Clan night tonight. X1 CoD Ghosts. 9pm PT.

Extinction!

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. X1 CoD Ghosts.

We'll try to use XBL Party Chat, but it's flaky at best.  Use cellular text as a backup if you're stuck and having connection troubles.

Airsoft AR

I really want this. Is it worth $400?

http://www.evike.com/products/45458/

Destiny Launches 9/9/14

That's a long time from now.

Clan night tonight. X1 CoD Ghosts. 9pm PT.

From Penny Arcade today:

Call of Duty: Ghosts - Getting Started

Welcome to Call of Duty: Ghosts, the latest in the CoD franchise, and our first clan game on Xbox One.  If you don't have an X1 yet, you can still play Ghosts on Xbox 360.  Some retailers are offering a discounted upgrade program for when you do upgrade to an X1.  e.g., buy the game now and play on 360, just pay $10 to upgrade the game to X1 later.  All your multiplayer stats will carry over to the new platform.

There are four main game modes in Ghosts:

1. Campaign - Single player story
2. Multiplayer - On-line against other humans
3. Squads - Single or multiplayer, generally co-op against AI bots
4. Extinction - Multiplayer, co-op against AI bots

If you're brand new to the franchise, or haven't played a CoD game in a while, I strongly recommend you try out Campaign first.  This will introduce you to the mechanics of the game, is easy without being frustrating, and gives you the chance to try out a lot of equipment for free.  There are only two achievements for playing on Veteran, so I recommend you just play on Recruit.  Playing at harder difficulties does not meaningfully affect the story or game play at all, so no point in making your learning experience more frustrating than it needs to be.  While you're cruising through the campaign, make note of guns and sights/scopes that you find especially comfortable and effective.  There's a ton of customization options in this game, so use the campaign to narrow down your choices.

Once you've got the mechanics down, it's a good (and fun) idea to spend a good amount of time in Squads.  This is the core training ground for Ghosts.  The loadouts, maps, and game types are all the same as in Multiplayer.  The only difference is that you're playing against AI bots.  You can adjust the difficulty of the AI, you can play co-operatively with friends, you can play co-operatively with AIs, you can play split-screen with a friend and AIs.

Squad Member Class: When you enter the squad mode, you can create a character which allows you to customize your weapon loadouts, perks, and special abilities.  For your first character, I strongly recommend you pick an Assault class.  Your other options are CQB (Close Quarters), Covert Ops, Heavy Gunner, and Marksman.  Assault is the most general, and easiest to learn.  It comes with unlimited sprint, and fast aiming.

Primary Weapon: The default SA-805 or SC-2010 assault rifles are both fine, there's not a huge need to spend Squad Points (SP) on a fancier gun.  I do strongly recommend adding a Red Dot Sight to make aiming significantly easier and more accurate.  If you have SP to spend, a Foregrip is also recommend to reduce recoil and improve aiming.

Strike Package: This will default to Assault, I recommend changing it to Support.  This is basically the cool ass bonuses you get as you rack up kills.  While the Assault bonuses are "cooler", they reset every time you die, so can be frustrating as a n00b.  The Support package will keep stacking even if you die, so it's easier to build up to the cool bonuses.

Other stuff: You can mess around with Secondary weapons, lethal, tactical, and perks.  Personally, I disable secondary and tactical options to carry more perks.  You can always pick up a secondary gun on the battlefield, and I find the tactical stuff to be less than useful.

Gametype: Jump into Wargames on Recruit.  You get the same XP regardless of the difficulty, might as well start easy and rack it up faster.  Wargames is exclusively against AI bots.  You can choose to play on your own with AI bots on your own team as well, or you can choose to play online with humans on your team.  This will take you through all the different game types in a no-pressure fun environment.  As you gain XP, you'll also earn SP to spend on stuff.

Goal: Rank up each character to level 7 and then start a new character.  This will give you a chance to try out all the basic perks for each character, and give you a chance to try out the different classes each time you start a new squad member.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. X1 CoD Ghosts.

I guess there's nothing stopping you from playing on 360, PS3 or PS4, but I'll be hosting games on X1. The next generation is here!

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT.

This may be the last time you ever play your Xbox 360. Send it off well!

Player's choice.

Clan night?

Veterans Day threw me off, so late post. If you'd like to game tonight, just text me and I'll jump on.

No clan night this week.

I'm out of town.

In related news, the first X1 clan game will be Call of Duty: Ghosts. Available for X1 on launch day, November 22.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT.

Players choice.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. H3.

Halo 3 is the current free game with Gold!

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Players choice.

Five weeks until X1!

No clan night this week

In DuPont

Destiny Beta

You can get in on the Destiny Beta if you pre-order now.  Retailers participating in the Beta program are available here: http://www.destinythegame.com/wheretobuy

Clan night tonight. Players choice. 9pm PT.

That is all.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Players choice.

But probably R6V.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Rainbow Six Vegas

Bringing back a clan favorite from 2006. It's free to download on Xbox Live right now. We will start right at 9pm, make sure you have the game plus both free Black and Red map packs.

If you don't have your downloads done, join the chat party and we'll pick you up when it completes.

Clan night preview: Rainbox Six Vegas - Do your homework!

We will be playing Rainbox Six Vegas for clan night this week, the free Games with Gold game available for download starting today.  It's almost 8 GB in downloads, so I *strongly* recommend you get that started immediately so that you're ready for gaming tomorrow.  Here are direct download links for you:

• Rainbox Six Vegas main game (6.6 GB)
• Player's Pack Black Edition (706 MB)
• Player's Pack Red Edition (686 MB)

You need all three downloads to play.  You can click those links from any web browser to kick off the download on your Xbox.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q: Clicking the link doesn't work for me?
A: You probably don't have your Xbox linked to your xbox.com account, or you replaced your Xbox and didn't update your settings.  Help page is here.

Q: Why did the download stop after I turned off my Xbox?
A: You may not have the setting configured to keep downloading after you power down.  Help page is here.

Q: I don't have any hard drive space left.  What should I do?
A: You can probably delete a lot of old games.  At this point, you don't need anything installed on your hard drive if you have the game disc.  Halo 4 is the only active clan game that *requires* HDD installation, all the other ones can be run from disc.  You can also buy a new HDD, Amazon has them starting at $47.  Lastly, you can buy USB flash drives and use them like a HDD.  Keep in mind though that the Xbox 360 has a performance requirement to do this, so you need a drive that is fast enough.  I can personally verify that the Patriot XT Rage line meets the performance requirements, and Amazon has them starting at $12.

No clan night tonight.

Lots of people out for IDF.  Sorry for the late notice.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's choice.

Clean up your hard drives, people. Free games every two weeks!

Rainbow Six Vegas is the next game to be free, two weeks from now. I expect *everyone* to download it, or have the original disk.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's Choice.

Note that there's a required Xbox Live update out.  May take some time, depending on network and server load.  Recommend that you kick off the update when you get home from work so that you're not left out.

Also, the current free game for download is Dead Rising 2.  It supports 2-player co-op or 4-player multiplayer.  Be sure to download it in case that's the popular consensus:

• Dead Rising 2: Main Game
• Dead Rising 2: Case Zero

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's choice.

I'll be on-line building my Automated Slime Farm in Minecraft.  But if others show up, join the chat party and let me know what you want to play.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. L4D1.

Braaaaaiiiiiins.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Left 4 Dead 1.

By request.

No clan night this week.

John traveling.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Halo 4.

Since nobody ever votes for anything else.

Destiny Music

Skip to 4:15 to start music.

Halo 4 Player Strengths

It's late in the game's life, but thought it might be interesting to post some stats that show off player personalities and strengths:

Key things to note:

• gtdroptop: Only one to complete the Wheelman commendation.  Combined with Assist commendation completion, shows obvious strength in driving the Warthog.  It's good for the clan for GT to be driving.
• darknorpo: Also has the Assist commendation complete, with clan best kill numbers using AR and Frag Grenades.  norpo is decent with the DMR, but excels in Halo 1 classic spray and pray combat.
• OmniscientDeath: Only one to complete the Mounted Turret commendation, with an obvious large number of kills coming from the back of a Warthog.  It's good for OD to be gunning, nobody in the clan comes close.  Make sure you prioritize getting OD in the gunner seat for any vehicle maps.
• octurian pewn: The only one to complete the DMR commendation, pewn is a DMR specialist.  Green across the board for kills and precision.  He likes to hang back a little and steal kills, but that's OK as long as we're winning.
• MEAN MR MONKEY: Most impressively is the only one to complete the Splatter commendation, showing a hidden talent in the Ghost.  This will be a new item for us to loadout as a clan.  Choosing Wheelman as a Tactical Package is advised, to reduce EMP affect and improve vehicle durablity.  (Operator Specialization required)
• Mean Mrs Monkey: Highest kill percentage in Plasma Grenades, with a relatively high percentage of AR kills.  Recommend switching to AR and continuing to empty out Plasma Grenades.  Choosing Explosives (greater grenade damage to others, less to self) as an Armor Support Upgrade is advised.  Should also choose Grenadier (loadout with 3 grenades) or Resupply (pick up grenades dropped by dead players) as a Tactical Package.
• Beer4Porter: Is pretty good at assists, but not great at headshots.  Recommend switching from BR to Assault Rifle as the default loadout.  Suggest using Mobility Tactical Package and Explosives Support upgrade.  Advise tossing a lot of grenades with the goal of never dying with grenades in hand.

darknorpo

darknorpo game footage found on HaloGaymers:

You know, because pink Spartan.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's Choice.

Like the last couple weeks, please join the Xbox Live chat party so that consensus can decide what we play.  If you want to play something else, you should download these things ahead of time.  Choices:

• Halo 4 (Including the newly popular Mini Slayer!)
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Harm's Way (Download now for free): A grown-up version of Mario Kart where you can play as the drivers, or as the turrets trying to kill the cars.

The next free game coming out later today will be Assassin's Creed 2, which is single-player only.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's Choice.

Like last week, please join the Xbox Live chat party so that consensus can decide what we play.  Worked out well for the clan to pick the game on their own even when I was still tied up in a concall.  Note that this typically defaults to Halo 4, because it's the only thing everybody has.  If you want to play something else, you should download these things ahead of time.  Choices:

• Halo 4 (Including the newly popular Mini Slayer!)
• Bungie Week Celebration: Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo Reach
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Aegis Wing (Download now for free): A side-scrolling space blaster for up to four players, offering ugly but diverting 3D backdrops and an actual orchestral score.
• Happy Wars (Download now for free): The first true free-to-play title on Xbox Live Arcade, a moderately entertaining class-based MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) for up to 30 players a match.
• Harm's Way (Download now for free): A startlingly high-polish, pleasantly aggressive kart racer from the Doritos brand.
• Spartacus Legends (Download now for free):  A free-to-play fighting game from Ubisoft, modelled on the Spartacus TV series, which proffers "multiple fighting styles and thousands of different weapon combinations".

The current Free for Gold game is Defense Grid: The Awakening.  I've not included it in the list because it's single player only.  The next free game coming on July 16 will be Assassin's Creed 2, also single-player only.

Clan CSRs

Halo 4 matchmaking is now done via Competitive Skill Rank, a TrueSkill ranking system that happens behind the scenes.  It will generally match parties based on the highest CSR in the party.  You have to go to Halo Waypoint to see your CSR, it's not visible in-game as far as I can tell.  CSR is per playlist and on a scale of 1-50.  Here are the current Infinity Slayer 4v4 CSRs for our active clan:

• octurian pewn: 24
• gtdroptop: 18
• OmniscientDeath: 11
• darknorpo: 2
• MEAN MR MONKEY: 3
• Mean Mrs Monkey: 1
• Beer4Porter: 1

Bungie Week

Reposted from bungie.net:

Loot Drop

by DeeJ

Comments

A lot of communities are defined by a pecking order. This inescapable phenomenon starts in school, where the big kids dump the little kids’ books on the floor. Later on, we graduate to worrying about what car we drive. This battle of elitism finds its way to the Internet, where wizened cyber-squatters lay in wait for new registrants so they can brag about the fact they’re kind of a big deal.

On Bungie.net, we like to think we’re more inclusive than your average online haunt. We aim to provide a brightly-lit clubhouse where gamers of every breed can swap ideas and trade barbs. New members are the life-blood of any community, so we welcome them with open arms as they knock on our door. 

As much as we love our newbs, we also can’t help but adore the ancients – those old souls who have stuck with us through light and darkness.  For the first dance of our celebration, we’ve taken steps to decorate them in observance of the years they’ve spent with us. To make sure that they don’t go completely drunk with power, however, and to keep them on the razor’s edge of evolution, we’ve designed our new cool table to make room for the new blood as well.

Can you find the first signs of loot? Here’s a hint. Visit our forum (any forum on Bungie.net will do). Click on some names.

If you just joined us, don’t lose heart. We’ve given you something to strive for. These marvelous baubles are available to you as well, given enough time, so stick around. If you’ve been here for years (and years and years), we thank you. This new system will let you strut your longevity. The best part about this loot drop is that it’s only the first of its kind. 

This is just the beginning of how you’ll demonstrate your prowess as a member of this community. If you haven’t heard, we have big plans for how you’ll evolve and grow over time. Bungie.net will be no exception. If you can go the distance, you’ll discover new and exciting ways to elevate your profile to truly mythic status.

Bungie Week is just getting started. Don’t miss the rest of the parade as it rolls through town.