Are you trying to find your way through Starcraft 2 and hitting a few hurdles? Or are you new to the game and looking for some quick examples of what to do and when to do it? Then our FREE Starcraft II guide will get you going. Check out our quick start Tips and Tricks guide to Starcraft II absolutely FREE! We’ve been playing Starcraft 2 since the day it was released,  so we decided to jot down and research a few things that helped get us started. In this FREE guide you will learn:

Basic strategy tips

 Basic economy strategies

 Single player tips and cheats

 Multiplayer secrets

 Do’s and Don'ts

 Players checklist

 PLUS – links to the Internet’s best selling Starcraft 2 Strategy Guide with even MORE tips and tricks.

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OMG – Six more weeks until the most highly anticipated game (IMHO) hits the shelves, StarCraft II. When the original came out in 1998, it sold over 11 million copies. It came out at a bad time, the genre had been beaten to death for many years before with games like Masters of Orion and Command and Conquer. But this game offered something quite different. It had only three races and game play was superb. Add to that the voice acting talents of some Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni and that game was ready to take off.

Now we find ourselves in 2010. To quote a famous Paul McCartney and Wings song, “You’d think that people would have had enough of silly top down viewers.” That’s what I would have thought. Being an old school gamer, I love top down view games. They’re a bit nostalgic but also familiar. The view is perfect for this and other types of games. Sometimes it’s done well and sometimes not so well (I’m talking to you, Civ 4). I’ve been playing the BETA and it seems that they focused on 3d control, not camera control. Take out the fancy camera controls and you’ve got smooth, brilliant 3d graphics that look and play great!

I’ve read on some other boards that people are complaining about he fact there are still only three races (protoss, terran, and zerg). IMHO, there should be no more than those three. Why? Well, have you ever played Warhammer 40k? There are so many army types, races, and variants that it drastically cuts into the game play time and also adds to the total confusion that could ensue when certain rules / abilities are challenged. Sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. Any Games Workshop product is a testament to that. (Let the hate mail begin…)

The three races keeps it simple to understand and makes you a smarter player by understanding your enemy better. You’re head can be clogged with strategy and tactics rather than remembering complex and numerous one-off rules. To make up for only having three races, they have drastically expanded the types of units that each can produce, and some of the familiar units that return in StarCraft II will have new tricks up their sleeves, which will give the game its own unique flavor. In addition, Battle.net will be overhauled with some new and exciting features to enhance online play and competition, while the single-player campaign will also offer some unique aspects for players to enjoy.

StarCraft II will also be a fully featured multiplayer game, and all three races will be available for competitive play. However, the campaign expansions are race specific, so play a bit with all three races to find the one you want to advance with, then order the expansion specific to that race.

See you on BattleNet!

We’ve had our Sudoku PRO software available for a couple of years now, so we felt it was time for an upgrade. The new version has more features and a significant price reduction!

You can download a FREE 3 day trial version HERE!

Or register the product for only $5.

Sudoku PRO installs on your PC and generates random puzzles with user selectable levels of difficulty (easy, medium, and hard). Since the software generates the puzzles on the fly, each puzzle is unique and different. The combinations are virtually endless! This means that Sudoku PRO will continue providing fresh, quality puzzles every time your ready to play.

Sudoku definition:

Sudoku is a logic-based number placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid.

The modern puzzle was invented by an American architect, Howard Garns, in 1979 and published by Dell Magazines under the name “Number Place". It became popular in Japan in 1986, after it was published by Nikoli and given the name Sudoku, meaning single number. It became an international hit in 2005.

Now, SudokuPRO allows you a quick, easy to use interface to play the game the way you want. It features advanced options and games can be saved for later enjoyment. Some of the enhancements to Sudoku PRO for this release include:

Three difficulty levels Easy: Get your Sudoku feet wet Medium: More difficult Sudoku puzzles Hard: Sudoku puzzles with minimal starting numbers

Reveal Square key: Shows the value in a selected square

Ability to save and load games

Real-time checking of your progress

"Solve Game" feature so you can see the solution to the current puzzle

Print the current puzzle so you can take it with you when you go

Number Pen to place the same number in multiple squares

Start Over button allows the current puzzle to be restarted

New - Solver Mode allows you to enter an existing Sudoku and reveal the answer

New - Print Pages prints 4 puzzles on a page to take with and enjoy

 

Remember, you can play our FREE online version of Sudoku HERE!

Well, here it is, Saturday morning. I got Mystery Science Theater playing (Episode 509 “The Girl In Lover’s Lane"), which features one of my favorite character names, Big Stupid (aka Bix Dugan). Anyway, I use that time to also catch up on my favorite blogs while sipping the overpriced hot brown water they label as ‘coffee’ at QuickTrip. It was during my routine blog perusal that I caught someone describing a fellow gamer as a ‘Grognard’. Their reasoning for doing so was simply based on the fact that the person was over 40 and grumpy. I couldn’t believe this gross misrepresentation of the term and immediately went to the Internet’s most fervently accurate resource, Wikipedia. Again, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The term to which an entire generation of gamers gave their Saturday nights defining was being besmirched and misused by the kids of today. Since I am a 40+ year old ‘semi-Grognard’ myself, I will attempt to set the record straight.

“Grognard’ is a French word meaning ‘grumbler’, or one who complains incessantly. This is not to be confused with the French term “Gronarniue’ which means “Drop your rifle and run.” The term made it’s way into the gaming world around the early 80’s, but it did not mean ‘grumbler’. After all, everyone who plays tabletop RPG’s or PC games is a grumbler. We love to bitch about anything and everything. Therefore, to call a fellow gamer a ‘grumbler’ was basically just calling them an average gamer.

The term ‘Grognard’, in proper gaming circles, refers to a person who annoyingly claims to know every rule and strategy for a given RPG, but never actually plays the game. They spend their time sitting around the table lecturing everyone else about how stupid their previous move was or how they are mismanaging their army’s resources, yet never put their grandiose knowledge to practical use.

For our gaming group, that person was Kevin. He wasn’t always that way. He played most Games Workshop and other tabletop RPG’s quite well, and for many years. But then, something snapped. He fell into a sullen world of negativity and second guessing. He would still join us for gaming night, but would just sit there like a lump lamenting the idiocy of the current player’s move. Many a times people would challenge him to actually put his reputation on the line and do battle, but he would refuse citing some fear of the government tracking how well you strategize at RPG’s and warning that a black, windowless van would swoop you up on the way home and have you organizing black-ops for the CIA.

I was just kidding about that last part, he wasn’t that nutty. I actually do miss Kevin, who moved away about 10 years ago. I think every gaming group requires a bit of a Grognard in their midst. I believe it helps the group bond and become more cohesive and dependent, while also providing the group with a reason to argue (as if we needed a reason).

I found this article on the web and had to post it. Some of the arguments presented are laughable… Promotes gang activity? Well, it is a quest based game with parties of varying talents. Although I haven’t found a compendium for Crips, Bloods, and Aryans.

MADISON, Wis. — A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle today to play Dungeons & Dragons behind bars.

Kevin T. Singer filed a federal lawsuit against officials at Wisconsin's Waupun prison, arguing that a policy banning all Dungeons & Dragons material violated his free speech and due process rights.

Prison officials instigated the Dungeons & Dragons ban among concerns that playing the game promoted gang-related activity and was a threat to security. Singer challenged the ban but the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld it as a reasonable policy.

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures, often working together as a group, with the help of complicated rules.

Singer, 33, has been a devoted player of the fantasy role-playing game since he was a child, according to the court ruling. After the ban went into effect, prison officials confiscated dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books and magazines in his cell as well as a 96-page manuscript he had written detailing a potential scenario for the game that players could act out.

Prison officials enacted the ban in 2004 after an inmate sent an anonymous letter expressing concern about Singer and three other inmates forming a "gang" focused around playing the game.

Singer was told by prison officials that he could not keep the materials because Dungeons & Dragons "promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling," according to the ruling. The prison later developed a more comprehensive policy against all types of fantasy games, the court said. The appeals court said the prison's policy was reasonable and did not violate Singer's rights.

"After all, punishment is a fundamental aspect of imprisonment, and prisons may choose to punish inmates by preventing them from participating in some of their favorite recreations," the court said.

Singer was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 after being found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of his sister's boyfriend. The man was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer.

Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko said the department was pleased with the decision and will continue to enforce rules that are designed to maintain a safe environment.

Singer's court-appointed attorney, W.C. Turner Herbert of North Carolina, also did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

I played the original L4D from Valve when it came out… Well, I played the demo version. The game itself was a newer twist on the FPS genre where you act as one of four survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The key is travel with your group (this is key) and get to various locations and cities without the hordes of zombies catching up with you.

The game had a good bit of depth in the area of creating different zombie classes with different skills, speeds, and God-awful ways of making you die. This kept the strategy ever changing as you and the other three players tried to formulate a winning play based on the scenario’s terrain, zombie types, and goals. Valve released the Survival Pack months later so that players got the full Versus experience as well as the now-standard timed Survival mode.

When L4D2 came out, my first thought was wow, that was fast. I said that because Valve has a propensity to take their time when it comes to sequels. I got the game and anxiously waited to see if it brought out new dimensions to the game play. It didn’t. Although it had five all new campaigns, this game was more like an aesthetic patch and enhancement of existing features than a whole new type of game. With that said, if you have L4D, keep it and wait for L4D2 to hit the bargain bin (or at least go below $30).

If you have been waiting for an excuse to try L4D2, then the MSRP is well worth the price. It will provide you with hours of single player enjoyment as you master the various levels, weapons, zombies, etc. By all means, please play the single player missions first. It’s not like CoDMW2 in that if you familiar with WWII shooters you can pretty much kick it multiplayer without much more than a couple training missions. L4D2 has five new campaigns and, compared to the first version, has enhanced settings, more modes, and more responsibilities needed to win the level.

Bottom line, if you don’t have it and are a fan of group RPG’s and zombies, by all means get the darn thing! If you have L4D, I would give a solid “M’eh” as to whether or not you should upgrade (at the current price).

The kids at PC Gamer posted a list of what they consider the top 100 games then throw in the disclaimer that these are the best games today. They have some from the mid 90's but most everything else is recent visual masturbation. They completely ignored the ground breakers, the innovators, and the pioneers. So, being a gamer that has seen them all since 1982, I’ve decided to add just a few of my favorites from the dawn of computer gaming. These would be on a TRUE list of the top 100 PC Games EVER.

Kings Quest (1985) and King's Quest 2 - Romancing the Throne (1987): During those years, we had next to nothing except a Tandy 1000 and an EGA monitor. Many a Saturday night was spent playing this 2D scroller. Despite it not being driven by a $900 NVidia card, the graphics were stunning. The music and sound were unheard of (no pun intended). It was the first truly interactive experience on the PC with a story that made you want to complete the quest, but were left saddened when it was over. This game spawned a number of Sierra knockoffs like Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest, and Police Quest. Truly groundbreaking and worthy of every gamer's respect.

Bedlam (1984): It was a DOS text adventure that placed you in the middle of a large insane asylum. The goal was to escape since you were wrongly imprisoned there. If another inmate caught on to what you were doing, you would have to bribe them with cigarettes. Oh, the good old days of text adventures. Trying to decipher and remember the various verb - noun combinations that unlocked whatever secrets a room held... and putting them in the right order!

DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D (1992): An 8 bit first person shooter that not only introduced that generation of gamers to 3d worlds, it beat them over the head with how incredibly forward thinking this technology was. I played that game over and over for years and never got tired of it. As a young developer, I could not even begin to grasp the kind of engineering knowledge necessary to create such an immersive world. Hell, I was getting excited having just wrote DOS pop-up menu's. Not just groundbreaking or exciting, this is the one that started it all. It opened the world of 3d depth and game play to the masses. Thank you, ID software.

Bushbuck Charms, Viking Ships, and DoDo Eggs (1991): As a young engineer, I had the pleasure of working on this game. PCGlobe was a small company that made mapping and statistical data software. They wanted to cash in on the Carmen San Diego craze and decided to write a game that centered around world travel, using facts and figures from their PCGlobe and PCUSA products. When you think of small development shops, this was one of them. There were 2 full time developers, a graphics guy, and a sound guy (a side gig for Andre Bormanis who went on to Hollywood and became the Science Advisor on most all post-90's Star Trek shows and movies). Oh yeah, and me the 1/3 developer, 1/3 QA, and 1/3 PC Tech. This game wasn't ground breaking, innovative, or particularly interesting, but I listed it because it was the first one I worked on.

eSource Development has just released their latest Nostalgia Game Taipan! Why does the name sound familiar? It's a port from the original DOS / AppleII source code, but updated with graphics, sound, and more! If you're an old timer like me, playing these games from the early 80's is a pure treat.

Taipan! is one of the original games that combines economic challenges with combat. You are in command of a small barge and have the help of your commander as you sail from port to port in search of trading bargains and opportunity. Upgrade cannons and purchase larger ships to hold more cargo and allow you to fend off the marauding pirates!
The addition of sound and quests makes this a game you can replay dozens of times over. And the best part is... It's FREE (if you sign up using TrialPay) or just $4.95 direct from this website.

Taipan Objective: The objective of the game is to accumulate wealth in excess of $1,000,000 before your mandatory retirement of 30 years. To achieve this, you travel from port to port purchasing items at bargain prices and unloading them at ports that have a higher price for that item. If there is no activity on an item, you can return to your home port (Hong Kong) and store the items in your warehouse.

You can also deposit excess funds into a bank or borrow money from a lender. Be careful... The interest is quite high when borrowing money from these sources.

Taipan! begins with the Taipan (you) in command of a small barge. As you accumulate more wealth, you can purchase larger ships. These ships not only hold more cargo, that also hold more cannons, which are useful during ship to ship combat.

Taipan! Game play is turn based. Each turn starts when a new port of call has been selected and the "Set Sail" button has been pressed. After the ship reaches its destination, you may get information about important activities. You can view the "Port Information" document to get current prices in that port. Not all ports offer the same services. For example, repairs to your vessel are only available in Hong Kong, Saigon, Batavia, and Nagasaki. While other services such as cannon and new ship purchasing are random events. When these options are available, the buttons will be enabled.

Taipan! Features:

• Save game feature
• Intuitive interface
• Quests that can grow your empire quicker
• Awesome sound effects
• Multiple levels of play
• Its FREE via TrialPay! What else could you want? But if you don't want to subscribe to the great deals on TrialPay, you can always download the trial version and purchase a license key.