Battlefield 3 – Back to Karkard expansion was released during the week; giving you 4 of the most popular maps from Battlefield 2 and some new weapons. Having played Battlefield 2 I was expecting great things from this but sadly in true EA style they have managed to stuff up a few too many aspects of the game.

Let’s get the problems out of the way first, there are new glitches in the game including;

• Available kit unlocks disappearing when you join a game. Joined a game last night with Lostagent2 and EnergiserX and we were all hit with this glitch.
• Simultaneous kills are back; having clocked in over 88 hours of online game play I have not had this occur until the release of the expansion.
• Resetting your kit preferences; this had happened a number of times since the game update; your preferences on your kit deploy resetting back to no unlock or just changing the primary weapon to the one before your preferred option.

But the update has given us a few changes that have improved the game including;

• Added round duration and ticket summary at end of round screen
• Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it
• Being able to spot explosives i.e.; C4, Anti-Tank Mines, Claymores
• Claymores no longer disappear almost immediately after you die; they now stay in game until replaced by others or blow up.

Now onto the new things; well kind of new things. The Back to Karkard expansion gives you 4 maps from Battlefield 2 remastered with the Frostbite 2 engine including;

• Golf or Oman
• Strike at Karkand
• Sharqi Pennsula
• Wake Island

This is great but my favourite of these maps; Wake Island just isn’t the same. The rush is only half the map and the conquest the American side doesn’t start on the aircraft carrier. It could be the fact that on console the games have half the number of players but the map just doesn’t seem as epic as is used to be.

Also included are 10 additional guns that were also in Battlefield 2; these are unlocked by completing certain opjectives e.g. 10 Revives, Destroy 1 enemy vehicle with Repair Torch, Arm 10 MCOMs.

If you have Battlefield 3 you will have either had the expansion free when you purchased the game or you will have to purchase. As it’s just new maps and guns it’s going to be part of the game and you will need to get this update. But let’s hope they look at fixing a few of the new bugs they have introduced.

Also if you want to join me and my friends, come join the Neo-Terran Front Platoon (NTF) – www.neo-terran-front.com.

Here is the release trailer for the Back to Karkard expansion;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyN_Zjw4l-s

Battlefield 3 was released last week and I’ve been a little busy shooting everyone to get around to making a post. This is the latest release in the series and I think it might be their best yet, taking the best aspects from the last few modern combat games of the series and add it all together, plus some.

A given with any Battlefield games it seems, there is always multiplayer server issues and this is still the case but from their twitter feed, constant server upgrades and the newly created status page (http://www.ea.com/servers/battlefield3) they seem to be right on top of it. The online is like any recent previous version but for the console the addition of server browser which is a standard feature for the PC version. They have added just straight deathmatch in the team and squad versions, this addition to Rush and Conquest game modes means that any first person shooter fan will be able to find something they like. The new unlock system that now unlocks special additions per kit, weapon or vehicle means that you have even greater control over the type of weapon you use and what your kit has. The only thing I’ve found with this that just doesn’t work for me is that there is limits to what your kit can have, e.g. Engineer Kit you can have rockets and repair tool, rockets and mines but you can’t have mines and repair tool. This is the case across all the kits that as open to choose your options there is still some major limits to what your 2 kit options are.

The recent addition to a complete single player campaign mode to Battlefield games has been a nice extra this one gives you a great feel of everything of all the different gameplay you can experience in multiplayer and the story line isn’t that bad either, not as fun and light hearted as the Bad Company’s campaign but still entertaining enough.

A new addition is the 6; 2 person CO-OP missions with set objectives like campaign but designed for the players to work in unison. Once again a diverse selection of game types giving you and a friend a great experience of gameplay and working as a unit. Now I have said you and a friend as some missions require you to work as a single stealth unit and that just can’t be done with just anyone even though the option is there for an open game. These missions have been designed for 2 player but Battlefield has been designed around the 4 man squad and that’s something I would like to see be added to the CO-OP options in the future.

Another addition is the new Battlelog site (http://battlelog.battlefield.com/), the social network for Battlefield 3 this site gives you real-time events for you and your friends check full stats and upcoming unlocks. It also gives you the option to join a Platoon (clan), be sure to join the Neo-Terran Front (NTF). This is really just Facebook for Battlefield 3, so check it out.

They have also taken the dogtags up a notch with the option to customise both the front and back of them, with unlocks through playing the game or special pre-order options. Check out http://actofvalor.com/bf3/ for some more free tags.

Now the big debate between Battlefield and Call of Duty (COD) this is something that has split the first person online shooters for many many years. From this post and pervious posts you can tell I’m a Battlefield fan. I never got into any of the COD’s which has had a similar timeline although longer and more games. But personally I find the Battlefield games to be a more solid build and a better multiplayer to be played with friends, which is something that is important to me. So check it out; here is a gameplay trainer if you are still unsure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zw8SmsovJc

Duke Nukem Forever after 14 years of development has finally been released. The game that was considered folk lore to most in the gaming community, has changed games engine more often than the ones underwear and bankrupted its original developer. And from what I’ve played so far it’s been nothing but a disappointment. The only thing it has going for it, is it’s the sequel to the Duke Nukem 3D game.

So all the bad points; the engine is on the Unreal engine that bought us Unreal Tournament 2004 so its 7 years old and graphics have come a long way since then and when you are “admiring” yourself in the mirror, it doesn’t look much better then then the original.
Having purchased this on the Xbox360 I would like to know if the very poor interaction with the environment and control response is as bad. The interaction with the environment is a little moody, at times it works fine while at other times you have your crosshair in the same place and it won’t allow you to do the required action. This includes shooting. If the crosshair isn’t red for the enemy, it doesn’t matter if you are hitting it or not, you will not do any damage to it. So when the pigcop is jumping at you and normally you would stop that with a point blank shot form the shotgun, more often than not you will somehow miss the thing even with it taking up your entire screen.

Ok let’s end on a high note and say all the good things about Duke Nukem Forever. After 14 years the only thing that’s changed for Duke is he’s older, still the same the macho, misogynistic, wise-cracking character. He’s still spouting some great one liners throughout the entire game and having every girl fall to their knees just to please you.
The actual story is a nice change to the current games in the genre using a more classic first person shooter design; but with a game 14 years old what would you expect?

Can I recommend this game to anyone? Well sadly no; this is a game that anyone who has been a fan of Duke Nukem should play but with the new release price tag it’s just not worth it. So when you see it in the cheap bin at your local game store that’s when you should think about buying it. Till then here’s the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVuuyRGB_BA

Ok this is yet another post about Battlefield Bad Company 2 but can you blame me when they keep releasing new features to the game? This time it’s a completely new game play using the games engine to take you back to the Vietnam War.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam is set in the 1960s war between the communist north and the Americans with all new period weapons, maps and vehicles. This expansion was released at the start of December and had just had its first new map release. Now in past posts I’ve complained about system lag and I’m not sure if EA have been updating their servers again or if there isn’t as many playing the expansion or those who are have better net connections but I haven’t had any lagging issues yet while in the Vietnam expansion.

The new maps for this expansion are exactly what you expect; battle damaged, close quarters and a lot of foliage to hide and run into. The look and feel of the maps is exactly how you would expect them to be in any game set in the Vietnam War.

The weapons choices are only ones that were available for the Vietnam War and what you would expect but the new addition that just says cool; the Flamethrower though not as good as you would expect is still fun to let the ignited petrol loose onto anyone in front of you and see them remain on fire after they have been hit with the stream.

In conclusion this is a must to any who have been playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 and has enjoyed the game. Yes there is a price attached to this expansion I think it’s well worth the money. If you want to have a look check out the trailer below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOG4y9L81r0

The latest in the Assassins Creed series Assassins Creed Brotherhood was released just over a week ago. For those who don’t know about them, it can be hard to explain the full game but simply Assassins Creed Brotherhood is set in Rome during the early 1500’s you are an assassin out to fight for what is right and killing many people along the way.

The story which is the biggest part takes the previous titles and takes them to the next level in game play and abilities. Though some of the controls can at times be hard especially with the 3^rd person view and when the game changes the camera angle mid jump. That being said this is defiantly the best so far in the series with the new option of recruiting assassins to help you though the game and the ability to send them on their own missions.

A major new feature is the introduction of a multiplayer mode, where you are an assassin hunting fellow players while being hunter yourself. his I personally think is a little wasted that could have been used to add more into the single player as Assassins Creed has always been about the single player. I have player it and although it isn’t as bad as I expected, I found that at times it can be hard to find enough players or when you have the time for all players to be ready takes longer than the 10 min game session. While in the area it isn’t as slow as you would think but it can be very slow and the controls don’t always work as quickly as you would like.

In summary this is a great game and is definitely the best in the Assassins Creed series but I’m still not yet convinced about the multiplayer. This is a must to anyone who likes something a little different to your standard action games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzNs4-kRLaE

Halo: Reach was released the other week, I know I’m a little late but even with picking up my pre-ordered Limited edition on release date I didn’t get a chance to play till the weekend. This is the latest release in the Halo Universe from Bungie, set in the build up to the original Halo game, and this is the pinnacle of all that is Halo. Including all the best in the multiplayer from all the previous releases including a new game type you can’t get any better than this from Bungie.

Ok let’s get the only bad thing about this game out of the way, like Halo 3: ODST you don’t get to play as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. Ok with that out of the way, let’s start with the campaign, not as long as some of the previous games but still very entertaining and the fun of flying in space adds bonus points.

Now for the multiplayer, this has grown with game types over the releases and damn if you can’t find a game type you like there is just no pleasing you, from the free for all to team based mode of slayer, objective, the revamped Firefight or the all new invasion.

List of most of the multiplayer game types:

• Slayer – All in kill everyone who gets in your way
• King of the Hill – Hold the designated section the longest.
• Team Objective – A random collection of objective based game types e.g. Capture the flag variations.
• Big Team Battle – Large teams battling it out in both slayer and Objective based game types
• Headhunter – Players drop skulls upon death, which other players can pick up and deposit at special zones for points.
• Stockpile – Has teams race to collect neutral flags, holding them at capture points every minute for points.
• Generator Defense – Pits three Spartans against three Elites. The Elites’ objective is to destroy three generators, while Spartans defend the installation.
• Invasion – Is a six versus six mode with 3 squads of two on each team. The gametype pits Spartans against Elites
• Invasion Slayer – Where both teams goal is to reach a certain number of kills in the allotted time.
• Firefight – A version of which originally appeared in Halo 3: ODST. In Firefight players take on increasingly difficult waves of foes (AI) in a game of survival.

Well if you haven’t guessed I am a Halo Fan Boy and a really do believe this is the best Halo game from Bungie to date. This is a must to anyone who likes a good first person shooter or has ever enjoyed playing a Halo game before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ez7iNjoVg

With the release of WordPress 3.0 and all the new features that are on offer, I needed a new theme to be able to take full advantage of these features. So based of the new standard theme for WordPress 3.0 I give you Neo Green by Nothing Inc.

This theme is based loosely off my old theme Ecologist by Theme Museum in style but built from the new standard theme Twenty 10. The biggest thing you will notice is the header image which is a standard feature in this latest version. So I had to design image that would go with the style and theme of my blog.

The image was designed in 3 simple layers.

1. The original colour image – Cropped and positioned into the required size
2. Then an overlay copy of the image that was gray scaled and given the effect of lens blur.
3. The crosshair placed over the image and merging of the other 2 layers inside the crosshair to have the colour and detail come through.

The image is originally from Battlefield Bad Company 2, a game that I have made a few posts about since its release early in the year (both good and bad).

Some of the new feature highlights for WordPress 3.0:

• WordPress and WordPress MU have merged, allowing the management of multiple sites (called Multisite) from one WordPress installation.
• New default theme “Twenty Ten” takes full advantage of the current features of WordPress.
• New Custom Menu Management feature, allows creation of custom menus combining posts, pages, categories, tags, and links for use in theme menus or widgets.
• Custom Header and Custom Background APIs.
• Contextual help text accessed under the Help tab of every screen in the WordPress administration.
• Ability to set the admin username and password during installation.
• Bulk updating of themes with an automatic maintenance mode during the process.
• Support for Shortlinks.
• Improved Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies including hierarchical (category-style) support. (Try the Custom Post Type UI or GD Custom Posts And Taxonomies Tools plugins to see the possibilities.)
• A lighter admin color scheme to increase accessibility and put the focus more squarely on your content.

So in all the new version seems good, I’ve still got some playing to go with all the new features and if you’re interesting in some more info about the new WordPress version check out the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHKpJSjQr4U

Myself and Lostagent2 have landed in China – Beijing to be exact. A 12 hours flight with little sleep we landed just as the sun was coming up on a very cool Good Friday. Here are some interesting things we have experienced on our first day.

At the very nice looking and large international airport, we made our way through quarantine, immigration (took for ever) and the all important customs which we walked straight through without having to declare a thing or having our bags checked – only being asked “Why we take so long?”

Our trip in the private car to the hotel I think has taken a few years of my life. Lostagent2 defined it as “ordered chaos,” which it is, and something that is rather interesting to see. The only rule seems to be dont crash. Pedestrians have no rights on the road even at crossings.

The place we are staying in seems ok, all the staff are friendly and there are some interesting items in the room to purchase including vibrating condoms and a compressed towel that you just add water to uncompress it.

 I tipped the bell hop 5 RMB which when converted to AUD is $0.80. We have been joking about that since not knowing if it was a good amount to give or not.

We have already experienced the Great Firewall of China, finding both Twitter and Facebook (who uses it anyway) blocked from access. That means no more stupid remarks till I get home.

For dinner we had some very nice duck but what was more impressive was the beer, 600ml bottles of the local beer. Although the beer isn’t that cold compaired to back home, it stayed the same temp for the entire time we were drinking and with the dew point in the minus we don’t get any condensation.

During the week I got my brand new digital SLR camera, Nikon’s D5000. This is a semi professional digital camera which might mean I’ve gone over my head with this camera but we will see. I purchased this camera for my trip to china at the end of the month with Lostagent2 for our mates wedding.

The version I purchased comes with two lenses the standard Nikon VR 18 – 55 mm and the higher zoom Nikon VR 55 – 200 mm. While in China I plan to get a wide-angle lens to allow me to take pictures of the Great Wall of China.

Nikon D5000 DSLR Key Features:

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 2.7″ tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• New battery with increased capacity
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

 After playing with the camera the last few days, I’m very happy with my purchase and think that Nikon’s D5000 DSLR will be exactly what I’ll need while in China visiting the great and interesting sites that are on offer.

Look out over the coming weeks for my posts from China.

As every gamer knows, their setup to play is an important part of a successful gaming experience. Whether you are a console, computer or even a hand held gamer, where you play can make all the difference. As a console gamer my TV setup which is why I’ve gone with the full media setup including; Xbox 360, Media PC, DVD player, 6.1 surround sound and multiple screens to get the best experience possible.

My setup is in a bedroom so the bed and bean bag is used as the seating in front of the TV Unit. In the TV unit I have:

Samsung 32 Inch LCD High Definition TV at 720p/1080i with HD Digital Tuner (LA32R81BD)

Samsung 250GB Hard Disk DVD Recorder (DVDHR755)

Xbox 360 Elite (black)

Media PC just a custom built pc running Windows Media Centre, some interesting points:

• Hauppauge Nova-T-500 MCE Dual DVBT SD/HD Tuner (NOVA500MCE)
• Logitech diNova Mini Palm Sized keyboard with media and ClickPad (920-000900)
• 3 terabytes of storage

BenQ 20.1 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor (FP202WA)

KENWOOD Amplifier  6.1 Channels Receiver  surround sound Dolby Digital® • DTS® • DTS ES® • Dolby Pro Logic II • DTS Neo:6 • THX® (KRF-V6090D)

All connections are done through digital means allowing for the best possible picture and sound. The input devices (Xbox, PC, DVD player) to the TV run through HDMI cables and the TV is connected to the amp through a fibre optic sound cable. Also the monitor is connected to the Media PC directly allowing for multiply items accross both screens. Below is a diagram of the layout.

Although not part of the media setup what I believe to be another important part of my setup is the in cupboard bar, including a bar fridge, area for mixing drinks, a shelf for the good stuff and independent lighting.

Because drinking is always a good addition to a fun gaming session with friends and something that should always be considered.