Diablo III - A Quick Inferno Machine Component Farming Guide-

Here is my guide on effective ways to farm the components needed to the infernal machine, as well as some strategies for the uber battles that I have observed during my time with the game.

Plan Farming

This is probably the most annoying part of process, so lets get it out of the way.  The plans for the infernal machine are dropped by the keywarden in Act 4.  The annoying part of this, is it is very hard to get a full five valor stack before reaching the area where the keywarden is located, which adds ontop of the frustration that the enemies normally give you in this act.  So, on average, you can pick up four elite packs between the two garden areas, if you are lucky, you get the full five, if you are unlucky, you only get three.  From my time farming, I was happy if I got four, and I usually found at least one elite before running into the keywarden.  If I found the keywarden before getting a fifth elite, I would try to lead him away from the checkpoint and just die, and made sure I went a different direction when I respawned to find another set.  I personally farmed this on a lower MP levels, just because at higher MP levels, the mobs get really frustrating if you are not geared to survive it.  It took me about 20 runs at MP1 to get it, but it was not as frustrating as trying to get it on higher MP levels since I would rarely die at MP1, so I was able to get more runs per hour with less headaches.

D3 - Legacy Nats vs New Nats - The Evolution of Demon Hunter Playstyles.

So, in the past, I had convinced myself that the Legacy Natalya's set items were not worth the gold, compared to the updated versions.  Now that 1.05 has been released, and the increase in shadow power duration, I must say that I was wrong about this.  But I'd like to write out the thought process as to why in the past, it was not as appealing.

When I was first looking at these two Natalya's set items, I was relatively low paragon level, and I was not geared as well.  So my mindset at the time was, "I need more stats to be better", which at the time made sense.  I need to deal more damage, and the only way to do it is to have more stats in general, more dexterity, more crit chance, more crit damage and better weapons.

Diablo III 1.05 Patch - 2 weeks in

So its been a couple weeks since the latest Diablo Patch has come out, and having spent a decent amount of time within the various monster power levels, here are my thoughts on the latest changes & additions.

Updates to Existing Events.

So a few patches ago, they disabled the effect that a player's magic find stat had on chests, so 99% of the time, the big glowing chest was just a huge sign of disappointment for the players.  In this latest patch, they took a step back, and now a player's magic find stat does have an affect on what comes out of the chest, plus it becomes affected when a player has five nephalim valor stacks.  Another nice thing that Blizzard has added is that these chests count as a valor stack, so if you have three, opening the chest will give you the fourth stack.  If you are at five stack, it will reset the countdown timer.

In addition to the changes to the resplendent chests, the random side events have also been reworked with a similar mechanic.  Completing these side quests will now grant a valor stack, and they now all end with a unique monster.  I am unsure if the valor stacks affect the quality of drops from these unique monsters, but from what I have experienced, its been a mixed bag of a bunch of blue items, to getting a legendary item from another.

Diablo 3 - Phoenixrage's Demon Hunter Guide - updated

So I play quite a bit of D3, and I check out the Diablo Sub reddit when I'm not playing.  My main character is the Demon Hunter, and I see a lot of people still with questions on what to do with the Demon Hunter once you reach Inferno and even in general.  So I'm going to try my best to remember how things were early on for me as a Demon Hunter in D3, and hopefully get some tips for those people who are still relatively new to the game and or the character.

Things to keep in mind, my first character was a Barb, and second was a Wizard, the Demon Hunter was my third level 60 character, and ended up being the one I picked to be my main as things moved forward with paragon levels.  I also leveled my Demon Hunter around the 1.03 patch, so some things may not apply now, but its just how I remember it.  (warning, this maybe a really, really long post).

Borderlands 2 Review

Looking back, the original Borderlands was such an epic game.  Many hours were spent wandering around Pandora.  It had great co-op play, great characters and script.  The FPS mechanics were just as good as any top tier shooter, so you're never left frustrated with the game mechanics.  A few years have passed since then, and now the sequel has finally arrived!.  So does the new one live up to expectations?

Diablo 3 - moving forward

So after a few hundred hours in Diablo 3, I’ve begin to think about what I’d like to see added.

Here are some of the things I’d like to see added and/or change to Diablo 3.

More Items, More legendary items, More variation in artwork.

Currently for rare items, there’s only one set of artwork for each character at a given item level.  I would like to at least see all types of items available at i63.  Example: 2H crossbow -The stat between the two items maybe similar, but one could look like the current hellion crossbow, but another could look like a stonebow.  So at least they look different visually.

I’d also want to see a much wider varity of items and legendary items mixed in the pool.  Currently, there’s only one really desirable 2H crossbow.  I’d like to see more added to the mix so not all top tier demon hunters are using the same manticore or windforce.

I would also like to be able to dye all armor to any color I want.  This will also help add to player customization.  Maybe for the demon hunter’s cloak, the player’s banner would show up as a pattern, and it would apply to shields as well?

MW3 - last batch of maps

The last maps have been released for MW3.  Gulch, Parish and Boardwalk.

For those who did not subscribe to Elite, then you also get to play on Decommission and Offshore.

Parish, is a really small and tight map.  Very basic, and only handful of small paths that basically cut through a large ring.  There is no elevation change, no second story building or hallway to get a higher vantage point.  It is a fairly hectic map given its size and you can really catch the other team just off their spawn if you time your run through properly.  Its very easy to get over run in a position because of how fast it is to get from one side to another.

Borderlands - A look back

It was fall of 2009, and at that time, I wasn’t actively keeping up with gaming news outside of the few games that I was still playing.  Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was about a month away, and I had heard from some friends that Borderlands has lots potential.  With some time left till MW2 released, I got the game and started playing.  The controls were nice and familiar for people who’ve played first person shooter games, and the button layout was pretty much the same as Call of Duty.  So it was very easy to adjust to.  

I played solo for maybe the first few missions and things were ok to me.  I later then get an invite to join a couple friends in their game, and the nice thing about Borderlands is, as long as the quest is available to you, completing it in co-op would complete it for the single player side of your game.  Great! Now I can get help with the missions, and have someone to talk to so I’m not bored.   

Guild Wars 2 intial impressions

Let me first preface this post by saying that this is the first MMO game I have ever played.  So most of this post will be from a "noob" perspective.  There are a few reasons I decided to check this game out, first was because I kinda got into Skyrim, and figured that a multi-player co-op version of this would be interesting, and a couple of my good gaming friends were going to get the game, so I figure it would help ease the learning curve a bit.  I also liked the competitive aspect of the game, the whole server vs server vs server, or as they call it WvWvW.  Last, and most important reason is because Guild Wars 2 does not have a monthly subscription fee really drove me to give this gaming genre a try. 

Fall 2012 Preview

2012 is winding down, and we approach what is usually the busiest time for video game releases.  Of the list below, I'm obviously getting Black Ops 2, and Borderlands 2.  Assassin's Creed 3 will get a pre-order for sure.  I am considering Halo 4, even though I've only played ODST and Reach.  Dishonored & 007 Legends might get a buy as well if the reviews are good.  Forza Horizon and Need For Speed Most Wanted are also possibilities.

Diablo 3 - 1.04 patch preview thoughts

So the developers at Blizzard just released more details of what the next patch to Diablo 3 will include.  This time around, there's a new mechanic added to the game, as well as some wholesale changes to many things that are already in the game.  Here are some of my thoughts about the changes. 

Black Ops 2 - Multiplayer Details - My thoughts

A lot of information has been released now for Black Ops 2 Multiplayer, and there's a lot of changes made this time around.  I'm going to try to condense it all down here for you since I felt that there's a few things that each individual source has missed or did not go into detail as much on what I wanted to know.

The Sources:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/gamescom-2012-hands-on-with-call-of-duty-black-ops-2/

This is the main article I will refer to in this blog, as well as the TmarTn and Woody's Gamertag youtube channels.  Those two guys are pretty much the top two youtube sources for anything Call of Duty (in my opinion).  So with this in mind.. here goes.

MW3 Chaos Mode

This is the new game mode added to MW3 last week, and I have to say, it is a lot of fun!

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Reveal Trailer is here!

Initial thoughts

Looks like they added an e-sports multiplayer function that allows for in-game commentary.  By the looks of it, its going to be a live thing and not just an add-on to the theatre mode.

Diablo 3 - some thoughts, tips and tricks after 60-ish days

So, its been just a bit over two months since the games release, and so far I've gotten three of the give classes to Level 60.  So here's a quick update on what I've been doing in the game.

I started out with a Barbarian, but once I hit 60, and tried to play a bit of Act 1 Inferno.  I quickly realized that I was not geared enough for that level, but instead of grinding it out, I decided to switch to a ranged character.  So I decided on switching to a Wizard, since at the time, we didn't have a high level wizard in the group.

Trying to get to level 60 on your first character is the hardest by far.  The nice thing with Diablo 3 is now your chest stash is shared, along with your gold.  So on your second character, you should have a decent amount of gold, which will allow you to buy items to keep up your gear.  Playing the game naturally (i.e. without dipping into the auction house or have friends give you gear along the way) means that you'll never really have gear that is the same level as your character till you reach far into Inferno difficulty.  As a result, I was able to get my wizard to 60 relatively quick.  Also, I began to use a ruby in the helmet more to get the percentage bonus for experience points to further speed up this process.  It also helped that as I played, I tried to keep decent items that I found on the way that I figure would be useful for other classes.  This and a couple visits to the auction house really helps speed the game up.

Offshore & Decomission - July MW3 Maps & Updates

Took some time off Diablo 3 to download the new maps and spent a few hours playing on them.  So here are my thoughts on them.

Offshore - This map has lots of paths to get around.  Although physically the map may not be big, it feels bigger because of this.  Lots of elevation changes as well.  It was hard to get a feel for the flow of the map as it was new to everyone.  But lots of good areas for some intense fire fights.   Although I didn't get to play capture the flag on this map, I imagine it to be quite interesting given all the alternate routes, and their associated cut off points.

Decommission - This map doesn't have as many paths as Offshore, it feels a bit more open compared to Offshore, but there are some interesting spots you can jump to so you can cover the few paths that go around the map.  Except, in those spots you are quite exposed.  So far I noticed a lot of action along the middle section of the map, as everyone tends to gravitate towards the meat shop. 

I also got to spend some time playing Domination in the face-off mode.  The maps do offer quite a bit of action, and with smaller teams, it makes it more important to have a good partner.  But at the same time, I still noticed the spawn points and system in general to still be broken in the face off mode.  Too many times I would spawn really close to where I just died, and being on the receiving end of that is somewhat frustrating.

Terminal gets its second life, this was one of my team's favorite MW2 map.  So we ended up dominating the map like we never left.  There were minor cosmetic changes done in the transition from MW2 to MW3, like the plants are slightly different, and the shops have changed in what they are selling.  This was one of the maps I wish they release with a slight change, like some sort of back path from the outside tarmac to a lower baggage section under the terminal map.  Maybe for MW4...

Either way though, Diablo 3 has me hooked (more on Diablo 3 in my next post), so I haven't been playing COD as much as I normally have or would like to.

Create a Class 2.0 - Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Rumour

Source:  http://www.charlieintel.com/2012/06/10/black-ops-2-create-a-class-2-0-completely-changed-now-uses-10-point-allocation-system/
 
 -------------------- START QUOTE --------------------
DEVELOPING STORY..
On June 6th, several members of the media were granted access to Black Ops 2′s brand new multiplayer are were kept under a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and were not allowed to discuss anything they saw. Appearently 2 people didn’t get the memo.. You remember a couple days ago when a member of IGN posted 2 photos (new MP H.U.D. and player list) over Instagram which were removed a few minutes later..
Now according to MP1st, a member from Shacknews, Garnet Lee (who was invited to the MP play session), uploaded a podcast which REVEALED massive changes made to Black Op 2 multiplayer. The podcast has now been edited and re-uploaded and all the details have been removed.
Create-A-Class 3.0:
-10 point allocation system replaces primary/secondary/grenades slot system Guns, attachments, equipment, perks take up allocation points.
*ex.) you could have 2 primary weapons which would use most of your points and only have 1 perk.
-Taken out “slot system”.
-Option to start with no weapons, load up on perks and equipment.
-You start out with 10 choices/options per class.
-New wager match variations.
-New “Friend/Foe identifier” attachment.
David Vonderhaar once said in a behind the scenes video, “create a class is sweet.. choose what’s the most important things to you, and forget about the things that are not important…This will open up doors for playstyles you have not seen. It’s going to be fantastic.”
-------------------- END QUOTE -------------------- 

Well, this is quite an interesting concept, It would definitely change things up completely, while still allowing for the "classic" setups, and open up the possibilities for lots of new combinations.  I can see myself picking only a primary weapon, and loading up on equipment, or perks.  Can't wait to hear more in August.

A Response to Diablo III Patch 1.0.3 Design Preview

This post is in response to the following page http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6262208/Patch_103_Design_Preview-6_6_2012

1. Bridging the item gap between Inferno and Hell.

I like this change and agree with the change.  I don't need top end stuff to get past Act 1 of Inferno, but I do need to be able to get better stuff to just simply survive.  I've basically stopped playing with my level 60 Barbarian because of the jump in difficulty that does not line up with the gear that I currently have equipped, and found in Act 4 of Hell & on the whim level.

2. Legendary Items remain the same.

Sure, ok.  I'm not too concerned about this right now, I just need the help to get through deeper into Inferno to get the better drops.

E3 2012 Summary - My take on things

Here are my thoughts of what I've seen via G4's coverage and read about the stuff shown at E3.  I hope on day I am able to attend this event.  So, lots to cover, so here goes... In no particular order.. (well, the order it is shown on the wiki page.)

Microsoft Keynote:

Halo 4 live action trailer was the usual for the series, having only played Reach and ODST, I’ll probably check out Halo 4, but not likely something I’d buy on launch day.  I don’t expect it to be a complete flop, even though the game is not done by Bungie.  Developers of these big franchises are usually really good at listening to what the fans want.  

Games of 2012 - Q3 & Q4

been a while since I've done one of these...

So.. here goes..

a couple games coming out later this month are somewhat interesting..

June 19th PC - Civ 5 expansion Gods & Kings.. will probably get it.

June 19th Consoles - Lego Batman 2 (for all you lego fans).

 

June 26th (not firm) - Skyrim Dawngaurd expansion.

Diablo 3 - review

So, I figure I would hold off on this review till I had a decent amount of time into the game. 

  

It has been a number of years since I have played any Diablo games.  It has been so long since I clicked endlessly for hours, killing monsters and creatures of the forces of evil.  I pre-ordered and pre-loaded the first day that Blizzard starting taking pre-orders.  Was the wait worth it?  After (and still) playing the game for quite a bit, I say yes, totally worth it.  Blizzard, once again, does not disappoint.

One thing I remember back with the previous games was my lack of interest of playing through the game multiple times.  I did not "get" the whole loot collecting aspect of the game, mostly because I played on my own, so I was never exposed to "better" items, and thus, never looked into how to get them.  I do remember trying out a second play through in Diablo 2, but didn't like how everything was significantly harder.  I was young, and did not truly appreciate it in that way.  But thanks to games like Borderlands, I've gotten the loot bug.  So that is why I've been lagging a bit on my blog and YouTube work.

Ghost Recon Alpha - making me want to buy the game

This is one awesome film, really makes me want to get the game right away.  But unfortunately, with Diablo 3 here, and new MW3 maps & modes.. I don't think I could squeeze in time for this.  I'll definitely pick it up later when the price drops, and probably will end up just getting it on PC.  We'll see....

Diablo 3 - First few minutes.

Since I actually have a job to goto, I couldn't stay up to play Diablo 3 right at 3am EST when the servers launched.  Although I already had the game preloaded a while ago, I figure its a game that I'm in no rush to play.  I've already waited this long, whats another few hours.

So this morning, I woke up, and had a few extra minutes to kill, so I started it up just to get it going.  I only had about 5 minutes before having to get on with my regular morning routine, so I only did the first two "quests", although they were mostly tutorial like quests.

Off the bat, the game feels familiar, just like the previous games, but with improved graphics.  You can see there's a lot more attention to detail with the map and the characters, but the core elements are still there to give the familiar feel.  Which is not a bad thing.  It is something that Blizzard seems to do well, don't mess with what works.  I'm sure the upgrades and changes to the game will feel more apparent once I get deeper into the game, and I'm looking forward to it!

I'll check back in later with more... 

Black Ops II - Multiplayer details - rumours & thoughts

The below has been posted from another site. 

My thoughts will be in italics... 

Game Modes

• Escort, a new game mode.
  •  Similar to Search and Destroy however a live player must be escorted to one of three areas (or two depending on the map) without being killed.
  • The match will have rounds, consisting of one life only. (Interesting, a less campy version of S&D - I'll reserve judgement till I actually play it)
• Drop Zone and Kill Confirmed will return (Good to hear, both are nice additions to the rotation)
• Team Defender and Infected will not return (too bad, they were interesting, but infected did lead to some boosting.  If they were faster on the banning of people, then it wouldn't be as bad)

Pointstreaks

• Will follow from Modern Warfare 3’s system (But will they stack? i.e. kills from a air strike counting towards your next reward?)
• Larger emphasis on objectives (nice to hear)
• A bomb plant is worth 2 points
• A neutral flag is worth 1, however an enemy flag is worth 2
• A flag assist capture is worth 1, a capture is worth 2 (Not bad, won't matter much in Domination for the way me and my friends play it, maybe they should make defends worth an extra point as well?)
• The Specialist Pointstreak has be modified
• 2 kills now gets you 1 perk
• The 4th kill gets you 2 more perks
• The 6th kill gets you 3 more perks
• The 8th Kill gets you 4 more perks
• You do not get every perk when you reach 8 kills (Interesting, Not sure how I feel about it, I rarely use it in MW3, and when I did, my play style would usually mean I'd die by around 6 kills anyways.. )
• Perks only become “Pro” when you have them Pro (Seems logical)
• RC XD will not return (yea, a laggy RC-XD was a bit annoying)
• Heat vision is a new Pointstreak reward. When you get the required points, you can activate this Pointstreak and your player pulls out a scope and attaches it to your weapon. (Interesting would like to know more.. like, can you toggle it? - i.e. remove it, does it affect ADS times?)
  •     This scopes main advantage is it’s ability to detect enemies through most walls. Note, the scope can only be attached to primaries not including shotguns  (does it overlap existing scopes/sights?)

Item Packages

• Requires 5 points
• Fall along side care packages and air drop traps.
• Features a list of package items only Including ammo, mini gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and body armor (Interesting, makes it useful and not overpowered by giving a high point reward in it.. I like this idea.)

Prestiges

• There will be 15 prestiges
• There will be 50 ranks
• Every two prestiges there is a 5 rank increase
• The final prestige has 90 levels 

(Interesting, I like it progressively gets longer and longer - guess I'll have to wait till the next XP event to hear about other rewards and how the unlock progression works.  With extra levels, are there extra guns available to fill in the gap? or just more challenges?)

ELITE 2.0

• ELITE is being fully incorporated into Black Ops 2
• Combat record has been modified and re-named as ELITE Stats
• There will be a specific lobby for clan matches (new way of leveling clans) (Finally!, they can do this with the regular operation challenges as well IMO)
• Clan Tournaments can now be implemented

Removed

• No MOAB or Nuke (good riddance)
• No last stand (finally)
• No death streaks (finally)
• No flame thrower attachment (meh, I'm indifferent about this)

Map Design

•     Map design and size will be following Black Ops not Modern Warfare 3 (Hopefully more dynamic elements in the maps like in Black Ops - i.e. doors to open and close)

Sniper Rifles

•  Improved sniper rifle usage.
•  No aim assist for any sniper rifle.
•  Less sway

(This should reduce the amount of quick scoping, and it'll just be plain ol luck for no-scopers. Maybe they can address that even more if its still an issue.)

Customization

• No longer just perk 1 chooses the players appearance
• Appearance is a combination of all perks and type of Pointstreak being used.

(still no character customization - i.e. face/body etc, oh well.)

Hardcore

• Larger emphasis on hardcore than ever before
• No grenade launchers
• Only vehicle guided rocket launchers permitted
• Respawn timings decreased (for most modes)
• 1 bullet in the foot will no longer kill a person, a head or chest shot is usually required.
• A person will now bleed out if severely injured.

(Sounds good to me, I'll probably play more HC modes again)

Perk System 2.0

• The Perk Pro system has been upgraded
• There is now 2 options a perk can advance to.
• Both require different challenges to unlock
• Once the desired Pro version is unlocked, the player can select that as their “Perk Pro”.
• Once selected, the only way to choose the other option is by entering prestige mode.
• For example Perk slot 1 has the perk called Speed
  • Speed – Reduces the time taken to aim down the sight
    • Pro I – Swaps weapons faster
    • Pro II – Throws equipment faster

(So, does this mean at higher prestige, both pro effects are available - if unlocked? - either way, I like the added depth on this aspect of multiplayer.  Idealy, I would like more class slots too, like 15 or 20.) 

Combat Training

• Will be returning with vast improvements.
• Difficulty is no longer based on how long the bots take to start shooting.
• Bots now have an advance AI system
• Similar to the behavior seen in the MW3 Spec Ops survival

(It'll give this mode a bit more life, and help some new people get some practice.)

------------------------------------------

Black Ops II - release trailer

Now set in the near future, based on the trailer and only watching it once as of right now, the single player story seems to be about some enemy taking control over the unmanned drones of the US military, and I would assume that you're fighting to take back control.

Its an interesting choice, and I know it leaves a few people hesitant on the actual game.  But here's the way I look at it.  The Call of Duty series has always been about hyper reality.  The tech they portray in the game is realistic, and its just the characters and events that are the fiction, so will we see really futuristic weapons like lasers and such?  No.  We'll see a lot more drones, since that is something the US military is actually expanding to now, but at the same time, you'll still be shooting bullets and rockets in the game (with the exception of zombies).

Also, given that this is just the single player preview, and I don't spend more than six to eight hours in the single player versus the hundreds/thousands of hours in multiplayer and zombie modes, this trailer doesn't change my mind about buying the game.  I'm just hoping Treyarch learns from what was wrong with MW3, and moves things forward.

New Maps for Call of Duty MW3: Foundation & Sanctuary

So far they are pretty good.  Foundation has is a decent size map with some good vantage points that so far seem to be well balanced.  Sanctuary has a decent flow to it, but just wished there were some more elevation around the map but there is some variety and some long sniper lines.  There are a lot of paths to get to the objectives on Sanctuary.

Foundation reminds me a bit of the COD4 map Pipeline, gound level is relatively open, but there are lots of places for snipers to get onto higher ground and pick people off.  Lots of things to climb up on which is kind of like Quarry from MW2.

Can't wait to see what's coming out in May with 4 maps scheduled for release.

Mass Effect 3 Trailer...

Well, saw this on TV last night, and it really got me wanting to get into the series.  At first I thought it was some new movie coming out, till I realized what it was.  If they made a tv series, I'd watch it.

Skyrim - Review

So finally had the chance to get deeper into this massive game a couple weeks ago.  Now that I've got some more time into the game, and completed some more of the bigger side quests, I am hooked.  Now my character is around level 36, I'm the archmage of the college, a Companion, and taking part in the Stormcloak's side of the civil war.  I have yet to finish the main quest, but I'm in no hurry at this point.  I'm now working on getting better equipment, and saving up to buy some of the homes.

PS Vita - I'm going to wait a bit...

Its a great peice of technology, at a good price for the hardware.   But as always with gaming devices, its all about the software.  Since I have yet to even touch the Uncharted series games on the PS3, I don't have that much appeal for the Vita game.  I would love to eventually play a new Final Fantasy game on the device, something that would provide 20+ hours of gameplay.  There is Ninja Gaiden Sigma coming out for the Vita a week later which might be interesting since I am a fan of that series.  Or maybe a Dark Souls game would also put me in line for a Vita. 

I am very tempted by the Gamestop offer to trade in 4 games for $100 towards the unit.  I'll definitely be thinking about it over the next little while.  If I do get one, I would only get the Wifi version, 3G is not really worth it right now given the lack of multiplayer games.  I figure battery life is already going to be fairly low on a device of this type given its screen size and power.  But how much more juice would a 3G radio eat up?  It also is harder to justify since there are not that many oppertunities for me to play the game on the go.  I'm either driving, or busy doing something else to be sitting in one spot long enough to enjoy the game.  If I am at home, I have my PC and my consoles... Maybe if I do end up travelling more then it would be easier to justify.

Also, when will Sony give up on their proprietary memory? 

List of Vita games and their release dates:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_Vita_games

Call of Duty Elite - ways to improve it.

Other than the obvious speed and performance issues of the elite website, here are a few things I feel that should be considered for future updates.

Stat Tracking:

As someone who really likes to look at numbers and analyze things, it would be nice to be able to export the recent match data in some text of excel format.  So I can have some e-bragging rights, or at least look at how I've improved month to month, week to week, etc etc.  The data is there, but I just can't easily get it out of the site and into a format that I can work with.  It would be nice to be able to see how well I perform on a map level.  So I can see which maps I do better on versus others, and determine if I need to change my gameplan around for those maps.

Competitions;

A few things can be improved here which in my opinion will make it appeal to more people and make it a bit easier to police.

MW3 DLC - Liberation & Piazza

I've only played 6v6 domination on these maps so far, and Piazza is a really good map.  Liberation, not so much. 

Liberation is way too big for 6v6, and the spawns are messed up.  There were times where my teammates and I would respawn direcly under an enemy who was sniping on a bridge.  How does that make sense?  For a map of this size, you would figure the spawn points would be varied a lot more, instead, a few of us would spawn at the exact same point one after another.  There is so much wasted space on this map as well, lots of sections on the map that would probably be used in modes like Headquarters or Drop Zone, but thats about it.

Piazza is an interesting map, lots of paths that cross over and under each other, and lots of corners and short walls to hide bouncing betties and the IMS.  Although I wish there were some roof tops to get ontop of as well, or some buildings to cross through, although that may mess with some of the map flow.  Unlike Liberation, a lot of the map is used during gameplay, very little is not traversed when trying to get from one point to another.  I hope more maps are like this in future releases.

A calendar has just been released on the call of duty site, and it looks interesting.  Although, it does kind of suck to only get 1 or 2 maps each month, it will keep things fresh, but at the same time, for someone who plays a lot, they will get a bit bored quicker since there is less "new" material to rotate through on each release.  At the same time I understand why they had to spread things out, as the developers have to ensure that they do not dilute their product by flooding it with extra game modes that are not played as often.  But I do hope there is room to add more DLC/modes beyond what is on the calendar.

Demos - Asura's Wrath, FF13-2, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning...

Taking some time off from MW3, I decided to download some of the latest demos to try out.  Final Fantasy 13-2 being the only one of the three I've actually pre-ordered.  The other two titles are kind of on my radar, but I will wait for some reviews to be out before deciding to buy at launch date or not.

Call of Duty MW3 - 70 days later....

So after 70 days, I'm 7th prestige, level 58, with 1385 wins, and 88 losses.  Kill death ratio of 1.54, 26794 kills and 17454 deaths.

I've put in quite a bit of time into the game, maybe more than I should.  But I've 'powered' through some levels.  Not as quick as some kids who don't have 9-5 jobs.  But its a decent enough pace.  As things settle down, there are quick a few things that need to be fixed and/or added into this game.  Most things were already in the previous title, Black Ops.

A look back at 2011...

Looking back at the past 12 months of gaming, I actually have to wiki the release dates just to remember what came out when, and what I actually played versus what I kept on my radar, but never pulled the trigger on.

January,
While still owning noobs on Black Ops, I was waiting eagerly for the release of Dead Space 2, having played through the first game a few times, and it being one of my favourite games of all times, I pre-ordered like most fans.  I played through it, beat the game, but had no desire to go back and playthrough at higher difficulties, or to complete other challenges.  It felt like more of the same, but also less on some fronts.  There were less boss battles, and because I've already gotten used to the usual scare tactics of the game, it definitely did not live up to expectations.  It eventually felt more like a chore to play just to finish up the storyline.  Perhaps I was hoping for too much, but its still a decent game, and expands on the dead space world even more.