What you can learn from MoBA’s Series : Lesson 5 – Formations

In ancient times, the first armies were individualistic in nature. Men would form lines only to break them up as they charged the battlefields and die mindlessly.

I have seen a lot of MobA games, and so many losses could have been prevented if only each team member would do their role or plan. Some even get lost in-game…

Before we get started though for first time readers, I am Zamboangamer and this blog is dedicated to advocate video games as a learning tool and a self-improvement blog. In particular, this series focuses on the MoBa games and the tricks and secrets to give you the razor’s edge, and win more games.

https://zamboangagamer.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/what-you-can-learn-from-mobas-series-lesson-1-the-traits-of-a-mature-gamer/

Lesson 1 covers what you need to know on how the pros think like in the game, with the need for better gameplay and wins.

https://zamboangagamer.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/what-you-can-learn-from-mobas-series-lesson-2-know-your-role/

Lesson 2 covers how to maximize your role as a hero in-game. A team that effectively uses the hero’s role makes better games and more chances of victories.

https://zamboangagamer.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/what-you-can-learn-from-mobas-series-lesson-3-chatting-your-way-to-victory/

Lesson 3 covers team communication, a bit of player psychology and how you can rally your team to victory. Encouraging and good communication is the way to raise team morale, win games and make friends. 

https://zamboangagamer.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/what-you-can-learn-from-mobas-series-lesson-4-coping-up-with-defeat/

Lesson 4 deals with a better way to cope with those pesky defeats which creep up to you and ruins your day. It’s a must read.

And now we move on to the fifth lesson in the series which has taken a lot of research and study to compile and write. It’s also become a personal favorite of mine because since then, I have won more games than usual.

Ever wonder why you are always hit by Mirana’s or Ashe’s skill shot? Or how you could have avoided those AoE (Area-of-Effect) skills? Want to know the perfect way to catch the enemy off guard and make it off alive or with the enemy team wiped out?

This is why this post caters to formations. It is a secret to mastering warfare and why pro-gamers have the best plays that make you spam that replay button.

“When the victorious get their people to go to battle as if they were directing a massive flood of water into a deep canyon, this is a matter of formation.” -Sun Tzu

Formations have decided how armies would win the field. As a general your overview of how the battlefield works will determine victory or defeat. Of all the ancient armies that I have studied (HISTORY FTW!) it’s The Roman Legion that does the it the best. A lot of this generation look up to the Spartans with their recent movie 300. It is a movie that deals with the battle of Thermopylae and how the Spartans courageously fought even though they were outnumbered, while heroic in the eyes of many, military generals and scholars have seen easily seen the weaknesses and this is why the once glorified spartan armies have been conquered by an advanced foe. The Romans.

The Roman Legion was in my opinion the best army in ancient history, it expanded its empire through most of europe, north africa and the middle east. It’s armies were constantly improving and has become the basis for most modern-day armies today.

The key strengths that the Legion has is its disciple, flexibility and innovation. The army consisted of ranks that the Spartans did not have. They used every weapon from sword,spear,bow,siege engine and every man to his designated role. The generals studied their enemies and exploited every weakness they had. It was through the valiant effort of the Legion did the empire extend and lasted long. It’s legacy is even longer. To give you a glimpse of how the legion operates the YouTube clip below will give you a good idea. It was based on the movie Gladiator and a favorite childhood movie of mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPxryaAPuV8

Are you as pumped up then? Now comes the discussion part, try experimenting these formations with your team and see how it will better help you win.

These formations will cater to every MobA game and can be used in several situations. These are but a few examples and there are more.

OFFENSIVE FORMATIONS

This is a typical wedge formation some also call it the arrowhead. It is an ideal formation for pushing the lane. Ideally the tanks are the first to the frontline while other hero roles support it. Take note that this formation has weaknesses on both the sides and can be flanked.

If the enemy sneaks behind the tank must turn his attention behind the formation, never get squeezed between a tower and enemy heroes like the pincer formation (discussed later). When retreating it is best to break up or go together in one general direction, usually to the safest one.

Overall, this is the first of many offensive formations, a good hero selection including items will ensure your victory.

This picture is the first prototype I made using paint, refer to the lower pictures for an improved diagram on what the roman numerals mean.

The spearhead formation is an offensive formation and can be perfectly used for attacking the enemy lanes. Tanks should be the tip of the spear followed by hitters and support. Either you are close enough to support each other or spare some distance between each hero is up to you, but the main point of this formation is to do as much damage as you can before making a run for it.

The weaknesses of this formation lies with the back area or sides. Enemies can easily exploit these areas and flank you so ward of the areas behind and have the map awareness to look out for them. When the enemy does flank you, turn the “tip of the spear” of the tank to the enemies, guide your team to an ambush spot or make a full retreat back to base.

Overall, Speed is your ally in this formation, make as much damage as you can in the lane and teleport or segway to other lanes. The tip of the spear must never be too far ahead otherwise team members can’t support directly.

 

The Line formation is similar to the arrowhead or spearhead but varies in the distance of the heroes and the direction on where your heroes are going to. This formation is inspired by the phalanx formation used by ancient Greeks to gain an advantage over their enemies.

Similar weaknesses also lie the said formations above, your best course of action when flanked by the enemy is to break off to every direction in hopes of gaining less attention from enemy heroes and teleport back to base or stand and fight. Sometimes sacrificing a hero while the others run back to the fountain is an ideal strategy, just make sure that every teammate understands the word sacrifice.

GANKING MANUEVERS/FORMATIONS

 

 

The Pincer formation is the ideal formation for clashing. It involves luring the enemy either at the lanes or jungles or the river that runes through the map.  Pincer formations are risky though. To enumerate the risks are:

1.Distance between you and your team

2.Coordination

3.Enemy status (never try this formation if the enemy is too strong)

4.The hunter is now the hunted (this means that you are trapped)

5.The right skills (heroes need to have the right set of skills)

This formation’s weakness is a gamble. It requires precise planning and timing to pull it off. No wonder the best games are mostly streamed on video sites. These clashes are always fun to see, but in-game its the most mind-numbing, some get even lost due to the multiple spell casting. The tank or the ones in the middle of the clash are the most

Overall, your teamwork is tested with this maneuver, but the good thing here is the escape points indicated to arrows moving away from the clash area, your losses can be minimized simply by having the map awareness to the direction of retreat and attack.

 

 

The Star Formation is similar to the Pincer but different in terms of the number of enemies, one or two enemies can easily be outnumbered if you close in and finish them off quickly. It is a sure-clash formation but might also leave you vulnerable. The strength of this formation lies in every teammate contributing a skill to earn that nice bounty.

The weaknesses of the star formation is not every member of your team has equivalent stats, skills or items. It also make you vulnerable on all sides. Your main counter will be to stand and fight as one just like the Avengers in that awesome camera shot where they are circled by the enemy.

Overall, the Star Formation is good for closing in on weaker enemies but is risky if the tables are turned. Retreating can either be a coördinated smart move or a panicked messy one. Again team coördination is necessary.

 

 

DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS/FORMATIONS

 

 

 

The Tower Formation

Using the towers in all stages of the game is a good defensive maneuver. The tower contributes the biggest damage early game, supports lane control in the middle game and annoys enemies during the late game (although they give out less damage).

The weaknesses lie in enumerated items below:

1.Tower’s limited attack range

2.Tower is stationary and its hit-points are low

3.Tower is vulnerable at late game stages due to enemy hero level and damage output

4.No allies to defend the tower or backdooring (damn that BD)

5.Allied Team is flanked and dead.

The Tower formation when used properly can pick off enemy heroes and aid you to launch an offensive counterattack, this tactic is known in the MobA game but is rarely acknowledged. Treat the tower as your sixth-man instead of a commodity and the tower’s full potential is unleashed.

Use these formations and discover new ones, Let me know what you think of these, comments, suggestions,likes,support,criticisms and discussions are welcome below. Keep on’ gamin 🙂

What you can learn from MoBA’s Series : Lesson 3 – Chatting your way to Victory

Many games are won by good communication as a big factor. Would you rather hear a complimenting thumb-up for destroying that tower or an insulting dagger at your back for kill-stealing?

The secret of winning through chat within in the game is simple if you can be mature enough to understand the importance of teamwork. I have seen too many players abuse the chatbox only to be frustrated and lose the game, lose their friends and lose everything.

So if you want a chance at winning then read on.

1. The Beginning

Once you are logged in to the game the first things you will certainly do is pick those skills, buy some items and head on into the lane. This is the best time to communicate your strategy, who you will be with, how will you support one another and if possible put in a good word. typing in “lets have a good game” or some other inspiring sentence will do wonders to lift the team spirit. You want to be positive at the start even if the outcome is uncertain. Who knows…the other team may have intimidating heroes but lesser-skilled players with lag spikes 🙂

2. The Early Laning Phase

This phase will determine the rest of the gameplay, so chats are very important in this point. Cooldowns are some of the things you need to take note so let’s say you have gotten your SS and you have just recently casted it. It helps to chat your teammates with example: “SS CD 60 secs”. This means that your ultimate skill has a cooldown of 60 seconds which will give you and your teammates time to delay or plan out your attack or defense accordingly. Typing in OOM or low mana will signal to your team that you might not have enough to cast a skill. Another trick is to type in how many times you can cast a certain skill or if you got 1 more card up your sleeve before making a run home or going for a quick regen via potion.

When you do get back to the fountain to pick up items or regenerate your health, at least say “brb”, if things are a bit heated because your health is low and the enemy is bringing in a huge creep wave then type in “hold,i reg n tp” this will mean that you are telling your ally to hold the tower while you go back to base and then teleport back to your ally for added backup.

In this phase, you communicate or you die…alot. Knowing the difference will enhance your survival rates and carry you through for the mid and late game.

3. Apologize

Sometimes mistakes and setbacks can drag the whole team down. Be humble enough to apologize and say that you will help the team recover at the next opportunity. Selfish and arrogant players are soon to be reported or banned from playing the entire game, so watch your behavior and do your par

4. Map Awareness

Using the mis or signaling enemies if they went off the map is a sign of respect and concern to your allies. The last thing you want to hear is “wtf why no warn O_O” from your allies. Pings are handy too, the secret to pinging is to do it not once but three times. Three times will indicate attention and the intensity of the situation. If there was a morse code you can learn from, it’s this:

3 Pings on darkened map location – Missing hero/heroes, Danger.

2 Pings on ally side – Go here, Set up Ambush, Need Aid.

1 Ping behind ally hero – Fall back, Be careful.

Other pings may indicate otherwise, this is what I use in game, Now that the secret is out, I may as well share it. Other games have the ping wheel where player commands are summarized into nifty ping-and-tell signals. This is handy in a pinch, so use them wisely.

5. AFK-ing

When your loved ones are asleep or your girlfriend has given permission to play, everything feels so right. The timing couldn’t be better…until you really need to go AFK (Away from Keyboard), maybe you nature calls you really badly or you want to fix a snack while the game is gonig on. At least type in AFK for a bit cuz I (state your reason). Mature players will understand this as long as you get back in the game and speed level. Never type in AFK and be away from the keyboard permanently.

6.The Mid Game Phase

The mid games is the juicy part. Towers will usually be taken down by the mid game, but it also helps to keep up the communications instead of staying quiet. Map awareness (No.4) is put to good use here. Setting up clashes, ambushes, wards, rune taking or jungling will come into consideration too so be mindful of the chat box. As you go further into enemy territory knowing when to advance or retreat is necessary.

7.That Boss

Whether its Kongor, Baron Nashor or Roshan, this requires good teamwork to take them down, it could also mean sacrificing the defense of the lanes for extra gold. Take caution and consider if the enmey might be in the same spot. Whenever someone types in that boss name, you can choose to agree to go with or to give the enemy a distraction by pushing the lane. Responding politely with tactics in mind will help your team get the cheese and whatever item that is XD.

8.The Late Game Phase

If you are on the winning side of the game then call it in to finally end the game. A coordinated strike with your teammates win you the game but remember to be level-headed. Games can sometimes turn the tables and it’ll be you on the losing end. Always encourage your teammates to end the game fast. This is to prevent the enemy from taking a foothold in establishing the right counters for your team, it also means that you will be able to play more games.

On the losing end however means that team morale is low. Encourage a quick defense, rally your team to turn the tide against the enemy and to your favor. Those near loss games really make it memorable. When it really comes down, a last stand will gain you the respect of your enemies, but sometimes its better to stick with the fountain until the game ends. And if you have done the best you could following this guide, then you might even gain some friends.

9. Dealing with the Enemy

Taunts hardly work in the game, unless you are a master of psychological warfare then you could use this to demotivate your enemy but game ethics would define this as verbal harassment. The best thing you can do is be honorable in treating your opponents. To be silent throughout the game limits enemy harrassment of you, and if your teammate is being picked on, tell your teammate to save that anger and vengeance and deal it to the enemy by killing the hero, this will shut your opponent up.

The best value when playing the game is summarized in a quote “Humble in victory and gracious in defeat.”

When you lose the game, its normal to be frustrated and angry, to blame your teammate is what you would do, but a Pro knows better than that. Never ever blame your teammates, you are part of the team and if you could not carry your team to victory then the falut also lies with you.

10. Substitute Trashtalking

Probably the best action to not be reported for verbal harrassment is to simply substitute words on chat, instead of the word “shit” why not use “biscuit” or “crap”? It sounds corny at first but as you allow yourself to say it, frustration will lessen. All too often to games are lost due to the excessive spamming of vulgar words. Mature players know that “cursing” is okay as long as it is in its proper place. With a majority of MoBA players being of younge age, you can even “correct” them that it’s not right to type in bad words.

More on trashtalking later. But with these 10 steps, it’ll really help improve your game.

Like this blog? Lemee know with a chat,subscribe,post,message,like, etc. We have 27,28 more posts to go before we complete the MoBA Series to a better game, have a fun weekend everyone and Keep on Gamin’

Throwback Thursday – Persona 3 Review

In the final days of the PS2, Persona 3 was a game least expected but it turned out to be one of the best. Yet again in the glory days of the PSP did Persona 3 Portable came out.

Persona 3 Portable was actually Zamboangamers accidental discovery and I am damn happy to have experienced it. It was more than just a game, it was a life changer. And only few people in Zamboanga City could have played it. I know Rogueshield, Lara and Bea to be the only others who have played them.

You pick on two protagonists, the male being the default hero and an added female which takes on a different approach in the same storyline. I am sticking with the male this time and naming him canonically Minato Arisato.

This is a harem game then? Not exactly, depends on your playstyle though. You are taking on the role of a high school student who moves in to a typical dormitory to start the new school year. The start of the story is a puzzle, a girl who aims a gun at her head, the gloomy atmosphere, coffins on the street, a full moon, and a strange kid asking me to sign a contract. Sure let’s just sign contracts and not read the terms and conditions.

What is different from the PS2 is that P3P story plays out like a visual novel. Your interactions mostly depend on a blue movement cursor and interacting with locations,people, objects etc.

I even thought this game was really a visual novel, but things turn out to be different. At midnight some freaky stuff happens, people become coffins, electronics malfunction (its not midnight as I write this) and stuff called shadows pop up. Minato is suddenly woken up by Yukari and they make to the rooftop.

The first persona that Minato gets is Orpheus, a Greek mythology figure. Thanatos is way cooler but at the time I did not know what was happening. Turns out these Persona’s are…better explained like your guardian angels. In P3 they are represented by figures from different mythologies and religions.

Your first taste of combat is only a preview to more challenging battles. The real challenge comes from ascending this…

 

 

Tartarus (not the gateway to the underworld that’s different), this tower hosts a variety of evil that must be conquered and no, there is no princess trapped on the top this time. It comes out every night from your very own school.

C

The team sets up from the ground floor, as you make your way to the tower take care of your stamina and your team mates. You get a tutorial by Mitsuru-senpai on battle mechanics, pay attention and your well on your way to reaching the top.

There is lot to do in P3P, as you attend school and fight shadows in the night it becomes a rewarding experience to go through the game. I spent oodles of hours building relationships to foster and forge, getting character stats to upgrade, Personas to collect and soundtracks to enjoy listening to. The game ends with a very emotional note (no spoilers here) and I know that those who played this game had so many wonderful memories with it. As I said few games have this sort of appeal and we want more. I cherished this game so much when I had my PSP and I believe that in the future other generations will get a chance to play this too. As for Zamboangamer playing the game again right now brings back so much.

Thank You Mitsuru-senpai.

Graphics:  Gotta love that anime-style artwork, the character models in game are kinda puppet-like. Enemy design is well-built and environment designs are awesome. Tartarus is likened to a dungeon-crawler with checkered floors and castle walls. The Velvet room is pleasing to the eye. Igor was a bit scary though, too much coffee? XD

Sound: The music is killer, had so much time enjoying it. Character voices are well done, could have voiced the entire game though since most of it is absent and only audible with in-game events. Get the soundtrack, a mix of rock,hip-hop,jazz,symphony,sentimental,classical genres is an ear-gasm. Shoji Meguro instantly became one of my favorites.

Gameplay: Expect the character dialogues to act like a visual novel, the combat will take a large chunk of your time as you ascend Tartarus. There are lots of twists to the story so be prepared. It makes for an addicting game to level up and engage in the storylines.

Overall: 10/10 This game is one of the best RPG’s on the PSP get it and don’t miss out.

Lessons:P3 covers a wide range of lessons to learn, so we will leave it to you to discover them.

If you can change your life for the better from a book, a movie or a video game then it will be a worthwhile story to tell the kids someday.

A mix of music genres is good to spice up your life.

Young as you are enjoy life to the fullest.

There are hidden gems among games. Time for you to discover them

 

 

Opinion 4 – Pieces of Plastic – Video Game Discs “MUST READ”

Zamboangamer needs to tell a story of his youth. We cannot stress the importance of spreading the word for there are better uses to your money.Before the discovery of “download” sites. Zamboangamer039 goes to Maskipop, it’s a game shop in the city at Mindpro Citimall on the 3rd floor in Greenlane. Every weekend or month was a joyous time to spend the hard earned school allowance on new games.100 Philippine Pesos a day was 500 in a week and most CD’s cost 80 at that time. After installing the discs would be stored in a cabinet (that was flooded). I had a lot of them till college, then it stopped.

One of the reasons is that these “download” sites are already giving me enough games to play with without wasting away cash, another is the money is not coming in as it once did. (I really need a source of income) 😦

Never mind if you are a console gamer back then, you need the discs to play your games but when you are a PC gamer the only purpose these disks had was to install the data, there are incidents when you need that one CD to play, but when “cracks” came the CD was now a disposable piece of plastic.

You could make money by renting or selling these discs but they always get scratched when returned and worse is that they don’t come back at all. This has led me to the opinion of never ever buying any new games again. Downloading is better and with little risks (as a tip).

I have a lot of regrets with my CD purchasing. That wasted a lot of my wealth were in I could have saved that to spend on something better like a gaming console, my education, books, posters, dates with my girlfriend or make that as a small business capital. 

Oh well, this is my opinion to my fellow countrymen. Some of you do have cash to spend on probably collectors editions of a certain game, believe me I am tempted to do so as well. I wanted lots of collectors items. But really what do these things really do aside from conversational pieces or trophies or dust collectors? There are better things to spend the money on than just that.

This is a piece of advice to many kids out there. Better spend your money on something worth investing on the future. Do not make the mistake that I did, you are even fortunate to have these “download sites” at your time. If I had only known sooner that this would be the future…

Remember that pieces of paper (MONEY) is more important than pieces of plastic. This is an opinion however, take it as it is.

Throwback Thursday – Ride of the Valkyria – Valkyria Chronicles 2

Buenas Dias fellow Zamboanguenos, this post was delayed for yesterday due to the blackout.

Looking back at the PSP, I am happy to have played so many games on it. The RPG’s where my favorites. But among them came a game that I really loved to play and that is Valkyria Chronicles 2.

This is the second game in the series that was exclusively for the PSP, the first game is exclusively on the PS3, that leads to a WTF moment. I had to do some research and watch the anime. It tells of a story of two warring factions, the Republic and Empire, (sounds familiar) caught in between is a small country of Galia. Let me summarize it for you.

Galia is a small independent country which is fiercely defended by it’s militia. It is vital to both the Empire and the Republic due to its high mineral resources used for the war. There is also a back-story regarding ancient Asgardians with mystical powers and a crisis with discriminating Darcsens

 

 

As you watch the anime and play Valkyria Chronicles it becomes clear that many of the features in that game are carried over to this portable version which improves upon the gameplay.

Fast forward to VC2 timeline, There are still remnants to the war as a new faction rises to throw the government. The Gallian Revolutionary Army which takes advantage of the weakened Gallian Army.

So it’s up to the militia to get to work once again. But this time they come from an elite military academy which can size up to Hogwarts.

 

Speaking of the game movies they are uniquely done just like an anime should be, the watercolor paint style really does blend in and makes it look retro and child-like which is a good thing. They even add up some World War I and II cinematography which faded out yellow and sepia imagery.

In the story you take on the role of Avan Hardins, the typical dorky, oblivious and easily-impressed protagonist that enrolls in Lanseal after an attack on his village. Wanting to follow his older brother Leon’s footsteps and investigating his disappearance.

 

Avan meets two more of his future comrades Cosette and Zeri. They are fated to go to class G together (reminds me of my college days) and they meet with the rest of their fellow classmates.

Life in Lanseal is a mix of the usual college-life infused with the strict military codes. Love-swooned couples, playful antics and friendships develop as you play the game. In class the students learn subjects ranging to Politics,History,Literature, Military Tactics and Stratagems (boy would I love to enroll here!)

In the training fields students are tasked to capture,hold, and do mock-battles that will serve them on the battlefield. This is where your first taste of combat training comes. Combat is turn based and relies on a stamina bar for movement limit.

There are 5 different classes that each specialize in dealing with the enemy. Avan from the beginning is by default a scout but he can change classes if you want. I kept him as a scout since most of his stats do best this way.

Scouts: Fast but lightly armored, can do long range movement and attacks with the rifles. Equipped with grenades for enemy clusters. Use them to gather recon or flanking.

Shocktroopers: Medium in movement and armor, can finish off enemy squads with machine guns, equipped with grenades perfect for enemies in cover. use them for assaults, defensive and flanking tactics.

Lancers: Anti-tank infantry, medium range of movement, heavily armored against explosives. Uses rockets/lances to deal enemy damage. Deploy only with enemy vehicles present as a tip. Does well against heavily armored units too.

Engineers: The medics/mechanics, lightly armored and good range of movement. Uses pistols for short range combat. equipped with medpacks for allied infantry and wrenches for allied vehicles. Best used for support purposes and close ranged combat with light armored units.

Armor Tech:The melee-class excels in close quarters combat. Low movement range but heavily armored. Equipped with hammer, shield and grenades. Use well against entrenched enemies or defending escort targets.Best used as a vanguard or sentinels with base and flanking maneuvers by the enemy.

These classes can specialize into 2 sub-classes as they level up later on.

 

There is also a Tank and it sure is handy for taking out lots of enemies at early levels. You are also responsible for your squads loadout so start investing cash and experience points for better and bigger guns built by blueprints.

The achievements made are better than medals themselves. You can name your squadron from the default Class G and make them something that suits your tastes. And taking about Class G, you guys are a class of underdogs that will have to rise up in the rank as starting out means you start with the worst missions and the worst gear.

Each member of class G has their own story lines and sub-quests which can improve their combat stats as Avan helps them, so get them out on the front lines as much as possible. You would also want to complete the many challenges,missions before ending the campaign.

 

Class G really feels like family, The lack of a romance plot in this game is a let-down to most fans of the franchise and many are building fan-made Avan-ships.

As I finish the game the campaign tones down to focus more on the fighting, with every quest done and every gear upgraded to the max, the ending was really graduation time. I would like a sequel of this game to find out what happened after they go their separate ways.

Graphics: The water-color and anime style art will get many fans excited to start cosplaying as their favorites. It makes use of the powerful processor unit of the PSP to deliver a rich content that rivals the PS3 which featured the first game.

Sound: The melodic tunes of military fanfare, romantic, and comedy blend well in the game. Voice-overs are solid but I would have liked it if every dialogue was voiced. the sound effects could be better but that’s just possibly too much for the PSP to handle.

Gameplay: Much of the gameplay from VC was carried over to VC2 with added features such as more customization, class specialization, sub-quests and achievements. The plot branches into other sub-stories with connections but the main plot has really been to vanquish the Galian Revolutionaries, and while the Valkyria comes into play it only plays as an overpowered opponent on the field and nothing more.

Overall: VC2 gets a 8/10, if you have a PSP till now then get it. You will not be dissapointed. The game takes a long time to accomplish. Multiplayer is great but beginners might be overpowered easily by the more skilled players with higher tier gear. Again we apologize this segment to be delayed. The blackouts hindered the progress of publication.

Lessons: Treat your friends as loyal as you can, helping them solve their problems goes a long way. And that allows them to treat you better.

Studying hard can really put you on a better future. We are fortunate to be spared from the recent crisis of armed conflict.

Salute our brave men and women fighting out there on the fields of battle. They ensure your freedom.