Rusty Goblin

Rusty Goblin in Madird - Day 1.5

2012-02-24T18:57:00.003-08:00

'ere we go

'ere we landed

22.30 - Arrive in Girona , Spain.

23.53 - Depart Girona by bus to catch the 1am bus service to Madrid.

00.58 - Arrive 5 minute ahead of schedule to catch the 1am bus to Madrid

00.59 - Discover the 1am bus to Madrid is sold out, as are all of the following buses till lunchtime on Friday

09.45 - Take-off from Barcelona airport to Madrid

10.55 - Rusty Goblin Team and entourage touch down in Madrid

11.30 - Arrive @ Hotel

13.34 - Rusty Goblin Team opens door to leave hotel room for venue scouting and grand prix trial event.

13.34 - Team reminded to check they have all important belongings on them

13.35 - Rusty Goblin Team leader Daniel Antoniou mumbles " i cant find my passport"

13.36 - Discover Daniel dosent feel having an ID card is an important exercise in life.

14.20 - Sitting in Madrid police station , filling out form for a lost passport. Mobile phone is obviously in melt down mode. Between hearing a sob story of some American who had his laptop stolen , and a seriously "i couldnt give a fuck" Spanish Police officer watching football highlights on television, Daniel recieves lecture about the importance of not losing your passport.

madrid police station was not on the list of tourist attractions

15.30 - Finally find someone to take passport photos of a very dodgy looking Daniel Antoniou. Anyone looking to open up a business in Madrid should seriously consider opening a photo booth service in the center of town.

16.20 - Recieve news from more responsible team members Skepas and Harris that they have arrived at venue for MTG event.

16.47 - Daniel Antoniou and a limping Zorba Arrive @ Cypriot Embassy.

17.05 - Depart from Cypriot Embassy with new travel documents for Daniel Antoniou.

18.00 - My day begins. Rusty Goblin team united @ the venue.

18.01 - I eat.

18.04 - I eat again.

18.30 - 23.30 - Team Rusty Goblin, Daniel Antoniou, George Skeparnides and Harris Pishoftas enter Grand Prix Trial event. Harris went out undeservedly early in round 2, Daniel and George were unlucky drawn together in the last 16 , and Daniel loses in final 2-1 to some hand shaking japanese/swiss dude who had the unhealthy habit of removing the filter from a cigarette before smoking it.


venue

spot the goblns

unlucky to meet in the last 16

final

23.31 - All smiley faces, tired bodies, happy minds, cold hands , excited about tmrw, we leave venue to get back to hotel

23.45 - meet japanese/swiss dude again at train station. Offer him a cigarette. He looks like he needs one. Once again he removes filter. really wierd habit.

03.00 - Team asleep. Im suprised they managed with the amount of sugar they have consumed. All in all what an absolutely amazing, mental, satisfying day. Made new friends, spread the word about Sheftalia Republic, experienced something completely new and energetic. Forget the Rusty Goblin though, this really is about the guys who made it out here. Daniel, Harris and George. Seeing peoples reactions to finding out their age was the highlight of the day for me. Watching their opponents grimace, frown and get pissed off when losing to them, is obviously credit to their skills set.

03.10 - Need to get some sleep. Tomorrow it really happens/begins. The main event!!!

03.11 - Lock everyones passports into hotel room safe.

Rusty Goblin MTG Team - Madrid here we come!!!

2012-02-22T18:37:00.001-08:00

Just a quick shout out for the Rusty Goblin Magic the Gathering Team members that are heading off to a hopefully sunny Madrid for the Grand Prix event taking place this weekend!!

Will try and keep an updated stream of information of how they are getting along on the Rusty Goblin twitter account (https://twitter.com/#!/rustygoblin) or facebook.

as a fellow friend said 'rip a lotus' !!!

Game On!!!!

Rusty Goblin Warhammer and MTG Raid @ the Learnway Private Institute!

2011-12-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

George (Tapped Out - Larnaca ) and Nicholas (Isengard Fantasy Shop - Nicosia) educating the masses@ the Learnway Private Institute..The enthusiasm on the kids faces is what its all about!! Game On guys!!!

Watch the videos below..

Rusty Goblin "Winterfell"

2011-12-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

Ultimate Battlefield 3 Simulator - We want one!!!

2011-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

The full story of The Gadget Show's FPS gaming simulator build premiered on Channel 5 in the UK at 8pm on Monday 24th October 2011. This video contains the highlights.

Seems like an absolutely mental trip..Incredible to see cutting edge technology put into decent use!

The Rusty Goblin wants one!!!!

Rusty Goblin Presents "Redux" - FIFA , Tekken and much more..

2011-09-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

FOR MORE INFORMATION & to REGISTER CLICK THE POSTER ABOVE OR CLICK HERE

Stallion83 reaches 600k Gamerscore and enters Guinness book of record

2011-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Raymond Cox aka Stallion83 just went past the 600k gamescore on xboxlive. This gaming lunatic is on a journey to get to a 1million score

Cox has played over 800 games to get to his score...

Check out the slightly surreal video he made to celebrate the occasion below..

Definition of Gamerscore
The Gamerscore (G) is an achievements system that measures the number of Achievement points accumulated by a user with a XBOX LIVE profile. These Achievement points are awarded for the completion of game-specific challenges, such as beating a level or amassing a specified number of wins against other players in online matches.

You can catch him on his journey@

http://www.1milliongamerscore.com/

Rusty Goblin tip - great website to track your own gamescore is
www.trueachievements.com

Bungie Documentary - O Brave New World

2011-08-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

This documentary is almost an hour long and includes never-before-seen footage, insights from Bungie's illusive Jason Jones and other key Bungie team members, along with industry veterans..A must watch for any gamer...

Rusty Goblin Warhammer Raid @ Tapped Out

2011-07-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

skaven doomwheel

Mr.George wondering why he did not lock the door

hostages

Rusty Goblin Raid (rd)

1. A surprise attack by a small armed force. (usually a small force of unorganized Green Skins)

2. A sudden forcible entry into a place by gamers: a raid on a hobby shop.

3. An entrance into another's territory for the purpose of increasing awareness into the magical world of gaming.

v. raid·ed, raid·ing, raids

v.tr.

To make a raid on.

v.intr.

To conduct a raid or participate in one.

Rusty Goblin (powered by Isengard Fantasy Shop) successfully conducted a raid @ Tapped Out !! The purpose of the raid was to increase awarness to the game of Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k. Rumours have it that the local shopkeeper Mr.George and his gaming community was caught completely unaware by the Rusty Goblin raid. All were taken hostage, the premises surrounded by screaming gamers that wanted to get in. The situation was eventually resolved after everyone played a test game of Warhammer. In an interview to gaming authorities afterwards, Mr.George has promised to lock the door from now on.

Watch out, your shop might be next!!!
Game On!!

Rusty Goblin Event Announcement "Summer Of Adventure " Tapped-Out

2011-06-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Magic the Gathering Version

Yu-Gi-Oh version

Summer of Adventure
27th June - 31st August

Map Based Campaign MTG
Map Based Campaign YuGiOh
Map Based Campaign Pokemon
Map Based Campaign WoW

To read the rules click here!
or get in touch with Tapped Out!

You played it here first!!
Game On!

Rusty Goblin Event Announcment - Warhammer Fantasy Campaign - Isengard Fantasy Shop

2011-06-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Warhammer Fantasy Campaign
16th June - T.B.A ( to be announced)

Map Based Campaign Warhammer Fantasy

More Details to Follow from Isengard Fantasy Shop!!!
Stay Tuned!!

Rusty Goblin Event Announcment - ThunderPants

2011-06-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

Rusty Goblin Thunder Pants
31st of July

Come down and enjoy a day out with the Rusty Goblin crew and family!!

Bring your decks and your guts for a day out on the beach!!

You are going to eat like a gamer horde, and then get your decks out for a "relaxed" competition of
MTG Legacy
YuGiOh Traditional Format

Losers get chucked in the sea to cool off!!!

Stay Tuned for Location, Prices and Prizes!!!

E3 2011: Debut Trailer - Halo 4 - Dawn of a new Trilogy

2011-06-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

Tags: GameTrailers.com, E3 2011: Debut Trailer (Stream) HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

E3 2011: Exclusive Xbox 360 Announcement - The Witcher 2 Assasins of Kings

2011-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Tags: GameTrailers.com, E3 2011: Exclusive Xbox 360 Announcement, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

E3 2011: Catwoman Gameplay Walkthrough

2011-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

E3 2011: Catwoman Gameplay Walkthrough

Tags: GameTrailers.com, E3 2011: Catwoman Gameplay Walkthrough (Stream), PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Rusty Goblin - After thoughts and a Big Thank you !!!!

2011-04-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

It has taken us the better part of a week to realize that the event is really over.Most of us have been wondering around with a small feeling of emptiness after the event, as if some inter-galactic void has been created.

We would really like to thank everyone who showed up at the event, and especially everyone that took part in in the competitions.

Before the event, we told ourselves that we were going to organise this event and wait and see how, you the gaming community of Cyprus responded to it. You reaction was inspirational.We sold 71 tickets, many of which were for more than one event. 93 entries were registered into different games. Overwhelming. Game On!!

Warhammer Fantasy had a strong presence, and was encouraging to see such a wide age group playing the game ( from 11year old dwarf players to 55 year old Brettonian player!) In the end, it turned out to be an open competition, with neither of the pre-tournament favorites making it through to the final. A lot of new interest was generated in the game from visitors and we can see having to spread this event over 2 days next time to accommodate the influx of players!! Some of the models on display were inspiring to see. Congratulations to Stylianos for his victory in the tournament!

Warhammer 40k was a slight disappointment. Players do exist in Cyprus, but for some reason simply didnt respond to showing up to the event in the same way as their Fantasy brothers. We had 5 late drop outs. Not good!!We promise next time to get more people to the tables for this event. Still great to see those 40k battalions on the tables, it made for some awesome pictures. Congratulations to the people that did take part in the tournament, and of course Benoit for another tournament win.

Onto the card games. Turnouts were once again we were dumbfounded by the turnout.YuGiOh in particular took us by surprise, people from Limassol showing up to play in the event. 28 people on Saturday!!! There is still a lot more players that couldn't make it, and we have realized that we will all need to work together to make sure some of the younger players have transportation to make it back and forth next time. Special thank to the dudes that came with cars from Limassol and bought people with them. Congratulations to Haris and George for their victories..

Magic the Gathering!! Due to unfortunate circumstances, there was actually another event happening in Nicosia on the same dates for Magic. On Saturday we still managed to get an awesome 21 people on the tables, and on day 2, 17 people. Only 10 people actually took part on both days events. Taking into consideration that with the other event that was taking place in Nicosia (12 people showed up on day 1, and 8 on day 2), we would estimate that Magic the Gathering has a base of around 50-60 players in Cyprus. Obviously the dream would be to make sure that events of this type bring together the entire community of Magic in Cyprus. We all need to make sure, both organizers and players, that we avoid future clashes as far as dates are concerned. We flew in a judge for the event, and his general feedback was that the level of play was as high as that of Greece. Considering a lot of people have started Magic due to the event, we really should expect a small spike in attendance the next time we hold a Rusty Goblin event. An idea already recommended by the more experienced players is that they are willing to hold small "learning centers" or "workshops" for new players at the next event. Awesome stuff.. Congratulations to Daniel and Christoforos for their tournament wins..

Special mention must go to Manolis and his trusted side kicks. They spent the better part of 2 days happily painting away. It is people like this, and the dedication they show towards hobbying that bought a completely different vibe to the event. Manolis teaching two 7 year old's how to paint miniatures on Sunday afternoon captured the spirit of the event perfectly.

I cannot mention it enough so here goes again! Congratulations once again to all the winners and to all the people that took part in the events. To the people that helped behind the scenes without having to, the people that gave us support, the people that believed when everyone else laughed at us, you know who you are and we promise that your effort will never be forgotten and always remembered.Your enthusiasm and appreciation has given us all the energy that we needed to , firstly get through the event in one piece, and secondly inspire us to start planning ahead for more events!!

Till the next time, a warm thank you, and remember the most important thing of all..

GAME ON!!!!!!

The Rusty Goblin Team

for a full list of winners, check out the comment box!!!

Id to take on Call of Duty with Rage

2011-04-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

The legendary game studio Id, the company that gave us Doom,Quake and Wolfenstein, is set to enter the already looking insane shooter market this year with Rage (coming out in September). Bethesda the publishing company looks for a blockbuster year, as they are not only involved with Rage but also with Brink (out in May), another eagerly anticipated game. Will this be the year, where Activision and Call of Duty are finally knocked of their perch!?

What Crysis!?

2011-04-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

I usually don't make the habit of jumping from game to game without finishing the main storyline, so I was greeted with shock and horror when I discovered that I didn't copy over the correct save file of my Fallout New Vegas experience before leaving my trusted Xbox360 to head to Cyprus for a couple of months.

My gaming in Cyprus happens at my fellow gamer Shieldwall's living room. His Xbox360 is usually collecting dust while his monster PC is overheating and melting through his desk. Steam should give him a special discount.

And so while I spazzed about whether to restart Fallout 3, my eye caught an unopened copy of Crysis 2 sitting on the shelf. Firstly, i have to note, i never played the original Crysis, and to be honest didn't do much research into it's sequel either. So without much of a preconception about the game, it slipped into the disc drive, and with the Mojave desert and New Vegas having to wait till I get back, I loaded the game.

It is excellent.

At a time, when most shooters are almost carbon copies of each other, Crysis 2 single player experience simply put, stands out. Yes, the game was slow starting, it took a couple of hours before it really got into its stride, but boy once it had, i realized was completely submerged in what was being presented to me. The game revolves around your "nano-suit" and how you choose to use its different abilities. Want to become invisible and walk upto an alien and pop his head open!? You can do it. Want to go stand in the middle of a level, shoot one bullet to alert the enemies, switch to armour mode and turn into a walking tank while all hell brakes loose around you!? You can do it. Kick a car into a roadblock and then mop up the remains with your shotgun!? You can do it.

And while you prance around feeling like RoboCop on steroids, the game smartly offers you pauses in which you can soak in what has to be the most beautifully rendered world to hit the Xbox360 to date. The way light is used in the game is stunning. Having researched the subject of the game engine after being blown away by it, its called "CryEngine3" , by the studio Crytek, and the description on the box is the following - 'Cascaded Light Propagation Volumes for Real Time Indirect Illumination'.And it comes in 3D. You have to see it to believe it.

Unfortunately, there are issues that have prevented my gaming experience from being A-Class. The game is buggy, and freezes more times than I am comfortable with.The AI can be downright stupid, and takes away from the challenge of trying to complete it in "Supersoldier Mode".

Overall though, as mentioned, the game is excellent, and fresh of breath air , firstly from the sapped out genre of shooters, and secondly for what they are trying to achieve with the graphics engine. Oh did i mention!? It comes in 3D!

So while my fellow gamer Shieldwall, is playing the same game on his,by now seriously over heating, laptop( space-station), and volumes are set at full blast, "cloak initiated" ringing through the speakers, alien brains being splattered all over our screens, and every level seemingly outdoing the previous one, my only advise to any fellow gamer reading this would be..

Go get yourself a nanosuit and join in on the fun..

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Gameplay Video

2011-03-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Gameplay Video

Rusty Goblin Registration List

2011-03-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

For up to date list of registrations please visit the link below!! Will be updated once a day, so do not freak out if your name dosen't appear immediately after registration

http://rustygoblin.blogspot.com/p/registrations.html

Battlefield 3 Fault Line Gameplay Trailer Episode III: Get that Wire Cut

2011-03-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

This game is seriously looking twisted. Graphics are stunning or is it just me!? Cannot wait for it..
Battlefield 3 Fault Line Gameplay Trailer Episode III: Get that Wire Cut

New Phyrexia

2011-03-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Warhammer 40k Short Film: To Field A Daemon Prince

2011-03-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Marvel vs Capcom 3 E3 2010 F 2010 Full Length Trailerull Length Trailer

2011-03-16T05:56:00.001-07:00

Dragon Age 2 Trailer

2011-03-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

Deus Ex Human Revolution E3 2010 Trailer

2011-03-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

Cannot wait for this!!!!!

Grand Prix: Philadelphia Finals 08- Fabiano vs Yurchick

2011-03-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - E3 2010: First Debut Gameplay Trailer | HD

2011-03-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Dead Island: Official Announcement Trailer

2011-03-14T09:41:00.001-07:00

Rusty Goblin 2011 Poster

2011-03-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Way of the Shogun

2011-03-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

The two Damios sat under a tree and felt the fresh air hit their faces. They are enjoying this moment of tranquillity, this moment of serene madness. They laugh and joke about the old battles, all the good times, all those victories. Once they fought together, once they could count on each other. Not anymore. With SunSET they will line up on opposite sides of the battlefield. This is the way of the Shogun.

5 turns later..

I could Swear and Rant about the situation, but it isn’t going to help in anyway. Technically from Round One, I knew all I was going to ever achieve was being a nuisance .Which I do very well. I don’t know the East, never felt comfortable in its vast landscape. I got hit hard by the Red Armies well drilled war machine on my right, and I got hit subtly but just as hard by the logistical advancement of the Orange Army on my left. I was squeezed in the middle until, POOF, I disappeared. Where the fuck were my reinforcements! Turn after turn I wait, watch my troops dwindle in numbers, looking over the horizon hoping to see a familiar banner make its way into my death valley. They never arrive. The Same story all these years! I bet you he is sitting in his tent having his cock sucked by some Geisha, who I hope slits his fucking throat right open.

He IS having his cocked by some Geisha. And she isnt going to Slit his throat, cause he slit hers as she just finished. Profits reports are up, the lines are holding well, the army is advancing slowly but surely. The Orange shells are landing literally 5 meters away from his tent , but he knows that’s there maximum range, so there isn’t pretty much nothing to worry about. There is the small matter of a failing alliance, but he will deal with that soon enough. All is good in the land of the Blue.

Dealing with a failing alliance always starts in the same way.

“You are having a shit war”. I sit there dumbfounded.

“You should have concentrated your forces better”. I slit a Geishas throat.

“There is always the good news”. I laugh Madly, attempting to grasp onto some straws of sanity

“We are going to win this one”. I look out his tent. The noise of the Red Army drums can be heard in the distance. The Orange Shells have increased in there frequency. My troops cannot look at me in the eye. I know if I ask them they will fight for me, but I know they are too tired to even muster the willpower to win this one. I turn back to look at him and he is grinning holding a skewer in his hand.

So this is it, one last throw of the dice, on last sacrifice. I will create the diversion for potentially the most foolish plan created by the Alliance. If it works, we win the unwinnable, if it does not we concede defeat for the first time since the Alliance started.

How the fuck it worked, I will never know. As History wrote it, The Blue Damios ONE ARMY, in one swift manoeuvre skewered TWO Orange Armies, and battered them off the battlefield. Having lost his ally, the Red Damio, for all his efforts, knew he had no choice but to concede…

“Told you we were going to win”. I wanted to cry. The truth is, I made too many wrong decisions, and he was right, I did have a shit war. When two Geishas walked in all smiles and giggles, I knew it was time for me to make my exit.

“Where are u off too!?”

“You know where I am off too, and I expect you to join us when you are finished up here”

Four Damios sat under a tree and felt the fresh air hit their faces. They are enjoying this moment of tranquillity, this moment of serene madness. They laugh and joke about the battles, analyse the war, the victories and defeats. With SunRISE they will go their separate ways. Until the next time. This is the way of the Shogun.

Dead Space - How it's Done -by Tinto Brass

2011-03-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

I recently finished Gears of War 2 on Insane and what a rollercoaster of exploding headshots its been. GoW2 did not disappoint but I was still left wanting by a game that was simply a bigger and badder version of the first one. I started feeling particularly pessimistic about how long it would take for another spectacularly violent world to be created, that would feed my need for escapism and have me enjoying a new bi-polar persona for several weeks. Escapism is important in gaming and remains my central argument against all fervent Wii supporters (i.e. why Wii bowl when you can just bowl?).

And then Dead Space came along. Dead Space is the kind of game that makes serious gamers feel good about being serious gamers (if you're into your sci-fi as well, let the foaming at the mouth increase). To put it simply it is an expertly crafted game. The plot revolves around an engineering crew landing on a massive mining vessel (the Ishimura) that has experienced a communications blackout, only to discover that their pumping engineering tools/skills will prove more useful in dissecting deep space horrors rather than fixing fusion engines. If this sounds like Alien meets Event Horizon, it is.

Seeing that the sci-fi horror genre relies heavily on atmospherics to draw in its audience, I'm happy to report that Dead Space delivers on every level (picture yourself with a tense Sigourney face). The hallways and decks of the Ishimura are expertly designed and lighted. Every area you explore wreaks of either death awaiting or carnage having just ensued, all done with an eye for the cinematic. From the spectacular bridge to the winding dark hallways of the engineering deck, you find yourself cursing the mundaneness of your 9to5. Similarly, the sound design is unique. A large emphasis is placed on background atmospheric noise, that combines the echoes of a massive dead vessel, the wanderings of the enemy and the specific purposes of each area. Every area has its own audial feel and with the lights on the Ishimura being almost permanently set to third-base levels, you find yourself relying on your hearing a lot more than you wished (I seem to have a knack for getting freaked by rolling fire hydrants). So that the feel of the game remains uninterrupted the designers have removed the hud and have placed all menus/maps/logs and life/ammo bars within the game. This means that you can only access these in real time while playing the game, most frequently at your peril.

But like in so many games, gorgeous visuals and sound are simply not enough to keep your interest throughout (think FarCry 2). Dead Space has a great story line served by innovative game dynamics. Sporting perhaps the least camp suit ever, your character can employ powers to slow objects down or hurl them across the room. In addition, the Ishimura has inbuilt terminals where you can upgrade all facets of your armoury and as the bad guys get more powerful in increasingly tight spaces you come to appreciate increasing the damage of your Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun for example. Lastly, to perfectly match the fact that EA has created a shootem up game from the toolbox of a futuristic handyman, the nightmares you will face need to be strategically dismembered in order to be defeated. Headshots are no longer the prize of day, you need to blow off a few knee caps if you want get through.

All in all, im a happy boy again. And I'm once again marvelling at the simplicity of happiness. My one last tip is that you should play the game on difficult, if you really want to soak in its genius.