Road to Borderlands 3 [Video Games]

May 31, 2019May 31, 2019 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

Like most fans of the series, I am very excited for Borderlands 3. I mentioned in my last post about how I am actually on the way to getting all the Borderlands achievements in the Handsome Collection and GOTY edition of Borderlands.

Since my solo attempts on PC, I have started to play the series again on the Playstation 4, along side some fellow Groove Crusaders. At first, I was playing off of Daybreaker Rein’s console, until I finally got my own and had a new account. 3 of us (sometimes 4 is Gypsy was online) all played through the Pre-Sequel together. My dreams of playing Handsome Jack as a character were finally (almost) met with the Doppleganger class. Doppleganger is hands down my favorite Pre-Sequel character. Also is a plus he can get a Rhys skin and head mod from a Tales from the Borderlands shift code.

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“And the world just got twenty-five percent more handsome.” – Doppleganger Jack

Back at it again, I decided I would play through BL2 with Zer0 as a sniper build. I’ve never ever played a sniper character in Borderlands, so I thought it would be fun. And as I didn’t expect, playing solo sniper was easy mode. One shotting just about everything with critical hits and killing bosses in a few seconds. Starting to think Zer0 might be the best solo character without a minion/pet/turret.

After getting the first playthrough achievements, I went back and made an Axton who I have just recently gotten through True Vault Hunter Mode. He is my first level 50 ever. I built him heavily on his Gunpowder skill tree for headlining as much gun damage as possible. Wasn’t as much of a challenge this time around because I eventually found my first Infinity Pistol (a gun with unlimited ammo). Slapped on my Sheriff’s Badge relic to increase pistol damage, and went ham on TVHM. It was a fun experience.

With those two playthroughs, I’m just missing a handful of achievements as of today. Just Maya’s and Salvador’s (the Siren and Gunzerker respectively) achievements, the raid boss and side quests achievements because the raid boss quest is a side quest, and finally the challenges achievement. Waiting for some other Groovers to fight the raid boss with. Not too worried about the class ones, because I can easily do those solo. The challenges are what is taking me forever.

Here’s hoping I can get the rest quick and move on to the GOTY of BL1. Already have a handful of hours with a few friends. I decided to play Brick to resist my temptation to play Roland support.

Anyone else working on this personal feat before BL3? I’ve seen several reddit users on r/borderlands posting they had just finished it themselves. Would love to hear of anyone else’s experiences in achievement farming in this series or any other video game!

Reliving Borderlands’ Pandora [Video Games]

May 31, 2019May 31, 2019 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

Next to being a writer, I love playing video games. Since the announcement of Borderlands 3, I have taken it upon myself to try and get all the achievements in the Borderlands series, but I wanted to share my experience with the games.

Borderlands has always been one or my favorite video game series. I first played Borderlands way back in the day on Xbox 360. My first character was Brick, the tanky explosion punch-you-in-the-face kind of character. Not exactly my kind of playstyle, but I enjoyed what little time I was able to put into it.

Fast forward, I finally have a gaming computer and decide to play Borderlands 2. I had learned the story of the first one, so I felt comfortable playing the sequel. I was yearning to play Maya, the siren of BL2, because she had a support skill tree and I love playing healer/support in anything. But the problem was, I had no one to play with and I wasnt comfortable online match making. So I played through with melee Zer0, the assassin character.

I am also a huge fan of stealth games, and playing Zer0 in that manner was a fun experience. I was told by a friend to switch to his middle skill tree because it was more efficient DPS-wise. I did so and promptly killed the Warrior in less than a few seconds by throwing all the kunai at him. Needless to say, I was kind of sad how easy it was.

Now I know there are “new game plus” features like True Vault Hunter Mode and Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode after that, but I felt I wanted another challenge in the game. So I played Axton, the soldier class with his trusty turret. Playing Axton definitely made the game completely different. It felt more challenging because I couldnt simply disappear whenever I wanted to like Zer0 could. Battling the Warrior felt like an actual battle.

Then came Borderlands the Pre-Sequel. I knew that Claptrap had a support skill tree, but again, I was a solo player at the time. So I chose Nisha, the gunslinger character. I had a blast using her pistol focused skill tree.

In my next post, I’ll talk more about coming back to the series with the Handsome Collection on console, where I was finally able to play support. Are you a fan of Borderlands? Has the new announcement made you get into the series or start playing it again? Would love to know which game and character everyone is playing on the road to Borderlands 3.

Farewell to Legion

August 13, 2018 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

So not exactly my normal blog post, but I am a huge fan of World of Warcraft. It’s lore and dialogue have inspired me on many levels, especially when it comes to my writing.

So this is a blog to say farewell to Legion and hello to Battle for Azeroth. Legion was a really fun expansion. Still not my favorite, like Mists of Pandaria was, but still really fun.

I decided to take some screenshots and in game selfies to capture the place I enjoyed the most. Please enjoy.

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Here’s some early Legion screenshots that I took. Some were when my Monk Mistweaver was a Blood Elf.

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There were a lot of good times in Legion. From class-based questlines and class halls to beautiful regions of the Broken Isles, Legion provided a fun and exciting way to play World of Warcraft once again. Don’t even get me started on the awesomeness that was the artifact weapons. Each weapon with its own lore and reason to be part of the class-based stories and gameplay, they were a brilliant tool to use in Legion. Though I’m still holding out for fist weapons with Intellect on them so my “fistweaving” style will be at it’s most epic.

Blizzard did a fantastic job with this one. But now it’s time to say goodbye.

Goodbye Legion. You were great. Now it’s time to fight for the Horde in Battle for Azeroth.

Author Recommends: October 2017

October 8, 2017October 9, 2017 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

So I’ve decided to do a monthly recommendation on books and video games. Perhaps I can share the love I have for a current piece, or the eagerness I have for a piece about to come out!

Books

Old, but still a classic in my eyes: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

You can find this book just about anywhere, but here it is on Amazon.

This is one of the series that I could not put down. I read it twice in a row! The description on Amazon sums it up pretty well: “After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There’s little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus.”

Rick Riordan will always be one of my favorite authors because of this series. I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of adventure, fantasy, and even have curiosity for mythology!

This one sounds really good: The Adventurers Guild

I found this book on Amazon.

This was added to Amazon not even a week ago. The description makes it sound really good, so it is now on my to read list!

“Few ever asked to join the Adventurers Guild. . . . Their members often died young. In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone’s only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he’ll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys’ dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn . . . and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild. Led by the fearsome Alabasel Frond, the guild acts as the last line of defense against the Dangersï¿½hungry, unnatural beasts from otherworldly planes. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new alliesï¿½Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarfï¿½must prove their worth once and for all. This start of a thrilling new series is sure to be a hit with readers who like their fantasies clever and action-packed, with tons of humor and heart.”

Video Games

A game that got me hooked instantly: Stardew Valley

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Stardew Valley just got a release on Nintendo Switch and I’ve been falling in love with the game all over again. The game originated on Steam (PC gaming) until it got a release on Xbox One and PS4 (and now Switch!).

From the official wiki: “Stardew Valley is an open-ended country-life RPG! You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!”

It’s a fantastic RPG farming game! There’s so much to do and it has replay value for days. I highly recommend this!

The next big Mario game: Mario Odyssey

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There is a lot of hype around this game, and I believe it is well deserved. I grew up playing Mario 64 and falling in love with Mario Sunshine. I love the openness to those games. Even without a hub world, Mario Odyssey’s sandbox maps look so fun!

“Use amazing new abilities—like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies—to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans!

Thanks to heroic, hat-shaped Cappy, Mario’s got new moves that’ll make you rethink his traditional run-and-jump gameplay—like cap jump, cap throw, and capture. Use captured cohorts such as enemies, objects, and animals to progress through the game and uncover loads of hidden collectibles. And if you feel like playing with a friend, just pass them a Joy-Con™ controller! Player 1 controls Mario while Player 2 controls Cappy. This sandbox-style 3D Mario adventure—the first since 1996’s beloved Super Mario 64™ and 2002’s Nintendo GameCube™ classic Super Mario Sunshine™—is packed with secrets and surprises, plus exciting new kingdoms to explore.” – Nintendo Overview

The game comes out at the end of this month and I am stoked! I’m so excited to play it, I just had to recommend it!

A Trip Through Virtual Reality

March 14, 2017March 14, 2017 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

So for anyone who knows me as the being I am, they should know that I am a writer and a gamer. I started gaming way before I started writing, but that isn’t by a huge gap. I started writing short stories about LEGO’s Bionicles in kindergarten, and had been playing video games since I was old enough to understand what was going on.

So as my 5th novel is being edited, I’ve been tossing around the ideas of the next story I will write. I was going to possibly write a story based in the TRON universe by Disney, but with recent rumors of Disney rebooting the series, I didn’t want to risk the investment. Writing a story like that could only be published by Disney Hyperion, so making it a possibly outdated story canon-wise just makes it harder.

So I’ve been tossing around the idea of writing the concept/genre of people getting stuck in video games. Several authors have done it already. Some off the top of my head are Andrew Klavan’s MindWar trilogy and John David Anderson’s Insert Coin to Continue. Though writing for different age groups, I believe this is a popular subject matter. Things like Sword Art Online wouldn’t be as popular if it wasn’t. One of my favorite series growing up was .Hack GU, where a virus in the game was causing people in real life to enter into comas. The main character, Haseo, was super cool!

As a gamer, I thought, what better thing to write about? Mixing fantasy and gaming, and the countless hours I’ve spent watching YouTubers game, I think I could create a pretty cool story.

Virtual Reality (or VR for short) is the hot thing right now in video games, and it might seem cliche, but it might be a great use of the bridge between the concepts of reality and gaming. I can’t afford to buy a VR headset to test it out in person, but I have watched many let’s players on YouTube test it out. (That’s research right?).

A side note, as a gamer and fan of Disney, they are surely missing out not making the Grid Games a VR game. Just saying.

Might be writing a couple more blogs on the idea of gaming meeting writing. Figured it could be a good way to get ideas flowing for stories. It might even help some other writers out there!

Any gamers out there like to read about this concept? Or any writers currently writing this? I’d like to know how it’s going! Let me know in the comments! I’d love to know what kind of games inspire anyone out there, or even games you just like to play.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AuthorBrandan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrandanChapman1/
And check the main site for other blogs: https://brandanchapman.com/

Writing in Video Games

October 16, 2016 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

So just yesterday, I beat the game Quantum Break. It’s a Remedy Entertainment video game that does great justice to the company. Playing through the game, I realized how important writing can be for a video game. I mean, I’ve always know that for a fact (especially as a writer myself), but Remedy does storytelling so well that it really opened my eyes.

I’ve always been a sucker for lore and story in video games. I’m the kind of gamer that will read the quest dialogue in World of Warcraft, and even read the physical books based on the game. WoW is one of my favorite video games to have lore in it. I am completely enTHRALLed with the backstory of the races and the characters. It’s one of the reasons I would love to be an intern writer at Blizzard Entertainment (the company that made WoW). Fingers crossed that may actually happen one day.

Anyways, back to Quantum Break. This game has a great story. Remedy has always been great at making story-driven games that also are fun to play, like Alan Wake or Max Payne. Story-driven games are games that are usually highly dependent on the story they tell. Well, I wouldn’t say highly dependent exactly. More like the game is more centered around the story. Games like these are always catching my interest. As a writer and author, I want a compelling story. I want to be inspired. I want to feel what the characters feel.

Speaking of characters, Quantum Break nails them. There were characters that were (for the sake of giving spoilers) seemingly bad at the beginning, but then actually had redeeming qualities. There were characters I was rooting for, aside from the main character Jack Joyce, that faced just as many challenges.

One great thing about Quantum Break is that it entwines the video game aspect with TV show-like episodes at the end of each act. These episodes can change based on your decisions in the game. I wholeheartedly believe that these episodes really helped the gamer/watcher see the “behind the scenes.” From episode one, I was rooting for a character I thought was bad. At the end of episode four, I was nearly crying because of the connection the game gave me to the characters. Character development and connection are great aspects in a game.

I might be just a simple novelist and gamer, but I can always tell when the story in video games is done really well. If I feel the same thing characters feel emotionally, if I am at the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next, and if I still have a residual feeling after the game, the story and game were brilliant.

That residual feeling is something that makes me want to tell everyone to play the game for themselves. It’s something that needs to be experienced. Games like Quantum Break, or another favorite of mine, Life is Strange, should be played. So I highly recommend Quantum Break. Brilliant story, awesome characters, and the feels.

Fable lives on as a CCG

June 4, 2016 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

Fable has been one of my favourite video game series. Lionhead Studios has always held a special place in my heart. Sadly, on the 29th of April, Lionhead Studios officially closed.

Since, I have been on a journey of playing all the Fable games on Xbox 360 to attempt to 100% them achievement wise. Since then, I not only have rekindled my love for the series, I even got into reading the books and short stories.

It reminded me how much inspiration the Fable series had on my own fantasy novels.

As a gamer and an author, Fable will always be special to me. Even though Fable Legends, the last title Lionhead was working on before they closed, was cancelled, Fable still lives! On the 31st of March, a new independent studio formed by ex-Lionhead developers came to light. Named Flaming Fowl Studios, they keep Fable going with the new Fable title, Fable Fortune.

Fable Fortune is a CCG, or a collectible card game, similar to Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone. I recently got into Hearthstone and really enjoyed it, but now I’m excited for Fable Fortune.

You can support the game by pledging or even just sharing the Kickstarter here. You can also subscribe to Flaming Fowl Studios’s YouTube Channel, or like their Facebook and follow their Twitter.

If you’re a fan of the Fable series, or even just a fan of CCGs, then I highly suggest that you support this video game.

My Fellow Tron fans

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

I have noticed that there are a lot of good responses to seeing the new teaser trailer for TRON RUN/r, and a lot of bad. I, personally, am really excited for this game.

Here’s the teaser.

I have always been a gamer and I am a HUGE fan of TRON. I think it’s some of Disney’s best works. My Tumblr blog and YouTube channel show how much I love the TRON franchise.

Let’s dive in and see what all the fuss is.

Now, some of the bad reception this teaser trailer is getting is that “Oh, Disney, why do you make an endless runner but not TRON 3?”

Seriously? Still on about TRON 3. Now I would love for Disney to continue the movie franchise as much as the next guy, but the TRON fandom needs more hype. This game is exactly what can do that!

If this game could get enough interest back into the TRON franchise, then we might just get our movie. Look at Disney Infinity for example. Disney has released figures and playsets beside each of their top movies that come out the year of that game. It adds interest from gamers and people who see the merchandise for it.

Maybe I’m just hopeful for TRON RUN/r. Either way, I’m ready for some running! Are you?

If you need to take anything from the release of this game, as I know not everyone is a gamer or interested in video games. Remember, TRON LIVES!

The Life of a Novelist

September 2, 2015December 27, 2015 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

I began playing an awesome indie game called The Novelist by Orthogonal Games. This game was probably one of the ones I wanted to play the most.

Check out the first video here.

Playing the Novelist was like getting a look at a real life author with family problems. It can show that each choice we make can make some people happy and others disappointed.

You play as a ghost-like being that stays in a house. This house gets occupied for the summer by Dan, Linda, and their son Tommy. Dan is a writer, Linda is an artist, and Tommy just wants some time with his parents. All three of them have choices that need to be met that will disappoint the other two.

I think this game will be one I replay after I beat it to see what all the other choices cause. It’s a brilliant game and I encourage all gamers and writers to play it!

Remember to keep writing, keep reading, and keep gaming!

Type:Rider, an adventurous colon.

August 30, 2015December 27, 2015 / Toxicwriter / Leave a comment

I posted the second video of the second level of Type:Rider. I learned even more about the history of typography and writing. It’s insane how much a game can teach me that my English classes in high school failed to cover because of curriculum. Oh how I hated standardized testing.

Watch the video here.

The second level was the Gothic level. As it did in the first level, the art in the background just amazes me as I jumped around as the colon. I’m a huge fan of history, literature, and art. Ironic part is I am taking a Humanities class that encompasses all of that. I even used my first video as a reference for a discussion post. Video games and education! WOO!

Type:Rider is a game developed by Ex Nihilo and published by BulkyPix and Plug In Digital. It’s a brilliant indie game that I hope my videos spread that awesomeness to other possible gamers.

I’ll play it through till the end.