Path of Exile Open Beta

I don't often write about video games on this blog. I'd like to more often. It's a big hobby of mine. From now on when I do write about games, they will mostly be PC games that are cheap or free, because I am both cheap and free. I'm going to start with a game that enters its open beta tomorrow: Path of Exile.

Path of Exile is a free to play Action RPG (ARPG) developed by the New Zealand based Grinding Gear Games. If you're not familiar with an ARPG, think Diablo/Touchlight like isometric view, loot grinder. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, basically you run around, killing monsters to loot their smelly corpses of delicious treasure. Treasure which in turn aides you in the slaughter of more odorous monsters.

I can't write about Path of Exile without at least acknowledging the 800 pound demon in the room that is Diablo III. In fairness, I'll only hover here briefly because Path of Exile is very much its own game. Diablo III and Path of Exile are polar opposites of one another. Blizzard (DIII's developer) took total control of your character, giving very little room for unique meaningful customization. Path of Exile on the other hand basically says "Here are a bunch of options, see what you come up with!" It is very possible to cripple a character in Path by making the wrong choices, which I believe is what Blizzard was trying to prevent in Diablo III. But it is also possible to make a character that plays just how you want it too. It is extraordinary the amount of options given. Below is a screen shot of the Passive Skill Tree in Path of Exile; try not to soil yourself.

Don't look directly into it!

Saying you can cripple a character in Path of Exile is selling the game a little short. Respecing is possible to a degree. There is no option to fully wipe the Passive Skill Tree (the only time this would happen is if the Devs amend the tree). You can however, earn respec points that allow you to respec one skill per point. In this fashion, you can make subtle changes to your character over time. You keep the feel of the same character that a full wipe just doesn't give. In this way, your digital caterpillar morphs into a unique murderous, fire breathing butterfly right before your eyes. This also encourages multiple characters as part of their free to pay system (more on that below).

The amount of options available is mind blowing. The above mentioned Passive Skill Tree is just one part of it. Most armor has slots where Skill Gems can be placed. Skill Gems are the meat and potatoes of the combat system in Path of Exile. Character classes have no innate abilities beyond swinging the weapon they happen to pick up. What separates them are the stat(s) they are more proficient in and their stating location within the Passive Skill Tree. All active abilities (Fire balls, freezing strikes, and other basic fantasy fair) come as these Skill Gems that you can slot into your armor. They then become usable via your hot bar. These Skills can be further modified by Support Gems to crazy levels of awesome. I won’t get too into it here, but what if you could turn one fire ball into a three fire ball attack where each ball splits into two more fire balls on enemy contact? Fantastic? Yeah, I think so too.

Beta is still beta however; so expect changes. As with any PC game these days, beta can mean many different things, but Grinding Gear Games has expressed that this beta is a real beta and major changes can be expected. I’d like to see the basic attack animations get some work myself. In a game about attacking, some variation in the way my small pixel character swings his/her tiny axe can make all the difference after eight hours. I also had some trouble clicking on smaller enemy monsters; nothing game breaking by any stretch of the imagination.

Path of Exile is free to play and as of right now they mean to only sell cosmetic items. I had to calm my wife down just now; explaining to her cosmetic does not mean blush and eye shadow. Pets, character slots, stash tabs and adding a glow to your weapons and armor is what they have mentioned they will sell so far. No Pay to Win in that list at all. And while I commend the attempt to sell only cosmetic, I hope they can make it on those sales alone. I guess it is up to us, the gamer, to show how much we appreciate that model by supporting it.

Path of Exile is free to play starting tomorrow (January 23)! You can create an account and pre-download it here. Come join me in the furious clicking on monsters until their necessary demise.

Been playing Path of Exile? What do you think? Have a game in mind I should take a look at? Drop all these and what ever else your deranged mind has on it in the comments.

Lance Armstrong

Did you ever want to believe in something so much you purposefully ignored clear facts? I have. I think it’s pretty clear what I am talking about, but I haven’t wanted to talk about it at all because it hurts. I am not mad. I am hurting in my soul. Writing this has my stomach all rung up because I don’t want to say it. I was wrong. I guess we won’t know anything for certain until the over hyped, narcissistic interview airs tonight, but didn’t we already know? Lance Armstrong is indeed a cheater and maybe more importantly, a liar and a bully.

For those of you who don’t know, I have been a very big Lance fan for years. I have a USPS cycling jersey, I read the book, a have the overpriced custom sunglasses. In years since his retirement and second retirement, I have adamantly defended him in accusations of doping. This is all over. He cheated. He lied about it. He viciously attacked those willing to come forward and tell the truth. He built a charitable foundation on a mountain of lies and bribery. This hurts more than just Lance and the people he took down with him. This hurts the people who believed in the idea of the Livestrong Foundation. I just don’t see a way it can continue on after this. But I am not going to harp on about all this, there are plenty of people doing that for me. I’d much rather forget him, move on, and try to help the people with real problems.

There are those out there cheering this fall from grace and I have words for you:

You were right, now shut up. What kind of sad, messed up world do we live in where people are happy when news like this breaks? This was not just a great sports story, it was a great human story. What has happened to our culture? We enjoy tearing people down more than building them up. Lance deserves every bit of criticism coming his way, no doubt. He brought this upon himself by first cheating and second lying about it and trampling those around him who did nothing but tell the truth. But must we revel in it? I am sad because I can no longer trust anything.

Review: Wreck-it Ralph

The Wife: Disney has once again produced another fantastic movie with Wreck-it Ralph. Seriously when did it become “cool” to hate on Disney? Why are the Star Wars super nerds worried? Disney seldom produces crap. Disney rarely disappoints (especially when it is a Disney-Pixar film), and Wreck-it Ralph is a prime example of Disney awesomeness.

Wreck-it Ralph was just flat out fun. After a week of election stress and sporting events gone terribly wrong, sometimes you just need to escape with a fun, light-hearted movie. Wreck-it Ralph is one of those special films that both children AND adults can enjoy.

For the video game enthusiast, Wreckit Ralph brought lots of nostalgia with recognizable video game characters, such as the infamous ghost from Pac-Man. However, even if you don’t know video games, Wreck it Ralph still provided plenty of entertainment. The plot centers around Ralph, the “villain” of Fix-it Felix Jr, an old school arcade game. After spending 30 years of being the “bad guy” and always feeling left out, Ralph seeks out new adventures and looks to earn a medal of his own by being the hero for once. He travels through other games and eventually lands in Sugar Rush, where he meets fellow misfit, Vanellope, also known as the game’s “glitch.” Sugar Rush, a game which looks quite similar to Mario Kart, has banned Vanellope from racing due to her being a glitch. Determined to race again, Vanellope and Ralph eventually join forces to change their destinies. Meanwhile, Felix, of Ralph’s game, travels through the other games to track Ralph down and bring him back. Of course, it isn’t all fun and games (haha oh puns) as the evil Candy King and a mysterious alien egg look to shake up the arcade world.

Overall Wreck-it Ralph was a fantastic movie. It was funny, but also had a somewhat serious side as it dealt with issues that all kids (and even some adults face), like acceptance and finding one’s place in the world. As someone who typically ALWAYS figures out plot twists, Wreck-it Ralph succeeded in completely throwing me off from one major event. Bravo, Disney! After the twist was revealed I had a “duh!” moment, but I loved that I was caught off guard.

I would highly recommend seeing Wreck-it Ralph. Young and old alike, this film has something for everyone to enjoy!

Hobo Dan: I just pee’d a little. In my pants.

Wreck-it Ralph is that great. I feel like I need to see it again to try and pick out all the small video game references I missed the first time. But fear not my minions who may be less than fluent in all things video games, you do not need this extra knowledge to enjoy this wonderful film. From start to finish, this film is top shelf entertainment. The voice talent is great, the animation are perfect. What’s even more amazing is how they nailed the old school 8 and 16 bit Arcade animations and music. I felt like I was watching someone play the NES! The story was funny and impactful for adults and children. The Wife covered pretty much all I have to say. Go see this movie, you won’t be sorry.

Now where is my NES?

Disney buys Star Wars

I was suppose to make a short post today explaining were we have been. I wanted to inform you we will be posting about our October vacation soon and reviewing Wreck-it-Ralph for next Monday. Then, Disney bought Lucusfilm and annouced Star Wars Episode 7 for a 2015 release...

And the Internet exploded...

I have experienced the 5 stages of grief since I heard this news yesterday. First, right after the Wife told me, I denied it. No, this was just the most epic Internet Trololol ever. But too many reputable sites ran the story with pictures and numbers and... So then, Daniel got angry! How can this be? It's one thing that you buy Marvel! But now Star Wars! I got down on my knees and begged, bargained and pleaded with the force, "I will do anything!" Disney, you can buy Marvel, but you can never take my Star Wars! The force remained quiet, so I sank into sarrow.

Acceptance. I sat on the couch this morning before work and watched some TV. I saw a commercial for Wreck-it-Ralph. A Disney movie I will be seeing this Friday. I am excited to see this film. It looks really good. You know what else is good? Every Pixar movie. Who owns Pixar? Disney. I also liked the new Tron movie they made and of course I like the Pirates movies. So what am I afraid of?

Honestly, I don't know. George Lucas has already whored Star Wars out in every possible way. There is Star Wars everything (including Angry Birds). Let's not even mention Episode I. This has devalued the franchise to me. Everyone should just calm down, it's only Star Wars. What was once sacred and cherished is more of a joke now. Merchandised and marketed and focused on making money. We cannot go back to 1977, so everyone just needs to stop crying.

The bright side is that Disney has the money and the power to do what ever they want with Star Wars and do it right! They could give the reins to someone new and they could make something awesome. Have the Marvel movies been bad since Disney took over? Some would argue The Avengers is the best comic movie ever made (not me). Disney helped in that. No, I don't believe we need a new trilogy, but we are getting one. So why not make it as good as possible? What if Disney gave Star Wars to Joss Whedon? Would not the fan boys and girls cry out in joy? What if Disney decided to build an entire theme park in Orlando for Star Wars? Who shall step forth and oppose this? A tired old franchise has been pulled away from the grips of a tired old emperor and just maybe has been given new life.

I think it is far too early to panic. I think it is far to early to rage. What if this is the best thing to happen to Star Wars since "I am your father."?

Review: Finding Nemo 3D

The Wife: After a hiatus that came from being busy and a lack of good films out, we are finally back with an edition of Movie Monday! We know all you Dump readers are thrilled. With quite a few movies that came out in recent weeks, we actually chose to see a movie we’ve already seen! Yes, that’s right we totally saw Finding Nemo 3D like the awesome grownups we are!

We chose to see Finding Nemo 3D for a variety of reasons. First off, we wanted something light and fun since we were both exhausted from the 5K we did earlier that morning. The main reason, however, is that I absolutely LOVE Finding Nemo and wasn’t about to turn down a chance to see it on the big screen! Also, this actually was my first time seeing Nemo at the theatre. Not to mention, it had actually been quite awhile since I saw Nemo in full. Finding Nemo was just as cute as I remembered. I laughed like a kid at all the jokes and even picked up on some funny moments I hadn’t really noticed during previous viewings. For a movie that already looked speculator during its first release, I truthfully didn’t notice too much of a difference with the 3D. The picture did look sharper and crisper, which was great. I picked up on a few actual 3D moments, but if you are looking to be wowed simply by the 3D, then you may be disappointed. However, even without 3D, I would have seen Finding Nemo anyway!

For the actual plot of the movie, there isn’t much to say since it’s already been out for several years. When I first saw they were bringing Nemo back to the theatre I was happy but thought “hmm that movie isn’t even that old.” Then reality hit and it dawned on me that it was nearly 10 years old. Wow. Between this and Full House turning 25 over the weekend, things keep popping up to remind me how old I am getting! Then again, age is only a number and this is why I feel no shame in seeing a movie like Finding Nemo 3D at the theatre! Overall, I really enjoyed seeing Finding Nemo 3D. It was a fun evening out with HoboDan. Nemo has always been one of my favorite Disney-Pixar movies and the only thing I missed was not hearing the music that you get with the live Nemo show at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom! My fellow Disney fanatics will know what I mean. “In that big blueeee worllddd!”

As with most Disney-Pixar films, we got a “short” before Nemo started. I consider the Toy Story trilogy to be far and above the BEST of all the Disney-Pixar movies, so naturally I was pumped for a Toy Story short! I really think the trilogy ended perfectly and don’t think more movies should be made, but I LOVE the Toy Story shorts and hope they keep making more! The short was very cute and easily my favorite part of our Finding Nemo 3D movie night experience. I really hope Disney continues to bring back old favorites. I will probably be first in line to get tickets if they re-release Aladdin or The Little Mermaid! Now, before I say goodbye please don’t laugh too much at my expense when you read HoboDan’s most-likely, typical hilarious Movie Monday review!

Hobo Dan: I sit back in my comfy theater chair, crack into my Sour Patch kids and prepare for another movie. Going to movies really is the best. I slip my 3D glasses out of their plastic wrap and whimper slightly, “this really craps on the fun though…” I know, they re-released Finding Nemo specifically for 3D, but I still hate 3D. I would have gladly seen Nemo again in standard! But I move on, the 3D effects in Finding Nemo were nonexistent anyways. A few more Sour Patches down the hatch and the trailers begin. A calm voice tells me to put on my 3D glasses (and then give in to the Matrix). I slip then on. The Wife grumbles about something, I didn’t hear the complaint over my glee at the Wreck-it-Ralph trailer and my own chewing.

“God this is blurry!” The Wife says. I heard her this time; as did everyone in the room. She removed her 3D glasses (which she has to wear over her regular glasses) and begins cleaning them off. I eat some popcorn even though the movie itself hasn’t started; (a cardinal sin to The Wife) she doesn’t notice. The Wife puts her 3D glasses back on and grumbles again “This is still blurry!” She removes both the 3D glasses and her regular spectacles and cleans both of them thoroughly. By this time the special Toy Story short film is beginning. She quickly put both sets of glasses back on and watches the short (by the way, I really love how companies are doing short cartoon like stories before movies again!) The short finishes and the Wife turns to me and frowns. I look at her, sour patches still stuck in my teeth…

“What’s the problem?” I start using my tongue to remove remnants of small sour children.

“Is this blurry to you?” She says in her ‘this is the end of the world if not fixed right now’ tone. I slowly look at the screen and then back to her.

“No.”

“Ugh! Trade me!” The Wife removes her 3D glasses and hands them to me. I get them a foot from my face when I realize the problem and hand them back to her.

“These are your sunglasses.”