This Season's Most Twisted Horror Game: Halloween Gaming with The Evil Within

This Season's Most Twisted Horror Game: Halloween Gaming with The Evil Within

I (Mom) am not one for gory horror games so when Pop suggested to play The Evil Within, I was immediately fighting the idea of it. There is something about sinister games that put me in a sense of overwhelming fear. In the spirit of the season and because I knew the entertainment from me being ridiculously frightened and grossed out would be heightened, I complied with the idea.

Now, I don't touch this game at all. I refuse to. BioShock creeps me out enough as it is. However, I did promise to watch Pop play it, and it has been torture so far. The entire time I sit there, even if I appear calm, I am internally writhing. So if you like the type of games that make your stomach turn, tune into our newest Halloween series, The Evil Within.

Remember, we have our own social media outlets so check us out! We typically do daily videos and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we try and do two (the second being a Nintendo themed game).

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Tabletop RPG Essentials

Welcome to this week’s feature on Tabletop RPG Essentials. Everything included in the body this article is a MUST for anyone looking to getting into playing any RPG, depending on play style; some of these items are so important that they will require (or have already) their own article. In the last paragraph I’ll touch on some items that are more optional than essential, as well as some for sure unnecessary items, no matter who or what you play. Let’s get into it!

For clarification, ^^^THIS^^^ is NOT what this article is about!

First off is the character sheet for your current game. This is pretty self explanatory, especially as to why; which is basically if you don’t have this, you really can’t play your character. I have yet to meet anyone who’s been capable of recalling from memory every single stat, inventory item, wealth amount and aspect of the character they play, on a whim. If you can’t do this, you need the sheet because you won’t be able to do it when you’re playing either; like when it will count and something or someone may be on the line. So if you don't have one, get one!  You’ll also want a pencil with an eraser to mark any changes or additions/revisions during the course of the game; (i.e. marking HP, damage, or XP) only bring a pen if you want to earn the ire of your DM/GM and the continuous heckling from your fellow adventurers! (Insider tip: you might earn bonus points for bringing extras for your group) 

Next up may cause some debate, and that’s the Player’s Handbook or equivalent for your game. I know there’s a lot of people out there who are quite hardcore when it comes to TRPGing, and in order to prove yourself to a DM/GM you may need to be able to recall common information from these books from memory in order to be allowed into a game with them. However in actuality, regardless of anyone that makes you do this, they still reference directly to these books, and often, during gameplay. The most well-prepared DM/GM or player will have most relevant information to their quest/character noted elsewhere in advance of any game night, but they will also have a stack of books within arm’s reach of the table as well. Do yourself the favor of picking one of these up and learning from it religiously prior to your adventure, the last thing you want to do is to rely too heavily on others’ knowledge. All in all, and I speak from experience on this; by knowing the info yourself you’ll make for a better gamer, and you’ll have more fun playing as well. 

Required Reading!

Dice are a huge, HUGE necessity for any game, regardless of what TRPG you play! If you don’t have your own, you’re gonna be in trouble. Seriously, there is no better feeling than rolling critical damage with your own dice, or showing a newly acquired set with your fellow adventurers! For me, and especially my collection, this item is an article in and of itself, seriously. If you want a primer, go [here] for a rather lengthy explanation of the best kinds, the worst kinds, and the worthless dice out there. Also included for your amusement are how to roll properly without a boot/tower. I will cover more on dice and dice accessories in my article next week!

These are so important to a successful campaign!
More on them later!

Now, of course you’re going to want something to carry everything in, and there are plenty of options here. I’ve seen everything from beat up, old gym bags to shoeboxes and then some. But really, this comes down to personal preference and how much you are bringing with you to game night. For instance, I put to good use the crate from the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Prestige Care Package for ALL of my books, plus a couple decks and a few extras and essentials, but this is typically either for one-off games I’ll run or when my DM says to have as much on deck as one can bring with with them. (In other words, we’re gonna get screwed, and will have a “race to find the info” during our game that night.) Otherwise, I had been using a messenger bag that was just too small for what I want to bring every game night, and recently received a Backpack of Holding as a gift! ThinkGeek also sells the Handbag (purse) and Bag of Holding (messenger) bags as well, never has a bag been more appropriate for any RPG setup!

"I know my dice are in here...somewhere..."

Finally, are a few “optional” items you may want to have on hand. Basically, these are all dependent on the style of gameplay your group favors. If you’re using miniatures and a large map, having your own mini in your possession will only ensure that your character’s continuity on board remains from night to night; just make sure you mark it in a way that it can be identified from any others, this again comes from experience. Props are only good for LARPing, and there are often very stringent rules regarding them; otherwise if you want to show off your latest armory acquisition, do so and take it out of the game area prior to the start of the game that night to preserve as many appendages and furniture as possible. In other words, just save it for a non-game night. If you want to keep your character sheet(s) as neat as possible, I would also recommend a folder or clipboard to keep them with; not only will either protect your paper, but it’s also a great portable surface as well! Depending on how many people are gaming with you, including the DM/GM, you’d better believe that precious real-estate will be slim to none once the game gets started; so a clipboard/folder to write on is really more handy than you’d anticipate, and having one will only help to keep the table as neat as possible. Lastly also comes down to how you and your fellow adventurers roll; snacks. For some, this is an all out do not do! Others will chip in for pizza and eat prior to sitting down and getting in-character, and even some will make full use of one’s kitchen and cupboard stock during the game breaks. (No kidding, I had a friend make us omelets mid-game before, it was nuts!) My only suggestion here is this, find out the plan before you even meet up, that way you aren’t doing something you shouldn’t or excluding/including others prior to everyone’s knowledge. Chip-in, share, bring extra if you’re going to feast and game. After all, even Vin Diesel agrees, “You gotta have snacks!” and he's been playing for a while!

So that about wraps it up for this week! Is there something I forgot/didn’t mention, or maybe something that I included that you didn’t think of? (Most are pretty reasonable to assume coming to mind for every game, though) Let me know in the comments below, and come back next week where I’ll preview the Rise of Tiamat and go in depth with what makes for good dice, how many one really needs, and how to go about carrying them!

Until next time, roll true fellow adventurers!

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The Reset Button: What I'm excited for - Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

What I'm excited for: Halo - The Master Chief Collection.

As a gamer, it's easy for me to get excited for a new game hitting the market. But with the current generation doing more and more in terms of remasters and collections, it's hard to get excited for something I've played, beaten, and left behind. True, there may be a handful of games I'd happily go through again if remastered, but I don't hold a candle for it actually happening.

What Microsoft and 343 Industries has done is peaked my excitement for a collection. To put it plainly, it's the grandmaster of all collections. Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

John-117's greatest adventures in one package.

With Halo 5: Guardians on the books for Q4 2015, fans like me were clamoring for an adventure with Master Chief on the Xbox One. To calm the fan base and give us something to keep our controllers busy, 343 Industries is putting Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, Halo 2 (with an "anniversary edition" makeover), Halo 3, and Halo 4 on one disc.

Due out November 11th, 2014, The Master Chief Collection puts all the bells and whistles together for one of the best collections ever released. When Halo 2 multiplayer was shut down a few years ago, fans fought for as long as they could to keep it alive. 8 players who stayed logged in after the servers shut down were able to keep playing until their internet disconnected them or they powered their system down. They held out, but eventually all 8 were booted offline somehow and Halo 2 multiplayer was a thing of the past. A memory for all Halo fans of one of the best multiplayer experiences ever.

I loved Halo 2 multiplayer. Back in 2004-2005, I would grab a 2-liter of Mountain Dew (I was 20 at the time of release and didn't always have access to booze), some Taco Bell (another poor choice), and hit Halo 2 multiplayer until the wee morning hours. Those were amazing times with a lot of cool people on Xbox Live. This was before the days of douchebag kids on Call of Duty shouting racial and homophobic slurs. This was just a bunch of people playing Halo 2 online. Plasma Swords, battle rifles, and melee attacks were on the docket. And it was good.

Well, like Surge, it's coming back. 343 Industries is bringing back the full Halo 2 multiplayer experience in the Master Chief Collection. All maps will be included, all remastered in glorious HD graphics. All original modes are back, which has me extremely excited. I've never had as much fun playing an online shooter as I did Halo 2. Halo 3 and Reach were fun because they were Halo, Gears of War had it's moments when playing with friends, and CoD/BF were decent when you weren't getting called the n-word, but Halo 2 was the granddaddy of them all. So I'm beyond excited to get back into it online.

Dual-wielding, son.

All four games will run at 60fps in 1080p resolution. Can you say "gorgeous"? There will also be lighting upgrades to make things really pop.

The Master Chief Collection is going to keep me very busy until Halo 5: Guardians drops. It has been a long while since I've played Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. I'm very confident the story will pull me back in like it did over 10 years ago. 

If you own a Xbox One, the Master Chief Collection is a definite buy. The amount of content in this collection is top of the line and the multiplayer on all 4 games is some of the best ever, with Halo 2 being my personal best ever. And if you've never played Halo before, you're in for one of the most entertaining gaming experiences ever. Master Chief is the face of the Xbox franchise and this collection will once again show why. 343 Industries has outdone themselves, making a fan like me happy of the treatment Halo is getting after Bungie walked away from the franchise.

November 11th, I return to Halo 2. Get out your plasma pistols and take aim, folks. Because I won't miss.

Game on.

-ML

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Star Wars Rebels: First Impression

Today is my birthday and I am posting on a topic that I love, Star Wars!

I knew that Star Wars Rebels was going to be good before it started because it was from the creators of Star Wars The Clone Wars, but I didn’t know it was going to be freaking awesome! Just a warning if you haven’t seen the first episode/movie for Star Wars Rebels then there may be some SPOILERS in this post.

Here is the short plot summary for Star Wars Rebels and the characters provided from starwars.com :

“Set between the events of Star Wars Episodes III and IV, the Star Wars Rebels story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost – cowboy Jedi Kanan, ace pilot Hera, street-smart teenager Ezra, the “muscle” Zeb, warrior firebrand Sabine, and grumpy old astromech droid Chopper – will face threatening new villains, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.”

I like that they are going deeper into the events between Episodes III and IV, but I would also like to see Starkiller from the blockbuster videogame series, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, show up in the series. Starkiller was a big part of the start of the Rebellion and would only be proper to fit him in.

Overall, I am truly excited for the rest of the season. I hope we get to see some more familiar faces (you do). If you haven’t watched it the second episode is available on the Watch Disney XD app with a few surprise guests. Also ABC will be airing ‘Spark of the Rebellion’ again with an extra scene featuring Darth Vader and voiced by none other than James Earl Jones! It will be aired on Sunday, October 26 at 7pm EST. I will be watching it again for that extra scene and because it was truly amazing. Disney is doing an excellent job so far with this series and is giving me a peace of mind that Episode VII will be great.

What are your thoughts on Rebels so far? Tell us in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook.

Side Comment:
If you haven't watched Star Wars The Clone Wars, you absolutely need to. That series is probably the best thing that came from LucasFilm since the Original Trilogy. All the seasons are available on Netflix including the unaired Season 6. Don't be a whiny Sith and just do it!

May the Force Be With You!

-  Da_Fettman

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The Weekly Pull: Amalgam Mash-Ups, Marvel/DC Crossovers and New Secret Wars, Oh my!

The Weekly Pull: Amalgam Mash-Ups, Marvel DC Crossovers and New Secret Wars, Oh my!

Earlier this week, Avengers comic scribe Jonathan Hickman made an announcement via Twitter that set both Marvel and DC fanboys and girls into a frenzy ::

It’s been years since a great Marvel/DC crossover epic has graced the stands, with the most popular and memorable being the Amalgam publishing imprint from back in 1996. Thinking back on these iconic stories, I couldn’t help but revisit some of my favorite Marvel/DC mash-ups for this weeks edition of The Weekly Pull! Will this new crossover be another character mash-up from circa the 1990s? Or will parallel universe incursions be the prominent factor? Only time (and NYCC) will tell!

05| Iron Lantern - Iron Man/Green Lantern - Hal Stark, millionaire founder of Stark Aircraft finds himself in a near fatal crash when his aircraft is drawn to a downed alien spacecraft. Injured, with shards of metal stuck in his chest, Hal constructs a suit of armor from the alien technology found in the wreckage powered by a battery resembling the shape of a lantern …

04| Doctor Strange Fate - Doctor Strange/Professor X/Doctor Fate - As the most powerful being in the Amalgam Universe, Charles Xavier was rescued in the Himalayas by Nabu, the Ancient One - the Lord Supreme of Order in the Amalgam Universe. Passing down his teachings to Xavier of the mystic and supernatural arts, Strangefate became the only native of the Amalgam Universe to know that his very existence was wrong …

03| Amazon - Storm/Wonder Woman - Ororo, a mutant who nearly drowned as a child was rescued by Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons who raised her as her own. Upon reaching maturity, Ororo displayed abilities to control the weather, which the Amazons taught her to focus in the form of a lasso of lightning  that could compel it’s captors to speak the truth ...

02| Lobo The Duck - Howard The Duck/Lobo - Taking place in a pocket universe within the Amalgam publications, Lobo the Duck was a bounty-hunter on a mission to track down the villain responsible for murdering heroes and the destruction of Manhattan …

01| Dark Claw - Wolverine/Batman - After witnessing his parents brutal murder at the age of 5, Logan Wayne was sent to live with his uncle in Alberta, Canada. Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force when he came of age, Logan found himself submitted to the Weapon X project, which grafted adamantium to his bones. Ineffective as a weapon due to his conscience, Logan deemed himself the Clawed Crusader, and defender of New Gotham …

Referencing back to the incursions thought … it’s about to get all 1984 up in here again as the biggest Marvel event in years was just announced in what I believe will be the lead-in to the monumental crossover. Behold, the Secret Wars!

Do you have a comic, graphic novel, comic event or storyline you’re itching to read or learn more about? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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The Best Vampire Series of All Time: Halloween Gaming with Castlevania

The Best Vampire Series of All Time: Halloween Gaming with Castlevania

Before Buffy, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and every other Vampire themed anything that has a strong fan following, there was this awesome game series called Castlevania. Being a classic go-to, Pop and I (Mom), couldn't pass up the chance to include it on our Halloween gaming series.

Now, as much as I love the story behind the Castlevania series, I have never been able to find myself past 20 minutes of game-play. Reason being: it is purty darn hard. That is why, in this series, Pop will be taking the wheel, because otherwise all the audio in our videos would consist of me crying endlessly due to overwhelming frustration. Don't worry though, I offer moral support, plenty of singing, and commentary.

Check out our first entry into the SNES classic, Castlevania: Dracula X.



This past week we also played some more BioShock and Hyrule Warriors, so click right on those links and catch up on our playlists! Don't forget to check us out on our Social Media pages, and please subscribe to our channel to support us further in our gaming endeavors.

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NYCC: Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

NYCC: Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

As the New York Comic Con hit its mid-way point the Marvel television panel laid out their plans of of how they are going to dominate your DVR in 2015. A large chunk of the content out of this panel was Disney XD related in which they showed what's coming up for Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, and even showing a full episode of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. By far the highlight of their panel was the reveal that coming in 2015 The Guardians of the Galaxy will be getting their own animated show on Disney XD. It also looks like in true Marvel form they will introduce the eccentric Guardians cast in another one of their titles before they debut in their own show (Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. in this case). Marvel did show off some test footage during the panel that shows Rocket Raccoon in action. Check out the footage below and stay tuned to New Geek Protocol for all upcoming Marvel T.V. and movie news.

-Demo

    

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Give Us Some D: Tesla Unveils New Electric Vehicle

Give Us Some D: Tesla Unveils New Electric Vehicle

I have been a critic of all electric vehicles for a while now, but as a pretty big car fan, I feel that Tesla has the best vehicle yet to deliver this technology, albeit at quite a cost. The Tesla S turned heads when it was unveiled and finally shipped. I personally know two people with them that absolutely love them. However, both of them said that the drivetrain wasn't phenomenal for Michigan weather. Well, that is all about to change. Tis week, Elon Musk announced that all wheel drive will be available as an option on all Model S Trim options, as well as, wait for it, the top-end Model S P85D. Not a great name, but the specs of this new model speak for themselves.

The Car

The D is a phenomenal engineering marvel, in my opinion. Not only did Tesla figure out how to add all wheel drive, they were able to do this while extending the range by 25 miles, to 275. The Model D also boasts a 3.2 second 0-60 time, which is the same as the McLaren F1, the fastest production car ever made. There is, however, something that comes in this car that goes beyond performance and looks. Technology.

The Technology

Every Model S sold now comes with some amazing technology. The car has the ability to park itself without a driver in it, it can avoid danger on roadways, and, to some extent, can even drive itself. It can read speed limit signs, has adaptive cruise control, can stay in its lane, and, above all else, it can completely stop itself if a crash is imminent. The hardware that is put into place to do all of this is pretty great. The car boasts radar that can see through fog and snow, a camera that can recognize stop signs and stop lights, and 360-degree ultrasonic sonar. Musk even went on to say that if you fall asleep with driving, the car should be able to get you home and if you try to steer toward danger, the wheel will resist. That. Is. Awesome. According to Musk, the safety systems aren't reliable enough for the car to be fully autonomous. Also, there are no regulations in place for fully autonomous vehicles.How, before people get upset with me, I know that other manufacturers have been doing this for a while. However, other manufacturers don't boast a fully electric vehicle that can go 275 miles on a charge and do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. According to Musk, the safety systems aren't reliable enough for the car to be fully autonomous. Also, there are no regulations in place for fully autonomous vehicles.

Conclusion

With Musk's goal of being able to get an electric car in consumers hands that is capable of going hundreds of miles for $35,000 on the line, I think the updated Model S is a welcome addition to his plan. The Model S P85D will be available in December for a mere $120,000 and I can't wait to see some D on the streets.

Tip of the hat,

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