Guild Wars 2 - How To Complete The Winter Wonderland Snowflake Jumping Puzzle of Wintersday (Tips with Video)

If there were an award for Most Frustrating Event of 'winter-timey' events of this season, the Winter Wonderland snowflake-jumping puzzle in Guild Wars 2 could arguably win the snowflake-shaped trophy. I'm all for getting presents to the eager kiddies, but I can only fall to my death so many times before I am reaching for the Scotch and caring less and less whether I get their gift-wrapped socks to them or not anymore. In fact, I'm doing this for ME now, for the Achievement... oh sorry, Tips and such, yes, here we go...

In Lion's Arch, near the display of presents and candy canes, speak with the Festive Youth (the map will have a red/white mint on it that says Winter Wonderland) and choose to brave the freezing peaks.

[The auto-kicker is set very low in this region - take care not to spend much more than a miunute standing still/away from keyboard or you will be 'disconnected due to inactivity']

Inside, there are three paths to choose to jump to your death get the kiddies their presents by: a path marked by two Quaggan, a path with two Snowmen and a path with Gingerbread Men. They are all similar and all three will eventually converge into a center point marked my giant mints as platforms and Toymaker Trixx warming himself by a fire. Warming yourself is what you'll need to do - and fast - as the more time you spend jumping around on the snowflake platforms, the more damage you will take from the exceedingly-cold environment. Once you get past the questions of why they just didn't build a causeway lined with intermittent fireplaces or just teleported you past this area, you can start to jump your way up the snowflakes into the white beyond, hurdling candy cane rungs on the way.

The Winter Wonderland area of Wintersday in Guild Wars 2 as it appears in Winter 2013,
feel free to use it as a winter wallpaper!
(Click to see Full Size)

Since each path is similar and eventually end up in the same spot (the fire with Trixx to talk to), choose whichever one you feel is the easiest (or get used to the quickest). After a few hundred falls, I settled on the far right one, the one with two Quaggan. There are a few large jump gaps and two sets of candy cane rungs to navigate, but I found once I got the hang of jumping the flakes and canes, I could get to the gifts [the second half] almost every time. Here are some jumping tips, but first, one that is most important in my opinion: disable your dodge/evade in the Options.

Opening the Options Menu, in the Winter Wonderland area of Guild Wars 2
[Quote from 'Forceome': "agh this is so hard can't get past the first part"]
(Click to see Full Size)

To disable the Double-Tap-To-Evade, hit Escape or click on the Gear icon in the upper left, then in the Game Menu that pops up, click on the Gear icon again for the Options. In the first window that opens, there should be checkboxes at the bottom. Simply uncheck (if there is one) the Double-Tap to Evade option to disable it, for now.

In the Options Menu, adjusting the Double-Tap to Evade setting in the Winter Wonderland area of Guild Wars 2
(Click to see Full Size)

This is important for this jumping puzzle because, as you correct your character's position on the platforms, or hit a key twice in excitement as you move around, disabling this will stop you from hurtling yourself off of snowflakes and mints or into oncoming snowboulders later (that's right not snowballs, snowBOULDERS).

After disabling that option, the rest of the game is mostly getting used to the jumping:

• I suggest zooming out a little, to see the flakes ahead of you a bit easier. Also, I suggest having a viewing angle of about 45degrees or sharper down towards your character. It is easier to gauge distance this way, instead of seeing 2+ snowflakes ahead of you in a flatter, more restrictive view that doesn't show you just how far you have to jump or where the next snowflake is, as clearly
   
• Get your hands in a comfortable position and have lots of room to move your mouse (if you do not have your sensitivity up high). As there is a time-limit involved, you will be spinning your mouse around quickly to navigate the turning angles and giving your mouse more room to move around may help in not bumping into anything and stopping it from being able to turn your character
   
• Jump as late as possible for the larger gaps. Start to move towards the edge of the snowflake in the direction you want to go and press AND HOLD the spacebar to leap as far as you can
   
• Find out which way of stopping your forward travel while in the air is easiest for you. You may find that letting go of the spacebar is easier (when you need to just drop down or drop quicker so you don't overshoot a platform). For me, I found that while holding forward and jump to leap through the air, letting go of the W (forward) was easier for me, so that's how I'll explain it in the following tips
    
• For smaller platforms (snowflakes, mints, gifts, etc), I hold my spacebar down as I leap towards it, and as I come over top of the platform, I let go of W when centered over it, so that I basically drop down onto it perfectly, without overshooting or getting too close to the edge. This also leaves a little bit of a run-way to build up a jump to the next platform, whatever it may be
    
• Although it might feel good to get a long chain of jumps together in a row, I suggest not getting into this habit too much, as the twisting paths and changes in gap spaces make it harder the longer you try to keep your hands in the same position and not 'resetting' your hands on the keyboard/mouse. I found it was easier to get past the snowflake portion [the entire first half of the game] if I let my hands reset often, even if I did not feel rushed or could keep going in one long jumping chain. It gives you a second to breathe and reset your hands and refocus
   
• Speaking of focus, when you find your eyes starting to wonder a bit (there is a lot of nice stuff to look at and your health going down is unnerving and distracting of course), try not to look at your health. This takes your eyes away from the platforms and stutters your concentration. Yes, your health is going down slowly and it will, as long as you are not by a fire, so just let it do so - and if it is getting close to the end (it will as you get close to the Mints middle part) try not to look at it, as it will take precious seconds away from your forward movement and focus. You will eventually die from the cold, if you do, just let yourself die and you'll get a chance to start over, don't look at anything on your HUD if you can
   
• I found navigating the candy cane rungs easiest by doing this technique: I would hold the space bar down and I jumped straight up and then I would tap the forward key (W by default), holding them both for one second, then letting both of them go. This would launch me up, then forward a bit, then drop down, right on the next rung/cane. [Hopefully, this old-school 'hold-a-then-b' style of jumping will help you past those treacherous treats]
   

In the middle, once you pass the ungodly snowflakes, there is the toymaker Trixx, awaiting your decision as to whether you want to try for extra prizes or take a consolation prize at this point. There is also the choice to give up a chance for bonus prizes by starting at this spot again if you fall when jumping from here to the end. Note that this does not allow you to ALWAYS start from here, it only gives you TWO chances to fall and start from this mid-point. Once those are used up, you will get forcefully placed back at the start of this Wonderful Wonderland of Woe.

In the second half of the puzzle, there are a scattering of gift boxes to jump on, then some mountain paths with snowBOULDERS rolling towards you. If that isn't enough pressure, there are also gusts of wind from large "friendly" snowmen and icicle missiles that drop down on you, all while you try to climb up the mountain pathway. Some tips for this section are:

• Although noone really knows how the gift-boxes work and what triggers them (some have said they are a fixed pattern, but they do not seem so and some have said it's if others touch them first, but I have seen boxes pop and disappear without anyone touching them), it does appear that if one person goes, you can go next over the ones that did not explode; but if a group of people go, the gifts go explode-crazy and I suggest waiting until they reset
   
• Don't just frantically tap spacebar and think it will work all the time on getting past these gifts. There are gaps between some of them and some will explode in front of you - so you must then adjust and hold the spacebar to get over the new gap. [I could have sworn wildly tapping the spacebar worked far better closer to the start of this event, but it seems it does not do so anymore]
   
• Once past the gifts, watch out for a gust of wind as you cross a large mint and hop down onto a candy cane bridge. Then, move onto the large mints on the side of the mountain paths, as snowBOULDERS will be coming down at you Indiana-Jones-style
   
• As you avoid the boulders and get onto the side mints, watch out also for glowing rings of fire on the ground, signalling an Area-Of-Effect incoming and stay out of the rings [It seems as though it is a giant icicle that drops down on the spot, but I have not paid enough attention to it to see exactly what it is yet]

Finally, at the end (watch out for one last snowBOULDER), are a pile of spilled gifts to the right that you must jump across to leap into the exit (a huge glowing gift box portal). The way that I prefer to do this last portion is shown in this animated GIF:

Once you jump into the huge glow and come out the other side, enjoy the rewards that await you and settle gently into the idea that you only have to do all of this 19 more times to get the Achievement!

Don't worry, it can be done... Along with some of the tips covered above, here is a full Playthrough [with embedded tip reminders] of The Winter Wonderland Jumping Puzzle of Wintersday:

Good Luck with it - hopefully these techniques will help you out a bit - and See You In The Game!

Hitman: Blood Money - Requiem Done In Under 26 Minutes (Video)

Warming up for the fifth installment in the Hitman series, I decided to boot up some Hitman: Blood Money. I tried to complete the game on the Pro difficulty setting, something I didn't do when I first bought the game. It wasn't too bad actually. After getting used to the controls again, I wished I was recording when some great moments happened while playing through the game (of course), but everything was going pretty smoothly considering I hadn't played in a while - until  'that level', the hidden-but-not-really bonus stage named Requiem (the 12th 'mission' in the game).

* YARR HERE THERE BE SPOILERS *  [Jump to the video to avoid them]

For those that don't know, when Agent 47 is considered dead, you can actually continue playing him by moving/pressing buttons and shoot your way out of your own funeral - and who wouldn't want to do that? Isn't that nearly the purpose of a 'wake' anyway? Then you just shoot your way out of there. Or, if you are playing on Pro difficulty, you get shot and die and restart and then die and then restart and die and then restart and try again. Apparently, some people are still trying to pass this level to this day.


Going in knowing only two things: that you can take the priest as a hostage/shield and there is some sort of weapon or item in the corner, I managed to complete the stage in less than 26 Minutes. Booyah! (hmm I don't think people say that anymore)..

Unedited, One-Take Recorded with Bandicam
- complete video compressed to ~5Mbps for smaller upload size
Game: Hitman: Blood Money, Steam Release (v.1.2)
- 'Secret'/Bonus Stage, Requiem (Mission 12)
Gameplay Time: ~26mins.
- recording resolution 1280x720, while playing at 1920x1080
- logo watermark (our GTAM logo), embeds a little bigger when recording at 720p
- might try out annotations on YouTube for the attempts

See you in the games!

Bully: Scholarship Edition - First Impressions, Screenshots and Let's Play Without Talking (Walkthrough, Part I)

A while back, during an always-great-to-run-into Steam sale, I picked up Bully: Scholarship Edition (the name the Xbox, Wii and PC versions were released under). Being a fan of Rockstar games, I looked forward to what looked like post-GTA2 gameplay, even with the simplified-for-consoles low-polygon-count look to it:

James and Algernon [Flowers For Algernon?] settling up in the hallway a'la GTA Missions.
Yes it's a lot less money,  but I think you are only fifteen in the game, after all

Saving money and time by not producing two separate versions of a game (for the PC and then the Console markets), many companies today are doing the reverse - producing games for the console market as a starting point (as they are easier to program for) and developing for the couple of de facto standards (as opposed to attempting to cover all the bases of getting things working and compatible for millions of different and changing combinations of hardware in the PC market as a starting point). Then, they simply develop and translate that game for PCs (game 'port'-ing, as in 'transporting' playability and marketability from one architecture to another). This process also allows for a game to retain a more simplistic engine, post-porting to PCs, so that it's marketability is wider (more older machines can run it = more customers buying the game). This is not the case with all games, but happens the majority of the time today to save time and money, and judging by the overall look of the game, it is the case with Bully.

James and his Biology teacher, Dr.Slawter [slaw-ter, get it? slaughter? or slot-her? umm nevermind]

Don't get me wrong, despite the pointy heads, cuboid (yes that's the correct term) fingers and overall boxy-ness of the console-focused game engine, Rockstar (Vancouver/Toronto/New England chapters) has obviously put a lot of love into the game. Making up for the low complexity of the models/meshes (and they seem to have even improved that slightly for PCs, judging by early console screenshots I have come across), things like detailed textures, varied model animations and other bits of attention to detail are everywhere. Papers fly by in the breeze and students make comments about their daily student/teenage life as you run by. Daylight levels change constantly, based on the hour of the day. There are weather changes as well:

Stand outside with no jacket on for a sec while I take this pic real quick to show it's Christmastime... Wow, it's almost New Year's!

Aspects like these have been seen in First Person Shooters before Rockstar Games existed, but Rockstar does them well and their presence is always appreciated by gamers. Rockstar's Low-Shelf (but then, Always-Accessible) humour is also present, with jokes like the Blue Balls Pool Hall. The game is rated for players 13 and up all over the world, so if you don't get that joke.. umm.. don't worry about it.

An example of the best gift you could give a teenager for Xmas

I try not to read too much about a game before I play it. A few trailers is fine, but I prefer to enjoy discovering everything for myself. One of the benefits of this occurred in this game, where I was pleasantly surprised to see classes (as in school curricula) present. I originally thought the entire game would be just Rockstar's typical open-ended, mission-based run-around gameplay. Talk to an NPC, do something. I completely forgot about the wonderful tidbits that are, Mini-Games.

Future Street Race 2165 arcade game. You only need to come in first place all 3 times!

In the adult versions of the other games (adult as in, being an older character in the game) playing videogames, billiards, darts and other such activities are Mini-Games that you can play in the settings Rockstar creates. Playing arcade games is still present and are nice little challenges, but the main mini-game aspect (so far in my gameplay) is the classes you must take. Pushing the right buttons in the right order for Chem class and drawing out an image a'la Qix for Art Class are examples of great interpretations of mini-games, are found in Bully, and are enjoyable reminders of the performance-based time spent in school days of yore [yikes, aging myself here hah].

Biology Class Tray or  Cafeteria Tray?

One aspect I must quickly touch on before ending this post is regarding the music. In game, it is present constantly (not particularly a bad thing) and it is pretty catchy. Almost too catchy. I found myself remembering and imitating the music while I wasn't playing. I began to wonder why it was so darned memorable and analyzed it until I figured out why: it is memorable because it is so reminiscent of music of the past.

This is not a dig against Shawn Lee, I'm not saying he was plagaristic, or even derivative here. Perhaps tracks like Beach Rumble sounding like the Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer and the track Punishment sounding like Wrapped Around Your Finger by The Police are done in homage. It does seem fitting to utilize their themes for those specific settings in the game anyway. Either way, the music is enjoyable and seemed to fit in with the game well, such as sneaking around done to music that feels like 70's-era Detective Show background track.

And so, it is with this enjoyable game that I am starting a series for this blog I have entitled "Let's Play Without Talking"...

I came up with the idea of making these series of videos (each game will have it's own series/playlist of recordings) because I wanted a way to chronicle the gameplay and enjoyment of games I have - initially for myself to watch again sometime - but I thought that other people might enjoy watching them (especially if YouTube is any indication of such a thing). There seems to be a ton of Videogame Gameplay videos on YouTube today (as opposed to say, over a decade ago) but none have people just being quiet and playing.
These videos are technically not Tutorials or How To's, as I am not showing you what to do to complete the areas (heck I make mistakes in them, as it is generally my first time playing them (so you are literally watching my first time or at least my first time playing that game in a long time (a section of something may be re-recorded if there are technical problems)) and they are definitely not Speedruns or Time Attacks, as I am not trying to complete the game as fast as possible (I like to explore things but am not an Easter-Egg-Hunter either) - I am merely playing the game - and you can watch if you want.

Perhaps watch these while eating a meal or relaxing before bed, reminiscing of the game and the enjoyment you perhaps had with it in the past. It's like you have come over to my house (I made a couple dozen chicken wings for us) and you are literally Watching Me Play while you eat or something - and I don't talk while I play...
[Technically, these could be classified as Walkthroughs, as I am showing you how to possibly do things, but as it is my first time playing the game, it is not in the most efficient way possible.. I make mistakes, some stupid, some funny.. and what is shown is only one path to take, one possibility and it is definitely not the absolute full experience of the game.
I understand the helpfulness and entertainment value of commentating on videos, but originally searching on YouTube I did not find many game recordings where people would just shut up and play and let me watch the game and enjoy it that way, haha. Today, there are an increasing number of 'Let's Play' videos of just gameplay, and so I feel it is alright to share my experience of the game in the spirit of entertainment of others and not intentional copyright infringement (these types of videos will never be 'monetized' - it is even free advertising for the game and game companies - if you like the game material, buy their games and support them!)
Remember fondly, or purchase to enjoy, these great games!]

To celebrate, I present this Desktop Background Wallpaper, adapted from an original Rockstar Bully Scholarship Edition Wallpaper, edited and retiled for Widescreen Monitors:

A nice and neat pattern-style desktop background wallpaper, just for you from Game Tips And More!

Bully desktop wallpaper by Rockstar

Now, without further ado...
The Game Tips And More Blog presents:
Let's Play Without Talking (Walkthrough) Bully: Scholarship Edition - Part I (HD)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer:
This gameplay recording is intended for Educational and/or Entertainment  purposes only
and is possibly subject to Fair Use. It is meant as instructional (a "walkthrough") and entertainment (a  "playthrough" or "Let's Play") showing only one possible example of one possible path of gameplay and it's exact likeness as a game path (movements, actions, etc) is not repeatable (with 100.000% accuracy) therefore your game experience will be different. This video is not a representation of the full experience of the game as a player (esp. as it is usually the first time playing the game, mistakes included). This category of videos will never be "monetized" by us.
Any possible copyright of any material within the video, if present, will be respected and requires notice of possible approach of infringement of the representative companies. Removal or Censorship of the possibly-infringing material will be undertaken. No actual infringement is intended and cannot be inferred. In fact, this is a form of free advertising for any companies involved: if you like their product as a result of seeing this, go out and buy it and support them! Create your own experience of the gameplay material! Have fun! 
This video is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.