Gamezilla

After a moment of sheer panic this morning, I finally realised that upgrading to the Age of Conan – Rise of the Godslayer was going to have to be done through the Funcom account page. Having originally pre-ordered via Play.com, I was expecting my retail copy to be delivered for the launch date of the 11th May 2010.

However, a post on the Age of Conan forums titled “Play.com” alerted me to the fact that they had no retail versions in their warehouse. So a quick phone call to them confirmed this, as did a call to both Game and Gamestation. I quickly logged into my Play account and cancelled my pre-order for my Rise of the Godslayer and instead ordered via Funcom.

I’m now the proud owner of a new loyal kappa (of which its Japanese lore is more than funny) and a Ravager of Jhil bird as a fighting companion. Although the Play.com Puma sounds far more “my thing”, the buffs that the Kappa gives seem pretty good. I opted for the Rise of the Godslayer CE (Collectors Edition) which gives some extra double XP pots (I loved them during Funcom’s time limited claim) and new Alternate Advancement pots. A selection of male and female tattoos and a Ring of Dreaming Demons completes the collector’s edition.

Now I just have to wait until launch to enjoy the new lands of Khitai. I don’t think I’ll be doing too much gaming on the launch day though after all, the downtime is scheduled for 4:00am BST and will last for 12 hours. And then the patching can begin, a 3GB download will be needed for all who purchased the digital download so we hope the Age of Conan servers will be able to cope. All being well, I guess I should be online and playing by about 6pm. I hope! I cannot wait!

In Age of Conan, as with most MMO games you need to set your feats as you gain levels. The feat descriptions can sometimes be a little bewildering, especially because some are more PVP oriented while others are solely of used for PVE. The Yellow Gremlin site can help here, not only does it have a massive Age of Conan items database, it also has a rather magnificent feat tree builder.

The really great thing about the Yellow Gremlin feat builder is that it provides you with other feat trees that others have used, together with a description, rating and comments by other users. This also means that if you have built the best feats for barbarian or the definitive best tank feats for dark templar, you can also submit yours for the rest of the Age of Conan world to enjoy.

So if you want to find the the best one handed eged weapons the game has to offer, or if you want to build a guardian feat tree, Yellow Gremlin is your Age of Conan wing man! Top stuff!

It gets better too, they have now released some now goodies such as the Age of Conan server status page and new syndication tools such as browser plugins and even a Yellow Gremlin Age of Conan search box that you can integrate into your own website. Fantastic!

Having outgrown my previous hosting provider, the time came to move my site to a new web hosting company. After much deliberation and searching, a good friend of mine recommended that I use a Webanet, a UK based web hosting provider that seemed to tick all the boxes for me. Not least, they pride themselves in providing the best support and customer service, something which seems to be lacking in most providers.

Webanet provides a whole range of uk web hosting solutions and some of the cheapest domain names in this fine land. Two weeks in and things are working superbly, my site is fast, I have massive amounts of bandwidth and the ability to upgrade to one of their dedicated servers at a later date should by website need something a bit more, erm, dedicated.

The other great thing was, they transferred all of my website files and emails from my old provider using their free hosting transfer option and also, switched over to the new hosting seamlessly meaning now downtime! Brilliant!

Since its release in 2008, Age of Conan has had quite turbulent time with initial launch issues, the usual balance problems of MMO’s but has now evolved into one of the best online games out there.

The pioneering combat system is what keeps the PVP enjoyable and the brilliant Robert E Howard lore ensures an exciting low level fantasy experience.

So almost 2 years on, we see Age of Conan’s first expansion Rise of the Godslayer. The new expansion is set to be released in May 2010 and of course provides a whole slew of freebies such as buffing pets and extra items.

Set in the eastern lands of Kitai, this Asian themed land was not written about in great detail by Howard and so has been more of a blank canvas for the AOC team headed up by game director Craig Morrison.

One of the features I am most looking forward to is the alternate advancement system, which provides an in-depth progression system which you can customise in line with the way you play your characters. While other MMO’s like to increase the level cap in their expansions, I prefer the approach Age of Conan takes here since it allows me to fine tune what I bring to the battlefield with my characters.

The system allows anyone from level 20 to 80 to progress their character in new ways, earning new combos, powers and abilities along the way.

Each class will feature three new feat trees which adds up to a massive amount of new options for players. Each feat will be rated from one to five so that progression can be made in line with your exact desires.

Firstly, a general tree (which is consistent across all classes) is gained at level 20, while the archetype specific trees becomes available once a players dings 80. The great thing about the general tree is that it scales to the level of the character, meaning that lower level characters will also benefit from this new tree as they continue to level up.

These new abilities are purchased using alternate advancement points which are gained for performing in certain areas of the game. Prowess, Mastery and Expertise points are gained during the main core elements of the game. Achievements in PVP give you Prowess points, Mastery points are awarded for PVE challenges and Expertise points are awarded in line with prowess and mastery at predetermined ratio. The original Age of Conan content will also allow for these points to be gained, however achievements in the new land of Kitai will be higher because of a significantly higher challenge.

The main advancements options that a player can purchase are called Feats and Perks. Feats consist of more passive bugs which are always on. Some feats do provide an associated ability that can be used when the feat is active.

Perks are something totally new, and must be equipped within a new perks bar. Very similar to the way Guild Wars works, players get to choose which perks they want to take out into battle. Some perks are far more devastating than others and so take up 2 spots on the perk bar. So you can update your perk bar in line with your playing style or the situation you about to take part in. The single slot perks are known as Minor Perks while the double slot Perks are known as Major Perks. The Major Perks are class specific and are key elements that can change the outcomes of both PVP and PVE encounters.

This technical element puts the power and control firmly in the hands of the player, and is a most welcome alternative to the level increases which often result in simply grinding your way to the next level cap. As the player advances new perks and options become available to them and ultimately, a myriad of ways they can play their class.

Having been subscribed to Age of Conan since launch, I simply cannot wait for the release of the expansion. The alternate advancement system sounds magnificent and I am sure it will bring a lot of diversity to the world. Brilliant!

Like me, I would bet a fair sum that your PS3 is hooked up to you spiffy LCD or Plasma TV in your living room. Well, that’s all fine and dandy but if you are like me, you also like to move the PS3 to the upstairs telly or even round to a mates house, you are likely to get issues with the video output.

Luckily, Sony provide the ability to reset the Playstation 3 video output to the most basic 480p graphics mode by holding down the power button when you power it on. This should allow to see just enough to be able to choose the correct video output mode such as RGB SCART, component, HDMI or whichever antiquated video method is needed. Good hey!

The Playstation 3 was launched in 2007 and was described as an fully featured entertainment system. Not only can you play gorgeous looking games, you can also watch high definition video via BluRay, digital TV and store photos, music and even connect to the Internet. GREAT! At launch, it was the most expensive next generation console on the market, costing £425. One would expect such an expensive piece of hi tech kit to last for years, and the fact that it’s made by electronics giants Sony only bolsters this believe. Boy how wrong can you be.

A design issue with some early Playstation 3 consoles means that it can be afflicted by the “yellow light of death” as its come to be known. Without warning, the console refuses to boot and only displays a flashing yellow light to let you know something has gone horribly wrong inside. Once the light shows, the console no longer works and has now become the thing that PS3 owners fear the most.

So what is this “yellow light of death”, and why does it happen? Well, Sony say that the light indicator itself is a general diagnostic alert that is not tied to a specific problem as such. Therefore Sony very much dislike the term “yellow light of death”. However, it does appear that one single repair does seem to remedy the problem, indicating that a specific issue is causing this.

So how can I fix my “Yellow Light of Death”?

Well this is when the problems start. Sony are willing provide a refurbished machine to those afflicted if you contact them, however they charge £128 for this, and there are no guarantees that this problem will not strike again. Often, customers begrudgingly get the consoles repaired by independent console repair companies. These companies say that many “Yellow Light of Death” problems are fixed by heating up the circuit board of the console. By using a process called ‘solder re-flow’, the connections between the components and the circuit board are heater to a temperature of over 200 Celsius which causes the metal solder joints to melt. The process is used to repair broken or dry connections.

OK, is there anything I can do to fix my Playstation 3?

There are some things that you may like to try yourself.

1) Heat could be a primary cause of the “yellow light of death”. With this in mind, if you Playstation 3 has been on for a while, turn off the console and let it cool for 20 minutes before turning it back on.

2) I know this is obvious, but sometimes we miss the simplest of things. Check that all cables are tightly connected.

Now, if the above DIY checklist didn’t help, there are some more options that could get your PS3 up and running again.

1) Send your Playstation back to Sony. Now this will be the course of action if your PS3 is still within warranty, however it could take 4-6 weeks to get your console back. If you PS3 warranty has expired, you will need to cough up £125 for a refurbished model, and as stated before, there are no guarantees that this will not fall foul of the “yellow light of death” in the future.

2) Contact the shop where you purchased the goods. The Sales of Goods Act 1979 means you have every right to get a replacement or suitable compensation since the PS3 should be built to last. With my PS3, purchased from GAME I contacted them about the issues and used these tips and directions to get the ball rolling. My PS3 went off to game, they sent me a refurbished model within 2 weeks and the fun and games started again. Back to COD I was… for about 4 days and the “yellow light of death” was winking at me once more. At this point, all my mates ranks were increasing and I was left wallowing in self pity. Back to GAME I went and this time, after much moaning I managed to get a £200 GAME voucher for to purchase a new one. I had to send off my old one first and the voucher came within 1 week.

So, there are ways of fixing it and getting a nice shiny new PS3 but it is not without playing the game so to speak and knowing your rights. I am a little annoyed that I purchased my PS3 when it was launched, but at least I can use the voucher to purchase a new model without the worry of the “Yellow Light of Death” coming back, or should I still be worried? Time will tell!

Again I’m doing the Yakhmar in Age of Conan with my Conqueror, and again I am looking to get a Bloodseeker Blade so that I can respec to a carnage Conqueror for a change up. So the big worm goes down without much fuss, even though four adds spawned for the majority of the battle.

Anticipation mounts as the fallen are resurrected and Yaks’ chest is opened. Bloodseeker Blade is there in all its glory… and the other Conqueror in the raid already has two! Guess it’s mine, GREAT! I then notice the words “Sorry conq” in chat. NO! It cannot be… can it? My Conqueror weapon has once again been taken from me… by a Barbarian! With a need roll of 100 for the barbarian my roll of 13 had no chance.

My hunt for the Bloodseeker Blade continues.

Having purchased Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the PS3 during Sainsburys’ £26 offer I am absolutely ecstatic! I’ve had the game now for a little over a week and I can certainly give anyone thinking of buying Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 a massive thumbs up! Go and buy it now!

The amount of pre-launch press attention and hype had me chomping at the bit for its release and it really did not disappoint one bit, and even exceeds my high expectations in certain areas.

The campaign mode features a variety of settings and some really epic cinematic sequences that really make you feel part of the action. On the default difficulty you can look forward to around 4-6 hours of game play, but crank this up to veteran difficulty and you can expect 20+ hours of frantic fire fly action.

Now onto the main reason I bought the game, the online multiplayer. Having played the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on the PC since its launch, the changeover to using a PS3 controller was quite challenging but well worth the effort. The new maps take a while to master, and as with me I am sure you will have your list of favourite maps that you like to play.

The challenges and XP ranking is all here and provides goals along the way that increase your available arsenal, there is nothing more satisfying than gaining a new rank and new perks.

Some nice animation touches like caged chickens and paper blowing in the wind add to the overall anticipation of battle and really does keep you on edge.

There is a new game mode this time around called “Spec Ops” which allows you to team up with a buddy in 2 player co-operative mode (either split screen or online) and complete a variety of challenging missions, the snowmobile race is a personal favourite.

Overall I cannot recommend this game enough. At £26 I got an absolute steal and will be playing this game for a long time to come. Go out and buy it now!