Rocket League! A game of soccer but with a twist, you are driving cars and trucks. The goal of the game is pretty straight forward, score goals against an enemy team in a 4 versus 4 matchup. The match is played inside an arena, and players play with a ball which is larger than the cars themselves.
Matches in the game are roughly five minutes long with an overtime if there is a tie of score. The players can use their cars with weird physics in the game, such as jumping to hit the ball while it is in mid air and there are also speed boosts which players utilize in different ways to either speed up or ram into other cars. Speed boosts create the havoc and fun inside a match and can be used to dodge and pull off some hefty tricks during play.
The game has introduced a free battle pass feature for players which can be used to unlock different items and cosmetics. Rocket League supports cross-platform play, meaning someone playing on a PC can matchup with someone playing on a PS4 or an Xbox One.
The game has its own tournament which was held in 2016 and had a total prize pool of $55,000. The game is a sponsored esport and has held various tournaments since. The game is fairly under the radar on the scene since the player base is not as high. However, with further improvements and an addition of different match modes, the game has the potential to take the market of esports by storm.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Pokemon: Leaf Green and Fire Red
Back in the early 2000s, Pokemon Leaf Green and Fire Red were released on the Game Boy Advanced. I, however, played these games on my computer through an emulator. Both games, like previous iterations of the Pokemon game franchise, were role playing games in which you play as a single character on a quest to 'catch em all'.
You start with choosing one of three Pokemon in the beginning. The offered Pokemon are Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. Once you choose your starting Pokemon, you are thrown into a world of exploration and Pokemon fights. The games had a linear progression in terms of objectives and the RPG element came through the Pokemon that you catch and the areas you tried to explore. These games were the first to introduce Legendary Pokemon. I remember the excitement when you I encountered a MewTwo in the caves.
The games' play time was over 50 hours, and there were over a hundred Pokemon that you could catch. Every Pokemon you caught could be leveled up to level 100 and most had unique abilities which you used in Pokemon fights. Some Pokemon had to be taught specific abilities in order to travel through certain regions.
The game's world is sprawled with Large cities and Small towns, some of which contained PokeGyms, where you had to defeat the Gym Leader and obtain a badge. You had to collect all 8 Gym badges so that you can fight the ultimate bosses in the game, the Elite Four.
In the game, you also face Team Rocket on your adventures and have to do Pokemon battles with their goons.
You could also pair your Game Boy Advance consoles with those of your friends and trade Pokemon, which allowed for access of further locked regions in the game as well.
The game was a critical success, and spawned off various more games such as Pokemon Sapphire and Pokemon Ruby, which were games containing next gen Pokemon.
You start with choosing one of three Pokemon in the beginning. The offered Pokemon are Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. Once you choose your starting Pokemon, you are thrown into a world of exploration and Pokemon fights. The games had a linear progression in terms of objectives and the RPG element came through the Pokemon that you catch and the areas you tried to explore. These games were the first to introduce Legendary Pokemon. I remember the excitement when you I encountered a MewTwo in the caves.
The games' play time was over 50 hours, and there were over a hundred Pokemon that you could catch. Every Pokemon you caught could be leveled up to level 100 and most had unique abilities which you used in Pokemon fights. Some Pokemon had to be taught specific abilities in order to travel through certain regions.
The game's world is sprawled with Large cities and Small towns, some of which contained PokeGyms, where you had to defeat the Gym Leader and obtain a badge. You had to collect all 8 Gym badges so that you can fight the ultimate bosses in the game, the Elite Four.
In the game, you also face Team Rocket on your adventures and have to do Pokemon battles with their goons.
You could also pair your Game Boy Advance consoles with those of your friends and trade Pokemon, which allowed for access of further locked regions in the game as well.
The game was a critical success, and spawned off various more games such as Pokemon Sapphire and Pokemon Ruby, which were games containing next gen Pokemon.
Hardest Heroes in DOTA 2
There are over a hundred playable heroes in DOTA 2. Some are pretty straightforward, whereas others require a very high degree of skill to play and an even higher amount of practice to master. I will list down my top 5 hardest heroes to play in DOTA. Starting with...
5: Ember Spirit
Ember Spirit is an agility carry whose spells offer a lot of AOE (Area of Effect) damage and lockdown. This hero is incredibly mobile and requires a lot of farm and gold to come online and be viable in the match. The hero can be played as a physical damage carry or as a magical damage nuker.
4: Invoker
You've all heard about Invoker. And almost everyone from 1k mmr to top tier professionals play this hero, but both types of players play this famous hero differently. Invoker has a combined total of 10 spells which he can 'invoke'. Even learning the different combinations of his Quas, Wex and Exort can take a few games to memorize. Invoker can be played in a multitude of roles, and is an unstoppable force within the right hands.
3: Io
Io is a strength hero which has an incredibly high skill cap given that he is almost never picked in low tier games. If played properly, Io can change the course of the game with his relocate ability. The hero is played as a support, and players find it difficult to synchronize its abilities with other heroes.
2: Earth Spirit
Earth Spirit is a roaming/ganking support hero. The hero is pretty difficult to understand from the get go. His abilities offer silences, stuns and allows the player to reposition the enemy heroes accordingly. The hero has an ultimate ability 'Magnetize' which causes all enemy players to share the effect of his spells. Almost never seen in lower tier games, this hero also requires a very high degree of skill to play and an even higher to master.
1: Meepo
They say that you need 4 hands to play Meepo. This hero has the ability to create up to 5 clones of itself, all of which share the same abilities. The abilities are Poof and Earthbind. This hero, if not controlled in the early game, reeks havoc all through the match. The reason this hero is so hard to play is because you have to control each Meepo clone separately and requires a very high degree of micro management while playing. The combos you can pull of with this hero such as 'Blink poofing' also requires a lot of practice to get the timing right. Played in the right hands, this hero is difficult to kill since the clones can be used to poof away from incoming enemies.
5: Ember Spirit
Ember Spirit is an agility carry whose spells offer a lot of AOE (Area of Effect) damage and lockdown. This hero is incredibly mobile and requires a lot of farm and gold to come online and be viable in the match. The hero can be played as a physical damage carry or as a magical damage nuker.
4: Invoker
You've all heard about Invoker. And almost everyone from 1k mmr to top tier professionals play this hero, but both types of players play this famous hero differently. Invoker has a combined total of 10 spells which he can 'invoke'. Even learning the different combinations of his Quas, Wex and Exort can take a few games to memorize. Invoker can be played in a multitude of roles, and is an unstoppable force within the right hands.
3: Io
Io is a strength hero which has an incredibly high skill cap given that he is almost never picked in low tier games. If played properly, Io can change the course of the game with his relocate ability. The hero is played as a support, and players find it difficult to synchronize its abilities with other heroes.
2: Earth Spirit
Earth Spirit is a roaming/ganking support hero. The hero is pretty difficult to understand from the get go. His abilities offer silences, stuns and allows the player to reposition the enemy heroes accordingly. The hero has an ultimate ability 'Magnetize' which causes all enemy players to share the effect of his spells. Almost never seen in lower tier games, this hero also requires a very high degree of skill to play and an even higher to master.
1: Meepo
They say that you need 4 hands to play Meepo. This hero has the ability to create up to 5 clones of itself, all of which share the same abilities. The abilities are Poof and Earthbind. This hero, if not controlled in the early game, reeks havoc all through the match. The reason this hero is so hard to play is because you have to control each Meepo clone separately and requires a very high degree of micro management while playing. The combos you can pull of with this hero such as 'Blink poofing' also requires a lot of practice to get the timing right. Played in the right hands, this hero is difficult to kill since the clones can be used to poof away from incoming enemies.
The International DOTA 2 Championship 2019
Valve released this year's Battle Pass and Compendium on the 8th of May, 2019. The Battle Pass is released by Valve every year and contains goodies and quests for players up til The International, which is like the World Cup of DOTA 2 since it is the highest tier tournament of the game where players from all over the world compete for a hefty prize. Last year's prize pool was just a little over $25 million whereas this year the prize pool has already surpassed $10 million US dollars in just four days.
This year, same as every year, the Battle Pass starts at $9.99 for the standard bundle. Valve has changed up their pricing and is now offering 50 levels for $29.35 and 100 levels for $44.99. 25% of all Battle Pass purchases go towards the prize pool.
Once purchased, you unlock various perks of the game. These includes Treasures containing cosmetic items for Heroes, different taunts, quests, daily Hero challenges, wagering and voting for the Arcana. You need to level up your Battle Pass along the way by gaining battle points which are achieved by completing these various quests and by winning wagers.
This Year's Battle Pass theme is purple. Valve is offering a Dark Willow announcer pack at level 75. A new terrain at level 160. A prestige item for Tiny at level 225. The most unique release with this Battle Pass is the new Hero Persona for Invoker which unlocks at level 305. This Persona effect turns Invoker into a child from his spell learning days and you get to play him as such. This is the first time Valve has introduced a Persona effect for heroes and Invoker was the best choice to start with since he is one of the most played Heroes in DOTA 2. Moreover, players can unlock an Earthshaker Arcana at level 365 and a completely reworked Axe set at level 425.
It is expected that this year the total prize money for The International 2019 will reach $30 million. The goal seems likely to be achieved since this year's Battle Pass contains unique sets and goodies which most players will spend money on to achieve. Valve will give 10000 Battle Points if the total prize money exceeds last year's 25 million and will provide 10000 more Battle Points if it reaches $30 million, which will be the largest prize pool in E-gaming history.
Crazy for Battle Royal?
A new era of gaming began with the popularity of PUBG. It gave birth to Fortnite that took the crown of all Battle Royal games ever. Even though I am not a fan of Fortnite, I do believe it is more popular than PUBG. Anyways we are not her to discuss which Battle Royal game is more popular but instead we are going to talk about why the concept of Battle Royal is so popular.
Playing against other players in real time is not a new concept at all and has been around for a very long time. The most popular game in the world used to be Counter Strike where squads played against other squads. Nothing new there. So why do Battle Royal games attract so many more people.
I think that is because it is so much more than just a shooting game. It is a game that is based on strategy more than the weapons that you have. People in the game always want more loot and they never focus on their positioning. Even though loot is important and can make the game very easy on you, the game is won or lost by your positioning and location. The terrain of the map allows for a huge number of strategies that you can apply, including camping which isn't much of a strategy but based on the closing circle it can endanger you or help you get that chicken dinner.
A very strong point in this case is also that the enclosing circle adds such a dynamic to the game that positioning becomes the most critical thing there is in the game. To emphasize the last point, the circle determines whether you win or you lose. For example if you are constantly on the run from the circle and you come across a squad camping ahead of you, they have no need to move and they can take you out easily. You are the one who has to battle behind insufficient cover and worry about the circle taking you over. In the end the circle does force you to move and you have to take the risk to move, hoping in your heart that the team in front of you has really bad aim, but that doesn't happen, and you almost always die. It doesn't matter what loot you had, at the end it is all about your position.
And that is why Battle Royal games attract more gamers because there is just so much strategy and dynamics involved in the whole game. You never know what loot your are going to get which adds to the excitement and adventure of the game. Once you play it you can understand it is clearly not just a shooting game, it is a Battle Royal.
Playing against other players in real time is not a new concept at all and has been around for a very long time. The most popular game in the world used to be Counter Strike where squads played against other squads. Nothing new there. So why do Battle Royal games attract so many more people.
I think that is because it is so much more than just a shooting game. It is a game that is based on strategy more than the weapons that you have. People in the game always want more loot and they never focus on their positioning. Even though loot is important and can make the game very easy on you, the game is won or lost by your positioning and location. The terrain of the map allows for a huge number of strategies that you can apply, including camping which isn't much of a strategy but based on the closing circle it can endanger you or help you get that chicken dinner.
A very strong point in this case is also that the enclosing circle adds such a dynamic to the game that positioning becomes the most critical thing there is in the game. To emphasize the last point, the circle determines whether you win or you lose. For example if you are constantly on the run from the circle and you come across a squad camping ahead of you, they have no need to move and they can take you out easily. You are the one who has to battle behind insufficient cover and worry about the circle taking you over. In the end the circle does force you to move and you have to take the risk to move, hoping in your heart that the team in front of you has really bad aim, but that doesn't happen, and you almost always die. It doesn't matter what loot you had, at the end it is all about your position.
And that is why Battle Royal games attract more gamers because there is just so much strategy and dynamics involved in the whole game. You never know what loot your are going to get which adds to the excitement and adventure of the game. Once you play it you can understand it is clearly not just a shooting game, it is a Battle Royal.
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