tom clancys splinter cell blacklist

tom clancys splinter cell blacklist

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell™

The United States has a military presence in two thirds of countries around the world. A group of 12 have had enough and initiate a terror ultimatum called the Blacklist - a deadly countdown of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Sam Fisher is the leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon unit: a clandestine unit that answers solely to the President of the United States. Sam and his team must hunt down these terrorists by any means necessary, and stop the Blacklist countdown before it reaches zero.

Key Game Features

Operate without Restrictions
Sam is back in his tactical suit and goggles, and he’s more deadly than ever. He is the only secret operative with the power to act above the law, and uses ruthless methods to interrogate enemies in order to extract crucial information that will prevent the next Blacklist attack. Pursuing the terrorists to the far reaches of the world, Sam flies from exotic locales to U.S. cities as he races against the clock to find out who’s behind the Blacklist. Thrilling gameplay is enhanced by full motion performance capture, creating a highly cinematic experience.

Kill in Motion
Always one step ahead, Killing In Motion lets Sam strike with lethal precision by marking and executing multiple enemies in one fluid motion. Active Sprint allows him to traverse the environment easily and fluidly, climb walls and leap over barriers in order to reach his next target while on the move.

Unleash the power of 4th Echelon Prototypes
Splinter Cell Blacklist innovates from the roots of the franchise, and players can enjoy a series of twists on franchise favorites including reinvented classic weapons. Infiltrate terrorist cells by using new gadgets such as the upgraded snake cam and micro-trirotor drone which allows Sam to scout ahead, mark targets remotely, distract enemies, or explode with frag grenade force. Splinter Cell Blacklist is also bringing back fan-favorites like the sticky shocker, and for close quarters combat, players can wield the curved and brutal Karambit knife.

Build a New Echelon
With a mandate directly from the President, Sam is building a whole new Echelon unit; his team, his way. Anna “Grim” Grimsdottir is his technical operations manager, CIA operative Isaac Briggs brings additional firepower, and resident hacker Charlie Cole rounds out his support crew. 4th Echelon is a fully mobile ops unit with unlimited resources and cutting edge technology aboard the repurposed stealth airliner, the Paladin.

Enjoy a Fully Integrated Experience
Sam and his team are aware of terrorist attacks in real time thanks to the Strategic Mission Interface (SMI). The SMI allows the team to receive data about mission objectives while on the move. Players can earn money for completing missions and objectives and buy upgraded weapons and items from the SMI hub aboard the Paladin.

A group of terrorists calling themselves The Engineers have had enough of US military occupation all over the world and initiate a terror ultimatum called the Blacklist - a deadly countdown of escalating attacks on U.S. interests. Armed with state-of-the-art technology, top-of-the-line-gadgets, deadly combat abilities and an elite team known as the 4th Echelon, Sam Fisher holds nothing back to get the job done through whatever means necessary to stop the Blacklist countdown before it reaches zero. Sam is back in his tactical suit and goggles, and he’s more lethal and agile than ever. Granted the freedom to do whatever it takes to stop the Blacklist, Sam flies from exotic locales to U.S. cities as he races against the clock to find out who’s behind this devastating threat.

dead space 2 patch

dead space 2 patch

Note: if your game has been updated by Steam, you already have this.

Hopefully the PC patch announcement thread on the EA forums being deleted is an indication that they're working on another, better patch, but in the meantime the file link still works for those who may want to use it:

http://static.cdn.ea.com/visceral/u/...deadspace2.exe

If it's not obvious, it's just a replacement for the game executable. Rename or otherwise backup your original and copy this into the game folder.


What this patch fixes:
- Elite Suit schematics appear where they should in New Game+ (must start a new NG+ playthrough with this patch)
- Number of saves remaining during a Hard Core game are calculated correctly
- unknown if any other issues are fixed (but no other fixes/improvements are apparent)

Other changes:
- Support for binding mouse buttons to movement actions (sorry TK, Stasis, and most everything else - you still can't use mouse buttons!)
- All DLC Pack items have been unlocked (available for 0 credits in the store, same as if packs had been purchased on consoles)

What is NOT fixed:
- Zealot/Security Suits and Hacker/Elite Advanced Suits storage conflicts (explanation here)
- Reward items for completing Zealot and Hard Core playthroughs (Arctic Security Suit, Soldier Suit & Hand Cannon)

For that last issue, you can still follow these instructions these instructions to unlock those items through your settings.txt file.



If you don't want the intended game balance ruined by having all those free DLC items and ammo unlocked in the store, here are some tips copied from this thread:

All the patch does is:
* fix the missing Elite Suit schematics in New Game+
* fix incorrect remaining save count during Hard Core (would sometimes allow more than 3)
* let you bind movement actions to mouse buttons
* unlock all DLC items (and accompanying ammo)

If you're not doing a New Game+ or Hard Core playthrough (and you don't use those customized controls), use the original executable. When you want to play a New Game+ or Hard Core, or get some of the DLC stuff, switch to the patched exe.

More tips:
- For the Elite suit schematics to appear, you must start that New Game+ and continue to play using the patched exe. However, after you find the last Elite schematic (*) you could save and switch to the original exe if you wish.

- If and when you want to get some DLC items, save near a store, quit, launch with the patched exe, go to the store and get only the item(s) you want, save, quit, launch the original exe and continue your game.

- Everything should run fine if the game executables are named something other than "deadspace2.exe", so you can keep both in your game folder as long as one is renamed. I suggest renaming the patch exe from "deadspace2.exe" to something like "deadspace2_patch.exe", then you can have shortcuts to both and can run either version easily without having to rename or move files each time.

If you want the Steam overlay while running a renamed exe, just add it as a non-Steam game. Of course Steam won't see it as the same game so Achievements won't work... oh right, there are no Achievements on the PC version (not yet anyway), even though the game is still tracking each and every one of them locally.

dead space 2 online pass

dead space 2 online pass - EA discontinuing Online Pass starting today

EA has made some of its Online Pass offerings free though Xbox Live today, a move the firm said will be rolled out across all of its existing franchises.

The move is part of the process of eliminating Online Pass in games currently on the market. EA announced earlier this month that future titles wouldn’t include the much maligned monetization scheme.

“As we discontinue Online Pass for our new EA titles, we are also in the process of eliminating it from all our existing EA titles as well,” a spokesperson told Eurogamer. “We heard the feedback from players and decided to do away with Online Pass altogether.

“Players will see it first with some EA Sports titles, where a prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear in-game; with other titles we are simply making Online Passes available free of charge online.

“These are rolling updates that are taking effect over the next several weeks. We hope players continue to enjoy our games and online services for a long time to come.”

The firm has posted a blog feature explaining all of this in detail through here.

Originally noticed by NeoGAF, the following titles no longer had prices attached to them:

Battlefield Bad Company 2′s VIP Pass
Skate 3′s Skate Share Pack
Bulletstorm Online Pass
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass
Medal of Honor Online Pass
Shift 2 Unleashed Online Pass
All the above were originally 800 MS Points.

Dragon Age: Origins’ The Stone Prisoner and Mass Effect 2′s Cerberus Network Pass which were 1200 Points at one time are now free.

Dragon Age 2′s Black Emporium DLC and American McGee’s Alice which came with Alice: Madness Returns is now free. You will still need to own the later in order to play it.

Online Passes for Tiger Woods 14 and Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel will still run you 800 MS Points. dead space 2 online pass.

dead space 2 zealot mode

dead space 2 zealot mode - Zealot mode is the second hardest difficulty available for Dead Space 2. Completing the game on Zealot difficulty will reward the player the "Mission Impossible" Achievement/Trophy. Additionally, the Arctic Security Suit would be made available to the player in the subsequent playthrough.

Strategy

Attempting Zealot can be done many ways. If you have beaten Hard Core mode before you began Zealot mode, you will be in possession of the Hand Cannon, the most powerful weapon in the game. If you do own it, then begin your playthrough and everything should turn out great.
Another way of completing Zealot mode is to continuously keep playing through New Game+ on Casual mode, all the while stacking up on Large and Medium Med Packs, buying every weapon and fully upgrading it, buying a ton of ammo for every gun, and to fully upgrade you RIG and Stasis Module.
There are no "better weapons" on Zealot. The best weapons are entirely up to your skill. If you prefer to use the 211-V Plasma Cutter because you feel comfortable with it, then use it. But always make sure to maintain your ammo, otherwise you'll be cornered with nowhere to run and nothing to shoot with.
Be sure to keep a few Large Med Packs with you, as a couple of situations will be quite challenging.
Always remain calm, and use Stasis as much as you want when a Stasis Recharge Station is about, as there is no limit to Stasis there. But in case there isn't a Stasis Recharge Station, always keep a Stasis Pack with you for precautionary measures.
Don't forget to save very often. If you die, just think of a new way to approach that scenario, try it out and hopefully all will turn out for the better.
If you are well prepared, having plenty of ammunition and Credits, have at least 3 Medium Med Packs, and a Large Med Pack, and fully upgraded weapons, Zealot can be relatively easy. If you are skilled, the only difference you may find between Survivalist mode and Zealot mode is the damage output of Necromorphs. Severing limbs is still generally easy, and with the Elite Advanced Suit, it makes it even easier.
Using the correct suit is also advised. Many people tend to use the Elite Advanced Suit due to the excellent +10% Damage bonus it gives to every weapon and the added +15% Duration to your Stasis. Many people also advise you to use the Elite Engineering Suit due to the +15% more Health added to a Med Pack. However, a suit adapted to your particular play style is always the best suit.
A fully upgraded Force Gun can be useful in many crowded situations, and ammunition is cheap. It is recommended you have this weapon with you, but if you feel comfortable with others weapons more to your playing style, then use those weapons.
You should keep a high-accuracy weapon such as the Pulse Rifle in case you run into a nest, for the Force Gun does no damage to it unless you are up-close.
DLC Suits are extremely helpful. If you have any DLC Suits, save those for when you're low on health. Go to a Store, switch your current suit for a DLC Suit, and you'll get a free health refill. But make sure you haven't worn that Suit already, or you will not get a health refill.
DLC weapons are helpful as well. When your regular weapons run out of ammo, switch them with DLC weapons. You can always sell the DLC weapons back to the Store for a free ammo refill in the weapon.
The battle with Nicole (also known as "the final boss") can be extremely difficult even with fully upgraded weapons and plenty of Med Packs, due to the overwhelming number of Pack that can easily slaughter you within seconds. A good strategy is to use the Force Gun on Nicole and the Pack, then switch to a heavy damage weapon such as the Contact Beam or Seeker Rifle to deal with the heart. Stock up on plenty of ammo for the Force Gun and have 2 or 3 spare clips for the other weapon, and have a bunch of large and medium med-packs ready. Since you have a ton of ammo for the Force Gun, it is okay to spam fire if you feel overwhelmed. This battle can be frantic for even skilled players, so always keep an eye on your health, and try to keep your cool for the fight.

dead space 2 supernova pack

dead space 2 supernova pack - The odds are well-stacked against Isaac as he traverses the Necromorph-stuffed hallways of The Sprawl -- which, typically, is the way that real heroes like to do they business. If unassisted survival is proving too hard a task, you can now capitulate and download Dead Space 2's "Hazard," "Martial Law" and "Supernova" downloadable pack. They're available today, each adding a handful of powerful suits and weapons to Isaac's inventory for $5 a pop.

Check out the full list of these items after the jump as you try to decide which one sounds like a thing you'd like to own. And don't even say all of them, because if you've got $15 to spend on virtual power tools, then we have some prime Florida swampland to sell you.

Dead space 2 supernova pack -- 400 Microsoft Points ($5)

• Forged Engineering Suit (15% medpack bonus)
• Forged Plasma Cutter (increases damage 10%, reload speed 5%)
• Forged Line Gun (increases firing speed 5%, alt-fire damage 10%)
• Forged Ripper (primary fire lasts one second longer, increases alt-fire damage 10%)

• Heavy-Duty Vintage Suit (increases damage 5% for Line Gun, Detonator, Contact Beam)
• Heavy-Duty Line Gun (increases reload speed 10%, damage 5%)
• Heavy-Duty Contact Beam (primary fire charge reduced by 0.1 seconds, damage increase 5%)
• Heavy-Duty Detonator (increases reload speed 10%, damage 5%)

• Agility Advanced Suit (10% increases to Stasis duration)
• Agility Rivet Gun (increases reload speed 5%, firing speed 5%)
• Agility Plasma Cutter (increases reload speed 5%, firing speed 5%)
• Agility Pulse Rifle (increases reload speed 5%, firing speed 5%)

battle cry of freedom book

battle cry of freedom book

Filled with fresh interpretations and information, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War.

James McPherson's fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox. Packed with drama and analytical insight, the book vividly recounts the momentous episodes that preceded the Civil War--the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry--and then moves into a masterful chronicle of the war itself--the battles, the strategic maneuvering on both sides, the politics, 

read more...

dead space 2 stalker

dead space 2 stalker

The Stalker is a Necromorph that attacks its prey by means of flanking and group tactics.[1][2][3] They approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered whilst they get closer, making them harder to notice. They are first encountered in Chapter 4 of Dead Space 2.

Stalkers are heavily altered Necromorphs, bearing little resemblance to their original human form. Their long arms are equipped with long talons ending in dangerous tips. While not efficient at slashing, they can still impale, knock down, and rend their victims. The ribcage is spread wide open, though as with most Necromorphs, there is a lack of any digestive organs, and only vestigial remains of previously vital organs. Well-maintained musculature in the back lead to a reinforced spinal column and neck capped by the creature's most distinguishing feature. The skull is largely exposed, sporting a thick skull cap covered in bony protrusions to aid in crushing and bashing. The upper jaw and nasal cavities are left largely intact, while the cranial dome is squashed down to provide a more even, durable striking surface, which is further supported by the cheek bones. Unlike many Necromorphs, this highly mutated skull is the hardest point on the creature, and is immune to dismemberment .
Arguably the most intelligent and opportunistic Necromorphs, Stalkers work in groups to distract and flank their prey.[3] They will run around, hide and peek behind cover, trying to lure Isaac into exposed areas. When they attack, they charge towards their prey while emitting a high-pitched screech with their limbs tucked behind them for protection and/or for streamlining. Stalker pack members will take turns in attacking him when they feel Isaac has let his guard down, then flee before he has a chance to strike back. They specialize in mind games and hide and seek tactics. They are also quite resilient; while charging, their skulls and torsos are able to absorb dozens of pulse rounds without disrupting their attack, even on normal difficulty. They are redoubtable foes, and in large numbers or paired with Exploders are some of the most severe threats in Dead Space 2.

Since Stalkers attack methodically, there are certain patterns they use, one of which is peeking at Isaac. Peeking from around cover is usually followed up by a charge. If Isaac sneaks up on a Stalker from behind, it will run for new cover instead of confronting him. However, if Isaac approaches the Stalker from the front after it peeks out or "barks", the Stalker will land an unstoppable headbutt if Isaac goes around that corner. Stalkers also show awareness of being damaged, unlike other Necromorphs, preferring to bolt to a hiding spot if it receives any damage.

They also have an Enhanced form that has double the power, speed and health of its original counterpart. Following the death of the Brethren Moon over Tau Volantis, an alternate form of Stalker was encountered that exhibited a larger and bulkier morphology and a head crowned with large fang-like spines.

Tactics

Stay calm and keep your guard up, aim carefully and always keep a spare Med Pack.
Use your surroundings to your advantage. Stalkers are one of the few Necromorphs that won't or can't pop in behind you from a vent in the wall so keeping your back to a corner during an attack isn't a bad idea.
Stasis can be useful, however using it too late can rob you of a chance to actually do damage.
A well placed shot from the Seeker Rifle can cause a one shot kill.
The alt-fire for the Ripper, as well as the Line Gun can both slice the legs right out from under a charging Stalker. Do keep in mind that Stalkers will sometimes dodge the blade.
If you have the ammo available, the Alt-Fire of the Pulse Rifle will blast a Stalker from around a corner.
A javelin to the chest, leg, or hip will stagger a Stalker, but a shot to the reinforced head is unlikely to stop a charge. Even when electrocuted, the Stalker will smash forward.
Standing against a wall with the Force Gun held at ready, and then waiting until one gets within range during its charge to fire will knock it on its back instantly. While they are still stunned from the knockdown, one or two well placed shots from the alt fire of the Force Gun will kill them.
Stalkers can be easily defeated when using, in combination, Stasis and the Ripper. Allow them to get close enough to be in range of the Ripper, use stasis, then get a quick easy kill using the Ripper.
Another sure-fire method is to use the Detonator to plant a mine in the predicted path that a Stalker will use to charge Isaac. (Once they choose to charge they will run in a straight line from their location to him.) More often than not it will head straight into the path of the mine.
It is best to shoot at their legs since it will stop them from charging and make it easier to dismember their arms. You should always use Stasis, however, as Stalkers can crawl at an unusually quick pace compared to other Necromorphs, such as the Puker.
If you run out of Stasis, remember that Stalkers are weak in turning corners. Wait until they get close and then go around a corner. Doing this will slow the Stalker in place, and you can easily dismember it. Beware of other Stalkers in the room.
An upgraded Line Gun beam can kill a Stalker when aimed the head or neck in 1-2 shots, even on higher difficulties.
Resist the urge to stomp a downed Stalker. They can easily stun you or knock you down and do severe damage before you finally manage to get a stomp in, and even then it may not finish them off.
Make sure to step aside if you're being charged at, getting knocked down will leave you open. Being knocked down may leave you open to other charging Stalkers, which could result in you being knocked down until you die.
The Hydrazine Torch Flamethrower also is effective in dispatching them. A well-timed blast of flame will burn a Stalker.
Heavy use of Kinesis is especially recommended here because Stalker claws are useful in saving ammunition for later, as firing them at Stalkers tends to kill them in one hit (if not stun them). That, and Stalker encounters tend to have items scattered about that you could throw at them such as pikes, Stasis canisters, and even Exploder sacs (providing you've killed the Exploders first). The most notable weapons to use are dead Stalker Claws, once one is dead, others will often charge immediately. The strategy is impale, quick kinesis on the dead stalker to grab a fresh claw, repeat.
An unupgraded Contact Beam can kill a charging Stalker in one hit, so it can be useful if you are out of stasis. However, keep in mind that the Contact beam takes a second to charge, so you may want to keep it charged and wait for them to strike if you are going to use it.
It seems that in Dead Space 3, Stalkers have become more agressive, charging out much more often than in Dead Space 2. It also seems that, in regards to hiding from aim, they have become more sluggish, as it is easier to nail a shot at a Stalker peeking around corners since it doesn't immediately retreat behind cover when aimed at. With a powerful Seeker Rifle, a shot can easily be made to kill the peeking Stalker.
In both Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3, the stalker is the only enemy who can interupt the Contact Beam's secondary fire, rendering it useless as they often will knock you over before you can fire.
Having a powerful knockback weapon against Stalkers is very effective, as at close range it will more than likely immediately knock down the Stalker mid-charge, making for an easy kill.
In Dead Space 3, reloading while Stalkers are active around you will often cause one of them to begin a charge.  This can be used offensively; fire one bullet, begin the reload, then Stasis and kill the Stalker that attacks you as a result. Be careful if you choose to do this method, however; shooting 1 round of ammo for that weapon and then reloading will always use up 1 unit of Universal Ammunition, possibly 2 if the weapon clip capacity is below 4.
In Dead Space 3, while the Stalker peeks around its cover at the player, if the player aims their weapon at the Stalker it is likely to charge within a few seconds of 'being spotted' regardless of the distance between the player and Stalker.