A Jaunt Through History

I'm one of the lucky few invited to the Battlefield 1 closed alpha. Launch day destroyed me. I played from afternoon to 7 the next morning with nary a break in between. My productivity was lost to say the least. There are things I like and don't like.

The first thing that jumped out to me was how hard it was to see. Sunlight, smoke, fog, and all sorts of visual noise get in the way frequently. Since spotting is nerfed, I don't have as many markers to help me sort foe from friendlies.

In BF4, I spent half my time staring at the radar. Hardly anything shows up on it in BF1 -- at least when I first jumped in. My teammates seem to have gotten better at spotting as the days passed, but the minimap still lacks a lot of information that I'm used to seeing. Since live fire no longer shows up on the map, I have to use my eyes and ears to get a bead on the situation.

Map knowledge is paramount. I'm a lot better at checking the usual hiding spots but for those uninitiated, prepare to be killed from every conceivable angle. It took a lot of deaths to acquire familiarity with the terrain, and even then, I'll get flanked from some random direction every now and then.

One thing I don't like is the increased auto aim. It's almost Call of Duty levels of snap on. As a longtime console BF veteran, I'm used to no aim assist. Hell, I got my start in online console gaming with Socom, so I'm disappointed with the level of aim assist in BF1. It levels the skill gap significantly. Before, I would routinely take out guys who get the drop on me only because my aim is superior, but I no longer have that advantage.

So far I like it, but I don't love it. I hope things will be tweaked for a smoother game experience when the beta releases.

Constant Denial

The Street Fighter V beta hates me and everyone else. It's hard to recall a bigger disaster in terms of a beta. Just when I think I might get in, boom! Denial message. I suppose these things are tested for a reason. A beta that runs flawlessly isn't a typical beta. It just goes to show that Bungie are masters of network coding. For all its faults, networking is the least of Destiny's issues.

Since SFV was kaput for the entire weekend, I invested a lot more time into BF4. I don't know why but I've been feeling it lately. Just when I think the game is stale, my friend brings up a gun recommendation that changes things up. I've invested 330 hours so far. That's almost enough to pay off my purchase of the PS4. Almost. Only 190 more hours to go (price of PS4+BF4+Premium). I've got more than my money's worth, but it's nice to go for that one dollar per hour value.

Even though I've put a freeze on Tales of Xillia 2 until I complete Love Sick, I made no moves to update the story. Thanks to many late nights, I napped instead of writing during my lunch break. It doesn't help when I have to work harder these last two weeks to hit our goals.

I'd like to go for a 5k word minimum but I've only got 1k so far. Chances are, I won't be updating today. I'll be traveling to San Francisco next weekend so I'm between a rock and a hard place. I may not be able to update on my story's anniversary. Time to put my head down and focus.

Battle Report #2

Every time I try something new, I get destroyed. In terms of weaponry, what I'm used to is what I'm going to be rolling with from now on. MG4life. There's no reason to try anything else.

With that said, I think smoke grenades are going to be my permanent replacement for minis. DICE has steadily nerfed the most effective options. Slams hardly do any damage and they reduced the blast radius and number of minis you can carry.

So why smoke and not flashbangs, RGO impact, or anything else? Because of its tactical advantages. I tried using it offensively in the beginning but trying to use smoke to hide myself is not a viable strategy. However, using it to escape from hairy situations is amazing. If I'm being shot at and I have no idea where it's coming from, I find cover and pop smoke. Once it's fully deployed, I can run away at my leisure.

It's particularly useful against vehicles. It always forces them to move and it gives my team the opportunity to run up for C4 or to shoot rockets without worrying about being shot at. I once threw a bunch of smoke and hid mines in it. The enemy AA decided to move forward and blew up.

Smart tank drivers routinely check the road for explosives, but smoke can hide them effectively. I can't count the number of times I get killed for trying to shoot rockets since I'm usually the only one trying to take out tanks (thanks for the back up teammates!), but smoke hides my position well. The most important advantage of smoke is forcing vehicles out of camping spots. I've even used smoke to hide from choppers to varying degrees of success.

With smoke as my secondary, this makes it more prudent than ever to stay stealthy. Even though there's a hundred things that can make me spotted, my most effective games have been with silenced guns. While the MG4 is my primary death dealer, the SKS has quickly shot up to become my main gun for Engineer and Recon. It's all-around versatility at all ranges and relatively long lasting ammo reserves makes it perfect for every situation.

Initially, it was my goal to at least unlock the RDS for every gun, but between lighting it up on the scoreboard and unlocking attachments for guns I'll never use again, I think I'll stick to my mains.

Off Days

Three-day weekends are killer. Because my schedule is so wide open, I freeze up at the possibilities. It's the illusion of free time. I do what I want instead of what I have to do and end up not doing anything.

I've pushed the completion date for Ni no Kuni back by weeks. I hate to say this but the game doesn't grab me the way Xillia did. It's a total grind. The tiered evolution mechanic is regressive and I made some poor party composition choices. My motivation has been thoroughly sapped as a result.

It's probably my fault. I tried to go for an optimized build and that meant restarting from scratch. I've mostly got my party up to speed so it's a matter of flying through the content. I can't grind unless I absolutely have to, and if this means harder boss fights, then so be it.

I've been playing more Battlefield since I started watching OneCheesyMofo on YouTube. Ever since I subscribed, I've been doing a lot better online, even though I still have horrible games from time to time. You can't force a build. You gotta let it develop naturally. While there's room for experimentation and improvisation, tried and true always works.

I recently updated Love Sick and the reception has been middling. To put it in business terms, I'm getting the same return no matter how much more I invest. There's no growth, and while it's not the worst thing to happen, it's far from ideal. The market has changed, and if all I'm doing is catering to a shrinking demographic, the smart choice is to shift gears.

I'm a man of obligation so all my stories will be completed, just not in the way I originally envisioned. Maybe it's better this way. Better to be lean than bloated.

I was forced to watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones since the headlines were hellbent on spoiling me, and while I wasn't outright spoiled, I was able to peace together the spoiler with the few details that managed to penetrate my guard.

Maybe I'm socially tone deaf, but I don't think the last scene is something to be outraged about. I understand it being uncomfortable to watch, but I don't think it was "bad," in both terms of net effect on societal attitudes and its implications on the overarching story. Of course, I can't speak for its exclusionary nature when I'm not the one being excluded.

Much of the criticism revolves around deviation from the books and gut feelings. I don't begrudge anyone for dropping Game of Thrones because of that scene, it's just short-sighted since you do so without seeing the full ramifications. Then again, I'm the kind of cat that always finishes what he starts, and it'll take a helluva lot more than that to make me stop watching.

If there's anything to be outraged about, it's the poor implementation and execution of the Sand Snakes. Simply dreadful.

Battle Report #1

If it doesn't work the first time then try it again.

But differently.

A couple weeks ago, I thought I'd try out the MG4 in combination with a suppressor and bipod. The idea was to rain fire from afar without giving away my position. It didn't work out well. The suppressor drastically cuts down on range and as soon as I hit anybody, they have plenty of time to run away. It took me two games to go back to my usual setup.

Yesterday, I tried it again since I felt like doing mortar shenanigans. I went 14-1 and then 10-0 on Golmud Railway and Operation Locker. I think I've uncovered the magic sauce in the burger. When I attach a bipod to my LMG, my first thought is "long distance." Taking out snipers with the bipod is a common strategy, but with a suppressor, I had to change tactics. Like with any suppressed gun, it's about being stealthy, staying prone, and picking my spots.

Once I embraced the stealth philosophy, I became the silent guardian. I would slowly and methodically take out groups of enemies and they'd have no idea where they're getting hit from. When you have 200 rounds of invisible bullets smacking you in the face, you don't have the time to look around and spot. You either hide, or you die.

I tested it out some more with middling results. As with any combination, it's very dependent on your positioning. If you can find a good spot, it's damn amazing. I think I'll stick with this configuration for a while and see where it takes me.

Event Log: 9/30/14 - End of Month

The days are going by faster. I'm worried I'll wake up in the evening some day. By the time I'm fully awake, the day is almost over. It's a little disconcerting. Since it's Tuesday, everything refreshes in Destiny, so I tried to get my weekly activities in as early as possible. As I went through the motions, I felt that there was no point in continuing anymore.

On the plus side, I nabbed Metal Gear Solid (PSX) and Ground Zeroes off of PSN during a Konami sale. I've wanted MGS on my Vita for the longest time, and I've also wanted to play Ground Zeroes for awhile. I was waiting to pounce at the right price. Since I had twenty or so odd bucks in my PSN wallet already, it was a good purchase. I should probably look to expand my Vita storage too, but the prices for 64GB are crazy.

NBA 2K15 is coming out soon and it's shaping up very nicely. A lot of news and media has trickled out over the last few days and I'm getting hyped. The 2K team has really improved the presentation and features. I traded in my copy of 2K14 a long time ago so it'll be nice to jump into a more polished version. The great thing is that there's no more VC cheese. That stuff was annoying. Online-only games are a pain to play.

One of the cooler features is face scan so that your created player could have your own face. I've been thinking of picking up the Playstation Eye just so I can be in the game. That'll be cool.

A new patch for BF4 came out and I tried it out with my friend. I think it made my aiming worse--or perhaps it's Destiny making me lazy with its auto aim. I just could not engage face-to-face with anyone. I kept dying instantly. The only weapon I could be effective with was the SRAW, which is a rocket launcher. You do the math. Eventually, I got into the groove by flanking people and making a concerted effort to aim for the head. The game ain't gonna do it for me, so I'll just do it myself.

My thoughts on the patch? It sucks.

/eventlog

Event Log: 9/3/14 - Video Production

I woke up today and decided that I was going to make some videos. I turned on my PS4, renamed all my clips, trimmed them, and put together a couple nice montages. I like to go without music since it would be a shame to cover up the sounds of battle with a horribly inappropriate song.

This first montage is an extension of my EOD Shenanigans video. I take out more unsuspecting fools with one of the least used gadgets in the game--at least in my experience. It takes skill to be this deadly with the little cart of death on four wheels.

This second video is a collection of funny little moments that either make me chuckle or rage. I ended it on a series of BS deaths because they're funnier than the little moments when enemies walk right into my hands. 

I think I've got a case of shin splits since my legs cramped up yesterday. My recent routine change is probably responsible. I might have to take it easy on tomorrow's run and just walk the whole way. Since I'm trying to gain weight, it's not like running is critical to my goals. It's more of a stamina maintenance thing. These rest days between weight training have definitely become more valuable since I increased my workout load.

I put in about 2k words on the next chapter of my side story. Since today has arrived, I'm ready to declare for flop status. I did gain an additional Favorite and Follow, but other than that, not a single review. What kind of community allows a writer to produce 15k words of quality across four chapters with nothing to show for it? A toxic one, that's what. Okay, it's not toxic, but it's depressingly apathetic, which is worse, since toxicity offers acknowledgement at least, even if it's negative. Why do you think trolls troll? It ain't because they're liked, that's for sure.

At least someone in Barbados and Venezuela likes it. I love the global audience. Hollywood agrees with me. Domestic box office receipts are declining. It's all about that China cash. We going overseas, baby!

Although I can't blame the consumer for not buying my product, I could blame myself for getting into the wrong market. It is with supreme confidence that I say, "Y'all don't deserve me." Other fandoms deserve a better class of writer, and if this one doesn't want me, then I'll gladly take my talents elsewhere. This be The Decision 2.0.

/eventlog

Event Log: 8/17/14 - A Miserable Waste

I'm writing this on my phone since I shut down my laptop after installing updates. I don't feel like turning it back on. I used to have an app for this but since it didn't store drafts locally, it was useless. At least I don't have to grapple with constantly shifting window sizes like right now.

The day started off as a miserable waste of time. I tried to complete an assignment in BF4 that requires five kills in a round using a jet. I followed the advice of this girl on YouTube who made it look so easy. Instead, three hours go down the drain. The pilots are too pro. I'm taken down before I can do anything.

By the end, I just played regularly as an infantryman and tore it up. I know my place on the battlefield--it's on the ground. Vehicles can go die in a fire, courtesy of my rocket launchers.

Afterward, I worked on various posts for tumblr and WordPress. I had to do something productive to make up for my previous waste.

Overall, a very unexciting day.

/eventlog

Event Log: 8/14/2014 - Jomatto Productions Presents...

I spent the entire day putting these videos together. I've pretty much got ShareFactory down pat. The biggest challenge is getting decent material; I'm limited by my skill level. I put so much time working on these videos, I couldn't run until the evening.

I forgot to mention yesterday that a giant barrel of protein powder was delivered to my doorstep. I wasn't expecting it until next week. Who needs Amazon Prime when free shipping is this fast? I've tried it a few times with water and it tastes like watered down chocolate shake. I mixed it with my cereal milk this morning and it tasted amazing. Too bad water is more effective. The protein is absorbed faster. On the flip side, drinking it with milk at night is good since the body absorbs it during sleep. It'll be my new dessert from now on.

When I came back from my run, I realized how I've integrated something I didn't like into my routine. I don't bat an eyelash after the first mile anymore. If I can cut out an hour of my day to get tired as hell, surely I can spare another hour to look for a job. It's a motivation issue. I keep getting distracted. At least today wasn't a total waste. I spent a couple hours to produce about 6 minutes of content, but it just goes to show how much I value quality over quantity.

I replied to a random interview request over Odesk and I remembered why freelancing sucks. I thought my rate of $2/hour was low enough, but they had the audacity to request $1. Screw that. I'm not that desperate. My education, skills, and competency are worth more than that. Honestly, that's about the most insulting offer I've ever received. Let's hope I can use this anger as a catalyst.

/eventlog

One-Paragraph Reviews

I told myself that I would review every game I beat.

Too bad that never panned out.

I have a list of games that I've beaten and they demand to be reviewed, but I really don't have the time. So rather than write out multi-page critiques, I'm just going to go with my one-paragraph reviews.

Killzone 3: The visuals are amazing but the gameplay is middling. Aside from a few cool set pieces, it's superficially exciting and fundamentally dull.

Dead Space 2: What made the first game great was the pacing. There were moments of calm and moments of intensity. It was finely tuned to give players necessary breaks between enemy confrontations. The sequel throws this methodical approach out the window and presses its foot on the gas pedal full throttle. The adventure is frenetic, claustrophobic, and never gives you room to breathe, which is Dead Space 2's ultimate failing. Too much action and not enough calm.

Vanquish: A mash between combo-based action gaming and cover-based third-person shooting. A truly unique bullet ballet of explosions, slo-mo, and rocket sliding.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time: An incredible adventure with clever puzzles, enjoyable platforming, and solid action.

LA Noire: An interesting piece of narrative that really puts you in the shoes of a detective. Major flaws hold the game back from being great .

Resistance 3: With a varied arsenal of weapons and impeccable enemy encounter design, this is the best in the trilogy.

Shadows of the Damned: A well-crafted and unexpectedly funny journey through the depths of hell. Shades of RE4 and Suda's madness warrant a look from any gamer with a taste for the odd.

Battlefield 3: An average campaign with too many rails, but them graphics! Besides, the only reason you're playing this is for the multiplayer.

Modern Warfare 3: It's an exciting, action-packed, and nonsensical roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Bulletstorm: The most underrated game of the year. A unique blend of combo-based action gaming with first-person shooting (where have I heard this before?).

Gears of War 3: It has everything it needs except for a soul. A solid romp but nothing else, unless you're in it for the multiplayer.

Halo Anniversary: A remake of the best Halo game? Yes, please. The same fantastic core is intact, and with the new graphics, it makes this the best Halo game yet.

Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnam

Considering my heritage, I could've welcomed this addition to Bad Company 2, but I've held out on getting it for the longest time. Now that I've played it, my decision was justified.

It's not that Vietnam is particularly bad, it's just awkwardly skewed in a few different places. The maps are suspiciously flat, which reduces the role of Recons a great deal (my de facto class). Certain maps seem to favor one team over the other, leading to an imbalanced game. The terrain just isn't very interesting to navigate and there aren't enough guns. The limited weapon selection reduces encounter variety and makes everything repetitious.

Pass over this expansion, it's not worth it.