April 1st, 2013

Wow, so I finished writing over a hundred pages and plan to do blogs for the next seven days.  April…errr…Fools.  Yeah, not even remotely funny I know.  However, I have done a lot in the last roughly three weeks and actually have some things to talk about.  The good thing is I have been doing a great deal of reading and thinking and I’m certain that things need to start taking a turn for the better.  We should get going before all of this positivity runs right down my leg.  Ready kids?  Oh here is a tease, I have Wrestlemania XXIX predictions. 

 Skyrim

So, on the gaming front, I have been playing plenty of Skyrim.  I am actually up to almost 100 hours played and I am level 40.  Still have not touched the main quest all that much.  I have progressed significantly in Thieves Guild, spent way too much time building a home with Hearthfire, and even decided to go ahead and marry some random girl in the game and adopt a kid from Dawnstar.  Yeap, certified achievement whore, guilty.  My skills are also starting to peter out, Sneak is maxed, and archery is probably next.  If there is a target that is within range of my bow and I can get there without the target knowing they are probably one or two shoted (dragons not included).  But its become pretty sick when i have head, hands and ring gear all with archery bonuses (don’t forget archery perks too).  My one handed axe is nothing to sneeze at either.  As long as I’m not bum rushed by half a dozen mages at once, I don’t have much trouble at all.

Which might bring up the question, well why don’t you go and play through the main questline already?  I guess the traditional idea is that if I go through the main questline, then the game is kinda over.  If I keep playing miscellaneous quests or even do things like Thieves Guild or Companions, then I am just in a sense power leveling or screwing around (that’s probably more accurate).  I’m gaining plenty of achievements but I have to admit I really want to get to a place where I can blast through the main quests.

Another thing is that I tend to read, a lot about what to do and what not to do.  The game does have its glitches and therefore I do not like getting stuck because I should have simply done something else up front.  Needless to say, I save a lot.  Then I got a hold of the Hearthfire DLC pack and well its probably already worth the meager 200 points I paid for it.  The DLC pack was on sale this week and if you aren’t aware what it was, its basically a glorified build your own house pack.

One starts out earning their title to be Thane of one (or all if want three DYI houses) of the following cities, Dawnstar, Falkreach or Morthal.  Then upon receiving that title, you are asked if you would like to purchase a plot of land for 5000 gold.  Pay your money and away you go.  You’ll receive a mini-quest (misc objective) to visit your new place to build your house upon.  Once you get there, there are several work benches to start customizing your house.  There will be initial building supplies provided to you but then you will either need to comb Skyrim to find materials or at least recruit a Steward to take of the major ones like Lumber, Stone, Clay and so forth.

Then you build your house step by step, with the walls, foundation, support and so forth.  One even has to build the lock to the door.  Then once you get the frame together, you can either continue to build or construct items inside the home, or start building your various wings of your home.  A small budding house can be transferred into a huge manor.  It has plenty of customization as well since the wings can be made into everything from a Garden to an Enchanting Tower to a Trophy Room.  It’s fun to play with the customization and make the house into everything you could wish for in a fantasy game.

Along with the house, there is the share of situations that you might find yourself in. There can be skeevers in the cellar, maybe a few monsters decided to visit your house, that sort of thing.  I haven’t seen anything earth shattering and thankfully no dragons (though they like to pop up everywhere else, so I’m almost half expecting it).  My current house has one wing on it along with a guard (my house carl), my steward (my house carl from Riften), along with the wife (I picked Mjoll the Lioness) and a kid.  Oh by the way, I have a confession to make.

For those who are familiar with Mjoll the Lioness, she has a friend named Aerin who likes visiting every single darn day even to the point where many have dubbed him as the gay friend.  Seriously, you could be sleeping in your own bed with your wife and then when you wake and he is right frigging there, do do do do.  Yeah that annoyed me to no end.  I thought he might stop coming when I moved the crew from Riften to Dawnstar, but nope he’s still there.  So, yeah, I followed him out one day out from the house and about a mile out, I murdered the bastard.  I feel kinda bad now, but I figure in a few days of game passing, I’ll get over it.  He was just so bloody annoying.  I still have a saved game which is not much difference from my current saved game that I can revert to if I change my mind.

In other memorable news in the last three weeks, I gained a tremendous piece of armor called the Krosis mask.   In addition to the armor boost, it also increases archery, lockpicking and alchemy by 20%.  A truly worth piece of iron so to speak.  Krosis was actually quite difficult but thankfully I had my mage follower with me and he kept him quite busy while I eventually destroyed him with arrows.  The worst part was that he fell down a cliff (or rather floated down a cliff), so I had to carefully go down that same cliff while keeping cover and not get my ass beat.  Difficult, but insanely rewarding (and the Throw Voice shout was a good reward too).

 

Wrestlemania XXIX Predictions

Wrestlemania 29 is up this Sunday. There are plenty of predictions out there already I’m sure, but I figured I would add my two cents.  As of today, here are the matches with my predictions of who is going to win and maybe an attempt at guessing something extra.

Chris Jericho vs Fandango – Predicted winner: Fandango

Chris Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, top 10 for sure.  But Jericho tends to wrestle for several months around Wrestlemania and then disappear for 6 months when he goes on tour or appears on some reality television type thing (see Robot Combat League or Dancing with the Stars).  Therefore, I see Jericho taking the loss here.  Johnny Curtis aka Fandango (accentuate your Aaaaaa’s) has never even wrestled a match and starting out your WWE career with a loss on the biggest stage of them all is the last thing he wants to do.  Jericho is like Ric Flair at this point, he can afford to lose a match, even to Fandango and still come out smelling like a rose.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan/Kane) vs Dolph Ziggler/Big E Langston (Tag Team Championships on the line) – Predicted winner: Team Hell No

Team Hug it Out, I mean Hell No has been champions of the tag team division for over six months now and have looked great doing it.  While I think they are due for a split up, this is not the time and place.  Besides Ziggler is on the road to much better things being Mr. Money in the Bank.  Ziggler has until July to cash in that briefcase at a chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship.  Why waste time winning the Tag Belts at Mania if they are just going to become secondary in a few months if Ziggler wins the World Title?  Unless they are going to do nothing with that shot, which I doubt.  So Hell No should take this.

Ryback vs Mark Henry – Predicted winner: Ryback

This doesn’t even require much of an explanation and I am a huge Mark Henry supporter.  But Ryback is an up and comer and possibly a future WWE champ as well. The WWE is not going to derail this future megastar.  Henry will give him a great power match, but ultimately Shell Shocked (and some gasps from the crowd) will get Mr. Ryback a 3 count.

Wade Barrett vs the Miz (Intercontinental Championship on the Line) – Predicted winner: The Miz

Wade has been champion for a few months but I honestly believe that they might play with the idea of making him a viable World Championship contender again.  What better with the next Money in the Bank PPV in July?  But he has to drop the belt first and Miz has been on a hot streak.  So look for Miz to get the belt here thanks to his new submission finisher (Figure Four Leglock) and we will probably see a tearful embrace from Ric Flair who is almost guaranteed to be there (despite his recent loss of his son Reid).

Randy Orton, Sheamus, & the Big Show vs the Shield(Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) – Predicted winner: The Shield

Here comes one of my complicated predictions.  Most people know I am pretty high on the Shield, mostly thanks to Dean Ambrose who is seriously going places.  His charisma and the way he carries himself speaks volumes.  A future champion for sure.  However, the SuperFriends (Orton, Sheamus, and Big Show) stand in their way.  I just don’t see winning though, there is too much tension and this fake one for all, all for one bullshit is not going to last. Prediction, I see Orton going frustration mode (because they can’t work together) and RKOing his team and then leaving either Sheamus or Big Show to take the three count.  The Shield needs to keep running over the WWE for now anyways.

Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger (World Heavyweight Championship on the line) – Predicted winner: Alberto Del Rio

Tough one here.  Mainly because I can not figure out if they are serious about Swagger this time around or not.  Personally, I think they are building up Swagger just so he can be fodder for Del Rio who still needs to look like a World Title Holder and not a mid carder who got lucky over the Big Show.  The more important thing might be does Ziggler cash in the briefcase?  And I say no, not yet.  Del Rio gets a chance to shine at Wrestlemania and then possibly as soon as the following Monday Night Raw, Ziggler catches Alberto by surprise.  Let’s move on.

Triple H vs Brock Lesnar (No Holds Barred, Triple H’s Career on the Line) – Predicted winner: Triple H

Another tough one but I think Triple H is going to go out on his own time and not have a match where it looks like he has everything to lose (and then lose).  Hunter has to overcome adversity one last time.  Even though Brock would gain such a legacy from ending the career of somebody as historic as Triple H.  Even though Hunter is more content to be behind the scenes.  I still think that at the end of the day, Triple H has to score a pinfall over the monster Jimmy John’s eater.  But Brock won’t go away and he will probably be feuding with another big star very soon.

Undertaker vs CM Punk – Predicted winner: CM Punk

Yes, I am off my rocker.  I know, I know, it’s the damn streak.  But Undertaker has at most a couple of Wrestlemania’s left. I still think he has to pass the torch and the best guy arguably for it is without a doubt, CM Punk.  However, there has to be something monumental for the Punker to score the pinfall.  Yes, it’s personal with the whole Paul Bearer thing but I think they are building up the fact that Undertaker has too much emotion. I think there might be a technicality such as a DQ or no finish to setup up a possible rematch at Wrestlemania XXX.  Then CM Punk can get passed the torch properly.

The Rock vs John Cena (WWE Champion) – Predicted winner: John Cena

Then, we have the main event.  (Or one of the co-main events)  This is the other complicated prediction.  Look for Cena to grab the rematch (to set up the rubber match in Mania XXX).  But the finish will not come clean.  It won’t be Cena grabbing the match with a hard fought victory.  Okay, well maybe the first half hour will be fair but there will be something that Cena does a little underhanded that gets him his precious three count.  But the full heel turn won’t happen here (that’s reserved more for Orton in his match)…it is going to be heavily teased.  The important thing is the pinfall here for him, at any cost.  But even the kiddie fans will start to turn against him.

 

Final Thoughts

Needless to say, I stand a good chance to be wrong on many of my predictions.  But I at least hope I explained myself well enough for the readers to see the reasoning.  I unfortunately will not be buying Wrestlemania again this year and will be waiting for the Blu-Ray.  The WWE in their infinite lack of wisdom continues to raise the price of the pay-per-view to the point where unless you are in a group or rich, you are not shelling out the cash for this event.  Furthermore, I can usually pick up the blu-ray within 2 months of the event for around $20.  $70 or $20, hrmmmm.  Anyway, enjoy your games, enjoy wrestling (for those who watch), and enjoy life.  See you soon.