Month: December 2014

Destiny for PS4

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PS4Leave a comment

character

Video games have changed so much since I started playing way back in 1982. Destiny was the choice that I made when I got my PlayStation 4 for Christmas. I had 1 choice of 4 and I chose this one. I regretted that decision because I absolutely hate shooter games. I really wanted Little Big Planet 3, but I have Little Big Planet on my PSP and I was afraid it would just be the same old stuff, but on a larger screen and with a 3 at the end. I was mainly afraid I would get bored with it and never play it again, much like the PSP version.

The first time I played Destiny, it was a bit overwhelming because all of a sudden I’m having to learn how to kill aliens who are trying to kill me with guns. I have some of the Star Wars games that are similar, but not really like Destiny. I was walking around going in the direction I was told to according to the circle in the top left of the screen and shooting anything that was in range. I would hit L2 to aim and R2 to shoot and R1 to use some kind of magic power to push them away from me, which sometimes kills them. After dying several times I gave up and turned the game off and I just decided to play Minecraft instead.

I always give things a second chance. I decided to give Destiny another chance, mainly because I can’t sulk forever that I made the wrong decision when choosing which game I wanted with my PS4. The decision was made and I can’t go back, so suck it up buttercup and play the damn game! So that’s what I did. I had to start all the way over from the very beginning and I actually finished the level and left on a space ship and I was laughing because I couldn’t believe I actually lived through all of that mess. Finally it put me in a social base where I can relax, buy things, and use a vault to store things and not worry about getting killed.

I did my 2nd mission and could not believe I made it out alive. I was supposed to enter a certain section, and it told me that if I died, I would have to start over. I don’t know if it meant all the way at the beginning, or back to the social base. Either way, I had like an army trying to kill me, and I was alone and had to keep changing the clip on my gun. I had shelter where I would be safe, but occasionally they would run in front of me trying to murder me, and I would use the force field to push them away, which sometimes killed them. Other times I used a grenade that I had earned and that would damage and kill some of them. I was in so much shock when I finished that quest with my life and was able to continue to the base.

So my character is level 3 and all I have to do is keep going back to Russia to do whatever quest is next so can I can earn whatever it is they give you. It’s basically the same thing, different day, right? But, at least I don’t hate it and I haven’t gotten bored… yet… I’m even  considering buying the $20 expansion pack, but I’ll wait for a PSN sale.

So I’m no longer mad at myself for choosing the wrong game. I would eventually like to get Little Big Planet 3, but at $60 it ain’t happenin’. Sorry, no can do at that price. I’ll just keep downloading the free games from my PSN membership and buy games that I can afford because PSN gives them a HUGE discount. I saved big bucks on the Walking Dead games. They are normally $25 each, but they were on flash sale this week for $6.25 each. I haven’t had a lot of luck with the first game, but I’ll figure it out. It’s off my list, and that’s all that I wanted. I’m just hoping more games on my list are either free or have a huge discount.

So… back to gaming!

Minecraft Maps

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PS4Leave a comment

Minecraft maps

Last night I was searching the web for ways of getting the map to my world, but of course I couldn’t find any help since Minecraft for Playstation 4 seems to be a new thing. I figured the best way I am going to do this is to just do it, like make a map, then just go travel the world and keep an eye on where I am on the map so I can find my way back home.

When you first start playing Minecraft, you get a map in your inventory automatically. Unfortunately for me that disappeared the first time I died and couldn’t find my body to retrieve my inventory. One doesn’t appreciate something as simple as a map when one gets lost and has no way to find their home.

The only way I am able to even do this is to have my game in peaceful mode. If I had zombies and skeletons trying to kill me left and right, I wouldn’t have a chance in hell. I find it easier to build my life (house, armor and weapons) first, then bring in the bad guys to give me some fun. I don’t even think I can mine as long as there are bad guys trying to eat me at every turn. I’d get so lost in the tunnels trying to get away from them that I would never find my way out. It’s bad enough that sometimes I get lost down there, I can’t imagine there being some other threat. So as long as I am in peaceful mode, hopefully I will be able to map out the world and eventually find all of my old belongings.

The map on the far right was the first map that I made, then as the arrow on the map turned into a circle, I brought out my crafting table to make another map, which is the middle map. I went all the way across to the left of the map, then up, then when I was at the top and was already in another map zone, I decided to make another map, but didn’t go far because I didn’t want to really get lost lol. I finished the map in the middle and then went back to my home.

I find it nice if the maps are hanging on the wall. They are easier to find when they are hanging on a wall than if I put them in a chest and don’t really know which map is which. When I take them out to go exploring, I put them in my inventory in the order they are on the wall, that way I know where I am going.

There are 3 maps so far, but how many are there going to be going east to west? I’m only working on the west and east for now, but eventually I will have to work my way south and then north. I wonder how exhausting it’s going to be to constantly be running around the planet trying to locate my lost home lol. Is it even worth it? My old belongings have long been upgraded, so it’s really not even worth the hassle, but it would bring closure. It would also be nice to have the maps so that if I ever decided I wanted to visit a certain place, or explore, then at least I’d have maps to help me return home.

Yeah, that’s what I will do. Just forget about my old home because my new home is so much better and everything I have is better. Sometimes it’s just a good idea to leave the old stuff from the past and just focus on what I have now and look forward to how much more awesome it will be in the future.

Lost in Minecraft

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PS4Leave a comment

So here’s the thing. Yesterday I went exploring, and I saw something interesting, so I went to have a closer look. I saw what was beyond that, so I went in for another closer look, and next thing I know I can’t find my way back home. I ran all over Minecraft world for literally 2 hours trying to find home. I live right on the beach, so it’s not hard to find if I stay along the water, but I just could not find it. I built a boat and sailed because I thought it would be faster, but it wasn’t because I was still lost. I was riding in that boat all over the planet for another few hours and I just couldn’t find home. I decided that I would just build a new home, and this is it.

The house I built on the beach was originally made with sand and a dirt roof with a wood fence around the property. Then I decided to build it with wood and I added some windows and I built a stone fence. This new house is all stone with a wood door and windows. I haven’t built a fence around the property yet, but I will. I’m in peaceful mode right now, so there isn’t a danger of being attacked, but as soon as I get comfortable and go back into survival mode, all bets are off.

Here is my view from the inside of the house. I can still see the ocean. I don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere, I like to be on the beach because, well, hello, beach front property! Also, it’s easier to find.

If I ever decide to go exploring and I find my old home, I will just dismantle it for the materials and for all the items I left in the chests, which is a lot since they were both full. I had built 2 large chests, 1 for material like wood and stone and the other for food and other materials like sheep wool and cow hides etc. Thank goodness I’m wearing all the armor I made.

I had a thought last night that perhaps it would be a good idea to build train tracks leading away from my house so that if I ever did decide to explore, all I would have to look for is the train tracks and I would be able to find my home faster. Also, I could make train cars with chests to fill with materials that I foraged while I was on my adventure. That way if I were to be attacked and died, the materials would be safe on the train car.

So back to adventuring!

Minecraft for PlayStation 4

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PS4Leave a comment

Minecraft

It took me a long time to get on the Minecraft bandwagon because it never really interested me. I knew it was available for the PC, but it reminded me too much of the pixelated games from the beginning of games and I just didn’t want to go back. But when my partner bought me a PlayStation 4 for Christmas this year, then bought me Minecraft, I had to give it a try.

After dying about a trillion times from zombies, spiders and skeletons, oh and the occasional fall off a cliff, I finally figured out how to play without dying. First off, look down when going down a mountain lol. Second, when you are first starting out with nothing, dig into the ground or the side of a mountain and hang onto the dirt, because as soon as the sun goes down, you will need to use that dirt to bury yourself so the bad guys can’t kill you. When the sun goes up, dig yourself out and go kill some sheep and chop down some trees. Build a workbench and then build a bed. Once you have the bed, you can literally sleep on it out in the open and you won’t die. As soon as you see the sun going down, hit the bed and go to sleep and wake up and start hunting, digging, chopping and killing lol.

house from a distanceinside my house

This is where I built my house. I built up the walls with sand first, then the more trees I chopped down, I was able to build a fence which I put all the way around the island with a gate. Nothing can jump over the fence, not even me, so that works out great. I put the sand walls up against the fence to ensure nothing bothers me. I also dug really deep on the beach so I had a high ceiling. I also have a + shape on the ceiling/roof so I can see if the sun is up or if it is dark outside. Although, now that I have a bed it doesn’t matter.

I have 2 beds, one in my little sand castle and one in my inventory for those times I stray a little too far from home looking for resources. That way if I cannot sprint home fast enough, I can just place the bed down where I am and go to bed and wake up with a whole new day, which is what, 10 minutes? LOL!

Anyway, I’m still a beginner, or as some may say a HUGE NOOB! All I can say is this is very addicting and I look forward to the giant castle I will eventually build.

I bought 1 pack, it’s the holiday pack which allows me to change my look so I can look either like Santa, a snowman, an elf or whatever. Right now I’m a snowman lol. It’s fun, but it really doesn’t do anything for me. I will eventually buy some other packs that will change the look of some things in the game, assuming that that is what they do. I don’t know, I just know that I am having a really fun time with this game.

PlayStation 4

On By Michel McDonaldIn GamesLeave a comment

Yesterday was a complete shock to me. My partner came in the bedroom as I was browsing my Amazon PS3 wish list to see if the price of the Lego Batman and Sly Copter bundle I wanted was still at $259 or if it had gone up or down. It was at $289. I didn’t expect him to say let’s go buy you a PlayStation.

I begged him not to do it because I honestly didn’t want him to spend that kind of money on me. I mean, it is a lot of money, why should he buy it? What have I done to deserve such a generous man in my life?

I told him that to be able to get the exact bundle I wanted, we would have to do research to make sure the store we go to has it so we don’t waste gas driving all over Bakersfield looking for something that doesn’t exist. He called GameStop and Best Buy and Best Buy had it, but Game Stop didn’t. I mean, 1 location did, but that was very far away from the house.

While we were driving to Best Buy, my partner told me that it doesn’t do you any good to buy the previous model just because it’s cheaper and because it connects with your PSP. In a year when they come out with the PS5, they will probably stop selling the PS3 games and you won’t be able to buy new games. I don’t know if that will happen, but it is a good point, and originally I wanted the PS4, but decided on the PS3 because of the price and the fact that it connects to my PSP. But I would have liked the PS4 instead, so that’s what he bought me.

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The PS4 that I got wasn’t a specific bundle. They had 4 games on the box, and I assumed I got all 4 games, but it said 4 games pick one. I couldn’t decide because I don’t normally play the games they offered. The choices were Destiny, FarCry 4, NBA2K14 and Little Big Planet 3. I don’t mind Little Big Planet, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t really get into it, meaning I’d probably fall asleep. I asked a gaymer Facebook group I am in and they couldn’t give me a straight answer, and it wasn’t just because they were all gay gamers lol. Some said Destiny, some said Far Cry 4 and some said Little Big Planet. I watched some gameplay videos on YouTube before I asked for Destiny and Far Cry 4 and they both seemed to be the same style of game, shooter, which I don’t really care for, but I decided on Destiny because it’s like a future space game, which I love.

I was looking at the PlayStation store and found Lego The Hobbit and saw that it was only $39.95. Well, I already had $9 in my PlayStation wallet and they gave me $10 in the box, so it only cost me $20 out-of-pocket. I also bought 2 add-ons and 2 bundles for $1.99 each.

The final game that I got was DC Universe Online. I have played that game on my PC and loved it, so I knew I would love it on my PS4. I actually love it more on my PS4 because of the game controller as opposed to using my mouse and keyboard to play. I created a “flash” type of character and was zipping around the game so fast.

So I finally have my game console, and I am so happy that it is a new one instead of an old one. I love it and I will have fun with it.

Games I am hoping to play on this is the new EverQuest Landmark and the new King’s Quest when that comes out. I read that EQ would be coming to PS4 in 2015 and I also read that King’s Quest is coming back and I saw some of the graphics and they look amazing. I’m not sure if KQ will be computer only or if it will be computer and console, I want to buy it either way.

I have a PS4 Wish List on Amazon with some games I would love to buy and some hardware like a camera. I hope to be able to buy the camera soon so I can use it for exercise.

‘Tis the Season

On By Michel McDonaldIn ChristmasLeave a comment

christmas coupon

Every month I try to make a coupon for my Etsy shop to give people a reason to buy my craft items, on top of my already low prices. I am always adding new items, like this month I am creating packs of 4 pairs of studs for $8. I currently have several of those already listed and more to come. Of course I still have the single pair of studs with your choice of color 1 and color 2 for the new low price of $2 a pair.

My Etsy shop items make great stockings stuffers. The friendship bracelets are a nice gift to give to someone, the studs are super cute, if I do say so myself. I wear mine every day. The coasters are adorable and they last for years. I am still using the same coasters I made more than 10 years ago. My keychains are a nice addition to your keys. They help you identify which key ring has which keys.

I am still in the stage where my sales have not paid for my materials, so it would be awesome if people would buy my stuff so I can make a profit so I can buy Christmas presents this month. I don’t want to have to just give away my craft items, I would love to be able to pay off my credit card so I can buy presents. So you buying something to give as a gift, or keep for yourself, helps me give gifts and pay for my materials. It’s a win-win situation.

PlayStation 3 for Christmas

On By Michel McDonaldIn Christmas, Games, TechLeave a comment

ps3 hobbit

I had my heart set on getting a brand new PlayStation 4 for Christmas, then my heart was broken at the realization that it just wasn’t realistic for me to buy with no money and not enough credit. I considered a PlayStation 3, but figured why go backwards? I know they still make/sell games for PS3, but it’s an older model and the newer one has way better graphics. For example, I watched a video that compared the graphics from the same game with PS3 and PS4. The rocks were flat in the PS3, but they were round and bumpy in PS4. But you know what? I’m not that freaking spoiled lol.

What made me decide that perhaps a PS3 is a better idea? The very fact that I was going through the PlayStation store looking for games for my PSP and realized that some of the games that I have already bought are also playable on the PS3. Not all, but some. The PS4 and the PS Vita are basically mates, so that means MY PSP and the PS3 would be mates, and that makes much more sense to buy a PS3. I mean, I don’t have any plans on upgrading to a PS Vita any time in the near present or future, so why buy a PS4 that my games won’t even work on?

The PlayStation 3 on Amazon bundled with The Hobbit is $280.00 with free shipping. I currently have $197 on my credit card, so I have $303 credit available. I am working on a $150 order on Etsy, so if that works out and I get that money, I will use that towards my credit card, plus I will add another $47 and then I will have $500 credit available. So why not then charge this PS3 bundle? Of course, by the time I get that $150, who knows if the price will still be the same. It might be higher, it might be lower, who knows. I don’t want to charge it until it is a done deal.

Another bonus of buying the PlayStation 3 is that they have a bigger selection and the games are cheaper because they are for the older system. I removed all of the games from my PS4 wish list and changed it to PS3 and added PS3 games.

So, my hopes are back up that I will get a brand spanking new PlayStation 3 system bundled with Lego Hobbit and 500GB storage. That would be so awesome! Keeping my eyes crossed!

Doggy Loot

On By Michel McDonaldIn AdLeave a comment

doggyloot 300

We all love our animals, and we only want the best for them, but it’s quite expensive, isn’t it? Yes, I know from experience. I went to the pet store when we got our dog Flower, and it was way too expensive. That’s why if I can find a coupon, or if I see a good deal, I’m going to take whatever I can get to save some money.

Click the image above to go to DoggyLoot.com and sign up and check out what they have to offer, and check out their Facebook page too.

No PS4 for Christmas

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, Jewelry, Products I Like, PSP, TechLeave a comment

PS4

Well, I am a bit sad and disappointed tonight. My dream of getting a PlayStation 4 for Christmas has been squashed. It’s at its lowest price, $399 with FREE shipping on Amazon for Black Friday, but unfortunately, there is no money for it. I highly doubt it will be this cheap for the rest of the month, but it wouldn’t matter anyway because we just don’t have the money for it. I was considering putting it on my credit card, but I don’t want to end up having to pay for the interest. The credit card that I have doesn’t charge interest for 3 months. I could pay $100 off every month, but as it is I already have $200 charged and my limit is only $500. It was a nice dream, but it will have to be put on hold for another time. Perhaps next Christmas.

black friday couponIf for some reason people feel like buying some of my jewelry and/or keychains in My Etsy Shop, then perhaps I might be able to buy it. I have a coupon code for Black Friday for 35% off which is TGIBlackFriday with a minimum purchase of $10. I will have a new holiday coupon available soon.

I have some really good quality items and they are not too expensive. Everything I make is made with love and most everything is custom-made, so it is made however you want it to be made. Think of me as the crafter version of Burger King. Have it YOUR way! It’s not made until you order it, unless it’s already made, and in that case it will be easier for me.

So help a fellow gamer out. All of my shop items make great stocking stuffers, and there is something for everyone. My stud earrings are plastic, so anyone can wear them because plastic is hypoallergenic. My hook earrings (dangle or hoops) are surgical steel hypoallergenic. I’ve tested them out on myself to make absolutely 100% sure they are safe for everyone. I have really bad metal allergies, so if it doesn’t make me break out, then I feel comfortable selling them.

So for now, I will just continue playing with my PSP games. There are still a few I want to buy. I have my PSP Wish List on Amazon and I found out that the digital download versions are cheaper, and I don’t even have to wait for them. For anyone wondering, if I have a PSP, why would I want a PS4? Well, the PSP is nice for playing with on the bicycle trainer and for trips, but I would also love to play the games on my TV. I’ve never owned a TV console. I mean, I had an Atari 2600 in my bedroom when I was 13 in 1983, but that technically was a loan from my parents, and I didn’t have it for very long. I would love to have my very own TV console gaming system to play games in higher definition and to be able to play games with other people. I don’t need it, it’s just something that I wanted because it’s a cool thing.