zircon
-
Posts
8,297 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
17
Content Type
Articles
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by zircon
-
-
We've been doing MC and we're up to Majordomo now after about 1.5 months (and a little bit of guild upset). Basically, we breeze through Lucifron, Magmadar, and Gehennas, and no trash mobs give us trouble - hell, we've even taken 2 Molten Destroyers (the big ones) and a Firelord without problems. Garr always takes us a little while to set up but once we do, he's cake. The lava/fire packs are a little harder, and we still wipe on those from time to time, but we're getting better at it - MT fire res helps as well of course. Baron Geddon is probably our hardest fight currently as I'm in a Horde guild and we're understaffed in the way of Priests and Druids. Last attempt we wiped twice (beat him on 3rd) because we only had 5 Shamans, 5 Priests, and 2 Druids. That's not a lot, since the 5 Priests have to be dispelling everyone.
Finally, Shazz, Sulfuron, and Golemagg don't give us much trouble either. Majordomo we ALMOST have.. last shot we had the last add down to like 8000 HP but the healers were completely drained. If I had been there we would have done it for sure.
Onyxia IMO is much harder than anything in MC we've done so far. There is no uncertainty in the MC bosses. Even in fights like Shazz or Geddon, with the right classes you can control their debuffs and keep up the heat. With Onyxia, you have 5 people get feared into lava and die for no reason, or a Warrior get tailwhipped into a room of whelps and pop all the eggs. There are way more variables - but it's a lot more fun than any MC fight so far.
-
Oh man. My guild just did Onyxia for the first time today - we did it on the third try. One of the most intense and fun fights ever. We had about 8 people alive when we finally took her down.. the celebration was incredible afterwords. Damn, most fun I've had in a game for a LONG time
-
Guild Wars > WoW
Its not close.
Well, yeah, but that really goes without saying.
Er, maybe for you guys. I bought GW, being a WoW player, and didn't really like the graphical style, combat, or statistic/equipment system. I've been playing WoW for months and it's only getting more fun.
-
What are you buffer settings? Audio drivers? Check FL's "Audio" options tab.
-
Lets stop kidding ourselves shall we? Hunters at the moment are criminally underpowered in both PvE and PvP. We are supposedly a DPS class, yet our DPS isnt that great. Admittedly we are sustained DPS, we can go for a long time, but in PvP that is hardly useful. Burst DPS is vital to a non healing class in PvP. We need someway to do a lot of damage over a small period of time. At the moment the bog standard cookie cutter hunter build relies on chances to crit, which are criminally lower than rogues because hunters need far more agi to get +1crit.
We are supposedly the pullers, whereas most people think its easier to just pull with the MT so the aggro doesnt need fishing off. PvP is laughable at best, yes hunters can be good in PvP, but you need to be damn good. We have a glaring weakness i.e the deadzone where from between 2-8 yards we can do absolutely nothing. It becomes easy for classes to get in that deadzone, root us and blast the shit out of us.
Dont get me wrong, i love playing my hunter. Its edge of your seat stuff in PvP, not like some other 3hit classes.... I just wish we'd get a buff so we dont have to fight super hard against a mage whos probably using one hand and not taking it seriously.
Well.. Hunters do all the pulling in MC for sure. And Feign Death is very useful for escaping from a bad pull. In places like UBRS we also have hunters setting traps for crowd control, and even earlier than that in places like Maraudon. I wouldn't underestimate them in that regard. Their DPS, as other people have mentioned, is quite good in PVE with the proper gear/skills - in fact, one hunter in my guild is so strong that he actually pulls aggro away from our main tank in MC even AFTER the main tank gains aggro (eg. full sunder armor on a mob) just by doing autoshot. Along with Rogues, having a class that can do lots of damage without having to rely on mana is very useful.
Burst DPS.. well, you have Rapidfire and Arcane Shot, among other things. But the real power of Hunters as I mentioned earlier is that they are great at controlling combat which is what PVP is all about. Traps, pet harassing, concussive shot + wingclip, Viper Sting, Scatter Shot, and some AOE damage to screw over Rogue stealth (and multishot itself can hit pretty hard too).
IMO they are a good class that needs some talent tree treatment, which they are getting a LOT of in 1.7. Warlock is much more of a pointless class.
-
Well K2 is compatible with;
GigaStudio
Akai™ S-1000/S-3000
EXS24 (Logic)
HALion
AIFF
WAV
.S
.SND
Emu EOS/E4B
EMU E3/ESi
SoundFont2
REX I & II
ACID
Apple Loops (Logic, Garageband)
Roland S-5x, S-7x
Akai MPC
Akai S-5000/S-6000
MachFive
Reason NN-XT
LM4
LM4 MKII
SDII (Mac)
Unity
Akai MESA
Pulsar + STS
Ensoniq EPS/ASR
Kurzweil
Reaktor Map
KOMPAKT
INTAKT
KONTAKT 1.x
BATTERY 1 & 2
So basically everything.
-
Well, basically, you load up the library into a sampler like Kontakt or Gigastudio. In my opinion, Kontakt is more versatile and easier to use than GS.
In theory you can use the LD samples within Reason's NN-XT sampler. However, you will have to manually map the samples - it's a bit difficult. Thus using a plugin like Kontakt is a better idea
A distortion plugin is just a plugin that simulates a distortion pedal or tape saturator (etc). Scream 4, for instance.
-
Some interesting arrangement + sequencing ideas, and pretty good production values overall.. but I think some of the key issues have already been noted. There's a lacking human element - I think in both the guitar AND the drums which are really sort of just rhythmic placeholders rather than part of an interesting percussive line. At the very least, vary them up a bit and layer more to create a more engaging sound there. In addition, considering the amount of source available, this is too original and too short. I would suggest expanding this one and working in more Chrono Trigger, or at least tying in your own original parts into the source tunes.
NO
-
Oof! The machine gun effect. If you have Kontakt, I can link you to a script that effectively eliminates that.. I know it's a limitation present in virtually all libraries, and so obviously I'm not letting that get in the way of the judgment of the mix, but lemme know if you want more info on that.
Anyway. The arrangement is really superb here. I hope there's no question about that. The production is pretty good; dynamics are very present and sample quality and sequencing is good. It all seems a little dulled for whatever reason, maybe because of the encoding. Using VBR or a little bit of EQ to brighten the strings/piano might have alleviated that. Also, the piano at times felt on the mechanical side, particularly in the repetitive passages. More velocity and timing variation could have really helped. However, the execution is more than passable overall.
Bottom line: excellent arrangement, finely detailed, and highly interpretive. The technical side of things ain't bad either.
YES
-
Yes, Lyrical Distortion really sounds fantastic. I own it and I gotta say, the sounds are just superb. It's got all sorts of scrapes, noises, and release samples as well (and EVERYTHING is chromatic with no or very little looping) so you can get maximum realism. Just put a little of your favorite distortion plugin on it, so you get realtime distortion as well as the recorded stuff, and you're good to go.
Of course it helps to know a thing or two about realistic guitar sequencing too. After all, you could have the greatest library in the world, but if you play it like a piano it still won't sound any good!
-
Warlocks are one of the most underplayed class, and it's partially due to their design. In MC, they serve as constant damage dealers with their Shadowbolt spells, and their Curse of Doom, Shadows, and Elements are very useful. However they will never rack up the huge overall damage numbers of Mages, Rogues, or Hunters. In PVP, the Succubus and Curse of Exhaustion spells are pretty nasty, and they have damage curses which are a bit harder to remove than magic or poison.
They're really not a class to be feared.. though they are probably among the most tough and sturdy of any caster because of their massive HP + pet.
-
suzume; just wait until you're higher level. Hunters get to own very hard, particularly in PVP. In PvE with the right weapon they can outdamage even Rogues.
-
You do have a point there. But I have faith that Bliz will eventually 'fix' up the talent trees. They've been slowly but surely addressing this stuff, and no class has a CRIPPLING disability (unlike DAoC where at one point, Blademasters were absolutely useless in every department, and Berserkers were total gods). I'm guessing patch 1.8 or so will bring some additional Paladin changes - I know this coming one has some Druid changes that make the Cat form significantly more viable for DPS.
-
To be fair, Blizzard doesn't necessarily describe their own classes well.
I see Paladin's role as a combat healer and support class. Believe it or not, a Paladin with lots of +healing and the proper spec is actually MORE mana efficient than a Priest, Shaman, or Druid. This means that in MC, they can basically go on healing forever, and MC is all about endurance fights. Their support abilities are of course unmatched; that +stat buff, aggro reducer, fire resistances, and mana regeneration all beat out any buffs from Shamans, the Horde equivalent of a support class in PvE. I haven't played enough on Alliance to know what Paladins are like in non-MC instances, but I'd imagine that they play a similar role as Shamans (who actually DON'T do much DPS there).
In PvP I see Paladins as nearly unstoppable. When I see one, I don't even bother fighting them. You have to sink so much time and mana into reducing their health that it's not worth it. Plus, the 5minute cooldown on Divine Shield makes it so that whenever a major conflict happens, they'll probably be ready to use it. In GROUP pvp, the shield plus their plate armor, heals, and buffs makes them a nightmare to kill. Three paladins assisting a Druid flag runner is practically impenetrable, because even if you have multiple people attacking them, they can still shrug them off pretty easily, unlike Priests or Druids. And believe it or not, a Paladin with an Obsidian Edged Blade, Quel`Serrar, or Unstoppable Force hurts cloth wearers pretty hard. What am I supposed to do when I see a Paladin attacking me? Fear him? They trinket out. DoT him? They Cleanse that. Mindblast him? Even if I blew my entire mana bar they would still easily outlast me considering the mana-efficiency of their heals.
-
I don't either. Too many people see Paladins as Warriors with healing spells, when the class is more like healers with some Warrior aspects. They don't tank, they don't taunt, their gear has healing bonuses on it, and their skills are almost entirely defense/support oriented. They're not Warriors!
-
Actually in the newest patch they're ADDING a Paladin ability. But that's besides the point. The Paladin is the most defensive, support-oriented class there is. You can't have your cake and eat it too. The best 1v1 player on my server is a Paladin, and they're the best combat healers on the field (just TRY playing a Priest in group pvp, you're the #1 target of everyone). Shamans do rock pretty hard in PVP, but their totems die in one hit, and they CAN be killed. If you just DPS them they die like any other class. More importantly, they rely on mana to win.
Shamans actually have pretty low DPS if they melee, even with windfury - they suck at farming for a reason. Ever see a Shaman solo a mob? It's pathetic. They either take forever to kill something, or they kill it quick but blow most of their mana. Sure, they're powerful, but they have their weaknesses.
-
No point in trying to address most of your points, since it all boils down to what each person finds fun. Some people LIKE playing a support class (Paladin), for example.
One thing I will say, is that I've never had any problems with lag ever.
-
I'm pretty pathetic.. I can't tell whether this is live or not. I'm leaning towards "it isn't" because it seems to me like everything is loud and 'hard'. Usually, human performers incorporate at least SOME soft notes, which I didn't notice very much of hear. It's a common problem from just about any piano sample besides the very modern ones. But anyway.
This was definitely not what I was expecting. LOTS of cool arrangement stuff, modulation, and plenty of building on the original. Sound quality is good throughout, with either good recording or a good sample used. At first I was thinking that there is an excessive amount of reverb and sustain used, but I think that just adds to the emotional element. On the other end of the spectrum, I do feel that at times this is lacking in dynamics. It's boisterous and up front, with few quiet and expressive sections. The fact that it's on the short side doesn't help; perhaps extra dynamics could have been added in an additional section placed somewhere towards the end of the mix. I'm not sure.
While I do have a few gripes, they're not enough to bring this mix below our standards.
YES
-
I have to disagree with Shnabubula here. I think while some ideas are good, the execution leaves a bit to be desired. I know the mixer is using mostly free samples, but I think they could have been treated better in a lot of cases. For instance, the horns are sort of washed out and get overridden by other instruments - making use of compression and EQ to bring certain song elements into the foreground would be a good idea. The percussion that comes in at 2:47 is just plodding and uninteresting. It's so far back in the mix that it's almost like an added afterthought, plus it's very mechanical. Generally all of the orchestral instruments simply lack brightness or life to them. Use automation, velocity changes, and EQ to remedy this - it's tough, but it IS possible even with free samples.
At times I feel like the notes and harmonies aren't quite right, or they just don't fit in. Like some of the chord changes towards the very end don't have anything to do with the original and just seem to be added in there, as if they were part of a piece that was just spliced with the source. Adding original material is fine but part of the challenge of making a good rearrangement is making that original material fit in with what was present in the source. Simply adding over a minute of original stuff with no connection isn't the way to go. Basically, I thought while the arrangement and structure for the first half of the mix were solid, after that it went downhill with unrelated and lackluster material. Perhaps shortening the whole thing and tightening your ideas would help.
As for other issues, I had some trouble particularly in the section with the drum n' bass (DrillnBass) stuff. Lots of weird chord changes, brass/string stabs, and synthwork. It struck me as sloppy because I thought it was building up to something, a less sparse section perhaps, but it just dropped out into the orchestral segment of the mix that continues to the end of the mix and doesn't have much of a relation to anything else.
Basically, I think this needs more work overall - arrangement, structure, and execution. Nothing is really BAD, but the whole package is still below our current standards.
NO
-
I have to agree with Larry here. In terms of orchestration, sound quality, expressiveness, and realism, this mix is excellent. I can certainly hear your film/game scoring experience shining in that respect. However, despite subtle variations and additions to the source, the overall structure and arrangement of the original is essentially intact in this mix. Expanding on the original by adding original material, new bridges or transitions, or stuff that builds on the melody or the progression would definitely bring this up to the level of individual interpretation that we look for.
This is a strong mix in many areas, and though I'm giving it a NO, don't interpret that as me saying the mix is not enjoyable, bad, or amateur. It's simply that OCR really looks for RE-arrangement and "ReMixing" as Larry (Liontamer) said. With a few tweaks this would easily pass.
NO
-
REALLY nice stuff here. This is a keeper. Overall production values are extremely strong, with crisp mastering and dynamics - rhythm section is tight and varied, levels are balanced well against eachother, lots of variation in the instruments and synthwork so nothing gets stale. The real instruments like the piano and strings fit in very well with all the electronic elements, which is often a tough feat to pull off. Finally, effects processing and automation is done tastefully as well.
Arrangement-wise this wins too. It's clearly an Elec Man remix, but there's original material, stuff that plays on the progression of the source tune, variation, the works. Structurally I have no problems either - there's a lot of change, action, and motion that keeps the listener interested.
I really have no problems with this one. An easy YES
-
Again, when Blackwing Lair was released, no info was given about it. People are still trying to figure it out, and apparently having a lot of fun doing so. It's like Molten Core was.
The thing is, you have people like Gamelor bitching that it's too "well-tested". Then, when bugs come out, or difficulty problems arise (eg. the best guilds can't even get a boss down to 99% after trying for weeks), people bitch. Blizzard can't win.
-
Eh, I find MC to be fun. It's still challenging for my guild so we wipe a lot of times if we don't have our shit together. It's not farm status. Running 5man instances like Scholo or Strat is often challenging as well, and I certainly have a lot of fun in Warsong and AV (I'm playing my 5th guild CTF game right now).
As far as I know, BWL isn't "cracked" yet - even the best guilds are still trying to figure out how to do it. Bliz is very good about adding new, fun content.
-
Ok...so the game's been out for what, a year now? My brother bought the game a long time ago, but never played it because he didn't want to pay the monthly fee. About 3 weeks ago it was a crappy day and I had nothing to do for a few hours before going out to the bar. So I decided to install and use the 10 day trial...Needless to say, I was hooked.
The game is amazing and I wish that my computer was new enough so that I could enjoy the game's graphics at its best. However, besides the dungeons, the game seems to turn into little more than "Kill X amount of Y creatures" or "Collect X amount of Y materials" and return for a reward. There seems to be very little horde/alliance interaction. The proffessions often seem pointless as well as you can often find or loot items that are better than what you can create (with the exception of maybe alchemy). Despite this, I still love it and find myself wasting lots of my time playing WOW.
I was just curious to hear thoughts from those who have been playing WOW (or any MMORPG) for a couple months. What's it like at those upper levels when there isn't much left to do?
The upper levels are the most fun of all. Battlegrounds (two right now, three very soon), challenging instances (5man, 10man, 15, 40, and soon 20 as well), arena PVP, various forms of character-building such as farming for gear or materials for crafting.
Professions may seem useless at lower levels, but in actuality they are very useful. First Aid is amazing, for one thing, and Alchemy is great too (at any level). Blacksmithing produces some of the most formidable weapons in the game, such as Dawn's Edge, Arcanite Reaper, and Core Marksman Rifle. Tailoring creates bags, which are useful for ANYONE, as well as some pretty powerful high end robes and cloth gear. Same goes for leatherworking. And all of these things ultimately have epic recipes that are as good or better than similar drops. For instance, Belt of the Archmage is an epic cloth recipe from tailoring and it's one of the best belts in the game.
On a good PVP server you will always have some fun PVP encounters, particularly in groups. I can't even count the amount of times I've gone into an instance area like Dire Maul or Blackrock Spire and encountered a full alliance group. Hunting people in areas like Stranglethorn Vale is fun too, if you're into that sort of thing. Though personally, I prefer battlegrounds since they are designed specifically for PVP combat.
I've only grown to like the game more and more since I've hit level 60. Once you complete the "grind" you get access to all sorts of fun areas. It's just a blast to be coordinating strategies in Warsong Gulch in real time over Ventrilo as you're playing the game. It's great.
World of Warcraft
in General Discussion
Posted
Dennis; BWL has I think the same amount of bosses as MC. It is, however, significantly harder. No one has beaten it yet, and even the very very very best guilds are still developing strategies for it. So far on my server, the farthest anyone has gotten is killing the first boss, Razorgore.