My general plan of attack, for as long as I can reasonably be expected to stick to it, will be the same for the next two months. I'm hoping to hit 300,000 gamerscore by the end of the year, as well as getting my completion percentage over 93% and having a minimum of 300 full completions (that's all DLC etc) to boot.
While it all sounds very simple, in practice it will require a fair bit of discipline and foresight.
As it stands I'm at 296,727GS, 40 achievements away from 93% (98 away from 93.50% which is my real goal for now) and I have 291 completed games.
So......
That means I'm going to need a further 3263 points from 98 achievements that will also let me finish off 9 games. Sounds impossible right? Well thankfully I have a bunch of games that are mere DLC away from finally being complete so it is, theoretically, possible.
Here is the scheme:
Bioshock - complete Brass Balls DLC - will give me 100g, 1 achievement and 1 completion.
Rockstar Table Tennis - complete Savant - will give me 80g, 1 achievement and 1 completion.
FIFA 12 - complete Euro 12 DLC - will give me 100g, 3 achievements and 1 completion.
Halo ODST - complete firefight and Endure - will give me 70g, 4 achievements and 1 completion.
Tomb Raider Legend - complete DLC - will give me 185g, 7 achievements and 1 completion.
Bioshock 2 - complete DLC - will give me 250g, 15 achievements and 1 completion.
World of Keflings - complete DLC - will give me 250g, 9 achievements and 1 completion.
So those seven games will net me a grand total of 1035g, 40 achievements and seven completions - putting me damn close to my target. In effect I'll be at 93% by this stage so the only thing that matters then is completing two more games in the 2,228 points I will have left to me while at the same time trying to get as many achievements as possible from games I've already started.
The games I had in mind to achieve this will probably be:
LEGO Harry Potter 2 - for 800g, 34 achievements and 1 completion.
LEGO Star Wars - for 740g, 28 achievements and 1 completion.
Disney Sing It HSM3 - for 670 points, 13 achievements and 1 completion.
These are probably the easiest three games I've left uncompleted on my tag and, assuming I can persuade the other half to play them with me, I should be able to plough through them in double quick time.
Now this is all very well, again in theory, but despite the seemingly small amount of achievements from the first batch there is actually a substantial time investment. I will have to complete Bioshock again from start to finish, play through about 100 matches of FIFA, get four people together for a session of Halo Firefight on Heroic and get through over half of the first Tomb Raider title. Not to mention the hours required for the Bioshock 2 and Keflings DLC which will probably not be that quick. Egads.
Throw completing two LEGO games into the mix and this is a real time sink and the odds of me getting it all done by the end of the year is fairly slim. Thankfully I'm on the cusp of finishing Table Tennis once and for all (just an hour or so to go) and I've already made a start on FIFA, Halo and Tomb Raider. I'll probably then try and rush through the DLC portions of my quest before tackling a speed run of Bioshock. If I get all of that done, in a reasonable amount of time, then I can move on to the LEGO games and hope for the best.
The real problem in all of this is that my stats for this task are entirely dependant on me not starting any other new games. A fact that may well prove impossible due to the fact I have a rental copy of Sherlock Holmes sat at home and the fact I've been gearing up to tackle Condemned 2 (mainly as I have two copies of the game and want to get rid of them). I suspect that I will inevitably start playing something new, which will mean a direct impact on my completion percentage. Ho hum!
Still with the right preparation and willpower I'm hoping to get somewhere close. We shall see. My overriding goal is simply to get rid of some old games, thin the herd of easy games I've never started and generally move onto some big titles that I may have missed. I also really want to try Dishonored and X-Com but have deliberately put off buying them until I know I'll actually play them.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
No pain, no gain
Ever since I decided to finish off the online aspects of Rockstar Table Tennis I've also been dedicating time to getting the Savant achievement. This basically requires you to complete the game on the hardest difficulty with EVERY character. Now you can replay a game every time you lose, so it's not like you need a faultless run in order to progress, but it is still pretty damn taxing.
For anyone who hasn't played the game before, it's fairly brutal. Even on the lower difficulties some of the characters are flat out annoying as hell to beat. The fact they can return smashed shots for an instant winner is a joke and, as you progress, they generally become more irritating. You can combat this to some sense by messing with the options - so you only need to win 7 points to win the match, plus you can alter it so you can serve five times in a row to help you out. Another cute trick is the fact certain character can hit service aces by standing in set spots and serving the ball at near perfect power/spin.
Still, even with those odds in your favour you can expect a bit of a slog. There are two characters who can practically never be Aced (Mark and Jung Soo) and they back that up by being tough to beat. I've also noticed that when using certain characters they all have a chance of being more or less good at serving aces, so some of them might breeze through everyone but the above two while others can barely ace anyone - and even if they do it is unreliable at best.
My main tactic thus far has been to incorporate a kind of death grip on my pad. Using the soft shot option (hold LB) along with a drop shot close to the net (down and left on the LS plus Y+B). As you can imagine, executing this move time and time again can lead to some serious stress on your hands, and my wrists have actually started to feel sore while playing the game in the last few days. I try to mix things up when I can, especially when I have a full focus meter, by using X+A when my opponent returns a slow shot to my right side. I can then spin the ball across to the left of the table and force them wide enough to bury a return to the right. Hopefully. In fairness I just pick up points however I can, forcing them to hit the net, lob up an easy smahs or whatever and I've been pretty good so far.
I've managed to complete nine of the eleven players (including a run on default settings with Jung Soo) and I'm three games from making that ten, with Juergen. That will just leave me with Jesper to do - which is ironic as I'd already completed an expert run with him years ago but wiped my save. Maybe the game will recognise that he has already been through that hell, but I doubt it. Should have this knocked out by the weekend.
I know my aching hands will thank me for it.
For anyone who hasn't played the game before, it's fairly brutal. Even on the lower difficulties some of the characters are flat out annoying as hell to beat. The fact they can return smashed shots for an instant winner is a joke and, as you progress, they generally become more irritating. You can combat this to some sense by messing with the options - so you only need to win 7 points to win the match, plus you can alter it so you can serve five times in a row to help you out. Another cute trick is the fact certain character can hit service aces by standing in set spots and serving the ball at near perfect power/spin.
Still, even with those odds in your favour you can expect a bit of a slog. There are two characters who can practically never be Aced (Mark and Jung Soo) and they back that up by being tough to beat. I've also noticed that when using certain characters they all have a chance of being more or less good at serving aces, so some of them might breeze through everyone but the above two while others can barely ace anyone - and even if they do it is unreliable at best.
My main tactic thus far has been to incorporate a kind of death grip on my pad. Using the soft shot option (hold LB) along with a drop shot close to the net (down and left on the LS plus Y+B). As you can imagine, executing this move time and time again can lead to some serious stress on your hands, and my wrists have actually started to feel sore while playing the game in the last few days. I try to mix things up when I can, especially when I have a full focus meter, by using X+A when my opponent returns a slow shot to my right side. I can then spin the ball across to the left of the table and force them wide enough to bury a return to the right. Hopefully. In fairness I just pick up points however I can, forcing them to hit the net, lob up an easy smahs or whatever and I've been pretty good so far.
I've managed to complete nine of the eleven players (including a run on default settings with Jung Soo) and I'm three games from making that ten, with Juergen. That will just leave me with Jesper to do - which is ironic as I'd already completed an expert run with him years ago but wiped my save. Maybe the game will recognise that he has already been through that hell, but I doubt it. Should have this knocked out by the weekend.
I know my aching hands will thank me for it.
Friday, October 19, 2012
27 COMPLETIONS!!!!!
Well after finally updating my completion list I kind of wish I hadn't bothered as I've only polished off a trifling 27 games in the year to date. Considering I normally go for 52 (or one a week, if you will) throughout the year then it's fairly obvious that I've been slacking.
It looks amazingly unlikely that I'll hit my target by the end of the year unless I suddenly become a millionaire and can spend a few weeks purely sitting around in my pants playing games (I don't actually do this, by the way). Hopefully I can at least edge my way up to 40 or so games complete as I'm on the verge of finishing off another 5-6 games so that will be something. I suppose it comes down to the fact I have spent my time on time consuming titles and games with a ton of DLC. I've also not played too many super quick and easy games this year, or arcade titles for that matter, so I suppose that will have made an impact too.
Suffice it to say that I need to pull my finger out and hopefully get myself up to 300 completions total, 300k in gamerscore and a completion percentage of over 93% by the end of the year. Otherwise I'll be a touch miffed.
In a bid to kickstart said progress I have been playing Rockstar Table Tennis in order to snag the last couple of achievements I need. I'm hoping to team up with a friend to get the 50 Online Tournaments task out of the way this weekend, then I just need to complete the game on the highest difficulty with every player. Easy right?
Not really.
This game is pretty challenging even at the lower difficulties and even utilising a serving trick, that lets you get an ace from certain positions every time, only helps so far. This trick doesn't work against every player so some form of skill has to come into play. Thankfully I'm getting moderately good at the game now so I'm currently holding my own. I've completed the hardest circuit with two of the eleven players and I'm halfway through a third, so fingers crossed that I can get it done.
I'm also hoping to finally finish off GRAW 2 this weekend (Ghost Recon for non-fans) as I have the last bunch of DLC lined up to do with a bunch of like minded folks. It went well last week so hopefully this time will follow a similar pattern. Fingers crossed.
Then it will be back to FIFA 12 and grinding my way through the required 159 games to finish off the DLC. I've no idea how many I've done so far but hopefully I'm at least a third of the way through. I really loved FIFA 12 when it came out but ridiculous tasks like this can go that one step too far and turn love for a game into apathy. Honestly, who comes up with this stuff?
It looks amazingly unlikely that I'll hit my target by the end of the year unless I suddenly become a millionaire and can spend a few weeks purely sitting around in my pants playing games (I don't actually do this, by the way). Hopefully I can at least edge my way up to 40 or so games complete as I'm on the verge of finishing off another 5-6 games so that will be something. I suppose it comes down to the fact I have spent my time on time consuming titles and games with a ton of DLC. I've also not played too many super quick and easy games this year, or arcade titles for that matter, so I suppose that will have made an impact too.
Suffice it to say that I need to pull my finger out and hopefully get myself up to 300 completions total, 300k in gamerscore and a completion percentage of over 93% by the end of the year. Otherwise I'll be a touch miffed.
In a bid to kickstart said progress I have been playing Rockstar Table Tennis in order to snag the last couple of achievements I need. I'm hoping to team up with a friend to get the 50 Online Tournaments task out of the way this weekend, then I just need to complete the game on the highest difficulty with every player. Easy right?
Not really.
This game is pretty challenging even at the lower difficulties and even utilising a serving trick, that lets you get an ace from certain positions every time, only helps so far. This trick doesn't work against every player so some form of skill has to come into play. Thankfully I'm getting moderately good at the game now so I'm currently holding my own. I've completed the hardest circuit with two of the eleven players and I'm halfway through a third, so fingers crossed that I can get it done.
I'm also hoping to finally finish off GRAW 2 this weekend (Ghost Recon for non-fans) as I have the last bunch of DLC lined up to do with a bunch of like minded folks. It went well last week so hopefully this time will follow a similar pattern. Fingers crossed.
Then it will be back to FIFA 12 and grinding my way through the required 159 games to finish off the DLC. I've no idea how many I've done so far but hopefully I'm at least a third of the way through. I really loved FIFA 12 when it came out but ridiculous tasks like this can go that one step too far and turn love for a game into apathy. Honestly, who comes up with this stuff?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Brief catch up and update
Gah! I actually came on here during my lunch in order to try and do a hefty update to the Wall of Death (don't want people to think I was underachieveing in terms of time divided by DEATH!) but instead I've ended up fiddling about moving my list of completed games to its own spangly page, as you can see, and getting my review links up to date as well.
Both still need a bit of work (as I haven't added a new completion to the list since last year) but at least they are in the right place. I also chucked the My Horse and Me 2 review to the top of the heap because, well, why not? I did it a few years back but it still makes me chuckle even now. Hopefully I will eventually move all of my reviews to their own dedicated page as well, but for now they can make do where they are.
In gaming terms I've actually been doing something that most completionists often talk about but never actually get around to. Yes, I've been tackling the semi-completed pile of shame. So after getting the vast majority of the points from Spiderman 3 (except the ludicrous trick races), I've moved onto DLC in FIFA 12 and Ghost Recon 2 - so both games will hopefully soon be done and done. Then I can go back to Tomb Raider Legend and finally finish the dire DLC on that, before setting my sights on Bioshock 1/2 for the DLC stuff I still have on each.
I've also started chipping away at the remaining Halo ODST tasks as well, so hopefully that will be chalked off soon - plus I've made rapid progress on Rockstar Table Tennis which is a nice surprise. I've managed to get the online GOAT achievement plus I completed the Expert tour on default settings too. Boo yah! Just need 50+ online tourney wins (which I'm looking to do this weekend) and to complete the expert tour with every player then it will be done. A nice little treat that one, especially as you can change the settings to 7 points and 1 game to win after doing your default run - so hopefully I can chip away at it.
The only new game I've started was Borderlands 2 which I'm thoroughly enjoying. Hopefully I can make some good progress on that once I've cleared the decks a little more.
Both still need a bit of work (as I haven't added a new completion to the list since last year) but at least they are in the right place. I also chucked the My Horse and Me 2 review to the top of the heap because, well, why not? I did it a few years back but it still makes me chuckle even now. Hopefully I will eventually move all of my reviews to their own dedicated page as well, but for now they can make do where they are.
In gaming terms I've actually been doing something that most completionists often talk about but never actually get around to. Yes, I've been tackling the semi-completed pile of shame. So after getting the vast majority of the points from Spiderman 3 (except the ludicrous trick races), I've moved onto DLC in FIFA 12 and Ghost Recon 2 - so both games will hopefully soon be done and done. Then I can go back to Tomb Raider Legend and finally finish the dire DLC on that, before setting my sights on Bioshock 1/2 for the DLC stuff I still have on each.
I've also started chipping away at the remaining Halo ODST tasks as well, so hopefully that will be chalked off soon - plus I've made rapid progress on Rockstar Table Tennis which is a nice surprise. I've managed to get the online GOAT achievement plus I completed the Expert tour on default settings too. Boo yah! Just need 50+ online tourney wins (which I'm looking to do this weekend) and to complete the expert tour with every player then it will be done. A nice little treat that one, especially as you can change the settings to 7 points and 1 game to win after doing your default run - so hopefully I can chip away at it.
The only new game I've started was Borderlands 2 which I'm thoroughly enjoying. Hopefully I can make some good progress on that once I've cleared the decks a little more.
Friday, October 12, 2012
DISNEY WORLD!!!! - Week 2
Monday: Busch Gardens. The first day of the second week saw us heading over to Tampa and Busch Gardens. Luckily there was a free coach - or should I say coaches, as about seven turned up - so it wasn't a major hassle. Our driver, Dan, was a fun guy though he did make us endure Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 on the way over. The horror. The park itself was a mix of thrill rides, a la Islands of Adventure, and a mini safari park. The rides were all good again, especially the Cheetah Hunt, and we went on pretty much everything except for the old school wooden coaster which was closed for the day for some reason. I have to admit to bottling it on Shiekra (the 90 degree vertical drop) as I've been on similar rides in the past and not really enjoyed them. The wife went on it solo and said it was fun and that I was a wuss. I have to say that, with hindsight, it was probably no worse than most of the other stuff. I blame it partially on the fact I'd been feeling a bit weird all day and then made matters worse by eating a burger that really disagreed with me. Thankfully we'd been on most of the rides by then (twice) so it was all good. We relaxed by going on the safari tour and the overhead cable cars for some scenic views.
Tuesday: Epcot (again). As our last trip to Epcot had been washed out, we headed back to finish off. We went on the Spaceship Earth ride, which is worth it just for the funny ending video, plus trips to see Captain EO (which has dated quite a bit) and the Imagination Centre ride. We also wandered around the World Showcase which is worth it just for the selection of food and the frankly epic store in the Japanese section of the area. Good times. We also popped to Downtown Disney afterwards and had a browse around some of the stores there. I have to say that some of the art on sale was simply jaw dropping - as often it was in a completely non-Disney style and made traditional characters/films look stunning. Sadly they cost a fortune or I would have snapped something up.
Wednesday: Universal Studios. We left this until near the end as we have already been to the LA equivalent (twice for me) so figured this wouldn't have much else to offer. We were both gutted to discover that there is no backstage tour at the Florida location - which was one of the highlights in LA. Luckily some of the other stuff made up for it. We rode the Ripride Rocket a couple of times, which is made fun by the fact you can choose your own soundtrack and by the hefty drop right at the start (making me again wonder why I didn't go on the similar ride at Busch Gardens, ah well). We also went on the Simpsons ride, the Despicable Me ride (fun 3D goodness) and I saw Shrek 4D for like the millionth time. The Twister experience was hit and miss and the Men in Black ride was yet another gun game, which seems to be all the rage right now. There was also the fun Disaster show which featured a hologram Christopher Walken hamming it up to good effect. We were even going to go on the ET ride but with the queue at 30 minutes (for a kids ride) we decided not to bother. Still it was a fairly chilled out day with plenty to see.
Thursday: Seaworld. We left Seaworld until last as Sam was really not that fussed but it turned out to be surprisingly awesome. We saw the early dolphin show, which also included some aerial gymnastics and a host of trained birds, and it was superb. The Shamu show at midday was equally good too, so much so that we wondered why we had written this place off. There are also two really good coasters in the Manta and Kraken rides, as well as yet another flume ride (which we gave a miss after going on four others throughout the week). We also got to touch a manta and a dolphin and see some sharks up close and personal. It was a really relaxed day and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Friday: Nothing. This was our chance to recharge our batteries before heading back home as our flight back was the day after. We packed up the suitcases, which were practically full of US candy/cookies, and then headed out. We went to the Outlet Stores but to be honest they weren't that much cheaper than back home (seems to be some kind of urban legend) so we headed back to play some miniature golf instead which was fun as we both cheated outrageously.
On the whole I loved the trip and would certainly recommend it to anyone. The Disney parks have a reputation as being kiddified money pits, but there is still plenty to see and enjoy even if you're an adult. If you mix them in with the more grown up Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens then there will be something for everyone. Here are my top likes/dislikes:
LIKES
Tuesday: Epcot (again). As our last trip to Epcot had been washed out, we headed back to finish off. We went on the Spaceship Earth ride, which is worth it just for the funny ending video, plus trips to see Captain EO (which has dated quite a bit) and the Imagination Centre ride. We also wandered around the World Showcase which is worth it just for the selection of food and the frankly epic store in the Japanese section of the area. Good times. We also popped to Downtown Disney afterwards and had a browse around some of the stores there. I have to say that some of the art on sale was simply jaw dropping - as often it was in a completely non-Disney style and made traditional characters/films look stunning. Sadly they cost a fortune or I would have snapped something up.
Wednesday: Universal Studios. We left this until near the end as we have already been to the LA equivalent (twice for me) so figured this wouldn't have much else to offer. We were both gutted to discover that there is no backstage tour at the Florida location - which was one of the highlights in LA. Luckily some of the other stuff made up for it. We rode the Ripride Rocket a couple of times, which is made fun by the fact you can choose your own soundtrack and by the hefty drop right at the start (making me again wonder why I didn't go on the similar ride at Busch Gardens, ah well). We also went on the Simpsons ride, the Despicable Me ride (fun 3D goodness) and I saw Shrek 4D for like the millionth time. The Twister experience was hit and miss and the Men in Black ride was yet another gun game, which seems to be all the rage right now. There was also the fun Disaster show which featured a hologram Christopher Walken hamming it up to good effect. We were even going to go on the ET ride but with the queue at 30 minutes (for a kids ride) we decided not to bother. Still it was a fairly chilled out day with plenty to see.
Thursday: Seaworld. We left Seaworld until last as Sam was really not that fussed but it turned out to be surprisingly awesome. We saw the early dolphin show, which also included some aerial gymnastics and a host of trained birds, and it was superb. The Shamu show at midday was equally good too, so much so that we wondered why we had written this place off. There are also two really good coasters in the Manta and Kraken rides, as well as yet another flume ride (which we gave a miss after going on four others throughout the week). We also got to touch a manta and a dolphin and see some sharks up close and personal. It was a really relaxed day and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Friday: Nothing. This was our chance to recharge our batteries before heading back home as our flight back was the day after. We packed up the suitcases, which were practically full of US candy/cookies, and then headed out. We went to the Outlet Stores but to be honest they weren't that much cheaper than back home (seems to be some kind of urban legend) so we headed back to play some miniature golf instead which was fun as we both cheated outrageously.
On the whole I loved the trip and would certainly recommend it to anyone. The Disney parks have a reputation as being kiddified money pits, but there is still plenty to see and enjoy even if you're an adult. If you mix them in with the more grown up Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens then there will be something for everyone. Here are my top likes/dislikes:
LIKES
- Food - International Drive had a bevy of fairly decent chain restaurants which all offered fairly reasonable prices and a good range of food. I got Sam hooked on Johnny Rockets in particular, so here's hoping we can find some more.
- Islands of Adventure/Busch Gardens - Not being a thrill ride fan I wasn't sure about both of these parks but they delivered, and how. I loved every ride and there was plenty to see and do even when the queues picked up.
- Magic Kingdom - still probably the best all around Disney park, just for the vibe of the place and the overall mix of rides/shows/attractions. Good for kids, and big kids.
- Free transport - all the buses/monorail in the Disney parks are free, so getting around them is fairly easy. Plus, the free coach to Busch Gardens was a great help too. With friendly and helpful staff this was never a problem
- Walmart - best shop ever. Done and done.
- Theme park food - often overpriced and never really that good, we often just took snacks in with us and then ate a main meal after we had been back to the hotel and got changed.
- I-ride - the shuttle on International Drive was rubbish, they go nowhere near either Disney or Universal and they get packed with tourists within two or three stops. I would hate to see how bad they were in peak season. We got stuck with them after being persuaded to buy a 7 day pass, but ditched them as soon as that ran out. We waited over an hour for a ride at one point after two consecutive buses would not stop due to being full. AVOID.
- Disney Hollywood Studios - probably the worst park for me. It had a few good attractions (especially the Beauty and the Beast show) but was just too small and the backstage tour was a major disappointment. You are likely to see all parks assuming you are going but I'd leave this until last.
- Crazy heat - I'm English, so we don't like searing heat followed by torrential downpours followed by searing heat. MAKE UP YOUR MIND! On some days the heat made wandering the parks a real chore if truth be told, but you should soldier on as you never know when the rain might hit.
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