Friday, December 12, 2008 

How To Go Swimming But Stay Dry

It is only really in recent years that the idea of ball pools has taken popularity, and until very recently, these were really just to be found in adventure playgrounds and activity centres rather than in the home. However, very recently it has become possible and affordable to buy equipment for home based ball pools, and of course, these are proving to be very popular with children. It has to be said that children of toddler age enjoy ball pools, and even those many years older have just as much fun!

A ball pool essentially consists of two parts - the pool itself, and the balls. As far as the pool is concerned, there is a wide range of pools available, mostly the inflatable kind. These can be as large and fancy as bouncy castle style inflatables, or as simple as a paddling pool. Indeed, if cost is a concern and you are looking to create a ball pool for your child on a budget, it can sometimes be easier to simply buy a cheap paddling pool.

The inflatable pools however have an advantage, in as much as they can be enjoyed and played with without the balls themselves, and still enjoyed indoors. They can also become quite large and interesting shapes and dens, from small castles to motor cars and tractors - even desert islands with palm trees and a beach! It is important to have a look at the size when inflated, because often these can be a lot larger than you might otherwise imagine from looking at the picture on the packaging. I bought an inflatable Mini Cooper for my little boy, and it wasn't a great deal smaller than the real thing - and took up most of the living room! Because of its popularity, it had to remain there for some time, and often watching television in the evening was more easily achieved sitting in the pool ourselves than on the sofa looking through the windscreen.

The other aspect to consider is the collection of balls you'll need. You can buy ball pools in large sacks, often of fifty or a hundred balls to a pack, and these are fairly cheap. The quality of ball is usually a little softer and lighter than the ones you'll find in professional ball pools available at theme parks and activity centres, but will do just as well. I actually found a bouncy castle firm that supplied ball pools, and they were in the process of re-branding, which meant that they were buying in colour coordinated balls, and getting rid of the multi coloured ones. I bought a thousand of these multi coloured balls, and filled most of my car!

As a general guide, taking the average sized paddling pool or inflatable ball pool, for a child under one years old, one to two hundred balls is more than enough, with two to five hundred being enough for older children. It's hard to find a ball pool available that will hold more than five hundred, and I have frequently had two or three ball pools filled for when his friends come round to play. It's certainly a good way of keeping the children entertained, and helping to ensure a good night's sleep!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, balls, paddling pools, ball pools, dolls, and used video games.

In this image released by Profiles in History a  'C-3PO' droid helmet worn by Anthony Daniels in 'Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,' is shown. The helmet was one of many memorabilia pieces up for auction by Profiles in History.  (AP Photo/Profiles in History)AP - Luke Skywalker's light saber has been on Star Wars fans' Christmas lists for more than 30 years.

 

Warhammer Online - General Class Overview-Comparison-Info of the Destruction Classes

Destruction classes:
I will be doing an in-depth guide on each class in Warhammer online later. Ratings are from my personal experience and rank from A to F, just like a school report card.

There are three starting racial areas:

Greenskins:
Black Orc = Melee Tank(Orc)
Shaman = Healer/Caster(Goblin)
Squig Herder = Ranged DPS - pet class(Goblin)

Chaos:
Marauder = Melee DPS - dual wield(Mutation)
Chosen = Melee Tank
Zealot = Healer/Caster
Magus = Ranged DPS/Caster - pet class

Dark Elves:
Witch Elf = Melee DPS - dual wield
Sorceress = Ranged DPS/Caster
Disciple of Khaine = Healer/Melee

Tanks:

Black Orc:
This is your melee tank in Warhammer online, special skill is a three combo attack. You use a "starter" skill to start your three skill combo, this opens up "da good plan" skills. You use a "da good plan" skill to progress the combo to "da best plan". After you use a skill from "da best plan" you then start over or use another ability.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Da Brawler" this is for players going 2H.(Using a 2 handed weapon)
"Path of Da Toughest" this is for players going 1H weapon and shield.
"Path of Da Boss" this is for players that want to max out group skills, empowering other players in the group, or protecting them.
"Plays like": A typical "warrior" class.
Solo PvE = B+ You really have to do something stupid to die in PvE as a Black Orc.
Group PvE = C Average class in group, as long as you can hold agro.
Solo PvP = D Taking way too long to kill, most players will just ignore you and move on.
Group PvP = A With a healer you are almost unstoppable and will collapse enemy frontlines.

Chosen:
This is your other tank in Warhammer online, special ability is buffs. There are many buffs to choose from and these are "always on" until you die/zone/turn them off. You can only use one buff at a time.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Strife" - this is for players going 2H
"Path of Retaliation" - this is for 1H and shield
"Path of Discord" - This for those that want to concentrate on the buff aspect of the class, usually adding to DPS or an ability.
"Plays like": kind of like a Paladin, not a WOW Pally, more of a DnD Pally.
Solo PvE = B Having a little more DPS then a Black Orc, but less survivability.
Group PvE = B Group buffs do make a difference.
Solo PvP = D Same problem as Black Orc.
Group PvP = B If you have a healer you do halfway decently.

Melee DPS:

Marauder:

This is a straight out DPS class in Warhammer online, specialty is mutation. Basically you are a dual wielder, you use a weapon in one hand and the other hand is a mutation weapon.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Brutality" - This is for players that want max DPS against a single target.
"Path of Savagery" - This is for players doing better DPS with DOT's.
"Path of Monstrosity" - This is for players that want a little better defense and wanting to hit multiple targets.
"Plays like": This is rather a unique class, think of a dual wielding barbarian, better DPS then a tank, but less survivability.
Solo PvE = C+ Awesome one versus one, runs into problems with adds.
Group PvE = B Very good against anything but bosses.
Solo PvP = A- Except for tanks this eats everything, and eats quickly at that.
Group PvP = A Rips casters quickly and downs healers better then any other class.

Witch Elf:

This is your other melee DPS class in Warhammer online, and plays very differently from a Marauder. Specialty is a "point" system, build up points and release on a skill, the more points built up, the more damage or effect.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Carnage" - This is for players that want straight out DPS right in the enemies face.
"Path of Suffering" - This is for players that want better DOT's.
"Path of Treachery" - This is for players that want to use tactics to do more DPS. You do a lot more damage hitting from the sides and back, but not so much face to face.
"Plays like": A typical rogue, including the WOW rogue.
Solo PvE = B+ a little better agro management then Marauder, but a little less raw DPS.
Group PvE = C+ Takes a few seconds more to build up the DPS then a Marauder.
Solo PvP = A You don't want to solo against this class, even healers will have problems.
Group PvP = B+ Must build up DPS, otherwise most classes are a cakewalk.

Ranged DPS:

Squig Herder:<7i>

Not using magic, but a bow and a mobile pet. Specialty is, of course, da Squig. Only one Squig can be out at a time. Total of 4 Squigs by level 10. Squigs are basic, horned, (better melee) ranged, spiked.(hard melee) The Squig is a little tricky to play, if you specialize in ranged DPS you get a slightly gimped ranged pet. Specialize in melee you get the "so-so" horned Squig. Specialize in versatility, you get slightly gimped damage, but a strong pet. You can also summon a Squig and jump inside it, but it has been my experience that it is not that great in PvE or PvP.(This is called "Squig Armor")

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Big Shootin" - better ranged DPS, slightly gimped ranged Squig.
"Path of Quick Shootin" - slightly gimped DPS, but the best melee DPS Squig.
"Path of stabbin" - so-so damage and a so-so melee Squig.
"plays like": This is another unique class, it will greatly depend on your tree choice. Do you want to focus on yourself, the pet, or a little of both?
Solo PvE = A Easy walkthrough in regular PvE.
Group PvE = C- Average damage, does not really bring anything unique to the group.
Solo PvP = C As long as you stay out of range you will do "O.K."
Group PvP = A+ You are not a healer, caster, or tank, so you are almost always ignored in group PvP, this allows you to sit back and shoot away. You don't need heals as you are always out of range, so you actually help healers. You can always send your pet against an enemy healer/caster to be a pain in the butt for the enemy.(When one Squig dies, you can summon a different class Squig in two seconds.)

Sorcerer:

This is your pure DPS caster in Warhammer online, of course this is going to come at a price. Specialty is a "power pool". This pool builds up as you cast spells, and when it is full, you can release it and cause massive damage. The problem is that most spells you cast have a small percentage to cause "backlash" which actually damages you. You can release all the power built up at any time before it is full if you wish. The problem is that the more you let your power build up, the better critical percent and the better bonus to critical damage the spell will deal, however the percent that a "backlash" will happen is also increased. If you have a healer that knows what he/she is doing this is not too bad, however if you don't you can actually one shot yourself!

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Agony" - This is for players that want to concentrate on a single target at a time, and you do not have to worry "too much" about killing yourself.
"Path of Calamity" - This is for players that want hardcore DOT's and is actually safer then the Path of Agony.
"Path of Destruction" - This is for players that like to go "balls to the wall" and hit many targets at the same times for awesome damage, the drawback is that you also have the greatest chance to face plant right into the ground, because you used more power then you could handle and you killed yourself.
"plays like": An overpowered mage. However you are not really overpowered, because you threaten and damage yourself.
Solo PvE = C+ sometimes when you do get backlash you need to chill out a little, if this happens at the wrong time or you are not paying attention to your health, it really hurts.
Group PvE = A Have fun and nuke everything.
Solo PvP = C With low health and you must stay at range, this can get you in trouble.
Group PvP = A+ With a decent healer you can force whole groups to think twice about advancing. When facing noobs, I have seen whole groups back up when a ranged AOE spell is cast.

Magus:

This is really an odd class in warhammer online to play as your pet is stationary and you must choose at what range you want to cause the most damage: Long range, medium range or close range. Your specialty is summoning stationary demons. You do not outright nuke as a sorcerer does, yet your DPS is not exactly gimped. This class is very situational.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of the Havoc" - Concentrating on long range attacks against a single target with a pink horror.
"Path of Changing" - Concentrating on medium range decent attacks using a flamer demon.
'Path of Demonology" - Concentrating on short range decent AOE attacks using a blue horror.
"plays like": Nothing I have played before, as such this class does take awhile to get used too.
Solo PvE = A+ Easily dropping mobs as you can summon a blue horror and pull mobs to it
Group PvE = B+ As long as you are not moving around too much you do well.
Solo PvP = F Forget it.
Group PvP = B+ Excels at guarding flags or areas. Sometimes noobs will even attack your pet not understanding that if they just killed you with your low hit points the pet would die anyway.

Healer:

Shaman:

Of all ten classes this one seems to be slightly OP in Warhammer online. (OP = Overpowered) A Shaman has decent healing abilities and awesome DPS for a healer class. Specialty is "WAAAGH!" which is actually almost useless. Basically when you cast a heal spell it slightly increases your next damage spell, this effect stacks up to three times. So if you cast three heal spells and then cast a damage spell it ends up being an empowered damage spell. Same as if you cast three damage spells and then cast a heal spell, your heal spell will be empowered. The problem here is that there is no sane individual that is going to sit there and count every time they cast a spell. I would advise to simply write this specialty off as a slight bonus that you do NOT need to keep track of, if you need to damage then damage, if you need to heal, then heal.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Mork" For those players that want to play a hardcore healer.
"Path of Gork" For those players that want to put out DPS and heal later.
"Path of Da Green" For those players that want a balance between the two.(Also increases buffs)
"plays like": A cleric in old school DAOC, go heal or go smite, or gimp yourself and try to do both.
Solo PvE = C+ you might take a little longer to kill in PvE, however your rarely die.
Group PvE = A Very versatile, you can heal or DPS.
Solo PvP = A+ Don't even try to solo an equal level Shaman.
Group PvP = A+ Massive heal or above average DPS, you can choose and simply change your mind with the click of the button.

Zealot:

This class is a lot better healer then it is at DPS in warhammer online, you will commonly be targeted and hunted down, however you have AWESOME survival skills. Specialty is group buffs, only one can be used at a time but it effects the whole group and they are usually very decent.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Alchemy" For hardcore healers.
"Path of Ritual" For those that enjoy buffing and debuffing.
"Path of Witchcraft" For those that wish to try and DPS.
"plays like": This is another unique class, wearing paper and low hit points, but awesome heals and group buffs.
Solo PvE = C weak DPS, but great survivability.
Group PvE = A+ really excels at healing and buffs.
Solo PvP = D Just cannot cause enough damage solo, to be viable.
Group PvP = A As long as you keep ranged, you will be a great healing asset.

Disciple of Khaine:

This class is a dual wielding/healer type and plays rather oddly in warhammer online. You cannot out-heal a Shaman or Zealot, yet you can off-heal and do decent melee damage. The specialty is rather odd, you have a "pool" of healing that depletes as you heal, however when you melee, it replenishes. This means that you cannot sit back and hardcore heal, however you are more then suitable for average melee fights. When you do fight, you replenish your healing pool.

The three skill trees are:
"Path of Ritual" For better healing abilities.
"Path of Torture" For better melee skills.
"Path of Sacrifice" This is a balance between the two.
"plays like": A very unique class that will take awhile to get used too, however this class does excel if played correctly.
Solo PvE = B+ When PvE'ing this plays like a gimped Witch Elf that can heal herself.
Group PvE = A Very flexible as long as you maintain at least a little melee combat.
Solo PvP = C+ While you cannot greatly heal, you do have average melee skills which makes you a very hard target to kill.
Group PvP = D Because of the complexity of the class it is hard to figure with action is the best to take in the chaos of group versus group PvP.

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