Madden NFL Connected Franchise Best EXP Slider Settings

Earlier in the year when EA released the new CFM EXP sliders we showed you guys the results of having them all at 100%, 200% and 300% but we never really gave you our recommendation for the best set of exp sliders. We are here today to give you some help on how to set up your EXP sliders to best mimic the default rosters. Of course, you can always tweak them to how you or your league prefer, but here is our suggested EXP sliders that we have found to be the most balanced:

Quarterback 80%

After the season sim this ended with about 40 guys above 80 overall. A few teams with young rookie backups were over the 80 ovr threshold. This seemed like a good spot give or take for most teams, you really don’t see too many starting QBS come into madden with below an 80 overall. The lowest starters are usually around 76 which I found to be fairly consistent with this sim. It was a little deep in 80-89 guys but I think this is the happy spot. But you can move this a little but up or down, according to your preference.

Halfback/Fullback 130%

I really think this was pretty spot on. In my CFM on normal XP sliders, you truly don’t see many standout HBs. We have had 1 HB who was drafted eclipse the 90 overall mark. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very good ones, but more due to user skill rather than actual attributes. 130% left me feeling that good HBs were actually coming in to replace the aging greats.

Wide Receiver 230% 

Another situation very similar to the HB situation, but more extreme in my opinion. Very few WRs you see really eclipse that 90 overall point, truthfully there really is not many you see eclipse the 85 overall mark other than the ones who already started at that point. 230% makes it much more realistic and allows for those WR stars, but I think it is a bit too much. My suggestion is to lower it slightly.

Tight End 80%

This is really close to where I am feeling that it is spot on. The highest overall tight end in my CFM is a 92, which isn’t bad, but in 6 seasons we have yet to have one come up to that Gronk/Graham overall as well as formers like Gates, Tony G etc.. 80% is a good spot for most guys and I think most users will be happy with 80%, but you may also try upping it a bit.

Tackle 130% 

This is one that has actually given me a bit of trouble. I’ve had some inconsistencies with sims and have had to drop this a few times. 130% was what I had it on for my last season sim, but I truly do feel that it is a little bit too high. Possibly 100 or 110% would be the better number for this one.

Guard 100%

This left me with a great taste in my mouth after having many troubles with the tackles. 100% leaves a good amount of 85-90 OVR guys, and still some over 90 OVR as well. Nice base here, I wouldn’t change it much, possibly lowering it slightly is all.

Center 130% 

Initially had 37 players over 80 OVR in this one, which is just a bit too high in my opinion. So to get this down to around 21-25 we will set it at 130%.

Defensive End 200% 

This is just a small step from being completed. I really liked the results I saw from this sim. It gave us more top end guys who will replace the aging greats, but still is just a bit too skimpy. Go with 200%, or raise it slightly, your preference.

Defensive Tackle 100%

This was another one that’s a little tricky. The depth was a little too deep in my opinion, but there are a good amount of good-average DTs in the NFL, but the top end was perfect in my opinion. If you want a little less depth at DT you can lower it; I still think you will see some good results from the top end guys if you lower it.

Outside Linebacker 150%

A very easy one here. You don’t see as many top end guys as years past in Madden, but I think that’s more true to life. You really only have a handful of Linebackers over the 90 OVR mark to start Madden.

Middle Linebacker 150%

Same as the OLB position. You don’t see 7 99 OVR MLBs anymore like you used to in last Madden, this is more true to real life where you really only see 4-5 really dominant MLBs.

Cornerback 200%

The top end, 88+ OVR guys, were a little heavy here, but overall it sticks pretty close to stock Madden rosters; which ultimately is the goal as we get many seasons into our league, to not have an abundance of superstars or duds but remain consistent with actual starting roster overalls.

Free Safety 180%

Short, sweet and to the point here. 180% is perfect. The results were really great with how the distribution of overalls was between good to average guys as well as the top end.

Strong Safety 180% 

This was really spread out evenly between 80-99 OVR, but I’m not sure I like having 13 guys over 90. My opinion is to probably drop this around the 160% range.

Kicker 150%

Very good numbers as far as the overalls go comparing to stock rosters, which as I said is the goal. I wouldn’t change it from this.

Punter 150%

Probably not a spot most people really care too much about, but for consistency sake it is a little too high. This turned out very top heavy in high overalls. Try lowering it to about 130%

I hope this helps for all those CFM guys out there looking to restart on online, or start over in a solo franchise. Most of these sliders are pretty solid and mimic the stock rosters which is what you want as you get a few years into the franchise. With some small adjustments according to everyone’s personal taste, I think this is an excellent guide for those who wish to follow it.

Madden NFL Connected Franchise Best EXP Slider Settings

MLB The Show 16 Tips: Analog Hitting Introduction

MLB The Show 16 finally has re-introduced the stride back into the for pure analog hitting. In this brief Pure Analog Hitting Introduction, I will talk about the changes made to this year’s Pure analog Hitting and give you a few pointers as well.

Obviously the biggest addition to thais year’s pure analog hitting is the re-addition of the stride mechanism. Last year in MLB 15 The Show, SDS decided to take it out to due to the small percentage of users using the analog hitting. However, after talking to the community the general consesus was that the pure analog hitters were greatly disappointed. So it was a smart decision of SDS to finally implement in this feature back in. The stride is back, but you can also still use the “flick” feature that was only used for MLB 15 The Show for Pure Analog Hitting. Now lets talk about how to use stride feature effectively.

When using stride there are some differences in previous iterations of MLB The Show. In this year’s game, there is no working feedback for stride. This means that the timing of your stride really means nothing. In the past it could give you small bonuses and you could also get punished for striding too early or too late. Now it does nothing is generally just there for aesthetic purposes.

To change swing type for stride you simply press either square, x, or circle before the pitcher starts the wind up. If you have vibration on you will feel a slight vibration when you change your swing type. If you do not press any buttons then you will just be using the normal swing (x).

Now for the flick feature in pure analog hitting it works the same as last year. To power swing, you have to move the RS down then up (similar to striding) before swinging and to contact swing you need to swipe the stick all the way to the left or right when swinging. For normal swing you just flick up towards either the left or right. Keep in mind with contact swing, you can only contact swing to the left or right and never really down the middle, which is a huge flaw in the system.

Remember, regardless if you are using stride or flick when swinging you have to move the analog either up, up and to the right, or up and to the left towards the pitch. A lot of players do not realize that you control the horizontal placement of your PCI by swinging up and either to the right, left, or middle pending on where the pitch is. You also bunt with triangle still for both hitting techniques.

This interface, skill level wise, is in between directional and zone as far as how much influence users can have on their PCI placement. As for skill level required, I would also say its in between both zone and directional. Overall, this interface is a medium risk and medium reward concept. You have little influence on the PCI’s verticality, but you do have more control compared to an interface like directional.

Lastly, keep in mind attributes still play a moderate factor on pure analog hitting. Contact and plate vision will have a big influence on whether or not your PCI is on the ball, regardless of your input. Again, this interface is in between zone (which relies more on user’s inputs than attributes) and directional (relies more on attributes than user’s input). If you like directional but a little more influence on your hits or if you like zone but feel a bit too overwhelmed then definitely give this interface a try!

For more MLB The Show 16 tips, follow us on twitter, like us on facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube.

MLB The Show 16 Tips: Analog Hitting Introduction

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Madden NFL 16 Salary Cap Ranked! EP 1 Madden 16 Ultimate Team With Team ...

Madden NFL 16 Salary Cap Ranked EP1

Madden NFL 16 Salary Cap Ranked EP1

PAX East 2016: Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality is the next big thing, and there was all kinds of VR at PAX East 2016. HTC Vive and Oculus are the best, and most expensive Virtual Reality headsets on the market, with the former going for $800 USD, and the latter going $600 USD.

As these two brands quickly become the most popular, they are beginning to develop exclusive games as we see with PlayStation and Xbox consoles. PlayStation Virtual Reality was also in attendance at PAX East, and is also a solid VR option, which goes for $500 USD. Each have their pros and cons, and here they are.

HTC Vive

Taken by VR Focus

Pros

• 2160 x 1200 combined resolution


• 90 Hz refresh rate


• The headset covers your entire field of view


• Includes controllers

Cons

• $800


• No headphones built into the headset

Oculus

Pros

• 2160 x 1200


• Built in headphones


• 90 Hz refresh rate

Cons

• Resolution


• $600, less than HTC Vive, but still not affordable for many people


• Does not always cover your entire field of view


• Does not come with controllers

PlayStation VR

Pros

• Up to a 1080p


• If you upgrade to a PlayStation VR Launch Bundle for $500 it includes headphones, camera and a game

Cons

• $400, cheaper than the previous two, but still not as cheap as some other VR headsets


• Does not include controllers


• On PlayStation, so the VR cannot be run as well as on top shelf PC’s

At PAX East 2016 multiple games were in attendance with all forms of VR, not just the ones listed above. Fated was one virtual reality game at PAX East which is being released tomorrow. They brought HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PS VR setups, so fans could play on any of the three.

As we get farther into 2016, we should see these different forms of virtual reality become much more competitive in price. As they become more affordable, their popularity will skyrocket. Until then only those who can drop $500 plus can experience the full fledged VR experience.

From Sports Gamers Online, I hope we have brought you some insightful virtual reality information.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on sports gaming news.

PAX East 2016: Virtual Reality

MLB The Show 16 Server Update #7

Enjoying MLB The Show 16, but not some of the bugs? Hopefully the following fixes will help you out, which ave arrived as part of the latest MLB The Show 16 server update.

1. The first of the two fixes addresses users getting a loss when players agree on a friendly quit. This bug only affects online players and should not occur anymore


2. The second fix addresses an exploit which allowed players to avoid losing online matches if they changed certain tactics before the end of the game. This issue was mostly affecting the Battle Royale mode.

That’s it for this server update. Feel free to let us know if these changes helped you.

MLB The Show 16 Server Update #7

EA Sports Announces The Madden NFL 16 Championship With $50,000 Prize

EA Sports announced the the 2016 Madden NFL 16 Championship today. The championship will culminate in a finals this summer at EA PLAY, which takes place during E3 this year.

Players can participate in Ultimate Team, Draft Champions and the new Salary Cap Ranked mode on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Participants are playing for a chance to win a share of a $50,000 prize.

In a statement Todd Sitrin, SVP and General Manager of EA’s Competitive Gaming Division, said, “Madden NFL players can be some of the fiercest competitors out there, and we’re excited to celebrate their passion and skill with the Madden NFL 16 Championship. We look forward to incredible competition in the community as the Madden NFL 16 Championship builds to the finals taking place on stage at EA PLAY in June.”

Players competing in Salary Cap Ranked and Season 2 Draft Champions Ranked ladders can climb the leaderboards and compete in live events for a chance to take home the grand prize at EA PLAY.

The top 64 players in Salary Cap Ranked on each console will be invited to the first round of the competition.  Madden Challenge Finalists, DCR Season 2 finalists and Salary Cap Ranked finalists will all come together to crown the Madden NFL 16 Champion.

It’s unclear from EA’s statements how many finalists from DCR and Madden Challenge will be invited to the competition.

EA Sports Announces The Madden NFL 16 Championship With $50,000 Prize

Need For Speed Update Adds SpeedLists and Prestige Mode

A new Need For Speed update dropped today and it’s a hefty one.

The two big ones are SpeedLists and Prestige Mode.

SpeedLists are a series of five pre-selected events that users race in against other human opponents. Users can access the lists from the main menu with four different styles; Quick Play, Speed, Style or Mixed.

Speedpoints are given to racers based on their finish. The winners with the most Speedpoints are shown in a winning cinematic.

Prestige Mode takes events from story mode and puts them in Hard Mode. The mode collects tougher versions of the Speed, Style, Build, Crew and Outlaw events.

Also added were Activities in the Drift or Speed events. These new events are collectible.

Finally, there are over 150 new Daily Challenges with decals to collect. These new decals were only available if a player had previously beaten all three daily challenges.

There were several smaller smaller updates which you can see below:

• Forced Induction and a new visual Engine are all now available on the Ford 1932 Hotrod


• New Community Campaigns for REP bonuses, $ bonuses and discounts – keep watching our Social Challenges for details on upcoming events


• 3 Brand new Achievements & Trophies. These ones are tough!


• Improved network warning messages for players with a poor connection


• New red zone on the rev counter to clearly see your rev limit


• Updated Drag Race Outro comparison screen


• Various Bug Fixes and Improvements


• Multiple stability fixes

What do you think about the update? Let us know in the comments.

Need For Speed Update Adds SpeedLists and Prestige Mode

Hoops Brings Basketball to Rocket League With Patch 1.17

If you are reading this article, then you probably know what Rocket League is all about. With the latest free update, Psyonix adds yet another sport into the mix in the form of Hoops.

The update comes with a new map to go along with the new game mode. This map is also more than just a re-skin. The goal is not its usual rectangular shape. It is instead circular and elevated from the ground. As I’m sure you could have guessed, the ball has also been changed to a basketball. Players on will also get a free NBA logo flag. If you want to rep your favorite team, you will have to fork over $1.99 for the DLC.

This comes just a few months after the Winter Sports update, which included hockey with more maps and modes. Just like the addition of Hoops, this was also a free update. It is refreshing to see developers release content that isn’t always blocked by a paywall.

Will you be checking out the new mode? Let us know in the comments.

Hoops Brings Basketball to Rocket League With Patch 1.17

The NHL 17 Cover Vote Begins Today

EA Sports and the NHL have announced the cover vote for NHL 17, with a total of eight players competing for the spot. Each player represents one of the teams competing in the World Cup this year. Voting starts today, with the option to vote either through twitter using the hashtag of your choice or by voting on the NHL’s website. You can even vote as many times as you’d like.

If you’re voting through twitter, EA has provided the following table to let you know what hashtag you’ll want to be using to support your favorite athlete.

Country		Team		Player		Twitter Vote Hashtag
Team Canada		Dallas Stars		Jamie Benn		#NHL17Benn
Team USA		San Jose Sharks		Joe Pavelski		#NHL17Pavelski
Team Czech Republic		Philadelphia Flyers		Jakub Voracek		#NHL17Voracek
Team Finland		Florida Panthers		Aleksander Barkov		#NHL17Barkov
Team Russia		St. Louis Blues		Vladimir Tarasenko		#NHL17Tarasenko
Team Sweden		Tampa Bay Lightning		Victor Hedman		#NHL17Hedman
Team Europe		Los Angeles Kings		Anze Kopitar		#NHL17Kopitar
Team North America		Edmonton Oilers		Connor McDavid		#NHL17McDavid

 

EA has also released a new vision trailer today, detailing some of the improvements made in the latest iteration of their NHL franchise. The trailer offers a brief look at some of the customization. You can watch that video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJNQovjxVhk

Who’s your pick for the NHL 17 cover? Let us know in the comments.

The NHL 17 Cover Vote Begins Today

Salary Cap Ranked Comes to Madden 16 Tomorrow

Madden Ultimate Team is about to get a lot more interesting when the latest game mode hits Madden 16 tomorrow. That game mode is Salary Cap Ranked, and it’ll be available in beta as of April 26th. Don’t let the beta tag fool you though, because Salary Cap Ranked should provide a satisfying new way for fans of Madden Ultimate Team to compete.

As mentioned when the mode was first announced, Salary Cap Ranked will provide a much more strategic and competitive element to Madden Ultimate Team by introducing a some restrictions to team building. You’ll be tasked with setting up a team of 34 players that doesn’t exceed a cap of 1000 points.

In exchange for those restrictions, injuries will be turned off completely and the rate of fatigue will be slowed.

For a more detailed look Salary Cap Ranked, check out the video up top or give EA’s blog on the subject a look. EA has also uploaded their own video about the new mode, which you can watch below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udu4a34Uw2U

Will you be playing Salary Cap tomorrow? Let us know in the comments.

Salary Cap Ranked Comes to Madden 16 Tomorrow

PAX East 2016 Game Spotlight: Grip

On the final day of PAX East 2016, we’re bringing a brand new racing experience to you: GRIP. If you like speed, intensity and original car design, then this is the game for you. As described by Valve, “GRIP is a futuristic combat racer inspired by the Rollcage games from 1999/2000″. These Rollcage games never saw long-lived sequels to continue the fun, and GRIP looks to be that game. Today we sat down with game director Chris Mallinson to talk more about GRIP and PAX East.

Mallinson began working on the game in early 2015, developing everything from vehicles to courses to game physics. The team went into 2015 with the goal to make a racer that brought back the old Rollcage games and incorporated all the newest game engines. Physics was also very important to the dev-team, who wanted the game to feel somewhat realistic, while also being able to do all of the things that they wanted to.

According to Mallinson, although the physics were one of the hardest aspects of developing this game, they are also one of the most important. Being able to ride on ceilings and flip over and keep driving while still seeming somewhat realistic is one of the biggest aspects of Grip. The dynamics and design of car that allows it to drive even when flipped over makes the game flow much better because it is very common to get flipped over in a race.

On Steam, 94% of the 374 game reviews are positive, which is something I am sure that they are proud of. The negative reviews give them things to consider and improve on, which is also helpful for any growing game.

According to Mallinson they are very happy with how the game has progressed so far, and they cannot wait to take it even further. Grip is in PC early access on steam and can be purchased for 15.99 USD. They are also looking to expand to the console by the end of the summer.

Overall, PAX East 2016 was a successful endeavor for Grip and I hope they make the trip next year to show off their final product. PAX East was also a successful endeavor for us here at Sports Gamers Online. Our first PAX turned out to be great one, and we hope to be back for many more!

And as always, follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on sports gaming news.

PAX East 2016 Game Spotlight: Grip

PAX East 2016 Game Spotlight: Thumb Drift

Today at PAX East, we got you a closer look on one of the most unique mobile racing games on the market: Thumb Drift, developed by SMG Studio. Thumb Drift is available on Android and iOS for free. We spoke with a PAX East Indie Showcase representative who helped with feedback in developing the game. He gave us some background on the game.

“The game was initially released in February, and has been doing well since. Feedback from users really helped polish the game.”

Since then the game has taken off, and they scored a better booth this year at PAX. Last year they were apart of a larger group of games in a less attractive area, but this year they have two booths, and much better name recognition. Overall this year has been a big step forward for SMG Studio, and their work at PAX East was just part of it. The showcase representative was really enthusiastic about how well they were doing this year at PAX.

“People keep coming up to the booth and telling me how much they love the game already, and other people are telling me they can’t wait to download it.”

This game is very different than many other mobile games in how you turn. To turn you drag the car and you drift. It is not like the tapping or tilting mechanism that many games use. If you have never played a game with this control scheme it can be hard to get used to, but once you do the game feels so smooth.

An update is coming soon for Thumb Drift, bringing with it some new game modes and vehicles. No major changes will be added to the game, just some new additions to keep the game fresh. The game will continue to develop as long as there is a fan-base around to play it.

With Thumb Drift’s success, SMG Studio looks to expand their horizons. This year at PAX East they also had their newest game: Death Squared. It is a cooperative puzzle game that is set to be released on Steam and console in mid 2016.

Check back here tomorrow for more exclusive PAX East 2016 coverage. We will be doing another racing game spotlight tomorrow on Grip, a futuristic combat racer also at PAX.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on Sports Gamers Online news.

PAX East 2016 Game Spotlight: Thumb Drift

PAX East 2016: Top 10 Must Do"s

Sports Gamers Online is at PAX East this year, looking out for what you guys are interested in. While PAX East is not stacked full of sports games, it still has a lot of things worth visiting, including some indie sports games that we be diving further into over the weekend. Today we are bringing you the 10 must do things at Pax East 2016, in no particular order.

1. 
   

   PlayStation Virtual Reality 

   
   

   PlayStation Virtual Reality is definitely one of the coolest things you can do at PAX East this year for the lowest wait time. This year they are using an app called PlayStation Experience. Once you have the mobile app downloaded you can schedule a time to come try out the games using the Vitality headset. Booking opens up at 9:00 each morning for that day, and fills up very quickly. 

   
   

   

You can play any of their 7+ games, which each provide a unique Virtual Reality experience.

2. Twitch

Here you can watch and listen to some of your favorite casters. You can check out some new games and learn about top streamers. You can also pick up swag here, and make yourself a nametag with your twitch profile.

3. ARK

Stop by here to play ARK, a survival dinosaur game on the rise. You can compete with other players for prizes and swag. Even if you don’t want to play, its worth your time to check out their awesome dinosaur set up, which they even let people climb on top of.

4. The Yogibos

Trying out the yogibos here on the 1st floor is a great way to relax after standing on your feet for hours waiting for games on the show-floor. You can also purchase them at a booth downstairs if you like what you are sitting on.

5. Pokemon/Pokken Booth

Here the Pokemon franchise is showcasing their newest game: Pokken. It is a 3D fighter that features many Pokemon as playable characters. At the booth they also have some other games, such as a new Pokemon turn based card game.

6. League of Legends Stage

In this area you can watch collegiate League of Legends players battle it out on the rift. They also periodically give out free stuff.

7. Overwatch

Here you can either watch Overwatch teams of 6 battle head to head, or try out the game yourself. They have plenty of setups so the line generally moves quickly.

8. Totino’s Pizza Rolls 

I know this probably sounds weird. Totino’s at a gaming convention? But they are giving out free pizza rolls to everyone who wants to stop by and check out the action. As you’ll see in the picture below, contestants’ goal is to collect as many rings as possible in a Sonic game while being rotated, tilted, and turned in a mechanical horse-like experience.

9. Street Fighter

Here you can watch some Street Fighter Pros play and listen to some great commentary while playing on one of their many setups. You might even be lucky enough to see Mike Ross playing or on commentary.

10. Indie Games Area

Usually with much shorter lines, the Indie game area is a great way to explore new genres. It can be easy to forget about a lot of these games with all the big names in the front, but it is absolutely worth it to try out these games.

That was our day 1 at Pax East and we hope you liked our 10 must do’s. We will be back with more coverage throughout the weekend, so stay tuned.

And as always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on Sports Gamers Online news.

PAX East 2016: Top 10 Must Do"s

SGO Readership Survey - Help Us Out and Win Prizes!

We’ve been delivering you quality sports gaming news and free tips for quite some time now, and recently we have partnered up with the Enthusiast Gaming Network to allow us to bring you even more of that content. Your readership has led us to become one of the top sports gaming websites on the web and now we’d like to ask for your help and support.

Enthusiast Gaming wants to get a better look at our audience to find out more about your gaming habits. By filling out the survey which only takes a few minutes of time, you’ll be eligible to win some prizes! What kind of prizes? Well, I’m glad you asked. Enthusiast Gaming will be offering a chance at $1,000 in prizes to survey participants and we will be giving out copies of sports games from our SGO Vault!

Here are the prizes up for grabs:

1x Grand Prize – $300 Amazon Gift Card

2x First runner-up prizes – $100 Amazon Gift Card

2x Second runner-up prizes – $75 Amazon Gift Card

7x Third runner-up prizes – $50 Amazon Gift Card

Not bad for a few minutes of your time, right? If you’re interested, you can take the survey right here. The prizes are available worldwide, so no matter where you’re from, you’re still eligible. Just make sure you let them know that you came from SGO — it’s the first question of the survey.

Here are the rules via Enthusiast Gaming:

• Promotion open to all survey participants, worldwide, with a valid email address.Limit one prize per person. Promotion valid and open until Amazon Gift Card recipients are chosen and Gift Cards are distributed.


• Gift cards are not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient.


• Amazon Gift Card Recipients will be chosen on or about June 3rd, 2016.


• Twelve total Gift Card recipients will be chosen at random and will receive one of twelve Amazon Gift Cards, totaling $300, $100, $75 or $50 USD.

SGO Readership Survey - Help Us Out and Win Prizes!

NBA 2K16 Roster Update (4-22-16)

The latest NBA 2K16 roster update is here, and that means changes are inbound. This week Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade are headed up, while Blake Griffin, Raymond Felton, and Kemba Walker are moving downwards. You can find a list of the top three players moving this week below.

Moving up:

• Kawhi Leonard +1 (93)


• Chris Paul +1 (92)


• Dwyane Wade +1 (87)

On the way down:

• Blake Griffin -1 (88)


• Raymond Felton -1 (85)


• Kemba Walker -1 (84)

For a more detailed look at the changes this week, check out 2KMTC and get a look at the full list.

NBA 2K16 Roster Update (4-22-16)

NBA 2K16 Defensive Tips: Post Defense

What’s up sports gamers and welcome to part 2 of our 3 part defensive tutorial series where we go over all aspects of defense. Today we will be going over post defense (which can translate into helping you defend the paint in general) The thing is post offense is a beautiful thing, you can do hook shots, step backs, up and unders, spin moves…..and spin moves….and spin moves. Well, today we will show you how to slow down the effectiveness of these shots and moves.

Let’s begin.

When your opponent first gets the ball in the post, you don’t want to touch any buttons yet besides LT( L2 on PS4) so you’re in a defensive stance in preparation for a quick spin move. After that brief window has passed you wait for his initial move. If your opponent tries to back you down you can fight back by moving the left stick into the player, this is where his strength rating comes into play. Obviously the higher your rating is the better chance you have of being a human brick wall, but the thing is it’s a give and take right…Pushing the left stick into the opponent for too long can open you up for an easy drive to the basket by your opponent. So only push into him when he first starts to try and back you down and let go shortly after until he attempts to do it again. So when he transitions into his next move your still in solid position to defend.

If he tries any shot away from the basket like a fade, hook or step back move towards him and get your hands up so you can affect the shot. I also can’t stress enough to GET YOUR HANDS  UP instead of going for the block, so you don’t open yourself up for any counter moves because of your over eagerness to send his shot into the 10^th row. And if he still tries to spin, because you’re not still leaning on the opponent he can’t easily spin off of you for the easy layup/dunk. So once he attempts the spin move laterally with him and again DO NOT JUMP. Instead hold the right stick up to get your hands up in his face. When guys go for the spin they expect to get that animation that wipes the defender completely out the play, regardless of if you’re actually allowing them to get it or not. But, by maintaining solid positioning,  you be surprised how often people panic and resort to attempting to get a bail out call by pump faking 100 times and end up shooting a shot in traffic or get 3 seconds in the key .

Now if you do get beat and he now has a clean look at the hoop, this is the only time I like to fully sell for the block. Sure you might foul him and give up an and 1 but I feel it’s worth the risk then to prevent a guaranteed 2 points.

And Lastly In 2K the players who utilize actually post moves are few and far between, so that would come secondary to being able to stop the spin move to the basket and not draw fouls on shots you could easily defend. If you can eliminate those 2 things from your opponent’s bag of tricks you will already be ahead of the pack.

NBA 2K16 Defensive Tips: Post Defense

Xbox 2016 First Quarter Earnings Report Released Today

Today, Microsoft reported the earnings for the quarter that just ended on March 31.

So, how did the Xbox division do?

Xbox One and 360 sales fell by 26 percent during the quarter. Microsoft attributed the downturn to fewer 360s sold and lower prices on the Xbox One. This past March dropped $50 off the price of the Xbox One. However, that price only lasts through April 30.

On the flipside, Xbox Live revenue went up by 22 percent. The growth was attributed to more Live subscribers and a rise in money spent per transaction and more digital purchases overall.

Microsoft also reported that overall gaming revenue had risen by $64 million, a 4 percent rise over the same period last year.

Xbox 2016 First Quarter Earnings Report Released Today

NHL 16 Roster Update Now Available (4-21-2016)

EA Sports dropped their latest Roster update for NHL 16 today for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

The new update reflects changes in NHL, Liga, SHL, DEL, Extraliga Iedniho hokeje and National League.

If you haven’t updated to an active roster before it’s kind of a convoluted process. Here’s how to get the latest active rosters.

• Go to the NHL 16 main menu, select Customize


• In Customize, select Roster


• In Roster, select Active Rosters


• In Active Rosters, select the most recent update organized by ‘Date & Time’ under EA SPORTS NHL Official Rosters

NHL 16 Roster Update Now Available (4-21-2016)

Rocket League Basketball Mode Hoops Coming April 26

Rocket League’s latest take on sports, a basketball mode called Hoops, finally has a release date. We’ve known for a while now that the mode would see a release sometime this month, but now the date has been set for a definitive release of April 26.

Hoops will be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC players via a free update on April 26. If you’re a fan of basketball, you can also pick up the NBA flag pack for $2.99, which will net you access to all 30 NBA team flags. All players will also immediately receive an NBA logo flag with the update regardless of whether or not you decide to purchase the NBA flag pack.

It’s nice to see that Psyonix are still bringing fresh content to Rocket League both free and as paid DLC nearly a year after release. Are you excited to check out the new mode? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out the trailer up top.

Rocket League Basketball Mode Hoops Coming April 26

PlayStation 4.5 Codenamed NEO, Offers Improved Specs

For a while now there have been rumors circulating that Sony is working on an upgraded PlayStation, which some are calling PlayStation 4.5 or PlayStation 4K. Yesterday, Giant Bomb posted an article allegedly offering details about the system’s specifications, along with a new codename: NEO.

According to the article, the console will feature an improved CPU, GPU, and memory. Also of note is the fact that starting in October, PS4 games will be required to ship with a mode for the original PS4, and a mode for NEO consoles. In NEO mode, games will be able to take advantage of the upgraded hardware for better performance.

It will also feature support for 4K as previously speculated. However, games are not required to run natively in 4K, which means games that do make use of 4K will probably do so through upscaling until 4K becomes more widespread.

Outside of the new hardware upgrades, NEO will supposedly run alongside the PlayStation 4, making the upgrade entirely optional — at least for launch. No games will be exclusive to NEO, and PS4 gamers will be able to play together as they would on a launch PS4. That also means that NEO players won’t have access to any exclusive perks that you wouldn’t have access to on a launch PS4. Virtual reality functionality will also remain the same, to further ensure parity between consoles.

Giant Bomb also offers the following specifications, with a comparison between NEO and the PS4.

	Original PS4	NEO
CPU	8 Jaguar Cores at 1.6 GHz	8 Jaguar Cores at 2.1 GHz
GPU	AMD GCN, 18 CUs at 800 MHz	Improved AMD GCN, 36 CUs at 911 MHz
Memory	8 GB GDDR5, 176 GB/s	8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s

 

What do you think about the upgrade? Are you interested in picking one up? Let us know in the comments below.

PlayStation 4.5 Codenamed NEO, Offers Improved Specs

EA Sports NCAA Football Update: Players Receive Checks as Case Continues to Supreme Court

Athletes are finally starting to receive their checks as part of the settlement between EA Sports and Ed O’Bannon, and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy used the opportunity to call for the return of NCAA Football. On Friday, McElroy took to twitter to publish a five-part message about his opinion on the status of the game.

https://twitter.com/GVMcElroy/status/720977528081510401

The bottom line? For McElroy, he’d rather be able to play the game than be paid. It’s worth noting, however, that McElroy has had somewhat of a successful career outside of college football. After leaving college, he went on to play in the NFL with a brief stint on the New York Jets. Nowadays he serves as a college football analyst for SEC Network.

Most college athletes won’t get that lucky, and while appearing in a game as popular as NCAA Football can provide a large amount of exposure, they can’t rely on that exposure to pay the bills. As you’d probably expect, McElroy is getting quite a bit of backlash from individuals who don’t agree with his point of view. Namely, people who think it’s a little hypocritical to accept a check and use it as a platform to say that the game is more important.

To McElroy, maybe it is. But, as quite a few people have pointed out, McElroy was fortunate enough to be able to make it to the NFL, even if only briefly, and to continue his career as a sports analyst. Not everyone is going to have that opportunity, and that’s why plenty of people support the court’s decision in the Ed O’bannon case. It wasn’t about removing NCAA Football from the market, it was about making sure that the athletes who made an appearance in the game were fairly compensated.

But, just because athletes are finally starting to receive their checks doesn’t mean that the fight is over. The return of NCAA Football may depend on a decision from the Supreme Court.

While district judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that the NCAA had indeed violated antitrust laws, the plaintiffs would also be eligible to receive up to $5,000 a year as compensation for use of their likeness. Unfortunately, the Court of Appeals for the 9th circuit’s ruling reversed the decision to have money set aside for athletes, only agreeing that the NCAA had violated antitrust laws. That left athletes hoping for compensation beyond the cost of their tuition out of luck.

After the 9th Circuit’s decision, the plaintiffs petitioned for the case to be heard by the Supreme Court last month. Regardless of whether or not the Supreme Court chooses to hear the case, a decision will still be made. If the Supreme Court hears the case, that could mean the 9th Circuit’s decision would be reversed, allowing athletes to receive compensation. The Supreme Court could also agree with the 9th Circuit’s decision, in which case their ruling would stand and athletes would not be granted the compensation afforded to them by the initial ruling.

The results will be the same if they don’t hear it, meaning that athletes will continue on without compensation, likely ruling out any NCAA games in the near future. If the athletes aren’t compensated, it’s unlikely that college sports will make a return, at least in their previous form.

It’ll be a while before we find out, but we’re rooting for the Supreme Court to hear the case and allow athletes to receive compensation, as that would be another step toward bringing the beloved NCAA Football franchise back into our homes.

Are Kirk Herbstreit and Greg McElroy right? Does the case have a chance at the Supreme Court? Let us know in the comments below or on social media. As always, we’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest NCAA developments here at SGO.

EA Sports NCAA Football Update: Players Receive Checks as Case Continues to Supreme Court

MLB The Show 16 Challenge of the Week 4 (4/18/16)

It’s Week 4 of MLB The Show 16 Challenge of the Week. This week it’s pitcher versus hitter, as Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer goes up against retiring Boston Red Sock David Ortiz.

The week begins today, April 18, and goes through next Monday, April 25 at 4:30 AM PDT.

To get involved, select the Challenge of the Week option in mini modes from the main menu.

You can find leaderboards, rules and winners at TheShowNation.com.

Here’s the prize breakdown:

• First Place: David Ortiz autographed official Boston Red Sox hat and a PS4 System plate.


• Second Place: 20 Standard Pack +3 silver cards bundle.


• Third Place: 10 Standard Pack +1 silver card bundle.


• Fourth Place: 8,000 Stubs.


• Fifth Place: 5,000 Stubs

There are four bonus challenges as well:

Boston Strong!

• Hit one of each hit type throughout the session – Home run, deep fly ball, line drive, weak hit.


• Bonus: 1000 points | X 2 multiplier


• Bonus Details: Valid for one Session


• Hits Required: Home Run (1), Deep Fly (1), Line Drive (1), Weak Hit (1)

Farewell Big Papi!

• Collect a total of 10 hits within an out.


• Bonus: 1000 points | X 2 multiplier


• Bonus Details: Valid for one Out


• Hits Required: Put In Play (10)

500 Home Run Club!

• Hit 10 home runs throughout the session.


• Bonus: 2000 points | X 2 multiplier


• Bonus Details: Valid for one Session


• Hits Required: Home Run (10)

This Is Our City!

• Hit five line drives within a strike.


• Bonus: 1000 points | X 2 multiplier


• Bonus Details: Valid for one Strike


• Hits Required: Line Drive (5)

MLB The Show 16 Challenge of the Week 4 (4/18/16)

MLB The Show 16 Roster Update (4-18)

The latest MLB The Show 16 Roster Update is here, and with it comes a number of changes. There are some major ratings adjustments this week. Here are a few of the bigger ratings changes below, for the rest please visit our friends over at Daddy Leagues DD Roster Attribute Changes Page:

Name	Team	Pos	Sell	Buy	New OVR	Old OVR
Justin Upton	DET	LF	7699	6895	88 -2	90
Carlos Gomez	HOU	CF	8450	7451	86 -3	89
J.D. Martinez	DET	RF	6698	5509	86 +1	85
Kevin Jepsen	MIN	CP	318	200	81 +2	79
Shin-Soo Choo	TEX	RF	388	200	80 -2	82
A.J. Griffin	TEX	SP	0	120	79	0
Kike Hernandez	LAD	LF	200	126	79 +4	75
Dan Straily	CIN	SP	67	18	77 +6	71
Rajai Davis	CLE	CF	385	250	77 -5	82
Andre Ethier	LAD	RF	375	133	77 -2	79
Kenta Maeda	LAD	SP	999	700	76 -1	77
Justin Morneau	FA	1B	108	40	74 -1	75
Cory Luebke	PIT	SP	175	45	73 +6	67

 

MLB The Show 16 Roster Update (4-18)

Madden 15 Tips: SS Scrape 3

Our blitzes will be of the SIM variety meaning there will be very little setup and no moving of any players on the defensive side pre-snap.  As most know by know, getting to the QB in Madden 15 is a lot easier than in years prior.  The OLine is still smart, but sometimes they don’t get the job done in obvious situations.

Because of this, stock blitzes have a greater likelihood of being effective.  But never under-estimate the importance of having some key blitzes in your back-pocket during those critical moments in a key game.  Contrarily, also never get stuck holding the bag on offense without a hot-read for your QB….knowing these blitzes come in hot.

Formation:  3-4 Predator

Play:  SS Scrape 3

Adjustments:  Shift DL Left

***You could also tinker with QB Contain as well, but as long as you shift the DL to the left, the SS will come in free OR the RT will pick up the SS and the LOLB will come in even quicker.  Make sure you do NOT do anything to move the SS back for 2 Deep Look.

Madden 15 Tips: SS Scrape 3

JFF Fall 2014 Season: NFC North Preview

On Monday, September 8, 2014, The JFF Madden NFL (PS4) Online League began their Fall 2014 season. We will spend the next week offering a preview of each of the eight divisions.

This is the fifth of the eight division previews, and today, we examine the NFC North Division.

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 13-3-0 (1st in NFC North)

Last game played: Lost 27-10 to the JFF Tampa Buccaneers (JFF Fall 2013 NFC Conference Championship)

Owner / Coach: The Natural / PSN: MWSTheNatural (1st season with Bears)

General Comments:

Curtis K. a.k.a. “The Natural” is one of three former JFF Super Bowl Champions participating in the league this season (Mike P. of San Francisco and Clifton S. of Dallas are the other two). The Natural is one of only two JFF League members who can say that they have never, ever lost a Regular Season or Playoff game in The JFF to date (the other being Victor a.k.a. “Pasadena Soldier”). The Bears could very well go undefeated, and should finish no worse than 15-1-0. The Bears are the favorites to win the NFC North Division.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Jay Cutler
HB Matt Forte
WR Brandon Marshall
WR Alshon Jeffrey
TE Martellus Bennett (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

LE Lamarr Houston
RE Jared Allen
ROLB Lance Briggs
CB Tim Jennings
K Robbie Gould (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 3-13-0 (3rd in NFC North)

Last game played: Lost 31-20 to the JFF Minnesota Vikings (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Da Kang / PSN: ah2dakang (6th season with Lions)

General Comments:

This is the sixth season that Ato M. a.k.a. “Da Kang” has been an Owner / Coach in The JFF, although last season, he resigned about four or five weeks into the season. Each season that Da Kang has been in The JFF, he has directed the JFF Detroit Lions. The Lions should finish no worse than 11-5-0 this season.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Matthew Stafford
HB Reggie Bush
WR Calvin Johnson (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
WR Golden Tate
RG Larry Warford

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

RE Ezekiel Ansah
DT Ndamukong Suh (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
DT Nick Fairley
MLB Stephen Tulloch
FS Ed Reed

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 7-9-0 (2nd in NFC North)

Last game played: Lost 38-7 to the JFF Chicago Bears (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Tim Dog / PSN: BarNone12000 (1st season with Packers)

General Comments:

This will be the second season that Tim a.k.a. “Tim Dog” will be an Owner / Coach in The JFF. Last season, he was the Owner / Coach of the JFF New Orleans Saints.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Aaron Rodgers
HB Eddie Lacy
FB John Kuhn
WR Jordy Nelson
LG Josh Sitton

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

DT B.J. Raji
LOLB Clay Matthews (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
MLB A.J. Hawk
ROLB Julius Peppers
CB Casey Hayward

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 3-13-0 (4th in NFC North)

Last game played: Defeated JFF Detroit Lions 31-20 (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Biz Rivera / PSN: WeTheBest33 (1st season with Vikings)

General Comments:

This will be the second season for Brian a.k.a. “Biz Rivera” as an Owner / Coach in The JFF. Last season, he was the Owner / Coach of the JFF Buffalo Bills.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Teddy Bridgewater
HB Adrian Peterson
FB Jerome Felton (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
WR Greg Jennings
C John Sullivan (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

RE Everson Griffen
DT Linval Joseph
CB Captain Munnerlyn
CB Xavier Rhodes
FS Harrison Smith

JFF Fall 2014 Season: NFC North Preview

Destiny 20+ Leveling Guide Pt.1

PLEASE READ IF YOU ARE A NEW LEVEL 20, FRUSTRATED LOOT FARMER, OR ANYONE GETTING ANNOYED BY RNG IN GENERAL

First off, if the above doesn’t apply to you, and you’re just having fun, and feel like you can keep playing the game until you stop having fun, then ignore all of this. Rewards will come as you play, even without realizing it, and before you know it you’ll be able to get sweeeeeet loot all your own.

I’ve seen a lot of confusion, frustration, misunderstanding, and even misinformation with regard to gearing up post-level 20 in Destiny. I wanted to at least prepare a guide to demonstrate how, with relatively minimal effort over a short period of real time, you can reach Level 26 without needing to rely on RNG at all. Again, everything prescribed in this guide is completely and 100% divorced from any RNG/random chance/luck. Can’t stress this enough and how important it is to enjoying the game- I have received zero “lucky drops” so far, yet I’m currently about 3 or 4 points of Light from my goal, 8 days from release (or one day after the raid unlocked).

To avoid getting overwhelmed, focus on one mini-goal at a time (each is in red like this). You can skip down to the first one if you’d like. Everything else is just helpful surrounding info.

If you’re used to traditional loot games- anything in the vein of Diablo or Borderlands- a lot of this is going to seem counter-intuitive and even infuriating. You have to unlearn a LOT of habits to get the most from it. But as someone who has been playing with an open mind and enjoying myself every step of the way so far, I have to say that my overall impression of the system at this point is highly positive. It’s satisfying, it’s simple to make significant progress, it has tangible impact and (maybe most importantly) it is totally accessible to casual players.

The first thing we need to discuss is the difference between XP and Light.

Light versus XP

Reaching level 20 in Destiny via XP is relatively simple and quick. However, as soon as you do, you’ll notice that your XP bar is no longer going up toward level 21 as you kill things, turn in bounties, etc.

First of all, you ARE still gaining XP at this stage, make no mistake!

XP after level 20 offers the following:

Continues to level up your class abilities; once you have maxed your chosen subclass, remember you can switch to the other and continue leveling that up too. You can switch between them at will, even mid-combat if needed.

Continues to unlock your equipped gear’s upgrades

At every instant when you would have “leveled” from XP, you instead get a Mote of Light (a currency, explained later)

So that’s all good stuff! But it won’t get you to 21.

Light is a stat on Rare-or-better armor (NOT weapons, ever) that has no impact on anything except raising your light level. It is independent of the character-stats on the gear. I have nothing really to compare it to, personally. I haven’t played every game with gear progression but I just don’t know any examples that wouldn’t just confuse the issue to bring up. I wouldn’t say it’s “groundbreaking” or “revolutionary” by any stretch of the imagination, but I do consider it unique.

Basically, instead of making steady progress via XP to your next level, you make steady progress toward your next piece of gear or gear upgrade- which then provides you a huge chunk of “XP” all at once. It’s entirely possible and likely that during your quest to 26, you’ll jump an entire level and be partway to your next one in an instant, and may immediately feel the effects.

Your level (and thus your “Light level”) has two primary impacts:

The damage you deal to, and damage you take from, monsters below, at, and above your level. I unlocked an armor upgrade in the middle of a strike which put me over to 25, and I could immediately feel more damage being done to the now-below-my-level enemies.

Your loot drops. The personal loot table that the game rolls against seems to be completely tied to your level at the moment the roll occurs. I didn’t see a single piece of base level 20 rare gear, for example, until hitting level 22.

Of course, your level also signifies if you are or aren’t ready for higher-level content, such as the Weekly Nightfall, and of course the Vault of Glass.

Here are the breakpoints for each level- it takes 20 light to get from 20 to 21, 12 from 20 to 22, and 11 for each light level thereafter:

“So how do you get it?”

To answer that, let’s introduce our first short-term goal:

Mini-goal #1 (Levels 20-24): Obtain a Set of Maxed Lvl. 20 Rare Gear

Equipping Rare (blue) gear that has light on it will immediately show some progress toward level 21.

The base level of a rare item determines how much light it can potentially have. Furthermore, when a piece of gear with light on it gets upgraded with an armor upgrade (the one that increases defense), its light will also go up.

So the ideal rare set is all four pieces with a base level of 20, and all four fully upgraded. That will make 4×15 = 60 Light, putting you squarely into Level 24.

Where do you get rare gear? Rare engrams, which can drop anywhere at all (decrypt at the cryptarch), or outright rewards from a chest, Strike or Crucible match. For now don’t worry about the stats on a drop besides the Light. If it is a higher base level or has higher +Light, replace what you’re currently wearing. Little by little you’ll make your way to a full set of maxed 20 blues.

“Wait a minute, that’s random drops! You said literally no RNG was needed!”

That’s true, you got me. Rare (blue) gear you will find from random drops. But I get a pass because:

Unlike Legendaries and Exotics, and despite the name, Rares are… not that rare. I’m already deleting them on the regular even though I don’t have legendaries in the slots they’re for.

Technically, you COULD skip this mini-goal altogether. Unless I’ve missed something, you could save up, and go from wearing all greens to Legendary gear directly, gaining 3+ levels in one fell swoop.

But seriously, Rare gear is not too tough to come across by playing.

Continue/finish off the story missions, complete bounties, do the side stories, do the daily heroic, hop in some strikes, do some PvP if it interests you, help out friends with their stuff. In gameplay terms, 20-24 is a great period to really come to grips with the advanced capabilities of your subclass while unlocking its last few abilities.

As you do the things that you’ll want to do to put yourself on the path to legendary gear, you are likely to hit 24 in the process. Either way- whether you have a full set of maxed rares or not- you can start on mini-goal #2.

Mini-goal #2 (Level 25): Earning Your First Legendary

Now we’re talking… Legendary gear. You want it, I want more of it, players are farming the same exact areas a dozen hours over for a chance at it.

How do you get it reliably and concretely? By earning Reputation, which allows you the right to purchase it from certain vendors in the Tower, and Marks, the currency that you will use to buy it. You will earn and choose the exact gear that you want for your character, and be able to buy and equip it immediately once you have Rank 2 at the vendor, and the requisite marks. This will be your piece of gear, that you chose and earned without relying on luck.

Here are the Vendors that will sell you Legendary Armor:

Your Class Vanguard (or the Vanguard for another class if buying armor for another character). For example, Cayde-6 for Hunters.

Lord Shaxx, Crucible Handler

Faction vendors:

Executor Hideo, New Monarchy

Lakshmi-2, Future War Cult

Arach Jalaal, Dead Orbit

You can look at all this gear (and preview it) by talking to the vendor NPC. The different factions offer different stat distributions and you can choose between them based on that, or hell, whatever you feel like. Most important thing is that any single piece you buy, no matter from whom, will be +18 Light.

By earning Reputation with either the Vanguard, the Crucible, or one of the Factions, you’ll be on your way to your first legendary armor piece.

To purchase it, you’ll need (for the vendor of your choice):

Rank 2

65 Marks (this will get you gauntlets, boots, or a chestpiece. Helms, for some reason, are 120.)

Let’s take a look at the difference between Rep and Marks, and how you get what you need of each.

Reputation vs. Marks

Reputation is earned primarily by doing bounties.

Strikes and beacon missions (patrol) will also earn you small amounts of Rep.

Vanguard bounties offer Vanguard Rep and Crucible Bounties offer Crucible Rep. Strikes and beacon missions provide Vanguard Rep.

If you wish to get Faction gear, buy a Faction’s class item from its vendor for a small amount of glimmer and equip it. At that point, any bounties, strikes, or patrols you do will be earning you Faction rank instead.

Earning enough reputation for either the Vanguard, Crucible, or your Faction will eventually level them up to Rank 2 (you can check this at the same vendor). At this point, all the armor they have is unlocked for sale, permanently.

Marks are earned by doing Strikes and Public Events, along with your Daily Heroic Story and Weekly Heroic Strike (for Vanguard), or PvP (for Crucible). The Faction vendors all rely on Crucible Marks for currency.

You may earn a total of 100 Vanguard and 100 Crucible marks per week, with this cap resetting at 5:00AM EST on Tuesdays. You will keep all your marks after the reset, you just can’t earn any more than 100 of each per week.

This cap (which has already angered some) exists for two reasons:

To incentize you to return next week, rather than, necessarily, tomorrow

To artificially limit the rate at which those with the most time per day to devote are able to progress. This has proven upsetting to people who do have the time, but for the playerbase and game at large it is a good thing. Making it simply take less real-world time- not less time spent in-game, but fewer calendar days- to “max out” a character is not actually beneficial to the community, even though it seems like a great idea to the individual.

Because the prerequisites for this are a one-time unlock you can progress toward at your leisure, and the currencies are awarded frequently for activities that you only complete once a day or once a week, casual players have a surefire avenue toward their own progression. It might take some longer than others but it can’t not happen given enough time.

When you hit Rank 2 and 65 marks, it’s time to buy. Choose your gear and equip it immediately!

However, this will not put you quite to Level 25. 45 + 18 from your Legendary piece is 63- and Level 25 requires 65. To hit that, we’ll need to upgrade your new Legendary’s armor rating one time.

Upgrading Legendaries

Like any other item, Legendaries unlock useful upgrades as you gain XP while wearing them. On Legendary armor, there will be a number of “armor upgrades” that increase the item’s Defense stat. For each of these upgrades, the item’s Light will increase by 2.

At first, these upgrades will be relatively cheap and simple to do. But the later ones will require specific and sometimes rare crafting materials that come from all across the game.

To meet mini-goal #2, however, you just need to do the first one. Boom, you’re 25. Fine work.

Stayed tuned for part 2…

via NeoGAF

Destiny 20+ Leveling Guide Pt.1

JFF Fall 2014 Season: AFC East Preview

On Monday, September 8, 2014, The JFF Madden NFL (PS4) Online League began their Fall 2014 season. We will spend the next week offering a preview of each of the eight divisions.

This is the fourth of the eight division previews, and today, we examine the AFC East Division.

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 7-9-0 (2nd in AFC East)

Last game played: Lost 42-9 to the JFF Buffalo Bills (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Erick / PSN: K-R-U-Z-702 (1st season with Bills)

General Comments:

Erick C. is one of a long list of new Owner / Coaches to The JFF Online League. The JFF Bills should be very competitive in the AFC East Division, and should finish no worse than 9-7-0 this season.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB E.J. Manuel
HB C.J. Spiller (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
WR Mike Williams
TE Scott Chandler
LT Cordy Glenn

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

LE Mario Williams
DT Marcell Dareus
MLB Brandon Spikes
CB Stephon Gilmore
K Dan Carpenter

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 3-13-0 (3rd in AFC East)

Last game played: Defeated the JFF N.Y. Jets 48-38 (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Josh / PSN: JoshHimself (1st season with Dolphins)

General Comments:

New JFF Owner / Coach Josh S. takes over the JFF Miami Dolphins. Miami is expected to compete with New England and Buffalo for the AFC East Division Crown.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

HB Knowshon Mareno
WR Mike Wallace
TE Charles Clay
LT Branden Albert
C Mike Pouncey (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

LE Cameron Wake
DT Randy Starks
CB Brent Grimes
CB Cortland Finnegan (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
SS Reshad Jones

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 13-3-0 (1st in AFC East)

Last game played: Lost 17-7 to the JFF Baltimore Ravens (JFF Fall 2013 AFC Conference Championship)

Owner / Coach: Andrew C. / PSN: SLIMDAWG1979 (1st season with Patriots)

General Comments:

Andrew C., another new Owner / Coach in The JFF, will be taking over the JFF New England Patriots. New England should be the front runner for the AFC East Division Crown, and should finish no worse than 11-5-0 this season.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Tom Brady (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
HB Stevan Ridley
WR Danny Amendola (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
TE Rob Gronkrowski (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
LT Nate Solder (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

RE Chandler Jones
DT Vince Wilfork
MLB Jerod Mayo
CB Darrelle Revis (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
FS Devin McCourty

JFF Fall 2013 Regular Season record: 3-13-0 (4th in AFC East)

Last game played: Lost 48-38 to the JFF Miami Dolphins (JFF Fall 2013 Week #17)

Owner / Coach: Rex Ryan / EA Sports CPU (1st season with N.Y. Jets)

General Comments:

This season, no human Owner / Coach has purchased the ownership rights to the JFF Redskins, so until someone does, this team will be led by the CPU talents of Coach Rex Ryan.

Players to watch on OFFENSE:

QB Michael Vick (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
HB Chris Johnson (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
WR Eric Decker
LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
C Nick Mangold (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)

Players to watch on DEFENSE:

LE Muhammad Wilkerson
DT Damon Harrison
MLB David Harris (Fall 2013 Pro Bowl Honors)
ROLB Quinton Coples
CB Dee Milliner

JFF Fall 2014 Season: AFC East Preview