WARNING: Possible Spoiler to Featured Games Ahead

If you are a gamer, then this is most likely happening to you. One, you own one of the following games; Two, you received one of the following games as a gift; or three, you hold cash, and or, a Gift card with you and arte planning on buying on of the following games. These games are four of the top games for the Fourth Quarter of 2007; Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero 3, Halo 3, and The Orange Box. Though some may dispute them being the “top” of the list, you must agree they are the some of the most owned and most played of the quarter. In this report, there will be review for each of the games, and then it will show how they stack up against each other.

I will start by going over how this rating system works. First is the “Game Play” section. This is the storyline, levels, characters, weapons, and such of the selected category. Thus, there will be a separation of Single Player and Multi Player, due to them both being very different categories. However, they will be totaled and will make up the Game Play Score. Next, there is Graphic Look and Effects of the Game. This is everything from textures to water effects. It is important for the game to look good while you are playing it, therefore it also is scored in the reviews. Also Important to this review is the Sound Quality and Effects of the game. Everything from explosions to footstep sounds play a role in how the game sounds, and whether or not it sound real enough to receive a high rating. Control also plays a major role in the rating. This is everything from the control of the main character or character in multi player, to control of objects in the game. (Doors, Ladders, Switches, Moving Objects, ect.)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developer: Infinity Ward

Publisher: Activision

Consoles: PC, Xbox 306, Play Station 3

Game play: 9/10

– Single Player: 4/5

– Multi Player:  5/5

Graphics: 9.5/10

Sound: 9/10

Control: 9/10

I do not even know exactly what to say about this game, except one thing … Wow. I was a little skeptic when I heard that Infinity ward was taking their World War Two Shooter License, and shoving it into Modern War. I expected a rip-off of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, but you cannot imagine how much I was wrong. It is a nice break from the previous games of the series.

Lets Start with Game play, and keep it simple. The Single Player Campaign is everything you want in an award winning game, but is a little short. The Story line is excellent, and has a few twists to mix up the game play a little. You still have you everyday levels though; foot solider, car, ect. However, they added some more to it, my personal favorite is the AC-130 level. Even with how short it is, the excellent design of it makes up the points lost by its length. Now for the multi-player, two words describe it … Kick Ass. With major changes in the classes systems, and having the ability to create your own class, it adds a level of customization to the game. Player Perks, Weapon Modifications, and the number of weapons available keep it so that you can create your perfect solider. However, you still have you basic game modes; some are reworked into modes that are better than the average game. Territories is reworked into Domination, where you have three flags that you need to try to control, it labels each with a letter, allowing better communication between teams on where to go to get the enemy. In addition, the added in game rewards of UAV Scan, Air Strike, and Helicopter support is a much welcome addition. The Multi-Player is worked almost too well, just kidding it rocks, it surpasses all the previous Call of duty games in Game play, and is definitely a contender for Game of the Year.

Graphics wise, Call of Duty has always had great graphics, maybe not the best graphics you have ever seen, but still great graphics. The Character Models are greatly textured, along with Terrain, but it always seems as through they put much more detail into the weapons and a little less into everything else. Maybe that is just my opinion, but still the graphics still are great. There really is not much to say here without tying in another category, Sound Quality. The Sound Effects go hand in hand with the graphics, the weapons fire and look just as if they were the real thing. The explosions and other visual effects have top-notch sound effect to go with them. These are both pushed to their breaking point during the last level as the US Marine. However, the graphics are not the best, the sound makes up the lost points.

On the control end of the game, everything just goes right. The controls have not changed much from previous installments of Call of Duty, but still manage to do it better. The keeping o the fast passed “throw back grenade” action is a welcome idea, along with the “snap the Dog’s Neck” action on levels with hostile dogs. Remember, though that may seem wrong to do that to the animal, if you don’t they kill you. Air strikes are called in by use of the in game map, and selecting where it is that you want the strike. The game even alerts you if you are too close to the strike so that you can sprint out of the zone. Perks can modify controls though, adding addition speed, agility, or the ability to have a “Last Stand” with your pistol after you get shot. Thus, there is not much to say about the control aspect of the game, except that it holds very well.

Overall, the game has definitely secured its place as a game of the year nominee on any award show, site, or magazine. I personally give it a Thirty-Six point Five out of Forty, a very high score. This game definitely does not disappoint, and excels the previous games of the series.

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

Developer: Neversoft

Publisher: Activision

Consoles: PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Nintendo Wii

Game play: 9/10

– Single Player: 5/5

– Multi Player:  5/5

Graphics: 7/10

Sound: 10/10

Control: 10/10

There is not much to say about this game. It is one of the greatest, if the top, seller for the Holiday Season of 2007, and for good reason. Though much hasn’t changed in this game since the last version, it still deserves a full review, so here it is.

On the game play section, not much has changed from the previous versions (Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero 2, and Guitar Hero: Rock the 80s). Yet this game feels like it has been fine toned a little more. The Controls feel a little looser, but tighter as you play. It just works well for what the game is trying to get across. You again, as with previous versions, have the option of playing the game with the Guitar controller of the Regular Xbox 360 Controller. This adds to the fun and complication that makes the game worth playing for hours on end. Though, I cannot completely agree with the selection in songs, for I feel a few songs could have been switched off for a better song by that artist, but for the most part the songs are excellent. The Single player and Multi-Player go hand and hand in game play, with one exception. I personally do not believe that the Single-Player Campaign is long enough. I beat it in about 6 hours of game play, it is a good campaign but it needs to be just a little longer. The Multi-Player aspect is fine-tuned with battle mode and co-op play, adding hours to the Xbox Live games you will play. Also, a nice feature is that there are, and will be more, songs added to the game through Xbox Live; some of which, some of the one currently available, do not cost any Microsoft Points. It is a Welcome addition.

As far as graphics, well it scored low on that area. The game’s emphasis was never the Graphics, it was the music and game play. I feel it lacks a little on the side of graphical quality, and should be improved in the next games. This could be done by adding anything from more effects in game, more realistic effects, or even more movement from the characters; the seem a little stiff during game play. The sound excels at what it is, because of the selection of music. There is no description necessary for it; all the greatest Rock bands are here, old and new. The quality is amazing, all the songs are in here in their Top Quality; either by the original artist, or if a copy of the song could not be obtained (as was the case for “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols), they were re-recorded for the game. The Control Aspect of the game is the difficulty area of it, for it varies from the controller and who is playing it. If you use the Guitar it is much different than playing it with just the regular Xbox 360 Controller. The Controls on the Guitar are tight, but powerful. They feel as they should for a guitar, but yet you can tell it is not a real one from the buttons. In Short, the controls are excellent, and do their job perfectly; though the whammy bar is a little weak, and is known to break.

Overall the game scores Thirty Six out of Forty, a very high score. You can tell while you play it why it is the most bought game of the Fourth Quarter. It is an excellent game, that is definitely worth a buy, that is if you want to put out One Hundred Dollars to get the game and Guitar Controller.

Halo 3

Developer: Bungie Studios

Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

Consoles: Xbox 360

 

Game play: 9/10

– Single Player: 4/5

– Multi Player:  5/5

Graphics: 10/10

Sound: 9/10

Control: 9/10

You have waited a long time for this, and as of November it is here. The Climactic Finally of the Critically Acclaimed Halo Trilogy.  The Question is, does it live up to all the Pre-Release Hype? Well, I am sure that there is one very simple answer to that. Hell Yes!

First off, the game play; the finally to a Fight you have waited to finish. The Covenant are at Earth, and they have the Ark, haul-ass and stop them or we all die. Simple, but effective. It makes for an excellent story, though I wish it was a little more detailed and a tiny bit longer. The Choice in locations is well planned, going back to where the previous installment (Halo 2) took place in Eastern Africa. Only this time, after the slip space rupture, the area is a wasteland. It adds to the feeling of the war, making you see how the planet was destroyed. Later on, you change location to other places and a Location that should seem all too familiar if you played the First Game. The Multi-Player Aspect of the game keeps everything Halo 2 had (Minus Coagulation, I mean really? They dumped my favorite map …) and builds on the fact of Dual Wielding, Melee, and all out Havoc. The Choice in Weapons, combos, and vehicles is amazing. The game even gives you “Forge”, the map-editing program that allows you to customize your maps to you likening, and allows you to use it online. The Only major problem with the online play is the number of Player on it, and their attitudes. However, that is not something Bungie could have avoided, so it shall not harm their score.

On the Graphical Side, there are no simple words to describe it. It boasts the greatest quality of the fourth quarter and deserves more points than are on this scoring system. There is nothing like it on the console. The effects are perfectly executed; smoke, blast, flame, its all here and in full force. The Graphics go hand in hand with the sound, which also is top notch. The sounds are beautifully recorded, placed, and used. They take you into the game, the battle, the whole war. They make you feel like you are actually there fighting off a Brute. Again, there is nothing like it on the Console, it is truly amazing. As far as control, it is basically the same as Halo 2, only reworked for the new controller. Everything moves smoothly and has a feel to it that make you know what it is for, and why its here. Every weapons acts as you think it should, fires how it needs to, and carries adequate ammunition. It has some of the best Control in any Xbox 360 game to date, which is good for it is also one of the most played games on Xbox Live at the current time.

Overall, the Game Receives a Thirty-Seven out of Forty, the Second Highest Score in this review. It is a definite buy for any gamer, and especially if you enjoy spending your entire life on Xbox Live. ((If you get the game, drop me a message on IRC and I’ll play you on live : p))

The Orange Box

Developer: Valve Corporation

Publisher: Valve Corporation

Consoles: PC, Xbox 360, Play Station 3

 

Game play: 9/10

– Single Player: 5/5

– Multi Player:  4/5

Graphics: 9.5/10

Sound: 10/10

Control: 9/10

This one is fresh in my mind, and believe me when I say that it is as good a deal as it sounds. Five games for the Price of one, what other package can you get something like that. Half-Life 2, and its Two Expansions; Episode 1 and 2, Portal, and Team Fortress Two are all included in the package. Though it is kind of cheating to rate Half-Life 2, seeing as it has won over forty game of the year awards. Therefore, I am not going to base the score off that, nor will I base the score with Episode 1, seeing as it also has  previously won awards and it would not be fair to rate the overall game package based it.

Half-Life Two Episode Two, on the other hand I plan to use in the rating. All I can say is that this game is Uber, yes I said Uber. It picks up directly following the events of Half-Life 2: Episode One and continues the journey that Episode One Takes. After Completing Episode Two, I can honestly say that the moment that Episode Three has a release date, I will definitely go out and pre order it. The Game not only continues the Half-Life 2 story, but it also explains parts of the storyline of Portal. It goes into further details about Aperture Science, what is going on with the Citadel, the Super Portal, and so many others it will make it seem as if you were actually there. It is amazing what they have done, though similar to Episode One it is very short. The Storyline is Epic, taking you deeper into every character and location you play in. The combat is intense and twisted as you journey through the lands far outside City 17.

Portal, somewhat of a mind game, is an interesting concept. Place a person is a small room with impossible obstacles and then hand them a gun that shoots two-way portals. Through the levels, the Challenges get tougher and longer. They begin to require more thinking as the levels go on, but so far this is the most “fun” game of The Orange Box. There really, at this time, is very little along the lines of a storyline, though some is explained during the final levels (along with Half-Life 2 Episode 2’s Final Levels). As far as a sequel, well … I am not sure how they could make it work, but it would be good idea for them to try. The Portal Technology of the gun being used by the game engine is some of the greatest parts of a game engine I have ever seen. However, it will not take very long to complete, for the game is a little short on the amount of levels.

Team Fortress 2, what can I say … I never played Team Fortress. I cannot compare this game to its previous version because of that. However, I can say that if the previous game had any bit of the genius used in this game it was almost certainly a great success. This is the only Multi-Player game in the Orange Box, so the Multi-Player aspect will be reviewed from this game. This game is … different, to say the least. It is a major change than what was previously shown for it. This is a game that was in Development Hell, as it had not been heard from in years it was listed as a game that was as dead as Duke Nukem: Forever. I cannot say I like the wait, I hate to see any game go into that stage, but what they have come out of it with, well that is up to you to decide whether it was worth the wait. Keep in mind that they took a more humorous approach to this game, and there is a lot of comedic parts added in it, as seen from some of the characters. The locations of the maps are solid locations, and so is the online play. It is a solid shooter that you will have fun playing on repeatedly. The Different classes available also add levels of use to the qualities they have. (Ex: Engineers can build Turrets, Dispensers, and Portals) The control is very similar to the system used in Half-Life 2, so it should not be much of a switch.

As Far as Graphical Quality, well this presents an issue. Half-Life 2, and its games, along with Portal used similar texture quality. They both give you a very real looking game, but Team Fortress 2 decided to go another way with their game. A major change in the game was its cartoonist graphics that add a level of humor and fun to the game. Nothing in lost from the graphics in either, it is just that they are very different looking. Overall, the graphics are some of the best in current games. On the other hand I have no trouble in the sound area of the game, they are both Top-Notch and deserve a rating that goes beyond the levels that I set for this review. The sound effects go hand in hand with the graphical effects and draw you into the game. Finally, there is the control of the player and the environment. If I even have to go into this for you to know it there is a problem. In the Half Life games, you have the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator, aka the gravity gun; in Portal, you have the Aperture Science Two-Way Portal Gun. There is no lack of control in this game. Everything from picking up and moving objects, to moving through portals to maneuver the environment.

Overall, the game scores Thirty-Seven point Five points out of forty, the highest score of this gaming review. It is definitely worth buying for any fans of the Half-Life series, Team Fortress, and Valve Products, along with your everyday gamer looking for the next best game.

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| The Orange Box     –              37.5 / 40 |

| Halo 3                    –              37    / 40 |

| Call of Duty 4        –              36.5 / 40 |

| Guitar Hero 3         –              36    / 40 |

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Reports from Corellia have shown an increasing amount of activity in an ‘up-and-coming’ human supremacy movement. More and more disgruntled members of society are actively speaking out against many of the non-humans that live within Corellian space. Those of us who were more self-aware of the ‘glorious’ empire in which we used to inhabit would remember the Humano-centrism and ‘Human High Culture’ which permeated much of Imperial society.

Here at the VE, it’s hard to imagine an upper class elitist system, where non-humans were segregated and even discriminated against. Iconified as the “Non-HuMan” or nHm classification, this purist attitude started to die out after the death of Emperor Palpatine in 4 ABY. However, a group of individuals calling themselves the “Human League” are apparently trying to re-live this ideology.

With Corellia still reeling from the Battle of Tralus, and with the entire sector suffering from a post-empire slump, disgruntled individuals serve as excellent recruits for this charismatic and extreme movement. Who better to blame than the aliens?

This new move is bizarre as it is unwelcome. ‘nHm’ classifications also included females and droids, but the “Human league” seems to be more lenient with the former. The League also holds a deep hatred for the growing “New Republic”, and the self-appointed ‘Jedi’ Luke Skywalker. People who have come into contact with the League have speculated that this group is trying to iconify everything they thought the Empire stood for, as they seem to hero-worship Palpatine and Vader.

This is not to say that this group is Imperial friendly. Ignoring the fact that the VE does not condone racism or xenophobia of any kind, since the Human League at the moment is comprised mainly of Corellians, the fanatic isolationism that most Corellians secretly harbour is a key point to the League’s manifesto.

We here at VE Today have decided to issue a general warning to all citizens that frequent Corellian space. The resident Imperial government is friendly with the VE, and have said they will try and protect any visitors, but please, if for no-ones sake but ours, please be careful.

We will keep and eye on this troubling movement, and keep you up-to-date with the latest happenings.

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Connector hoses, Jedi Communicators, Helmets. Most if these you can make in your own home with your everyday basic items. Prop building has always been part of making the magic on screen. Some props one would be amazed on what items are used to make what we see from the movies or what is used in them.

Take the Scout Trooper Helmet. One can easily buy a Rubies off the internet or in a costume store. However to make it look just like it came off from the set is another thing entirely. Take the below picture for example. This is what a rubies, normally looks like when one orders it from an on-line store.

        

Now the one above actually looked slightly worse when it came out of the box. It looked as if someone had sat on it during a hot day. Therefore it had to go into much needed work. One of the first things needed was to re-shape the helmet with a leather belt strapped around it and then re-heated to form it back to the shape wanted. Once that was done the next step was the “Snout”. The small black knob on the end had to be cut out and a Sink Aerator was placed in there and the outside painted black. The remaining painted areas had to be painted to the correct color or Grey and the black outline to go across the top area above the breather.

The Ears on the side of the bucket had to then be cut out and a wire mesh put in it’s place to have the effect real. Also it makes it allot easier to hear out of. It’s hard to see in the pictures but the eye plate had to be cut out and replaced. The inside had plastic and eye site was extremely poor. Also you could see the outlined plastic viewing into it. The Faceplate was next and you had to revers the bolts that held it together and then glue on small button covers on the outside (painted grey) to cover the ending of the screw. For an added realism effect the inside of the visor (from the outside view) was caulked to make it look as one piece.

Sounds pretty simple but it’s allot of work. Rewarding in the end and that is only one prop piece. Allot of the weapons can be made from the original Kenner toys from the original movies. Mainly re-painted to look real. Some use molds and cast Resign weapons. A few Jedi Props such as the Jedi Communicator that Qui-gon had I have seen made from a Ladies Razer (Venus) with a few washers and nails added as well as paint. Many things are made and used for the props. I just touched on a few basic ones that don’t need to go into too much detail. However one of the best props that has been seen in the movie would be the ice cream maker… Yea.. that doesn’t need much explaining

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Naval Command was put in a state of high alert yesterday when the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Suspense was damaged in what looked like an act of terrorism.

The Suspense had entered the Abrea system at approximately 10:00:00 local time, having just returned from a mission in the Rakata Prime area. Naval Command refused to comment on the nature of the Suspense’s mission, but it is believed that the destroyer had been trying to deal with the reported pirate activity in the area.

At approximately 10:45:00 local time, all contact with the Suspense was lost, and about 5 minutes later, an internal explosion ripped through the outer hull. Apparently fearing that the ship had been overrun by pirates, or worse, New Republic agents, high command dispatched elements from the local defensive fleet to surround the Suspense, and prevent it from heading any further into the system.

At 11:05:00 local time, the Victory-class Star Destroyer Desjani, along with two Dreadnoughts, the Scorpio and the Hercules, intercepted the Suspense just before it reached the orbit of Abrea. Firing across the bow, the Suspense was brought to a halt whilst a stormtrooper detachment from the Desjani was despatched to board the ship, and if necessary, take it back.

Once on board, the stormtrooper commander managed to track down the ships captain, Commander Shodon, and he was informed that the ship had not been overrun. With the situation resolved, the defence fleet retreated, and the Suspense on continued towards Abrea.

In an official statement later that day, naval high command revealed that the loss of communication was due to a simple malfunction due to ad-hoc repairs, and that the explosion was merely a ruptured power conduit. Naval XO Riel Fury commented that it was “Two simple coincidences that lead to some unnecessary and unfortunate panic.”

However, sources from within the crew of the Suspense have confirmed that after the mission, codenamed “Trojan Horse”, the Suspense had uncovered some mutineers, and were transferring them to Abrea for processing. He hinted that, whilst the loss of communication was a malfunction, the explosion was defiantly not a power conduit, and that it may have had something to do with the prisoners.

 The Suspense has since been into dry dock for repairs, and awaits redeployment. No further information regarding an alleged mutiny has turned up, and Naval Command refuses to comment on the subject.

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Wars have always been commonplace in Galactic Society. From small tribal wars on undeveloped planets, too full scale engagements between empires, war is, and will probably always be, one of the few constants in the universe.

But how do we find out about them? How does a society find out about these things? Obviously there are Government announcements: friendly, reassuring statements saying everything is fine and that you’re not all going to die. Whilst these statements are about as useful as an angry wookie, they at least can guarantee that the populace are mildly aware as to whether or not they’re at war.

But what of the rest? What of the details? And how do people who don’t even care get told about these events that they are so busy not caring about? Enter the Journalist: a creature of such a rare breed, that their one single craving is information, details, events… The Journalist will strive to find out what happened, and tell you about it, whether you want to hear about it or not. Why? Probably because he or she has nothing better to do.

When it came to wars, Journalist would in days gone by simply sit on the sidelines, gleaning what information they could, and constructing a report over what they heard, or were told. Unfortunately, this still meant that the authorities were the main source of information. Whilst this would rate as slightly more useful than an angry wookie, it was still pretty poor, especially when an average Journalist could have found out more about the person they were interviewing, as opposed to the subject matter of the interview – If the public cared little for conflicts between foreign leaders, they would care even less for the detailed breakdown of sexual affairs conducted by said leaders.

Classic examples of how this style of reporting simply didn’t work can be seen from reports of the Clone Wars. Reports on the war were sporadic at best, especially when the military took over the Holonet News service in 22 BBY. Independent news networks on a galactic scale were still rare during these days, and so an overall view of the war was lacking. Some sector wide news agencies managed to get coverage, but only because it was their sector that the war was taking place in, and the coverage was mainly one sided. During a shoot of the popular talk show Coruscant Today, a guest on the show famously commented:

“Despite scouring the Holonet every day, listening to government updates, surfing the web and Vid shows, I have absolutely no clue how the war is going”

As time went one, there was a shift in attitudes towards war reporting, especially after the formation of the Galactic Empire. As atrocities such as the Great Jedi Purge and the Ghorman Massacre tried to go unnoticed, reporters were suddenly struck by a bad case of conscience. Did events really happen as Imperial Centre told us? What is the REAL story? Reporters from around the galaxy started hunting down the truth, and when the Declaration of Rebellion was realised in 1 BBY, reporters suddenly realised that there was a different side to the story. News corporations such as the newly formed Galactic Press were becoming fed up with the propaganda machine, and started to find ways to get independent reports, especially when it came to wars. And so led to the rise of the ‘Frontline’ reporter.

Frontline reporting went through serious growing pains in the early years. Skirmishes with the Rebellion were kept on the quiet-side as much as possible, so that not too much attention was drawn to their cause. Reporters who did manage to work up more objective works had their work stamped out, or simply refused distribution. A lot of reporters died during the fights, especially in later years as the Empire got more and more forceful. However, Journalists were given a break with the defeat of the empire at the battle of Endor. As the Imperium disintegrated, and the Rebels became more prominent, Journalists were given more of a free reign. The biggest break through in war reporting was with Zahn Sim, and his report of the ‘New Republics’ liberation of Courascant in 7 ABY. From start to finish, Zahn was there, giving a blow by blow account of the liberation. Once NR forces touched down on the surface, Zahn went all over the place, reporting as he went. His reports are generally considered one of the best pieces of Journalism in history.

A couple of years on, and Journalism is generally considered to be on a high. Reporters are going from place to place, tagging along with one army or another, and constructing comprehensive reports. News company owners predict a shift in how reporters are employed, moving from a more company ethic to more freelancing. HoloNet and Galactic Press bosses have especially commented that they tend to ‘hire’ people who are on or near the conflict, rather then send someone out.

What does the future hold? Who knows. Here at VE Today, the ethic is that all of our information is first hand. Many of our reporters were there during the Third Outer Rim War, telling a tale that needed to be told, and I hope that they will continue serving the people in such a selfless and courageous way.

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So how come you’re not a scout trooper?”
“Once I put the helmet on, I couldn’t see. I sideswiped a cadet and caused a pile up that destroyed twelve speeder bikes. I was kicked out of the Trooper Corps.”

―Anonymous Stormtrooper on why he wasn’t a Scout trooper

 

Ok. So the scouts got their butts whooped with the rest of the Empire by those furry little teddy bears. However, out of all the armor that one could wear the Scout had the better end of the deal….Flexability wise. It was made to give the best movement during combat. Also it is one of the extreme few that the trooper could actually sit down in without a problem.

The Scouts armor consisted of two shoulder, two upper arm, two writs, the front and back plate, two knee and the helmet.Also add in the belt, TD (thermal Detonator)belt box’s and Balaclava. The scout also wore a black under suit,a groin-flap and a pair of white boots with tanned bottoms.Their helmets view plates capable of locating energy emissions and motion tracking. The helmets also gave the trooper night vision as well. Let’s go over the more finer details other then listing them.

The cummerbund or “diaper” is an essential piece of the costume. This is an item made from white fabric (generally heavy duty material) that extends from under the chest armor to the crotch. They completely wrap around the lower torso. The codpiece portion goes from white to a black piece of wide nylon webbing (think of a thong) that connects to the back of the piece. Also noted that camel toe is a common side effect to wearing these.

 

The Balaclava is what most scouts wear in their uniform. This is a “hood” that covers the head and makes sure that hair or skin will not be seen peeking out from under the helmet.The vest is another item that is used. It is not essential, however, some scouts do use them. Heres a few pictures from the film with it.

     

As far as weapons go the scout is lightly armored. Most just use a small pistol that’s carried in the boot holster. Some however would use a Blaster Carbine or a Rifle if they chose. The Scout in itself may not have the best armor or even camouflage, but they sure as heck made up for it with their flexibility and speed. Yet they still couldn’t take down those pesky ewoks! For more information of the finer details of the scout you can go visit Biker Scout.net ( A Detachment of the 501st Legion)

http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?act=idx

 

Quote was taken from the Wookieepedia and the pictures were uploaded from my computer and were from Biker scout.net

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Long ago, lived a prosperous, strong, warrior race called the Mandalorians. This race lived for battle. Nomadic in nature, there was only one way to gain honor according to Mandalorians, through war and battle. When no war was happening, they were usually hired guns, so they could have honor no matter what. The leader of these people usually took the title of Mandalore. These people usually allied with the Sith faction, in fact the largest recruitment was done by Exar Kun, and much later the Mandalorian race would donate it’s own DNA to create Clone Troopers in the Clone Wars.

Culture

Mandalorians were a very straight forward society of Nomads. They were influenced by other planets and peoples of the galaxy. Mandalorians weren’t prejudice to any species, as long as they fought in battle and had kept Mandalorian Principles at heart.

Mandalorians were nomadic, even though they had a home world called Mandalore. The reason they kept being nomadic was for defensive purposes. If there was an attack, there would be no easy way to kill every Mandalorian. They also built no roads on Mandalore, making it easier to ambush invaders.

Mandalorians were seen as Individiuals, pinned together through the same culture. Each piece of armor was specially crafted for that Mandalorian and their level of skill. Their armor was seen as a cultural icon, and told a story about the Mandalorian in it. There was a saying the Mandalorian’s had “A warrior is more then his armor.” Meaning they relied on their armor, but they also relied on their skills as well.

Not all Mandalorians fought, some were farmers, factory workers, engineers, and doctors. All Mandalorians were warriors to the core, and knew how to fight.

There were six things the Mandalorians lived by. They were

1. Wearing Armor.

2.Speak Mando’a, the Mandalorian language.

3. Raise Children as Mandalorians

4. Defend Families and Themselves

5. Help the clan

6. Rally to the call of Mandalore

Language

Mandalorians had another language other then Basic, called Mando’a. This was their main language, though they knew numerous others, because they fought on many planets and interacted with many different cultures, picking up their languages. The language was far more complex the Basic, and every word in Basic was given a word in Mando’a

Religion

The Mandalorians had their own religion, and at one time were very religious, but through fierce combat and other factors, they began to look at the galaxy more logical.
Brief History

These people were originally called Taung, a gray skinned near-human species. These were among the first sentients that battled for control of Coruscant. The Taung lost, and were exiled into Darkness. This exile caused them to rename themselves Warriors of the Shadow. The Warriors of the Shadow ran away to a planet called Roon, where they stayed until the rise of Mandalore the First. Under his leadership, they captured a planet and named it Mandalore, after him. After they took the planet over, they again renamed themselves Mandalorians. Under the name Mandalorians, they became known for using the most up to date and superior weaponry, making them feared across the galaxy.

The Mandalorians fought in many wars, and thus, someone should explain their role in them.

The Old Sith Wars: After they took over Mandalore the planet, they began to take over other planets, gaining foes and building a crusade against the galaxy. One planet they had interest in was the Empress Teta System, which was currently controlled by Krath, a secret society of Warriors that believed in magic (Only way to really describe them simply)

The Mandalorians had become allied with the Sith Faction under their newest leader Mandalore the Indomitable, who only joined the Sith after they beat him in combat wi th a famous warrior in the Sith ranks, Ullic Qel-Droma. Mandalore thought he was only pledging his allegiance to Ullic, but Ullic was an apprentice, therefore his Master gained Mandalore allegiance as well. Once they joined the Sith, the Mandalorians began taking over dozens of worlds. This hostile takeover got the Republic’s attention, which also got the attention of the Jedi, a now dead religious sect.

Exar Kun lost, even with the Mandalorians on his side, and ten years later, many Mandalorians were arrested and executed after a maniac bounty hunter called Jigger Wraith used Mandalorian technology that was seen as rare. The Mandalorians would come back together and reform under Mandalorian the Ultimate, and begin assembling large Mandalorian forces to make a come back. They would also reconstruct Dxun, a defense planet they had used previously. Once again, the Mandlorians were persuaded by Sith’s again, told they would gain great honor for facing the Republic.

The Mandalorian Crusaders were led by Mandalore The Great, and sparked the Mandalorian Wars. The Mandalorians now all wore the same armor, instead of wearing whatever they could scavenge. A famous Mandalorian, Canderous Ordo wore armor that was silver and black. They lost the war, thanks in large part to two Generals, Revan and Malak. Because of these two people, the Mandalorians were crushed, and were forced to decline into a state of hired guns once again. Revan had destroyed all their supplies, including their battle droids, and scattered the clans and tribes among the Outer Rim. Apparently a strong Mandalorian presence was on Tatooine at one point, but faded away.

Some Mandalorians became pirates, raiding locals on various planets to get by. Later on, Canderous Ordo would gain a small remnant force and try to reunite the Mandalorian clans once again on Dxun.

The New Sith Wars: During this War, the Mandalorians picked no side, instead attacking both the Jedi and Sith factions. They opposed the Sith, attacking The Underlord, the then Leader of the Sith, main camp, while the Jedi attacked other places, thus splintering his forces and making it easier on both the Mandalorians and the Jedi’s. Their plan worked, and a Sith general was assassinated by the Jedi’s general, later defecting to the Sith.

The current Mandalore of this era was deceived into a war, but the outcome of the war is still unknown, no one even knows who fought.

Later excavation at the Battle of Ambria showed Mandalorian armor, meaning either Mandalorians were there, or the Armor was purchased for its good quality.

With the New Sith War closing, the Mandalorians became more of a Mercenary culture, rather then a clan based culture.

The Mandalorian Civil War: 100 years before the Battle of Yavin, Durge (A Gen’Dai bounty hunter) had assassinated that era’s Mandalore. Mandalorians captured Durge, and tortured him severely, only to have him escape and heal through an induced hibernation.

With no leader, two factions emerged. The Death Watch, and The Loyalists. The Loyalists were led by Jaster Mereel, and the Death Watch under the leadership of Vizsla. They two split because Jaster wanted to reform their way of combat back to an honorable, less mercenary way. Eventually the war hit other places, like Concord Dawn.

At Concord Dawn, Vizsla tried to assassinate Jaster, however Jaster was saved by the now famous and notorious Bounty Hunter, Jango Fett, who Jaster took care of as a child. Later on, Jaster would be killed by Vizsla and another Mandalorian Bounty Hunter by the name of Montross, Jango’s arch nemesis. With Jaster dead, Jango took over as leader and Mandalore. His reign however, was cut short. A Jedi Task force was sent to exterminate the Mandalorians, and every Mandalorian was killed. Except for Jango. Dooku, leader of the task force, would later ask Jango to be the template for the clones during the Clone War.

Mandalorians still surprisingly survived, on different planets and such, but played little role in the galaxy and were little threat to the galaxy.

The Clone Wars: The Clone Wars gave rebirth to the Mandalorians. Jango Fett was the Prime Clone for the Kaminoans, therefore every clone was a Mandalorian. In fact, there were also Mandalorian Training Instructors, so the troopers would fight like Mandalorians as well. They were also instructed in the History of the Mandolrians.

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Probably one of the more useful weapons in the Star Wars Universe. While the blaster and other such weapons are good for major combat and or fire fights, it is also good to have a few of these in hand. One can’t just depend souly on such things. If the weapon malfunctions the situation can turn deadly for the user. Also, if the opponent uses Melee Weapons they may have the advantage over say a blaster for close-range combat. There are many different kind of Melee weapons such as follows…

The Vibroblade – These range anything from swords to ax’s and normally in the hilt there is a ultrasonic piece of equipment that made the weapons(s) vibrate at an extreme rate. So even the slightest hit could do some major damage.

Electrostaff – These had electromagnetic pulse-generating tips and were lightsaber resistant. Most people recognise these from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. Used by the MagnaGaurds that Obi-Wan and Anakin fought against during the clone wars. Not the greatest melee weapon out there sense theses were more used for blunt-force.

Stun baton – These look more like a short stick to beat on someone. It is a short range weapon that requires that the user have to get close enough to touch his/her opponent. It would then give off an electric shock to stun them. So it was used more to control someone. Much like in real life with say a tazer.

 

There’s many more different weapons out there. These are just a few of them listed. Each one has it’s personal uses and range of pain or death. The use of such weapons can be found just about anywhere in the Universe.

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Droids are robotic beings usually having Artificial Intelligence, used for a variety of different jobs and suited for different environments. Most of the jobs the droids do are either simple and time consuming or too dangerous for humans or other sentient life, or certain fields that need a mastery and specialization of the topic at hand, liked Medic Droids and small Astromech’s.

Depending on the type of Droid, they were obedient, loyal, durable, usually were experts with mathematics and had excellent memory. These personality traits made them great for many jobs, though some weren’t independent and you had to watch over them to make sure they didn’t mess up.

Droid designers did face a small problem, the question of how far to take the droids intelligence. Make them too intelligent, and they become self aware, not intelligent enough and they don’t have a high degree of Artificial Intelligence.

There are 5 degrees of Droids.

1st Degree Droid: Droids capable of being independent and could think on their own. Usually used for Medics, and some advanced, expensive Assassin Droids. Droids that were made to torture people also fell under this category, and droids that were designed for someone that had a high degree of artifical intelligence did as well.

2nd Degree: Usually engineering or technical droids, this degree consisted of Astromech and utility droids. Pilot Droids, Scout Droids, and Probe droids fit under this category as well.

3rd Degree: Protocol Droids, policital, social, or scholarly droids fall in this Degree.
4th Degree: Security or Military Droids, the Trade Federation used many 4th Degree droids during the Clone Wars.

5th Degree: Simple labor droids, like Binary Load Lifters. Usually used for mining, cleaning, and other labor tasks.

As with different degrees, there are also different types. Usually model, personality, and job make up the type of droid it is. Some droids can’t fit under one type, because they do many different jobs, or they were custom built, like HRD’s (Human Replica Droids) Also, what droids did under different owners may change their type, but this was not always the case.

Assassin Droids: Used to kill, like their name suggests. Often employed when other means haven’t worked, also employed when a bounty hunter didn’t want to die, like a suicide mission. These droids could be programmed with advanced protocols and algorithm’s making them better then some human or other life forms at fighting. These types were most often to rebel.

Notable Assassin Droids: C-3PX, 4-LOM, Guri, IG-88, and HK-47

Astromech Droids: These droids were used to repair starships and other mechanical objects. They also could break into security, access computer panels, navigate a ship through hyperspace, store data, and check for damages. These droids were loaded with things that would be very useful to pilots, supplementing the ships own computer and helping the pilot with navigation and repair. Advanced models could actually fly their own starships for periods of time. The main drawback to these droids is the lack of a vocabulator unit, thus having to use a series of beeps to communicate.

Notable Astromechs: R2-D2, Fiver, R4-P17, R5-D4, T3-M4, Whistler, and Shaker.

Battle Droids: These were used as Soldiers during the Clone War for the CIS, they had many advantages over sentient life in battle. Droids could carry heavy weaponry, could carry shielding, move quickly without gaining fatigue, analyze targeting and determine the path of their shots (AKA increased accuracy), calculate chances of winning a battle instantly. Droids would follow orders without question, even if the Order was flawed, taking risks that would scare most humans and other species away, and the droids were expendable, the time it took to actually make a droid army was a shadow of the time it took to raise a Human army. These droids were usually made in bulk, and made on assembly lines, cutting the cost of them even further. The major drawback of Battle droids were, they only worked with a good strategy, they had horrible artificial intelligence.

Interrogation/Torture Droids: These droids were surprisingly meant to save humans. Save them from having to torture another human and possibly scarring themselves. It was practical in many ways, it increased the targets fear, increasing the possibility of a confession, Droids could tell if they were telling the truth, and usually had a complete set of pressure points and painful spots downloaded into it’s system. They also had truth serum on hand, and knew correct doses to get the information they wanted. Later on, a friendly captor would come by, offering sadness and promise to make the pain stop for the information they sought. The plan was genius.

Medical Droids: These droids were meant to heal, they were often better then the Human or Sentient counterpart because they would never forget their Medical Programming, therefore usually never prescribing something wrong. They could also store information on numerous patients, saving money on Computer Database Files. Med Droids wouldn’t let emotion get in the way of their tasks, but at the same time couldn’t sympathize with their patients at all, therefore sometimes making the patient feel worse.

Pilot Droids: Droids were used to fly starships and other crafts. These were the pilots for the CIS during the Clone Wars, they were also used to drive crafts on planets, like Shuttles and other things. Droids were great as pilots because they would know their ship, wouldn’t panic in the middle of a dog fight, could maintain close formations and execute attack plans perfectly, and would know the computer of the ship as well.

Protocol Droids: These droids were meant to aid with politics and other social affairs, as well as translate any language needed. They were programmed with enhanced aural sensors, so they could analyze and describe and use the information that was needed in certain situations. Because Sentient life interacted with these types of Droids, they were often given personalities so they weren’t as boring as some other droids.

Scout Droids: Droids were used in exploration or for hunting a target. They were cheap and expendable, like most droids. These droids were usually dropped in bulk, ranging any where from a hundred to a thousand, and would use do a survey of the area and report back on their findings.

Droids are seen as property, but the more advanced a droid you are, the more respect you would get by Sentients. Some think Droids are a legal way for slavery, but usually this argument is put down by stating that no droid is sentient. The Naboo think of Droids with a high enough Artificial Intelligence to be, in fact, citizens.

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What’s better? Anime or the wonderfully epic story that George Lucas has given us all? Each has it’s perks and for some there’s no question about having to ask such a thing. However, let us compare them and see…

Anime originated from Japan as many have known. Anime started back in the twentieth century but didn’t really hit the United States until 1980’s when the Gundam series hit. Other shows soon followed such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor moon. Now today more and more shows are more like the Japan animation. With shows such as Pokemon, and Inu Yasha as many people’s favorites. There’s a never ending stream of merchandise to be bought over many stores and even online.

http://www.animenation.com/

AnimeNation is the best and leading source to get anything a person could want in the Anime World. T-shirts, key chains, snacks, drinks exc… The list goes on. Manga is available as well and you can even find items that you couldn’t’t get in a store. If it’s information your after.. other then using the on-line Wiki there is the Anime News Network.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

There are hundreds of sites linking to different Anime talks, chats, and even conventions. On more then one occasion I’m sure someone has seen someone dressed up in some sort of costume from a favorite series. Going to a convention is one good way to see them. Not only would you find Anime costumers but others as well from a vast sea of fantasy and Sci-fi. Anime has taken such a foothold that it has been expanded to draw up favorite characters to see what they would look like if they were anime. Such as the Futurerama gang and Star wars.

       

Which now comes to the next section and another popular part of the World. Star Wars! Who would have imagined that back when the first movie came out that it would explode to become such apart of the American culture and the culture of many around the world. Video games, TV shows, Conventions, toys and clubs. Heck former President Ronald Reagan had used the name Star Wars for the Strategic Defense Initiative until the name was changed in 1993 by Former President Bill Clinton. Just like the anime, there is as much to buy out on the market for Star wars as anything else. With mass roll playing forums and even on-line games such as Galaxies’s and Empire at War.

Back in 1997 Albin Johnson started the now world wide costume fan group known as the 501st Legion or Vader’s Fist. What started out as a small group became so large that it expands in countries such as Japan and Asia. Members of the 501st Legion often make appearances at casual, promotional, and charitable events. A non-profit group the 501st also has close ties with the Lucas film.

     

 

The Legion itself also has it’s territory assigned. The united States for instance has the states assigned in groups to for a Garrison. Each Garrison has a name and their own set of on line boards to communicate. A few examples are Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. They are grouped together to form Star Garrison. Florida is known as Florida Garrison but has several squads due to how large/long of a state it is. The main on-line source for the 501st is :

www.501st.com

From that site there is access to find the links to each Garrison. The Legion is well known and has been around now for ten years and is still growing. Recently, Two new Garrisons were formed in the United States. Alabama broke off to become their own Garrison and Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi became MidSouth Garrison. The Legion has also helped influence the Star wars universe as the name was taken to be added to the Clone group in Revenge of the Sith and in the Battlefront II game. Because of the what Star Wars has done for the world and the impact of this group there has also been done a special documentary about them. Called Heart of an Empire it has shown in film festivals across the United states and was aired at the last years Star Wars convention.

http://www.heartofanempire.com/

Anime or Star Wars? Both are great and have lots of world influence. Both have impacted peoples lives in either small or great doses. There is much more information then can be put into words on how a person feels about each. Some like one or the other. What is decided is based off each person. Anime junkie, Star wars geek, or both. This isn’t even half the information that could be found, as to place it all would be a very large book indeed.

 

Pictures were taken off my computer and found off of google images. The actual real pictures are from actual charity events that I attended.

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