  Playlink and Playstation VR could be what keeps them on top for the foreseeable future.

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Boardgames are back The Gamer in me GL-11

Disconnected

I’m old enough to remember a time when the kids in my neighborhood would decide where to meet that evening on the bus ride home.  Maybe we would all get together at the local baseball diamond, or meet up at my place to play pond hockey in the winter.  Sometimes just a couple of us would go to a friend’s house to play video games, or board games.  You see we weren’t all connected to one another by Smart phones.  We didn’t have Facebook, or Instagram to immediately find out what everyone else was up to.  You couldn’t just sign in to your cellphone Game account, Xbox account, or Playstation account to play a game over the internet with a friend.  You had to go out of your way to see a friend, play a game together, or just find out what they were up to.  The irony of it all is that the more we try to become connected through technology.  The more disconnected we have become. The art of conversation has suffered.  They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well we as a digital society have begun to rely on it.  Why take the time to describe something that happened to you.  When you can just snap a picture or shoot a short video of it. It’s all so very convenient, but there’s something missing.  Something each and every one of us naturally craves.

A sense of sharing and togetherness

The most fun I’ve ever had playing a video game is with three friends offline.  The game was called Champions: Return to Arms for the PS2.  If you are unfamiliar with the game, it’s very similar to Diablo.  The graphics weren’t especially great.  Like Diablo it was basically a loot and character advancement style of game.  What made it great wasn’t the game. It was the shared experience, and teamwork it required to succeed.  All four of us together in my living room enjoying the game as a team.  If one of us made a hilarious mistake.  We all laughed together.  If we beat a level boss.  We all celebrated the victory together.  I didn’t snap a picture, or shoot a short video so my friends could laugh, or celebrate after the fact.  You see that’s what is missing.  The shared moment.  Outside of Sports, there isn’t much that we need to do together anymore.  It’s for this reason that there has been such a huge resurgence in Board Games.

Innovation

How different are today’s video games from the ones we played 5 years ago?  The graphics are a little bit better, and more people can play together online than before, but that’s about it.  There aren’t too many video games these days that really surprise me.  That isn’t the case with Board Games.  Every year a new take on an old genre pops up.  Board Games used to be very linear.  Every time you played the game, how it progressed was the same.  Now you have games that randomly create the board as you play it.  Some games require you to build a card deck before you begin, while others have you build a deck during the game.  There are even games that are played with each other cooperatively, as opposed to against each other competitively.  It doesn’t matter what your interests are, there is a Board Game for everyone.  Even if you aren’t much of a Gamer.  Chances are that you will really enjoy yourself the next time you get together to play a Board Game.   You know why?  It’s because you will be with friends sharing the experience.

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The Gamer in me GL-10 Best Imperial Assault Allies & Villains

Imperial Assault

The first thing I should tell you is that I only play the Campaign version of Star Wars Imperial Assault.  So my picks for my favourite Allies and Villains are solely based on their usefulness in a Campaign.  I’ve also kept my personal feelings about each character based on their role in the movies separate from my analysis.  If I hadn’t then Boba Fett, and Han Solo would have made the list.

There’s a school of thought when it comes to adding Allies to your Rebel group that the associated Threat cost is too high.  Well the Allies I’ve chosen as my Top 3 are well worth the cost, and very resilient if played correctly.  My Top 3 Villains have such an interesting affect on the game that I can’t imagine playing a full Campaign without the inclusion of at least one of them.

Top 3 Allies


R2-D2 & C-3PO:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Twin Shadows expansion.  The first thing that stands out is their built-in abilities to keep them around.  R2-D2 defends with a White Die but because of his LUCKY ability, a blank result is treated as a total miss.  R2-D2 can also take an action to heal 1 damage.  C-3PO has the COWER ability which allows you to reroll a Defence Die as long as you are adjacent to a friendly figure.   If you are playing C-3PO correctly then there will be an adjacent figure.  For their relatively low Threat costs R2-D2 & C-3PO are definitely worth recruiting as Allies.


Leia Organa:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Return to Hoth expansion.  Her Surge ability AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS  can be enough to win some Missions on her own.  Used correctly her BATTLEFIELD LEADERSHIP ability can help you maximize the damage dealt by your strongest character.  Even the Imperial’s strongest characters have a hard time dealing with five focused attacks in a turn.  For 8 Threat cost Leia Organa is well worth it considering her game breaking abilities.


Lando Calrissian:  This should be the first Ally pack you buy as soon as you purchase the Bespin Gambit expansion.  Didn’t like what you rolled on either Attack or Defence?  Use Lando’s RESOURCEFUL ability to select one of your Dice to reroll.  That particular Die doesn’t have the value you need?  Use Lando’s GAMBIT ability to select a different Die first.  Trust me when I tell you that Lando will give the Imperial Player fits.  Add in his Surge ability to both Stun targets, and become Hidden.  Lando can be a very difficult Ally for the Imperials to deal with.

Top 3 Villains


Hired Guns: As inexpensive Imperial units go.  The Hired Guns are one of my favourites.  It’s all about the PARTING SHOT ability.  Getting that extra attack in when a Hired Gun is defeated can really mess with the the Rebels plans.  That extra little bit of damage can add up over time.  For only 4 Threat the Hired Guns can really slow down the Rebels.  Useful for missions that have a short time limit.


ISB Infiltrators: Once again I’m selecting regular units as opposed to a key character for the Imperials.  I believe that there’s strength in numbers when it comes to playing the Imperials.  Something of note with the ISB Infiltrators is that although they only deploy 2 units.  Their COORDINATED RAID ability essentially provides them with one additional attack.  Being able to become Hidden as a Surge ability makes them a little more resilient than regular Stormtroopers.  It’s when you are able to deploy their elite version that things get really interesting.  The elite ISB Infiltrators surge ability DEADLY can really cause problems for the Rebels.  Negating a Dodge turns one White Defence Die into almost nothing.  Pick your targets right, and you’ll have the Rebels running for cover.


Jawa Scavenger:  This is hands down my absolute favourite Villain pack.  First of all I am a fan of Jawas.  So it’s nice to see them represented so well.  Their diminutive size, and tendency to hide in the shadows is why they were given the TAKE COVER ability.  Although they only attack with two yellow dice.  The built-in +2 Accuracy, with an additional +2 Accuracy from Surge available means that they can fire from a decent distance away.  The elite Jawa Scavenger also gains the HAGGLE surge ability which can really ramp up the Threat level if the dice are in your favour.  If it goes unchecked for a couple turns.  The Jawa Scavenger can help the Imperials bring in some Big baddies right quick.  The Jawa Scavenger is best used in missions where the Rebels are busy with objectives, or seemingly have larger fish to fry.

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The Gamer in me GL-9 Top 5 Board games for Game night

When four friends get together to play Boardgames

You have set aside one night a week for a few friends to come over.  The kitchen table has been cleared.  You have a bag of dice, and tokens at the ready.  There is a full bowl of chips, and another couple extra bags “just in case”.  The fridge is full of beer.  Not a single one of your friends can say that you weren’t prepared.  There’s only one more thing you need.  The Games!  Which Games should you have to make sure this night is a success?  Well here’s my Top 5 games to complete the perfect Game night.

Betrayal at House on the Hill

If your play group isn’t too large.  This is probably the best Board game you can play with three or four people.  Up to six people can play but I found four to be the absolute best.  The premise of the game is simple.  You and a few others are exploring a haunted house.  Each character in the game is reminiscent of a typical horror movie character.  That alone is entertaining enough.  The real thrill of playing the game is that the evil presence in this house will eventually take control of one of the characters.  At that point the Player who is in control of that character becomes the antagonist.  Until this point the Players have just been exploring the House, which reveals itself one tile at a time.  As soon as a Player becomes the antagonist, the winning conditions for that scenario are revealed to both the antagonist, and the remaining Players.  If you are worried about replay value, don’t be.  Betrayal at House on the Hill has 50 scenarios!

Roborally

If you have read my previous gaming posts.  Then you know that Roborally is one of my favourite games of all time.  You don’t need to be an Uber Gamer to play it.  Honestly anyone who comes to your Game night will enjoy this game.  So on nights when your friends bring someone else along with them.  Someone who maybe isn’t well versed in some of the more challenging Games to play.  Roborally is probably the best choice.  Another great thing about Roborally is that it can be played by up to 8 people so when those impromptu large play groups happen.  You can be ready.  Read my full review to see why this is my all time Favourite Board game.  The Gamer in me GL-5

Ticket to Ride

One of the most popular topics for Board games recently has been trains.  Whether it’s about Running a train company, traveling by train, or building tracks between destinations.  Train games have become a mainstay.  The best of these is definitely Ticket to Ride.  Great for groups of 3-5 Players.  Ticket to Ride is another game that’s relatively simple to learn.  The Strategy required to win at Ticket to Ride is knowing when to go all out, and when to play it safe. For a game that you can teach someone to play in about 10 minutes.  Ticket to Ride has a lot of routes to victory, and limitless replayability.

Imperial Assault

Why is Imperial Assault on this list?  Hmmm, let me count the reasons.  1- it’s set in the Star Wars universe.  If you aren’t a fan of Star Wars, well #### you.  2- it’s essentially a Sci-Fi version of the best dungeon crawler Descent by Fantasy Flight Games.  If you haven’t played Descent, well #### you.  3- it comes with what should be a 36 hour Campaign perfect for 3-5 people.  If you aren’t into Campaign games, well #### you.  4- it’s a currently supported title with expansions coming out regularly, so replayability isn’t a problem.  If you aren’t a fan of games that require expansions, well #### you.  Other than that, it’s possibly one of the most addictive games ever made.

Clue

I probably surprised most of you with this one.  The original classic Game of limited information is still one of the absolute best games to play with a group of friends.  I’ve heard people say that once you have figured out the basic Strategy to Clue, it’s only a matter of time before you know who did it, with what, and where.  I don’t disagree.  Anyone who has played Clue enough times knows this.  That’s why very few people I play with have the patience to wait until they have figured it out 100%.  As the solution begins to become clearer.  Each Player begins to worry that somebody else will figure out the final solution before them.  So what tends to happen is that Players make educated guesses.  At my house, if you guess wrong you pitch in double for Pizza.  The eventual winner gets their Pizza for free.  If it’s been a while since the last time you played Clue?  Do yourself a favour, and get a few friends together to play a game.  You won’t be disappointed.

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FANTASY Uncategorized

Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-18 PlayLine

A new way to play.

Fantasy Fanatics like myself are always looking for a new way to play.  I was an early adopter of PPR.  I remember people telling me that it diminishes the significance of True Running Backs.  Well now it’s considered to be the standard.  FanDuel and DraftPros changed the way we bet on games.  Even ProLine got in on the act.  Well the next, and in my opinion the easiest form of Sports betting has come.  PlayLine has simplified Sports betting to something as simple as how many carries, yards, and touchdowns you think LeSean McCoy will get in his next game.  If you are the closest to his actual total amongst all the Competitors then you win.  It’s that simple!  Larger prize pools will probably include a larger number of NFL Players you will be required to predict.  Anyone with even the slightest understanding of the game could feasibly win.  You don’t need to understand point spreads, over/under, or positional matchups.  Salary cap?  Who really wants to crunch those numbers?  Well I do!  I’m the type of guy that factors in the weather report when picking my lineup, but that’s me.  PlayLine doesn’t pretend to be the most advanced Sports betting system.  There’s already enough of those available fighting for market share.  What PlayLine offers is the ability to make a few simple predictions in less than a minute to make the game you are about to watch just a little more interesting.

Bonus Time!

The PlayLine website and Application launched yesterday.  For a limited time they are offering a huge selection of Freeroll events to introduce their product.  Copy and Paste this link to sign up now and qualify for their million dollar bonus event.

www.playline.com/r/CobeLife

All you have to do is predict the total rushing yards, and number of carries for David Johnson, LeSean McCoy, and Le’Veon Bell.  If you get it bang on, consider yourself a million dollars richer.  Oh and by the way you can enter up to 50 times while spaces are available.  If you are wondering if I got my 50 entries in?  Damn right I did.  Why wouldn’t I?  Why wouldn’t you for that matter?  The number of entries are limited to a total of 5000.  Once the word gets out, I expect them to fill up fast.  So do yourself a favour and use the link I provided to get started.

Will it last?

Every new thing is always met with a tonne of excitement.  A new super bar opens downtown?  I’m there.  Skydome opening day?  Yeah I was there.  The first TFC Game?  You know I had tickets.  Do I still frequent that fantastic bar?  Maybe I would, but it closed years ago.  The Skydome is now called the Roger’s Centre, and it doesn’t really excite me to go there.  I can’t remember the last time I went to a TFC game.  Will I still be placing bets on PlayLine a year from now?  Well that’s going to depend on what unique betting opportunities they offer?  Predicting the number of receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns Rob Gronkowski might finish a game with can get old really quick.  Especially if I lose to someone who has no clue, and beats me because Gronkowski got hurt in the first quarter.  When you study the Game of Football as much as I do.  Playing a game of educated guesses is less appealing.  Things become a little more enticing when you find out that Michael Bisping is a part owner, and some events could land you ringside with The Count at a UFC event.  It’s promotions like this one that will keep me coming back.  Will PlayLine be my go to betting website?  Probably not, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be yours.  One thing is for sure.  It will definitely make Game night at the bar with your friends even better.  Find a 5 person event on that nights Game and all of you grab a spot, and make your predictions.  Whichever one of you is closest wins the money.  Just be sure to pay your portion of the Bill before the game ends if you are winning.  If your friends are anything like mine.  You’ll probably get stuck with the check if you win.  In the meantime you might as well get your football fix on PS4.

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GAMING Uncategorized

The Gamer in me GL-8 That’s You

A Happy alternative

So I celebrated my birthday a week ago.  Unfortunately the actual day landed on a Tuesday so I waited until the following weekend to party.  Now usually my birthday celebrations involve a bunch of friends, a bar, too many drinks to count, and a lot of very bad choices.

Well this year I decided to do something different.  I wanted to avoid the embarrassing moments, and subsequent hangover.  Instead of going out, I invited a select group of friends over to my place.  In place of a dance floor and bar.  We had a living room and kitchen.  Instead of a DJ we had my PS4.  Sure there was still plenty of beer and wine in the fridge.  The drinks were going to happen no matter what I decided.  What really made this birthday special was the addition of a specific game.

That’s You

If you have a PS4 and haven’t played this yet?  Then you are doing yourself a serious disservice.  If you are a PS Plus member?  Log into the PlayStation Store and download it now for free.  Go ahead and do it now, I’ll wait….

Once you have the game loaded on your PS4. You will also need to download the companion App on your smartphone to play.  The way the game is played is simple. The game asks the group of Players a question.  Then each Player decides which one of them is the most appropriate answer.  The game might ask you which one of you is always late?  Then through the Application on your phone you select your answer.  The more Players that agree with you.  The more points you will receive.  The Player with the most points at the end wins.  There are also a few mini-games  that include sketching with your fingers, or taking a selfie.  They add additional elements to the game, but the real enjoyment is in the questions.

It might surprise you what some of your friends think about you.  Of course it’s all in good fun.  You won’t lose any friendships because of That’s You.  Well at least I hope you wouldn’t.  I’d be surprised if you aren’t laughing out loud by the third question.  Up to six people can play at once.  It makes for a very competitive game.  Keep the number of Players in mind though if you plan on having a That’s You party.

The game had me so enthralled that even though my fridge was full of beer.  I woke up the next day, and for the first time in about as long as I can remember.  I wasn’t severely hungover the day after my birthday.  I was so focused on the game that I forgot to drink.  That’s all the proof you need to know that it’s a great game.

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Uncategorized

The Gamer in me GL-8 Hearthstone

Hearthstone

If you enjoy Collectible Card Games, but rarely find the time to get together with others to play?  Then I would highly recommend that you download the Hearthstone Game Application.  It is as simple to play as the easiest Collectible Card Game.  Despite it’s simplicity it still manages to maintain a fair amount of depth.  For those of you that are relatively new to Card Games.  The Hearthstone learning curve is very short, so it makes for a great place to start.  Hearthstone takes full advantage of it’s Application based play by providing you with Goals, and Challenges to overcome.  Something traditional Card Games aren’t able to offer.

Something else that’s somewhat unique about Hearthstone is the limited card base you are forced to construct your deck from.  I actually found it to be quite challenging to construct a cohesive deck in the beginning.  This actually makes it that much more satisfying when you begin to see your Deck Design come together after playing a few games.  Another bonus for new Players is that Hearthstone can be played entirely for free!  Just by playing, and completing Challenges.  You earn a virtual currency that can be used to purchase packs.  Of course like the majority of Application based Games you can make in app purchases.  Spend some real money, and buy a bunch of packs so you can build stronger decks right away.  As tempting as that may seem.  I personally won’t do it.  The Game selects your opponent by your skill level, and Win-Loss-Tie  record.  So you will generally be matched up against balanced opponents.  I’ve been matched against a few people who have purchased packs, and still managed to defeat a few.  It makes winning all the more sweeter.  Of course I have come across decks that are so stacked.  I really had zero chance of victory.  The odds of playing that particular individual is extremely slim though.  Their Win-Loss-Tie record will quickly place them out of reach.

Unlike many Collectible Card Games, Hearthstone doesn’t suffer from timing issues.  Everything you do happens on your turn.  There is no worry about your opponent interrupting your turn.  You also won’t have to worry about resource management, or “mana hosing”.  Each turn you automatically gain an additional resource point towards playing cards.  When designing a deck from your allotment of cards.  The first step is to decide which of the nine classes you are going to play.  In the beginning you only have access to the Mage class.  You are required to unlock the others in order to play them.  The remaining eight classes are the Druid, Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior.  Each class has cards that are specific to it.  All classes also have access to a number of neutral cards that can be used to complete a deck.  Depending on which cards you open in your first few virtual packs.  That will help you determine which classes you should build in the beginning.  As you win games, and complete Challenges more packs can be purchased.  The cards you open will eventually allow you to build competitive decks with all the classes.

Another thing that intrigues me about Hearthstone is not knowing the Card pool.  Sure I could go online, and study lists of all the available cards.  I really don’t see a good enough reason to do so.  I find it more enjoyable to keep that element of surprise.  Every game I play has that pre-release feel to it.  The potential for almost anything to happen.  It’s an element that’s sorely missing from the majority of Collectible Card Games these days.

Being able to play wherever, and whenever is a welcome change.  The average Game is over within 15 minutes.  You don’t require a lot of free time to play.  The game doesn’t penalize you for losing either.  Conceding a game because something unexpected came up isn’t an issue.  Actually some of the Challenges don’t even require you to win matches.  For example one of my previous Challenges required me to defeat 100 minions.  Not a single game transpires without me killing at least a few of them.  As long as I kept playing I would eventually defeat the Challenge.  It’s a game I can’t imagine ever getting bored of. Whether you treat it as a casual distraction, or are determined to master a particular class.  Hearthstone is a game that any fan of Collectible Card Games can enjoy.