. . . My Firewall-Routers Column

While it is not one of my favorite Bill Murray films, 2003's Lost in Translation, which was written and directed by Sofia Coppola, looked upon the often strange results that take place when language is a barrier, and as odd as it may sound, I think it is fair to say that the disconnect that resulted in my most recent Digital Grind column appears to lose its way largely down to the message being lost in translation -- or at least in this case, lost in direction.

I take total blame for that - the column was submitted and was edited during the span of several days in which due to health issues I was not available for consultation - so it was not entirely clear what it was that I intended it to say.

The fact that it appears to suggest that I do not know what NAT is or how it works, and perhaps even more startling -- that I appear to believe that computers can communicate via the Internet without having an IP Address -- crop up due to editing that was absolutely necessary due to space limitations.

To address the issue I thought it might be helpful to provide the original column below, in its entirety, and after doing so I will be directing the readers who email about it and my mistakes to it, so that they can both see where it was I intended to go and, perhaps of more importance, benefit from the lesson I had hoped to share.

So here is the original Digital Grind Firewall-RouterColumn (any errors in spelling or grammar are my own):

A typical home network with a Firewall-Router uses a mixture of wired computers / server with WiFi devices like gaming consoles, iPads, Skype-capable wireless phones, and other computing and entertainment devices that use Network Address Translation (NAT) to permit many devices to access the Internet using just one IP Address from the ISP.

Digital Grind Firewall Column

While it has a number of related meanings, the phrase “security through obscurity” is most often used to describe a belief that a computer or network with nothing of interest on it is safe from intrusion because it should not interest an outsider.

That notion can appear to be quite sensible, but consider this: In modern terms the phrase is also a pejorative among computer and network security engineers, having the same definition but interpreted as a dangerous fallacy not to be relied upon under any circumstances.

The reason for that is very simple: there doesn't actually have to be anything of value on a network or a computer to make it a target; access alone is reason enough to justify an attack.

That basic truth is why we go to so much effort in protecting our computers; why we keep the OS and apps up-to-date with respect to security patches and bug-fixes, why we run anti-virus and malware suites, and why security awareness extends not just to software but also to hardware.

These steps, combined with safe Internet use as well as common sense precautions, represent standard proactive and responsible efforts for establishing and maintaining a safe computer system and environment, but there is still the matter of securing your network to be considered.

The Network Connection

Modern network architecture consists of a 'net connection using a modem (for DSL) or a router (for cable or fiber) connected to which are one or more computers, network appliances, and 'net-aware consumer electronics like network-ready TVs and DVRs.

Assigned a valid IP address by your Internet service provider, the modem or router functions as the gateway device allowing every system on your network to communicate with the Internet, and vice versa using a scheme called Network Address Translation, or NAT.

Without NAT every device on a network needs a valid IP Address to access the Internet. With NAT any number of computers or devices can be connected to the world beyond, requiring only a single valid IP Address.

In the time that it took me to write this, according to the security logs on my firewall it was scanned by ten different potential attackers.

The fact that they were not targeting me specifically offers very little comfort; they were scanning the block of IP Addresses owned by my ISP to see which customers are connecting without basic security protection.

This sort of approach works because the function of the modem/router is to pass traffic to and from the Internet, and it will do that without any consideration for whether that traffic is legitimate or hostile. It is only a matter of time then, before they locate a weakness in a system on the network and compromise it.

Once that happens, in addition to the most obvious targets like banking and credit information, they can also turn the resources of the network to a variety of purposes -- like hosting pirated software or porn, or using it as a launch-point for attacking other networks and computers.

The Firewall

While the mix of anti-malware and virus programs, keeping your systems patched and up-to-date, and taking care to surf responsibly are a good start, the foundation of your network security is found in a device called a firewall-router.

Named for the partition wall used in commercial buildings to prevent the spread of fire, a network firewall is a hardware device whose function is very much like the moat and gate of a castle. It sits between your network and the Internet, serving as a gatekeeper for all of the traffic passing between them.

It has two basic jobs to perform: the first is to ensure all of the traffic coming in is legitimate, while making your network invisible from the Internet side. The second is providing a level of convenient connectivity to you.

If the modem or router you received from your ISP is the only device between your network and the Internet, you need to buy and deploy one today. The good news is that you can do this yourself because the arcane has been engineered out of these devices.

Installing a firewall on your network requires no technical knowledge beyond the ability to follow basic directions, swap network cables, and use a web browser-- nearly anyone can install and configure one.

Healthy competition among manufactures has also resulted in something of a boon for consumers, because the current generation of firewall-router happens to be a feature-rich and interesting one. And they have never been as inexpensive as they are today.

Intended to replace other older devices on your network -- particularly WiFi routers and network-accessible storage devices -- they sport features like traffic shaping and offer a measure of control over your network and how it can be used that may surprise you.

Most include a minimum of four wired ports as well as WiFi service, USB ports, and the best standard encryption and speeds available, so deciding which firewall-router you need is down to determining what added features you want -- and then selecting from the models that provide them.

Security for Gamers

If you have gamers in the house -- and on your network -- D-Link makes a line of firewall-routers that are engineered specifically with them in mind. The DGL-5500 / AC1300 Gaming Router is designed to detect when gaming devices are used and optimize traffic in support of that activity.

Its tube-like form naturally blends into the background, while its Streamboost feature and advanced UPnP support manages the traffic on your network to ensure that your PC and Console gamers get the bandwidth priority that they need for lag-free play.

With full support for the 802.11a/b/c/g/n WiFi standards, the AC1300 offers concurrent dual-band connectivity at some of the highest speeds currently available, but more important it supports both the established WiFi standards as well as the newest.

Basic security features include WPA/WPA2 wireless encryption, an SPI firewall, and anti-spoof checking, while its robust parental controls offer an added measure of convenience. Parents can specify -- device by device -- when games can be played and when they cannot, and the parental controls even permit site blocking.

Security plus Storage

For network security that also offers network-accessible backup storage, Netgear's Centria N900 (WNDR4700) neatly fits the bill.

Touted as an “All-in-One” solution, the N900 functions as a WiFi Firewall-router, Media Server, and Automatic Back-up Server supporting 802.11 b/g/n WiFi standards as well as Wireless N Dual Band.

The N900 fits into the new range of firewall-routers called “Storage Routers” thanks to the hard drive slot concealed behind a door in the side and its ReadyShare timed back-up App. Consumers have the option of adding their own SATA2 hard drive in sizes up to 2TB (the WNDR4720 model comes with a 2TB drive pre-installed).

The N900 supports WPA/WPA2 encryption and provides backup services to a wide variety of WiFi equipped devices, including notebook computers, tablets, PCs and Macs, and your iPad or smart phones.

Security plus Media

With the Internet now into traditional entertainment media thanks to streaming movies and TV, the WD My Net N750 HD Dual-Band Router from Western Digital is a stand-out firewall-router for networks heavy on media.

The N750 offers full support for 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi standards with speeds up to 750 Mbps. With its WPA/WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall, the low-profile form blends into any entertainment center, and includes four Gigabit wired ports for connecting game consoles, DVRs and other media devices.

Smart HD streaming allows you to watch videos with accelerated steaming via its FasTrack technology, which delivers HD streams to multiple devices at the same time with combined speeds of up to 750 Mbps.

Firewall Protection

Each of these routers feature easy to use web-based configuration interfaces, with basic setup instructions that anyone can follow to quickly and conveniently get them working with the hardware already on a network.

While they differ in terms of special network and entertainment focus, each supports the standard set of security features, offering a level of protection you should expect from what is, after all, the foundation of your broadband network security.

The criteria now used for selecting a model tends to focus on what extra features and services you most desire -- and to some degree how your network is used -- so in the final analysis with security through obscurity no longer an option (if it ever was), adding a firewall-router to your network is the best path to ensuring its protection now and in the future.

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Final Notes

I apologize sincerely to my readers who may have found the path in the version that appeared in the paper a bit circuitous and I apologize to my editor for my failure to make clear the purpose and the direction that I intended to take.

From here on I will endeavor to prevent those mistakes from ever happening again.

Cheers!

. . . Relationships of the Freelance Writer

The Internet -- and the World Wide Web specifically -- has radically altered the world of the freelance writer. To the detriment of that profession.

Obvious changes -- perhaps the single greatest change -- can be found in the alteration of the basic and formal elements of communication.

Our attention and consideration turns to this -- particularly to a relaxing of the barriers that once existed between the writer and his audience and even more significant, correspondence between the writer and editor.

It is, naturally enough, through that process that the traditional relationship and its potential, good or bad, is still formed.

As a point of fact and, in the interest of transparency between writer and audience, you should know that this entire piece was prompted by and flavored with impressions formed in reflection -- and the contents of a daydream -- both of which were entirely prompted by a number of email messages received that are in every sense of the notion a modern interpretation of the word “correspondence.”

It is certainly draped in a critical analysis of the necessary vehicle by which modern relationships are established; that is to say, through which they might mature, and along the way strengthen into something greater.

Clearly -- and to its detriment -- the now instant communication found in email eschews a threshold of art and reason where, in place of a previously formal process, is now replaced with the most informal of protocols: empty pleasantries void of emotion, sincerity, or meaning.

It is fair to say that today this entire process begins and ends with ideas of a formal structure where no such structure actually exists.

The privilege to build upon an initial meeting -- as part of the process by which a relationship is formed -- and to share in a gradual strengthening via what should be a safe avenue of pen and paper, has instead morphed into a risky highway of fast-moving electronic messages.

The result of “progress” is the stripping away of the real-world, first replaced with phone calls and written correspondence, finally replaced by an alchemy obtained through mutually glimpsed still images on personal and professional web pages augmented by all too brief and largely meaningless email exchanges.

This then has become the exclusive media through which information and ideas are now exchanged; identity that can only be verified by the presence of an “@” and the certainty of blind faith.

All of the above has replaced the smile, the handshake, small talk, and any sense at all of who it is that you are actually speaking with.

I don't own a formal business suit! The last time I needed to have a tailor measure and fit one was in 1994 and the last time that I wore it was for a meeting with a new editor that took place in 2005.

That sort of meeting, these days, can be attended naked or, if in mixed company, in sweats and a T-shirt since it is now commonly taking place online via a VOIP session.

Can you imagine any circumstances under the present state of the industry in which the provocation of Franklin and his unusually well-informed if not wise Silence Dogood faces any risk at all of being discovered? I can't.

Preparing for the Forza Horizon WTG Project

. . . This Post Briefly Defined . . .

The process of smoothing the path to begin properly deploying (that is to say publishing) a Walkthrough / Video Game Guide often requires a number of preparations that, in the absence of a previously prepared outline or skel or stipulations of a similar design by the editor or sub-editor who has issued that assignment - and especially in the case of a video game that is the direct (or the indirect) sequel to a previous game in a series, the process - no matter how well-ordered - often involves addressing matters uniquely connected and yet disconnected from the subject at hand.  

In the simplest of terms and in particular I speak of obtaining a minimal set of levels in one or more of the previous titles in the game series - Forza Motorsports 3 and Forza Motorsports 4 in this case - so as to reap the benefits that are provided under the flag of "Loyalty" in terms not just of unlocking the associated Achievement but also in unlocking and obtaining a series of particularly useful models of automobile whose presence and availability, which are dependent upon having attained a specific minimum Driver Level - certainly will result in an expanded measure of capability in the game at hand.

These are, therefore, several of the topics upon which I will reflect in some detail within the body of this post below...  My intention being to acquaint you with those contents in order to magnify and establish your appreciation and interest in the same, by way of encouraging you to embrace and take in this post with a finer understanding for what it contains, and therefore what it might provide to you in terms of both information and enlightenment.

Forza Horizon & The Forza Motorsports Series

Preamble Note: With the understanding that I am and have been variously employed within the beat of Games Journalism for a number of years, when it is appropriate (or when I feel that doing so will add to both the convenience and some measure of additional edutainment) I have included links to related articles, reviews, or other documents, columns, articles, and the like, the aim of which is to enhance your experience on these subjects.

In simple terms then, you are invited to indulge me in following any such links within the post at your leisure and with the clear understanding that in doing so you will encounter the spawning of a new browser session and window rather than being forced to constantly push the “Back” button and thus have to hunt for your previous position in reading - my notion being to make this as convenient an experience as is possible in result.

The Nature of the Modern Gaming Environment

When a gamer is restricted either by budget or space, it is often the case that they find themselves in a position of being loyal to a particular platform or gaming console to the exclusion of the other(s) in the present generation, to the extent that they might almost be said to be a loyal and particular fan for that console.

As it is often the case, and presuming you to be particularly fond of the auto racing simulation genre that extends beyond the Cult of Left Turns, you will surely be familiar with the long-running and heated rivalry between Microsoft and its Xbox Console and Sony and its PlayStation Console in terms of the very fine and very realistic auto racing simulations known as Forza Motorsports and Gran Turismo, respectively.

It is even fair and very accurate to suggest that, with each new version of each respective series, the realism and the experience of realism improves, promising the fan of each game if not a major improvement in the racing experience than at least many minor improvements in a game genre that seems to constantly improve as if it were a natural matter of law.

This being the reality and acknowledging that special care is often taken, from game version to game version within the respective game series to ensure that the specially-created livery and graphic designs, often differentiated by either car racing club, manufacturer model, or the particular preferences of the individual, are seen to move forward from the previous generation of a game in the series to the next, where this is allowed, to permit the gamer to present themselves to their rivals in the familiar form to which they each the two of them have become comfortable.

This being the case, and emphasizing that unique and very convenient shorthand to which a great deal of detail has now been expressed - between the lines so to speak - it is understood therefore that we have now covered and dispensed with a vast forest of information covered by those subjects, and in as satisfactory a manner as one might have wished for, so that we can put aside the topics of technical realism, design, tyre tech, and livery, and so move on to the colder but no less important topics that make up the bulk of the detail in the preparations that necessarily must be seen to in order to commence with the creation of the new guide - that is to say, that we are now ready to move on to the areas that must be sorted out in order to best take advantage of the requirements present for the same.

Paving the Way

As it turned out a great deal of the work that was required for the creation of the Walkthrough and Guide for Forza Horizon took the form of supporting material and topics that eventually made up the bulk of the branches of the figurative tree around which this guide is structured.

The catch here is that the actual game play portion, the leveling and levels, the individual races, and all that these contain, sensibly makes up the tree trunk upon and from which these branches naturally thrust and to which they are attached.

This being how it worked out, I was more than a little surprised to realize that the presentation of all of the supporting information was utterly and nearly completely reliant upon the presentation of the game play segments to the extent that the guide would look, well, bad... If the supporting information was presented prior to the meat of the game play sections being deployed - a realization that is based largely upon the disheartening experience that was obtained when the approach was applied to the guide project for Minecraft.

So despite having what amounts to nearly 75% of the guide written, as that huge structure fails to appear elegant on its own, I am in the position of needing to actually play the game and, in the process, make the game play videos that are really part and parcel a major element in that process, prior to being able to put up the supporting material without the guide appearing ugly as a result.

I am OK with that?

You can imagine how surprised that I was to realize that rather than being able to jump right into the game and begin playing - sliding the game disc into the 360, arriving at the loading page, hitting the record button on the separate capture system PC, and racing away to the Festival, instead I found myself making a list of the things that I needed to do BEFORE actually being able to play the game?!

Seriously, call it a failure to think ahead; call it a lack of the full mental image of the “Big Picture” that is more or less required for such projects to proceed; call it whatever you like, but I tend to call it a major miscalculation on my part. And clearly I accept all the blame on this one.

Now I can honestly point to recent and ongoing health issues as full justification for just such a failure of memory and consideration - and the nature of those being what they are, I have serious doubts that even the most annoying of critics and detractors would be able to find much in the way of moral high ground from which to find purchase for such an argument or accusation... But that does not really solve the problem.

A History of Pre-Game Preparations

In a way this is one of those lessons that should have been learned from the past. After all it is not as if almost the entire Forza series did not contain just this sort of catch in game play, right?

The original Forza Motorsports was released for the Xbox (original) in 2005, and just two years later the direct sequel to the game, Forza 2, made its debut on the new Xbox 360, offering gamers not just the satisfaction of the continuation of what had by then become a very well-loved and well-established game that rapidly solidified in the minds of gamers as a racing series.

The second Forza also fully embraced the new Game Achievement and Gamerscore system that was then rapidly growing in popularity to the extent that Sony found itself in a race to devise a similar system of its own in answer to what Microsoft had done (and eventually settled upon the Trophy system it now uses), but that is a story for a different post...

When Forza Motorsports 4 arrived, with its own unique and full set of Achievements, among them was a pair of Achievements that had a tacit connection to the previous title to which it was a sequel, specifically the “Forza Faithful” Achievement, and one called “Unicorn Hunter” (though technically the latter Achievement could be unlocked in alternate ways).

The Forza Faithful Achievement in Forza 4

Once you install and load Forza 4 and complete the very first race - the introductory one that it does not really matter where you place in - the game will look for a Forza 3 save and, if/when it finds one, notify you of that fact and ask you if you wish to complete the import process from the previous game.

If you say yes - and you obviously should say yes - while the doing of it will have no effect whatsoever upon your Forza 3 profile or save, what it will do is read and evaluate your Forza 3 game save and, based upon your level of progress in the previous game, give you a graduated set of prizes and rewards based upon the contents of that profile.

Several factors are taken into consideration here - starting with your Forza 3 Driver Level, and the cars that you own in that game. As long as you are online (that is to say that your Xbox 360 is connected ot the Net and to the Forza Server as well as Xbox LIVE's servers) you will be gifted a combination of credits (aka “CR” which is the in-game money that is used to buy things like cars, upgrades, and stuff from the in-game store and auction house) that is based upon your profile level.

In addition to receiving a certain amount in percentage of the CR you possess in Forza 3, you will also be gifted with a specific set of cars depending upon your progress, and of even greater importance, as long as you possess specific and uber-rare cars in Forza 3, the importation of the rare car (or cars) that will/may trigger the unlocking of the Unicorn Hunter Achievement as well (more on that in a moment).

Technically the car imports does not require any connection to Xbox LIVE and its servers, and based upon your profile levels, Driver Level, and etc. you may receive the following rewards for being a Forza Faithful:

FM3 Profile Level - Year - Make - Model

• 1 - 2010 - Abarth - 500 Esseesse
• 5 - 2009 - Ford - Focus RS
• 10 - 2010 - Chevrolet - Camaro SS
• 15 - 2010 - Audi - R8 5.2 FSI Quattro
• 20 - 2009 - Bugatti - Veyiron 16.430 - 2009 - BMW - #92 Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2
• 40 - 2006 - Aston Marin - #007 Aston Martin Racing DBR9
• 50 - 2009 - Peugeot - #9 Peugeot Sport Total 908

 

The 2010 Abarth Model 500 Esseesse - the cutest car you never heard of...

Community Loyalty Reward Cars: In addition to the above direct car rewards that are based on your Driver and Profile Levels, you may also receive the following Forza 4 version cars if you have any of these cars in your Forza 3 garage:

Year - Make - Model - Original Source

• 1969 - Chevrolet - Camaro SS Coupe - Unicorn Car
• 1982 - DeLorean - DMC-12 - Community Choice Classics Pack
• 2002 - Mazda - RX-7 Spirit R Type-A - Unicorn Car
• 2006 - Subaru - Impreza S204 - Unicorn Car
• 2007 - Ferrari - 430 Scuderia - FM3 VIP Car Pack / FM4 Unicorn
• 2007 - Lamborghini - Gallardo Superlegerra - FM3 VIP Car Pack / FM4Unicorn
• 2009 - Chevrolet - Corvette ZR1 - FM3 VIP Car Pack
• 2010 - Ferrari - 458 Italia - Hot Holidays Car Pack
• 2010 - Lexus - LF-A - Stig's Garage Car Pack

Unicorn Hunter Achievement: As previously mentioned, the Unicorn Hunter Achievement was also attached to the loyalty import from FM3 (though you could also unlock it in FM4 the usual way if you lacked an FM3 save of sufficient level with the right cars).

Basically when you completed the importation from FM3, as long as you owned any of the following cars . . .

• 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe
• 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type-A
• 2006 Subaru Impreza S204
• 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
• 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superlegerra,

. . . you would then automagically unlock the Unicorn Hunter Achievement - which I might add while it could be unlocked in the usual way in the game was, by and far away the easier and more convenient way to get it since unlocking it in FM4 in “the usual way” required either massive luck, or a massive pile of legally obtained and filthy lucre!

The 2011 MINI Cooper S - this game is full of too cute cars!

So how does that bring us to Forza: Horizon?

Simple really - just like FM4 and its relationship with FM3, Forza Horizon has a similar relationship to both FM3 AND FM4! That's right, the “AND” is intentionally emphasized...

Basically in Horizon once you begin the game and drive your way to the point at which you have unlocked and received the first wristband (the Yellow one), you will be prompted to activate the import process for the Achievement “May The Forza Be With You” (10G) You received free cars for being a loyal Forza fan!

Now granted the 10G may not seem like a lot of Gamerpoints (and really it is not),but that isn't the major focus for this Achievement - rather it is the Loyalty Rewards Car Importing that is the major focus, and what that translates to is actually very simple, really...

The evaluation is once again based upon either your FM3 or FM4 Driver Levels - which was a problem for me in that I had been forced due to the Red Ring of Death to replace my Xbox 360 between when FM3 and FM4 was released, so I did not have an FM3 save on the hard drive - AND - my FM4 save had been corrupted on my current 360 so that while I did have a save, it was basically empty in terms of progress!

Because of that I found myself in the unfortunate position of needing to put the game play process for Horizon on hold temporarily while I built up the stats and levels in FM4 so that, when I did engage in Horizon gameplay, the game would properly evaluate my save and thus deliver unto me the following proper May the Forza Be With Me Rewards:

FM Driver Level - FH Award Car

• Level 01 - 2011 MINI Cooper S
• Level 05 - 2011 Citroen DS3 Racing
• Level 10 - 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8
• Level 15 - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS
• Level 20 - 2008 BMW M3 E92
• Level 30 - 2012 Jaguar XKR-S
• Level 40 - 2009 Gumpert Apollo S
• Level 50 - 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

Now this is not really a question of being a stickler for getting what you can get, or for the whole ego argument that has surrounded this sort of reward/element in the games, but rather it is the recognition that several of these cars offer performance characteristics that are highly desirable and, more to the point, ownership of them represents a savings in time, playing, and CR.

Pick the correct exit, get off the highway, and discover a new Forza World!

That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Besides there were still a number of Achievements in FM4 that I wanted to unlock anyway, well, that and the reality is that FM4 is a fun game that is worth playing (and replaying) so really it was more a question of putting in the time - so for me it was a matter of working on other guide projects and assignments while squeezing in racing sessions during breaks - an approach that I found worked very well indeed.

This sort of situation begs the question: How much effort is too much effort?

The only answer that I can come up with is: How much fun are you having?

Completing the National Pokedex in Pokemon White 2

Last week I put the final touches to the primary version for my Walkthrough and Guide for Pokemon White 2 over at SuperCheats.  

My guide for White 2 is actually the third guide I have written for the fifth generation of the Pokemon game franchise, and my seventh guide overall for the series.  That says a lot, particularity when you consider that the average play time for one of those games when you are doing a guide is more than 300 hours.

That actually surprised me - it was not that I had forgotten the guides I had written so much as that I did not realize there were so many, starting with HeartGold (August 2010),  LeafGreen (November 2010), FireRed (March 2011), Emerald (March 2011), Black (April 2011), Black 2 (December 2012), and finally White 2 (May 2013).

Of the Pokemon guides I believe that White 2 was the most ambitious, since it covers game play and information beyond just completing the story and challenges in the game. 

Writing a Pokemon Walkthrough and Guide

The process of writing a game guide and walkthrough is pretty similar from game to game, and even from genre to genre in that it largely entails playing the hell out of the game so that you can cover every aspect of play for the main and secondary story lines.  You have to cover all of the plot elements, and in the process provide step-by-step instructions and strategies for beating boss mobs and the more complicated parts of a game.

In addition to all that, these days you also have to shoot game play videos to include as part of the illustrations for the guides - that was not always so - with the focus for each video being examples of how to do strategic things, and beat specific mobs, bosses, or enemies.

The Pokemon game series is even more challenging because in addition to all of that, you also have to keep track of and report which Pokemon are found where, and a major element for both play and the guides includes leveling up and evolving the different Pokemon lines.

If you are not familiar with the games, in addition to a story element and the basic goal of beating the regional Pokemon Gym Leaders to obtain their Gym Badges so that you can then go on to challenge - and hopefully defeat - the currently serving Regional Pokemon Champion - there is also the challenge of completing the Pokedex for the region covered by the game, and then going on to complete the National Pokedex, which includes the Pokemon from all of the regions in the canon, past and present.

The Regional & National Pokedex

If you are wondering just what a Pokedex is, well in simple terms it is an electronic encyclopedia of Pokemon, and it plays a major role in the games in that every Pokemon Professor from the first game and game generation all the way to the current game has asked the player to assist in completing the current National Pokedex, which is a complete record of all of the Pokemon known to exist at that time.

The National Dex is partly behind the slogan "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" and in some ways it is the bane of the existence for many Pokemon Trainers (Pokemon Trainer is what the player is called).

Once you complete the story in each title and beat the Regional Champion to become Regional Champ yourself, there is still the matter of completing the National Pokedex.

When I finished the game in White 2 I had seen something like 450 Pokemon, and I had captured and collected something like 370 or thereabouts.

At the present time the National Pokedex consists of 649 unique Pokemon - and when the newest games that make up the 6th Generation are released later this year that number will be very close to 1000!

Using a combination of previous generation titles, related offshoot games in the Pokemon series, special real-world and WiFi events, and trades with other Trainers (players) you can easily complete the regional Pokedex, but completing the National Dex is still something of a challenge!

Actually completing the National Dex is rather unusual.  In addition to writing the unofficial guides for many of the games, I happen to be a fan of the series, so I would have played the games whether I had been tasked with and assigned to write the guides or not.

I was introduced to the series with the title Pocket Monsters Green, when I was doing a contract in Japan, so it is fair to say that I have been playing these games since the very start, and even then thanks to the fact that there are special and rare Legendary Pokemon that can only be obtained by attending real world special events, a quick mental review of the games - there have been 21 games in the main series mind you - I have only actually fully completed the National Pokedex in 2 of the games, despite having played them all.

Completing the National Pokedex is important to most players - for bragging rights to be sure - but also because in addition to ensuring that you have at least one of each Pokemon it also lets you obtain special rewards, get a specially colored Trainer ID card in the games, and yeah, bragging rights.

Like a lot of Trainers I like to attend regional and national Pokemon events where I can pit my teams against the teams of other Trainers for battles -  informal and official - as it is a lot of fun.

Plus there is the fact that often the only legal way to obtain the full set of Pokemon for each game is to attend those events, as that is often where the rarest of the Pokemon are distributed.  Though that is changing, with WiFi-based distribution getting more popular.

Going for the Gold: The Pokemon White 2 National Dex

The challenge for completing the Unova Region Pokedex (that is the regional 'dex for the Black/White/Black 2/White 2 games) came down to a handful of special events and actions...  

You might find it interesting to learn how it all worked out for me, so I thought I would explain it.  It all started with the release of Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, which took place on 7 October 2012.

The first significant aspect that you will need to understand is that the rare and legendary Pokemon that are called Legendary differ slightly from the regular and rare Pokemon in that for one thing you cannot breed them.  They can only be caught and collected, not created.

There are actually several types of Legendary Pokemon - there are the regular Legendary Pokemon that area captured in the games, usually with each of the titles in a series having one of a related pair of Legendary Pokemon.

For example in Black/White and Black 2/White 2 there is a set of two Legendary Pokemon: Reshiram and Zekrom, each of which appears only in its designated game.  To obtain both of them you would have to own both games or get someone who owns the other game opposite the one you have to trade it to you.

The thing is, each game only has ONE of the Legendary.  So you basically have to either own both games or get some other player to give you what amounts to the only one of that type Pokemon in their game.

To get another they (or you) would be forced to delete your game save and start over again - and you may be shocked to learn that a lot of players do that when they first start out...  But the veteran players are more likely to buy an extra copy (or copies) of the games so that they have the freedom to play and restart in order to obtain additional Legendary Pokemon they can trade without disrupting or destroying their primary game save.

That should give you a pretty good idea of how all of this works, so back on subject again, the process of obtaining (or at least incorporating) many of the special Pokemon actually began with the two previous games in the current generation, Pokemon Black and White, but I will start at the logical beginning for White 2, which is my currently active title.

Once the game was advanced to the point that trading Pokemon between versions was possible, I traded in the special Pokemon that I needed for my version and stuck them in a box for later use or, in the case of regular Pokemon, version specific Pokemon, or the ones that were the first in an evolution series, they waited for me to have the time to evolve them in order to complete their entries in the dex.

So this is the order in which the first through final stages of completing first the Regional and then the National Pokedex occurred:

(01) Genesect - #300 in the Unova Pokedex.

Genesect is a rare and Legendary Pokemon..  Obtained via WiFi distribution through the Nintendo WFC in the game, simply by being sure to purchase it as soon as it was available.  For a few weeks starting when the game was officially released Nintendo was offering players who owned the games the ability to connect their game to the Internet and obtain this first special and rare Pokemon.

(02) Victini - #000 in the Unova Pokedex

The first Pokemon to ever have a dex number of #000, Victini was the early adopter reward for Pokemon Black and White.  If you bought the game when it first game out, you could obtain the special Wondercard via WiFi and then pick up a special item called the Liberty Pass at your local Pokemon Center.

Using the Liberty Pass, once you reached the city of Castelia in the game, you could  board the boat for Liberty Garden and capture and collect Victini there.  That was (and as far as I know still is) the only way to get this particular Legendary Pokemon.  Which means if you did not get it then, you are not getting it now unless you find someone willing to trade you one.

(03) Keldeo - #298 in the Unova Pokedex

On August 27th, 2012 Nintendo launched its first real-world Legendary Pokemon distribution event at GameStop stores throughout North America. Gamers could appear at their local GameStop with a copy of Pokemon Black or Pokemon White and receive one of this rare and special Legendary horse Pokemon. So I did that with my copies of both Pokemon Black and White...

Amazingly enough Nintendo offered Trainers a second opportunity to obtain this Legendary Pokemon, as between January 25th and February 12th, 2013 they made it available via the Nintendo WFC (a WiFi event basically) that allowed any Trainer who owned a copy of Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 to log into the WFC using the Mystery Gift Selection from the game main menu and download the Wondercard for this Pokemon.

If you did so you could then open a spot in your active party and obtain this Pokemon from the delivery boy at your local Pokemon Center. I did that for both Black 2 and White 2, so I ended up owning four unique Keldeo.

(04) Meloetta - #299 in the Unova Pokedex 

On 4 March 2013 Nintendo began to distribute, for a very limited time only, this Rare and Legendary Pokemon via GameStop stores in North America.

On 4 March you showed up at your local GameStop with your DS/3DS and your copy of Pokemon Black 2 or White 2, and you could receive one of this rare Pokemon to add to your game and your dex.

I did that for both Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, and for Pokemon Black and White, giving me four unique Meloetta to add to my collection and Pokedexes.

(05) Tornadus - #198 in the Unova Pokedex

A member of the “Kami Trio” which consists of three Legendary Pokemon: Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus. See the entry for Landorus for more details and on how I obtained them.

(06) Thundurus - #199 in the Unova Pokedex

A member of the “Kami Trio” which consists of three Legendary Pokemon: Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus. See the entry for Landorus for more details and on how I obtained them.

(07) Landorus - #200 in the Unova Pokedex

While there are other ways to obtain this Pokemon, which is known as a member of the Kami Trio in the games, the easiest method for obtaining it was to purchase a copy of the Nintendo 3DS digital game Pokemon Dream Radar ($2.99 from the online Nintendo Store), and then play the game until you unlocked this Pokemon, whereupon you capture it and then transfer it to your game - which in my case was Pokemon White 2. So that is what I did.

The Kami Trio consists of three Legendary Pokemon - Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus (with Landorus being the controlling member of the trio). Both Tornadus and Thunderus could be obtained as version-exclusive Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Black and White (respective) in their “Incarnate” form.

Once you had captured/collected both (one in each of the games) you had to trade the one you did not have in your game so that you had the pair in your active party, you could then journey to the Abundant Shrine at the top of the Waterfalls on Route 14 and, presenting yourself to the Shrine, you would then spawn the controlling member of the trio, Landorus, who you could then capture and collect.

All of the trio collected in this manner were in their Incarnate forms. You could then trade them to Pokemon Black 2 or White 2 to add them to the dex in those games (these Pokemon were not present in either Pokemon Black 2 or White 2).

If you obtained the trio via the side-along game Pokemon Dream Radar they were collected and captured in their alternate form, which is their “Therian Forms” as this was the only way to obtain them for Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 if you did not trade them in from Black or White or both.

Obtaining the trio from Dream Radar was the preferred method however because if and when you did that, you could add the Therian Landorus to your party, visit the Abundant Shrine, and in recognition be gifted with a special devide that is called the “Reveal Glass” that allows you to transform any member of the trio from Therian to Incarnate form, or from Incarnate to Therian Form.

You could transform these Pokemon using the Reveal Glass, and you could also do the same to the Incarnate trio obtained from Pokemon Black and White.

Post-Champion Completion Efforts

Having at this point completed the main story and having beaten the Elite Four and the Unova Regional Pokemon Champion, I was ready to start seriously working on completing the National Pokedex.

To do that first I had to trade all of the version-exclusive Pokemon from Black 2 into White 2.  If you are working towards completing the National Pokedex or for that matter the Unova Regional Pokedex this is an obvious next step!

(08) Weedle - #013 in the National Pokedex

This is a regular Pokemon that is exclusive to Pokemon Black 2 - while I could “see” it in my version of the game by battling one or more of the NPC Trainers in the new area that is opened up after unlocking the National Dex, which consists of the cities or towns of Nacrene, Striaton, Accumula, and Nuvema, Routes 1, 2, 3, 17, 18, and the Pinwheel Forest, Wellspring Cave, Dreamyard, Plasma Frigate or the P2 Lab, I could not actually capture or collect it that way, as it has to be traded with Black 2...

(09) Kakuna - #014 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(10) Beedrill - #015 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(11) Magmar - #126 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(12) Spinarak - #167 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(13) Ariados - #168 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(14) Sudowoodo - #185 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(15) Heracross - #214 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(16) Magby - #240 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(17) Plusle - #311 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(18) Volbeat - #313 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(19) Spoink - #325 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(20) Grumpig - #326 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(21) Registeel - #379 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(22) Buneary - #427 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(23) Lopunny - #428 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(24) Stunky - #434 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(25) Skuntank - #435 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(26) Bonsly - #438 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(27) Gible - #443 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(28) Gabite - #444 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(29) Garchomp - #445 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(30) Magmortar - #467 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(31) Cottonee - #546 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(32) Whimsicott - #547 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(33) Gothita - #574 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(34) Gothorita - #575 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(35) Gothitelle - #576 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(36) Vullaby - #629 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(37) Mandibuzz - #630 in the National Pokedex

See entry (08) for details...

(38) Latios - #381 in the National Pokedex

This is the second of the pair of unique Rare and Legendary Pokemon from a previous game and region that can be obtained in the Dreamyard - though this is the one that is exclusive to Pokemon Black 2 mind you... Since I already had captured and collected Latias for White 2, trading this one in next made the most sense.

(39) Zekrom - #644 in the National Pokedex

This is the second of the pair of unique Rare and Legendary Pokemon from the Gen V games and Unova region that is obtained as part of the story.

(40) The Big List

At this point having either captured and/or traded all of the Pokemon that are available in Gen V into the game, it was time to figure out what was required from the games in the previous generations.

While theoretically that could run up to and including the Gen III games from the GBA, it would not actually be necessary to first collect and transfer Pokemon from them into Gen IV and then to Gen V because in addition to the core games from Gen IV that I owned (which meant Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum) I also owned a copy of Pokemon HeartGold as a result of my having written the guide for that game.

Subsequently between all of the Gen IV games I had access to all of the Pokemon I would need to complete the Gen V National Dex, just not as individual Pokemon. And even if I had been able to obtain them as individual Pokemon the number of Pokemon that would entail would have ended up overwhelming my Pokemon Storage System in White 2!

What I ended up doing was sitting down with White 2, loading the National Dex, and making a list using just the numbers (so it would fit on a single page of paper) of all the Pokemon. Basically that meant creating a bunch of columns with the numbers 1 through 649 on it, with a little box next to each that could be filled in or ticked to indicate that I had that one.

With that done I then consulted the National Pokedex on SuperCheats.com and drew arrows connecting the first form in each set through its evolutions. That way I could figure out which Pokemon I actually needed to have, and then I could evolve each of those to cover the rest of the forms in their specific evolutionary chain!

With that accomplished I began to transfer each of the required Pokemon until I had them all.

(41) Legendary Pokemon from Previous Generations

The next to final task was to look in the special boxes that I had set aside in each game to see what Legendary Pokemon were present.

Because I plan to compete with Pokemon White 2 (and later either Pokemon X or Y) I needed to be sure that all of the Pokemon I transferred in to it were completely legitimate - I know that some of the trades I did in previous games ended up getting me hacked Pokemon (I did not know that they were hacked at the time or I would never have traded for them), so I needed to access the different database and Legendary Lists online to verify the OT and ID No of the Legendary Pokemon I owned, being certain only to transfer the ones that were legitimate.

The End Results

Well, there you have it. The end results are that I now have on my game all of the Pokemon that I will need to complete the National Pokedex - I just need to evolve them all through their full chains.

There is still a lot left to do beyond that mind you - I still need to fully upgrade the shops in my Join Avenue Mall, and I want to go back to N's Castle and fully explore it as I did not do that to my satisfaction before.

There is also the matter of the pass that Professor Juniper gave me that allows me to use the airport in Mistralton City to fly to the Pokemon Nature Preserve, where I understand that in addition to some hard to find Pokemon with potentially great natures and abilities, there is also supposed to be a Shiny Hacorus that is literally there for the taking!

I also need to show Professor Juniper my Unova Pokedex now that I have the Kami Trio in my dex and collection so that I can obtain the reward for that - which is an Oval Charm that according to the rumors makes it easier for the Daycare Man to find eggs. That could come in handy for completing the National Dex Collection since some of the Pokemon I need for that can only be obtained by breeding.

Rumor has it that the reward for showing the Professor your Dex after you have completely filled it is a special Shiny Charm that makes it exponentially more likely for you to encounter Shiny Pokemon in the wild - that would be pretty cool considering that throughout the entire span of the decades that I have been playing the games I have only managed to capture a total of eight (8) Shiny Pokemon...

If you are curious, my collection of Shiny Pokemon consists of:

• #078 - Rapidash. I named him Oranoco, and he was captured in Kanto.
• #130 - Gyarados. I named her Lucy Rouge, and she was captured in Johto.
• #172 - Pichu (SPR2010). I named him PICHU, and he was captured in Sinnoh.
• #244 - Entei (GAMESTP). I named him ENTEI, and he was captured in A Special Place.
• #340 - Whiscash. I named him HIRO, and he was captured in Sinnoh.
• #373 - Salamence. I named him Javier, and he was captured in Hoenn.
• #455 - Carnivine. I named him Sweet, and he was captured in Sinnoh.
• #624 - Pawniard. I named him Brightone, and he was captured in Unova.

Of the eight above only three are wild captures - my Rapidash, Carnivine, and Pawniard. The Whiscash and Salamence were obtained as trades so I did not capture them, while the Gyrados is the Shiny you got automatically from a previous game. The Pichu is the Pointy-Ear give-away one, and the Entei is, of course, also a give-away one from GameStop.

That pretty much wraps up the National Dex completion report. I would be interested to hear your story of how you have completed or are working on completing your National Dex for Black 2 or White 2- will you have it done before X/Y release? That is my goal :)

. . . when the law goes too far.

We live in a world in which placing the blame is often more important than fixing the problem, and based upon the events that are unfolding in Western Pennsylvania and its border state, Ohio, over the past week, the case of Butler County v. Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby may end up being a classic example of how the powers of law are often abused by small-minded officers of the court bent on personal revenge.

That is one way to look at the situation, but if claims made by the Sowersby family are found to merit closer examination, what this may actually be is another case of Corporate Greed and the abuse of the law by underhanded Corporate Stooges seeking to possess information that clearly does not belong to them, which is just the sort of activities that the Occupy Movement has been trying to warn the world about since its founding in September, 2011.

Punxsutawney Phil facing possible Capital Punishment

According to Butler County (Ohio) Prosecuting Attorney Michael T. Gmoser, he awoke on the morning of 22 March 2013 to a cold and blustery day and, not content to embrace the suck and live through another cold day in Ohio, resolved to make a difference and do something about it. 

Reasoning that he was put in charge of the Butler County Prosecutor's Office specifically to look out for and protect not just the interests of the citizens of that county but, if we stretch the point, the rest of Ohio, and also to protect them from the knowing actions of criminal scammers and scams of all types and sizes. 

Prosecuting Attorney Gmoser has been accused of abusing the law.

That realization sparked a series of thoughts in his mind as he awoke and went through the process of completing his morning ablutions.  According to a highly placed and very reliable source who wishes to remain nameless, the decision on whether or not to indict and charge a defendant is often made either in bed, in the shower, on the toilet, or during long lunches.

Gmoser is portrayed as a family man with a hands-on approach to every aspect of life, from raising children to prosecuting the bad guys in court, and likes to use anecdotes drawn from his everyday life as he addresses the Jury in closing arguments.  

The Anatomy of an Indictment

Gmoser is rumored to be in the process of creating three new motions and a discovery document to file with the court in the case of Butler County v. Sowerby, with sources claiming that he will be filing a request for funds to pay three expert witnesses to support a possible added charge of Interfering with Air Traffic Controllers, which while it is a stretch, could force the defendant to hire at least three new attorneys in order to defend the charge.

That is not an unusual tactic for Prosecutors today; adding additional charges often forces a defendant to seek a plea agreement due to the added expenses of defending themselves in multiple jurisdictions and courts.

His decision to begin the long and involved process of bringing charges against Sowerby was no different than the same decision on other cases, according to a source in his office.  "You have to have resolve and pretty good legal skills," the source advised.  "Plus being really pissed off at the defendant helps.

The charges that Gmoser intends to file include fraud and deception, and though such charges rarely include application of the death penalty, Gmoser has made it crystal clear that he intends to seek the death penalty in this case, reasoning that the circumstances of Sowerby's ongoing criminal enterprise warrants that level of punishment.

"Punxsutawney Phil did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause people to believe that Spring would come early," the indictment reads.  

Phil exercising his 1st Amendment Rights to Predict Weather

Concerned about the broad-reaching consequences the alleged fraud may have, from the financial risks that are posed to businesses and investors who rely upon the predictions made with respect to the arrival and the nature of Spring for investing, for the process of determining when to begin construction projects, and a host of other large value projects, Gmoser points out that the scammer he is going after in this indictment poses an ongoing and serious risk to society.

"He's already serving a life sentence behind bars, as you know," Gmoser told reporters from television station WXIX. Convinced that he intentionally misled the nation, Gmoser feels that the only right action is to apply the most extreme punishment allowed by law.

"I woke up this morning and the wind was blowing, the snow was flying, the temperatures were falling, and I said 'Punxsutawney, you let us down,' " the prosecutor told WXIX.

Who is this Criminal Meteorologist?

 

Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby, of 301 East Mahoning St., Punxsutawney PA, is by all accounts a quiet law-abiding family man and resident of Punxsutawney, a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. 

He has no criminal record, and other than his hobby as an amateur meteorologist, holds no professional licenses, bonds, or permits according to our inquiry with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's Office.  

According to a statement made by his wife, Phyllis Sowerby, who declined to be interviewed by the press, Phil is being targeted by Cincinnati-based Fortune 500 mega-corporation Procter & Gamble, who she is convinced is using Gmoser as a legal stooge in its efforts to put pressure on Sowerby to reveal the source for the “elixir of life” that is allegedly behind his unusually long life -- the amateur meteorologist is rumored to be celebrating his 125th birthday this year.

“Proctor & Gamble want the formula and they will stop at nothing to get it,” Phyllis Sowerby is rumored to have said in an interpreted statement to local police.

The police in Punxsutawney appear to be taking the claims seriously, and have relocated Sowerby and his family to a more secure safehouse located adjacent to the Punxsutawney Police Station at 301 E. Mahoning St., Punxsutawney, PA. 

The safehouse is wired for both sound and video, with a number of closed-circuit security cameras that feed monitors at the Police Station that are now being manned around the clock  out of concern for Phil's safety. 

‘‘Right next to where Phil stays is the police station,’’ Bill Deeley, president of the Punxsutawney club that organizes Groundhog Day event warned. ‘‘They've been notified, and they said they will keep watching their monitors.’’

Deeley was not the only member of the community that was quick to jump to Phil's defense: "If you remember two weeks ago on a Sunday, it was probably 60, 65 degrees," handler John Griffiths told WXIX in Phil's defense. "So, I mean, that basically counts as an early spring."

The question of whether there is a Corporate conspiracy involved here is not as important as the other questions and concerns held by the community, who in addition to professing love for their amateur meteorologist also feel that his occasional mistakes should be accepted as the cost of being an amateur; besides which they have a lot invested in his ongoing hobby, which is crucial to the local economy.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Tourism, Punxsutawney Phil is the biggest tourism draw in the state, followed by the Little League World Series.  In addition to the official forecast which takes place in the morning at Gobbler's Knob, there are a large number of sanctioned and unsanctioned events, including the annual Groundhog Ball, Phil Phest, and six different musical events.

The World is taking the Indictment Seriously

Phil is reportedly unconcerned about the charges, and in a private address to the members of the community and the clubs that help host his annual events, went so far as to suggest that should the Ohio Prosecutor somehow manage to obtain an extradition order, he would rely upon Jury Nullification as his ace-in-the-hole.

While Phil appears to consider the matter something of a joke, the rest of the world is taking it very seriously indeed, and grass roots Free Phil Movements are cropping up on every continent out of a very real concern that Prosecutor Gmoser may intend to carry out the sentence himself.  

To better understand the world's reaction, all that you need do is read the headlines from newspapers that are carrying the story and following Phil's plight:

• Groundhog ‘Indicted:’ Punxsutawney Phil Charged With Fraud (One News)
• Groundhog ‘Indicted:’ Punxsutawney Phil Charged With Fraud (Epoch Times)
• Groundhog indicted: Punxsutawney Phil charged for bad forecast (KTRK)
• Groundhog Phil a furry felon over false forecast (Toledo News)
• Groundhog Phil a furry felon over false forecast (Lebanon Daily News)
• Groundhog Phil 'indicted,' accused of lying (KITV)
• Groundhog Phil 'indicted,' accused of lying (WMTW)
• Punxsutawney Phil Indicted For ‘Misrepresentation Of Early Spring’ (CBS2 New York)
• Punxsutawney Phil charged with fraud for early spring forecast (Yahoo)
• Punxsutawney Phil 'indicted' in chilly Ohio (USA Today)
• Punxsutawney Phil's 2013 Forecast: Groundhog Receives 'Indictment' Over Inaccurate Prediction (Huffington Post)
• Weather groundhog Phil 'indicted,' accused of lying as winter continues (CNN)

Just to be sure that we are all on the same page, this is humor in the same vein as the original indictment...