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2011-04-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Rumble, the Mechanized Menace - New LoL Champ

Even amongst yordles, Rumble was always the runt of the litter. As such, he was used to being bullied. In order to survive, he had to be scrappier and more resourceful than his peers. He developed a quick temper and a reputation for getting even, no matter who crossed him. This made him something of a loner, but he didn’t mind. He liked to tinker, preferring the company of gadgets, and he could usually be found rummaging through the junkyard. He showed great potential as a mechanic.

His teachers recommended him for enrollment at the Yordle Academy of Science and Progress in Piltover, where he may very well have become one of Heimerdinger’s esteemed protégés, but Rumble refused to go. He believed that Heimerdinger and his associates were “sellouts,” trading superior yordle technology to humans for nothing more than a pat on the head while yordles remained the butt of their jokes.

When a group of human graduates from the Yordle Academy sailed to Bandle City to visit the place where their mentor was born and raised, Rumble couldn’t resist the temptation to see them face-to-face (so to speak). He only intended to get a good look at the humans, but four hours and several choice words later, he returned home bruised and bloodied with an earful about how he was an embarrassment to “enlightened” yordles like Heimerdinger.

The next morning he left Bandle City without a word, and wasn’t seen again for months.When he returned, he was at the helm of a clanking, mechanized monstrosity. He marched it to the center of town amidst dumbfounded onlookers and there announced that he would join the League of Legends to show the world what yordle-tech was really capable of, without hiding behind a foreign banner.

“Ugh, it’s gonna take forever to scrape your face off my suit!”
- Rumble

As Rumble you shall be the inferiority complex incarnate, and shall stomp on, burn, and impale everything on your path.

Rumble is a melee caster without mana, utilizing unique new resource system called Heat. All of Rumble's basic abilities cause 20 heat, which cools back down to 0 after not using any abilities for a short time.

If Rumble reaches 100 heat he overheats (Junkyard Titan -passive), dealing bonus damage with his basic attacks for a short time, but silences him for a short time.

Junkyard Titan (Passive)
When Rumble reaches 50 Heat he is in the Danger Zone granting all his basic abilities bonus effects.

When Rumble reaches 100 Heat he starts Overheating gaining (110) (+(0.3 per ability power point)) bonus magic damage on his basic attack but is unable to cast his spells for 6 seconds.

Flamespitter (Q)

Rumble torches his opponents, dealing (40/65/90/115/140) (+(0.5 per ability power point)) magic damage in a cone each second for 3 seconds. This spell deals half damage to minions.

Danger Zone Bonus: Deals 30% bonus damage.

Scrap Shield (W)

Rumble tosses up a shield for 2 seconds that absorbs (50/80/110/140/170) (+(0.4 per ability power point)) damage. Rumble also gains an additional (10/15/20/25/30)% Movement Speed for 1 second.

Danger Zone Bonus: 30% increase to the Movement Speed bonus and shield health.

Electro Harpoon (E)
Rumble shoots his opponent with up to 2 tasers, dealing (55/85/115/145/175) (+(0.5 per ability power point)) magic damage and applying a stacking slow of (15/20/25/30/35)% for 3 seconds.

Danger Zone Bonus: Deals 30% additional damage and increased slow percentage.

After using this ability you may cast it a second time at no cost within 3 seconds.

For summoner abilities go for

Ghost and Flash but you can also use Ignite/Cleanse/Exaust.

Masteries, use the classic 9/21/0

In the offensive tree Sorcery helps you spam your skills,along with Archaic Knowledge which allows them to be more efficient.
Henceforth,the defensive tree have jewels like Evasion and Nimbleness who enhance your dodge+give you a nice speed boost that can helps you reach for the kill many times during the game.
Tenacity will make you an unstoppable ramsteed of yordle technology.

Runes.

Greater Mark of Insight x9
Greater Seal of Evasion x9

Greater Glyph of Celerity x9

You will need that magic pen and dodge & cooldown per level will be the best stat to go with that spec.

Skill priority

1. The Equalizer 2. Flamespitter 3. Scrap Shield

4. Electro Harpoon

Pros:
-Awesome damage output
-Sustained AoE damage
-(theorically) infinite mana (energy,heat,call it what you want)
-Not that slow compared to other carries like ashe. possibility of a boost

Cons:
-Easily focused (people attack what they're scared off.)
-Weak to controls (really)
-Can be very short-lived in some situations
-This towering robot will never make up for the lack of love and understanding from his peers.

Rumble is a fun and amazing champion, don't miss him.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, uuuuuuu aaaa, hot, hot, hot."

http://www.leagueoflegends.com/ US | http://eu.leagueoflegends.com/ EU

Age of Empires Online Beta - Sign up

2011-04-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Age of Empires Online Beta

The award-winning, best-selling Real Time Strategy game is moving online – and it’s more fun, approachable and immersive than ever!
Build a mighty empire, manage resources, and battle with or against other players in epic historical settings. New to this edition is your capital city, the heart of your customized empire, where you can craft and trade items.

Level up by completing quests and earn rewards: new units, weapons, armor, and skills. Plus, chat with other players and visit their capital cities. And that’s just the beginning of this rich, new experience! Your empire is online 24/7.

Age of Empires Online is in beta at the moment, you can get a key from Curse and get in closed beta.

Go to http://bit.ly/dFvfVD and make curse.com account.
Check this page http://bit.ly/hOvfHH for your beta key.

Beta key page preview

Instructions about game and how to download and play on AOE official site http://bit.ly/aADX6L.

Enjoy.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy episode 2

2011-04-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 of Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series. Awesome as first, check it out.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy brings to life the complex and rich history of the gaming world of MORTAL KOMBAT. Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung are obsessed with reigning over various realms (parallel universes) and the winners of Mortal Kombat competitions are granted supreme control over these worlds.
The Earthrealm (Earth) is an unconscious participant in this competition and only a few select humans understand the consequences of losing Mortal Kombat and what it will mean to Earth. In a universe with powerful evil sorcerers, cyborgs, Gods and movie stars, this Mortal Kombat digital media series drives a cohesive understanding of what this Universe is all about.

CAST
Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs.....................    MICHAEL JAI WHITE
Sonya Blade......................................    JERI RYAN
Kano...............................................    DARREN SHAHLAVI
Lt. Kurtis Stryker................................ TAHMOH PENIKETT

Exclusively on Machinima.com. This original live-action new media series is produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Warner Premiere.

Machinima
http://twitter.com/machinima_com

Brand, the Burning Vengeance - New League of Legends Champion

2011-04-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Latest League of Legends Champion - Brand, the Burning Vengeance

"In a faraway place known as Lokfar there was a seafaring marauder called Kegan Rodhe. As was his people’s way, Kegan sailed far and wide with his fellows, stealing treasures from those unlucky enough to catch their attention. To some, he was a monster; to others, just a man. One night, as they sailed through the arctic waters, strange lights danced over the frozen wastes.
There was something hypnotic about them; it was something that drew them to it like moths to a flame. Trekking across the frozen waste, they came to a cave covered in ancient runes. The meaning of the runes long lost to them, Kegan led the way inside.

There, inside a perfect cage of ice floated a dancing column of flame. There was no way such a thing should be burning, especially not in this place.

However, its movement was as hypnotic as a siren's song, captivating and seductive. While the others stayed back, Kegan could not help but approach it while holding out his hand...

That is the last thing Kegan Rodhe remembers, for now his body belongs to Brand. It is a creature of olden times, perhaps even a casualty of the Rune Wars. It is known in ancient texts as the Burning Vengeance. It is a creature of pure fiery hate that exists for no other reason than to lay low the world of men and yordles. No one is quite sure how Brand found his way to Valoran, but he began his predations at once. Overcome by Demacian forces, he was given a choice: fight within the confines of the League or die. Naturally, he chose to use his destructive powers in the League, for now..."

“This place will burn, not by cinder flying on breath of wind, but by the vengeance of my hand.” -Brand

Brand is a range nuker, specialised in area of effect (aoe) damage and creating spell combos with and while keeping his passive on target - Blaze. All of Brand's abilities light his target ablaze, dealing 2% of max health per second for 4 sec.When any ability hits the target already ablaze they gain a bonus effect and refresh the blaze debuff on target. Brand is a great burst champion.

Blaze (Passive)

Brand's spells light his targets ablaze, dealing 2% of their maximum Health in magic damage per second for 4 seconds.

Sear (Q)

Brand launches a ball of fire forward that deals magic damage. If the target is ablaze, Sear will stun the target for 2 seconds.
Brand launches a ball of fire forward that deals 80/120/160/200/240 (+0.65) magic damage.
If the target is ablaze, Sear will stun the target for 2 seconds.
Cost 50/50/50/50/50 Mana
Range 250

Pillar of Flame (W)

After a short delay, Brand creates a pillar of flame at a target area, dealing magic damage to enemy units with the area. Units that are ablaze take an additional 25% damage.
After a short delay, Brand creates a pillar of flame at a target area, dealing 80/125/170/215/260 (+0.6) magic damage to enemy units within the area.
Units that are ablaze take an additional 25% damage from Pillar of Flame.
Cost 70/80/90/100/110 Mana
Range 900

Conflagration (E)

Brand conjures a powerful blast at his target, dealing magic damage to them. If the target is ablaze, Conflagration spreads to nearby enemies.
Brand conjures a powerful blast at his target, dealing 70/105/140/175/210 (+0.55) magic damage.
If the target is ablaze, Conflagration spreads to nearby enemies.
Cost 60/65/70/75/80 Mana
Range 675

Pyroclasm (R - ultimate)

Brand unleashes a devastating torrent of fire, dealing magic damage each time it bounces. If a target is ablaze, Pyroclasm's missile speed increases.
Brand unleashes a devastating torrent of fire, dealing 150/250/350 (+0.5) magic damage each time it bounces up to 5 bounces.
If a target is ablaze, Pyroclasm's missile speed increases.
Cost 100/150/200 Mana
Range 750

Best optimized Runes and Masteries (personal preference)

Greater Mark of Insight x9 Greater Glyph of Clarity x9

Greater Seal of Clarity x9 Greater Quintessence of Brilliance x3

As for summoner spells, you should go with

Ghost and either Flash/ Teleport/ Ignite.

Skill Priority:
Pyroclasm > Pillar of Flame > Sear > Conflagration

Brand is definitely one of the strongest caster nukes and is a force to be reckoned with.

Definitely worth the poins.

leagueoflegends.com US / eu.leagueoflegends.com EU

Battlefield 3 - 12 min of gameplay footage

2011-04-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Battlefield 3 - 12 Minutes of Gameplay Footage Trailer

Just released, 12 minutes of Battlefield 3 gameplay. Both gameplay and graphics look amazing.
Check it out.

Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter, being developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and to be published by Electronic Arts. It is to be released on November 2, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The next generation of Frostbite will debut with Battlefield 3. It will take full advantage of the DirectX 11 API and 64-bit processors, with no support for DirectX 9 (nor, therefore, Windows XP). It will also feature enhanced in-game destruction with Destruction 3.0, creating more refined physics than its predecessor.

A new animation system will allow players to "drag fallen comrades into safety and mount weapons on almost any part of the terrain". You will be able to take control of tanks, airplanes and much more.

Developer(s)	EA Digital Illusions CE
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Series	Battlefield
Engine	Frostbite 2.0
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	November 2, 2011
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, cooperative, multiplayer
Rating(s)	PEGI: 18

Starcraft 2 Grandmaster League Available

2011-04-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

StarCraft II's highly-anticipated Grandmaster League is now available! Promised for Season 2, and now it's finally here. Featuring the top 200 eligible players per region Grandmaster league is the new home of best of best Starcraft 2 players.

To see the top 200 players in your region for the current season, head on over to the Leagues & Ladders page in the game client and then click on "Grandmaster."

The Grandmaster League commences two weeks after the start of the second StarCraft II League season and is limited to the top 200 eligible players per region -- it is truly the most prestigious Battle.net league for StarCraft II players and will determine who belongs at the top of the ladder.
Qualification for this league takes place during the first two weeks of play following the start of a new season, after which potential Grandmaster League candidates must play one more match in order to receive their promotion.

Keep in mind that play isn’t separated by league, so Diamond or Master League players will still have the same chance as before to face off against the Grandmasters.

Players must remain active to avoid being removed from the Grandmaster League. Grandmaster players who let their bonus pool pile up will automatically be removed from the league, making room for more active combatants.

FAQ

Q. How do I enter the Grandmaster League?

A. To enter the Grandmaster League:

There needs to be an open slot within the ladder.

You need to be in the top 200 players according to a rolling average of your skill rating.

You must be eligible.

Q. What does eligible mean?

A. To be eligible, your unused bonus pool must be less than 90.

Q. Can I be removed from the top 200?

A. Yes. If your unused bonus pool exceeds 180, you will be removed from the Grandmaster League.

Q. Is there a way to see who is in the Grandmaster League?

A. Yes. Click on the in-game ladder icon, and then click "Grandmaster" to see the current season rankings.

Q. How active do I need to be to stay in the Grandmaster League?
A. Your unused bonus pool must remain under 180. This means you can't get more than two weeks behind. This is equivalent to roughly 30 games.

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/2620922#blog

ArenaNet - Guild Wars 2: Next Gen MMO that will reshape the industry as we know it.

2011-04-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Why Guild Wars 2 is history in the making

Over the years since that initial announcement, Guild Wars 2 has gained an avid following, the likes of which few MMOGs in development are fortunate enough to experience. The features and mechanics being announced and demonstrated by ArenaNet have astounded and delighted audiences with each new video feature or trade show demonstration.

This is a game that deserves to be watched closely. "It will be a success, and it will reshape the industry as we know it."

TenTonHammer just released an article about GW2 and it's predicted to be a great success.
Many great features, removal of tank/healer/dps roles, avoidable attacks, no quests, underwater warfare, events and many other features are just the tip of the iceberg.

Quest logs, fetch missions, instanced dungeons, static NPCs, hotbar racks, trash loot, subpar crafting, limiting class archetypes, level grinds, gear grinds, repetitive content...

The list goes on and on, and I'm willing to bet that each of us is a bit tired of it, to some degree or another. So when ArenaNet's President, Mike O' Brien, stepped forward with the aforementioned quote, gamers everywhere stopped and took notice. And they started to hope.
If you are unfamiliar with Guild Wars 2 (even if you hated the first one), I'd recommend giving this article a read.

Innovation is a tricky business. Changing something, just for the sake of being different, is not guaranteed to yield positive results. We've seen numerous titles fail in this industry, simply because they tried thinking outside the box without actually trying to understand their customers wants and needs. It's also extremely risky because even though many of us may have grown weary of the industry's drift toward becoming a clone army, another portion of the audience (perhaps the majority, even) enjoy the familiarity that this breeds by lowering or eliminating the learning curve on new games...

"It's about who you WANT play with, not who you HAVE to play with."

The "holy trinity" is gone for good.

Check the full article.

http://www.tentonhammer.com/editorials/gw2-why-care

More about Guild Wars 2, links below.

TenTonHammer - Ten things we learned at Pax East

Tap repeatedly - Interview with Daniel Dociu (Art director for arenanet) - part 1

Tap repeatedly - Interview with Daniel Dociu (Art director for arenanet) - part 2

Tap repeatedly - Creating concepts - Summary of the 3 interviews above

Eurogamer - Guild wars 2 - How to make MMO'S better

Kill Ten Rats - The essential scatter (includes rift and warhammer)

ArenaNet Retrospective Trailer

Races of Tyria

Mortal Kombat: Legacy! Episode 1

2011-04-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

All-new Mortal Kombat: Legacy live action series. Released free 3 days ago.
Episode 1 looks awesome, can't wait to see part 2. The one you definitely don't want to miss.
New episodes are released every thuesday. Check it out!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Jax (Michael Jai White), Kurtis Stryker (Tahmoh Penikett), Sonya Blade (Jeri Ryan) and Kano (Darren Shahlavi). Directed by Kevin Tancharoen.
Presented exclusively by Machinima.com and Warner Brothers. I take no credit!

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