In an age where free PC games are becoming increasingly common, the burden falls on us hardcore gamers to try out all games and figure out which ones are worth our time. League of Legends (LoL) by Riot Games is one free game that stands out among the crowd as being very fun, competitive, and graphically beautiful to behold. Essentially, it’s a stand-alone Defense of the Ancients (DotA) game, which is a highly popular Warcraft III The Frozen Throne custom map.

There has been a demand and rumor for a stand-alone Defense of the Ancients for a long time. Coincidentally, two games are being released in a very short time. League of Legends was released only two months ago, while Heroes of Newerth (another DotA like game) will enter open beta very soon. League of Legends consist of minds such as Guinsoo, a previous designer of DotA, and Pendragon, the administrator of dota-allstars.com.

In LoL, your team consists of one to five players, depending on the map and game, and each player controls a Champion. As of right now, there are 43 champions to choose from, which invoke a lot of variety and replayability. Each champion has their own persona with their own set of powers. So it’s very interesting to try out the different Champions, based on their characteristic (such as Tank, Figter, Mage, Assasin, Support, etc) and choose one as a favorite. Chances are, you will want to try out all the Champions to learn their powers so that you don’t get surprised in-game against a cunning opponent. Each Champion has a set of 4 ability powers, and can level up to 18^th level, having the chance to improve one ability power each new level.

Your basic objective is to destroy the enemy headquarter, or Nexus. To do that, you have to destroy the towers along each lanes (one map has 3 lanes, the traditional DotA map, and the other map has 2 lanes). Periodically minions will spawn and head towards the towers. So it’s your job to aid your minions and push them towards the enemy tower to clear the way. As easy as it sounds, the enemy will be trying the same thing, which makes it all the more fun.

 Other RPG elements include buying items with gold (you accumulate gold constantly and also through killing enemies). The items further diversify LoL, because of the endless possibilities of customizing your Champion. While LoL offers you item recommendations for each Champion, you might want to build your own sets of items depending on how you play. A notable difference from DotA is the inclusion of only one item shop in your base, where the items are neatly organized into categories. First tab includes Attack, Defense, Movement, Consumables; each tab is farther subdivided, for instance Attack tab contains Life Steal, Attack Speed, and so on. Furthermore, if you click on an item, you can see what advanced items you can build from this one. In fact, if you have enough gold, you can build an advanced item simply by buying that. This saves a lot of time rather than buying each individual item before buying the advanced item. All these features make LoL a very newbie-friendly game and takes away some of the steep learning curve associated with DotA.

Another interesting inclusion in LoL is the Summoner system. As a Summoner, you gain experience and influence points for playing each game (practice games earn you less). Your stats are also tracked through your Summoner page. You can also buy Runes to modify your Champion powers. As your Summoner gains levels, you can unlock new Rune slots. Each new Summoner Level also gives you a Mastery point, which you can then put into Passive skills that improve your Champion’s stats and spells. The Mastery, reminiscent of WoW, contains of three sections: Offense, Defense, and Utility. Personally, the Summoner system is a nice touch, as it encourages finishing a game to gain Summoner levels. You don’t gain any XP or IP for leaving.

League of Legends has an interesting matchmaking system that pits players of similar Summoner levels against each other in a 5v5 game. So far, I haven’t been disappointed in this, even though sometimes it can take a while to find a game. The Practice games room, on the other hand, is almost always filled with players and open games to join. While Practice games do earn you slightly less XP, it’s a quick way to jump into a game and have fun. The chat and messenger function is nicely integrated as well, and serves its purpose wonderfully.

Graphics-wise, League of Legends looks beautiful with its cel-shaded animations. It certainly has a stylized unique feel to it, and is definitely a much better update to DotA. Each character looks unique and fresh and the spell effects are wonderful while not being a pain for the eyes. With a decent graphics card, you should be able to run the game at a full 60 fps without any stutter and beautiful images. The map has two modes, Summer and Winter, and the graphics of each mode is gorgeous to behold, Winter being my slightly higher preference.

The sound effects of League of Legends are awesome. I love the effects of each spell, some of which are very unique. The music suits the mood of the game and delivers an intense feel while you are in the heat of battle. The Champion selection screen has a particular drum beat music that reminds me of ancient wars and sets me in the mood every time. While the amount of voice acting for each Champion is limited, they are still original and entertaining most of the time.

The only drawback of League of Legends is the lack of content; we know that much more will be released soon, via in-game options and website news, but it’s all very teasing. For instance, we are promised ranked games, more champions, more items, and better features. At this stage, the game should be safely called to be in open beta. You will see that not all Champions will be available to you at once; you can either buy the digital version to unlock everything, or win IP and buy them. It’s possible to play League of Legends without paying a single dime; only cosmetic upgrades cost real money.

Overall, League of Legends is a very addicting and fun filled game that will certainly draw DotA veterans who want an improved game. It will also draw a lot of players who wanted to try out DotA, but never had the courage to overcome the steep barrier amidst cussing from the hardcore DotA community. Either way, expect LoL to be filled with players online at all times. League of Legends is a game that promises to grow, and I hope they reach a final stage very soon.

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide

2009 saw the third installment of one of the most popular video gaming franchises of all time, The Sims. The Sims 3 did not disappoint gamers as it improved a lot on The Sims 2 while maintaining part of the familiar and charming content and gameplay. There were more socializing options to interact with other Sims, items to furnish your home with, and goals for your Sims to achieve. As if these weren’t enough, late that year we were gifted with an expansion pack, The Sims 3: World Adventures, which added new content to keep gamers busy for hours.

The Sims has always been about maintaining your virtual people in a virtual community. While in the previous games you had a neighborhood with different Sim families living in it, the community never felt very connected. However, this game introduced a new seamless method of traveling in your town. Everything feels related, and gone are the loading times while switching between locations. Now you just have to zoom out in the City view and choose your location. You could walk, bike, or call for a taxi. You could visit diners, libraries, or other neighbors. You could even invite neighbors to tag along with you. This is probably the biggest advancement in The Sims game play, and it makes enjoying the virtual community even more.

Graphics wise, it doesn’t feel as gorgeous as most of today’s games, but it’s still beautiful to behold in its own right. While there are jitters when you zoom in, the animations are hilarious. It’s so much fun to see your Sims take part in various daily activities and interact with others. Your Sims now reacts in more accurate ways and their “Simlish” is as hilarious as ever. The amount of fun to see and hear your Sims argue with other Sims, or fight with them cracks us up. If you want to be cruel, you could try putting your Sim in a doorless room and witness the desperate pleas. You could also let your Sim do something they enjoy (something related to their goals), and their face brightens up.

The goal system has been developed. Even though you are not strictly required to adhere to your goals, fulfilling them rewards you immensely. The smaller goals are very easy to fulfill and provide instant gratification, whereas longer goals like becoming a superstar or a famous musician takes quite an effort to achieve but are supremely satisfying. To reach your goals, you need to choose the correct career path, and need to advance in that path. New to the system is managing your Sims while they are at work. You don’t get to control all the moves of your Sims while they are at work, but you get to make key decisions. For instance, you could get to know your colleagues better or learn something else while you are at work. This is a very simplified version, but it makes the game feel a lot more real than before and enhances the fun.

You can now create your Sims with many new options; it’s possible to customize a lot of details, so it’s very possible to create a miniature version of you. You can then choose their traits and their long term goal, which makes them behave accordingly in game. While at home, you have to maintain your Sims basic needs. They need to eat, drink, sleep, clear their bladder, and entertain themselves. And to advance their career, they need to develop their skills, which can be done in various ways. Musicians can practice the guitar or go to the park and play for people. Chefs can read books and keep cooking. The amount of possibilities is fun to explore and perform.

Fans of the Sims series might think the expansion World Adventures is a throwback to The Sims Vacation. To some extent, it is, but it’s so much more. World Adventures allows you to travel to France, Egypt or China, and explore wonderful sceneries and dungeons. It’s a very interesting twist, as the “quests” make you feel like you are in an RPG game, solving puzzles, finding the right person to talk to, and collecting hidden loots. All the while, you have to make sure you are tending to your Sims’ daily needs. It can’t get any more fun than this. Once in, you will feel hooked to this expansion for a long time. The loots you collect can be used in your home as showpieces, or you can sell them for a good amount of money. These travels even pertain to your careers, which is a nice touch. For instance, you might be asked to learn an Egyptian song which you would be able to perform and teach others.

The Sims 3 promises endless hours of gameplay with all its fun factors and rich content. If you are a control freak, or want to get lost in a world filled with funny people demanding your attention, then The Sims 3 is for you. No matter what type of gamer you are, The Sims 3 will keep you busy and entertained, being one of the best games of 2009.

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide

If there is one thing I get tired of hearing in a scrim or scrimmage it's this.

"omg wtf there is no reg or registration in this server my cross hair was rite on his head."

Well your cross hair may have indeed been on the enemy's head. But as far as the game code is concerned you may have missed by a mile so what I am going to do is show you how to make you awp shot's register or reg better these tips well also help with all the other weapons in Counter Strike Source.

Type these cvar commands in console inside counter strike source to enable the console hit the "~" also known as the Tilda key. If after pressing the "~" key nothing happens you will have to check the enable developer console setting in keyboard/advanced settings in counter strike source.

cl_interp 0

cl_interpolate 0

cl_lagcomp_errorcheck 1

cl_cmdrate 100

cl_updaterate 100

cl_rate 20000

cl_smooth 0

rate 25000

zoom_sensitivity_ratio 0.76

Please Do the Same As examples Above for the rest

after you enter all of those cvars/console commands

close Counter Strike Source then restart steam

Now that we have taken care of that problem let's focus on you yes you

It is extremely important to remember that when you play not to grip your mouse to tightly with your hand. because when you do that your muscle's have tendency to jerk. usually resulting in you missing the kill so keep that in mind while you play. another this to remember is to make sure you stop walking before you shoot this sounds very obvious but this little trick is what separates the pub stars from the pro players. you can practice this by making your own Counter Strike source server and practice running and stopping about 50 times a day until you get the timing down pat.

OK let's talk about your gaming gear I know that grime encrusted ball mouse is broke in but you won't be getting on any class or cevo pro team playing with that mouse so here is a list of good gaming mouse's the Razer Copperhead™ Gaming Mouse sells for about 55 to 60 bucks the Logitech G5 Laser 2000 dpi Mouse  sells for about 55 to 60 bucks as well the cyber snipa sells for about 38 bucks very good mouse well recommended

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide

Here is a way to improve your latency on Counter-Strike and on other fps games online.

Before you do this, make sure to backup your registry. Your large-file download speeds will decrease slightly, but quick packet programs such as gaming will be faster. To remove this, just right click on the entry and delete it. And if that's not possible, change the value to 0, instead of 1. 1 activates, 0 is deactivate.

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide

An old article I wrote about CRT vs LCD Monitor for Gaming. Obviously LCD's have advanced since this post. If you are in the market for a good LCD monitor for CS or FPS games, check out the new monitors with 120hz from Viewsonic and Samsung.

What is the best monitor for Counter-Strike?A CRT or LCD monitor?

You have probably asked this question to yourself already - Should I get an LCD monitor to replace my CRT monitor? Is it any good for FPS games like Counter-Strike? Are you stuck on choosing the best gaming monitor for your needs?

LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors are fairly new to the desktop computer world, although they have always been used on notebook computers. LCD monitors have many advantages over their CRT counterparts, and are slowly taking over the desktop display market. 

Each LCD monitor is designed for a certain resolution, known as the native resolution. If you change the resolution on an LCD screen, the image will be scaled and the quality won’t be as good as with the native resolution. The native resolution of an LCD depends on the size.

 Here are the typical native resolutions for common sizes:17 inch: 1024x76819 inch: 1280x102420 inch: 1600x1200Viewing AngleIf you look at an LCD monitor from an angle, you will notice that the image appears dimmer and the colors can look weird. At extreme angles the entire image can even disappear. The viewing angle of an LCD monitor is the angle at which you can still view the screen clearly. So, the greater the viewing angle, the better.

Manufacturers are known to exaggerate their specifications, so be sure to evaluate the viewing angle yourself before buying an LCD monitor. Also, keep in mind how you will eventually use the monitor. If you need to show presentations with your LCD, the viewing angle will be a critical factor.Response RateThe response rate of an LCD monitor refers to how quickly each pixel on the screen can change color. The faster the response rate, the less ghosting you will experience. Ghosting is when the previous image displayed on the screen can still be seen as a blur for moments after the image has changed. Ghosting can be seen in fast-paced graphical applications such as games and videos.When choosing an LCD monitor for gaming, the response rate is ONE of the most important factor to consider. If you’re playing a fast-paced action game such as a first person shooter, when you look around quickly you will experience ghosting. This can ruin your overall gaming experience, depending on how severe the ghosting is. The faster the response rate, the less ghosting you will see.

Right now, the fastest response time for an LCD monitor is 2ms. Viewsonic has recently unveiled a 1 ms LCD monitor in Asia. It should hit the market in the fourth quarter of 2007.The second important factor for an LCD monitor is the refresh rate of the monitor. Many noobs think that this is not important but they are WRONG. You can prove this to yourself like what I have done - just start playing Counter-Strike with an LCD monitor and a CRT monitor side by side. I had trouble pwning when the refresh rate was less than 75Hz on the LCD monitor. At like 60 hz on an LCD monitor, Counter-Strike is unplayable even though it says that you have 200 Fps in your net graph display.

I have to admit, that even at 75 Hz, the LCD monitor I have (the Viewsonic VX922) does not fully compare with a good ole CRT monitor running at 120Hz. However, over time, you will actually get used to an LCD monitor with 2ms response time and with a refresh rate of at least 75Hz. It took me about 2 weeks to fully get used to my gaming LCD monitor and now I just own with it - no joke.CRT monitors don’t suffer from ghosting and blurring effects, and this is the reason they have historically been recommended as the best gaming monitors. And it still is in terms of performance and visual quailty. The most important factor for a CRT monitor is its refresh rate at the resolution you play Counter-Strike or games in. Don't get suckered in with ones that say they can have a resolution of 2000x1990 with max refresh rate of 65 or something like that. If your graphics card cant handle those resolutions, or you normally don't play CS in those resolutions forget those. Also they have very low refresh rates like 65 at those resolutions.

Make sure the CRT has very high refresh rates at the resolutions you play games in.CRT MonitorsAlthough LCDs are slowly taking over the aging technology of CRT monitors, you can still get a let for your money if you purchase a CRT these days. And manufacturers are continually evolving CRT monitors so they aren’t dead just yet.One area of improvement for CRT monitors is ergonomics. Some CRT monitors come in flat screen models which reduces glare and eyestrain. Let’s take a look at some important factors to think about when purchasing a CRT monitor.Dot PitchThe dot pitch indicates how sharp the images will be displayed on a CRT monitor. It’s measured in millimeters (mm), and the smaller the dot pitch, the better the image quality.Refresh RateThe refresh rate, also called the vertical refresh rate or frequency, is the speed at which the monitor can draw the screen. Measured in hertz (Hz), the refresh rate is an important specification of a CRT monitor. The higher the refresh rate of your monitor, the faster your screen is updated.If you’re on a low refresh rate you will notice your screen flickering, which can cause headaches and eye strain. To prevent such symptoms, make sure to set your refresh rate to 85 Hz or above. Any less and the flickering will become a health hazard.The refresh rate depends on the resolution that you’re running, and higher resolutions will support lower refresh rates. So choose a monitor that can display the resolution you want at an acceptable refresh rate (85 Hz and above, remember).Maximum ResolutionPretty self-explanatory, this is the highest resolution that a CRT monitor supports. As I said before, CRTs can display multiple resolutions without problems, unlike LCDs. So for example, if the maximum resolution of your CRT monitor is 1280x1024, then it will support all smaller resolutions: 1024x768, 800x600, and 640x480 etc.

What Size Should You Buy?

Choosing the size of your gaming monitor depends on your needs, and your budget. Sizes for both CRT and LCD monitors range from 15 inches up to 23 inches. Prices vary greatly between sizes, so choose a size that you can afford and that is big enough for you.17 inches is big enough for most people, but if you’re a hardcore gamer or you plan to watch lots of videos or TV on your monitor, you should go for something bigger as it will increase your viewing experience.Also, be aware that CRT and LCD screen sizes are measured differently. For some reason, the plastic edging around a CRT screen is included in its screen measurements, so a CRT screen size doesn’t actually tell you the size of the screen. For example, if a CRT monitor is said to be 17 inches, the actual screen size would probably be closer to 15 inches. this is not true for LCD monitors, as the stated size is the actual size of the screen.LCDs vs CRTsHere is a list of the main advantages of both LCDs and CRTs. When deciding between the two, choose the type that best suits your specific needs, the applications you use, and your budget.Advantages of LCD MonitorsLess power usage – An LCD monitor require less power than a CRT model, although CRT power usage is steadily coming down after lots of improvement from manufacturers.Smaller and lighter – LCD monitors are much thinner and lighter than CRTs, and they weigh less. This makes LCDs easier to move around, and they take up less room on your desk.Easier on the eyes – Because of the way LCD displays work, they don’t flicker like CRT monitors and so they reduce eyestrain and headaches. Also, LCDs tend to display text better since they can produce sharper images than CRTs. So if you’re going to read a lot of text with your monitor, consider an LCD.

Advantages of CRT MonitorsCheaper – CRT monitors are generally less expensive, although prices for LCDs continue to fall.Better color range – CRTs are known to more accurately represent different colors than LCDs. However, LCDs continue to evolve and soon this won’t be a concern.Faster response – CRT displays also currently have the upper hand in displaying fast-paced graphics and video. They don’t suffer from LCD-specific problems like ghosting and blurring, and so have been recommended as the best gaming monitors. Although, keep in mind that newer LCDs with fast response rates are good enough for gaming.Multiple Resolutions – As said before, CRT monitors handle multiple resolutions without problems. An LCD is only meant for a single resolution, so don’t get an LCD if you need to change resolutions often.Less Fragile – CRT monitors are rugged and are harder to damage.

What is Best for Gaming?

As stated before, CRT monitors have traditionally been recommended as the best gaming monitors due to their higher response times. I would say that an LCD with a response rate of 2ms (milliseconds) is the minimum with a refreshrate of 75hz at the resolution you play CS in for good gaming. LCD monitors with the specs stated above can be a good alternative if you want an LCD monitor right now. Also look out for the 1ms LCD monitors.

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide