Category: Fantasy games

Final Fantasy VII: AVALANCE and Cloud Strife Beginnings

RAll the major lands of Gaia were engulfed in endless wars for supremacy. These wars left so much pain and desolation that the planet and its inhabitants were on the verge of hopelessness. Shinra Electric Power Company would then emerge as the dominant force on Gaia, establishing order through totalitarian control of the planet’s economy—but at what cost?

Cloud Strife had always looked at SOLDIERS and the Shinra Power Company they worked for with awe. Having lived in the slums, barely able to make ends meet, he was always fascinated by the stories the older boys in the neighborhood had to tell.

At that point in his life, he was looking forward to working for Shinra Electric Power Company. When he was 14, he would become one of the thousands of young men who sent letters to the corporation seeking (and ultimately hoping) to be one of its elite enforcers.

However, His first few attempts were not encouraging. Before he would become a soldier, Strife would be hardened by life on the mean streets. He spent months wandering around Midgar taking any kind of work he could get.

Cloud had become very asocial, struggling and barely able to make ends meet ever since he could remember. Through the struggles, however, he had learned to depend on himself. At Midgar, he would meet all manner of seedy characters from bullies, con artists, as well as unscrupulous merchants. All this only served to reinforce his anti-social behavior.

Weeks before he was called to work with AVALANCHE, he had met a flower merchant named Aerith Gainsborough. She was a cheerful and charming young woman he had encountered by chance while wandering the streets of Midgar.

At first, he was suspicious of her. He had never encountered someone like her while he was growing up. Even though Cloud was suspicious, he would increasingly grow fond of her.

When Cloud was finally called to be a soldier, working for Shinra Electric Power Company he was over the moon. He trained daily with some of the elite soldiers working for Shinra. He was determined to be the best. Shinra would send him on assignments for weeks at a time.

It is not that Cloud had not heard about the Jenova Project. He had heard the rumors that some evil scientist had discovered a means to turn the planet’s lifestream and channel it into ordinary humans who would then acquire the power of the ancients. He had also heard that those who were part of this project often turned into monsters. He just did not have a clue that the corporation he sought to work for as an enforcer would be the very company that was sucking the very life out of Gaia and condemning it to extinction.

After spending some time working as a SOLDIER, he began to notice that he was experiencing emotional and psychological distress. He had been talking to Aerith who he often met while he was walking down the streets of Midgar. It was Aerith who would enlighten him about the Cetra, the lifestream and why the biggest corporation on the planet was looking for a flower vendor.

Aerith provided a lot of important information to Cloud and the AVALANCHE team they had just formed. However, the strange flashbacks and the unpredictable emotions caused by Mako had started taking a toll on Cloud. Especially, given the fact that he felt he was spending a lot of time with Aerith at the expense of the relationship he had with Tifa – his childhood friend.

It is at this time that Cloud built a fake persona using memories he absorbed from his friend Zack, while he was a soldier exposed to Mako. Cloud soon discovers that these strange flashbacks were created subconsciously to cope with the fact that he had failed to qualify as a first class SOLDIER while his friend Zack had.

As part of AVALANCHE team, Cloud works with Barrett – the team leader- to destroy all the Mako generators. Cloud is still working to overcome the adverse effects of the Mako energy he was exposed to when he was working as a SOLDIER. He has been trying to resolve his feelings towards Tifa and Aerith. At first, seeing him as a mere antisocial mercenary trained by Shinra, Barrett has no time for Cloud.

However, Barrett still needs Cloud’s skills. After all, he saved Aerith, an ancient who was wanted by Shinra. The Corporation needs her to get more information on utilizing the planet’s lifestream and activating Black Meteor. Barrett also knows he needs Cloud’s skills and experience working as a SOLDIER if the team is to pursue Sephiroth to the other end of the world.

The planet is rich in crystals referred to as Materia. The AVALANCHE team can use a combination of materia to launch fast and automated counterattacks. They manage to break into the Shinra Headquarters where they locate Sephiroth and his alien mother Jenova. Will they be on time to save the planet?

Disclaimer: This article is a guest post written by Nicole Allen

PlayerAuctions is the Top Player-to-Player Trade Marketplace

You don’t have to go far for proof of this fact. We’ve got state of the art security, a welcoming community, and provides 24/7 customer support. We have been running without a hitch since 1999, and our trading community is constantly growing. While we can’t really eliminate any unsavory elements, we try our best to keep damage at a minimum. Any dispute between buyer and seller is also met with a thorough investigation to find the best solution.

With a New Feature: the Market Price Tracker

Now, we have a new service, and it’s the PlayerAuctions Market Price Tracker. It’s a concept mainly for tracking stock prices, but here it is applied to player-to-player trading. It tracks the price of a game currency in a span of time (from a week to almost a year). A chart represents and shows the rise and fall of the game’s currency’s price to make it easier to see.

While that’s the main purpose of the tool, there are a few other information to take note of on the page. The first is the varying prices of the currency in different servers (if applicable). That table shows the average price and whether it has risen or dropped in seven days. Next is the chart that shows the best-rated sellers there are for the currency. There’s space for only seven, but rest assured, there are more trustworthy sellers than those seven. Last but definitely not the least, there’s another graph that shows the most expensive item sold for that game.

Why Should You Care?

Well, the first reason is to maximize your profits. Sure, you could be drowning in dough by just selling the most expensive item you can think of. But what if you can make that dough even larger?

The first way is by learning the patterns of the game economy. That can be aided by the chart that maps the rise and fall of the currency’s price. By looking at the dates when the price rises and checking what event or update happened, you can predict when the next spike will be. Then you can sell your item or currency for more than usual. You can even track it per server if you wish.

The second is by showing who the reliable sellers are. PlayerAuctions has a system where former buyers of a seller can leave a comment on the currency, service, or item they bought. As those accumulate, the next buyers of that same service/item/currency can be sure that the seller will deliver. On the market tracker page, you can see the highest-rated ones. You’ll be able to buy their wares without worry.

The third is by categorizing all the offers by the server they operate on, you don’t have to struggle with the filters and scouring through irrelevant offers. There’s even a link to the offers on the page so you can go directly to where you need to go.

We’re dedicated to giving the best trading platform we can. That means consistent, reliable service and constant upgrading and addition of features new and old. You can even help us improve by sending your suggestions by email.

So join the best gaming marketplace and reap the benefits now!

Classic PC Titles That Continue to Withstand the Test of Time

Timelessness is the one characteristic that separates a classic title from games that come a dime-a-dozen. For a game to truly stand the test of time, however, it needs constant innovation. Moreover, it needs to do so without compromising the core qualities that made it such a standout in the first place. It doesn’t matter if a game may seem dated because of grainy graphics or its mechanics are somewhat passé. It all boils down to the gaming experience that people can take from it. From niche crowds, right up to the mainstream, the world of gaming is strewn with titles that embody the word longevity.

Today, we’ll take a look at a few classic PC titles that continue to stand up to the test of time–80s and 90s PC games that embody versatility and longevity. While there are certainly others that fit the bill as well, we narrowed our choices down to the top three most relevant titles in terms of overall impact in gaming culture and current mainstream relevance.

Ultima Online

The Ultima series had already had numerous iterations—with each release proving to be more successful than its predecessor—under its belt before Origin Systems finally decided to hop on the online bandwagon. The result was Ultima Online which was rolled out way back in 1997 as one of the most highly-touted Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. To create a buzz, the game was kicked off with the assassination of (producer) Richard Garriot’s avatar during a stress test.

With multiple Guinness records and a rich history to boot, Ultima Online certainly fits the bill as a timeless masterpiece. While the initial subscriber expectation was set at a meager 15,000, it actually reached an excess of 120,000 subscribers after a year. With such numbers, it’s should come as no surprise that it still has steam.

Starcraft

Released all the way back in 1998, Starcraft is amazingly still being updated even two decades later. Though when you think about it, it really should come as no surprise. Gaining a solid fan base right from the get-go—to the tune of 1.5 million copies sold in 1998—it still rides high after 20 years. Starcraft’s appeal and cultural impact is undeniable as it is far-reaching.

A timeless game needs to change with the times while retaining the key components that made it appealing to the masses in the first place. With all the updates over the years, Blizzard Entertainment managed to make Starcraft as relevant today as it was back in the Nineties.

Genesis

Here’s the oldest of our trifecta of classics that refuse to succumb to Father Time: Genesis. In fact, Genesis is so old-school, it’s actually a text-based game! Back in 1989, very few people—if at all—knew about the internet. It was during such Jurassic conditions that a group of savvy Swedish students created the game. It didn’t stay a humble game, though. As the internet grew, so did the game. As a result, there are over 60 guilds for players to join, and a sprawling expanse of the world—including Middle Earth and the Forgotten Realms—to explore.

A great game can be found practically anywhere. You don’t even need to get in on the latest releases to enjoy a fully immersive experience. Do yourself a favor and indulge in these retro games before time finally catches up and snatches them away from us. Enjoy!

Easy to Miss Basics: OSRS Tips You Probably Didn’t Know

Despite being a decade-old game with features ten years behind the base game, Old School RuneScape (OSRS)has some OSRS tips and tricks that even some long-time players probably don’t know exist. Perhaps you don’t know all the tricks of the trade that’s why we’re giving you the lowdown. Read up and make your OSRS life easier with these pointers.

Gold Amulets for Sale

Gold is one of the most significant resources players should have in the game. It’s important for players to get a chunk of OSRS gold as early as possible. Earning gold in earlier OSRS powerleveling, however, can be time-consuming, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t simpler ways like crafting gold amulets.

In fact, crafting gold is doable with F2P players, which requires only level 8 Crafting, and its time improves the skill in question. Aside from the necessary skill level, you need OSRS gold bars and an amulet mold to craft gold amulets. Gold bars cost 93 Old School RuneScape Gold points, while gold amulets are usually sold for 159G, a 66GP profit. Once you start racking in lots of OSRS Gold, it will feel rewarding.

Going for Cheap Wine

In real life, wine is pricey. On the other hand, in OSRS, wine is much cheaper than lobsters and expensive fish. So, what does wine have to do with those two dropping items? Well, lobsters and fish are what players usually buy or sell so that they can use safe space spots again when they’re training for Range or Magic. Although lobsters are 200GP and only restore 11HP, wine is a whopping forty times cheaper for 5GP, and it heals just as much. The downside is that it reduces attack by 2. Then again, since you’re investing in Range and Magic, it’s safe to say that it’s your bread and butter to your combat game, so this shouldn’t be problematic.

Your Cat for Death

Selling your pet cat for Death runes may seem like a cold thing to do, but if you’re focused oriented and not too sentimental, then go for it. First, knock out Gertrude’s Cat quest. Afterward, you’ll be able to sell your cat for Death runes to a citizen in West Ardougne. The older your cat is the more runes. A fully-grown cat fetches for 200 Death Runes. It’s considerably easier to grow a cat since it only takes three hours for a cat to become fully developed. In that span of time, you’ll have to pet the cat and feed it sardines. Then, you sell price the cat. Somewhat sad, but hey, it works.

Unlimited Tokens

If you want tokens at the Warrior’s Guild but don’t want to spend tokens to earn more, there’s an easy way to handle it. First, have 100 tokens to enter the Cyclops Room (don’t worry because you won’t use a single token). To pull off this trick, just enter the room, kill one of the Cyclops, go back out, and reenter. Since the one-limit timer starts every time you get in, you won’t consume any tokens.

Something to consider if you’re not aware, you can prayer-flick more than one prayer at a time (three to be exact). A solid combination includes (1) Attack Prayer, (2) Defense Prayer, and (3) Strength Prayer.

These handy and not-so-well-known OSRS tips can step up your gameplay. Even though these tips aren’t groundbreaking, they’ll make your life easier, so give them a shot.

Are you playing Old School Runescape on OSRS Mobile of on PC? If you aren’t you can start playing either by mobile by downloading OSRS mobile app or on PC. Do you have some OSRS mobile tips and tricks you wanted to share?