Newsletter December Newsletter

[wewo]

As I write this intro I am still digesting my Thanksgiving dinner, have given thanks, and have watched my fill of football. However, another year has come and gone, and this is the last EdgeGamers Newsletter of 2013. As I reflect, I remember all the fun times in Vent, and all of the great events, especially Realism. I also reflect on the growth of the eGO Newsletter Team and am proud of all the members who have made it what it is today. Most importantly, I remember every friend, both old and new, that I have made in eGO. I ask that you reflect on the past year and I challenge you to think about how to make 2014 better, both in eGO and in your off-line life. The Newsletter Team would like to extend thanks to the entire eGO community for staying together, forming a real bond of solidarity through the years. With that said, let's make 2014 another great year of fun and memories. Enjoy the Holidays and the New Year.

wewo​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515950"]

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SkylineGTR get Megs a Tagger to hum a few bars for us.​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515950"]You can listen in here...[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515953"]

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Free stuff = good, Events = fun. Free stuff and events = good fun.​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515953"]Read about it here...[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515957"]

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You ain't seen the last of PSC events.​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515957"]Gaze into the future here...[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515960"]

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Jay-Jay delves into BF4 with SUPERJ​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515960"]Arm up here...[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515963"]

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Auraxis does not sound like a place you want to raise your children.​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515963"]Experience Planetside 2 here...[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515967"]

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FFTF is a call to arms in the TF2 Division.​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544#post2515967"]Read about the squad here...[/link]

The eGO Newsletter Team is hiring. No salary, but certainly recognition. If you are an eGO member with a flair for the written word, or even if you just silently correct other people's grammar, we would be glad to review your application. Send a pm to Quaffer or wewo. We're looking for reporters and editors, but fair warning, we do not accept everyone.

This months newsletter was edited by Ezekiel and RogueOps. Please thank them for their efforts.

Graphics are provided by PBJ, who went out of his comfort zone to help us out and did a great job. Listen to eGO podcasts at http://podcast.egoadmins.com/

EdgeGamers Organization would like to thank the kind people at MaxFrag.net for providing us with our highly ranked, 400 slot Ventrilo server. Find out more about them at: http://tinyurl.com/4yqoyq8

 

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By SKYLINEGTR


Hello everyone and welcome to another month of Meet the Leadership.

For this months meet the leadership I had the great pleasure of interviewing Meg's A Tagger, who presides as a Division Leader for the oldest division in eGO, Day of Defeat Source.

So, without me rambling too much (obviously you aren't here for me) I'll let you all enjoy Meg's A Tagger.


Q: So, you're one of the Division Leaders for the Day of Defeat division. Is there anything specific you do as a DL?

A: As a Division leader I provide a glorious amount of "hugs" and I sing beautiful songs to my fellow DoD:S members in Vent. Anni is my biggest fan. =)

Q: How long have you been with the eGO community and what is your best memory so far? Why?

A: I joined eGO back in 2009, so almost five years now. I have so many fond memories so it's difficult to pick only one. But our drunken Left 4 Dead 2 adventures and all the nights when we end up having very random/weird Vent conversations top the list.

Q: Are there any new updates or interesting things happening in the DOD:S community that you would like the rest of eGO to know about?

A: The most anticipated DoD:S news is related to the upcoming Realism Campaign. We can't wait for the 10th campaign to begin. Signups should be posted sometime soon.

Q: If Annihilator and I were standing at your front doorstep and you saw us, what would your first reaction be?

A: Hmm...I think I would say "Ermagherd!!! What the hell are you guys doing here!?!?" and then invite you guys in for a beer.

Q: You play DOD:S a lot. What is your favorite map and class to play? Why?

A: My favorite map is Kalt and my favorite class to play is the support class. Kalt is a great map for grenades and runnin' & gunnin'. The support class is fun to play with...I get to use either the BAR or the STG44 (my favorite gun) and I spawn in with two grenades!!! Hug Me!!!

Q: I'm curious, and I am sure others are as well, but how did you manage to come up with your forum and in-game name?

A: It's actually something my brother was teasing me about when I was younger. I had gotten in trouble at school about some graffiti I had done. Once he found out, he began was mocking me, saying "Oooh Meg's a Tagger...you're so cool!!". I used the name ever since.

Q: Besides DOD:S, what are some of your favorite hobbies to do to to help pass the time you have?

A: Besides going to work and playin' games, I love music. I enjoy going to concerts, playing around on my old drumkit, and sitting back and listening to some sweet beats.

Q: Now, I know I am pretty awesome, but what is your favorite part about having me, SKYLINEGTR, as a friend?

A: My favorite part of having you as a friend is that I can always go to you for advice about becoming a legit hipster and whether or not I should buy a Prius.

Q: If a tree falls in the forest, does the ground it landed on make any noise?

A: Yes, it screams in pain...the ground has feelings too Skyline! Jeez! =P

Q: Thanks for taking the time to do this. Do you have any last words of wisdom you'd like to share with the eGO community?

A: Thanks for reading and let's help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered. <3

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By Ric

Do you like to have fun? Do you like to win free, awesome stuff? Do you like to hang out with other members of eGO? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you just may be an event addict. Luckily for you, this month's focused article is about events and the joy they bring to our wonderful community.

Every division has events. Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat: Source, Battlefield, Minecraft, Operation: X and Team Fortress 2. You can find event calendars on our website on the left-hand side under the bolded Home Page section called Upcoming Events or by clicking this link.

What can you win at events? Premium games, Steam cards, eGO Dedicated Supporter Lite, and much more. Think about it: For attending one of our events, you can possibly get something in return without spending a dollar. If this doesn't entice you to come to our awesome events, you also get bragging rights, such as telling everyone you know that your squad won the dog tag scrim.

Unsure of what to expect from a specific event? Simply PM that division's leadership or an Event Coordinator with any questions you have. They are always here for you.

Wherever you are in the eGO universe, we hope to see you at an event soon. Until next time, the Newsletter team would like to thank everyone who spends time reading our articles and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. See you after Christmas.

p.s. Make sure to leave cookies and milk out for Santa!

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By Lucas15

The frontline division known as the Personnel Service Center has one specific message for you: PSC events are not a thing of the past. Each division has an Event Coordination program, including the PSC Division. You may have noticed fewer PSC events recently, but the team is not gone. In the near future you can expect to see a few new events surfacing again. So keep your eyes peeled.

If you are a member of the PSC but would like to contribute more, we’ve got just the thing for you: the PSC Trainers. No offense to our eG ranked members, but you need to have an eGO tag to help in this area. If you qualify and are interested, please contact Lucas15 or SkylineGTR. We look forward to hearing from you!

eG and eGO ranks are invited to help out the PSC in other areas. If you would like to join, simply contact a PSC Advisor and request an application. Your application will be reviewed and you will be notified when a decision is made. Good luck to future applicants.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255544"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

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By Jay_Jay

INCOMING!

The Battlefield Division welcomed the edition of Battlefield 4 into its servers last month. What has been a highly anticipated addition to the Battlefield series did disappoint gamers somewhat upon release, due to some teething problems being experienced in multiplayer servers. As it stands, there have been a number of updates released to sort out all this issues, and gamers are hopeful that the game will become more polished over the coming months. So grab your rifle and pack some grenades, as we take an in-depth look at Battlefield 4 and gather some Intel from Battlefield Advisor, SUPERJ.

Overview

Battlefield 4 takes us to the not so distant future of 2020, Southeast Asia and China. A time where political tensions are high and military intervention is imminent. Russia and the United States are at war, while in China the political situation is rapidly changing for the worse. A military coup is imminent. A rouge Chinese Admiral is ready to overthrow the government and side with the Russian forces against the US. Meanwhile, the US forces attempt to combat continued invasions and military conflict in the region. The Pacific Fleet is believed to have been destroyed, with the exception of U.S.S. Valkyrie, an amphibious assault carrier. A small Special Forces contingency, known as squad Tombstone, is tasked with carrying out key missions to halt the Chinese and Russian forces. The storyline revolves around this squad. Squad members include, Sergeant Daniel “Reck” Recker (Player controlled), Staff Sergeant William Dunn, Staff Sergeant Kimble “Irish” Graves, and Sergeant Clayton “Pac” Pakowski. Characters from the previous Battlefield also make an appearance. Those included are CIA Operative Laszlo W. Kovic (Agent W), and Dimitri “Dima” Mayakovsky.

Multiplayer

With EA’s introduction of its new game engine, Frostbite 3, Battlefield 4 has advanced gameplay and features. Players can now “spot” targets for teammates much in the same way Sniper Elite V2 allowed “spotting” in its multiplayer gameplay. Surviving on the battlefield has also been improved as players can now counter melee attacks, shoot while swimming, and dive underwater. A major change has also been made to the multiplayer interface. The reintroduction of the “Commander Mode” allows select players an overview of the entire map, and the ability to give orders to teammates. The commander can radio for artillery, order vehicle drops, and rearm teammates with weapon drops.

The battle kits previously seen in Battlefield 3 are also back with a vengeance. The Assault kit now has limited revives, meaning players will now have to be more cautious when using them. Also, the defibrillator will now need time to recharge after each use, again requiring the player to time its use wisely. The Recon kit is now able to equip the carbine and C4. Snipers can zero their optic sights, and equip more accessories. Both the Support and Engineer kits remain largely the same with some additional items. Customization is now available to all weapons, as well as the introduction of adaptive camouflage allowing the player to adjust their weapon to the landscape color of the map.

New vehicles are also hitting the field with each faction being represented. Jets are now defined as either “Attack” or “Stealth” class. Each focusing on different combat strengths. And in case you were wondering, customization isn’t limited to weapons. Want to pimp out your tank? Or maybe even that shiny helicopter some drunk Ruski just left? Well, now you can.


Now, there’s only so much I can say about this new addition to the Battlefield series, so I decided to detain and interrogate Advisor SUPERJ to get some fresh Intel on the war at hand in multiplayer. Here’s the interview transcript.


(Jay_Jay)
Are you a fan of this new “Spotting” feature in multiplayer? How much does it contribute to having a tactical advantage?

(SUPERJ)
Spotting has always had a great tactical advantage on the battlefield. I for one love it, and I like knowing where the enemy is at all times. It helps you know when to be cautious, and to prepare for your next move.

The developers brought back the command interface in multiplayer. Are you happy to see its return?

I am very excited that they brought back the commander role for Battlefield 4. When it was first introduced in BF2, it was helpful getting satellite scans, supply drops, vehicle drops and more in the midst of battle. The interface has changed a lot since BF2 (obviously), but with commander now an option in Battlefield 4, it allows the team to get behind enemy lines unseen, to capture points, and kill the enemy by surprise!

The game seems to have expanded on weapon customization. Do you personally like to make a statement when choosing an attachment/color scheme, or is it all just for fun?

When I’m choosing an attachment, I mainly look at what attachments will give me the best stability for that particular gun. As for camo, I think it’s more of a fun thing and doesn't really offer any advantage to the multiplayer gameplay, other than adaptive camo that is.

Tell us more about adaptive camo. How does it help, and what is it?

This is the one camo that I find very useful. It changes your gun to its surroundings depending on the map you're playing in. For instance, in Paracel Storm; it will change to the blues, greys, and greens on the level.

Sounds great. I’m sure it’s a well-received feature. Overall, what would you rate the game out of 10, and why?

If I were to rate this game from today, I would give it a 7, and here's why. On its release, there were a lot of server crashes, client crashes, and the game had a tendency to freeze. As the days went on, updates were rolled out, mainly for server stability. As of right now, the servers are more stable and client crashes happen a lot less, but still with the occasional game freeze. I think once this game has all of its bugs fixed, it will easily be a 10!

Thanks for the Intel, SUPERJ. Keep up the great work.

So, there you have it. What is sure to be a great addition to the series (and to eGO), I'm sure Battlefield 4 will live up to its name and keep on impressing us with new features and graphics. But don't take our word for it. Sink your teeth into one of three servers that the Battlefield Division has to offer and experience it for yourself.

Dismissed!

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By Quaffer

I arrived at the Mani Bio Lab on the jump seat of a Flash two man quad cycle. They've got no armor and ours was unarmed, but they're fast and cheap and you can take them anywhere. The Vanu Sovereignty had control of Mani but they weren't going to keep it. We're the Terran Republic and we're taking it back. I crouched low and sped toward the high ground.

I'm still using the basic load out, but I've upgraded my AMR-66 rifle with an ACS 4x scope. I can put a lot of rounds down range in a hurry.

I'd been looking at upgrading from the ML-7 rocket launcher. It will put the rocket where you aim it, but armored vehicles tend to move. That shiny ASP-30 Grounder can lock on an aircraft and swat 'em down. Well that's what the guy selling them says, but I can't quite afford one yet.

Needs must when the devil drives and the devil had just landed in the form of a Vanu Galaxy transport. Re-enforcements for the Vanu, no doubt. Sitting on the landing pad he was my meat. I raised my ML-7 to my shoulder and sighted through the ring sight. A breath, let it out, squeeze the trigger. Say hello to my little friend. Quick as can be I ducked down and loaded another rocket. I popped up and saw he was hurt, but he wasn't out. Shoulder, aim, squeeze and duck.

I was calling way too much attention to myself. Anyone with a Mark 1 eyeball was going to follow the smoke trails from my rockets right back to me. As I headed for a new location I grinned. The Galaxy was nothing but scrap metal and a black cloud of smoke...

Vertago reminds me that Planetside 2 has been released for 1 year as of Nov. 20th. The Optimization Patch that was released on November 12th has increased the average performance by 30%.

See you on Auraxis.

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By wewo

FFTF is not an acronym for that new movie (which I just made up) French Fries, The Finale. No, it is the Fast Fill Task Force. The FFTF is a squad of dedicated TF2 players who answer the call each time a TF2 server is in need of, well, filling. Astoundingly, 71 members answered the call, with about 10 to 20 fill regulars.

The FFTF was designed, and is run by, TF2 Advisor Goyan-Tanuki and is overseen by Division Leader Kazoo, in an effort to raise the server rankings. When the FFTF Captains, Gerbil, jhnsn, ApertureCake, and Pzycho see a lagging server, they send out a Steam message to the FFTF members, who then answer the call by joining the lagging server en masse. Once the server begins to fill, pubbers, like the Pied Piper’s mice, begin joining and the server gets filled. The FFTF squad is then free to move on to the next server in need. The FFTF has had an astounding effect on the server rankings. After the beginning of school year lull, server rankings have risen dramatically.

The FFTF was originally set up in two squads assigned to help fill specific servers. This seemed, to this reporter, to be somewhat reminiscent of the Houses in DoD, which were disbanded several years ago. However, due to a lack of sufficient full time fillers (say that three times fast) Leadership settled on one group that will roam all the servers and fill where needed. Kazoo, one of the TF2 DLs, noted that while people would joke around about their servers being better, there was none of the territorial attitude which contributed to the doom of the Houses. She said, “Everyone helped fill all the servers, especially when we realized we didn't have enough regular fillers at the beginning of the school year."

When asked about the future of the FFTF, Goyan-Tanuki had this to say, “I am going to continue working on the FFTF and make it the very best at filling TF2 servers and further improving it.” Kazoo had a similar sentiment, stating that she intended the FFTF to be a continuing program and that even if server rankings improved vastly, the FFTF would be on stand-by to jump-start new servers or to handle any unpredictable lags in rankings. Kazoo and Goyan extend their thanks to each and every member of the FFTF Squad.

I have it on good authority (ummm, Kazoo told me), that a Winter 3 v 3 tournament is scheduled to begin in mid-December. Sign-ups may be posted by the time this article is published. Thanks to Kazoo and Goyan-Tanuki, without whom I would not even know what FFTF stands for.

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