Fallout 101: Character Creation Guide

Character creation has always been my favorite part of the RPG system. It's just fun creating and playing different types of characters. Whether it be a cunning rogue, a brutish fighter, or a boisterous gunslinger. I've probably created tons of characters for table-top and desktop RPGs, from Dungeons & Dragons to Fallout. Now, I have another game to tinker with: Fallout 3.

Fallout's character creation/development system isn't as complex as other RPG systems, like D&D for example. But, I know, a lot of people are new to this game. So, to help those guys out, I decided to write this quick guide on how to create a character.

Attributes
Fallout's attributes are special. By that I meant Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agiility and Luck (S.P.E.C.I.A.L.). These attributes, like in all RPGs, affects other game mechanics. In Fallout 3, these includes the dialogue, skills and abilities such as critical hits.
I don't recommend increasing the attributes past 9 points. The reason because there are bobble heads scattered throughout The Capital Wasteland that will permanently increase your attributes by one. So if you throw 10 points on Agility, the Agility bobble head will be wasted.

• Strength

Skill Bonuses: + to Melee Weapons
Abilities Affected: Increases Carry Weight and Melee/Unarmed Damage
Max Points Suggested: 5
Min Points Suggested: 1

If you don't mind carrying small amount of loot, or constantly traveling to a merchant to unload your junk, a point here would do. But if you want heavy weaponry, like missile launchers and flamethrowers, then this is a must because you need to be strong to be able to carry all the big guns. Plus, since big gun ammo is a bit scarce in The Capital Wasteland, a bonus to melee weapons is nice if you want to resort to using your sledgehammer.

• Perception

Skill Bonuses: + to Energy Weapons, Explosives and Lock Picks
Abilities Affected: Faster Threat Detection
Max Points Suggested: 7
Min Points Suggested: 4

A good number of points in Perception is very useful, especially to a sneaky character, since it immediately marks a red line in your compass if there's any threat. But if you're the run and gun type, who prefers an all-out frontal assault with all guns drawn, then you don't need much points in here. Unless you're the Rambo type who uses a laser gun and a lot of grenades.

• Endurance

Skill Bonuses: + to Big Guns and Unarmed
Abilities Affected: Increases Hit Points and Resistances
Max Points Suggested: 6
Min Points Suggested: 2

If you're a long range fighter, who likes to snipe enemies from afar, then you don't really need much points in here. But if you prefer to fight at close range, or often utilize melee weapons due to lack of ammo, then throw some points in here because you'll need a lot of hit points. Endurance also increases your skills in Big Guns. So, throw some points here if you use weapons like miniguns or missile launchers

• Charisma

Skill Bonuses: + to Speech and Barter
Abilities Affected: Improves People's Disposition
Max Points Suggested: 8
Min Points Suggested: 4

Charisma was an entertaining attribute in Fallout 1 & 2. Sadly, since my character has a fairly low Charisma, I couldn't say if it's the same with Fallout 3. But I suspect it is. So if you want to have some interesting dialogues, then dump a lot of points in here. If you can't spare the points, keep it at 4 at least so people won't hate you that much.

• Intelligence

Skill Bonuses: + to Medicine, Repair and Science
Abilities Affected: Increases Number of Skill Points
Max Points Suggested: 9
Min Points Suggested: 4

Intelligence increases the number of your skill points every level up. So I suggest that you should increase this early in the game. If you start out with 9 points on Intelligence, you can immediately increase it to 10 if you get the bobble head at the start of the game. That'll leave you with 20 skill points every level up. But if you don't want to be a skilled person, then 4 points in here would suffice.

• Agility

Skill Bonuses: + to Small Guns and Sneak
Abilities Affected: Increases Number of Action Points
Max Points Suggested: 8
Min Points Suggested: 5

Agility is the most useful attribute since it increases your action points. AP is used for VATS, a really cool and effective targeting system, which I highly recommend to all gun wielders. The more AP you have the more you can use the VATS. So put a lot of points in here. Unless you want to play Fallout 3 like first person shooter game.

• Luck

Skill Bonuses: + to All Skills
Abilities Affected: Improves Chance of a Critical Hit
Max Points Suggested: 7
Min Points Suggested: 3

Luck isn't really that important nor useless. So it's up to you if you want it or don't. But it's good to have a few points in here if you like to be a "one shot, one kill" since it increases your chances to have a critical hit.

Skills
There are a lot of skills to choose from in Fallout 3. A select few are necessary, most are pretty fun to use, and a couple of them are just entirely useless. So, to make it easier, I grouped the skills you need and want into two: Priority and Secondary Skills.


Priority Skills
These skills are essential and will make the game much fun and easier for you. Also these are the skills that you should consider tagging. Tagged skills have 15 points bonus. You can choose up to 3 skills to tag at the GOAT exam in Vault 101.

• Lock Pick, Science and Speech

There are plenty of computers to be hacked, locked doors to be opened and stupid people to coerce in The Capital Wasteland. So Lock Pick, Science and Speech are the skills you'll often use. They have great benefits and rewards. Like getting better loot, avoiding enemies or getting out of a fight, coercing useful information from people, and getting into places where you shouldn't be. So, if you can, dump a lot of points in these three skills as early as you can.

• Melee, Unarmed or Small Guns (pick one)

Energy Weapons and Big Guns are scarce in parts and ammo. So I don't recommend you take those as your method of attacks early in the game. Instead, choose Small Guns or Melee and Unarmed Attack. Small Guns include pistols and rifles, and there's plenty of them to be found early in the game. If you plan to carry heavy weapons in the middle of the game, Unarmed or Melee are the best attack skill early on.

Secondary Skills
There are skills in the game that will help you out a lot. Although it's not necessary, or even advisable, for you to dump points in here until you've maxed your priority skills. But when you do, then it's time to put those skill points on these skills.

• Repair

Unless you fight with your bare hands and travel the Wasteland naked, then you won't need this skill. Other than that Repair is a very useful skill as it keeps your weapons and armor in pristine condition. Weapons and armors that are worn out are less effective in combat (less damage and protection). So if you want that sniper rifle or that power armor to be in top shape and fully operational, dump points on Repair as soon as you can. Unless you fight with your bare hands, then you don't need it.

• Sneak

A highly recommended skill if you're the sniper/assassin type. Combined with the Bloody Mess perk and a high chance of Critical Hit, this thing is a lot of fun doing a sneak attack criticals on the enemies. But other than that, it's not really necessary since there are a lot of Stealth Boys around if you really need to be sneaky.

• Energy Weapons and Big Guns

I'm happy with my Lincoln's Repeater Rifle. But from time to time, I'm tempted to use a Minigun and tear my enemies into small ribbons of meat, or a laser rifle to reduce my enemies into a pile of dust. But both weapons are not necessary. Especially at the beginning of the game since ammo are scarce for both weapon types. But if you want to indulge yourself, go ahead.

Useless Skill
Barter is the only useless skill I can think of. I don't have the skill but I have 10,000 caps right, and I don't know what to do with it. So don't invest in here.

So there it is, my quick-start character creation guide for Fallout 3. If I finish the game, I promise to write a detailed guide on how to create a Small Gun specialist. So keep an eye on that one.

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A Geek in Crisis: Surviving the Economic Slump

I never thought I'd post something about money in this blog. But with the recession going on, it's a hard time for geeks like me who have many hobbies but only earns a paltry sum of cash each month. So while I was doing my budget plan for the month of October, I thought I'd share the things I do in order to survive and enjoy my meager monthly salary.

But a little caveat before I start. Like I said, I'm just a guy who have tons of hobbies but has a very shallow pocket. So I'm not a financial expert, and this is not a post -like most blogs- of how to earn a quick buck. I'm only a frugal person who knows how to spend his money wisely on the things he needs and the things he really wants.

So without further delay, here are my advice for surviving the economic slump.

• Budgeting and Limiting

Budgeting is the most simplest and easiest way to save money. But I'm surprised a lot of people don't do it. I often hear them say "I'm short -X amount of money- this month". That's because they don't plan and limit themselves on what they spend, or they just don't keep track of their money.

What I usually do, to control and limit myself from buying useless things, is make a budget plan every month. Every first week of the month, I try to list down all the commodities that I need, such as gas and groceries, and all the bills that I need to pay. Then I'd calculate, overestimate and set aside some money for those things. 50% of what's left of my salary will then go to my savings, and the other 50% will be my spending budget for things like comics, books and games.

• Planning and Listing

Plan ahead and list the things you need before you head out. Try going to a grocery store without a list and I'm certain you'd end up buying things that you don't need. Try going out to a store to buy a gadget you don't know much about and you'd end up buying useless accessories because the sales rep told you so. So make a list of the things you want or research a product before you purchase. Not only it'll help you save money but it'll also save you time.

As an impulsive buyer, it's always easy for me to go over my budget limit when it comes to comics, music and games. So, in order to prevent that, I always look for a list of release dates so I can check out previews and make a list of the things that are worth getting. If I'm not too sure about something, I'd check out the reviews first before buying.

• Used and Sale

I know a lot of people like their things new. But there are some stuff that you can just buy as used. My CDs, which I painstakingly got all back when I left my old ones during migration, are mostly used. Some of my books, which I got from Amazon and other websites, are used as well.

If you won't buy it used, then at least buy it on sale. As for me, I don't like buying used PC games or softwares. But Best Buy always offers a price off on most of their CDs and games on the week of release. The same goes with other electronic stores. That's why it's wise to check out weekly ads online and on free newspapers. If they don't go on sale, then I usually wait for the price to drop.

• Learn and Live
  

We're living in the information age and there's a lot of DIY guides floating around the net. So instead of hiring an expensive professional service man to fix a minor clog problem in your sink or to plant a tree in your garden, why don't you utilize some of the guides on the net and do it yourself. If you're not comfortable of doing it yourself, at least try and learn these things so you won't get ripped off.

As for me, I tried to learn how to cook. My cooking might not be the best, but at least I have something edible to bring to work. Not only this has save me money from buying out in our hospital cafeteria, whose food is as equally as bad as mine, I also started eating healthy.

• Cutting and Trimming
  

Lose what you don't need such as home phone and gym memberships. Home phone seems unpractical now, especially since you can get cheap cellphones with cheap pre-paid plans. Besides, cellphones, unlike home phones, are also much cooler since you can almost go everywhere with them. Gym memberships? Ever heard of push-ups or running in that beautiful park?

As for me, I also cancelled my cable TV. I don't watch it that much. I'm not into sports and I'm not into soap operas. Instead, I just rent out movies or TV series and watch it on my dvd player (which died a couple months ago). Internet, since I don't download big files or play online games, I just got the cheapest DSL plan from AT&T. Also, from time to time, I trim out my comics pull list and adjust it to my budget plans.

So these are the things I do in order to survive everyday life -with my almost decent salary- but still enjoy the fruits of my hardwork. Hopefully, It'll help you out.

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Seiya, Oblivion Operative

Lately, I've been enjoying The Elders Scrolls IV: Oblivion with an Operative, a customized class, whom I named Seiya. Here are her specs:

• Birthsign: The Thief (+10 in Speed, Agility and Luck Attributes)
• Specilization: Stealth
• Attributes: Agility and Personality
• Major Skills: Blade, Illusion, Light Armor, Marksman, Security, Sneak, Speechcraft

As for the race, I used the mod Elves of Lineage II (by Miss Onatopp). I decided to use the mod for aesthetic reasons at first. But I was able to build a good character around it based on the race bonuses. The mod is balanced as well. So, if you want to use it, you need not worry about the mod ruining the game for you. As for the other mods, I'm only using Exnem's Female EyeCandy Body Replacer (nude) and Rogue Outfit. All of mods that I'm using can be downloaded at TES Nexus.

Character Guide: Jade Empire SE

Jade Empire: Special Edition is the game primer for me this year. However, even though it is a lot of fun, there's not much role-playing and character creation/development to it. But here it is, anyways, my character creation/development guide.

In this post, I'll feature my character Stone Demon Shen. As his name implies, he uses the White Demon martial style and the Stone Immortal magic style. His styles may be slow but he's all about damage and endurance.

Stone Demon Shen
Avatar: Tiger Shen
Alignment: Way of the Open Palm

Attribute Allocation
01. Body 3/Focus 1
02. Body 2/Focus 1
03. Balanced Distribution (1 point for each attribute)
04. Body 2/Focus 1
05. Focus 2/Body 1
06. Body 2/Focus 1
07. Balanced Distribution
08. Body 2/Focus 1
09. Balanced Distribution
10. Focus 2/Body 1

repeat from 1 at 11th level

Main Styles
White Demon (Martial)
Stone Immortal (Magic)
Tang's Vengeance (Weapon)
Spirit Thief (Unique)

Tips and Strategy
White Demon is a slow yet a powerful martial style. It will be your bread and butter from the start since nobody is safe from it (no one is immune). So, as soon as possible, try to increase its speed, and then the damage. The chi damage, you can start putting points here whenever you feel like it. Also, you may have to use Focus against fast enemies since this style is quite slow.

Stone Immortal is also the strongest magic style. It is slow, however, but its damage can make up for it. Its strong attack can also petrify enemies and, along with White Demon, can perform a harmonic combo. It's quite good when dealing with human and spirit opponents. As soon as you get to Tien's Landing, seek Mistress Vo and ask her to teach you this style. However, she'll only teach you if you follow the Way of the Open Palm and only if you beat her in combat. Once you're trained, increase everything in this style, especially the duration, since you'll be using this a lot.

Tang's Vengeance is a double axe weapon style, much like the Black Whirlwind's. It deals a great amount of damage and has a decent speed. It can easily wipe out large groups of demons, golems, and humans. You'll learn this style after defeating the Ravager, as part of the Arena quest in the Imperial City. Obtaining this style can be tricky since the Ravager, in my opinion, is the hardest opponent in the game. Once you have the style though, increase everything on it especially the speed and damage.

Spirit Thief is a unique style. It doesn't deal any damage but allows you to replenish your Chi. It is a melee style but its strong attack is range, and can paralyze an opponent for a short time as well. While this style isn't that necessary, it's quite handy to have around, it has saved me many times. So if you really want to use this, just increase its speed and duration.

Character Build: Neverwinter Nights 2 - The Black Bard

This is the 2nd part of my Neverwinter Nights 2 character builds. Last week, I posted my Dragon Knight build, an honorable warrior with the strength of a dragon and divine powers. This time were going to take a look at the Black Bard. It's a spellcaster/fighter variation with lots of buffing spells and good Base Attack Bonus. It's not as powerful as the Dragon Knight but it's my favorite because it's fun to play.

The Black Bard
(Bard 9/Eldritch Knight 7/Blackguard 4)

A Black Bard is a charismatic warrior with a poisoned tongue. He often hides himself in deception and spread lies through his songs.

A Black Bard must either be of Neutral or Chaotic Evil alignment since he fights with lies, deception, and often kills in cold blood. Aasimars are the best Black Bards because of their high Charisma, and are perfect deceivers because the people in the realms believe they are of good alignment. Black Bards worship Cyric, the Prince of Lies. They are, often times, Flirts or Ladies Men since they can beguile and manipulate anyone. Some are bullies and prefer to get what they want through intimidation.

As for their skills, the Black Bard is a skilled talker and performer. He always gets away from trouble through manipulation, intimidation, bluffing, or by putting a good performance. He is also good at hiding, allowing him to easily launch a sneak attack at an unaware opponent. He also knows how to perform numerous songs that can aid him, and his allies, during combat.

Charisma is the main ablity of the Black Bard. It fuels his spells, songs, and divine powers. A Black Bard relies in his enchantment and illusion spells. When in combat, he tries to incapacitate or divide the ranks of his enemies and weaken their effectiveness by cursing (Curse Song) and casting Song of Discord, Mass Holding, Charming and Domination spells. He often uses his divine powers (Divine Might and Divine Shield) and casts Ghostly Visage, Mirror Image, Heroism, Greater Heroism, and Bull's Strength spells before battle to increase his protection and fighting capabilities.

Starting Abilities
STR 16/DEX 14/CON 10/INT 12/WIS 10/CHA 17

Level, Ability and Feat Progression
01. Bard 01 - Curse Song
02. Bard 02
03. Bard 03 - Power Attack
04. Bard 04 - CHA +1
05. Bard 05
06. Bard 06 - Cleave
07. Bard 07
08. Bard 08 - CHA +1
09. Bard 09 - Battle Caster
10. Blackguard 01
11. Blackguard 02
12. Blackguard 03 - Divine Might; CHA +1
13. Eldritch Knight 01
14. Eldritch Knight 02
15. Blackguard 04 - Divine Shield
16. Eldritch Knight 03 - CHA +1
17. Eldritch Knight 04
18. Eldritch Knight 05 - Great Cleave
19. Eldritch Knight 06
20. Eldritch Knight 07 - CHA +1

Character Build: Neverwinter Nights 2 - The Dragon Knight

Here it is, as mentioned and promised before, the first part of my Neverwinter Nights 2 character build series. To start this guide, I'll post my Dragon Knight build. It's probably my most powerful fighter build, with high amount of damage output, armor class, and saving throws. So, basically, it's just a typical melee combatant with a little bit of flair. So, without further ado, let's take a look at the build.

The Dragon Knight
(Paladin 7/Fighter 2/Sorcerer 1/Red Dragon Disciple 10)

A Dragon Knight is a holy crusader, with powers that stems both from his dragonic heritage and divine sources.

A Dragon Knight must be of Lawful Good alignment since he is an honorable warrior, with unflinching dedication to fight evil and injustice, in the service to his god and for the safety of the realms. Aasimars are well-suited to become Dragon Knights because they are charismatic and are -usually- determined to vanquish evil. Though Humans with strong souls ( Strong Soul feat) are also good candidates. They usually serve the gods Tyr, Torm, Ilmater and, sometimes, even Helm. They are devoted to an ideal (hence the "Devout" background) or are natural leaders ("Natural Leader" background).

As for their skills, a Dragon Knight values life. He avoids unecessary fights and seeks peaceful resolutions, so a high Diplomacy skill is a top priority. Lore is also an important skill (and a requirement for the Red Dragon Disciple prestige class) since Dragon Knights can mostly be found in libraries, researching about their draconic heritage. Listen is also an important skill, Dragon Knights must have a keen hearing in order to sense cries for help from afar and/or quickly grasping vocal commands or instructions from their superiors.

Strength and Charisma are the main abilities of a Dragon Knight. But you need not to raise your strength. At level 10, the Red Dragon Disciple prestige class grants a total of +8 Strength -increasing attack and damage bonuses- and also a +4 Natural Armor Bonus. So all gained ability points must be thrown to Charisma. This will increase the effectiveness of the Paladin's Charisma based divine feats: Divine Grace (adds CHA modifier to all saving throws), Divine Might (a selected feat that adds divine damage to a weapon, equal to the caster's CHA modifer) and Divine Shield (a selected feat that grants bonus to armor, equal to the caster's CHA modifier).

So with all the bonuses from the Red Dragon Disciple prestige class (+8 STR, +4 Natural Armor etc.), the equipment (ability boosts, AC bonus, Damage bonus), and with Divine Might and Divine Shield activated, you can possibly achieve a total of 62 Armor Class and 300 -more or less- damage per round.

Starting Ability Scores
STR 16/DEX 12/CON 14/INT 10/WIS 12/CHA 17

Level, Ability and Feat Progression
01. Sorcerer 01 - Power Attack
02. Fighter 01 - Cleave
03. Paladin 01 - Exotic Weapons Proficiency
04. Paladin 02 - CHA +1
05. Paladin 03
06. Paladin 04 - Divine Might
07. Fighter 02 - Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword
08. Red Dragon Disciple 01 - CHA +1
09. Red Dragon Disciple 02 - Great Cleave
10. Red Dragon Disciple 03
11. Red Dragon Disciple 04
12. Paladin 05 - Divine Shield; CHA +1
13. Red Dragon Disciple 05
14. Red Dragon Disciple 06
15. Red Dragon Disciple 07 - Improved Critical: Bastard Sword
16. Red Dragon Disciple 08 - CHA +1
17. Red Dragon Disciple 09 -
18 Red Dragon Disciple 10 - Power Critical: Bastard Sword
19. Paladin 06
20. Paladin 07 - CHA +1

Bundles of Fun: Holiday Guide

Gaming is really a big part this gift giving season. Though usually, you'll hear games like Gears of War or Resistance: Fall of Man on the pages of shopping guides or from the mouths of sales persons. In truth, they're all good games but their price is a bit steep ($60). Luckily, if you're into PC gaming, or have a friend that is into PC gaming, and don't mind two-year old games, you can easily fill out stockings for just the same, or even less, amount of price.

Call of Duty: War Chest

Call of Duty is one of the best World War II first-person shooter ever made, and the War Chest collection is one heck of a stocking filler. For $50, the box includes 3 games: Call of Duty, the United Offensive expansion, and Call of Duty 2. This game will really give a bang to your buck.


Half-Life 2: Holiday 2006 Collection

Half-Life 2 is one of the highest rated first-person shooter, and probably the highest rated PC game. Besides the Half-Life 2 game, this collection also includes Half-Life: Source, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, and Counter Strike: Source. 4 games for only $50, now that's long mileage.



Star Wars: The Best of PC

Of all bundles listed in here, this one is the gem. For $40, this package includes 6 Star Wars games: Jedi Knight II, Knights of the Old Republic, Empire at War, Battlefront, Republic Commando, and a 14-day trial to Star Wars: Galaxies. Highly recommended to any PC gamer and Star Wars fan.



Total War: Eras Collection

The Total War series are the best strategy games, and Eras is the ultimate collection. For $60, the box includes Shogun, Medieval, and Rome with all their expansions ( a total of 7 games). Plus, it also includes some collector items.

Character Build: X-Men Legends II Pt. 3

This will be the last installment of my X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse character builds. I've beaten the game, on different difficulty levels, many times over. So this game is getting really old. Although it will be my last X-Men Legends team build, I promise that it won't be the least. And what team build could be better than the last two I have presented on this blog? Well, this one has Wolverine on it, and he's the center of attraction.

Fast, Furious, and Ferocious

Team Roster and Bonus:
Bishop, Jean Grey, Toad, and Wolverine. No team bonus. Later in the game, however, you can dress all characters with Age of Apocalypse skins to get a +100% to Attack Rating. It's not much but it's something.

This team was designed around Wolverine, surrounding him with support characters to augement his attacks and fixing a few flaws that he has. All by himself, Wolverine is already a feral beast capable of cleaning the room and taking on big bosses. He have a good crowd control (Claw Flurry) and a devastating 'finisher' skill (Eviscerate) that'll make tough opponents crumble. But we're not stopping there because you can further improve his damage with Bishop's Energy Fury and Toad's Secretion. With those boosts, Wolverine skills will yield absurd amounts of damage. How much? Let's just say that a Wolverine with 152 points on Strike and four points on Eviscerate, and boosted with level 11 of Toad's Secretion and level 7 of Bishop's Energy Fury, can deal 11,000 to 16,000 points of damage (26,000 damage on a critical hit). Yeah, that much.

But the big problem with Wolverine, however, is that he has low Focus and energy points. To make it even worse, he has no Mutant Master to improve the regeneration rate of his energy. But not to worry, that's where Jean Grey's Mental Vortex comes in. Mental Vortex is a boost that'll turn 20% of inflicted damage into energy points. Since you'll be dealing huge amounts of damage (courtesy of Energy Fury and Secretion) Wolverine will be filling his EP tank in no time, fueling his power attacks.

Task wise, this team almost have it all. You've got Toad's Mucous Spit to put out fires, Bishop Sapping Strike to turn off generators, and Jean Grey's a flier, bridge builder, and her Telekinesis can push/lift most things. What you don't have is a leader, which is no big deal, and a teleporter. But you can always, momentarily, change one of your member to fulfill certain Objectives.

Also, if you haven't played X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, yet, and is planning to sometime soon. This is an ideal team to play first. Because, unlike in my two other guides, this team does not consist of unlockable characters.

Characters

Bishop
The main reason why he's on this team: he's my favorite X-Men character. Of course, he got a glitch on his skill that makes him that most valuable support characters in the game.

The skill you need to maximize immediately is Energy Fury. It's a boost that adds 50% of energy damage to your teammates melee attacks, as it has been written. But don't be fooled, this skill is glitched and adds more than just 50% of energy damage. I don't know the exact figure but it'll let Bishop and his teammates deal insane amounts of damage. I've chosen Full Auto for his attacks. It adds 130 radiation damage, per bullet, at maximum level. If combined with his passive skills Gun Mastery, which increases all damages dealt by his gun attacks, and Power Trip (as well as Toad's Secretion), which will improve the speed of his movement and firing rate. Bishop will certainly clear the room pretty fast. Mutant Master is, of course, needed for his attacks. But maximizing it is only optional since Jean Grey's Mental Vortex will fill up Bishop's energy points in just seconds.

For his stats, you need to build up a high Focus to keep up with his attacks and Energy Fury. So two points into Focus every level, and three points every other level. The remaining points will be distributed between Body and Speed to increase his lifespan.

Skills
Energy Fury: Maximize
Full Auto: Maximize
Gun Mastery: Maximize
Power Trip: Maximize
Mutant Master: 11 Points, or Maximize

Stats
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Jean Grey
This redhead made a mess of X-Men's male populace. She's kind of weak in this game though. Because there are many mentally resistant foes. Still, her boosts makes her a worthy addition to any team.

First and foremost, you should prioritize Jean's Mental Vortex, a very cool team boost that turns 20% of inflicted damage into energy points. This boost will fuel the team's attacks, and will solve Wolverine's low energy points problem, early in the game. For her attacks, just stick with Telekinesis since it deals both physical and mental damage, and it'll able Jean to lift/push heavy things (and massive things starting at level 8). Dark Phoenix is also a good crowd control attack. Although it takes some time to execute it. Mental Mastery is also a must in order to increase Jean's mental damage. Throwing points in Mutant Master is also wise. But unlike other team builds, maximizing it is only optional since Mental Vortex, as long as she attacks, will fill up her EP in no time.

For Jean's stats, Focus is important to increase her energy points. So two points to Focus every level, and three points every other level. Then throw the remaining points into Body and Speed every level to make her less frail.

Skills
Mental Vortex: Maximize
Mental Mastery: Maximize
Telekinesis: Maximize
Dark Phoenix: 11 Points (due to a glitch in the last 4 ranks)
Mutant Master: 11 Points, or Maximize
Flight: 1 Point

Stats
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Toad
This disgusting critter is quite a bad-ass in this game. He owes it all to his Secretion skill, one powerful boost that'll turn him and his teammates, espeically Wolverine, into animals -figuratively.

Toad's most important skill here is Secretion, a boost that increases all character's movement speed and damage. This will make Wolverine really fast and would improve his damage as well. Secretion also works side by side with Bishop's Energy Fury further increasing the team's damage output. For Toad's attack, I choose Tongue Lash since it's a good crowd control, and its damage is also augmented by Energy Fury. Tongue Mastery is also a must since this will improve Toad's Tongue Lash. Mutant Master is also good to fuel Toad's Tongue Lashes. However, in this team build, you don't really need to maximize it. Jean Grey's Mental Vortex does an excellent job in refilling energy point containers.

For building Toad's stats. Focus is the priority here since you'll need plenty of energy points to cast Secretion. So two points on Focus every level. Then a point in Strike, to increase his base damage. Then alternately distribute the remaining points into Body and Speed.

Skills
Secretion: Maximize
Tongue Lash: Maximize
Tongue Mastery: Maximize
Mutant Master: 11 Points, or Maximize
Mucuos Spit: 1 Point (for putting out fires)

Stats
2 Focus
1 Strike
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Wolverine
What can I say, he's the man. He made Hugh Jackman popular, and the X-Men comics even more popular since the day he joined. Of course, he's also the main ingredient for this team build.

Wolverine is quite hard to build since he has plenty of good skills to choose from. This build, however, only requires four, two active and two passive skills. For his active skills, I choose Claw Frenzy, a very good crowd control that deals decent amount of damage and leaves the enemies stunned. Then Eviscerate, one of the most devastating skills in the game, which adds 1250% of physical damage to Wolverine's base damage. There's a catch, however, using this Eviscerate will leave Wolverine susceptible to damage. So use it in moderation. For his passive skills, Claw Master is must since it will increase the damage dealt by his claw attacks. Enhanced Senses, too, is a good skill that will raise Wolverine's attack and defense rating. Regeneration and Strong Willed are also good passive skills and you might want to throw points in them when you maxed everything else.

For Wolverine's stats, two points on Strike every level is essential. This will increase his base damage, thus increasing damage dealt by Eviscerate. a point in Body comes next, since Wolverine is quite vulnerable in this game. The alternately distribute the remaining points in Focus and Speed. Stop throwing more points in Focus once it reaches 25.

Skills
Claw Flurry: Maximize
Claw Mastery: Maximize
Eviscerate: Maximize
Enhanced Senses: 10 Points, or 11 Points (to reveal hidden enemies)

Stats
2 Strike
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

After Focus 25
2 Strike
1 Body
1 Strike/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Wolverine, buffed up by his teammates.

Well that's the last installment for my X-Men Legends II team builds. If you enjoyed my character builds be sure to check back some other time for more. Since Neverwinter Nights 2 is due next week, I'd probably write some character guides for that game.

Character Build: X-Men Legends II Pt. 2

Last time, I wrote a team build, Flaming Tongue and Swords, for X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse that features Deadpool, Nightcrawler, Sunfire, and Toad. Now, I bring you yet another team build for the same game. Although this time the team build is not designed for damage dealing. But I can assure you that the team, like the first one, is as fun to play.

Triple Beam Command

Team Roster and Bonus:
Cyclops, Iceman, Magneto, and Professor X forms the Old School team bonus and receives +15% bonus on their max energy points.

This team wasn't designed to be the ultimate killing machine in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. However, it was built for gaining insane amounts of experience points from combination attacks, or combos. In order to that you need a character with a Leadership skill and a beam attack.

The Leadership skill will increase the critical chance dealt by the whole team and also increases the amount of experience gained from combos. At maximum level, Leadership skill adds +92% to experience gained from combo. Since three characters on this team has the Leadership skill -Cyclops, Magneto, and Professor X- and its effect stacks up, you'd gain +276% experience on combos. But it only works if you hit combos, and hitting combos is a bit tricky.

In order for you to hit combos everytime, you need attacks with the same travel speed. Beam attacks, in my opinion and experience, are ideal attacks for hitting combos since most of them travel fast and at the same speed too. So Cyclops' Fusion Beam, Iceman's Slow/Freeze Beam, and Magneto's Magnetic Shell are quite effective. Moreover, all three beams inflicts different damage types. So opponents with some sort of resistance isn't quite safe. In addition, with the team bonus, +15% to maximum energy, you won't find yourself out of energy very often.

Characters

Cyclops
The boy scout, uptight leader of the X-Men. He's always a wuss, may it be in the comics, movies, or this game. If not for his Leadership skills, Toad would've been in his pedestal to complete the team.

The first thing you need to do with Cyclops is to maximize his Leadership skill right away to get the full benefits. His main attack would be the Fusion Beam, available at level 21, which is a beam attack that adds more than 300 radiation damage over 3 seconds at maximum level. Don't invest points in Optic Beam. While it is one of his better attacks, its increased speed will be out of sync with Iceman's and Magneto's beams, making it harder to hit combos. You also need to invest points on Polarized Beam, which is a good crowd softener if you're overwhelmed by mobs of enemies. Visor Upgrade, a passive skill that increases the damage and critical chance of Cyclop's visor beam attacks, is also a must. Of course, Mutant Master is much needed so you can 'spam' his powers.

For building Cyclop's stats, you need to prioritize Focus in order to raise his energy points. Body comes next to give him a high health and make him a bit more sturdy. Then dump the remaining point into Speed to increase his defense.

Skills
Fusion Beam: Maximize
Polarized Beam: Maximize
Visor Upgrade: Maximize
Leadership: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize

Stats
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed

Iceman
The coolest character on the team -both literally and figuratively speaking. He has some good ranged attacks that slows down, or freezes, the enemies, making him a good crowd controller/softener.

You have two choices for Iceman's main attack, the Slow Beam or the Freeze Beam. Both are beam attacks with the same execution speed, damage output, and energy point cost. The only thing different is that Slow Beam only slows enemies while Freeze beam freezes enemies. Of course, you got the first level of Slow Beam for free while Freeze beam becomes available at level 7. As for your crowd control attacks, Cold Crush is a nice projectile that deals 150 cold damage and freezes enemies for 3 seconds. Moreover, its explosion deals a lesser amount of damage and slows those within the radius. Cold Mastery, a passive skill, will also increase the damage and critical chance by Iceman's cold attacks, and his cold resistance. Mutant Master is also a must-have skills that will give Iceman's attack a good run.

For Iceman's stats, prioritize his Focus to increase his energy points that fuels his attacks. a point to his Body every level will increase his health, making him a bit sturdier. Then throw the extra point into his Speed to increase his defense.

Skills
Slow Beam: Maximize or None (if you choose Freeze Beam)
Freeze Beam: Maximize or None (If you choose Slow Beam)
Cold Crush: Maximize
Cold Mastery: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize

Stats
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Magneto
The Master of Magnetism is the most important member of the team. He's the only flier, a bridge builder, and his Levitation skill will help the team finish certain objectives.

Magneto's best attack in this team would be the Magnetic Shell. It's a beam attack that, when maximized, inflicts 200 energy damage, holding enemies in place for 7 seconds, and can build bridges. It's also a beam attack so its speed is the same as Iceman's Slow Beam/Freeze Beam and Cyclops' Fusion Beam. However, its execution time is much delayed. So you might want to control Magneto for a better chance of hitting combos with Iceman and Cyclops. Shrapnel Sentry also makes a good crowd control when swarmed by enemies. Intimidation is also a nice passive skill that increases Magneto's defense and reduces the damage he receives. Mutant Master, of course, is essential to fuel your attacks. More importantly, don't forget his Leadership skill, the reason why he's on this team. If possible, try maximizing this skill early on so you'd get its full benefits right away.

As for Magneto's stats, prioritize Focus to build up his energy points that will power his attacks. Then his Body to make him more hardy. The remaining point you distribute into Speed to raise up his defense.

Skills
Magnetic Shell: Maximize
Shrapnel Sentry: Maximize
Intimidation: Maximize
Leadership: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize
Levitation: 1 Point or 8 Points (for lifting/pushing massive objects)
Flight: 1 Point

Stats
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/2 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Professor X
Professor X only have a few good skills. Besides that, you need to defeat all Danger Room courses to unlock him. But his Leadership skill, and if built correctly, makes him a welcome addition to any team.

Professor X will be the only melee attacker on the team, which is quite odd for a crippled telepath. His most basic skill, Cleave, when maximized, deals more than 300 physical damage and a 30% chance of causing a deadly strike (instant health point loss) . It's also a good crowd control since it has a long reach and swings an arc of 180 degrees. Clairvoyance is also a good passive skill that increases movement speed and reduces the amount of damage received, making the Professor a more resilient fighter. Since the team inflicts a low overall damage, you also need to invest in Telepathic Link. It's a boost which will increase the attack and damage output of the team. Mutant Master is also a must since you'll be utilizing your Cleave attack frequently. Last, but definitely not the least, is his Leadership skill. Like Cyclops and Magneto, you need to maximize this skill early on so you can receive its benefits.

For Professor X's stats, you need to build up his Focus, to increase his energy points, and Strike, to increase his base damage. So 2 points on Strike and 1 into Focus every level. Then you distribute the remaining point between Body and Speed in alternate levels. Stop throwing points into Strike when it reaches 50. Then distribute those points into Focus and Body

Skills
Cleave: Maximize
Clairvoyance: Maximize
Telephatic Link: Maximize
Leadership: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize

Stats
2 Strike
1 Focus
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

At Strike 50
2 Focus
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

The beam commanders executing flawless combos

Well that's it for the second part of my X-Men Legends II character guide (or team guide in this case). If you've enjoyed this, or the last, one, then make sure you comeback sometime next week and check out the third installment of my team builds.

Character Build: X-Men Legends II

I'm always been fond of character creations in role-playing games. So I decided to write a series of character building guides in order to keep this blog updated. To kick start things, I'll write a team build for X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, a game which currently satiates me while I wait for the release of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Neverwinter Nights 2.

Flaming Tongue and Swords

Team Roster and Bonus:
Deadpool, Nightcrawler, Sunfire, and Toad forms the Agile Warriors team bonus and receive a +5% to experience gained.

This team is really fun to play, and it's probably my favorite build. The build is widely a melee offensive team designed to deal massive amounts of damage. Offensive skills like Deadpool's Rupturing Jab, Nightcrawler's Teleport Frenzy, Sunfire's Flame Sword, and Toad's Tongue Strike can really dish out a lot of damage on their own. But if used with Toad's Secretion boost, which increases the damage and movement, those skills can become quite scary.

For completing objectives, this team has it all. A flier (Sunfire) that can cross between gaps and fly to areas not accesible by foot. Teleporters (Deadpool and Nightcrawler) for also bridging gaps and getting through blocked areas. Brotherhood members (Deadpool and Toad) to open certain doors. You also have Toad that has the ability to put out fires. The only thing you need is a character than can push heavy things. So you'll need to change members, once in a while, in order to accomplish certain tasks that requires pushing (I remember switching Toad for Rogue about three times). You also lack the Leadership skill, which increases the experience gained from combination attacks, but the +5% to Experience from the team bonus will more than make up for it.

Characters

Deadpool
Probably the most straight-forward character in the game. A 'sword in your face' straight-forward character. However, you need to finish the game first to unlock and play him.

His most basic skill, Rupturing Jab, is quite a killer. It adds more than 1000% of physical damage to his base damage and leaves a bleeding damage over a few seconds. His passive skills like Weapon Mastery will also improve the damage and critical chance of his Rupturing Jab. Mutant Master, a passive skill that increases the regeneration rate of his energy points, is a must since you'll be using Rupturing Jab quite frequently. Regeneration, while not really necessary, will save you a whole lot of health packs. Stealth, which increases Deadpool's melee damage, is quite useful especially if you run out of energy.

For building Deadpool's stats, two points in Striking every level is a must. This will increase the damage done by Rupturing Jab. A point into Body every level is also advisible so he could take some beating. Then alternately distribute all your remaining points into Speed and Focus. Stop investing points into Focus when it reaches 80, and start putting an extra point into Striking.

Skills
Rupturing Jab: Maximize
Weapon Mastery: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize
Regeneration: Maximize or 9 Points
Stealth: Maximize or Some points
Teleportation: 11 Points or None (Nightcrawler is a better teleporter)

Stats
2 Striking
1 Body
1 Focus/Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

At Focus 80
2 Striking
1 Body
1 Striking/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Nightcrawler
The blue elf is another fun character to play. He also has a very bad exploitable bug in one of his attacks, making him the most powerful character in the game.

Early in the game, Nightcrawler's best offensive skill is the Divine Blades, a sword attack. So you need to invest at least five points in this skill and throw a couple more into Sword Mastery, a passive skill that will increase the damage and critical chance dealt by sword attacks. Later on, when Teleport Frenzy becomes available, you will need to redistribute all your skills from Divine Blades and Sword Mastery into Teleport Frenzy and Teleport Mastery.

Teleport Frenzy is a real wicked skill that will clear out a room full of opponents in just a matter of seconds. But the best thing is: It's free, no cost of energy points when you use it as long you don't invest points into the Teleport Attack skill. Passive skills like Critical Strike and Teleport Mastery will further enhance the damage dealt by Teleport Frenzy. Master of Chaos is also a good Xtreme attack, especially when you're swarmed by enemeis. Since it's also a teleport attack, Teleport Mastery will increase its effectiveness.

For Nightcrawler's stats, two points in Striking every level will increase the damage output done by melee attacks and powers. Since you'd be in the front lines taking hits, 1 point in Body would make Nightcrawler a bit sturdy. Then alternately distribute the rest of your points to Speed and Focus. Stop putting more points into Focus when it reaches 20, and add an extra point into Striking.

Skills
Teleport Frenzy: Maximize
Teleport Mastery: Maximize
Critical Strike: Maximize
Master of Chaos: Maximize
Teleport: Maximize or 3 Points
Divine Blades: Some points early in the game
Sword Mastery: Some points early in the game

Stats
2 Striking
1 Body
1 Focus/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

At Focus 20
2 Striking
1 Body
1 Striking/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Sunfire
I only picked Sunfire so I can form the Agile Warriors and get the bonus. But this fiery Asian surprised me. As a range attacker, he's not much. But as a melee fighter, however, he's scorching

Most Sunfire builds out there are usually range attackers. If you go that way, then you'd be missing his best attack, the Flame Sword. Flame Sword is a melee attack that deals over 200 points of fire damage and has a 70% of critical chance when maxed. Since Flame Sword is only available late in the game, you need to invest points into Elemental Combat to heat things up. Elemental Combat adds fire damage to Sunfire's melee attacks and Fire Mastery, a passive skill that increases the damage and critical chance dealt by fire, will increase its effectiveness. Flaming Fury is also a good boost that adds fire damage to all melee attacks, including Sunfire's allies. Mutant Master is also a must since you'll be frequently using Flame Sword.

For Sunfire's stats, you need to prioritize Striking and Focus. High Striking score, coupled with Elemental Combat, early in the game will turn Sunfire into your biggest hitter. So you need to put at least two points here every level and 1 point into Focus to start building up his energy points. You also need to increase Speed and Body, alternately. Once you reach level 16, start putting 2 points into Focus and a point into Striking.

Skills
Flame Sword: Maximize
Flaming Fury: Maximize
Fire Mastery: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize
Elemental Combat: Some point early on, and maximize later if you can afford.
Flight: 1 Point

Stats
2 Striking
1 Focus
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

At Level 15
2 Focus
1 Striking
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

Toad
Like Sunfire, I only picked Toad to form the Agile Warriors and get the team bonus. Little did I realize that this digusting mutant packs solid attacks and the best power boost in the game.

You can build Toad in two ways, the spitting toad or the licking toad. In this team build, the licking toad reigns supreme since tongue attacks are melee attacks, and Sunfire's Flaming Fury adds fire damage to melee attacks. Tongue Strike is Toad's best attack in the game. It adds 800% of physical damage to Toad's base damage (when maximized) and also stuns the enemy for a few seconds. Tongue Mastery will also increase the effectiveness of all tongue attacks. Secretion, a boost that increases the movement and damage of Toad and his allies, is what makes him the best support character in the game. Mutant Master is also an important skill since you'll be using Secretion and Tongue Strike quite often.

For Toad's stats, you need to prioritize Striking to increase his base damage, and Focus to power his Tongue Strike and Secretion. So every level, you need to throw at least two points into Striking and a point into Focus. Speed and Body, you need to alternately increase these stats. Once you've reach level 11, start putting two points into Focus and a point into Striking.

Skills
Tongue Strike: Maximize
Tongue Mastery: Maximize
Secretion: Maximize
Mutant Master: Maximize
Critical Chance: Maximize or 1 Point
Tongue Lash: Maximize or None
Tongue Whip: Maximize or None
Mucous Spit: 1 Point (for putting out fires)

Stats
2 Striking
1 Focus
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

At Level 11
2 Focus
1 Striking
1 Body/1 Speed (Even/Odd Levels)

The Agile Warriors in Action

Well that's about it, I've written my first game guide. It's not much but I enjoyed writing it and it did took me some time. I do hope whoever utilizes this guide will enjoy the team build as much as I did.

Bundles of Fun II

Last February, I posted Bundles of Fun, which lists a of couple must-haves cheap bundled games. Since I'm done with school - and I'm unemployed at the moment- I need to catch up with a lot of games I missed while I was studying. Here's a list of cheap bundled games that I'm gonna dig into right after I finish taking my board certification exams.

Sacred: Gold Edition

I always kept an eye on Sacred during its development but I wasn't able purchase the game due to financial reasons. But all is great since they released a bundle which also includes Sacred Plus and Sacred Underworld, for the price of $10



Disciples II: Gold Edition

Disciples is my favorite turn-based strategy. However, I almost missed out on its sequel. Fortunately, they released a gold bundle which includes all of the three expansions: Servants of the Dark, Guardians of the Light, and Rise of the Elves, for only $20.



Medieval: Total War - Battle Collection

Based on their popularity, the Total War is good series. Unfortunately, I only played Shogun. Since Rome: Total War Gold is a bit pricey, I'm going to settle with Medieval: Total War - Battle Collection. The collection costs $20 and includes the Viking Invasion expansion.



Battlefield 1942: The Complete Edition

Shooters are not my forte. That's the sole reason why I avoid buying them at a high cost. But now that Battlefield 1942's price has dropped to $20, I think I'm gonna try it. The bundle also includes the two expansions: Road to Rome and Secrets Weapons of World War II; and Battlefield Vietnam.

Bundles of Fun

People are usually broke during the new year -the aftermath of the holiday seasons- and I'm no exception. The good thing is cheap game bundles are abundant during this time of the year. Here are some of my recommendations.

Gothic II: Gold Edition

The gold edition includes Gothic II, and the expansion pack, Night of the Raven, which was never released in North America. Gothic II is an open-ended RPG with a strong storyline and interesting characters. The bundle costs $20, and it's worth it even if you're just after the expansion.



Silent Storm: Gold Edition

Silent Storm is a squad tactical turn-based RPG in a World War II setting. The rich character development; and two seperate, and non-linear, campaigns promises gameplay longevity. The bundle contains Silent Storm and the Sentinels expansion, and can be bought for a cheap price of $20.



SpellForce: Platinum Edition

As of now, SpellForce is probably the most successful RTS/RPG hybrid. The platinum edition pack includes the original game and the two expansions, Breath of Winter and Shadow of the Phoenix. Each campaign boasts 60 hours of gameplay. The bundle costs $20.



Command & Conquer: The First Decade

This DVD bundle includes all 12 Command & Conquer games, and a commerative video that includes interviews and tributary videos from fans. The bundle costs $40, a little bit expensive from my other recommendations, but it's really worth the price.