Constructing A Competitive Team

Hey guys, Ghostatsuke here. Well Conduit 2 is coming out soon and many of you either already have your own teams, or your planning on starting one. With the playlists and all the other new features competition is sure to be fierce so I'm here to help you guys out with constructing a good team.

Understand there are many factors to look for and consider when putting together a team or as many of you may know it a clan. Gathering people is truthfully only part of the job and it can't just be anyone. You have to be able to work with these people you choose, and play off each others strengths and weaknesses. Here are the main things to think about:

Size - This is the start to all your success and all your complications as a team. Size is a major thing to think about. When creating a team, having the most people doesn't mean having the best chance of winning. A standard professional team in a league such as MLG or ECL (Major League Gaming + European Console League) is standardly 4 players large with the option of a team coach. Note that a majority of professional game types are played as a 4v4 setup. Nonetheless a team is not limited to so few players. Your welcome to have as many as you so wish but remember you will need to manage all of these people and give them a fair and equal amount of game time. So in all technicalities, the fewer people the better and the easier it is to work with.

Compatability - Think for a moment, you play games with plenty of people every day. How many of them can play the way you do?. Are they friends? Or are they just cool people you get along and play games with? Consider this cause everyone plays a different way. You want it to be balanced but you always want the play styles to compliment one another not conflict each other. As a team you have to be able to work together and persevere through some tough spots in matches. You all want to be able to get along and not be constantly arguing or having any bad blood. A team that plays well together, wins together.

Communication? - Communication is absolutely key in a team. It's one of the single most important thing you will need in order to move forward. How well you can communicate will almost directly determine how well you will do in a game. If you have a lone wolf in the group it's going to hurt your team since they may not be as much a team player as you and everyone else. When considering a free agent see how they play the game , and what tactics they use to communicate something, such as a weapon respawning or a location of another teammate that needs help. Remember that using callouts is BIG, so try and integrate it somewhere in a manner that everyone can pick it up and use it

to boost the communication level of the team overall. Every little push can make a difference.

Teamwork- Lastly, the most major thing is teamwork. This is where it all comes down to one thing; Can you all play as a team? Can you work together to setup a game winning push against the other team. Can you all communicate and play off of each others unique styles to shut down your competition. Are you all able to switch roles whenever needed and play either passively or aggressively when the time comes. This element ultimately relies on your teammates and should never be overlooked.

Well guys, that covers setting up the proper team. I hope this helps and pushes not just you but all your teams to an all new level and carry you farther than before. I'll be looking forward to seeing you all in competition when Conduit 2 drops in Q1 2011. If you have any questions just leave a comment below.

PDP Headbanger Headset Review

Hey people, well today I finally got my hands on the PDP Headbanger Headset for the Nintendo Wii and I'm here to review it for you guys today. The Headset is partly due to PDP's Headbanger Audio and is a very welcome edition to the Wi's peripherals. This device will be reviewed based on the categories of Design, Performance, and above all Value.

Design: The PDP Headbanger Headset comes in two colors. White, which is the color of the default headset, and black, which is the limited edition version for the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops. Overall the headset looks very nice. It features a 10ft cord and a beautiful aesthetic design that matches whichever Wii version you get. The black however contains the Call of Duty logo on it for an added custom feel.

The ear clip on the mic is very comfortable however, it doesn't place a secure clip onto your ear so severe head movement will cause it to move about a little. Also, the mic itself cannot be bent but is adjustable to move higher or lower in order to divert usage when needed. Also there is a control piece for the volume output from the headset and the main button for the mute function is also where the logo piece is. The headset connects via USB and is also compatible with PC/Mac computers.

Performance: This headset features a noise canceling microphone, I stearo level speaker and the sound quality truthfully is off the charts. Once you manage to get the device comfortably on your ear and start chatting with people you can see that the quality is clear and it almost feels as if the person is there. The speaker while it's sound is relatively good, It's not too loud and its not flawless in terms of feedback. At times you'll get the occasional static like feedback but that's far from often.

Again I used this on Skype on found near perfect quality. All my friends could hear me perfectly and vise versa. Due to the noise canceling mic your voice comes through beautifully which will be huge for gaming when Black Ops hits store shelves this coming Tuesday. I'll have more info on the in game performance once I pick up the game. However from whit I've done the Headbanger Headset is a competitor much above Nintendo's own WiiSpeak.

Value: The Headbanger Headset has a stronger market value against that of the WiiSpeak peripheral. With this headset you have more private gaming session ability with better quality for roughly the same price. It also features a strong lasting appeal as Black Ops is not the only game to feature this device. For a decent price of $24.99 you can't turn down such a rewarding offer.

The headbanger is a device among Wii items that gamers have been craving. Now that it's here it is looking to push online gaming on the Wii to new heights and is definitely an item to pick up if you're a competitive gamer.

Final Verdict: 9.7 OUTSTANDING

The Future of My YouTube Channels

Hey everyone, It's been quite some time since I've written anything and I will be posting more throughout the week. Anyways I'm here to update all of you on a few things about the future of my YouTube channels.

A good amount of what I'll be detailing is in my recent upload A Message From Me Ghostatsuke +Halo Reach Gameplay Included!!! If you haven't seen it, or would like to view it again here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tduWlhmu7N8

Well as many of you know, I have been posting many videos on YouTube including gameplays from Call of Duty, and The Conduit. In addition to this I also have been featuring a multitude of these videos on my channels. Well a few things are changing around this year. and in the future. I'll still be posting videos but much more things are coming from me in the future.

With school being a priority of mine I haven't been too able to post and upload videos like I did during the summer. However, I will be keeping up wih things as best as I can. Currently I'm running 3 main channels and those curently are GhostatsukeFTW, SIGhostr3aper, and my latest more focused main GhostatsukesCorner.I plan to update these channels regularly, but the one that will be seeing the most improvement is GhostatsukesCorner. Originally when I started that channel it was just to post some of my old gameplays and leftovers and give the community a little insight as to how I play. Since Conduit 2 has grown and the hype to the game is substantial I've decided to go ahead and dedicate the channel to both Conduit and Conduit 2. Basically instead of just leftover clips and gameplays, I plan to post more recent footage along with much more, including some gameplays from Halo Reach.

Some things you can expect to see would include matches with my team Sudden Impact, any really good gameplay I may have, commentaries and a number of small video series I will be starting once my new Dazzle arrives, montages and more. Some of the video series are the Clutchtacular Top Ten Conduit 2 Plays, and Pro Level Play, which is a series where I'll be reviewing gameplays from players via commentary.

What I'm interested in is what would you guys like to see me post on my channel? What kind of videos would you like to see and also if you have any questions just PM or comment me. I am already taking Pro Level Play submissions and Clutchtacular will start shortly after the release of C2 with a special episode dedicated to the games launch week. Hope you all enjoy what's to come!

Well that really covers what's changing. As far as GhostatsukeFTW and C2GhosT goes, I will be still posting the same content for both running them pretty much the same way just adding Conduit 2 to the volume of uploads as well. SIGhostr3aper will be moving on to Cal of Duty Black Ops, once I pick it up later this year. So thats all for me guys, have a great day!

Relationships Are Filled With Contracts

You may not realize it but when you decide to put yourself in a relationship, you are signing your name on an agreement contract that is sure to fuck your life over every time. Here is a llist of the 5 most common relationships and their contracts.

1. Marrige: Let's be real here, marrige is the most obvious contract but apparently we men don't prepare for this and sign anyway. the "Till death do we part" actually means that. Once you sleep with her sister, mom, cousin or whoever you're going to wish you were dead because you're going to be on the street once she takes all your money and stuff. Maybe she'll kill you and save time.

2. Pregnancy: Yes ladies we do have contracts for you too. When we get your sweet sweet selves pregnant that's our way of saying "I'd like to see you leave me now bitch." Basically you have a part of us with you forever now and there's nothing you can do about it. What the hell you going to do with our kid anyways? Abortion? Hell no. Adoption? Out of the question. We are insecure and we are going to make damn sure you can't leave us.

3. Boyfriend/Girlfriend: This might as well be a marrige. This is oh yeah I like you so I'm going to claim you as my own, so if you go and mess around with someone you're as dead as Fanny's Fried Chicken. I really don't care what you really want, cause I own you so I'm in control here. Sorry fellas, no ooky for you...

4. Friends With Benefits: Fuckbuddy, Smash partner, FWB, or whatever you call it is a hidden contract. Simply put in plain English it goes you look good, we are great friends but i have no interest in dating you. So lets have sex and and still be friends. Where's the contract right? Here's the catch you missed when you agreed to sleep with her. Oh you can only sleep with me I better not hear your banging other chicks.

5. The Hook-Up: This is too easy. The infamous hookup. The hey you're sexy, we are going to chill at my house, have sex, and then you are going to get the hell out of here got it? That's it get your fix and it's over. Oh and if you're lucky I might make you a regular...

How To Put Cinematography In A Conduit Montage

Now I've been viewing alot of Conduit montages and I've even reviewed a good amount of them. One thing I really look for in a montage is originality and I understand the well can run dry in that respect with you being forced merely show gameplay. This hinders editing in a big way as there is no cinematography in the least. Most people who play Conduit figure without save films or some form of recording that cinematography in a conduit montage is impossible however this is not so.

In hopes that some people would figure this out by now with a little creativity I kept the curtain on how to put cinema in a Condut tage. Since apparently only one montage ever figured this (NWE's Python and his tages) I've decided to help you all and reveal the reletively easy secret on how to put cinematography in a Conduit montage and make it even better then some of the great ones already out there. Yes, it CAN be done.

Now this is no Halo perfection status editing and cinema here but its very very good and it will get the job done. I can safely garuntee that. Here is what you will need

1. Online Connectivity
2. A Good Friend
3. Video Capturing tools (e.g Capture card, dazzle, etc.)
4. The Conduit
5. Patience

Now to do cinemetography you and your friend must be in the same match. Both of you can record or if you just are going to do the cinema portions than only your trusty cameraman needs to record, but i recommend you both do it. Now here's what your cameraman needs to do:

Go to the Opyions menu and select "Control Options
Go to "Control Sensitivity" and change your turning speed to 70 and your Horizontal view to 1
Then go to Camera Styles. Here you have to options you can use

-Option 1: Select the Drudge Camera Style (Recommended for basic Cinema Capturing)
-Option 2: Select Custom then modify your settings so that you have Nunchuck Turning, and Either set it to look X and Y always or Look X crouched and look Y always (This is recommended for more advanced capturing such as mid air snipes or other ideas which we need you to look up or down for better angles.)

Ok, now that your camera man is all set up, all he has to do is follow you and capture your prized moments using their capture card or dazzle. During this you can capture the actual gameplay from your perspective. Please note this better done in Private matches because then you can let everyone know not to shoot your cameraman. Its also important for the cameraman to make sure to point his reticule all the way off screen to the bottom right (Drudge Camera) or all the way to the right (Custom Camera) When using the Custom camera you can move it up or down while aiming as fa off as possible to get different angles.

There you have it once all the clips are captured, have your cameraman send it to you and then you can cut and edit everything how you like to how you want it in your montage and then you will have some cinematography in your Conduit tage. Hope to see some sick new montages guys!

"Dedicated to al the people who hate on Conduit, its players and the montages made by those players"

Why I Think Conduit 2 Will Be Like Call of Duty

If you read my previous blog on this subject, My Impressions of Conduit 2 So Far then what I'm about to say may not seem to knew to you but I assure you there's alot to this. So if you haven't check out that blog post.

Before any of the flaming begins, understand I play both Conduit and Call of Duty (which I am not too big a fan of) and I've logged 800+ hours in for both games. So no, I'm not a fanboy exactly.

Ok, so recently HVS pulled the curtain back on their big sequal Conduit 2 and its campaign/multiplayer at this years E3. We all got to see some off screen gameplay of both and I talked a lot about the pros and cons of this game. If you remember I have called this a Call of Duty playstyle as opposed to C1's halo feel. I liked Conduit because of that feel it felt like what the definitive Wii game would be. The only real flaws in Conduit was glitching and hacking, lag, and bugs in the matchmaking. But after seeing C2 I can say a lot of this is going to change.

Conduit 2 has been remade and in that it kept some of it's amazing "definitive" and halo-ish traits, however overall this game is a direct comparison of CoD. Here are 5 well explained reasons why I say this, in order:

1. ADS or "Iron Sights": This was just plain wrong in my opinion. Why would you take the biggest trait to a war game like CoD and Battlefield, and Medal of Honor, then throw it into a game that nowhere meets this feel. Yes, the success rates of those games are high but for good reason, the mechenics fit the gameplay. Conduit and iron sights is a very unnatural thing. Also, if any CoD fanboy is reading this I'm about to point out the biggest flaw of the game, "clipping". This is famous in Call of Duty because when someone is shooting behind cover they can still hit you while all you see is their head. Meaning the aim is set above the characters line of sight which is ridiculous. Some people have brought up retarded arguments against lock on in Conduit which all it does is allign you to an enemy no skill is damaged through lock on. Iron sights will probably be the biggest thing to ruin this game as it moves to a CoD feel away from the game we loved before.

2. Custom Loadouts: Now, this honestly would not have been a problem if they were not used how they were. This is how this works. You, much like you would in Call of Duty, will pick your own primary and secondary weapon to use. Whats wrong with this? If you remember correctly Call of Duty suffered from pure skilless bombing with grenade launchers, rockets, c4's and claymores to the point of no return. Skill in the game seemed effortless. (as we all know rank proves nothing) This was all due to custom loadouts. This extends farther as u can edit the classes in game. Meaning rocket whores will prowess over us all. It goes on as HVS has told us the weapons are balanced but lets face facts. Rockets will do significant damage no matter how balanced you make things.

3. and 4. Perks/Suit Upgrades: I couldn't decide which piece would go where so I paired them together. This goes as far as customizing your character. -Warning Rant Alert- Now instead of just personalizing yourself and dealing with the n00b community, you get to suffer some raping from those noobs. For example if you choose a stealthy suit piece you will be invisible on radar (UAV jammer anyone?) So now you get INVISIBLE rocket whores. Great right? But I'm not trying to trash the game, I love it and not all the perks are bad. Anyways back to the comparison, perks include faster reloading longer/unlimited sprint, the ability to carry two heavier primary weapons (at the cost of your mobility) more health and more. This is alot like call of duty's perks which I'm sure you can figure on your own. It goes without saying that health/sheild bar you had before is gone and now when you take damage the screen darkens and fades in. Does this sound familiar yet. I feel like perks could have been done better like REACH's loadout/Suit ability system

5. Mechanics: Ok Call of Duty doesn't use a reticule like how Conduit and Halo did, but thats different in C2. Now its a crosshair instead of our good old headshot loving circle of death. I'm certain the minimal reticule bloom has returned however it wont matter very much anyways. Alot of the weapons have changed. If you liked the scar before guess what? It's BR status is gone and is now the equivalent of your basic assault rifle. Again weapons have been more balanced, looks likes shotgun lost power and other weapons are taking hits too. Your mobility now is dependant on the weapons you carry so certain weapons will slow you down. They threw in sprint but your jumping is still shot a bit. (I wanted slightly higher jumping to deal with spam jumping issue) Thankfully ADS isn't required and lock on is still in the game. Here's the BIG problem, which of course I try my hardest to make known to HVS. Weapons DO NOT spawn on maps. No more strike rifle or rocket spawn. unless you start with it or you kill someone who did, Your not getting it. You only get 1-2 nades if im not mistaken and its 3 with a perk (limiting ish?) Theres none on the maps for you to pick up either so once your out of ammo thats basically it for you.

The game still features amazing graphics, a split screen 4 player multiplayer and an online co-op called Team Invasion, which is similar to ODST's firefight. In addition to this some of the weapons and other things fit like it would in a Halo title. It's even using Nintendo's new headset from PDP, bless the online gods! Even though alot of Conduit has been tossed to Call of Duty's gamestyle I still think this will be the best Wii shooter and hopefully HVS will fix these mistakes and keep that good old original feel and Halo playstyle. One more good note is that the HUD display is simply beautiful this time :)

I'll be reviewing C2 when it drops Winter 2010 be on the lookout for that.

So you want to play with me on Nintendo WFC

Before you contact me on YouTube or something wanting to play with me on WFC I would like to say that I am NOT the one playing in ANY of the montages on my channel (so far). If you still wanna play me my gamertag is Ghostatsuke and my Wii Console nickname is Ghoster21. The Friend Code is 4393 :: 4676 :: 8685 :: 7638, My buddy list is filling up pretty quickly so I would add my good friends Crash123 or Ne0. Since chances are I'm playing with one of them.

Here is a little something to know about me and WFC. I usually play in the afternoons throughout the week especially on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday I spend most of my time playing Conduit with my friends on one of their hosts or I'm in a public, BUT due to distances and timezones etc Wifi connection varies. So if you can not join our party then it is probably a Wifi issue, of which we cannot fix. We have attempted but to no avail.

Also, I'm not a god at Conduit. I took a long break before and lost alot of my skill during the hiatus. I'm still pretty good, but because of the loss in my abilities I'm usually in private Team Reaper skimmishes or FFA publics. I do enjoy skill intensive gametypes like Reaper Pro and Team Snipers, and other pro customs. If you're looking for someone to get you instantly better than the best in any gametype, I am NOT the person you are looking for.