To be honest all of Gears games have been poor for explaining backstory. Pretty sure in Gears 1 they never even state what the Pendulum Wars or Emergence Day were
Or why Marcus is in jail at the beginning.
Or what a "geobot" is and why it would have more targeting data than the resonator.
Or why the bomb is on a train. DEAR GOD! WHY IS THE BOMB ON A TRAIN!!! (They fixed that in the PC version, but still...)
Anywho, my copy was in Anchorage Alaska as of 3 hours ago, so there's just one more leg before it's in town at which point I just have to wait for it to get delivered. Unless they really screw up, I should get my hands on this tomorrow.
Right sorry first time I've done this so I don't completely know what I'm doing
It's ok my son, come into my gears bosom
LCD- Benajammin you are excommunicated from the Gears brohood. Sorry.
Will you play with me so that I may repent for my sins? And then later can we touch butts and make pancakes?
Please say yesssssssssss.
YES
@UndeadScottsman This is good news. Good news indeed....I DEMAND WINGMAN TOMORROW PM SHARP. I usually get on around 9:30 or so CST, so that's like 3pm Alaska time, given inflation and all.
As long as the northern lights aren't showing, that is.
So basically what I'm saying is that I'll be ready for you tomorrow night. Also not in a gay way.
Halfhanda stalwart bastion of terrible ideasRegistered Userregular
I just started and can someone fill me in as to what in the hell is going on in the prologue because I don't remember this at all in the end of Gears 2
I just started and can someone fill me in as to what in the hell is going on in the prologue because I don't remember this at all in the end of Gears 2
Prologue spoilers:
It's a dream. After the dream sequence you're on a boat, which was not at the end of Gears 2. Read the OP for the story kthxbye
Have you finished it all the way in Hardcore mode? It wasn't much of challenge for first chapter but it get progressively harder.
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Hardcore is pretty straightforward, but that is because the game is much more forgiving than the first two in that your allies can actually bring you up if you get downed. It makes for a pleasant chance of pace to dying at random and wondering why all your allies are much more resilient than you are. Also the AI bots are just much better frankly than they were in GoW or GoW2 - they use better weapons and actually kill things.
How exactly is the Hammerburst meant to be used? It just feels like it does less damage, is less accurate and has zero stopping power compared to the Lancer. Not to mention using it for any length of time gives you carpel tunnel in your trigger finger.
Yeah, I've been downed a few times but having an easier time surviving in hardcore mode than I remember in previous games. Haven't truly died yet. Though I was only able to play for an hour or so before work today.
How exactly is the Hammerburst meant to be used? It just feels like it does less damage, is less accurate and has zero stopping power compared to the Lancer. Not to mention using it for any length of time gives you carpel tunnel in your trigger finger.
I don't get that sentiment at all. It's better in every way than the lancer except for firing rate and not having a chainsaw. It's kind of like a mid range sniper rifle with a decent firing rate.
Alucard6986 on
PSN: Ubeltanzer Blizzard: Ubel#1258
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Also it's worth noting that the campaigns difficulty increases in a gentle curve. It gets more and more difficult as you progress. There aren't the canyons and mountains of the first two games difficulty wise.
i've heard a few people say that, so it makes me want to try insane right from the start. i've only tried multi so far but it's amazingly beautiful game. lighting on some of these maps are INSANE.
i've heard a few people say that, so it makes me want to try insane right from the start. i've only tried multi so far but it's amazingly beautiful game. lighting on some of these maps are INSANE.
Unfortunately, you can't or I would have. Why can't they let us start with insane in games, especially the third in a trilogy (i'm looking at you Halo)?
How exactly is the Hammerburst meant to be used? It just feels like it does less damage, is less accurate and has zero stopping power compared to the Lancer. Not to mention using it for any length of time gives you carpel tunnel in your trigger finger.
I don't get that sentiment at all. It's better in every way than the lancer except for firing rate and not having a chainsaw. It's kind of like a mid range sniper rifle with a decent firing rate.
I found my problem. I stopped iron sighting all the time and did far better. :rotate:
I think I'm the only guy who knows what designating is. It's such a useful thing and noone uses it.
NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Yeah, played a bit of Versus early, was awesome. Got a lot of ribbons.
Also got my Lancer execution, now working on the rest, but damn do I love me some chainsaw.
How do I pull someone's arms off? I've gotten the curbstomp (tap y) and beatdown (hold y) but not that one.
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
It might be character or maybe locust specific? I know that the locust queen model pulls the arm off and beats them with it. Some guy on Xbox live ragequit when I downed him and then beat him to death with his own arm to finish the round.
Took us about 8-9 hours on normal. We played about 3 hours last night and probably 6 hours or so today. I guess it wasn't actually one session, but it did feel like it.
Okay, I've heard a few people getting confused about the stuff that happened between Gears2 and Gears3 so since I don't have my copy yet, I'm going to give you all a quick rundown on the important events. This is loaded with spoilers, so if you plan on reading the books at all, don't read this. Also, this is off the top of my head so I may get some stuff wrong.
Baaaassically
Aspho Fields (Book One)
Doesn't really reveal much, though it does introduce the character of Bernie Mataki. Mostly flash-back stuff for marcus's and doms early military careers, but the modern day stuff takes place before Gears2.
Jacinto's Remnant (Book Two)
The book starts right after Gears2 with the surviving humans having to find a new place to live. A large fleet of salvaged and recomissioned sea vessels are used in the evactuation and as impromptu housing, including a Raven's Nest Class carrier known as the Sovereign, and a Submarine known as the Clement. They eventually settle in the remains of an old port city, but because it's the beginning of winter when they sunk Jacinto, they are not doing well. Sporadic attacks from the remnants of the Locust Horde don't help either. Eventually, while searching for a better location, Chairman Prescott does another "Classified Facility that I didn't mention before" jackass moment and reveals the location of a large island called Vectes. Vectes was originally a COG naval base and research outpost for the development of biological and chemical weapons, known as Toxin Town back during the war, and was decomissioned as "quarantined" but it turns out it wasn't contaminated at all and Prescott knew that the whole time.
On the island they discover a small town, Peluran, with a population of COG citizens who lost contact with the mainland 15 years prior after Emergence Day, and they have never seen a Locust nor the atrocities they've committed. Because of the islands large size, hydroelectric power reserves, presence of an existing populace, farmable land and good fishing, and relative isolation, they decide to settle on Vectes. The COG essentially roll in and take the place over (though technically it's completely legal since it's COG territory) which leads to rising tensions, but ultimately they fade after the townsfolk realize how much in dire need the Jacinto refugees are.
One problem on the island is a population of Stranded that are a lot more aggressive than the mainland variety, forming into pirate militias and the lack. The COG throws it's weight around which prompts a failed assault by the Stranded. Once the COG begins to establish itself on the island, Prescott orders Hoffman to do the standard pardoning for the Stranded: Become COG citizens, follow COG laws and turn out the criminal element. Between that and the rough handling a certain criminal got (who has previously run into the 50-something female Gear Bernie Mataki and raped her), the Pelurans aren't seeing the best side of the COG.
Fishing Boats start disappearing in strange circumstances, and the COG figures it's the Stranded Pirates. ventually they decide to trade the Stranded leader (whom turns out is the one they roughed up) in exchange for a cease fire with the Stranded, it turns out THOSE stranded got kill by by an even more powerful Stranded gang: but they're will to do the cease fire in exchange for the guy still (because they want to kill him). They deny sinking any fishing boats though. They make the trade, but all of a sudden the main Stranded boat gets sunk by a torpedo. The Clement was in the area but didn't fire the missile, though it was detecting something odd in the water. The remaining Stranded, thinking they've been betrayed, declare war. While trying to figure out what happened, a second submarine surfaces from the water.
The vessel declares itself to be the Gorasnayian vessle "Zephyr." With Gorasnaya being one of UIR (Union of Independant Republics: basically the main enemy of the COG back during the Pendulum Wars) nations that refused to surrender when the war ended. They blew up the Stranded vessel due to past transgressions (the gorasni like the Stranded even less than the COG) However, they want to talk now. They offer to pool their resources (several seafearing vessels and a very valuable Imulsion rig) in exchange for a place on the island. Prescott says only if they become COG citizens, to which the Gorasnayan leader, Trescu accepts. This increases tensions with the native Pelurans, who still remember the atrocities committed by Gorasnaya far better than they do whatever the Locust/
The book ends with one of the Peluran farmers and his dogs being murdered by Stranded and his farm torched, with the realization that the war hasn't ended, the enemy just changed. Also, Dizzy shows up in the middle of the book to let the audience know he lived. Next Book!
Anvil Gate (Book Three)
The book open with the COG dealing with Stranded IED's and more mysterious boat disappearances, including a Gorasnayan freighter, apparently run aground in the middle of the ocean. Gorasni and COG butt heads and the former UIR guys basically tell the COG to leave the search to them. Anya moves to more frontline activities as they search for the Stranded who planted the bombs, and Bernie is searching with the help of a dog named Mac. They eventually find them and hold them for questioning, leaving it up to Commander Trescu, who has an intense dislike of Stranded. However, he winds up taking the interrogation too far, shooting one of the prisoners while he was in a hospital bed. Trescu gets the information though, but his actions nearly spark a riot between Pelruans, the former Stranded who were granted amnesity, and the Gorasnians. Dizzy manages to defuse the situation, though he gets the fact that he was formerly stranded thrown back in his face for his trouble.
Meanwhile, the COG are sending Gears out on fishing boats as protection but it doesn't seem to help when one of the vessels spontaneously explodes. Investigation into the boats exploding by Baird and Jace Stratton reveals that the boat seemingly exploded from the inside, and in fact bulletholes previously thought to have been fired from outside the boat were in fact revealed from inside. These discoveries are finally made sense of when a fishing vessel that Delta Squad is out on trawls up a lambent eel, which quickly mutates and explodes just after the crew evacuates. Furthering the confusing, a Stranded vessel floats into Vectes with no crew and only some blood, gunshots and a large treelike object impaled through the hull. Thinking it might be linked to the Gorasnaya freighter sinking in the middle of the ocean, Delta goes to investigate.
As they discover the wreckage, they discover the sea floor has changed, not just from the charts, but from the last time the Gorasnaya checked the area out. Shortly thereafter, several lambent stalks erupt around them and spew Polyps onto the surfaced sub. Baird uncharacteristicly protects the sub long enough for it to dive before taking too much damage. Looking at charts, they realize the stalks are probably making a beeline for the Gorasnayan Imulsion Rig, so the COG and Gorasni send everything they've got to defend it, being it's their last consistant source of Imulsion. Sadly, though they fight valiantly, the rig is lost and in the current world, it's beyond the human technology to rebuild it or build another. Baird, thinking the stalks are following Immulsion, suggests they fortify Vectes due to the large number of immulsion using vessels at port. While making preperations, Hoffman asigns two guards to Prescott. Once Prescott leaves, Hoffman is realizes that Chairman, even after all this time, still has a locked drawer in his desk, and having been fed up with Prescott's secrets he breaks in and finds a data disc, but it's unfortunately encrypted.
While tracking stalks, Delta discovers the Stranded Pirate fleet. Marcus suggests that they band together to fight off the common threat, but the Stranded essentially tell him to piss off. But when they show up to ostensibly pick up all of the infiltrates they have on Vectes, they offer to help fight the Lambent. The combined COG/Peluran/Gorasnayan/Ex-Stranded/Stranded Pirates prepare for an attack, using tactics that reference back to the Battle of Anvil Gate (which was a brutal battle that made Hoffman's career: used a lot of fire traps and the like). Unfortunately, instead of attacking from stalks bursting from the ground, a Lambent Leviathan attacks Vectes. Humanity pulls it's forces to fight off the Leviathan and the polyps it's dumping on the island only to discover there are multiple Leviathans operating.
The rag-tag army nearly falls apart due to old hatreds, but through excessive force and the hammer of dawn, they manage to destroy the leviathans. The stranded abandon Vectes believing the COG to be fucked, and Hoffman gives Baird the data disc to try and decrypt but Baird discovers that the disc not only bears no resemblance to any COG encrypting, but to no encryption he has ever seen before.
The book ends with Delta searching for Mac, whom they find a bit beat up and burned, which makes them figure he tangled with Polyps so they go looking to make sure none are left on the island, but as they search, several stalks burst up and they realize that they may have already lost their last refuge. Also, Sam Byrne makes her first appearance and Jace Stratton actually does stuff.
I'll do the last book later. I've only read it once so I'll need to consult a wiki or something. I'll also do a TL;DR for people who don't want to read through 30 paragraphs
Dumb question, but couldn't find in the OP. I got the Limited Edition console from amazon (sold the Savage Kantus code on ebay already). The game came with an insert with two codes. one for Adam Fenix, the other for "5 bonus weapon skins". which skins will they be?
This console is crazy nice. My old 360 was stolen, and this is a huge upgrade (thanks insurance!).
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Infected Omen skins, same ones that came with the controller.
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Halfhanda stalwart bastion of terrible ideasRegistered Userregular
hahaha oh my god people are actually buying the kantus skin on ebay
just put mine up for 10 bucks
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Hmmm.... Almost 5pm local time I still haven't gotten my Baird preorder code from Best Buy.
The book starts with Dizzy and Sam drinking. Moving on to the main story we find that while the stalks have burst through and have red blisters on them, they've pretty much settled down and there's no polyps. Upon closer investigating though, Polyps attack and manage to run amok, killing a farmer before they're stopped. Additionally, the Stalks seem to be killing the fiolage around it. Prescott shows up and seems extremly keen on Baird taking samples, even though the COG's analyzing abilities are pretty much no greater than a microscope in the local hospital.
Between the lack of Imulsion due to the rig being destroyed, and the dying fiolage potentially killing farmland, it's becoming increasingly less viable to stay on Vectes indefinitely, and a decision has to be made soon while they still have enough Imulsion to get back to the mainland. Additinally, Trescu is having difficulties with his people. The loss of the rig and the lambent threat is starting to cause a lack of faith in his command. Ultimatley, he's forced to concede that if the situation doesn't improve, the Gorasni will be forced to leave. Additionally, there seems to be some sort of strange encrypted radio signal being sent around that the Gorasni have picked up but do not know the origin. They figure it's teh COG, but the COG are picking up the messages too and figure it's the Gorasni.
Things look up as Delta discovers imullsion seeping up from the ground near some newly formed stalks. The Gorasni immediately being setting up derricks to mine the stuff, giving the COG massive breathing room, though Dizzy and his rig are attacked by Polyps while on the way to the site: both survive relatively unscathed.. Baird, on the other hand, is completely unable to crack the data disc.
However, dispite the windfall of imulsion, both the Pelurans (who are being told they may have to leave their homes and join the Jacinto Refugees for additional saftey ) and the Gorasnayans are suffering from increased tension and unease. Trescu even has to put down a potential assassin. Meanwhile more stalks and polyps show up, and the polyps are getting tougher: Prescott wants more samples. Hoffman and Baird begin telling more and more people about the encrypted data disc, and Marcus even begins searching Pelurans archives for information (being that they date back years before Emergence Day) but no luck.
Eventually it's decided to recon the mainland to see how well a potential resettlement would go. Sadly, the stalks are all over the mainland, and while there are pockets of reletive saftey (like the former city of Anvil Gate) there's nowhere they could put the entire population of Vectes. Meanwhile, Hoffman gets it in his head that the Lambent are a COG bioweapon to fight the Locust but got out of control, but Prescott says that couldn't be further from the truth, but doesn't let on to what's on the disc still. Prescott asks Hoffman to do something difficult, but won't say what it is or even why he can't tell him. Hoffman tells him to go shove it up his ass.
Meanwhile the Lambency is getting worth, with a local bull going Lambent and going on a rampage before exploding. Minds are split on whether or not to go back to the mainland. A new lambent attack turns out to be a pack of Lambent cats and dogs, but it's far more than have gone missing on the island, leading many to suspect that these aren't animals turned lambent, but were created as lambent somehow. More samples are taken for Prescott. And the stalks are still continuing to kill farmable land. Faced with these options, the give the people a vote on whether to stay or go, which lands in favor of staying, but Prescott suggests they move off the mainland and split into smaller groups anyway, but doesn't give the order, especially when it's made clear that Hoffman, Trescu and the maritime commander Mathieson all think it's a bad idea.
However, Hoffman has had it with Prescott at this point and essentially forces Prescott to make it an order, which Hoffman refuses. But this turns out to be a carefully ochestrated plan by Prescott as he says this is essentially a vote of no faith and resigns as Chairman, putting Hoffman in charge. Hoffman, needless to say, is kinda pissed by being outmaneuvered. Later, Delta discovers Perscott and his two guards whom he has gotten under his sway (ironically nicknamed the Onyx Guard by others) moving some equipment into a boat and planning on leaving.
Prescott calls Hoffman and the others down to see him leave, figuring it'd be better to find out now rather than waste resources on tracking him down. He also calls the "difficult task" into the forelight by asking Hoffman to come with him, and even to bring delta. Hoffman tells him to get fucked. Prescott and his honor guard leave but are followed by the Clement. However, somehow Prescott has disappeared off the boat while en route to whereever. There's no trace of him. They speculate that a raven may have picked him up but dismiss that idea since Ravens are in short supply these days. Additionally, all the samples Prescott had collected are now missing and the mysterious data burst transmissions have stopped.
While the plan is to stay on the island, more stalks show up, and in places previously thought impossible, and many civilians die due to the high population density being easy pickings for polyps. It becomes clear there is no way to stay on the island and plans are made to split into groups and leave. One group, lead by Hoffman and including Dizzy, Bernie and the Peluran townsfolk, decides to go to Anvil Gate. Another group, including Delta Squad, Anya, Jace, Sam and Clayton Carmine (though he's not specifically mentioned) will stay on the naval fleet and act as a sort of mobile defense force for all the various colonies. Tescue and the Gorasni decide to go back to Gorasnaya and Hoffman gives them the supplies and ships to do so.
Finally, a ceremony is held to officially disband the Coalition of Ordered Governments, as with everyone so spread out, there'd be not enough infrastructure left to run things, and not like it would make sense at that point. Honestly, I think this part was quite touching, especially when Hoffman presents Trescu with a newly made Gorasni flag and tells him that Gorasnaya outlasted the COG, just like Tescu's father wanted. Baird admits defeat and gives the data disc back to Hoffman who keeps it, along with the Hammer of Dawn equipment.
And thus, 3 months after Prescott abandons them, the COG is dissolved and leaves Vectes. While on route, the Stranded Pirate leader shows up and noticing the former COG's large imulsion reserves, offers them a business deal of selling it to local stranded communities. When wondering why the sudden change of opinion towards them from teh Stranded, they realize that "We're all stranded now." Fin.
Also Alyx Brand shows up a bit (character from teh comics) so yay. I hope we get a multiplayer model of her.
TL;DR
The Jacinto refugees are forced to settle on a island known as Vectes. Vectes has a decommissioned naval base which was thought to be quarantined but Prescott reveals is totally fine and he knew the whole time. Vectes has an old COG population that never fought the locust and instead were besieged by Stranded Pirates. The COG establish themselves on the island and try to make peace with the Stranded, but their plans are disrupted by the arrival of former UIR citizens, the Gorasni who want to join with the COG for combined protection, and offer access to an imulsion rig.
Meanwhile, boats begin dissapearing in mysterious circumstances and the Stranded aren't taking credit for it. Eventually it's revealed that boats are fishing up lambent wildlife or being taken out by stalks and the imulsion rig is eventually taken out by Lambent. While fortifying Vectes, Hoffman discovers that Prescott was hiding an ecrypted data disc but even Baird is unable to decrypt it. With the help of the Stranded Pirates, Vectes fights off an attack by the Lambent, but the island begins to get compromised with stalks continually showing up to release polyps and to kill nearby foliage, though the occasional boon of Imulsion is also discovered..
As the lambent show up Prescott orders samples to be taking even though the COG has no way of analyzing them, and additionally mysterious data burst transmissions begin going out. The Gorasni think it's the COG and the COG think it's the Gorasni. As things go from bad to worse, the idea of returning to the mainland is discussed, but with the stalks appearing there too, it's decided that there's no way they could establish a single large population on the mainland. Prescott decides to split the population up into smaller groups, like the Stranded, but Hoffman defies him on the order. Prescott uses this action to resign.
Later he leaves Vectes and dissapears, despite being tailed. Before he leaves, he asks Hoffman and Delta to join him in his endeaver but refuses to say what it is. Hoffman tells him to get stuffed. Finally, the Lambent threat becomes to great and it's decided to dissolve the COG and split into smaller groups. The Gorasni will go back to Gorasnaya, Hoffman, Dizzy and Bernie (a character from the novels) and the original COG population of Vectes will go to Anvil Gate (a fort city that Hoffman once fought a great Pendulum Wars battle at), and Delta Squad, Anya, Jace (comic character) and Samantha (novel character) will stay with the naval fleet and act as a mobile defense force for all the various colonies. Baird, unable to crack the data disc, gives it back to Hoffman, who takes it and the hammer of dawn equipment with him to Anvil Gate.
While they still have greater forces than the Stranded, they are now essentially on equal footing with them. "We're all Stranded Now."
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, though keep in mind I don't have Gears 3 so don't ask me anything that could spoil that, please
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Or what a "geobot" is and why it would have more targeting data than the resonator.
Or why the bomb is on a train. DEAR GOD! WHY IS THE BOMB ON A TRAIN!!! (They fixed that in the PC version, but still...)
Anywho, my copy was in Anchorage Alaska as of 3 hours ago, so there's just one more leg before it's in town at which point I just have to wait for it to get delivered. Unless they really screw up, I should get my hands on this tomorrow.
YES
@UndeadScottsman This is good news. Good news indeed....I DEMAND WINGMAN TOMORROW PM SHARP. I usually get on around 9:30 or so CST, so that's like 3pm Alaska time, given inflation and all.
As long as the northern lights aren't showing, that is.
So basically what I'm saying is that I'll be ready for you tomorrow night. Also not in a gay way.
But maybe.
But not.
Chainsaws
Podcast WHORING: Episodes 2-8 (Thanks Zonghui)
Prologue spoilers:
Podcast WHORING: Episodes 2-8 (Thanks Zonghui)
I don't get that sentiment at all. It's better in every way than the lancer except for firing rate and not having a chainsaw. It's kind of like a mid range sniper rifle with a decent firing rate.
PS - Local_H_Jay
Sub me on Youtube
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PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
Unfortunately, you can't or I would have. Why can't they let us start with insane in games, especially the third in a trilogy (i'm looking at you Halo)?
I found my problem. I stopped iron sighting all the time and did far better. :rotate:
I think I'm the only guy who knows what designating is. It's such a useful thing and noone uses it.
XBL/PSN-Polaris314/Twitter/DJ P0LARI5
Game manual may be the smallest I've seen yet
It's just so good.
I miss when games came with manuals.
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
Also got my Lancer execution, now working on the rest, but damn do I love me some chainsaw.
How do I pull someone's arms off? I've gotten the curbstomp (tap y) and beatdown (hold y) but not that one.
I'm loving Carmine in general. Dude starts with a torque bow and loves his bacon.
Mmmm... Bacon.
Only locust can do it. It's their equivilant of the Cog beatdown. (Hold Y, same as)
I love one of his execution lines:
WHO IS EXPENDABLE NOW!? HUH?
also how long was it
Do we have a metatag yet? (I didn't look in the OP, I are lazy).
Took us about 8-9 hours on normal. We played about 3 hours last night and probably 6 hours or so today. I guess it wasn't actually one session, but it did feel like it.
Shouldn't need a code. If you sign up for a silver account, there should be a "Get gold trial" thingy built right in to the UI.
Baaaassically
Aspho Fields (Book One)
Doesn't really reveal much, though it does introduce the character of Bernie Mataki. Mostly flash-back stuff for marcus's and doms early military careers, but the modern day stuff takes place before Gears2.
Jacinto's Remnant (Book Two)
On the island they discover a small town, Peluran, with a population of COG citizens who lost contact with the mainland 15 years prior after Emergence Day, and they have never seen a Locust nor the atrocities they've committed. Because of the islands large size, hydroelectric power reserves, presence of an existing populace, farmable land and good fishing, and relative isolation, they decide to settle on Vectes. The COG essentially roll in and take the place over (though technically it's completely legal since it's COG territory) which leads to rising tensions, but ultimately they fade after the townsfolk realize how much in dire need the Jacinto refugees are.
One problem on the island is a population of Stranded that are a lot more aggressive than the mainland variety, forming into pirate militias and the lack. The COG throws it's weight around which prompts a failed assault by the Stranded. Once the COG begins to establish itself on the island, Prescott orders Hoffman to do the standard pardoning for the Stranded: Become COG citizens, follow COG laws and turn out the criminal element. Between that and the rough handling a certain criminal got (who has previously run into the 50-something female Gear Bernie Mataki and raped her), the Pelurans aren't seeing the best side of the COG.
Fishing Boats start disappearing in strange circumstances, and the COG figures it's the Stranded Pirates. ventually they decide to trade the Stranded leader (whom turns out is the one they roughed up) in exchange for a cease fire with the Stranded, it turns out THOSE stranded got kill by by an even more powerful Stranded gang: but they're will to do the cease fire in exchange for the guy still (because they want to kill him). They deny sinking any fishing boats though. They make the trade, but all of a sudden the main Stranded boat gets sunk by a torpedo. The Clement was in the area but didn't fire the missile, though it was detecting something odd in the water. The remaining Stranded, thinking they've been betrayed, declare war. While trying to figure out what happened, a second submarine surfaces from the water.
The vessel declares itself to be the Gorasnayian vessle "Zephyr." With Gorasnaya being one of UIR (Union of Independant Republics: basically the main enemy of the COG back during the Pendulum Wars) nations that refused to surrender when the war ended. They blew up the Stranded vessel due to past transgressions (the gorasni like the Stranded even less than the COG) However, they want to talk now. They offer to pool their resources (several seafearing vessels and a very valuable Imulsion rig) in exchange for a place on the island. Prescott says only if they become COG citizens, to which the Gorasnayan leader, Trescu accepts. This increases tensions with the native Pelurans, who still remember the atrocities committed by Gorasnaya far better than they do whatever the Locust/
The book ends with one of the Peluran farmers and his dogs being murdered by Stranded and his farm torched, with the realization that the war hasn't ended, the enemy just changed. Also, Dizzy shows up in the middle of the book to let the audience know he lived. Next Book!
Anvil Gate (Book Three)
Meanwhile, the COG are sending Gears out on fishing boats as protection but it doesn't seem to help when one of the vessels spontaneously explodes. Investigation into the boats exploding by Baird and Jace Stratton reveals that the boat seemingly exploded from the inside, and in fact bulletholes previously thought to have been fired from outside the boat were in fact revealed from inside. These discoveries are finally made sense of when a fishing vessel that Delta Squad is out on trawls up a lambent eel, which quickly mutates and explodes just after the crew evacuates. Furthering the confusing, a Stranded vessel floats into Vectes with no crew and only some blood, gunshots and a large treelike object impaled through the hull. Thinking it might be linked to the Gorasnaya freighter sinking in the middle of the ocean, Delta goes to investigate.
As they discover the wreckage, they discover the sea floor has changed, not just from the charts, but from the last time the Gorasnaya checked the area out. Shortly thereafter, several lambent stalks erupt around them and spew Polyps onto the surfaced sub. Baird uncharacteristicly protects the sub long enough for it to dive before taking too much damage. Looking at charts, they realize the stalks are probably making a beeline for the Gorasnayan Imulsion Rig, so the COG and Gorasni send everything they've got to defend it, being it's their last consistant source of Imulsion. Sadly, though they fight valiantly, the rig is lost and in the current world, it's beyond the human technology to rebuild it or build another. Baird, thinking the stalks are following Immulsion, suggests they fortify Vectes due to the large number of immulsion using vessels at port. While making preperations, Hoffman asigns two guards to Prescott. Once Prescott leaves, Hoffman is realizes that Chairman, even after all this time, still has a locked drawer in his desk, and having been fed up with Prescott's secrets he breaks in and finds a data disc, but it's unfortunately encrypted.
While tracking stalks, Delta discovers the Stranded Pirate fleet. Marcus suggests that they band together to fight off the common threat, but the Stranded essentially tell him to piss off. But when they show up to ostensibly pick up all of the infiltrates they have on Vectes, they offer to help fight the Lambent. The combined COG/Peluran/Gorasnayan/Ex-Stranded/Stranded Pirates prepare for an attack, using tactics that reference back to the Battle of Anvil Gate (which was a brutal battle that made Hoffman's career: used a lot of fire traps and the like). Unfortunately, instead of attacking from stalks bursting from the ground, a Lambent Leviathan attacks Vectes. Humanity pulls it's forces to fight off the Leviathan and the polyps it's dumping on the island only to discover there are multiple Leviathans operating.
The rag-tag army nearly falls apart due to old hatreds, but through excessive force and the hammer of dawn, they manage to destroy the leviathans. The stranded abandon Vectes believing the COG to be fucked, and Hoffman gives Baird the data disc to try and decrypt but Baird discovers that the disc not only bears no resemblance to any COG encrypting, but to no encryption he has ever seen before.
The book ends with Delta searching for Mac, whom they find a bit beat up and burned, which makes them figure he tangled with Polyps so they go looking to make sure none are left on the island, but as they search, several stalks burst up and they realize that they may have already lost their last refuge. Also, Sam Byrne makes her first appearance and Jace Stratton actually does stuff.
I'll do the last book later. I've only read it once so I'll need to consult a wiki or something. I'll also do a TL;DR for people who don't want to read through 30 paragraphs
This console is crazy nice. My old 360 was stolen, and this is a huge upgrade (thanks insurance!).
just put mine up for 10 bucks
Between the lack of Imulsion due to the rig being destroyed, and the dying fiolage potentially killing farmland, it's becoming increasingly less viable to stay on Vectes indefinitely, and a decision has to be made soon while they still have enough Imulsion to get back to the mainland. Additinally, Trescu is having difficulties with his people. The loss of the rig and the lambent threat is starting to cause a lack of faith in his command. Ultimatley, he's forced to concede that if the situation doesn't improve, the Gorasni will be forced to leave. Additionally, there seems to be some sort of strange encrypted radio signal being sent around that the Gorasni have picked up but do not know the origin. They figure it's teh COG, but the COG are picking up the messages too and figure it's the Gorasni.
Things look up as Delta discovers imullsion seeping up from the ground near some newly formed stalks. The Gorasni immediately being setting up derricks to mine the stuff, giving the COG massive breathing room, though Dizzy and his rig are attacked by Polyps while on the way to the site: both survive relatively unscathed.. Baird, on the other hand, is completely unable to crack the data disc.
However, dispite the windfall of imulsion, both the Pelurans (who are being told they may have to leave their homes and join the Jacinto Refugees for additional saftey ) and the Gorasnayans are suffering from increased tension and unease. Trescu even has to put down a potential assassin. Meanwhile more stalks and polyps show up, and the polyps are getting tougher: Prescott wants more samples. Hoffman and Baird begin telling more and more people about the encrypted data disc, and Marcus even begins searching Pelurans archives for information (being that they date back years before Emergence Day) but no luck.
Eventually it's decided to recon the mainland to see how well a potential resettlement would go. Sadly, the stalks are all over the mainland, and while there are pockets of reletive saftey (like the former city of Anvil Gate) there's nowhere they could put the entire population of Vectes. Meanwhile, Hoffman gets it in his head that the Lambent are a COG bioweapon to fight the Locust but got out of control, but Prescott says that couldn't be further from the truth, but doesn't let on to what's on the disc still. Prescott asks Hoffman to do something difficult, but won't say what it is or even why he can't tell him. Hoffman tells him to go shove it up his ass.
Meanwhile the Lambency is getting worth, with a local bull going Lambent and going on a rampage before exploding. Minds are split on whether or not to go back to the mainland. A new lambent attack turns out to be a pack of Lambent cats and dogs, but it's far more than have gone missing on the island, leading many to suspect that these aren't animals turned lambent, but were created as lambent somehow. More samples are taken for Prescott. And the stalks are still continuing to kill farmable land. Faced with these options, the give the people a vote on whether to stay or go, which lands in favor of staying, but Prescott suggests they move off the mainland and split into smaller groups anyway, but doesn't give the order, especially when it's made clear that Hoffman, Trescu and the maritime commander Mathieson all think it's a bad idea.
However, Hoffman has had it with Prescott at this point and essentially forces Prescott to make it an order, which Hoffman refuses. But this turns out to be a carefully ochestrated plan by Prescott as he says this is essentially a vote of no faith and resigns as Chairman, putting Hoffman in charge. Hoffman, needless to say, is kinda pissed by being outmaneuvered. Later, Delta discovers Perscott and his two guards whom he has gotten under his sway (ironically nicknamed the Onyx Guard by others) moving some equipment into a boat and planning on leaving.
Prescott calls Hoffman and the others down to see him leave, figuring it'd be better to find out now rather than waste resources on tracking him down. He also calls the "difficult task" into the forelight by asking Hoffman to come with him, and even to bring delta. Hoffman tells him to get fucked. Prescott and his honor guard leave but are followed by the Clement. However, somehow Prescott has disappeared off the boat while en route to whereever. There's no trace of him. They speculate that a raven may have picked him up but dismiss that idea since Ravens are in short supply these days. Additionally, all the samples Prescott had collected are now missing and the mysterious data burst transmissions have stopped.
While the plan is to stay on the island, more stalks show up, and in places previously thought impossible, and many civilians die due to the high population density being easy pickings for polyps. It becomes clear there is no way to stay on the island and plans are made to split into groups and leave. One group, lead by Hoffman and including Dizzy, Bernie and the Peluran townsfolk, decides to go to Anvil Gate. Another group, including Delta Squad, Anya, Jace, Sam and Clayton Carmine (though he's not specifically mentioned) will stay on the naval fleet and act as a sort of mobile defense force for all the various colonies. Tescue and the Gorasni decide to go back to Gorasnaya and Hoffman gives them the supplies and ships to do so.
Finally, a ceremony is held to officially disband the Coalition of Ordered Governments, as with everyone so spread out, there'd be not enough infrastructure left to run things, and not like it would make sense at that point. Honestly, I think this part was quite touching, especially when Hoffman presents Trescu with a newly made Gorasni flag and tells him that Gorasnaya outlasted the COG, just like Tescu's father wanted. Baird admits defeat and gives the data disc back to Hoffman who keeps it, along with the Hammer of Dawn equipment.
And thus, 3 months after Prescott abandons them, the COG is dissolved and leaves Vectes. While on route, the Stranded Pirate leader shows up and noticing the former COG's large imulsion reserves, offers them a business deal of selling it to local stranded communities. When wondering why the sudden change of opinion towards them from teh Stranded, they realize that "We're all stranded now." Fin.
Also Alyx Brand shows up a bit (character from teh comics) so yay. I hope we get a multiplayer model of her.
TL;DR
Meanwhile, boats begin dissapearing in mysterious circumstances and the Stranded aren't taking credit for it. Eventually it's revealed that boats are fishing up lambent wildlife or being taken out by stalks and the imulsion rig is eventually taken out by Lambent. While fortifying Vectes, Hoffman discovers that Prescott was hiding an ecrypted data disc but even Baird is unable to decrypt it. With the help of the Stranded Pirates, Vectes fights off an attack by the Lambent, but the island begins to get compromised with stalks continually showing up to release polyps and to kill nearby foliage, though the occasional boon of Imulsion is also discovered..
As the lambent show up Prescott orders samples to be taking even though the COG has no way of analyzing them, and additionally mysterious data burst transmissions begin going out. The Gorasni think it's the COG and the COG think it's the Gorasni. As things go from bad to worse, the idea of returning to the mainland is discussed, but with the stalks appearing there too, it's decided that there's no way they could establish a single large population on the mainland. Prescott decides to split the population up into smaller groups, like the Stranded, but Hoffman defies him on the order. Prescott uses this action to resign.
Later he leaves Vectes and dissapears, despite being tailed. Before he leaves, he asks Hoffman and Delta to join him in his endeaver but refuses to say what it is. Hoffman tells him to get stuffed. Finally, the Lambent threat becomes to great and it's decided to dissolve the COG and split into smaller groups. The Gorasni will go back to Gorasnaya, Hoffman, Dizzy and Bernie (a character from the novels) and the original COG population of Vectes will go to Anvil Gate (a fort city that Hoffman once fought a great Pendulum Wars battle at), and Delta Squad, Anya, Jace (comic character) and Samantha (novel character) will stay with the naval fleet and act as a mobile defense force for all the various colonies. Baird, unable to crack the data disc, gives it back to Hoffman, who takes it and the hammer of dawn equipment with him to Anvil Gate.
While they still have greater forces than the Stranded, they are now essentially on equal footing with them. "We're all Stranded Now."
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, though keep in mind I don't have Gears 3 so don't ask me anything that could spoil that, please
You only get a limited number of those per console ID ill try but I think we used all of ours
You get a two-day trial in the box of Gears.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!