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Lessons I’ve Learned While Climbing the Ranks in ARMS

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During the beta for ARMS, I was crushing my opposition with an iron fist. It got me thinking that I was going to waltz to the top of the leaderboard. Within hours of first playing the final game, it was me that was repeatedly falling to the canvas. There were nights where I would go on massive losing streaks that would cause me to lose ranks that usually ended with me throwing my controller. Forget about reaching the top of the world, I had to look in the mirror and ask myself if I was actually trash at this game.

Refusing to give up, I kept practicing. Kept making mental notes of all of the different ways I could improve. Having wallowed in the middle ranks for weeks, I’ve turned a corner and am making a strong push to reach rank 20, the highest rank in the game. Here are some things I’ve observed along the way!

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Playing Video Games for Fun vs. Playing Video Games for Sport

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I am a lifelong video game fan. I’m also a fan of playing fighting games at a competitive level. While both paths allow me to enjoy video games, they diverge in very different ways. Playing video games for fun usually means playing lots of different types of video games. Playing games for sport generally requires you to focus on playing one game until you have hit a certain level of mastery. It’s very hard to do both.

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The Promise of the Nintendo Switch is Real

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When Nintendo first revealed the Switch, they did so by showing off a myriad of different scenarios for when the product would be useful. From showing how quickly the game could transfer from your screen to the unit, to showing off a woman bringing her Switch to a rooftop party to play with friends, Nintendo pitched this as providing a quality gaming experience everywhere you go.

At first, I didn’t buy it. Sure, the novelty was neat, but I didn’t see the ability to play the same games at home or on the go as a revelation. Now that I’ve had the console for a few months, I realize that its selling point is the real deal.

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In Third Person and Streaming

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Video content has never been a strong suit of the In Third Person offering. During a time when players were uploading direct feed video to YouTube, I was pointing my laptop webcam at my TV. By the time I got a capture card, the world had moved onto live streaming. At that point, I ran into a number of new technical limitations, such as a technical infrastructure that couldn’t handle recording gameplay and webcam footage at the same time, as well as an internet pipeline that couldn’t handle streaming and online play simultaneously.

Of late, I have made some strides to make streaming more of a reality. We’ve upgraded our home to a faster internet connection, allowing for gameplay and video streaming to happen at the same time. I also figured out how to use Elgato’s Stream Command to get my face in the feed. However, I’ve run into a few other snags along the way.

When I activate Stream Command, the app warns me that my computer is too slow for it. Having tried it now, they were right. The gameplay and my audio turns out fine, but my webcam video lags behind. Trying to noodle with the settings to no avail.

It’s not the end of the world. Even if I can’t get the overlays right, I now have the ability to stream video that doesn’t look like complete crap while playing online games. Until I can afford a better setup, I’ll experiment more with the streaming capability I have and hopefully you’ll enjoy the content along the way!

Unfortunately, WordPress won’t let me embed the video player into my posts. But you can head over to twitch.tv/jettftw to watch! I’ll make sure to post about it each time I go live!

Watch live video from Jettftw on www.twitch.tv


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My Pokemon Go Squad

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Shortly after the release of Pokemon Go, I made it a goal of mine to put together a dream team. While I have completed the Pokedex and reached north of level 30, I still feel like I have a ways to go. For now though, thought it would be fun to share some highlights from my collection!

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Pokemon Go Player’s Guide to Toronto: Gage Park

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Admittedly, I’m stretching the definition of Toronto here. If you leave Toronto proper and head north on the 410, you’ll eventually reach Gage park in downtown Brampton. Besides Brampton being technically a city that is part of the Greater Toronto Area, it’s also a city I hold near and dear.

Growing up, Gage Park was that pretty little area with the gazebo that no one ever went to. Since the release of Pokemon Go, it’s become the heart of Pokemon action in the city. Why?

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Pokemon Go Player’s Guide to Toronto: Nathan Phillips Square

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Attracting nearly 1.5 million visitors every year, Nathan Phillips Square is Canada’s largest city square. As a tourist, you’ll want to come by and see our unique city hall building to the north, which was actually featured in the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Getting your picture in front of the now-iconic Toronto sign should also be in your list of to-dos. If you’re there in the winter, bring a pair of skates, as the pond is frozen over for skating.

As a Pokemon Go player, it’s also a solid, and quite possibly underrated, place to visit.

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I Spent Real Money in Pokemon Go

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I generally avoid free-to-play games. Call me old school, but I much prefer the idea of paying for “all” of a game upfront, versus playing a game that nickel and dimes me over the long haul. In particular, I hate when free-to-play games that are so focused on milking money from you that its commerce system detracts from the game itself.

Pokemon Go, while being a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, has been much more palatable. I’ve put in dozens of hours into the game and had a blast without putting in a cent. If I wanted to, I could adjust my play style a bit and continue to play the free way. However, I recently pulled out the credit card and bought a few gold coins.

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Achievement Unlocked: Got Married

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Yesterday, the love of my life and I took each other’s hand in marriage. It was a magical day for us and one that will serve as the cornerstone for the rest our adventure together. Tomorrow, we’re jet-setting off to Hawaii for our honeymoon, which should be nothing short of spectacular!

As such, the blog is going to be a bit quiet for a bit till towards the end of the month. Yes, this means I’m going to miss the entirety of E3, which is kind of a bummer. That said, I’ve got more pressing things on the docket for that week.

There will still be some stuff, though the posts won’t come as frequently, nor will I be able to comment while I’m gone. However, things will get back to normal soon enough. Just let me enjoy this one break for a bit.

🙂

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Attempting to Be a Street Fighter V Sensei

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I have a friend who is a huge fan of competitive Street Fighter. He watches all of the streams, knows the names of the pro players and has a general understanding of how the game works. His love for the scene has permeated beyond viewing other people play it, as he bought his first fightstick to get in on the action.

However, his actual abilities in the game to-date are limited. Aside from playing casual Street Fighter II as a kid and Street Fighter IV more recently, his overall skill-level is essentially ground zero.

So far, his journey into the FGC has been a brutal one. After suffering a number of defeats playing Street Fighter V online, his interest in playing the game has dropped dramatically. In an attempt to keep his interest alive, I’ve invited him to my house for a one-day training session in the dojo.

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