Deals and Sales: Saints Row 2 and Syberia II, TotallyFree™ [Notification]

Update: As of Sunday, April 23rd, Saints Row 2 is no longer available for Free, but Syberia II still is

I haven't been feeling too great lately (hence my not posting for a while) - but I wanted to make sure and come and get a quick notification out, for those that don't know and are interested - that I saw two games being given away TotallyFree™ right now:

Saints Row 2, the open-world, GTA-style Action game is at GoodOldGames (now just GOG, they also offer newer titles these days), found at GOG.com

and

Syberia II, the third-person, mouse-driven Adventure game is being given away at Origin's "On the House", found at Origin.com

Both are completely free, so go get them now! GOGOGO


[Note: I do not get any compensation in any form for mentioning these games or companies here (there are no 'referrals' or 'trackbacks' in the links above); I am just a gamer who likes to share things I figure out and find on my own here, with you, other gamers... Have fun!]

Quick Tip: 'Sandbox Mode' (Unlimited Building) in Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 [Steps with Screenshots]

I had picked up Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 again over The Holidays during a sale at STEAM and I already saw some people in the Steam Forum ("Discussions") asking if there was a 'Sandbox Mode' - which is a way to play with either 'Unlimited Money' or 'Free Building' - so I wanted to quickly share a Quick Tip about playing RCT2 in a "Sandbox Mode", as in, 'Unlimited Money' and/or 'Free Building'...

While RCT2 has a 'hard limit' on buildings [128 rides as I understand - but I have not personally tested this], it does have a way to 'create a Sandbox Mode' - where you can build as much as you want, not limited by money - by making your own Scenario...

If you press on the "Game Tools" Toolbox at the Main Menu (initial startup menu, with the four large buttons to click on, at the bottom) and choose the "Scenario Editor" from the pull-down menu, you can create your own Scenario ("park level/map").

After setting up things like available Rides, Land and initial layout, you can choose for the Scenario to use "No Money" (a checkbox, later in the process), which is an option that effectively disables finances (and thus the need for money to build, etc), making everything 'free' when you go back and Play that Scenario.

There are also 'Trainers' you can run (which are small programs that run in the background of the game, that let you alter Money, let you bypass other normal limits of the game, etc.. [I haven't used these in a while, but have done so in the past - as always, I mention a quick caution about trying these out, as although there are many, many Trainers and programs out there that are designed by helpful people and even whole communities, there is always a non-zero chance that there might be malicious software thrown in the bunch]); if you don't feel comfortable doing that (downloading a file from somewhere unknown and running it), the above seems to be the closest RCT2 gets to a true 'Sandbox Mode' that I saw, at the moment.


Have fun with it!




Personal Version/Log

I had typed this up the other day and have recently been feeling like I have been 'fighting something' (an incoming cold/etc) so wanted to try finally finish it and quickly get it posted - so there are no Graphics/Screenshots at this time, sorry. I have taken a couple and may return here to add some in....Soon™

Edit: I have now added in the Screenshots, showing some of the steps for clarification, as well as a Header graphic. Enjoy!

Quick Tip: Planetside 2 - Medic Revive Not Working [Note]

Just a quick tip for those who have recently jumped back into playing some frantic Planetside 2 and thought there was something wrong with the medic tool, being unable to revive, thinking they can't revive, etc - there was a patch a bit back that changed the Medic Tool so that Left-Click will Heal and Right-Click will Revive. Although changing such a long running/'staple' operation is a little lip-pursing, it should have the overall positive effect of assisting with attempting to revive within a tight group of teammates (instead of your tool randomly healing someone close, it should more effectively target the face down teammate on the ground). Just a note.


See You In The Games!

The Sims 2 "Ultimate Collection" (Absolutely Everything) - Completely Free from EA

When I first read about this from EA, that is, the possibility of getting absolutely every single expansion and "Stuff" add-ons completely free, I thought there must be some mistake... A little bit of reading at the EA website and I inferred from the phrasing that it was initially going to be offered as a free upgrade to current owners of The Sims 2 (Digital/Download or Disc-based versions); but I did a little more reading about it today and it seems that EA may be 'planning on putting it "in everyone's game list" eventually'... [in my opinion] most likely to arouse just-a-little-more interest in The Sims franchise for the upcoming "The Sims 4" release (now available for pre-order, slated to be released in September 2014).

Therefore, now feeling fully-okay-mostly safe from the dark shadows of 'releasing something that wasn't meant to be distributed', I share with you the Product Code that will allow you to be the proud owner of "The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection", which includes all of the below:

• The Sims 2
• The Sims 2: University Expansion
• The Sims 2: Nightlife Expansion
• The Sims 2: Open for Business Expansion
• The Sims 2: Pets Expansion
• The Sims 2: Seasons Expansion
• The Sims 2: Bon Voyage Expansion
• The Sims 2: FreeTime Expansion
• The Sims 2: Apartment Life Expansion
• The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff
• The Sims 2: Glamour Life Stuff
• The Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
• The Sims 2: Celebration! Stuff
• The Sims 2: H&M Fashion Stuff
• The Sims 2: Teen Style Stuff
• The Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff
• The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff
• The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff

Wow, thanks EA!

Note: this package release may be time-limited and EA has stated that they will no longer be updating The Sims 2 or it's expansions, although they can still be contacted if you are having technical problems running the game


Here are the steps to redeem the free Activation/Product Code:

1. If you don't already have it installed on your system, download and install the Origin game client from EA [it is similar to Steam and other game management interfaces] from http://origin.com/download
2. Create an Origin account if you don't already have one at https://connect.origin.com/create and log into the Origin client
3. In the pull-down menus at the top of the Origin interface, click on "Origin" and then "Redeem Product Code..."
   
4. In the white box [field] under Product Code, enter this:
   I-LOVE-THE-SIMS
   [hyphens may not be needed]
   
5. You should then see a message that the activation was successful and you are the newest owner of  [oops, I forgot what year I'm in, I mean a temporally licensed user of]  The Sims 2, along with all possible Expansion Packs and Add-Ons
   
6. Select the game in your My Games list in the Origin Client and install it by clicking the Download button that pops up [and if you're like me, click OK to the Insufficient Disk Space message]
7. That's it! 

Enjoy playing The Sims 2 once again, experiencing all that this version could possibly offer.


Have fun with it and See You In The Games!

Reminder: Diablo II - 2014 Ladder Reset is May 27th

That's right, this is just a quick reminder that tomorrow is the Diablo 2 Ladder Reset for 2014!

So get ready - stock up on energy drink and tell your friends you won't see them much for the next while - and get on that Ladder! Have fun playing, my wonderful readers - and enjoy being on the Top Of The Heap

(at least until the botters get going)

See You In The Games!

Quick Tip: Medieval II Total War - 'Fatal Graphics Error' [Possible Fix]

I first bought this great game as a DVD Retail Box and then later on purchased it through Direct2Drive [when Direct2Drive was around, then that service became GameFly (2015 Edit: and now it's D2D again)]. I also have it on Steam as a backup digital download source - it's too hard to resist those really cheap Steam Sales! Recently, I was Re-Installing M2TW, to begin conquering the world once again... However, I was surprised to see nothing but an error message (on Windows7):

The "Fatal Graphics Error" message, when starting MTW2

I personally found this error humorous, as it complained about Graphic Settings - and I couldn't even start/get into the game to change or even set them in the first place! So, I started Troubleshooting....

Apparently, a lot of people, on many forums, have been getting and asking about this error - and still are - so here is a great chance to share this Quick Tip on a simple 'fix' for it I eventually found, simply by playing with the Shortcut Properties:

Right-Clicking on the Shortcut for the game and editing the Compatibility Tab to match these settings,
is how I fixed the Fatal Graphics Error problem when I played M2TW recently. Try it out!
Click image to see Full Size

After making these changes to the Shortcut that runs the game (adding two quick checkmarks in the checkboxes shown above), after launching it should show a black screen [detecting settings?] momentarily and then load up the game properly (you may have to click on the icon in the Taskbar [Windows] to bring it up a second time) but that's it!
Hopefully that works for you all, as it did for me.

See You In The Games!

Planetside 2 - How To Find Snowmen (Winter Event) Known Facts, Tips and Suggestions

[Update: Note that although these Tips And Tricks noted herein have been noted to be of note during the first year of note in this notable noting, they have been tested to be valid for successive Winter Events, meaning that these Tips are still viable and applicable and other terms that end in -able for following Winter Event years. Enjoy!]

 Merry Auraximas!


For those playing Planetside 2 at this time of year, there is a Winter Event from SOE going on, that involves hunting snowmen in the blowing snowdrifts of the continent, Esamir. Killing 10 of these somewhat-rare snowman spawns earns you a new Title for your Soldier. Killing the far-more-rare Golden Snowman unlocks a Golden Hood Ornament instantly! This post is a collection of tips, strategies and ideas to help you do these very things this winter season. But first, an introductory video to the Winter Events, from the Official Planetside 2 Channel:





Known facts about the Snowmen:

• The elusive Snowmen are not quite as tall as a human/soldier, but they are definitely not "small" - the main problem is that they are...white - on a continent of snow. [They are about 2/3 the height of a player/soldier] 
• To help with spotting them, they have NC gloves stuck in the sides of them, a TR hat put on them and a VS stylish scarf draped around their necks knife as a nose 
• The snowmen cannot be run over, spotted, or their visibility increased by using thermal vision, as they are snowmen and do not have souls are cold [they did appear stark white on night vision however, in my tests] 
• They do not take many bullets to kill, they seem to take about the same damage as a regular player/soldier. For instance, in one test, a snowman was done in by two knife/melee hits [they are not excessively hard to kill] 
• They are somewhat-random spawns. They seem to appear at the same locations, but the spawn timers are unknown
• They can be found in groves of trees, near rock formations and even in the nooks and crannies of building structures, but only on the Esamir continent [there may be a queue in your region/server primetime playtime]
• There are two types of Snowmen: Regular Snowmen and Golden Snowmen. They both seem to be able to appear on the same spots (share spawn points), as some have even reported that one type of snowman was 'inside' another type of snowman (they were 'on top' of each other/shared a spawn point)
• The main difference between the two types of snowmen is that Golden Snowmen are far more eXPerience, reward a Hood Ornament upon "killing", and it seems that there can only be one Golden Snowman on the continent in existence at one time - all of this making the Golden Snowman a much more rare (but rewarding!) find

Snowman found in grove of trees, not far from a road, with some rocks around

Tips and Suggestions:

• Although a Flash is fast and versatile, I suggest trying a Harasser, due to the difference of having a 360° rotating camera, while still being fast and relatively easy to steer/handle (and it can 'power' over some hills that the Flash cannot). You can also switch to the 2nd seat (hit the F2 key on your keyboard by default) and use the mounted weapon, even if you did not (or cannot) purchase any vehicle upgrades or add any weapons at all [the Flash would require a weapon-add upgrade] to kill found Snowmen (and contesting enemies)
   
• You can use an empire-specific fighter (jet), but it has been reported that the snowmen cannot be seen from very far away (and some are under overhangs, etc) so this makes it somewhat more difficult if it is true, even with the difference in travel time.. [I have not tested this bit of info at this time]. You'll have to make that decision for yourself. Many people have reported flying around (low to the ground) has been fruitful for them
   
• All classes have their strengths with this event [no doubt thought of by the developers]: Infiltrators can scan a wide area with their scopes, sniping the snowmen from a distance and can cloak if threatened (or fight). Engineers can refill their own ammo and repair their transport vehicle if it becomes damaged. Light Assaults can utilize their Adrenaline Pump ability to sprint faster to their destinations, as well as jump-jet up to higher points and over rocks [I prefer the Light Assault for these reasons, but the choice is up to you] - however this is just an example of some of the benefits of some of the classes for hunting
   
• They appear at the sides of roads a lot [I ran into most of my snowmen this way, driving down roads and veering off when I saw a grove of trees or an isolated rock grouping]. Rocks seemed to have far less snowmen [for me], but there have been reports of people finding them in rock formations and on mountains [I found a couple, in rock formations; but since many of them seem to be easily found from the road, just driving around on roads and keeping a sharp eye open may be the 'fastest' way, in my personal opinion, at least, when starting out hunting, at first]
   
• As you can see from the maps in the next section below, they are spread out pretty well - there are lots of places to at least have the chance to find one. Of course, it will help [be easier] if your faction controls the area you are hunting in; but even if not, it's a chance to engage the enemy for fun (or if you are less inclined to battle, you are allowed to create a soldier of a different faction on the same server, so you can choose one that 'owns' the territory you wish to go hunting in)

Snowman found by the edge of a road [I personally ran into most of my Snowmen this way, finding them along the sides of roads]

Snowman found near edge of road, while driving around in Harasser

Community-Created Maps:

Here are a couple of maps that were posted on the Official Planetside 2 forums (shared with cartographers' permission):

[This map has been added to since this version by many helpful people at the SOE Planetside 2 Forum here: https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/index.php?threads/esamir-snowman-spawn-map.163625/ ]

Esamir Snowmen Locations, map by Slaudog
All markers can be either Snowmen or Golden Snowmen, circles mean more than one was found close to another
[Later versions of this map have more contributors, see the thread for updates]
(Click to see Full Size)

Esamir Snowmen Locations, map by MaxDamage
(Click to see Full Size)

Snowman somewhat-hidden by brush within a grove of trees, not far from a road

Snowman found near base structure, alongside a road

Snowman "kill", showing eXPerience gained. With the Double XP Weekend plus a 10% bonus, it seems that a Normal Snowman will give 500XP

With the great eXPerience that the Snowmen give, if you are a lower level (Battle Rank) you can literally rank up just from popping these party piles of pudgy powder [This one was found right next to the road]

I have already achieved the custom soldier Titles for a couple of my Soldiers since this event began and have started to help others find them and wanted to collect everything I've learned so far together in one post. Hopefully, you will find this information helpful in seeking out these little fellas, especially if you are just starting out - now get out there, start hunting, good luck - and See You In The Game!

Quick Tip: Team Fortress 2 - What To Do With Those Naughty and Nice Winter Crates (Winter 2013)

By now, most of you have seen these Random Drops, Crates that are either "Nice" or "Naughty" - but, "How do you open them..", you may have asked? Well, this post is just a quick note to answer this question I have already started seeing on game forums and Question/Answer websites. Answer: You Can't Open Them (Yet)...

Soon hopefully, keys should be available for purchase at the Mann Company Store (Steam/Valve/TF2), most likely for $2.49 USD, if keys and dropped crates combinations of the past are anything to go by [I assume they are dropping them now, to allow people to collect some before the keys go on sale - to sell more keys]. So, if you get these [I have already started getting them when playing, hence the screencaps], just wait a little bit longer, until the keys themselves go on sale. Then, if you want to open them, just purchase keys and unlock them! Soon™... (Remember, you will need one key for each crate)


See You In The Games!

And More: Deals and Sales - Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics - All 3 Games Completely Free Until The End Of December 13th at Good Old Games (gog.com)

Pardon me, I got so excited seeing this great deal, I forgot that they aren't called Good Old Games anymore (since sometime last year..). Don't let that stop you from taking advantage of this absolutely Free Gift from GOG.com: Fallout 1, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics are all wrapped up with a bow for the Holidays and waiting for you to add to your DRM-free collection at their website - see the full details there: http://www.gog.com/news/free_games_fallout_fallout_2_and_fallout_tactics

I hope you catch'em in time and See You In The Games!

Game Tip - Planetside 2: Missing Terminal Panels/Displays with Anti-Aliasing Enabled (Fix/Workaround)

Just a quick tip for Planetside 2 that I meant to post a while back: If you have Enabled AA through the Control Panel of your Video Card (NVIDIA or AMD/ATi) and can no longer see the display screens of the Vehicle/Resupply Terminals or other transparency effects (and if you want to keep AA enabled and see them), all you have to do is go into the in-game 'Graphics' Settings and adjust the 'Render Quality' - even just knocking it down from 100% to 99% will allow them to show up again - a screenshot example of the setting and the result is below
Have fun and See You In The Games!

Diablo 2 - Ladder Reset October 2011 - with Wallpapers and Screenshots

For those of you still playing Diablo2 off and on, a new season of Ladder starts next week! I actually didn't even see the March Season. I haven't played for a while and felt like some D2 goodness, installed it, and lookee here, a reset is-a-comin'.

I didn't make this Motivator, but I wholeheartedly agree

Every ladder reset I am both excited and saddened. All my previous efforts for Ladder-Only Runewords are for naught (if I didn't get to them) and now all my Uber Characters are relegated to General Population. I know, I could never survive emotionally if I played Hardcore...I couldn't stand putting in all the effort and excitement to have it all washed away one night in the rain..as the dark blood of my druid pools among the cool grass of the night.. ah well - a chance to make another character - or at least that's I would tell myself!

At one time, I had about 40 'accounts' going [on my own key], some for my own personal use/playing, some for trading (so they couldn't bug my 'regular' characters for items if I didn't trade something they wanted), some for runes and gems (mmm Perfects), some for all the Uniques, a sets collection (of course) and some temp account just to have sitting in a game on the other system, so that I could 'pop in' and drop the treasures of Diablo/Baal/Blood Runz and get right back into the next numbered game without missing a beat and losing track of a nice 8-player crowd that was burning through the levels. Good times.

These characters used to hold tons of gear from Runz, temporarily. Now they hold Off-Ladder Fodder. Time to make new!

Diablo2 is one of those games, for me, where if someone asked me "What is your favorite character?", I wouldn't be able to give one that stands out beyond the rest. I love them all. Most games, like most people I assume, I have a preference for what I want to play, generally. In Battlefield games I play Medic, in MMORPGs I tend to play ranged classes (hunter, mage), but for D2 I don't really have one class that I 'mostly play'. I play all of them and rotate as the feeling for the type of game I want to play changes. Do I want to melee and feel powerful? A Barb or Pally or Bear Druid can handle that. Do I want to stand back and let my minions fight, while I command them and heal and control the mobs? A Summoner Druid or Necro is what I'll load up. In any case, there's always a class and game to have fun with, no matter what mood I'm in, and that's one of the great things about Diablo2.

My Boner Necro vs. WSK Fetishes
[Great now this post may be auto-flagged as "Adult" for that last term... no?]

I was going to call this a Game Tip, as I suggest how to play something, but I think I'll just share this, as everyone plays different and there aren't too many combinations of 'styles' that are so different that one stands out far beyond the rest, in D2. It is how I play a Hammerdin (a Paladin with Blessed Hammers as the main attack, for the newbies). This is short and only one encounter [looped], but it shows the general controls that I use and I'm sure there will be players that match it or have better ideas, out there.

[This Flash Animation appears to no longer work here, sorry. 

I will update with a different animation or create a video, Soon™]

This is one engagement of a small mob with my Merc and here's the steps I take and controls I use:

• Running along with Vigor aura (looking for trouble or getting to where I want to go), I have my auras (passive skills, right side) mapped to the mouse wheel, so I can just spin it to what I want. Blessed Hammers is selected as my Main Attack (active skills, left side) so that it is cast automatically, as below
• Encounter! Switch to Concentration aura (spin the mouse wheel one notch and begin combat sequence). Begin casting Blessed Hammers by: Mouse is held down and pointing to where I want to go, pally is moving in that direction. Tap SHIFT to stop on the spot and cast some Hammers. Drag mouse around in the direction I want to walk in (away from the mobs, towards my Merc if possible) and intermittently tap SHIFT to throw some more Hammies into the sky. Hopefully, mobs get pulled into hammers as I lead them on [not in that way] and towards my merc just in case I need him to take them over. Moving in this manner, casting Hammers off and on, assures that they will hit at least some of the time, as opposed to a mob getting into a nice safe spot in the gap in their trajectories and not getting hit at all. (Yes, there is a 'sweet spot' for hammerin but I prefer this method as it controls the mobs to go where I want, as well)
• When monsters are dead, spin the mouse to Redemption aura to redeem nearby corpses as Health and Mana. Walk away Like A Boss with full health and mana globes. Spin mouse wheel to Vigor aura. Rinse And Repeat.

That's about it, at least how I play, and for a Hammerdin. You can still get into tough spots but you can pretty much wade around Hell without too much trouble as long as you have some resists and keep your Holy Shield up. It's not my favorite class or spec, but it's nice to MF with. I prefer Necromancer, Druid or Assassin, if I was forced to pick a 'Top 3'. I just find their playstyle interesting, more than their abilities being over the top above all the others.

And Now... Some Wallpapers!

(Screenshots to follow)

And Now... Some Screenshots!

Poisonmancer vs Hell Andariel

Not my screenshot, but a good example of what sometimes happens on Battle.Net

Just going through my gear, another example of what sometimes happens on BattleNet
I wish there were more advertisements, sometimes I see way too much of my screen
[I am not affiliated with, in any degree, the website captured in this screenshot]

Hopefully this won't happen to you

This was my Low Rune Holder in the last ladder I played in.

On my Gem Holder, I traded some Perfects for an Occy. Woot!

I've sort of giving away something here, but I made this Tip site to help you guys out after all, so here: On some Boss Runz, ones that seem to be led.. 'automatically' lets say.. the runner sometimes sells things and doesn't realize that his pockets are already full. Hence, the dropped money. If you can stick with a runner like this (being the only one along on the runs is perfect) you can almost refill your bank by the end of the night.

Following another 'automatic' runner, this one does Countess Runz as part of it's travels [and it didn't seem to care about these Runes - good!]

My Summoner Necro Build (Skill Tree and Stats), last ladder on Battle.Net

My Summoner Necro walking through Hell Durance on BattleNet. "Full Contact. No Protection. No Problem".

Oops, some of the crowd was a little too young that night. Sorry, Parents.

Diablo 2 Normal Credits Background

Diablo 2 Expansion Credits Background

You are now aware that these statues look at you
[they turn their heads in the game to face you at all times]

 
Looking forward to gettin' into some more Diab next week! See you in there!