Monthly Archives: March 2017

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At its core, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is about information gathering. The drug dealers and terrorists you kill are just obstacles between your special ops unit and whatever clues you uncover. Hacking an enemy's computer or interrogating a wanted lieutenant can reveal half a dozen more leads and you're given the freedom to decide which lead to pursue next. Wildlands' openness and the flexibility of choice has, so far, been one of its strengths. Moreover, the first 10 hours of my playthrough amply provided a diverse sampling of what the greater game promises. It took little time to knock out the first batch of objectives, sample the local vehicles, and get reacquainted with the series' style of tactical gameplay.

Wildlands marks Ghost Recon's first foray into an open world, where its Bolivian setting is a playground of both destruction and distraction. You can infiltrate a stronghold with the best of stealthy intentions but you have to be prepared to wreck havoc the moment you're spotted. And the path to every main quest destination is littered with potential detours, whether it be an optional piece of intel or a medal that gives you a bonus skill point.

Ghost Recon's wild lands are expansive enough that using a helicopter is a practical method of transportation, given that the rocky region you start at isn't especially off-road friendly. The best part of taking a helicopter is jumping out of it and surprising enemies from above, provided you've unlocked the Parachute skill. Think of Wildlands as a less cartoony take on the Just Cause series with the all-business seriousness one expects from a Tom Clancy game.

Given the pre-launch videos and trailers' emphases on wanton mayhem and nondescript missions with friends, it was pleasing to watch a couple scene-setting cinematics shortly after firing up Wildlands. Even with the open world setting, I'm hopeful that it retains the series' emphasis on narrative and goal-driven missions. The ultimate goal is to take out El Sueo, the leader of the Santa Blanca drug cartel that essentially runs Bolivia. Your CIA contact, Karen Bowman also has a vindictive score to settle as one of her friends in the DEA was kidnapped and tortured to death by Santa Blanca. While revenge is a valid enough reason to upend a narco-state in the Clancyverse, I suspect that Karen might have other motives.

Forming squads has been one of Wildlands' more intriguing features during these initial hours. In keeping with Ghost Recon's history of team foursomes, having a full squad made up of your friends is the ideal experience. So far, a team of four humans with at least a modicum of experience in tactical shooters is a powerhouse in Wildlands even though enemy headcounts adjust to scale with the size of your team. Players who already have a squad in mind might want to consider starting off the game at the highest difficulty. However, playing solo with a squad of three AI companions offers its own unique benefits. When coordinating a synchronized kill of three targets, the AI is reasonably efficient in moving to reach line of sight within seconds. And they're more durable than your friends when taking fire, which is immensely helpful if they're out in the open healing you. What is puzzling is that you can't have a mixed team of humans and AI. If you and a friend are playing a private session, you can't round off your team with two AI operatives. What's all the more amusing is that you can still hear the story-related banter between all four squadmates.

There's comfort in falling into a tactical routine with your buddies as you reach the perimeter of every enemy outpost. This infiltration cycle begins when you use your tiny drone to survey the stronghold and mark all visible enemies. The ability to track marked enemies through multiple walls feels like cheating, though it hasn't diminished the appeal of the many other Tom Clancy games that use this feature. The openness of Wildlands makes this feature all the more essential and helps your team decide on the best strategy. It remains to be seen whether Wildlands retains the same gadget appeal of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier later on in the game, though perhaps a drone is all the advanced tech you need in Bolivia.

In the 10 hours I've spent on the road to liberate Bolivia of El Sueo's rule, I've unlocked 20-percent of the map. As I've slowly made my way through the hit list of underlings, I've been curious about the risks of sticking to the critical path, and whether there's such as thing as being underleveled in Wildlands. That said, it's been easy to take brief detours to earn extra experience and skills, thanks to the added efficiency of my teammates, AI-controlled or otherwise. Whatever path my journey takes, I know it will involve more diversions to earn extra abilities, the takedowns of the boss' lieutenants, and the elimination of El Sueo himself, which I estimate will take an additional 30 to 40 hours. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days.

Originally posted here:

Ghost Recon: Wildlands Review In Progress - GameSpot

Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons was hard on himself after playing a back-to-back for the first time this season. Ronald Tillery/The Commercial Appeal

Dallas Mavericks' Seth Curry (30) defends as Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons (25) moves to the basket for a shot during the first half oin Dallas, Friday, March 3, 2017.(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Some post-weekend Grizzlies thoughts:

Parsons Progress: Chandler Parsons played his first back-to-back of the season, and his second most individual-game minutes of the season against Dallas, with 9 points on 4-16 shooting in 44 minutes over both games and the same physical limitations weve seen all season.

Was simply playing the back-to-back a sign of progress, as it was touted, or a sign of the team trying to force some progress as the clock ticks toward the playoffs?

The storm and stress surrounding the Parsons question is getting a little tiresome. Its not about his now-dormant social media, his off-court adventures, how hard he works, how early he shows up or how late he stays at practice, or whether shutting down for the season would be theact of a coward, to choose his own word. This is not an issue of morality or machismo. Its a simple two-part question: 1. Is Parsons healthy enough to be on the court? The answer to that is apparently yes. 2. Is he healthy enough to help the team when hes there? So, far the answer to that is no, with no particular reason to believe that will change in the next few weeks. And yet context complicates.

One thing that props up an apparently indefinite patience with Parsons lack of progress is the battery of alternatives. Last week in this space, I worked through some lineup alternatives, which on the wing would mean James Ennis, Vince Carter, or Troy Daniels. None of them, at this stage, should be a starter on aplayoff team.

Theres a two-part opportunity cost to continuing to play Parsons despite his ineffectiveness: 1. That the team has consistently been worse with Parsons on the floor than with the players who would take his minutes, and the games now matter if the team cares about maximizing its playoff seeding. 2. If Parsons is still this player come mid-April, its hard to believe hell maintain this role in the playoffs, so the team is just delaying the process of settling on the lineup and rotation it will use in the postseason and getting that rotation some reps.

If were making this about the team, and not about Parsons, which is how the discussion should be centered, then theres this counter-argument in favor ofthe status quo: The alternatives arent much better than even the current Parsons. Carter and Daniels have each shot below 36 percent over their past 10 games, in a rotation role, and each has definite limitations at full health. Daniels isnt just squeezed by Parsons, but by Toney Douglas taking over a big chunk of back-up scoring guard minutes, a development that is lessabout Douglas individual production than abouthow his ball-handling has helped maximize Mike Conleys impact. Ennis has mostly been out of the rotation lately, but his own limitations are exposed when he gets heavy minutes.

The math for Parsons at this point: That the slim chance of him yet improving with playing time presents a greater path to post-season upside than the minor improvements to be found in benching him. No one with the Grizzlies is going to put it that plainly, but thats the calculation, and it could well be the right one.

A Two-Man Game Wed Love to See: In the playground of our dreams if not on an NBA court.

Other Weekend Notes: Both weekend losses are easy to rationalize individually: This Dallas Mavericks team, with Nerlens Noel, Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell all in the lineup, is far better than the teams full-season record indicates, and even that record is good enough to be in the playoff hunt. A four-point loss on the road to that team is no disgrace. Neither is running out of gas on the second night of a road back-to-back against a relentless Rockets team.

The problem with that, as noted after last weekends road split: Acceptable isnt good enough if the Grizzlies still harbor hopes of moving up in the Western Conference playoff race. Record-wise, the NBAs three best teams are all in the West, and getting into the 4-5 game and avoiding those teams should be the goal. The Grizzlies cant play at the level theyve shown since the All-Star break and get there.

While the attention has been on Parsons, the biggest concern at the moment might be Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies can hope for secondary help, but this season has shown they cant depend on it. They need the Gasol-Mike Conley-Zach Randolph trio to carry them.

Gasol struggled defensively with younger, quicker centers in Dallas Noel and Houstons Clint Capella over the weekend and has been erratic on the offensive end for the past month. Hes topped 23 points in a game 20 times this season, but only once in the past month, and that in a home routagainst Phoenix, one of the NBAs very worst defenses.

Over the weekend, Gasol played 36 minutes in each half of a back-to-back. Setting aside his recovery from foot surgery, hes a 32-year-old center. Hes 17th in the NBA so far this season in total minutes. The only older players in the Top 20(and both just barely) are Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. The only centers who have played more are Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, ages 21 and 24, respectively. Gasol scoffs at such things, but is it unreasonable to wonder if hes worn down some?

Gasols three-point shooting percentages per month:

Regression to the mean? Slump? Random variance? Fatigue? All answers are possible. But for the Grizzlies to be good down the stretch and competitive in the playoffs, a return of All-NBA caliber Gasol is mandatory.

Elsewhere in the Playoff Race: The Grizzlies have been helped by Oklahoma Citys inability to win on the road. The Thunder went 0-3 on a long-weekend road trip and only the Indiana Pacers have been worse on the road among teams with winning records overall. This has helped the Grizzlies maintain a full game lead over the Thunder despite their own struggles, but the Thunder will play six of their next eight back at home.

The Clippers have been playing .500 ball for a while now, and the return of Chris Paul hasnt (yet) changed that. They have a tough one at home tonight against Boston before coming into Memphis for a big game on Thursday, on the second half of a road back-to-back.

The Jazz were my preseason pick to jump from the lottery to the Wests Top 4 and they seem to be strengthening their grip, building a three-game lead over the Grizzlies. But their schedule takes a much tougher turn after tonights home game against New Orleans. Standings as of today:

Game Minus Presentation?: So this happened over the weekend, and this reaction from Friend of Pick-and-Pop Tim Bontemps was common among full-time NBA media:

This would be a fun experiment for one game (and it happened in Memphis by accident for half a game last season), but I cant fully get behind the general idea. As a music nerd, I like the snippets Grizzlies DJs expertly sprinkle into game action (favorites: David Bowie, Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth). I like Mike Conleys Dad Jokes and Zach Randolphs Deep Thoughts. I like Bongo Lady and the Mike Conley Road Runner beep-beep, the ceremonial fourth quarter Whoomp! There It Is! and the occasional well-earned deployment of the Gap Band. This isnt just a Serious Sporting Event. Its a community party. There are elements of game presentation I dont like or, much more often, just dont care about, and I find it easy to tune those things out. No harm done.

All of that said, there is one aspect of game presentation Id march on the frontlines against: Can we please lower the volume on pre-game, in-arena music? I cant hear myself think, much less have a human conversation. I dont need to be engaged during the pregame shoot-around. I can fend for myself.

100 (Or So) Word Preview: The Grizzlies dont just need to start stringing together wins, they need to start playing better. But theres no upside tonight as the NBAs worst team, the Brooklyn Nets, make their lone FedExForum appearance of the season. The Grizzlies need to notch this win and to do so without strain or drama. A big win, as against Phoenix last week, wont really mean much. It just has to happen. If youre desperate for intrigue: Which center, Marc Gasol or Brooklyns Brook Lopez, makes more threes? If you want to worry: Best bet for being tonights Sam Dekker or Doug McDermott, the secondary wing scorer who has a career night? Keep an eye on Sean Kilpatrick.

Read more:

Pick-and-Pop: Parsons' 'progress,' weekend notes, more - The Commercial Appeal

Former Maryland cornerback Will Likely looks around at some of the other participants at the NFL scouting combine and sees guys he played against in college or faced while growing up in Florida.

He admits it stings that he won't be competing with them Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium when the defensive backs get put through their on-field workouts, and that he can't show his speed and athleticism by running the 40-yard dash or doing the other testing.

However, given how far he already has come since his productive Terrapins career ended when he tore the ACL in his right knee while returning a punt Oct.15 against Minnesota, Likely isn't having too much trouble remaining patient.

"You have to run your own race, take it one day at a time and eventually you're going to be able to show what you can do," Likely said Sunday. "I'm way ahead of schedule. Just for me to get invited and just to be here, that's a blessing in itself. I don't take anything for granted."

Likely, the only Terp invited to the combine, will only do the bench press Monday as he continues his recovery from knee surgery. He expects to graduate to position drills on March 29 at Maryland's pro day. However, the past couple days have given Likely the opportunity to meet with teams and show them how much physical progress he has already made.

"I'm going to be back healthy, and whoever picks me will know what they're getting out of me," Likely said. " The coaches have been liking what they've heard and they like my film. That speaks for itself, but just getting to know those guys, just building a relationship with them, it's been pretty good."

Likely played 43 games at Maryland over parts of four seasons, registering 229 tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles. He established himself as a home-run threat with the ball in his hands, and one of the most dangerous return men in the country. He returned two interceptions, two kickoffs and four punts for touchdowns in his career and his 2,233 career kickoff return yards are the second most in Terps history.

At 5-foot-8, Likely understands he'll face skepticism in a league that covets big and long cornerbacks. However, he believes he has proven that he's a "competitor and a true playmaker." He also thinks his special teams prowess should help his draft status.

Likely said he has blocked out any talk about where he might be drafted, preferring to keep his focus on rehabbing his knee. He has been working in Phoenix with Brett Fischer, who runs a physical therapy and performance facility. About five months out from surgery, Likely is already running and doing other defensive back drills.

With his pro day 3 weeks away and the draft about eight weeks away, Likely is thrilled that he's in the position he's in.

"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," he said. "It's just a blessing that it happened at this point. Now, I know what it's like [to deal] with adversity. Once it's time to get ready to play on Sunday, I'll be past that and have a strong mindset. It will be full speed ahead."

Following Young's lead: Temple cornerback Nate Hairston hasn't needed to look very far to get motivation or advice as he goes through the scouting combine. Last year, his former teammate and close friend, Tavon Young, represented the Owls at the combine before he was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round.

"Any time I needed something or had a question, that's like my best friend, that's like a brother to me," Hairston said Sunday. "I'm hitting him up [like] 'Hey, what about this or what about that?' And he'd always shoot me some advice all the time. That's like family to me. Him going through this process last year was a big help to me this year."

Hairston is a Frederick native who played high school football at Thomas Johnson High. Temple gave him his only scholarship offer and he transitioned from a wide receiver to a defensive back in time for his redshirt junior season. Now, like Young, he's on the cusp of making the NFL.

"Any time you see someone that you're that close to have that success, it's like, 'I can do it, too. I want to do it, too,'" Hairston said. "It definitely pushed us and made us chase the same dream."

End zone: Michigan pass rusher Taco Charlton said he would welcome going from one Harbaugh brother to the other. "I loved playing for Jim Harbaugh. I would love to play for John Harbaugh, just because I know how the other Coach Harbaugh was for us and he has that same passion for football." Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett, the presumed first overall pick to the Cleveland Browns, ran a 4.64 40-yard dash Saturday. That was the fastest time among defensive linemen in the first on-field testing session. The majority of Ravens officials are expected to return to Baltimore late Monday following the conclusion of the defensive backs' workouts. The two-day free agent negotiation window, which precedes the market officially opening Thursday afternoon, begins Tuesday.

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com

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More:

Maryland's Will Likely, unable to run at combine, pleased with progress of injured knee - Baltimore Sun

The RS17, fourth-quickest on pure laptimes among the F1 contingent in Barcelona, looks a major step change compared to the RS16. That car was compromised by the late takeover of the team but more weight has clearly been thrown behind this year's challenger.

The bargeboards and airflow conditioners are an extremely complex area of the car given the change in regulations for 2017. Renaults boomerang-shaped airflow conditioner is testament to this and features three slots in its lower surface in order to improve efficiency, while the bargeboard is shaped to maximize the upturned leading floor edge.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17 detail

Photo by: XPB Images

Details presented on the launch car looked somewhat different come Barcelona, with the curved cockpit fin (white arrow) now featuring a curved tip which will shed a very specific type of vortex and the planned twin vortex generator alongside (red arrow) changed for just a longer, singular appendage.

Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17

Photo by: XPB Images

The team also introduced a blown axle solution during testing which will assist the front wing in dealing with the wake generated by the front tyre.

Renault R.S.17 illegal wing support

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The legality of Renaults rear wing support pillar was questioned by several teams following the car's unveiling, as it connected directly to the DRS actuator pod rather than connecting with the mainplane (arrowed). Of course, Renault wanted to use this solution as it improves the performance of the rear wing, given the mainplane is less disturbed.

It's understood that the FIA has since clarified their position, advising that the design must be tweaked ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in order that the pillar intersect with the mainplane.

Renault R.S.17 rear wing, captioned

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Toward the end of the first test, the team also trialled a tall upper flap with a large central V cut, which is likely for simulation purposes - its height will undoubtedly be called into question if the team was to try to run it during a race weekend, as the flap clearly exceeds the 800mm height for bodywork behind the rear wheel centerline mentioned in article 3.6.2 of the technical regulations.

Although that's not to say that Renault hasn't found a contradictory statement in the minutia of details that connect one article in the regulations with another.

See more here:

Tech analysis: How Renault made big progress with its 2017 car - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global