What To Do When Banks Try To Scam You

I know this has nothing to do with games but this is pretty funny.

Every so often we receive unsolicited offers from our banks with credit card "deals" and the such. But what happens when you decide to "amend" the find print and create your own terms? As it turns out, banks really don't have the time or possibly effort to read the fine print. A Russian man has done what most of us would have dreamed of.

Dmitry Agarkov changed a few things in his contract and sent it back to the bank which surprisingly accepted. His contract gave him 0% interest rates and no fees or credit limits amongst other things.

It's a pretty interesting article that's worth reading especially when the court ruled that his contract is legally valid and the bank had to pay him credit card cancellation fees. The trial will continue in September.

You can read more about it here.

Game Review: Police Force 2

So being a fan of police games, I decided to look around the internet and see if I could find a game that was the opposite of Grand Theft Auto (I have a mod of my copy of GTA IV but it just didn't really feel .... "completing"). So I came across a game named Police Force 2 which is created by Excalibur Publishing Limited. It places you into the role of a police officer (two in fact) and you go around the city responding to calls.

Police Force 2 throws you in a European city that is just like any other city (well with the exception that there's not really a lot of traffic). You play as two police officers (one male and one female) and you can switch between the two of them anytime during gameplay. Some days you'll be wearing a uniform while others you'll be in plainclothes solving big crimes. There is always an order of the day which you must complete in order to receive a promotion. A promotion means you'll unlock other parts of the city thus expanding your coverage area. 

You get access to all the police equipment as soon as you jump into the game. Items ranging from pepper spray to handcuffs to breathalyzers are at your disposal but do keep in mind that one officer does not carry all of these so you must switch between the two when the time calls for it. In terms of police cars, you'll get a selection of four. For days where you're wearing your shiny blue uniform, you'll get access to two patrol cars and a van. An unmarked BMW is used for days where you have to sneak around a bit.

You also get to call in some help in the form of tow trucks, ambulances and prisoner transport. Sadly none of these are for you (such as requesting an ambulance to heal you) but rather, they are called to the scene to help clean up. You can also request the precinct to send you a police car (marked or unmarked) so you won't have to leg it around the city.

Gameplay-wise, it's quite fun but it can be frustrating when something doesn't go your way. You could spend a good 15 minutes trying to solve the order of the day but only to fail at the last minute because you arrested the wrong suspect. Wait, shouldn't all suspects related to a crime be arrested so they can be brought in for questioning? Not in this game. Other than that, you get various calls that range from solving a kidnapping to helping out at a car accident scene. Everything that any police officer is expected to do you'll get to be in on it.

A quick word of warning, this game isn't developed by Crytek so don't expect any Crysis level graphics. In fact, go look up a couple of screenshots and you'll see that the developers behind Police Force 2 aren't exactly loaded with cash. It's a nicely developed game and the concept is there but there aren't a lot of decent animations such as handcuffing or firing a gun. But don't worry, you're not going to be seeing Tetris level graphics either.

Overall the game is a rather decent game. It puts you in the shoes of a police officer and you must obey the law in the process of doing so. You aren't always free to do whatever you want and you can't go around shooting civilians (the game just doesn't let you). If you're looking for a casual police simulator game, this will definitely grab your attention.

• Gameplay: 7/10
• Replay Value: 8/10
• Story: Null (there is no story, just day-to-day missions)
• Voicework: 4/10
• Sound: 6/10
• Overall Score: 7/10

M7 Research Path

I never liked this tank. Mostly because I just don't like it. Know why? I could annoy you all day about why I don't like it and be redundant about it or I could get this over with.

There are a couple of ways to do this. Some of you may prefer the 6 pounder gun over the 75mm. Both guns have their disadvantages and advantages so the final choice is really up to you.

1. Gun: QF 6-pdr Mk. III
2. Engine: Wright C. R-975C1
3. Engine: Wright C. R-975C4
4. Turret: M47
5. Gun: 75 mm Gun M2
6. Tracks: VVSS T48A
7. Gun: 75 mm Gun M3
8. Radio: SCR 538
9. Radio: SCR 528
10. Tank: T21

You'll need the tracks if you want the 75mm M3 but if you don't really care about that, then don't bother. Remember to aim for the engines too as the tank is too weakly armoured to play decently like a medium tank but rather, more of a light.

T29 Research Path

Personally, I never really liked the T29 but I suppose that's just me. Either way, DO NOT under any circumstances, skip ahead without researching the 105 mm. You will have a VERY hard time grinding the T32. You should also be coming from the T1 Heavy and M6 with the 90 mm gun researched. Yes, I'm dead serious about this. A 76 mm on the T29 looks silly and ridiculous and you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

With that said, I'll assume you didn't follow my advice and went ahead and grabbed the T29 without a moment's hesitation.

1. Gun: 90 mm Gun M3
2. Engine: GMC Allison V1710-E32
3. Tracks: T84E3
4. Gun: 105 mm Gun T5E1
5. Turret T136
6. Engine: Continental AV-1790-3
7. Radio: SCR 528
8. Tank: T32

I've tried to load as much as I can with the stock tracks. Everything after (minus the Continental engine) requires the tracks. Why did I leave the final engine to the end? There's only a 40 horsepower difference so it's not that crucial. Getting the 105 mm should be your top priority but mobility is also something worth thinking about. The GMC engine will help but if you don't want it, then skip it and go straight for the tracks. 

Jagdpanther Research Path

Legend or not, this is a pretty decent beast in World of Tanks. Most of your modules are shared so you may only end up needing to research the guns and the tracks. But in case this is your first time playing the German tech tree, I'll help you with that. One thing to note, the stock tracks can hold everything so you can research those last (or not at all).

1. Gun: 8,8 cm PaK 36 L/56
2. Gun: 8,8 cm PaK 43 L/71
3. Engine: Maybach HL 210 P30
4. Engine: Maybach HL 230 P45
5. Gun: 10,5 cm PaK 45 L/52
6. Radio: FuG 12
7. Tracks: JgPz-V-Ketten Ausf. B
8. Tank: Ferdinand
9. Tank: JgPanther II

The two gun options are completely up to you. The long 88 (8,8 cm PaK 43 L/71) offers faster rate of fire with less damage per shot with an additional 3 mm of extra penetration. The 105 (10,5 cm PaK 45 L/52) has a slower rate of fire with more damage per shot and is slightly less accurate. The choice is yours on what you want but if you want the 105, then research that immediately after the 88.