Gearheads of War

Here's where you come in (if you're willing).  I want to see if I get enough complaints about my gamertag, which is AstroLivin, if MS will force me to change my GT.

I've confirmed from people who have had this happen before that I will not be banned, nor will I be charged for the name change.  If it works, I will simply be unable to play online until I change the name to something more acceptable.  I'm also still a little bitter about the MS apology for poor service being Undertow, in lieu of 800 points that I could have used to get something that I wanted.

If anyone is willing to help, please report that my name on XBL is offensive, and I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

GT: AstroLivin

I was wondering if any of you would be interested in holding a Thursday Night Frag Fest? (I'm sure someone could come up with a much more clever name, but I'm not even one cup of coffee into the morning)

I don't want it to get too confusing, with too many organized game nights on here, but I would really like to play with you cool folks, in lieu of the random foul-mouthed miscreants of general matchmaking.  

Just heard that four new gears maps are being released this Thursday at 4am est.  They will run 800 MS points, and will be free to download in four months, on September 3rd.

The "Hidden Fronts" map pack is made up of Subway, Bullet Marsh, Garden, and Process.  

"Bullet Marsh: In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.

Garden: This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.

Process: Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.

Subway: Timgad's Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust."

What does everyone think?  Is that a little steep for four new maps, or are you going to wait until September to get them for free?

Source: xbox360fanboy

I log on to find a fresh, piping-hot gears update waiting for me to have fun with.  My future brother-in-law was online, so we bounced into the first Annex game that we could find.

I love it.  Annex feels refreshing compared to your standard Gears multiplayer.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the "one-life team play" concept, but having respawns and HUD viewable objectives extends the Gears experience.  Using the weapons as the "hill" is great, as most players generally know the locations of the weapons, and they provide great reference points for strategizing with teammates.  Respawns were a welcome addition for me.  I'm not the best player by far, and having another chance almost immediately to get back into the fray has improved my skills more in one night than all of the last two months.  I get to play more, and that makes it tremendously more fun for me.

A couple of observations:

The changes made to the roady run regarding sticking to walls was commented on by everyone.  Some were complaining that they stuck to things that they normally would not have during a run.  I found that it actually did help me, as several times I got past obstacles that normally would have "caught" me (running away is too a legitimate  strategy!  So is hiding!).  

I still suck with the boomshot.  But I did get a kill with it.  Booyah!

I'm not sure if this was just because of the guys I was playing with, but the sniper rifle seems to be WAY more important in Annex than in traditional warzone/etc.  One guy (sometimes on my team, others not) never went for the "hill" and always sniped.  I'm not sure if they made the snipe more forgiving or if he was that good, but when he was on the other team, he was being cursed at.  I realize that is a strategy, having one player cover the others, but he used it almost too effectively (for my taste :)

All in all, I think I'm in love.  Insane mode may have to wait a month or so.

bonus points to anyone who caught the Little Giants reference in the subject line

I am planning to join you fine folks on a Friday Night Fragfest, just as soon as I am near my beloved white box on a Friday night.  Relationship and Family commitments have sidelined my 360 time, but I will return to my former (pathetic) glory online.  I once got two total kills in fifteen matches!  My GT is Astrolivin, so feel free to give me an add, and then yell at me for dying so quickly.

I am currently on the second to last stage of Act V on hardcore.  Once you get used to it, hardcore actually isn't that hard.  Insane, on the other hand, is that hard.  I may have to get some co-op help to get through that one (read: have someone better than me carry me through the game).

Keep on entertaining me, and I hope to catch y'all online soon.