Welcome to the Battledome

Okay, it’s a little dramatic, but when I’m playing a game, I like to immerse myself in the experience. If the game calls for me to embarrass folks with my lyrical dexterity, then I say hand me the mic and stand back. Alright, in real life, the closest I’ve come to spitting anything close to a hott 16 was karaoke night when I busted out my fiyah rendition of Salt N Pepa’s “Push It”. Trust me, you had to be there. But I digress.

Currently, I’m on level 25 in Platinum Life and things have been going pretty swimmingly. I’ve been signed to a major label and I’ve started my first tour. My avatar has rubbed elbows with the likes of Ludacris, Omarion, and Shontelle and her fame is on the rise. While I’m waiting patiently for my Juice to refill from my latest round of rocking the mic, I thought it was time to focus some attention on the Battle system.

Any social gaming worth its code has an area where you can school friends and strangers alike in a one-on-one competition to prove who’s the top dog. In Platinum Life, it all about the music. When you click on the Battle tab in the navigation bar, you’re taken to a page listing possible opponents. When you’re scoping the terrain for potential opponents, be sure to check out the requirement section for that person. In order to blaze someone on the mic you need to meet the street cred, band level, and ante requirements.

Ante is pretty self explanatory. You have to pay to play. You want to get your bragging rights, you have to have enough dough to enter the arena. Hopefully you’ve been banking all that cash you’ve been making from the gigs, because you’re seriously going to need it. Street cred acts as your rep. Just like in the streets, if you have a high enough rep, punks won’t step up to get beat down. It basically keeps the game level. You only battle against folks in the same level. Band level refers to your entourage. If you’ve been recruiting folks to your Entourage (you have been recruiting haven’t you?), this is one of the places it comes in handy. Instead of going for self in the battle mode, your team gives your stats a nice little boost, similar to a hype man at a concert.

Speaking of stats, this is the other part of the game where those stats you’ve been building through grinding out levels and copping new equipment comes in handy. Just because you meet the requirements to engage in battle doesn’t always mean you’re going to be the victor. Performance, recording, and social points are a big deal here as they’ll be the determining factor on whether you’re a god or sucker mc.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
See all posts by Sherri L. Smith.