A few days ago I came across this link describing an 'augmented reality' Lagicrus. Intrigued I followed the link and what I ended up with eventually with a 3-D Lagicrus model floating above a piece of paper in mid-air between the computer screen and I! That's what it appears on the computer screen itself anyway.
If you have a webcam and a printer try this out! Apparently the computer tracks the pattern on the printed page and uses it as a reference for for projecting a virtual lagicrus model in seemingly thin air. You can rotate and tilt the model. It's a little buggy, but really neat when you get it to work. Be patient as you may have to hold the page there for a while for everything to come into focus just right.
The Bowgun is arguably the most complex weapon in Monster Hunter Tri. It comes in three different parts, has slots for decorations, and depending on your build can shoot completely different kinds of ammo. It makes sense that this is weapon option is rarely exploited by hunters (playing online I see very few bowgunners) One youtube user has created a really slick crafting tutorial that makes using bowguns a little more approachable. So check it out, and then go build your own!
Those who have spent any amount of time playing Monster Hunter Tri online have found that communication among hunters is extremely valuable. The game offers a variety of ways to interact. There are of course the avatar gestures (funny, but no always that useful), wii-speak support, an in-game text entry screen, and support for a usb keyboard. It is this last option that I am thinking about taking advantage of.
I love that the game supports wii-speak, an underutilized device for the Wii. I love talking with my friends to plan methods of attack, set up quests, and warn them of low health or a nasty incoming monster attack. This option is fantastic but limited. I can only speak with those I register as friends through Monster Hunter Tri, and in my day to day interaction with other players my only other option is the terrible (alphabetical rather than QWERTY) keyboard in the game itself. Using this to communicate is do-able but painfully slow. So, is getting a keyboard worth it?
I have a friend who swears by using a keyboard, and for good reason. You can get your point across clearly and quickly (sometimes voices come through muffled on the wii-speak) and more importantly you can easily converse with non-friend teammates while battling. If you are a fast typist, it's not even that far of a stretch to type a note or two in the heat of battle, something that is impossible to do with the in-game text entry method. But is it worth it? Should I track down and buy a USB keyboard for just this one game? The video below is a CNET review for logitech's wii wireless keyboard. A particularly slick option. What do you think? How do you communicate in Monster Hunter Tri?
For those of you who are familiar with your Nintendo Channel on the Wii will hopefully have seen the list of Wii games with the highest average amount of play-time. This list has been dominated by by Super Smash Bro's since it's release an the list itself has been fairly stagnant. But Kotaku has created a really neat chart to display this information and on the far right side about 1/2 way down debuting at solid 39:56 is our beloved Monster Hunter Tri. Not bad for a first month!
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