Rogue One DLC Confirmed for Star Wars Battlefront

- Click Here for Video -

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has been spotted in the final DLC slot of the Star Wars Battlefront Multiplayer launch menu.

Just prior to launching the Death Star DLC for Star Wars Battlefront, I happened to notice that there was a name given to the final Expansion Pack Playlist slot on the multiplayer game menu. The name given is "Rogue One: Scarif"!

The highly anticipated Rogue One film is set in the Star Wars universe some time after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and shortly before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, the story centers on a group of Rebels who are on a mission to steal the vital plans for the Galactic Empire's infamous new weapon, the Death Star!

According to sources at EA DICE, the maps for the new DLC will be set on the tropical planet "Scarif". The main bad guy you see in the trailer will be the primary antagonist for this new expansion pack. Speculation is that there will be two added heroes, Jane Erso and the main bad guy we've already mentioned. 

There has also been talk regarding the confirmation of the rumor that there will be more single-player action coming to the DLC packs. However, talking about the confirmation of rumors is really still just the rumor mill doing what it does best. We'll have to wait and see.

- Click Here for Video -

The short video in the link was taken from a longer gameplay video that I am currently putting together. This clip captures the moment that I noticed that the final DLC slot had been given a name. The commentary heard in the video was my initial reaction. The full length gameplay video and my overall review of the recently released Death Star Expansion Pack will be released soon. Stay Tuned!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Star Wars Battlefront - Death Star DLC | Visual Anomalies

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"That's no moon. It's a space station."
--Obi-Wan Kenobi

Hello, Everyone! Welcome to Skookum Valley Gaming. I just wanted to get out a quick blog and video showing my first impressions of the new Star Wars Battlefront Death Star DLC that was released today to Season Pass members. A full highlights video and blog review will be posted later this week.

I have been loving this game since the first release! The first two DLC packages kept me fully engaged by thoroughly impressing me with the developer's attention to detail. Ever since the announcement of the Death Star DLC, I have been eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

While playing the game, some interesting visual anomalies were experienced. In one form of optical oddity, the respawn splash screen was unrecognizable. This can be seen in the video after the first death (at the 11 second mark). It goes by quickly but you can hear me say, "Yeah, that graphic's messed up."

Other visual side-effects seemed to occur mostly when making the transition between the space-based and ground-based battles while playing the new Battle Station game mode.

This intriguing new game mode is a clever variation on familiar themes which builds upon a mixture of space-based Fighter Squadron and ground based infantry battles. It looks like there may still be some wrinkles to iron out in the code which supports this new feature.

At first, I thought the cut-scene was glitching and was failing to render at the same high-resolution that we have come to enjoy in this rather ground-breaking game. You can see the first example at the 21 second mark where I say, "Man! What has happened here?" The visual anomaly prompted me to reset my PS4 because I thought memory was getting corrupted or something. 

- Click Here for the Video -

After the reset, I quickly returned to the same transition cut-scene and it looked just as bad each time. There is a similar cut-scene during the transition between the second and third phase of Battle Station where the gameplay returns to space based battles above the surface of the Death Star. This cut-scene (staring at 0:56) also has the same, strange, low-resolution (and kind of odd looking) graphical quality as the one between the first and second phases of the game mode. 

Other anomalies were encountered during these transitions as I continued to play several rounds. Each time the transitions occurred, slightly different oddities would arise. Some of these included loss of sound (at 1:11) and other screen effects which you can see in the video in the link. Check out the incident where the top 1/3 of the screen goes white while the bottom 2/3 remains black for no apparent reason (at time 1:51).

...and why is the spinning load circle in the center of the screen and not down at the lower right?

My suspicion is that there is a really heavy context switch required between those phases of Battle Station. I'm thinking that swapping out one map for another while running the same game mode is something that was not built into the underlying software design. It probably requires a lot of resources and, being something new, is causing some unexpected and undesirable behavior. EA DICE will likely address this issue in a future patch and it's not a game changer or show stopper by any means.

I chatted with someone online who was also playing the game tonight. This user mentioned seeing the some problems and when I spoke about the anomalies that I was seeing, he said that he'd seen them too and was glad that I mentioned it because he thought maybe it was just him. 

In any case, I really do appreciate the work that EA DICE has put into this truly remarkable and beautifully rendered game. However, I do think that something unfortunate has happened and perhaps this DLC was release just slightly prematurely. I'm hoping that there will be a patch coming soon and we can put all of this strangeness behind us. 

Bonus Video Link! Another PS4 SWBF player posted a rather entertaining glitch. What happens when you respawn in space but the game forgets to give you a space ship? Click on the video frame to find out!

- Click Here for Mihaly Csere's Video -

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

A Shout-out to the Nez Gaming Shoutout Series!

- Nez Gaming YouTube Video -

I'm taking some time this evening to give a shout-out to a gamer who is starting a shout-out series of videos that will spotlight three small YouTube gaming channels each and every Sunday.

And it all starts this week!

Get ready for Nez Gaming's Sunday Shoutout Series!

This enterprising YouTube Gamer runs a channel called Nez Gaming and down below in this blog you will find links to his YouTube channel, the announcement video, and several other ways to gain access to the world of Nez Gaming.

Creating a shout-out series and inviting the community to participate in the project is an outstanding idea and I completely support Nez in his effort to "give back" to a community which he feels has treated him well. That, my friend, is putting gratitude into action!

It's truly wonderful when small YouTube gaming channels work together to get the word out and share the fun. I'm hoping that other gamers will appreciate, enjoy, and take an active role in what Nez Gaming is making happen.

Nez is really doing a great thing here and I encourage him to keep up the good work! The video series he is creating has the potential to empower each and every one of us! Thanks Nez!

The series is open to all YouTube gaming channels and you, too, might one day find yourself being featured in one of the Nez Gaming channel's shout-out videos.

Watch the video in the link below (and above right) where Nez describes his idea for this video series and provides a small set of rules which will assist with organizing and helping to promote the effort.

You can find the Nez Gaming YouTube channel at this link (click here).

You can also find Nez Gaming at the following links...
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nez_Gaming
► Youtube: https://t.co/yZWg7furgK
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nez_ig/
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nezgaming7

- Nez Gaming Shoutout Series Video -

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Keep on gaming on!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Battlefield 1 - Open Beta | Epic Postmortem 5X Multikill!

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From spawn to post muerte, this video captures one of the more epic moments of battle that I have encountered while playing the Battlefield 1 beta. This may be a taste of things to come with the upcoming release of Battlefield 1 from game-makers EA DICE.

Definitely getting that BattleFeel from BF1!

I spawn into the game near the train station at D-Flag. The battle is already hot and heavy! Because there are tanks and other enemy vehicles in the vicinity, I immediately lay down some anti-tank (AT) mines. This turns out to have been a good move even though the effort did not save my own life.

After dropping the mines, I run around the railroad cars and find myself facing a heavily armored tank. There is little I can do but throw some anti-tank grenades at it and run for my life.

You will, however, see me try to shoot the tank in a futile attempt to finish off the damage and disable the vehicle. Eventually, I run for cover in the direction of the mines I had placed earlier (hoping to lure the tank to its demise).

I take heavy damage but manage to survive the battle with this particular tank. But the glory is short lived as I am quickly run over by another armored enemy vehicle. The battle was not quite lost, however.

The tank which ran me over continued to drive around the railroad cars and eventually drove over my AT mines. All on-board the vehicle were lost along with someone standing nearby. I'm not sure that more than four people could have been in that particular tank at one time.

Either way, my single death resulted in 5 enemy deaths. And that, my friends, is how to play the game!

This video was captured on a PlayStation 4 (PS4) using the Elgato HD60 game capture device and a Blue Yeti microphone. It was edited using Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.

So far my experience with playing the Battlefield 1 beta has been truly great. If anything, it has convinced me to pre-order the full game.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Battlefield!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Learn more about the EA/DICE Battlefield Games!
https://www.battlefield.com/

See more BF1 Beta action in these short videos!
https://youtu.be/yk7UzcweB2g
https://youtu.be/97hkz-3N1kA
https://youtu.be/rafVfLa0EGQ
https://youtu.be/pW2YbcFFhps

Battlefield 1 - Open Beta | 4X Multikill with AT Mine!

- Click Here for Video -

Walked into some heavy Battlefield 1 action near the antenna tower at C flag and immediately set some anti-tank (AT) mines. Started taking heavy damage from bullets and poison gas so I ditched it near a wall hoping to recover some hit points before someone noticed me.

As I got up and made my way over to some nearby cover, I see one of the enemy vehicles return to the area. Luckily, they ran right over one of my AT mines and the entire vehicle was destroyed. There were no survivors.

This action landed me my first 4X multikill in Battlefield 1. It was awesome to see because I was not expecting to take out that many enemy soldiers at once.

So far my experience with playing the Battlefield 1 beta has been truly great. If anything, it has convinced me to pre-order the full game. The pre-order option that I chose will allow me to access the game a few days early. The game is going to be released to the public on Friday October 21, 2016. With the pre-order, I will be able to start playing on Tuesday October 18, 2016!

This video was captured on a PlayStation 4 (PS4) using the Elgato HD60 game capture device and a Blue Yeti microphone. It was edited using Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Battlefield!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Learn more about the EA/DICE Battlefield Games!
https://www.battlefield.com/

See more BF1 action in these short videos!
https://youtu.be/ucJKXWERTAQ
https://youtu.be/97hkz-3N1kA
https://youtu.be/rafVfLa0EGQ
https://youtu.be/pW2YbcFFhps

Battlefield 1 - Open Beta | Killed in Action!

- Click Here for Video -

Warning: Do not drive your vehicle directly into the ammo depot. Failure to follow these guidelines may cause severe injury including death.

Battlefield 1 is chock full of that Battlefeel!!!

I was driving my vehicle rather erratically and ended up crashing into a stash of bombs in the Ammo Depot at the G-Flag. The resulting explosion caught me so off guard that I dropped a G-Rated F-Bomb!

Oh, my goodness! This game is awesome and DICE has definitely paid attention to detail. I was not expecting that they would code the game with such logical precision that running into a stockpile of ammunition with a vehicle would lead to total destruction of the vehicle and a premature death.

It stands to reason that driving directly into a pile of bombs would be dangerous and ill-advised but it's something that previous game developers seemed to have allowed to occur all of the time. I guess it's time to stop assuming I can do careless things and not have to pay the price. Those days are long gone with the introduction of Battlefield 1 and this version of the Frostbite engine.

My hat is off to the folks staying up late at night and working long hours over there at EA DICE. Thank you for this glimpse at what appears to be an epic new game. If the full release lives up the the impact of the beta then you can bet your sweet jeep that I'll be staying up late on many, many nights battling for the wins with the awesome community that has grown up around this fantastic franchise!

This video was captured on a PlayStation 4 (PS4) using the Elgato HD60 game capture device and a Blue Yeti microphone. It was edited using Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.

Thanks for checking out the video! Remember to subscribe and share with friends.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Battlefield!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Learn more about the EA/DICE Battlefield Games!
https://www.battlefield.com/

See more BF1 action in these short videos!
https://youtu.be/ucJKXWERTAQ
https://youtu.be/yk7UzcweB2g
https://youtu.be/97hkz-3N1kA
https://youtu.be/pW2YbcFFhps

Battlefield 1 - Open Beta | Operation Dead-Eye!

- Click Here for Video -

Here's a quick BF1 video which begs the question, "Was this a great shot with the rifle on horseback or did I simply pull off a WW1 era Han Solo Lucky Shot?"

...looks a little more like Indiana Jones actually.

This Battlefield 1 multiplayer beta gameplay video opens with my soldier riding in on horseback with a barrage of tracer rounds whizzing by his ears. Upon nearing the flag, I see a sniper off in the distance. While still in the process of drawing a quick bead on the distant shooter, I squeezed the trigger and pulled off an amazing single-shot kill.

I believe that the enemy had already been hit by other gunfire and had their health points reduced prior to my shot but, still, it was awesome to see the sniper fall after a single, well-timed, rifle blast.  The rewards displayed on the HUD tell the full story.

The rendering and game mechanics realized in the horses is simply amazing. The action is smooth and the horses are incredibly realistic. It's almost like playing a remastered version of Red Dead Redemption that somehow stumbled upon the Battlefields of the First World War! Did I mention that this game is tons of fun? I've only been able to play on one map and I'd gladly go back to the same map right now if I could. But, like most everyone else, I will have to wait patiently until the release date later in October of this year. ...in the meantime, I'll be surfing the YouTubes looking for more BF1 gameplay videos.

Skill or Lucky Shot? You decide!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

This video was captured on a PlayStation 4 (PS4) using the Elgato HD60 game capture device and a Blue Yeti microphone. It was edited using Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.

Thanks for checking out the video! Remember to subscribe and share with friends.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Battlefield!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Learn more about the EA/DICE Battlefield Games!
https://www.battlefield.com/

See more BF1 action in these short videos!
https://youtu.be/ucJKXWERTAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7UzcweB2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97hkz-3N1kA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rafVfLa0EGQ