Since when did the MP become the game?

Let me begin first, modern day competitive online games are rubbish. I like online gaming on PC and consoles, but competitive games are stupid.

One thing I can't stand this generation is something Halo 2 caused. The multiplayer SECTION of the game being popularised as 'the game'. This is something I can't stand, this has continued into games such as the Call of Duty series and especially when the blockbuster story or campaign gets ignored for essentially what has been exactly the same game for the past 4 years or so.
This is a typical conversation concerning this situation I hate;

Me: "Have you played the new Call of Duty?"
Friend: "Yeah! It's awesome!"
Me: "That's great! So what set pieces does the game have this time?"
Friend: "I've not played the campaign yet, but I'm halfway heading towards Prestige."

Or the seminal;

Me "How's the new Call of Duty?"
Friend "Agh, the bullet detection is rubbish, the sound of the guns aren't very good and the maps are flawed"
Me "Oh right, so I guess that means that the campaign has rubbish level design then? Not as good as the old one?"
Friend "I wouldn't know, I've been busy playing the multiplayer, I only played half an hour of the campaign."

And this is something that comes up regularly. Just HOW many people in the world are actually thinking that the multiplayer is the game and then actively complain about the game being rubbish after playing ALL FOUR of the maps available in each mode and just see the game flopping just because the ATTACHED multiplayer that hardly changes, UT2003 and UT2K4 had more changes in a year than either CoD or Halo.
Then add to that insult of the level designers, story writers, animation directors. The campaign isn't played for about a week until they're bored of the MP and IN COMPARISON because of all the trigger happy shooting online for that week and mastering the shooting mechanics obsessively, the game's AI seems 'too easy'.

A lot of reviews these days for these kind of first person shooters, just review the multiplayer section and ignore the campaign as if it was some kind of last minute addition, when ACTUALLY, the campaign was what the game was intended to be marketed AS. The reason the developers built an engine, the reason the motion capture was so closely adapted for animation, the reason that the team hired a top class Hollywood composer to do the soundtrack, all gets ignored until later, when the player is bored and rushes through it like having ADHD just to get either Achievements or Trophies. What a sad world we live in and the game development community is encouraging this, because it makes money and everyone follows, getting the line between 'additional selling point' and 'high budget game' mixed up. There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.

Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.

For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.

Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.

When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.

Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.

Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >

[Source: Zynga]

Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment