bobwinkle12 presents Catherine Review posted at The Broskington Post. A review of the game Catherine, which certainly sounds odd. There are quite a few plot details spelled out concerning the beginning, but it seems like that may be necessary to really convey what the game is like. Should be an interesting game for those into what it’s about.

Jason Ward presents Dead Space 2 | ScifiWard posted at ScifiWard. A review of Dead Space 2 by a veteran of horror, claiming the game isn’t particularly scary. Highly recommended by the reviewer though, for reasons explained in the review.

The Dude presents What Makes It So Great (Gotham City Impostors Discussion) posted at Geeks on Games. He certainly has some thoughts on what makes it fun, and what sets it apart from other games, so check it out and see if it may interest you too.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

Which brings me to what I want to write about today. While I think the complete package of League of Legends is the better game, I think Tribes: Ascend is more fun to play. How can this be? Well, it’s because Tribes is more accessible than LoL. There’s only one way to unlock the full potential of any character in LoL: get to level 30 to fully unlock your rune pages and masteries, and grind out the IP needed to buy the runes you want to use for your character. In Tribes, you still have to grind, but you don’t have to hit any specific level to fully unlock the features you wish to use for a given class. Get the XP, and spend it. In both games, naturally, you can pay real money to unlock new classes and options as well, but you can not spend real money to get upgrades, which must be bought with IP/XP earned in game.

In any case, in Tribes, I’ve played for a couple months, and unlocked all the stuff I need for my two favorite classes. Meanwhile, a couple years later in League of Legends, having put a lot more time into it, I do have a lot of characters and more options on what to play effectively, but none of them are yet at their full potential, as I’ve not yet hit level 30. This, of course, many players will jump to say I could easily be level 30 by now. And it’s true, if I played LoL more, I could be. But this misses the point entirely. LoL is much more of a time investment than Tribes is to get your favorite options up and running at their full power. This makes it less accessible.

Likewise, I tend to play Tribes more often because I can jump into a game whenever I want, against real people for opponents, without having to worry about getting my account suspended if something unexpectedly comes up that I’d rather be doing or have to do. In LoL, the only option to just jump in and play is against bots, and not only that, but even though bots of intermediate difficulty exist, they are not an option to fight against in custom games, the only game mode that exists for those wanting to play without a time commitment. This is because in League, any game you leave with at least one other human player involved counts against you, and accumulating too many in too short a time (specifics are not explained) will get your account suspended for leaving.

As was noted by a recent submission to this month’s blog carnival, MOBA’s and some of their players sometimes take themselves a bit too seriously. This, naturally, does not apply to everyone, but it applies to a large enough part of the community, not to mention the developers, that it’s hard to just play to have fun. Frankly, League could be a lot more accessible if normals would allow people to leave at any time, replacing them with a bot until someone else wanted to hop in and take over. Naturally, ranked could keep its rules as is, as ranked is typically the intended game mode for those wanting to take the game more seriously. But an option for more casual players that still want to play real matches with real players would go a long way to making the game more accessible.

Tribes, meanwhile, makes it easy to drop out if something comes up. Escape, exit game, and you’re out. Not only that, but you still keep any xp you earned during the match, a step I don’t think is necessary, but is certainly welcome. League developers would never consider such a thing. Add in the fact that a typical Tribes match takes place in about 10-20 minutes, while a typical League match is about 40 minutes (and if it runs long, you’d better have the extra time set aside if you don’t want to get closer to an account suspension), and you see how League requires more time investment even in the short term.

Naturally, there must be something that keeps me coming back to League, given the grievances I have with it. And there is. The large roster of characters, alongside rune and mastery builds, provides a huge variety of gameplay options. Not only that, but this also leads to more strategies and counter strategies depending on the characters involved in any given game. Furthermore, I really do enjoy the way the game evolves over the course of the match, and that it’s not the same thing throughout. This is, naturally, an upside to having longer lasting matches with objectives to take and tradeoffs to make. Tribes also has a good variety of gameplay options, but it does pale in comparison to what is offered by League in this area. Also, I prefer rpgs to shooters, and LoL, like most MOBA’s, carries over a lot of the rpg goodies, such as character growth throughout the match in the form of XP and items to purchase.

The long and short of it is this though. I like both games quite a bit. However, Tribes is far more accessible, both due to the nature of the game, and the way its growth system in the metagame is designed. As such, I tend to play Tribes more and have more fun with it, despite the fact it’s less my kind of game. It’s simply designed to be more inviting. League, while the game I prefer in terms of the actual game, is less accessible and harder to get into due to the time commitment needed, both for a single game, as well as to get your characters up to the point where you can realize their full potential and options available to them. Perhaps someday, LoL will pick up on the fact that a player base similar to me exists, and make sensible changes to get us in on the game in a better way than playing against beginner bots when we just aren’t sure if we have the time to commit, even though we think we likely do.

Ben presents Sidescrolling Platformer ~Part 1~ Setup and Planning posted at AS3 Game Tutorials, saying, “Tutorials to create your very own platformer video game in Flash actionscript 3.” If you want to build your own side-scrolling PC game, this particular post looks like a good place to pick up some ideas.

Eric Hoff presents A World Without Online Multiplayer, Shank 2 Review, Dustforce Review – GameNTrain.com, and Turtle Beach XL1?s – The Review – GameNTrain.com posted at GameNTrain.com.

Jesse Leigh presents The only problem with MOBAs | Gamer MC posted at Gamer MC. Jesse nails the one major issue I have with League of Legends, a game I otherwise love playing. Can’t we just agree to have some fun? Even in the unranked games?

Erik presents Review: COD: Modern Warfare 3 (Video Game) posted at Fireball916′s Daily Reviews. Erik let’s us know right from the start he loves Modern Warfare 3. Just what you need to push you off the fence if you were thinking about picking up the game. (I’m not, by the way.)

The Dude presents From Software Says Another Souls Game May Not Happen! posted at Geeks on Games. This news is disheartening to those who like their games with a side of pain. On a brighter note, those of us gaming on PC get our copies of Dark Souls in a few months.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

Wesley Copeland of VGI presents EA in Lawsuit Over Free Copies Of Battlefield posted at Video Games Interactive. Here’s a quick piece on a Lawsuit EA is involved in. Hopefully this is one more push on them to get their act together, but honestly, I’m not expecting much to come of it. Still, it would be sweet if they were somehow forced to make good on their promises.

Will presents Are Strategy Guides Worth It? posted at Former Banker, saying, “Is it ever worth it to fork out $20 to buy one?” Will hits my thoughts on strategy guides pretty solidly in this piece. Hard to disagree, unless you want the physical copy as a collector’s item.

Jesse Leigh presents Deep Sea – Shifting from entertainment to experience posted at Gamer MC. Here we have some info about a game that sounds like an interesting deviation from the norm. I’m not about to drop traditional visual gaming for it, but it could be interesting to try.

Jesse Leigh presents The real cause of piracy posted at Gamer MC. Want to know why I don’t buy from EA or Ubisoft, on console or PC? This article nails it. If only the big publishers would listen to some common sense about how to deal with piracy.

Jesse Leigh presents Pre-order? I’ll pass posted at Gamer MC. An interesting read about pre-ordering and how it is used for marketing.

Patrick Dunkley presents What is Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning? posted at PC RPG Reviews & Previews | Single player fantasy roleplaying games for 2012.. I’m downloading the demo of this game via Steam as I type this, and depending on what I find, I may have to purchase. In the meantime, this article has tons of good info on the game, and you should check it out.

John M presents A look at Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing on the iPhone posted at iPhone Experience, saying, “SEGA’s classic racer makes it debut on the iPhone, but is it a winner?” A brief review of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing on the iPhone, there’s not much more to say. Except why does Sonic use a car? Have to level the playing field so he doesn’t auto-win or something?

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

And this leads to my first point. Skyrim is designed in a way that your first playthrough is going to last a long time, and then you’re going to want to replay it to do even more stuff that you didn’t get to the first time. There’s a lot of game here, and it’s lasting appeal means you’re getting a lot for your $60.

Of course, a game being long and drawn out is no fun if the game is no good. But this is the Elder Scrolls we’re talking about. Unless you revile the concept of open world games and everything they stand for, of course it’s good. You may quibble about which one you like best, but every one that I have played (Morrowind on) has been a great experience. I’ve found the series has become better with each iteration, culminating in Skyrim being clearly one of the best games I’ve played. Yes, even though you can’t levitate, and there are no Oblivion gates. Actually, both of those help a lot in providing a better crafted experience. Quest markers are nice too, no matter what the Morrowind fans are telling you.

Getting to the meat of things though, Skyrim grabs you right from the beginning. You aren’t stuck in a dungeon following the emperor and killing rats. You don’t have to go through some dumb checkpoint in Seyda Neen. No, you’re about to die by the executioner’s hand, then a dragon attacks, and suddenly you’re fighting your way out of this place you’ve been brought to trying not to be killed by the dragon or any others who would impede your progress. Ah yes, much, much better. After that, you’ll be given some clear direction on where to go to get the main quest rolling, and not long beyond that, you’ll have more sidequests than you know what to do with. And when I say that, I mean in the sense that Baldur’s Gate II threw quests at you, and you would never run out of anything to do. In fact, if you focus on sidequests, you could ignore the main quest entirely and build your adventuring career on everything else you do.

That leads me to something else I feel Skyrim has done very well. The guild quests that I have done so far feel more like stories in their own right, rather than mini-quests meant to supplement the main quest. Playing through the guild quests feels, for the first time, just as rewarding as playing through the main quest. And that is meant to say I felt the guild quests were that good, and not meant to detract from the main quest.

Also, the new character building system is much nicer as well. No longer do you choose to define your character by choosing your primary skills, pigeonholing you into one playstyle. Instead, you just play the game as you want to play it, and your character becomes what you play. This is a very natural evolution of the Elder Scrolls, and one I’m extremely pleased has come to pass. As you level up, you can specialize your skills by choosing perks, but having played the game, you’ll know where to put them based on what skills have been leveling up. It’s a much more natural character generation system than just picking some skills or a class at the beginning of the game.

Moving into gameplay, this translates into you being able to do whatever you want effectively. Until I was heavily invested in the perks and gear I had chosen to define myself with, it was common for me to unleash all my magic at an enemy, then pull out my bow for some damage from afar, followed by mopping up with sword and shield. That could change in a boss fight, where there’s more running, shooting, and nuking, but let that boss get close enough, and you’ll be happy you have that shield to pull out. Moreover, I’ve noticed that making subtle changes to the way you fight a boss can be all that is needed to mean the difference between victory and reloading after an untimely death. Still, these things add a depth to combat that didn’t exist in previous Elder Scrolls games, and that I have yet to experience in any other first person adventure/rpg.

Then there is the newly revamped crafting system. Through most of the game, this system will let you upgrade your gear frequently, but it will commonly be replaced by better gear you find while adventuring. It’s a good balance that makes crafting useful, and keeps exploring fun. As you come closer to maxing out your enchanting and smithing skills though, you will eventually find that it is possible to create sets of gear better than anything you can find adventuring. You will still find single pieces better than any single thing you can create, but having a set of gear designed for one purpose will always outweigh the benefit of having that one more powerful piece. It’s very close to as good as you can balance a crafting system against the world though. Of course, it is also possible, with a lot of time and effort, to break the crafting system and make stupidly powerful gear, but for my purposes, it’s quite balanced, so long as you don’t make the effort to break it. If you are making that effort, you probably like doing that kind of thing anyway, so probably appreciate the ability is there.

Let’s move on though. I haven’t yet talked about the look of the game. Skyrim is hands down the best looking game I have played. It’s a bit dreary, as we are adventuring through the frozen north, but it is also a gorgeous land. Bethesda really outdid themselves this time, truly rendering the landscape as far as the eye can see. If your PC can handle it, they game can, with some tweaking, literally be set to render everything in sight. Otherwise, if you game on a PC like mine, the game is set to render the big stuff you’ll notice, and leave out the little things until you get closer and will actually be able to see them. And like most Elder Scrolls games, if you can see it, you can get to it. No prerendered backgrounds here. Then, there is also now a third person mode that looks good and plays fluidly. No more stiff animations for your character, and with the crosshair remaining on screen, you can still see what you are doing. I still prefer first person, because it is how I’ve always played The Elder Scrolls, but for those who like third person gaming, it is truly a viable gameplay option for the first time. Also, for those playing on PC, like me, there are already tons of texture packs and a couple post-processing mods coming out to enhance the visuals even more. And if, like me, you prefer a brighter look, that is also an option.

The soundtrack is also amazing, which you’ll know as soon as you hear the main theme, a version of which is played not only at the title screen, but also during some dragon fights. While that particular theme is a favorite of mine, the other music is also very well done and suits the game very well. The shift of music between different events is also handled very smoothly, and is done in a way that shifts you into and out of combat appropriately.

Finally, there are the iconic dragon fights. When first starting out, these are what the game is all about. Open world, many of them random, boss fights with the creatures threatening to destroy the world. An awesome soundtrack to go with them. And a good, solid level of difficulty in each fight. Unfortunately, as you become more powerful, even with the difficulty cranked, the dragon fights do eventually become a bit of a sad joke, and more an exercise in farming souls for your shouts. It takes a long time, and doesn’t happen until near the end of the game, but a method of scaling dragon power to level and gear would go a long way toward fixing this. Not a major issue, but it does kill end-game immersion a little bit. In any case, with that bit out of the way, the dragon fights are otherwise an exciting element of the game, and perhaps one of the defining elements, given that the game is built around them. And they play out far differently than any other battle as well, since dragons are the only enemy that can actually fly out of range of your attacks, changing the dynamics of the battles significantly compared to any other fights in the game.

Unless you have something against open world games, there is no reason to not buy this game. In the event you just usually aren’t a fan, you should probably try it anyway, as it really is that good, and will make you a believer. This is everything an epic fantasy adventure should be in game form.

Kylak presents VG Talk #6 To Reboot or Not to Reboot posted at All Geeks Rejoice. Kylak discusses the idea of reimagining a series to give it a fresh start. I agree that, so long as it’s done well, it can definitely breathe new life into a series.

Kylak presents VG Talk #7 Dark Souls Loves You posted at All Geeks Rejoice. Another piece from Kylak, discussing the difficulty of Dark Souls. Wish I could weigh in, but there’s currently no PC version for me to sink my teeth into. I do like the concept of a very difficult game to play once in awhile though.

Zack K. presents The Four Parks: Kirby Mass Attack Review posted at The Four Parks. Zack has a brief review for us of the new Kirby game recently released.

wearechange tv presents Warco: an FPS where you hold a camera instead of a gun posted at WeAreChangeTV.US. Wearechange talks a bit about Warco, which looks like a nice spin on the usual fps setup.

Marcy L presents A noob gets pwned: Giving World of Warcraft a try at my children’s insistence | (Don’t Be) Too Timid and Squeamish posted at (Don’t Be) Too Timid and Squeamish, saying, “A humorous look at two gamers’ mother trying World of Warcraft for the first time.” The experience of an inexperienced gamer trying out WoW for the first time. Perhaps a bit heavy on buzzwords, but that’s likely for effect. An interesting read to see perspective from those less inclined to gaming.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for January’s carnival, as I’ll be taking a break from the carnival for December for Christmas. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

Garret Moniz presents Gears of War 3 – For those who can’t game 9 to 5 posted at Gamesters Paradice, saying, “The Gears of War trilogy is finally over. Took a look back at an iconic moment that wasn’t even a part of the game.” Garret discusses some of the emotional impact Gears of War had for him. Short, but a good read.

Valaney presents Which Gaming Console Will Create the Next Big Thing posted at Techchai – Technology Tips, Tutorials, Articles and Updates, saying, “Rumors of next-gen consoles are starting to heat up, what do you think will be hot?” Some conversation about what consoles will be big next generation. Not a lot of talk of specifics, but Valaney still has a winner in mind.

Victor Stanescu presents Online Social Games ? Billion Dollar Industry posted at Vectorash.ro, saying, “A Sociable and Nice take on Online Social Games, a billion dollar industry for Facebook Games and Google+ Games!” Victor lays out some statistics on social network gaming and discusses a bit about what he sees as the rather mindless experience of playing social network games. I’m inclined to agree, and can happily say I play none of these Facebook games. Want a real social game? Invite some friends over for some Smash Bros., Mario Kart, or Gears of War, and actually socialize while you play a game.

Mark Roberts presents Man of Few Words posted at Alatar Tales, saying, “An investigation exploring the effects of a certain theoretical physicist’s lack of vocal chords.” Some thoughts on a certain main character’s lack of speech, and how Mark feels it takes him out of the game. Personally, I’ve never minded a mute main character. It’s a little odd at times, but it’s never pulled me out of the game experience.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

Zack K. presents Nintendo Video posted at The Four Parks, saying, “My Reccomendation of the Nintendo Video App for the 3DS.” Zack wants us all to know that Nintendo currently has some new video features on the 3DS. While the concept is cool, I’m not sure how useful it is when the Internet is open to anyone on many different devices to get any video online they would like. Still, it’s entirely possible this will develop further into something very cool.

Next Island presents Blueprint Development posted at Next Island Dev Blog. Next Island wants to let people know that they are working on blueprints for Entropia. As I’m not familiar with the game, I can’t comment too much, but it seems like they want to keep it moderately quiet for now other than letting the news out.

Jake Moses presents Anomaly Warzone Earth HD review | Best Kid iPad Apps posted at Best Kid Ipad Apps, saying, “In depth review – A good game for PC/Mac becomes a great game thanks to the iPad’s touch interface.”  Jake has provided a great review on Anomaly Warzone Earth HD for the iPad. Tower defense game, except you’re the aggressor?  Sounds pretty cool, and the rest of the review makes it sound like a good choice for iPad owners.

Video Game Llama presents New Details About PS Vita Online Features posted at Video Game Llama.  Video Game Llama delivers some information on some new features of the Vita.

Elijah Obasanya presents Are We Witnessing The Death of The Call of Duty Franchise? posted at The Game Maestro, saying, “An article on the well known BF3 vs. Mw3 debate” A quick piece talking up the differences of opinion on Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. Both games will sell like hotcakes though, so I’m thinking it’s probably a moot point. Others may disagree though.

Zack K. presents Kirby’s Adventure Review posted at The Four Parks. Here Zack gives us a brief review of Kirby’s Adventure. Mostly opinion, with a few nuggets of information about the game.

The Legendary Carmine presents No Girls Allowed posted at Side Story Games – Carmine’s Comments, saying, “Video games are notorious for being a “boy’s club”. Most of the games that are developed for girls are a waste of time and money. Carmine seeks to establish what needs to be done to create better games for girls and how it fits into the industry’s current model.” Carmine discusses some thoughts on the state of games that attempt to appeal to girls instead of accepting they will likely have similar interests in gaming as guys do. Definitely worth a read, though I think it’s possible that we’ve begun reading too much into this. Make good games, and people of all genders will play them. Make bad games, and they’ll be relegated to the trash.

The Legendary Carmine presents A “Bad” Game vs A “Mature” Game posted at Side Story Games – Carmine’s Comments, saying, “Side Story Games is all about creating game reviews for parents, focusing on the mature content that may not be appropriate for kids. But sometimes the reviewers seem to think that certain ‘mature content’ is acceptable or even appropriate. Carmine clears the air as to what makes a game ‘bad’ vs. what makes it ‘mature’.”  I’m not sure I would say this piece clears the air on “bad” vs. “mature”, but it does get to the point that we use mature to denote adult themes, whether or not those themes are presented maturely. I personally think any amount of mature content is acceptable in a game, so long as those purchasing are aware of what they are getting into and adult games aren’t sold to children, and every gaming store I’ve been to has been very good about this.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

Colin Whaley presents The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Review posted at OtherLoop. Colin’s review of Ocarina of Time 3d is extensive and very nicely detailed. It definitely paints a great picture of the experience, and, combined with my memories of what the game was, almost makes me want to go out and buy a 3ds for this game. Unfortunately, money is a finite resource.

John presents Is £10.99 too expensive for a Mobile Game? | jpmblog.com posted at jpmblog.com, saying, “Blimey a £10 iPhone game. Yes its good but is it too much to pay for a mobile app?” Well, $15.99 for a port of one of the best tactical RPGs ever made? Yeah, that sounds fair to me, so long as you’re cool with the model of digital distribution. This isn’t a tiny game. Porting it wasn’t a simple, quick task. Yeah, they had an engine and a story and all of that figured out, but they had to recode it to work with the iPhone, which is a very different beast from the hardware it has run on before. Final Fantasy Tactics is not a typical release for a mobile app, and that’s why it doesn’t have a typical price. I can understand why some may not want to pay it, but that doesn’t mean the price should be lowered. Now that you’ve read my editorializing, or perhaps before, you should go read John’s take as well.

John M presents A Fun Stress Relieving Game for the iPhone | iPhone Experience posted at iPhone Experience, saying, “Mobile phones are a great platform for stress relief games, and they don’t come much better then this ” Want to squish some rats? John M has a review of the game for you. Sounds like a simple concept, and looks great for killing time if you have an iPhone.

Eric Gargiulo presents Madden 12 Video Game Pre-order Deals & Bonus Offers posted at CamelCluchBlog.Com. Unfortunately, this one isn’t very timely, as I’m running a once a month carnival here, but if you’re curious what pre-order offers were going around for Madden 12, there’s a good collection in here.

Garret Moniz presents Modern Warfare 3 vs Battlefield 3 posted at Gamesters Paradice, saying, “Just taking a quick look at the upcoming competition between Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.” Garret has some predictions about whether Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3 is going to come out on top this year. Click through to see who he believes is coming out on top and why.

Eric Gargiulo presents Madden 12 Game Achievements & Awards posted at CamelCluchBlog.Com, saying, “If you’re like me, you ran out on Madddenoliday and purchased your copy of Madden 12 or pre-ordered it. Before I even have a chance to unwrap Madden, I got an early tip on the newest Madden 12 achievements & awards, and there are some real fun ones in this year’s game.” I’m not too much like Eric in this regard, as I tend to shy away from sports games, but for those of you into Madden 12, or simply curious, you can find out some information about achievements in the game right on this piece here.

Almigo presents The Need. The Need for Speed. And Scigheras. posted at Almigo’s Adventures. An interesting piece about the history of a car that made an appearance in Need for Speed 3 for PC, and was never seen again. And no, it wasn’t merely a made up car, it actually does (did?) exist. Click through and read on for the full story.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.

The Legendary Carmine presents Dante’s Inferno posted at Side Story Games – Game Reviews. Here’s an in-depth look at the game Dante’s Inferno. Worth a read, especially if you might be interested in the game about the epic poem.

Maxwell randomly presents E Rated Games Aren’t All Crap posted at Maxwell Randomly. Sounds like someone other than me is fed up with the stereotype that E rated games are only for the wee ones.

Jeski presents Drawn: Dark Flight posted at Sublime Play, saying, “This is a pretty blog full of pictures and reviews of particularly beautifully designed puzzle and adventure games. The linked entry is one such review. ” A nice detailed review of the game Drawn: Dark Flight. Looks like an interesting game, hopefully I’ll find time to try it out sometime.

Grady presents To Washington: A Few Tips from the World of Video Games posted at The Outlaw and The Elitist. An amusing look at some lessons politicians could learn from video games. Of course, that would require them to play the games instead of trying to ban them.

Meg presents The Cave Is A Lie posted at Simpson’s Paradox. A quick bit of info about a bug suffered in a game Meg’s working on, and the achievement players suffering from this bug can find. For the reference of those reading, any chance we could get the name of this game so anyone possibly affected knows to be careful here?

Niels Van Hellemont presents Pre-Played: Star Wars: The Old Republic posted at The Grumbler, saying, “Taking a look at the upcoming BioWare game The Old Republic.” Niels has a preview for the new MMO coming from Bioware. Looks awesome, but my longstanding prohibition against paying monthly for MMOs means I’ll still likely be passing on this one.

Niels Van Hellemont presents Character Bio – Kratos posted at The Grumbler, saying, “Enjoy this in-depth look at the God Of War protagonist, Kratos.” A recounting of the story of the God of War series, a good read if you don’t mind spoilers or have already finished the game.

Jeremy Friedman presents How to Set Up a Minecraft Multiplayer Server posted at GeekGamut.com, saying, “A complete guide on how to set up and run a Minecraft Multiplayer Survival server.” As it says, instructions to set up a Minecraft server once you have the game. Great for those who want to play host to other gamers, but aren’t quite sure how to get started.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Video Game Bloggers. Join us next month for more great gaming info. You can use the carnival submission form to submit posts for next month’s carnival. Be sure to check out some of the posts of other submitters and perhaps leave a friendly comment or two if you like their work.