RenegadeDoppelganger

Update. Previously was having some real issues with underpowered mages. After investing heavily in Memory and loading up on skill books, I can report the mages are much more effective. A full skill bar means relying less on the same 5 or so abilities comning off cooldown. Also the tip about using Elemental Affinity to rattle off a bunch of cheap combos helped immensely, especially with the fire mage's tendency to for self-immolation. I decided to take Glass Cannon as well to really maximize the amount of harm the mage does every round. Full AP every turn is absolutely worth the occasional status effects as silences are rare and most other statuses can be cleared in the same turn by fortify or magic shell.

The one issue I'm having now is my physical defenses are in shambles even on characters who're wearing the heaviest of heavy armor. In act 2 The amount of damage the opponents put out is staggering. Even after stacking hundreds of points of physical armor, one good Backslash will reduce it to near zero. Speaking of Backslash, it seems like the most broken of ability in the game. It's does a truck load of base damage, it backstabs(!), it teleports(!!) behind the target (!!!) AND it only costs 1AP(!!!!). That last one is what baffles me, sure there are source skills that have more devastating effects but combining a deadly attack with huge utility for a single action point and giving it to scoundrels who naturally build into crit, seems too good.

Similar situation. Been rolling with 2H Knight, 1H Cleric, Geo/Pyro Mage, and Summoner.

The Knight and the Summoner CLEAN UP and lately I've been feeling like these two really are carrying the party. Despite having very good gear and min/maxed INT, the pyro seems to put out little effective damage. They get 2-3 good combos off at the beginning of the fight which are swallowed by magic armor. By the time those abilities come off cooldown again most enemies physical armor is in tatters. I rather feel like I should have taken a Huntsman instead as you get a much better balance of physical and magical skills. Also more defense would be nice as the supports tend to get focused hard. I've definitely had enemies blow multiple turns trying to chase by back line.

I am excited to try Destiny for the first time but I have to admit my interest in it relies on my social circle picking the game up. I think many of them (myself included) are looking at Destiny 2 with caution after experiencing a string of high-investment shooters with declining player counts on PC i.e Infinite Warfare, The Division, and Titanfall 2.

Personally I don't buy the idea that simply because Destiny 2 has prime placement alongside some of the most popular games on PC, that a large player base is a given. The game has a massive built-in audience on console, the console version is getting released first, that version features exclusive content going forward, and apart from better visuals and control differences the PC version doesn't offer any significant benefit to new or returning players.

Boost Club defeats Flaccid Reflux 3-2. GG.

Torettos beat Flaccid Reflux 3-0

Critically speaking Hitman's episodic model was ingenious because it played to the game's greatest strengths, allowing players to fully explore each map and take advantage of all the opportunities it had to offer. It allowed dedicated players to attain mastery over each episode and provided loads of updates and events to encourage doing so. Whether it made good business sense for Square is irrelevant to me as a player.

Square didn't release sales figures for this Hitman game so without those no one really knows how well it did or didn't do. I do know that Square as a publisher has a history of setting huge and unrealistic sales targets for many of their games. Remember that Square is the publisher who defined Tomb Raider (2013) as a failure even after it sold 3.4 million copies.On top of this Square just posted huge profits so it doesn't exactly paint a picture of a publisher who's in dire straits.

I think it's really unfortunate that IO now has an uncertain future whilst this game that clearly is very well liked hangs in the balance.

Between that and Final Fantasy XV it seems like Square has unlimited patience when it comes to their domestically developed franchises.

IO did an incredible job homing in on what 'Hitman' was after kinda losing their way with Absolution. In addition their use of the episodic model was brilliant and the way they kept players engaged after the fact that game after the fact with elusive targets was exemplary. Their reward? The chopping block. Imagine if Bethesda sold off id after completely turning around the DOOM IP.

Where does this leave Season 2 of Hitman? Without a publisher backing them I'm assuming that means its either put on hold or scaled down. This sucks.

@rorie

• @shatteringlast
• @juicepockets
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We are *clears throat* Flaccid Reflux

Toronto

Some really great suggestions already. Seconding Kensington Market, The Distillery, Art Gallery Ontario, and Royal Ontario Museum (take the subway to the ROM as Museum subway station is a really unique stop!).

If you're looking for things happening in the city during your stay, BlogTO keeps tabs on events happening around the city and is generally a pretty good way to find stuff to see and do.

Things to do

Trinity-Bellwoods Brewery. If you're in Kensington, the sun is out and you're craving some patio drinks, you may be able to snag a outdoor table at this local brewery/pub.

Evergreen Brick Works. Former quarry and brick making industrial area converted into a beautiful public space in a scenic pocket of lush green near downtown. EGBW usually hosts farmers markets, arts, craftspeople, festivals, local events and other stuff. See what's happening when you're in town as it's great opportunity to spend an afternoon outdoors if the weather's nice.

Tilt Arcade Bar. Okay, every city now seems to have a Barcade and tbh many in Toronto are lackluster dives with 2-3 dusty machines. Not Tilt. Tilt has around 25+ machines all on free play with a good variety of 80's classics, late-era 90's, pinball both old and new, even some home consoles. Also there's a bar!

Places to eat

Bannock is a nice, centrally located casual brunch/lunch spot with modern takes on Canadian food. I've never been disappointed with the consistent quality of their dishes.

Saint Lawrence Market. The canadian version of Pike's Place Market in Seattle. It's toronto's largest indoor market with a tantalizing mix of food vendors, farmer's markets, and shopping. Stop by one of the many cafes, restaurants or vendors or buy some really good bread, meats and cheese and make yourself a sandwich!

Photo Opportunities

CN Tower is Toronto's most recognizable skyline feature (and formerly the tallest free standing building in the world). It's also the most cliche tourist attraction in the city but hey, it's hard to compete with the views. Ride the glass elevator, snap some skyline pics on the observation deck, sheepishly peek at the glass floor and then leave and spend the rest of your time elsewhere. Do not spring for the SkyPod (highest observation deck) as the wait to simply get on the elevator can be over an hour.

Toronto Island is a an excellent way to snap a pic of the entire toronto skyline in profile and generally a pretty good way to spend and afternoon, weather permitting. Unfortunately right now due to flooding all Ferry's are currently cancelled. Hopefully by the time you arrive this will have changed but it's a good idea to check the site for updates during your visit (it's also how you buy tickets).

Getting Around

A word on driving in the Downtown Core. Avoid doing it if possible. It's a congested mess and -if you're visiting during in summer- largely under construction. Leave the car at the hotel and use transit as it'll cover 90% of where you'll want to go in the immediate area.

If you do plan on taking public transit to get around the city, get a Presto card. Presto is a pre-paid transit card that you can scan to pay fares on our trains, subways, street cars and busses. Load one up for your stay and simply scan the card to ride. Available at Union Station (Toronto's central transit hub/train station/bus terminal/subway stop).

If you'd rather bike around there's Toronto Bike Share where you can pick up a bike at one of the many stations and ride it to your destination and drop it off at a station nearby. It's $15 CDN for a 3-day pass. Good for a bike trip through some neighbourhoods.