So my friend just exposed me to MapCrunch. It uses Google Maps but removes the ability to really see where you are specifically and where you're going. When you start, you are thrown into a random place in the world. You can then freely explore as you please, or play the game of trying to find an airport.
It's odd that something so simple is fairly addicting. It gives an odd "survivor" feel if you are trying to search for an airport. Aside from that, it's interesting to see the architecture and layouts of different cities. You can find some pretty amazing buildings and can simply enjoy exploring places you'd likely never visit. I found myself admiring some person's lawn for a good five minutes, or wondering what this silo-looking building is inside a residential district.
If you're looking for some random exploration, MapCrunch is a simple but interesting pass-time. Just hit the green "GO!" button. I didn't think I'd like blindly wandering around in a random spot of the world, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Now off to go look at some more interesting neighborhoods!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
League of Legends: Popularity of ARAM
What is ARAM?
ARAM (All Random All Mid) has been a fairly popular "game mode" for League of Legends for roughly two years now. Through the early stages, the community developed the unwritten rules of ARAM, such as no backing to heal or shop, no leaving the lane, and no going into the jungle or side paths. Unfortunately, there was a lot of flaws for the make-shift mode on Summoner's Rift. The game mode had so much more potential.
The Proving Grounds
With the recent release of The Proving Grounds map, ARAM entered a new era. Riot addressed some of the limitations of ARAM on Summoner's Rift, by implementing a lot of the fundamental rules of the mode directly into the map. No longer can you shop once you leave base. The summoning platform no longer heals. There is nothing but a singular lane. Additionally, it adopted some of the mentality from Dominion, with starting at a higher level, heightened ambient gold, ambient experience and shorter respawns. Now there is a dedicated map for ARAM lovers, and it's more fun than ever.
ARAM (All Random All Mid) has been a fairly popular "game mode" for League of Legends for roughly two years now. Through the early stages, the community developed the unwritten rules of ARAM, such as no backing to heal or shop, no leaving the lane, and no going into the jungle or side paths. Unfortunately, there was a lot of flaws for the make-shift mode on Summoner's Rift. The game mode had so much more potential.
The Proving Grounds
With the recent release of The Proving Grounds map, ARAM entered a new era. Riot addressed some of the limitations of ARAM on Summoner's Rift, by implementing a lot of the fundamental rules of the mode directly into the map. No longer can you shop once you leave base. The summoning platform no longer heals. There is nothing but a singular lane. Additionally, it adopted some of the mentality from Dominion, with starting at a higher level, heightened ambient gold, ambient experience and shorter respawns. Now there is a dedicated map for ARAM lovers, and it's more fun than ever.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
League of Legends: Last-Hitting
Why should I last hit?
Last hitting is one of the most important aspects of Summoner's Rift. It is the primary source of income, especially during the laning phase. Even if you round to 15g per minion, and you kill a total of 200 minions, that's 3000g, which is enough for a Bloodthirster or 100 short of a Zhonya's Hourglass. That's one full final-tier item worth of gold with the generous estimate of 15g each minion.
The only two roles that don't necessarily get too many last hits are Junglers and Supports in the current trend of the game. Junglers spend most of their early game in the jungle, which doesn't necessarily fall under last hitting. They do, however, last hit if they end up in a lane to defend it. Supports rarely ever last hit because they are usually paired up with someone in the bottom lane, who they relinquish their farm to. They typically only last hit if their partner isn't around so the gold isn't wasted.
Last hitting is one of the most important aspects of Summoner's Rift. It is the primary source of income, especially during the laning phase. Even if you round to 15g per minion, and you kill a total of 200 minions, that's 3000g, which is enough for a Bloodthirster or 100 short of a Zhonya's Hourglass. That's one full final-tier item worth of gold with the generous estimate of 15g each minion.
The only two roles that don't necessarily get too many last hits are Junglers and Supports in the current trend of the game. Junglers spend most of their early game in the jungle, which doesn't necessarily fall under last hitting. They do, however, last hit if they end up in a lane to defend it. Supports rarely ever last hit because they are usually paired up with someone in the bottom lane, who they relinquish their farm to. They typically only last hit if their partner isn't around so the gold isn't wasted.
League of Legends: Why So Angry?
Ever hop in a game and someone is already on a rampage, insulting everyone left and right without anything even happening yet? We've all had those teammates that just love to complain about everything and nothing is their own fault. It seems like no matter what, someone's a "noob" or a "baddie."
Why are so many people so angry in League of Legends?
First off, this isn't something exclusive to League of Legends. The anger, the frustration, the raging, the offensive language, the blame, the negativity...it comes with any competitive game. Especially team games. You can find this behavior in other competitive team games, such a DotA, HoN, Call of Duty, etc. Hell, you can even find it in World of Warcraft and other MMO's.
People's competitive nature lends them to become more heightened in a competitive situation. League of Legends is a competitive game, where everyone involved needs to pour a lot of effort into achieving victory. The rush of victory is a natural high that people love, while the slump of a loss is a low people hate. If League were a fighting game or another solo-competitive game, then people could only blame themselves for their loss (well, except those who still manage to blame "cheap" tactics, game mechanics, or their broken controller). However, since League is a team game, it requires everyone on the team to perform fairly well and work together to win. A person's teammates' performance is relatively out of their control, and there's nothing more frustrating than something you cannot control. People often jump to blame or direct their frustrations at what's out of their control, because it's much easier than accepting responsibility.
Why are so many people so angry in League of Legends?
First off, this isn't something exclusive to League of Legends. The anger, the frustration, the raging, the offensive language, the blame, the negativity...it comes with any competitive game. Especially team games. You can find this behavior in other competitive team games, such a DotA, HoN, Call of Duty, etc. Hell, you can even find it in World of Warcraft and other MMO's.
People's competitive nature lends them to become more heightened in a competitive situation. League of Legends is a competitive game, where everyone involved needs to pour a lot of effort into achieving victory. The rush of victory is a natural high that people love, while the slump of a loss is a low people hate. If League were a fighting game or another solo-competitive game, then people could only blame themselves for their loss (well, except those who still manage to blame "cheap" tactics, game mechanics, or their broken controller). However, since League is a team game, it requires everyone on the team to perform fairly well and work together to win. A person's teammates' performance is relatively out of their control, and there's nothing more frustrating than something you cannot control. People often jump to blame or direct their frustrations at what's out of their control, because it's much easier than accepting responsibility.
League of Legends: Glossary
Here are some common acronyms and expressions used by the League of Legends communities and writing.
Stats:
AD - Attack Damage
AP - Ability Power
AR - Armor
AS - Attack Speed
MR - Magic Resist
MS - Movement Speed
GP5 - Gold Per 5 Seconds
HP5 - Health Per 5 Seconds
MP5 - Mana Per 5 Seconds
CDR - Cooldown Reduction
CC Reduction - Tenacity for crowd-control reduction. Makes crowd-control effects not last as long against you
DR - Damage Reduction
Crit - Critical Strike Chance
Stats:
AD - Attack Damage
AP - Ability Power
AR - Armor
AS - Attack Speed
MR - Magic Resist
MS - Movement Speed
GP5 - Gold Per 5 Seconds
HP5 - Health Per 5 Seconds
MP5 - Mana Per 5 Seconds
CDR - Cooldown Reduction
CC Reduction - Tenacity for crowd-control reduction. Makes crowd-control effects not last as long against you
DR - Damage Reduction
Crit - Critical Strike Chance
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