All About Warhammer Fantasy

You have probably heard of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, and if you have not then chances are you have seen the excellent computer game Dawn of War.

Games Workshop are the masterminds behind these epic franchises. As the largest tabletop battle games company in the world, Games Workshop are also responsible for the more recent games based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A Little History

Warhammer Fantasy Battle was the first game to be set in Warhammers alternate middle earth realm.  Since its release in 1983 Warhammer has inspired generations of table top gamers, introducing them to painting and collecting the miniature models that represent battlefield units.

Warhammer 40k is Games Workshops futuristic version of the original game, set in the far future.  Post apocalyptic societies struggle to control the galaxy, finding strange alien races and evil around every corner.  This franchise was brought to wide media attention with the release of Dawn of War on the PC in 2004.

The Warhammer Fantasy Franchise

The Warhammer fantasy franchise encompasses table top games, role-playing games, card games, computer games, books, magazines and comics.  Games Workshop is famous for the hard line it takes against impersonators and those who try and sell fake versions of their products, specifically the miniatures needed to play the table top games.

25 years of game development has produced an amazingly rich and detailed world.  The official website lists over 200 written resources for Warhammer Fantasy.  Additionally many older products are no longer in print or are unavailable.  

The depth of information is staggering. Historical, religious and political histories are available for each of the 15 major armies used in the game.

Warhammer Fantasy inspires amazing artwork.  Books produced as part of the worlds background feature stunning illustrations.  Fans of the franchise also produce spectacular artwork of their own – often rivalling the official artists.

An Expensive Hobby

Warhammer has come a long way from those early days. Games Workshops commercial attitude to the franchise has turned many unsuspecting people into serious hobbyists who are almost addicted to the system. 

Miniatures are supplied unpainted and unassembled, much like an airfix model.  To collect, build and paint armies consisting of hundreds of models is not for the faint hearted!  Add to this the need to create scenery and model buildings and you begin to appreciate the time, effort and money that fans invest into Warhammer.

Warhammer And The Future

The Warhammer franchise appears to be eternal.  Games Workshop are clearly willing to move with the times as demonstrated by the release of several computer games in the past decade.  

The impending release of a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) – Warhammer: Age of Reckoning - based in the Warhammer fantasy world is adding to the reputation of this gaming giant.  Nearly 600,000 people have signed up hoping to get a sneak preview of the game, providing solid evidence that Warhammer is now firmly in the mainstream.

All About Full Tilt Poker

The term "full tilt poker" basically means online poker. Access to an online site is easy, one such site is fulltiltpoker, and the site introduces you to online poker to the max. Instructions on how to play, an introduction to the team, you can even bet real money. They have an online poker forum where you can read FAQ on the game itself. They have poker tournaments which include 'sig & go tournament poker', 'multi-table tournament poker' and 'private tournaments'. They have a players' lounge where in you can have discussions on everything from tournaments to how much you love poker. 

The full tilt poker bonus code is the bonus code offered on site in cooperation with a poker site and is not case sensitive or does it expire. The bonus is a first time deposit up to $600 and is used by numerous players and has been verified to work. So for each dollar raked from the pot, every player who was dealt cards for that hand will earn one point. You can earn partial points if less than one dollar is raked, and you can earn up to three points per hand. Each point is worth $.06, so you can earn up to $18 per hundred hands. 

Full tilt poker is a poker room that advertises chats with the pros, playing with the pros and learning from them. Full tilt poker has accumulated a team of professional poker players to promote the poker room. These professionals actually take part in some of the tournaments and ring games offered by Full Tilt Poker. It offers a wide variety of poker games including no limit, pot limit, and fixed limit hold?em as well as Omaha. Play money games are also available. 

Full Tilt Poker is the best poker room currently open to US players. A European player may as well choose Titan Poker to play at, it features all the same but does not accept US players.

Advice On Buying Video Games

Is the local retailer's game testing system becoming your primary console? Have you resorted to subscribing to game magazines just to play the included demos? Are you having to go on a forced Ready Rice diet because you can not afford to buy the latest games? Now you don't have to, in this article we will examine ways for consumers to save money when purchasing video games.

Avoid Buying From Offline Retailers

One of the most worst things you can do as a consumer is to buy games, especially if they are not new, from a local retail outlet. Most of the games within these stores are overpriced even after you factor in the discount that you will get from the advertised sale price or the savings through the store's discount card. If you have too, then its best to buy a game from the pre-owned section. Pre-owned games are generally in good condition and cost 20 % less then their counterparts, just remember to inspect the game box for any missing game manuals and the game disc for scratches.

Search For Online Deals

As a consumer your first choice should be eBay. Generally used games on eBay are much cheaper than the major retailer's pre-owned selection and occasionally you do find good deals. Instead of bidding on a single title you should instead try to win a lot of 10 to 50 games. Keep the games that you need from the lot and auction off the rest. Lots are generally more cheaper, on a per game bases, and in my experience these sellers do not gouge buyers on shipping costs. Also when using eBay be sure to use Paypal as the payment option. Paypal issues, several times during the year, coupons which can be used when paying for eBay items, these coupons offer an additional saving of 5 – 10% and are usually found in eBay's monthly newsletters. There are also online sites such as pricegrabber.com and dealrush.com that display weekly deals from all the major video game retailers. An advantage to using these sites is that they are updated daily meaning you can stop having to rely on the Sunday flyers to find deals. Apart from these sites you can also save money by purchasing used games from members on the various gaming forums (such as cheapassgamer.com) that you may participate in. Just be sure that the forum members that you trade with have a high iTrader rating.

Have Patience

Game prices fall dramatically within a span of four months. Therefore, you should consider waiting a couple of months before buying a new game. Apart from saving you money this approach also allows you to get a better idea of how good the game is and if its worth owning.

Rent If Broke

So why should you rent games? Because its cheap and it provides you the ability to test new games. Most of the latest games appear on the renting shelves within the first two weeks of the initial release date, and given that most major retailers charge only $4-$8 for a game rental, this is the perfect opportunity to test, review and hopefully finish the game. Renting works especially well if you just need to play the latest games without caring too much about owning a personal copy. Remember, you can always buy your favorite rented games later on in the year when they cost a fraction of the original price.

Sell Your Games After You Finish Them

As a broke gamer the worst thing you could is start a collection, especially with new releases. Most new games fall dramatically in price within the first few months, so its vital that you sell your new games as soon as possible. Remember, you can always rent games, either when company comes over or at times when you are bored. This method will not only provide you with additional revenue but will also insure that you are able to play the latest releases.

Advanced Backgammon Strategies - Using the Doubling Cube

Although, the Doubling Cube is unknown to most of the backgammon casual players, it is an essential tool in advanced backgammon strategies and in money matches and tournaments.

This cube is designated for raising the stakes of the match and its introduction to the backgammon world is one of the main reasons for the rise of popularity of backgammon.

The cube has 6 faces and the numbers written on it- 2, 4, 8,16,32,64.

At the beginning of the match, the doubling cube is placed beside the board or on the Bar between the players.

Any player, who feels at any stage of the match, that he is leading sufficiently in the match, before throwing his dice, may suggest to double the stakes by placing the doubling cube with the number 2 facing up.

For example player A decided to raise the stakes.

Player B, his opponent, the player the offer is given to, after reviewing his situation, has two options:

He may refuse the offer and thus lose the game and one unit.

He may agree to double the stakes, and in this case the match continues with higher stakes.

Player B, who agreed to the offer, is now the owner of the doubling cube, meaning only him (player B) has the option to double the stakes again at any stage of the game.

If player B decides to do so, he has to do it on his turn before throwing his dice.

Now he takes the dice and places it so that the number 4 is facing up.

Player A, has now the same two options, only this time if he declines the offer he will lose two units, and if he agrees the stakes will rise to 4 times the original and the doubling cube returns to his control.

The cube can pass from player to player, each time raising the stakes.

<Strong>The Crawford rule</Strong>-

If you are playing a game until N- points, and your opponent is leading and reaches N-1 points, meaning he is short one point from winning the game, you are not allowed to use the Doubling cube in the following game, however, you can use the dice in the following matches if the game continues.

The reason is the weaker player will always want to raise the stakes because he has nothing to lose anymore and we want keep the use of the dice in fairness of both sides.

<Strong>The Jacoby rule</Strong>-

This rule is used in money games and never in match games. It decides that a backgammon or gammon may not be scored as such only if the cube has been passed and accepted. The reason behind this rule is speeding up.

<Strong>The Holland rule</Strong>-

The Holland rule is used in match games and decides that in post-Crawford games, the trailer can only double after both sides have played two rolls. The rule makes the free drop more valuable to the leading player but generally just confuses the issue.

Unlike the Crawford rule, this rule isn't popular, and is rarely used today.

The beavers, raccoons, otters and any other animals in the backgammon game-

These animals appear only, if wanted by both sides, in money games and never in match games.

If player A, doubles the stakes, and player B believes A is wrong and he (player B) has the advantage, B can double the stakes and keep the doubling cube on his side. For example, if A makes the initial double and puts the doubling cube on 2, B can say "Beaver", turn the cube to 4 and keep the cube at his side. If A believes B is wrong he can say "Raccoon" and turn the cube to 8. All this time, B remains the owner of the doubling cube. If B wishes to raise the stakes once more, he only needs to say another silly name (the animal's name is a controversy among players) and so on.

<Strong>The Chouette</Strong>-

Chouette is a version of backgammon for more than 2 players. One of the players is the "Box" and plays against the rest of the group on a single board.

Another player is the "Captain" of the group, who throws the dice and makes the moves for the group playing against the box.

If the Box wins, the Captain goes to the back of the line and the next player becomes the Captain of the team. If the Captain wins, he becomes the new Box, and the old Box goes to the end of the line. 

The rules regarding the ability of the group to consult with the Captain changes from

version to version. In some versions of the Chouette the group can freely give advice to the Captain, and in other versions, consulting is strictly forbidden.

The compromised version is the most popular- consulting is legitimate only after the dice have been thrown.

Originally, Chouette was played with a single die .The only decisions that players other than the Captain were allowed to make on their own was concerning the takes: If the Box had doubled, each player on the team could take or drop independently. Today, a multiple-cube Chouette is more popular; each player on the team has his own cube, and all doubling, dropping, and taking decisions are made independently by all players.

Activision Weaves Its Web Into New Spider-Man 2 Video Game

How would it feel to be Spider-Man? What would it be like to fight crime as a superhero in one of the most captivating cities in the world - New York City? 

Picture yourself sending your super web powers into the air to disarm one of Spidey's extraordinary nemeses like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Shocker or Rhino, then with a quick flick of the wrist, wrapping them up rodeo style - all without breaking a sweat.

While you may never get to live out these fantasies in the real world, Activision's video game allows you to experience the next best thing.

Based on Columbia Pictures' motion picture release of "Spider-Man 2," the Spider-Man 2 video game takes ordinary gaming to a whole new level. Spider-Man 2 is the first game that puts players in the role of Marvel's legendary web slinger, Spider-Man, and drops them into the heart of a living, breathing cityscape teeming with common criminals, super-villains, pesky pedestrians, trains and even helicopters.

While players can recapture the movie experience by following the gaming plotline, they can also deter from the story to chase down a stolen purse for a helpless older woman or simply take in the sights of New York City by swinging from building to building. 

The only free-roaming game of its kind, Spider-Man 2 offers some of the most realistic depictions of the Big Apple - featuring key landmarks such as Queensboro Bridge, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. 

Aficionados of the film will immediately recognize the voices of its blockbuster stars: Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane), Bruce Campbell, (Snooty Usher), Alfred Molina (Doc Ock), and of course, everyone's favorite photographer turned superhero - Tobey McGuire. 

Key movie locations, storylines and hi-res, lifelike cinematics combined with unique swinging mechanics that allow players to soar through the air as Spider-Man, make this one gaming experience you can relive over and over again from the comfort - and safety - of your own home. 

When you pop in this game, you truly go where no Spider-Man game has gone before, complete of course, with all of the necessary Spidey senses to guide you along.

Spider-Man 2 is available for the PlayStation 2, XBOX and Nintendo Game Cube for $49.99.   - NU

Action Games- The Thrill Is Addictive

When you watch live action on movie screens, you get excited. Combined with sound effects the action can be a real thrill. Some actions that we watch takes the breath away. How about Action games on computers?

Some of the makers of action games make great animations and may include a story line. Stories always attract us. Tell a story and everybody will listen. The action games on computers use this very well to produce games that can take your breath away thinking of the imagination and artistry applied by the maker.

Adventures, space fights, planes colliding in mid air, think of any action and you will find it used in a game. Most of these games are free online. Action games give great thrill and despite called for teenagers they are for the family to enjoy them together. Action games test the response of the player and sharpen the judgment. Such games are not pure fun. They can help as training tools if used properly.

Other free online games that are currently becoming very popular are- Arcade Games, Board Games, Card Games, Casino Games, Strategy Games, Sports Games, Shooting Games and, Puzzle Games. Most of the online games are free. Look for a good website and play the games. They are a fabulous way of enjoyment. As I said in the heading these games can become addictive. Take small doses and life will be a joy.

Action Figures Bridge the Gap between the Present and the Past

As a child I spent countless hours collecting and playing with action figures of all shapes, sizes, and characters. My favorite by far were my Star Wars action figures but I spent many hours playing with G. I. Joe, Transformers, Masters of the Universe. There are so many of them, and they were such a vital part of my childhood experience that I couldn’t really begrudge my sons love of those very same things. 

His current collection is of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle™ action figures. He is also starting a nice collection of matchbox cars, but he really loves his Ninja Turtles. For a while he was seriously interested in light sabers from Star Wars. I was so excited hoping I could share my old love for my Star Wars action figures with him, but his interest stopped at the light sabers and he never really got into those action figures that were once so special to me.

Ah well, I still have two daughters; perhaps one of them will love those as much as I once did. The real beauty of action figures is that you can keep them and share them with your children, you can sell them, or you can consider them as an investment. However you look at your action figure collection, don’t underestimate the many hours of fun they can provide your children. The right set of action figures can ignite their imaginations and keep them occupied for endless hours on those rainy summer days.

If you wonder about whether or not action figures are good toys for children to have, think back to your childhood and how these action figures enabled you to use your imagination and creativity. Think of the endless hours of fun you had with these awesome toys and how you could share these toys with your friends and double the fun. I know that I feel any toy that helps children use their imaginations is a good toy for them to have.