Tips and Pro Tips make all the difference

Obvious Tips

What to Wear

My recommendations - Comfortable shoes (Don't come in toe shoes, you will just look out of place) - Button up shirt (preferably a light color because it is usually very warm) - Optional tie ​- Nice pair of Jeans/slacks  - Sunglasses (LA is very bright and there is very little shade outside the convention center) ​

Dress for success!

What to Bring with You

Backpack

Cuscus Single Strap Backpack.

You definitely don't want to show up to E3 without a bag. Chances are, you are going to end up with a bunch of stuff you can't carry.  ​   The first few years I brought a standard Jansport, which had a lot of space, but it dug into my shoulders during the long walks/waits. I tried a messenger bag, but that too became uncomfortable.    For the last for years I have been using a single strap backpack. It has enough space for my stuff/swag, while being comfortable enough for a long day's walk. I highly recommend looking into getting one of these bags. ​

An excellent option for a single strap backpack is the KP Sling Bag, The KP sling bag is sleek and stylish, easily meeting the needs of a business casual scenario such as a convention or business lunch. ​  The KP sling bag is water resistant and features and padded interior great for tablets and other electronic devices. It also has a hidden compartment, great for your wallet/passport.    Unlike most single strap backpacks, the KP sling bag can be worn on either shoulder. A fantastic feature for long days at the convention center or traveling around town.

KP Sling Bag.

Snacks 

You are going to want to bring water. A refillable thermos/bottle or a couple of plastic water bottles would be a good idea.If you run out, there are a couple of water fountains around the main halls where you can always refill. If water is not your thing, a sports drinks work too.  You are definitely going to be offered energy drinks while you're attending E3. I am kind of against them, since they will just make your thirstier and possible jittery. I wouldn't pack any to be honest. Too expensive and water does the trick for me. ​

Refillable plastic water bottle.

Business Cards

Business cards in a steel carrying case.

If this is your first E3 I can't stress how important business cards are. If you are an up and coming youtuber/streamer or a freelance game developer, a business card is essential. I would recommend carrying your business cards inside of a steel card case that will keep them safe and allow for easy distribution.   You are going to need to carry more then ten cards with you on any given day. Be sure to keep your spare cards inside of your backpack/purse etc. If you are wondering how many cards you should get printed, I would estimate that 200 would be more then enough for all three days and after parties. Make sure to get them printed a couple weeks in advanced. You don't want to have to pay for rush delivery/printing.  ​

Know the Halls

Figure out Where to Eat In Advance

E3 2010 - Promotional Bulletstorm lunch truck giving out free hamburgers.

"What am I going to eat?"

Protips

Networking

On the Show Floor    Waiting in line is a great time to network. Think of it this way, you and the people in line already have a lot in common.    All you have to do is start up a casual conversation. If the person is down to have a friendly chat, chat away!    What are you to talk about? - The demo you're waiting in line for  - What game/etc are most excited for? - What do they do in the industry (animator/designer etc)?  - ETC    When you are about to part ways make sure to seal the deal and hand them your business card. ​

Gamedev Drinkup at the Golden Gopher (E3 2014)

At an After Party 

Get Connected!

The MIX - Media Indie Exhcange (2015)

SWAG: Dos and Don't 

Avoid the large convention bags!

DO: Keep An Eye out for Hot Ticket Items

E3 exclusive patch from Alien: Isolation.

Hot Ticket Items - Art books and Art Prints - Collectible Figurines -Plushies - Patches/Pins and Coins ​- USB drives    Of course there are a plethora of shirts, magnets, lanyards and novelty items. I still have a can of Overcharge (the energy drink from Sunset Overdrive) somewhere in my room.

(Please) DON'T: Be a SWAG Hog or a Whiner

Not All Lines Are Equal

Line to Enter the south hall. Photograph provided by Jeremy Lobdell.

Lyft/Uber 

First time customers to Uber get a free ride (up to $22) if they use the promo code FEELING22. Uber has also maintained a presence at E3.

Sign up to Lyft with this link and get $50 in credit added to your account! I would also suggest using lyft line as a great way to get from your hotel to the convention center for cheap.

Get Your Coupons Ready

As a promotion one year, you got to ride in an armored car if you signed up with Uber at E3.

Know Your Route: Public Transportation

Public Transportation Routes

Selfie Stick (For the Youtuber/Blogger on a budget) 

Trying to record freehand vs using a selfie stick.

Portable Charger

Jackery phone charger.

One thing you might want to look into it is a portable phone charger. You are going to be using your phone a ton. Taking pictures, making calls, texting, networking etc. Your battery is going to die. I've seen it happen every single year. ​   Sure, they've added some phone charging stations, but did you bring your charger? Do you have time to wait your turn to charge your phone? The answer is no, you want to be on the show floor, playing games, meeting people and enjoying your E3 experience!

Use this Shortcut!

See You at the Show!

Social Media.

Up Your Arsenal 

COG Hammerburst - Hammerburst Mk. III

Breakdown

Battle Ready

Feudal Warfare

Factions and Characters Classes

Knights Of The High Chair

​Sword and Shield Knight - The most well rounded character on the Knight's team. Easy for a beginner to pick up and learn. Sword and shield knight has good offensive and defensive capabilities.    weapon upgrade: Claymore sword. Speed is reduced but deals more damage and increased range. His defense also increase slightly while blocking. Stats Defense: 7/10 Attack: 7.5 /10 Speed: 7/10

Mace Knight - This night is clad is heavy armor and is the slowest of the knights. Equipped with mace deals a lot of damage and shatters defenses. Mace Knight swings at a slower rate when compared to the other knights. weapon upgrade: Giant mace that has a wide arc when swung. The giant mace can shatter a player's defense in a single swing. These attacks deal massive damage when they connect but can be easily dodged.  Stats Defense: 8.5/10 Attack: 9 /10 Speed: 6/10

​Archer -  The archer specializes in ranged attacks and speed. The archer also has the highest jump of all the knights and can double jump.    weapon upgrade: Crossbow that fires powerful arrows. The crossbow has a slower rate of fire but it deals more damage against defense. Stats Defense: 7/10 Attack: 7.5/10 Speed: 9/10

​Spear Knight - The spear knight has a good combination of quick ranged attacks and speed at a cost of armor. He can charge his attacks for more damage but these attacks will leave the knight vulnerable.    weapon upgrade: A lance that has increased range allowing him to reach enemies that would normally be out of reach. The lance isn't much stronger than his spear but it does slightly boosts defensive properties.  Stats Defense: 6.5/10 Attack: 8/10 Speed: 8.5/10

Ninjas of The Unagi Clan

Sword Ninja - The sword ninja is the most well rounded ninja. Quick  with good defensive capabilities.    weapon upgrade:  Short sword.  With the second sword, this ninja is now capable of attacking faster with not speed or jumping penalty. ​​ Stats Defense: 7/10 Attack: 7.5/10 Speed: 8/10

​Sickle Ninja - The sickle ninja specializes in quick close ranged attacks. However their ranged attacks are fairly weak. They have good overall speed and in a skilled players hands can be very powerful.  ​ ​weapon upgrade:  A chain is attached in between the sickles allowing for more range and faster swings. The charge attack becomes a long range grapple that can drag an opponent or items toward the player. Stats Defense: 6.5/10 Attack: 8/10 Speed: 8.5/10

​Longbow Ninja Monk - This ninja specializes in long range attacks. The longbow takes more time to charge but can deal significant damage and can shatter an enemies defense with a fully charged attack.    weapon upgrade: Hankyu (a short bow). This allows for faster movement around the map and allows this ninja to fire multiple arrows at once. Stats Defense: 7.5/10 Attack: 8.5/10 Speed: 7.5/10

​Staff Ninja - The staff ninja does not have a lot of defense points but he can strike quickly and precisely. This ninja's power is limited, but specializes in great combinations of speed and range with a decent defense.    weapon upgrade:  Naginata that deals a good amount of damage and has a slightly longer reach when compared to the staff, however the Naginata's defense is lower. Stats Defense: 6/10 Attack: 7/10 Speed: 8.5/10

Heads Up Display (HUD)

Power-ups and Pickups 

​Weapon upgrade -  This power-up upgrades the players character with a more powerful version of their weapon. For example the sword and shield knight will receive a claymore and the staff ninja receives a naginata. This power ends after thirty seconds.

Power-ups

​Speed Boost - This power up doubles the speed of any character that uses it. The Speed boost ends after thirty seconds.

​Invincibility - This power up makes the player completely invincible to all and any attacks for 30 seconds. The player that picks up this power-up loses the ability to double jump as long as it is active. This power-up is immediately turned off if the player falls off the stage or goes out of bounds. Invincibility ends after thirty seconds.

Pick ups

Healing Elixir - Healing Elixir will restore the health of whomever manages to pick it up. The Elixir can come in a variety of sizes. A small glass bottle will restore 15% of health, the medium will restore 30% and the large bottle will restore 50%.

Bottle of healing elixir.

Golden Chalice - This Golden Chalic is filled with healing elixir that can be consumed continuously for up to 30 seconds before it runs out. While drinking this elixir the player can't attack, but they will restore 3% of their health with every second of elixir they drink.   If a player is hit while drinking from the chalice, they will drop it. This gives other players the chance to attempt to steal it from their opponent.    Once the chalice is empty, it can be used as a weak bludgeoning device or tossed as an ineffective projectile to damage your opponents. ​

Caltrops - These are a projectilele object that once thrown will automatically take root wherever they land. Players that walk over them will be slowed down and take some minor damage. They will remain planted in the ground for 20 seconds. Players can destroy them with a few simple strikes from their weapons.   It is advised to destroy them using ranged attacks to avoid coming in contact with them.

Magic Wand - The magic wand is a weapon that with every swing will launch a explosive sparkling projectile. The projectiles lose accuracy the further they fly.   Each swing will drain the magical power of the wand. Once the wand is drained of power the player will toss it aside.

Smoke Pellets - The player can toss these at enemies or the ground to cause a temporary burst of smoke that will conceal the affected area. The player that tossed the smoke pellet can see themselves highlighted in the smoke, giving themselves an opportunity to strike or flee.   If a player is hit directly with a smoke pellet their character will be momentarily stunned for a couple of seconds. The smoke pellet pick up gives the player three smoke pellets.

Oar - The oar is a medium damage weapon with great range. It can also strike multiple enemies at once. The standard attacks are slow but it can be charged up to deal more damage.   However, the oar will eventually snap with use, and charged up hits will snap it even quicker.

War Kite - This item allows the player to hover above the stage. The player that pilots the Kite can swoop down to attack their opponents or drop small bombs that take a while to detonate but have a decent sized blast radius.   The kite lasts until it is destroyed. If an opponent lands a charge attack, the player on the kite will be knocked off and the kite will be free for anyone to take.  When the kite spawns on the map, it will drift around. If No one picks it up, it will simply fly away.

Abilities and Attacks

Defend

More to come in part 2

Quake 3 in Halo 5

How to Download and Play "The Longest Yard"

Step 1: Follow dannylv100 on xbox live    On the Xbox dashboard, go to your friend list and select the search option. Type in Dannylv100 in the search box and when my profile pops up, add Dannylv100 as a friend. You are now following me.

Dannylv100 Xb1 profile.

Step 2: Find dannylv100 on your Halo 5 friends list

Step 3: Find Dannylv100's File Browser

Step 4: Download the Game Mode

Step 5: Host a Custom Game

Change MAP to The Longest Yard and Game Mode to FFA Q3A RULES.

Step 6: Play the Map

The Longest Yard - Images 

Tips for playing The Longest Yard

- There is very little cover, keep moving. - Use your thruster pack while you are airborne to adjust where you land. - Do not spartan charge into launch pads. This will slow you down and lead to your death. ​- The scattershot will make short work of enemies up close. Use your SMG to keep Fuel Rod Players at a distance. - Use the teleporters to move around the map faster and get behind enemies.

Game Mode - Rules and Settings

Power Weapons and Pick Ups

Show Me Your Moves!

More Accessibility ​

Improved Killcam

I know, some of you out there might be saying "But Danny, it is supposed to emulate the chaos of war!" True. The issue here is that this combination of giant maps and high player count can lead to a quick and confusing death. A death with little or no information to how or why you died.  ​    Oftentimes, I find myself dying and having no clue where the shots came from.  When I die, the camera might point in the general direction of where my attacker was but Often times it might just float around in no particular direction. ​

An example of the unhelpful Halo 5 kill cam. Notice how it points straight to the ground.

The Battlefield 4 kill cam gives the player useful information.

Pros of adding a Kill Cam similar to Battlefield 4

Add A Map 

In Gears of War 3, before every multiplayer game the player are shown a top down view of the map. On the map, all of the landmarks are clearly labeled.    Whenever the player dies, they have the option to look at the map. During the match the player can easily access it and depending on the game mode it will even display objectives, weapon locations and etc.

The map from Gears of War 3.

Give the player the option to look at the map during this intro before the game begins.

Warzone begins with a short video that introduces us to the map. This intro video is unskippable, so why not allow the player to hit a button and view a map that will tell inform them of bases and key landmarks?    However this shouldn't be the only time the map is accessible. During gameplay and in between spawns, players should be able to press a button that will quickly display the map with everything clearly visible.

Semi Related - Possible  Announcer Bug

Adjust Victory Point Distribution

One of the issues I have with the bosses in Warzone is how points are distributed. On several occasions my team and I have lost the game because the other team stole the kill.       To clarify, the way the points are distributed is not dependent on how much damage was done by either team, but simply by whomever lands the final hit.    Nothing is more frustrating then making a huge comeback only to have the other team pull ahead with a massive lead after they land the final hit on one of the final boss that you and your team were in the process of eliminating.  ​

From Left to Right: Legendary Boss (150 VP), Normal Boss (50 VP) and Enemy Player (1 VP).

Damage Perentage System

Back to Battle

I hopped into Warzone mode ready to unleash the fury that is a virtual bullet, only to discover that the DMR is a level 8 Requisition. If you are not familiar with Halo 5's Warzone mode, that meant I would have to put in a lot of work per game to even get to use that card, or that it wouldn't become available until late in the game, you know like in the final 4-5 mins before warzone is over. ​ ​   This isn't a post to complain or whine, it is to talk about something I didn't realize until I got this coveted unlock. I am here to talk about the UI and layout of the Requisition cards. I have a few suggestions that might spruce things up a bit, and make the cards more informative.   To the left, you will see what the DMR card looks like. Overall, there is no indication that it is intended for the Warzone mode, but even more blatant is the fact that you can't even tell what level the card is. You don't know until you are in the game.  ​

Weapon Select (Req Station) UI

In game layout.

To the left, you will see what the weapons tab currently looks like. All the weapons are on screen with the currently available weapons be highlighted.  The issues that I have here is that we do not know what level any of these weapons are. We can assume that all of these weapons are level 3 or less.

In the layout I came up with, we have weapons organized in a row. Level two and three are currently highlighted because as we can see in the top left, we have access to level 3 items. ​   You can also clearly see that the level 4 items are inaccessible as the Level 4 box is empty. With this setup you can see immediately what weapons are available to you and what their cost is.

Layout with my changes.

Requisition Card Layout

Weapon Cards

Vehicle Cards

Current vehicle card.

Vehicle card with my suggested updates.

Requisitions

E3 2014

I got the chance to spend a few days at E3 this year. I was only attended the first two days, and I didn't get a chance to look at everything, but I did get a chance on getting hands on with a few games.

Indie Dev Meet-Up

Indie Dev Meet-Up at the Golden Gopher.

What I am looking Forward to

Games I am Looking Forward to: - Alien: Isolation - No Man's Sky - Evolve - Cuphead - Mario Maker - Mass Effect 4 - Star Wars: Battlefront 3 - Night In The Woods - Titan Souls -Sunset Overdrive

Alien : Isolation - Demo    While inside the south hall I came across the demo for Alien: Isolation. I had been following this game for quite some time and I am a pretty big fan of the first two Alien films.    Alien: Isolation lived up to the hype. It was probably one of the first times I have ever played a demo at E3 and was convinced that the game was legit. If you get the chance to play the demo, do yourself and favor and do it.    The game lived up to my expectations and if the demo is indicative of what the full game is going to be, it is going to be great.    Shout out to the guys running the Isolation booth!

Open up the Vault!

Ellie: Buddy AI in The Last of Us by Max Dychoff

Creating Bioshock Infinite's Elizabeth by Shawn Robertson

Why Is Gone Home a Game? by Steve Gaynor

The Art of The Witness by Luis Antonio

#1ReasonToBe by

Anitchamber: An Overnight Success, Seven Years in the Making and Antichamber: Three Years of Hardcore Iteration by Alexander Bruce

SCALE and the Ethics of Kickstarter by Steve Swink