PS3 Skyrim lag issues to be fixed next week...?

Gamers who have invested a significant amount of game time into the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have likely experienced problems with frame rate and lag as the size of their save files increase. For some (myself among them), the issues are minimal, such as small stutters when exploring new areas that subside almost as quick as they come. For others, the game becomes unplayable, dropping to horrendous frame rates in the area of ~1-5 FPS at all times, and causing NPCs and quests to glitch out.

Bethesda has yet to release an official statement on what the actual cause of the problem might be, causing many in the gaming community to cry out against the developer. Many gamers claim that the PS3 version is a "poor port" of the X-Box 360 version and was not play tested as extensively as it should have been. Many have attempted to return the game, and some have even discussed the possibility of a class-action lawsuit against Bethesda for releasing an unusable product.

Many causes for the lag and glitches have been speculated on; save file size, PS3 HDD issues, glitched quests, an inability to dump old information, etc. It should be noted that Bethesda officially announced that a patch is estimated to be released for the PS3 and X-Box versions of Skyrim the week after Thanksgiving, though the announcement was not accompanied by the assurance that the patch would fix the problems with the PS3 version.

Ever try fighting a dragon at 5 frames per second?

Personally, I've put over 50 hours into one of my saves, and as stated earlier, have yet to experience any game-breaking lag issues. The current community estimate is that the issues begin to occur once a save file reaches somewhere between 5 - 8mb, though I myself have a save file at the 7mb mark. However, I've yet to complete much of the main storyline (I haven't even climbed up to High Hrothgar yet), leading me to believe that the issues might be caused by a glitch in one of the main quests.

Another prominent theory, and one that I support, is that Skyrim is frequently writing new information into the save file as the player progresses throughout the game, but is not effectively dumping unused or unneeded information. This results in an overabundance of data to be sorted through every time the game attempts to read or write new information, thus possibly causing the lag. Since information in the open world is constantly resetting, it's believed that the overload of information stems from individual interior areas (cities, buildings, and dungeons) being saved and not dumped as needed.

One community member on the Bethesda forums claimed that reducing the number of indoor areas he visited helped keep his game stable, and intends to stay in Whiterun and its countryside, exploring the outdoor areas and building skills such as alchemy, enchanting, and smithing while he waits for the patch. Skyrim delivers innumerable activities and quests that can be undertaken, even in such a limited area, which offer a great way to pass time while still building up your character while waiting for the patch. But that begets the question: what if the patch doesn't fix the issues?

For Bethesda's sake, I hope it does.

Skyrim Week One Impressions

It has been six days now since the release of the latest installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise, and after investing a little over 50 hours into the game, I feel as if there is still so much left to explore. Entire regions of the Nord homeland of Skyrim remain untouched by Myrddin, my Breton mage, and only six dragons (five of which were random and/ or unnamed) have been felled by his spells. While I don't feel as if I've experienced nearly enough to give it a proper review, I still want to share my first impressions of this truly epic game.

Character creation is far more free-form in Skyrim than in previous Elder Scrolls games. Gone are the days of picking a specific class and birth sign, and no more are the major and minor skills of old. Players have equal access to all 18 skills, which will increase as the player uses them. The lack of a class system allows players to mix and match desired skills to create a truly unique character, rather than being shoe boxed into a specific role.  As a veteran Elder Scrolls player, I can recall all too well the feeling that I was being punished for trying to play my character contrary to his pre-set class role in Morrowind and Oblivion. The presentation of the skills as constellations in the night sky is also clean, crisp, and easy to navigate.

The skill tree -- err, skill sky? -- is the core of character customization,
yet remains simple to understand and navigate.

In addition to the changes in the skill system, Bethesda introduced skill-related "perks" in Skyrim, similar to those first seen in the developer's hit game, Fallout 3. The new perks allow further customization of individual characters by granting bonuses based on a specific skill. For example, my wizard Myrddin has unlocked perks in the Destruction Magic skill tree that allow him to cast spells at half the normal magicka cost, and even stagger enemies when hitting them with an overcharged spell.

Speaking of overcharging spells, another new feature of Skyrim is the ability to dual wield weapons and magic. In prior Elder Scrolls games, a character could only wield a one-handed weapon, a two-handed weapon, a one-handed weapon and a shield, or a single magic spell. Skyrim gives players more flexibility in their combat styles, allowing them to also wield two different weapons or spells in each hand. With the correct perk, spellcasters can even cast the same spell in both hands to create a more powerful "overcharged" version of the spell.

Myrddin can halt even the toughest foes with an overcharged Firebolt.

Combat has been polished and feels much more realistic. Weapon swings have weight behind them now, meaning players won't be able to fight with Jedi-like speed anymore. Mashing the attack button will no longer get you very far in most combat situations, either. You can block quick attacks with a shield or weapon, but attempting to block a power attack can leave you staggered. Instead, players will need to keep any eye out for when enemies begin readying a power attack, and then lay into them with a shield bash to knock them off their feet. Agile characters can opt to just sidestep the attack, of course. A good deal of focus has been placed on blocking and sidestepping, and adds yet another layer of immersion to combat.

Personally, my favorite thing so far about Skyrim isn't the combat, graphics or story (as awesome as all of them are), but rather the depth of world-with-world interaction. NPCs converse with one another in a much more believable manner than in Oblivion, and enemy NPCs interact (and attack) one another, instead of aiming solely for the player. I've run into a dragon going toe-to-toe with a bear, and have often had bandit groups aid me in taking down one of the game's signature creatures. Of course, it would be a mistake to count them as allies once the dragon is vanquished; enemies are quick to turn their sights to you once the (supposedly) larger threat is taken care of.

You're not alone in your struggle against these winged monstrosities.
Just keep an eye on your new "allies"!

All in all, I believe Bethesda has truly raised the bar with Skyrim, and that this game could very well be the average against which future RPGs may (and should) be compared. The user interface is crisp and simple, combat is realistic, magic is a viable combat option now, NPC interaction is (for once) believable, and all together the complete package creates one of the most amazing and immersive games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. If you've been on the fence about The Elder Scrolls' latest installation, I encourage you to hop on over to my side and enjoy this masterpiece. If you've already experienced the magic that is Skyrim, I wish you the best of luck as you explore and (potentially) save the most fantastic world in gaming today.

TES: Skyrim Countdown

For those of you who remain unaware, the next installment in Bethesda's phenomenal open-world action RPG series The Elder Scrolls is set to be released simultaneously for the PC, PS3, and XBox 360 this Friday, November 11th. Before you ask, I do indeed have my PS3 copy pre-ordered and intend to pick it up at the midnight launch! I'll spend as much of my weekend as possible cranking through the game and will be back next week with a review.

Here's what we know so far: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim takes place approximately two hundred years after the events of the 2006 installment, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The player takes on the role of a hero of prophecy known as the Dragonborn ("Doväkiin" in the draconic tongue) who is destined to defeat the Dragon God of Destruction Alduin before he can bring about the end of the world. There are, of course, a number of features that have already been announced, as well as numerous gameplay videos and developer diaries. But I won't spoil them for you here, as I know that much of the excitement in a new game comes from discovering the awesome features for myself as I play.

Have any comments on the game, pre- or post-release? Feel free to drop them below! Until next week, enjoy your adventures in Skyrim!

SWTOR Beta Test

It turns out BioWare doesn't take kindly to beta testers who attempt to break their Nondisclosure Agreement and babble about their testing experiences on a public blog. So, allow me to summarize my experiences like this: the game is good. REALLY good. In fact, it's so good that despite the bugs inherent in any beta test, I'd be willing to buy the game as-is when I played it. The experience was phenomenal, and I can't wait for SWTOR's release on December 20th.

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Beta Test Weekend

Anyone who knows me knows that I've been SALIVATING over Star Wars: The Old Republic for... golly, must be going on three years or so now. And now the countdown has begun! BioWare has announced that the game will be released in North America on December 20th, 2011 (December 22nd, 2011 for those across the waters) and has begun selecting members of the SWTOR community to participate in their beta test weekends.

Guess who gets to beta test this weekend? Oh yes, you said it; me! And you can be sure that I'll be letting everyone know how it goes! For now, I'm jumping back into the game, but I'll be back soon with a recap on my experiences with the SWTOR beta!

Diary of a n00b Prot Paladin: Entry 1

I've always played a DPS class in World of Warcraft. More specifically, I've primarily played the Hunter class. I've a level 82 dwarf hunter (haven't played him much since Cata; new characters have my attention at the moment), and my two other highest characters were a mage and a rogue. DPS has always been my thing. I never really believed I had the awareness to heal or the knowledge to tank.

And then came Farthic the Protection Paladin.

I leveled him up to level 23 in the Retribution spec. Then one day, one of my friends got a hold of me:

"Hey Gilfree, our PuG needs a tank. Bring your pally in."

"Uhmmmm... I'm Ret spec, yo. Can't help you. Sorry."

"Lrn2tnk n00b and get in here."

So I hopped on the Gryphon from Loch Modan to Ironforge, found the Paladin trainer, and respecced to Prot. Lucky for me, I had a BoA one-hand mace and a quest reward shield on hand that I was able to swap to on the fly. I hadn't been gearing for tanking, but honestly, at level 23, there's not enough variety in the gear stats that I had to worry about it. So, BoA mace in one hand and shield in the other, with my Avenger's Shield and Hand of Reckoning on my primary hotbar, and Righteous Fury up, I entered the Blackfathom Deeps.

Let me tell you, I was shaking in my (not Prot specced) booties.

Our group picked up the quests at the entrance, and I moved up to the first mob.

The first mob I would ever tank.

I slammed my ring finger on the "1" key, chucked my Avenger's Shield, and ran in mace a-flailin'.

POW, Judgement! POW, Crusader Strike! Auto Attack, Auto Attack, Auto Attack! Exorcism! POW, JUDGEMENT!

I was having the time of my life! The party followed my lead, our healer kept us topped off, and we didn't wipe... until the friend that talked me into tanking lit all the fires in the shrine room, causing all the wee beasties to come crawling out of the walls and attack us.

No problem, right? Perfect time to pop Consecrate, right?

What? I forgot to pick up Consecrate? Oh shi--

The healer went down, followed by our mage and one of our two hunters. Then I hit the ground, and my friend, the hunter who started all this, Feigned Death and lived... AND LIVED! My first ever wipe as a tank... I wanted to cry. At the very least, I could keep reminding myself that it wasn't really my fault... right?

But if I had just had Consecrate... if I had been prepared, I could've saved us and been that epic tank hero that everyone loves to play with. But I didn't, and it made me sad. No one complained, no one nerd raged, and no one blamed me. Still, I felt horrible.

We regrouped and finished downing the last boss. Everyone left the group happy, and despite the wipe, I was pretty excited about my first tanking experience! I daresay I may have even found my new calling. After patch 4.0, I felt my hunter prowess drain as the class changed, be it ever so slightly. But this tanking stuff...

I think I could get used to this.

I Am Geek, An Introduction to

Welcome to I Am Geek! I'm Chris, and I'll be your host as you peruse this little section of cyberspace.

I Am Geek was created for two purposes. First, it is my outlet for creative expression. You might see anything ranging from video game reviews to YouTube links, news rants to adorable corgi pictures from 4chan, or anything in between. It's a no-holds-barred, makes-no-sense free for all here!

Second, and most important to me, I Am Geek is also a call to embrace individuality, whether that individuality involves the geek subculture or not. Every day, we are pressured by the world's media culture to be "popular", to go to parties, to smoke, to drink, to be beautiful, to play a sport, to act a certain way, to dress in a certain style; the list goes on and on and on. Every day, we're pushed to reject our own individuality, our own personalities, styles, wants, desires, and even our own circle of friends in favor of what someone else tells us is "in".

I Am Geek is about pushing back. It's about saying no when others are too afraid of the social consequences. It's about rejecting the mainstream social norm and instead embracing individuality. It's about standing up to peer pressure, and lending a word of encouragement or a helping hand to those who have difficulty doing the same. And lastly, it's about self pride, and loving yourself whether or not the world sees you as popular, skinny, cool, or beautiful.

It's my hope that I Am Geek can also act as a resource for those who are hurting, who suffer from bullying or peer pressure, who are unhappy with their lives because they're living it for someone else instead of themselves. It's for those people that I Am Geek was truly conceived. As I come across them, I will share various internet resources on the topic. In the meantime, all I can truly do is lend my own words of encouragement and helping hands. If you or someone you know suffers from bullying, peer pressure, lack of self-confidence, depression, or maybe just needs someone to talk to, please feel free to email me at chris@iamgeek.org and I promise to get back to you as soon as I can.

That is what this is all about. Welcome to I Am Geek.

Much love,
Chris