But winter brings back something extra special to the our gaming world…Child’s Play. The wonderful guys at Penny Arcade began the charity back in 2003 to benefit their local Children’s Hospital in Seattle. Child’s Play has now grown to include Children’s Hospitals outside even the U.S.! Check out their niffy map here. I really love the different ways there are to get involved, purchase something on Amazon, plan or support an event, donate cash,or buy something there is even a text to instantly donate $5.

I will be going with the Greeting Cards this year. I am really horrible about buying cards each year and never sending them out. <.< My poor family would think I was dead if it weren’t for the magic of Facebook. Speaking of…you can hook up with Child’s Play via Facebook or Twitter(@CPCharity).

The alignment phase is odd to me because allies and adversaries normally appear organically over time in an MMO. Members of other guilds you meet in your travels and develop close ties. I expect to see more fluid movement of allies and adversaries once the game launches and people get a feel if they really do enjoy playing with each other. I did post my guild’s request for allies today. Skeptic or not, the chance to make more friends off the bat is enough for me to give it a shot and everyone agreed.

In the meantime, there is a lot to keep busy with both, Dragon Age 2 DLC Mark of the Assassin and  Deus Ex: Human Revolution The Missing Link releasing this month (yay for October!). Mark of the Assassin looks good and has Felicity Day doing the voice over for her character Tallis (same character as her Dragon Age Redemption webseries) and dlc is the only reason I am picking DA2 up again. (the game is fine just eh about replays on it) The Missing Link in contrast (mind you it is coming out for a game I am still very much into…still need to do a run and gun play through) has me chomping at the bit to filling the 3 day gap as Jensen travels via ship to Singapore. I am nothing if not eager for this release.

I’m filling my current pre-DLC time with Forsaken World a spiffy little Free to Play MMO from Perfect World. FW is fun and light enough to fill the gaps of time and I am sinking no cash into the game as tempting as special mounts and cool outfits appear. The game has more complexity that I expected (my expectations were very low). The story is rich and worth reading the quests for. The game play (for the bard at least) is complex and channeling. Classes are ranked on difficulty 3-5 stars and honestly is a good gauge of how complex the game play will be for the class.

Minions gift of appeasement from PAX

First, Minion (that is his name in case you were wondering) directed himself to the Bioware book as I asked (demanded). There minion had 20 minutes fondling *cough* playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Minion reports the Bounty Hunter class felt good and it did leave him wanting more (even for it just being the starting area). Good signs all around. As Minion and I are both experienced MMO’ers I trust his assessment and feel reassured concerning my pre-order.

Surprisingly, Minion was impressed with Guild Wars 2. He expressed special interest in the method of getting quests. GW2 will go with a more dynamic quest system where events trigger quests. IE City A is attacked, spawning X quest to go stop the raiders from coming. Making an MMO feel dynamic and your actions mean something is an elusive quality I haven’t seen implemented well yet but Minion seemed impressed enough to warrant moving this game from my “And I care why?” to my “Hmm should keep an eye on this” list. Similar to City of Heros, GW2 will include the ability for high level characters to play with lower level friends (side-kicking) and high level players would have their levels adjusted down when interfering with lower level quests. (Hmm…YAY! Take that you kill stealing glory hogging rep grinding…*coughs* I approve.)

Minion was not able to visit the Deus Ex release party Also the Skyrim panel should have been in a larger panel room as arriving 1 hr early to stand in line to get in wasn’t suffiecent as they were already turning people away just to wait (yes, yes I know this will become more common as more people attend and is a fact of other cons such as Comic Con.) Disappointing none the less. To round out the disappointing moments, 1up.com video panel was canceled Now to return to the good!

Minion reported the Acquisitions Inc panel was pure goodness. In fact let me quote Minion, “was amazing, with costumes and bards singing the praises of each hero.” The  PVP Afterhours will be a must attend next year. Something about it being seriously funny and enjoyable. I tried to ask what all went on but was met with “You really need to be there”…yes yes I will (and of course so should you).

Minion also attended the <a title=”same writer as The Gamers Journey Quest panel and was inspired to pick the Season 1 DvD AND Dorkness Rising Special Edition! *rubs hands together* (I know there is a movie night in my future now). Of particular note was the method of funding used for the show, they use contributions to make the show. Sort of reminds me of Kick Starter for a movie/tv show. They even use volunteers to do subtitling! I really dig the consumer/fan involvement especially to help keep the show going and be apart of it, even in a small way.

Overall, Minion was pleased more with Saturday at the Con with a larger list of panels than Friday. My take away? Never again slack off on buying tickets to an event I hype to a friend… Especially on a year where multiple games I am excited about are going to be premiered or have panels. Lesson learned!

In the first actual mission of the game Jensen, sitting inside a helicopter, is asked if he wants to go stealth or aggressive and is given weapons according to your response. The moment reminded me a lot of the opening mission for the original. The sequence does a very good job of setting the game’s tone. I went adaptive (I said I was going Stealth but…what was I supposed to do when they saw me and I was out of darts?!?) and really liked it. The first mission felt good keeping me on the ropes in terms of ammo for my bungled stealth attempts (which are my fault and not DE’s as it takes me a bit to get back in the stealthy groove which I now have). 

My first impressions of shooting are still mixed. The first day it felt very…clunky and clumsy not being able to sight in with a long range rifle. The cover system and shooting from cover though are excellently done and improved with aiming augmentations (your leveling up abilities). I assume (I haven’t tried) that my long range riffle would get more awesome of I took aim augments but that is for another play through. I’m stealth and hacking all the way right now.

I really can’t compliment the aforementioned stealth and cover system. The enemy AI’s look around for you and sticking to one spot is just as likely to get you found out and shot. I like the game forces you to move from cover to cover, keeping an eye out on where enemies are looking as you do to avoid detection. More than a few tense moments have been caused by enemies turning before I anticipated. The ability to take different routes into locations to avoid detection is stellar. Speaking of stealth remember you are not invisible when hacking a terminal enemies will see you standing next to them hacking into their office and shoot you for it (not that it has ever happened to me…nooo never *coughs* moving on).

The hacking mini game is fun. I like the option to go for more info/money thus risking quicker detection (every node has a chance to alert) or being speedy and going straight for your goal. Viruses, codes, and augments all adjust this mini game in your favor (hello stealth hacking!).

The augmentations are varied. This time it is mechanical augmentations instead of nanites. The options are well tooled with out obvious throw away options. Your augments choice come with immediate benefits (I like instant gratification). Stealth and hacking are my must haves given my play style.

The black and gold color palates are beautifully and vividly done. My eye hasn’t gotten tired of the vistas or world which I worried it might. Detroit feels rundown but struggling. The world very much feels lived in, dirty with a sheen of trying not to be. Just like the first game, it seems you are never really anywhere during the light of day. Normally, I’d complain about that but here it lends itself to the overall atmosphere of the world Jensen inhabits.

Long loading screens are definitely one downside . Eidos seems to have realized they were long, as I came across one yesterday that had 6 pages of story synopsis and showed more yet still locked. You taunt me with knowledge not yet gained Eidos, you taunt me…

I feel like the anticipation for the game was well worth it. The story is good (I am a sucker for story), the combat is solid and feels deadly both as the giver and receiver of bullets, hacking is a fun little mini game, and the stealth feels sneaky and dangerous.

There is a brouhaha over the new look for Female Shepard in Mass Effect 3.  Bioware listened to their loud fan base who wished to see more acknowledgement for the female version of Shepard. The player base who play FemShep (as we like to refer to her) is the minority, making up approximately 1/5 of the player base. Bioware gave us 6 versions to pick from and allowed the players to vote on which would be the default FemShep. Ultimately, the fan base went with blond FemShep.

Kim Richards article over at PC Gamer decided to take shots at the community deciding on a blond Shep referring to her as a blond bimbo. And I have to ask does the hair color of a character suddenly negate how bad ass they are? Does Shepard punch wimpier, throw less powerful warps, shoot less accurately if her hair is blond??? NO! Shepard is a bad ass regardless if you decide to play her as a boy, girl, default, or custom. Shepard is no less a bad ass.

I find the idea of making a character blonde suddenly makes her a “bimbo” insulting. Let me just say how infuriating I find that concept. REALLY?!?! Hair color determines if someone can kick ass and save the galaxy? REALLY?

The idea of the sexed up, vapid blond is a hold over from old Hollywood. It is a stereotype Marilyn Monroe both played to and tried to break away from. I spent my platinum blond childhood hearing blond jokes and being told I must not be smart because of my damn near white hair. Then hormones kicked in, my hair darkened, and the jokes stopped being tossed my way. It is 2011 and we are still saying blond = bimbo? I like the default for FemShep is a blond, specifically because she breaks that vapid, sexed up stereotype.

Shepard kicks ass. My Shepard is a red head (well to be fair my 1st play through FemShep is a pale, red headed engineer…I have more than one FemShep because I like the classes and…yes I do have a problem…I know that…nevermind…) Shep kicks ass regardless of hair color, skin color, or gender. Shep is out there saving the galaxy and doesn’t give what anyone thinks about her. So long as you get in line to help defeat the Reapers (otherwise she is damn close to punching you to make you get in line). Penny Arcade does an excellent job summing this up here.

This is Shepard we are talking about, Commander “I take no BS. Reapers ARE coming now get in line Soldier!” Shepard. The Alliance, Council, and most of the Galaxy thinks Shepard is out of her mind. Hair color aside, who Shep is hasn’t changed.

Personally, I went with the digital deluxe. Just enough to make my inner geek happy without making my practical side ask WTF I was thinking. Sometimes it is a hard balance between those two, so demanding.

By the by, pre-ordering gets you an early play code (register the moment you get your confirmation as early play is determined by when you register said code…). Your character from early play will not disappear (as other games have done) when the game goes live to all. It is a nice chance to get a jump start or get your feet wet and see how you feel about the class play. This is what I am looking forward to most. I am partial to playing a healer but concerned on how they play and if it will fit my playstyle. I’ll be using my time to hammer out which healer I’ll be.

Of course, the downside is we still don’t have a release date yet. I think it is a pet peeve of mine to see publishers doing pre-orders for games without release dates. On the flip side I understand especially with MMOs waiting to announce the release date given the competition for video game dollars.

Will I be seeing you in Old Republic?

Well the team at Dead Gentleman Productions followed up with the “The Gamers: Dorkness Rising”. Mostly seen at the local Dragon Flight Con.  As the guys in my “new” gaming group informed me with sorrow. When it finally got a dvd release I knew from said sorrow it was an easy win brownie points gift to give. So the next birthday I got one of them the movie. I loved it again and it is getting a new improved dvd release this summer! See here! It has deleted scenes…it must be mine

If you haven’t seen either movie or its been awhile they are both great fun!

Thus far the world is beautiful and engaging. The sheer number of people to talk to,  befriend, and do quests to sway to my side is incredible. Sometimes dauntingly so. I’m a sucker for a good story and the game does a wonderful job drawing me in from the start and making me care. Almost makes me want to play the other Fable games to see if they are equally well done.

Personally, I had consistent problems with the targeting switching during combat as enemies piled in and when quest lootables were next to a targeted enemy I was swinging away at some guardsman trying to take my hide. One moment I would be swacking one of 3 guys trying to kill me and then *POOF* I am staring at the inventory of someone’s pockets. I can assure you I am not rolling the guys I am killing as I am killing their friends. It would just be rude.

“Hi sorry,” *to sounds of a swords clashing, “but I really must get this bolt of cloth and bit of iron from your dead companion before I continue to trounce you!”

“Oh yes by all means! He does have a bit of coin in the other pocket. Kept it there for a pinch.” *falls over dead from repeated stabbings and a large slash through his chest*

Still, the story is good and the world is beautiful. I’m frustrated enough with the combat and controls that I am taking a break for a bit before going back to it. I know me however, no matter how infuriating the controls, if the story is solid I will persevere through and see it to the end.

Ultimately, Dragon Age 2 is the story of the central character’s rise from refuge to political powerhouse. Your actions small and large will affect the world you live in. What Dragon Age is not is the same sweeping epic tale of underdog versus a seemingly unstoppable force ala Dragon Age: Origins. Can you the player accept this change? If you have been holding out going, “Hmm not DA:O and that is all I want to play,” then stop now and accept  DA2 isn’t going to fill that void. If you played the game and felt, “Hmmm what else is going on in the world?” read on good ser!

I went into DA2 understanding what I was getting into. I kept up on the articles and knew I wasn’t playing another Grey Warden. I knew I was Hawke, refugee of Fereldan in a new city making my way to the top. I accepted this. I accepted I wasn’t going to be an elf (<3 elves) and just like DA:O I was either a warrior, mage or rogue. I was down for the ride.

Combat has been revised, making it both more dynamic and exciting. Laughably, I’ve read the combat animation changes being accused as “unrealistic”. I am willing to concede this is a matter of personal preferences. We are playing video games, I don’t need hyper-realistic melee combat. What I want is to be in combat and even at low level feel B.A. Mages feel more active even when using the base staff attack. The animations change and aren’t the static staff thrust. Rogues run and leap in the air to double stab enemies further away. Warriors swing mightily…yeah I’m not playing one…I never play warriors. (Don’t ask its long winded and a total derailment). Realistic? Not so much. Fun and exciting to play/watch? YES!

Talents and Skills have been streamlined. OK…skills are gone all together; no longer do you have to ponder putting that point in Combat Training vs Coersion. The lack of skill points and allotment didn’t bother me. I always max out Coersion first and was kind of glad I wouldn’t have to bother doing it all over again. Instead, the way your character interactions with people will determine the conversation (more on this later).  Talents trees are fewer, more condensed, and synergies are more fully realized. A great example of this is Mage spells.  Primal (aka lightening, fire, earth and cold) from DA:O have been split apart into: Elemental (fire and cold) and Primal (lightening and earth). What has been added is the ability to upgrade the talents you’ve purchased. Thus the total number of talents has been paired down, you are able to customize which ones you make better (duration/damage/area).

Gear  is all about customization and preference. Companions armors no longer changed out. Costume changes reflect developments in the plot itself. You don’t dress your friends, they dress themselves. Instead, you can get items via merchants or found during character quests to improve their armor. The exception to this is weapons, shields, and trinkets (rings, belts, and amulets)and even this has an exception. Varric is the only character with a set weapon. Otherwise your friends let you accessorize them as you see fit!  Overall, I liked not having to mess with and lug around armor for my companions.If I wasn’t going to wear it,$$ Vendor! I still hauled tons of rings, belts, and amulets around as I decided who needed to wear what.  Also, I don’t dress my friends in real life…just saying. 

Artistic Changes (Don’t read after the Qunari section  if you want to avoid a potential spoiler. BTW if you didn’t know there were Qunari in the game you missed ALL the promo trailers…)to the way races apear in the game. Ok elves and Quanri do not look the same at all. I’m going to split these two races apart and tackle. I like the changes to the Quanri. The look significantly different from humans. Instead of just towering over them as they did in DA:O, now they have horns! It makese the reaction characters/NPCs in the game to Qunari make more sense. I am aware the Qunari design change conflicts with the way Sten looked in DA:O, I feel like it was a good change the make.  The Quanri have more psychological impact as being other. Speaking of the psychological impact of other…elves. Slimmer, bigger ears, lack nasal bridges; elves have definately changed. Sometimes to good effect (Hi Fenris let me introduce you to all your fan girls) and sometimes to bad effect (Hi Zevran…you look *head tilt*…odd. That picture doesn’t do justice to the way he looks full on in the face.) It isn’t a bad change and for characters like Merrell and Fenris they came out looking good for it and Zev was just *head tilt* yeah so *shrug* I overall liked the elf change (again it emphasises the differences between the races) but sometimes the end result wasn’t pleasing to my eye aesthetically. Speaking of aesthetic changes…Alistair and Isabelle look different. Isabelle is more Rivani looking and I like the change overall (except she went from wearing armor to not…which was odd to me). Alistair has put on some weight since you last saw him (you can see it in his face) Much forum complaining has been made over this. For King or Drunk Ali I completely and totally understand why. He isn’t out there fighting the good fight (read darkspawn) anymore and isn’t as in shape as he used to be. Grey Warden Alistair, currently on a super secret Grey Warden mission should be in shape. From a design budget aspect I get why it is 1 model regardless. However, it did take me out of the moment when I found him at a high suspense moment in the game and do the head tilt. (Head tilts are bad in general. It is a clear sign immersion has been lost.) Overall, racial changes were logical and well done with some individual characters coming out…awkward looking. 

Player Interface overall was nice and I found easy to use with some specific exceptions. The Talent screen needed some tweeks in my opinion. It would’ve been nice to hover your mouse over the talents in the tree to see what they were instead of having to click on the main tree to pull them up to view. This would’ve made comparing talents easier and quicker. A minor gripe but something I kept wishing throughout playthroughs. Speaking of my love for the mouse hovering = info; the ability to hover over icons on the mini map to get data instead of having to pull up the big map to do so. Again a minor gripe but another I kept wishing for. Take a look at this screenshot to see a break down of icon placement on the screen. I actually like these changes as well.

Final thoughts; my biggest problem with DA2 is the recycled areas make the entire thing feel been there and done that on the first play through after awhile. My will for multiple play throughs waned much faster than previous Bioware titles. Why I understand the need for conserving game budget for both time and money the immersion feeling suffered. A few more warehouse and cave maps may have really alleviated this problem. Mass Effect got away with it because you were going so many different places the repetitive maps for hallways, ships and caves weren’t as glaring. The story and game play are solid and enjoyable though and more than make up for the lack of local verity.