#Multiplayer Variant Reference

[ponds-of-ink]

Quick FNAF X Dead by Daylight Predictions Before The Collab is Out

Although I haven’t played Dead by Daylight myself, I do have a few predictions on how this crossover will work.. At least in terms of the basics that I’m aware of.

Since this got a bit ramble-y, I’ve put everything under the cut.

-

Most likely to happen

Springtrap will be the playable villain/Killer, as he was highly requested for years.

As such, he’ll probably get new voicelines that will match this crossover’s version of the lore. (Emphasis on “crossover’s version” here— I’m expecting some obvious artistic liberties even with all the advice Scott and the FNAF team’s given)

Same goes for any new abilities he gets. He might lean more towards the supernatural… Or he might get an axe that’s on fire idk.

His potential skins/alternate versions could be something like Spring-Bonnie from the games, Yellow Rabbit from the films (with a different voice to reflect said films), and a… Blighted variant, I think it’s called?

Regardless, it seems like Michael will be his rival/in The Survior role. Sorry, Henry fans, but I don’t think Henry’s quite ready to get more lore.

Mike will also probably get more outfits and a new voice as well, but idk what all that entails.

So many headcanons will be thrown out the window for the both of them, even though it’s another canonized AU. Say goodbye to your (somewhat) caring Williams and your more chill Mikes, among other things. (I’m already planning to turn one of my own takes into an OC in case I’m right, so I guess my followers might need to be on the lookout for that…)

At least we’ll get more hints towards how Springtrap and Mike interact. That’ll probably be useful for future FNAF games.

Less Likely to Happen (And Probably Not Going To TBH)

Scraptrap skin for Springtrap (that actually looks rad). Especially if you get it for free through an achievement.

The Mimic as the Villain/Killer. I know Secret of the Mimic is out in two months, so this is a bit of a risk. However, since this collab been in development since at least last year, I don’t see this happening because of timing. He might get a skin or a reference somewhere, though.

Vanessa (games or film) as the Rival/Survivor. As much as I would find it interesting, this is another case of timing thanks to the FNAF movie. If she does make it in somehow, then maybe she’ll get a Vanny skin?

Springtrap being too theatrical and hyped up (for lack of a better term) in his voicelines. While FNAF AR might’ve made it possible for this to happen a second time, I feel like this collab is going to be the moment where his character’s going to get a personality reboot. I’m expecting something a bit more like his Sister Location voicelines this time— A calm, collected tone roughened by thirty years of rot and decay. He’ll sound far too cold and reserved even when he’s thinking of witty quips, especially around Mike.

Mike and Springtrap sharing the same voice actor this time. This prediction is more for practicality reasons, honestly. I’m sure whoever the developers picked for these two, that actor (or actors) had to make sure that these two sounded distinct during a multiplayer match. Listening is key, from what I understand of DBD, so there has to be a way to tell the difference.

Springtrap confirmed to have remorse via his voicelines. At all. He may have suffered through something, according to that Into The Pit game, but I bet that’s a secret he’ll take to his— and the franchise’s— grave.

MXES cameo or reference. Another timing issue, but with the potential timeline of this collab. I dunno when this whole thing is set, so we might not get Security Breach references either. A bummer, but it is what it is.

Bonus Round: The Possibilities are a Mixed Bag

Springtrap is still British in the games. Maybe even keeping his voice from AR.

Same as above for Mike, but he’ll have a new voice as stated above.

The collab map is one of the FNAF game locations.

Springtrap might have special lines for certain characters? Maybe?

Fazbear Entertainment cameo. Maybe even in-universe merchandise, if the map is that detailed.

Circus Baby gets referenced somewhere. Most likely through a new in-universe poster.

Most fans are probably going to be happy with this collab, especially if it nicely blends these two games together. (If I’m right about the “multiple headcanons perishing in metaphorical flames”, though, then I’m expecting a bunch of Afton interpretations turning into OCs in a matter of weeks. This goes for both Mike and Will/Spring, btw)

[inventors-fair]

It's You Against the World

So last week, @sparkyyoungupstart designed a riff on a certain famous legendary creature:

Usually I have to specify that we're designing for Standard/premier sets, i.e. no multiplayer-oriented mechanics like the monarch, myriad, etc. But for half the days at my LGS, people are playing Commander, and we can't ignore the fact that people like designing for multiplayer games. It's one of if not the most popular casual format, so it makes sense, right?

I think I'm going to get some wacky designs this week, so we might have some judge examples to give some inroads, but Detesting Beast up there is a pretty great example as is, because this week...

Choose one:

1. Make a Commander-oriented redesign of a legendary creature that has never appeared as a face Commander*

2. Make a Commander-oriented card that's a riff/reference to a card that wasn't designed for Commander/multiplayer.

*This includes the alternative commanders, like how the partners were for the four-color decks. The intent is to use a character with no Commander background to them.

Hopefully this isn't too esoteric. The second point is, like... Like how Divergent Transformations is a multiplayer card based on Polymorph and its ilk, or Fierce Guardianship is a Commander-specific Negate. But you have Detesting Beast up there as a cool Questing Beast variant, and you have cards like Anowon in the post header who heads his own deck—or Olivia in the OTJ commanders—cards like that!

The definition of "Commander-oriented" doesn't have to necessarily reference multiple players. A card like Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls is an example of a face Commander that doesn't do that. The point of this contest is to let y'all have fun with your knowledge of how Commander players like to build and work with new ideas.

Remember, kids: use your best judgement, never settle on a first draft, and make sure you're wording your words right.

@abelzumi

>> Partner up in the Submit/Askbox >>  Find a discussion pod in Discord

[balketh]

I Finished Abiotic Factor!

No direct story spoilers in this post!

It's very good! Not without its flaws, but even those may go away as the devs have put forward an exemplary early access dev cycle, worthy of commendation.

Second game I've ever 100% achievement'd (other was Elden Ring - probs done others but pre-achievements era) which should definitely say something! Read on for my thoughts!

It's perfectly playable in singleplayer, despite being a 'survivalcraft' type game. It uses its genre of mad-multiverse-science survivalcraft to good effect, with a satisfying gameplay loop and enough expansion in almost all mechanical areas (upgrades, new materials, etc) across the game to feel really meaty and satisfying all the way through. Performance isn't the best, and lowering graphics settings and rendering scale doesn't help enough as you get later in the game. Hopefully performance optimization is something the devs can hone in on in future updates.

The world has a bit of a Dark Souls design - not metroidvania many-places-locked-off-by-different-movement-gear-types, it's much more many-key-based-shortcuts-that-you-realise-are-right-next-to-earlier-areas vibes. Y'know, like Dark Souls. It's just a bit grindy in singleplayer if you really want to build all the armours or fully flesh out a base; I'd absolutely suggest tweaking your server difficulty a bit if you play singleplayer (sadly can't raise drop rates yet...), but it's very achievable. I'm sure it's a lot more fun in multiplayer.

Feels a touch rushed at the end - the 3 new major areas feel smaller (though the main 2 have a bit of exploration and a fun side area), they're not as fleshed out as earlier zones. Feels crunch-y. The narrative end does feel a touch abrupt and gameplay-ey, despite repeatedly re-clarifying the facts and stakes of the plot as it goes. I hope it's touched up and maybe expanded on in the future.

The final boss is alright, but doesn't... Quite fit the vibe of the game, purely in terms of how you're expected to deal with it (pure combat.) I would have liked a bit more Half Life esque 'do some crazy science to win' situations (much like what was referred to in a late journal entry for the end boss...), but, alas.

I'm looking forward to more content in the future, too - even though I've done everything and gotten almost all the collectables/unique things/item variants/etc. Hints at an expansion of the story, unresolved (but intended to be resolved) plotlines, etc. The next big update is gonna (mostly?) be user feedback changes, which is awesome, and the devs have been great with their responsiveness and heft of updates/patches/changes, so it's only gonna get better.

Some lines of mechanical content could also be expanded as well (only 3 headlights/NVGs in the game? Bad lamp, bad green, and mediocre blue? Where's the IR/Heat vision? Where's the ultra scan vision? Everything else gets the super science twist, but not these?). The base building DESPERATELY needs better positioning tools (a degree rotation and pixel nudge would be more than sufficient) but the devs are already slowly fixing that too, working out snap-to-building in the office cubicle panels, so they're already on that shit, BUT. I've digressed into Wouldn't-It-Be-Cool-Ifs.

It's one of the best examples of good early access dev behaviour since Larian with BG3. Very responsive devs, regular, quality updates with both chunks of content/progression and many fixes/QoL changes; they set a goal of a Half-Life-SurvivalCraft game, and fucking nailed it, IMO. Really, truly worth its very reasonable AUD$51/$35USD price.

I really did feel more like Freeman by the end of the game than I maybe even felt by the end of Half Life. G-Man and all.

It's honestly an absolute gem of a game, a pinnacle of its genre, honestly even above and beyond Grounded (as it has more structure than the open nature of the backyard in Grounded, and a higher volume of lore and actual world story than Grounded does, though very similar games.)

Even my beloved partner, whom is typically less interested in the harder kind of sci-fi (not particularly interested in Half-Life overall), was absolutely enamoured with the weird SCP/Mage-Mysterium vibes of the game (especially in the late game, when that second comparison becomes much more prevalent!), and stuck with me all the way through it!

Strongly recommended.

God I hope they add modding for this game. It'd be absolutely bonkers.

And remember,

"Boy I sure do love coffee in my coffee hole!"

[shogikappa]

Introductory 1v3 Tarot for Two

Background

I developed this 2-player Tarot game variant inspired by Simplified Game of Tarot, Esculenta, and Troggu to introduce/teach a friend how a regular, traditional game of Tarot might play like. I was not sure how much we would be playing Tarot games again, so I decided to try to simulate a multiplayer (4-player) experience with just 2 players.

Overview

The game uses 2 Strawman players (which have 2 piles each), all controlled by the defending player, to simulate 1v3 gameplay.

Setup

This game uses a stripped deck of 62 tarot cards. Remove 1-4 of each of the 4 regular suits from the 78-card deck from the game. 

The deal

Both players are dealt 14 cards.

Additionally, there are 2 “dummy” players, which will be termed “Strawman A” and “Strawman B”. Each of these Strawman players also receive 14 cards in 2 piles of 7. The top card of each of the 2 piles is flipped open, the rest stay face down. Each of these 4 piles will be known as a “Strawman pile”. (I originally was going to give each Strawman player 4 or 3 piles, but 14 isn't divisible by them.)

The leftover 6 cards go into a pile called the talon.

Selecting the Attacker

Each of the (human) players looks at their cards. They may sort them.

The players then volunteer to be the attacker if they have a decent number of trump (Major Arcana) cards, Kings, and Queens.

If neither volunteers, the cards are reshuffled. If both volunteer, a random method may be used to decide who becomes the attacker.

The other player, together with the 2 Strawman players, form the defender team.

Exchanging with the talon 

The attacker picks up the 6 cards in the talon, adding them to their hand, and then discards 6 cards into their scoring pile. These cards count as points for the attacker. The attacker may not discard any 5-point cards (the Fool, I, XXI, or Kings).

The Fool, I, and XXI are collectively known as the trull (or trio) cards.

The play

Regular Tarot trick-taking rules apply. A trick refers to the collection of cards played by each player on a turn (so in a 4-player game, a trick consists of 4 cards).

Select a player to lead first. That player plays a card to the trick. Then, the player on their right (which may be either a Strawman player or the other human player) plays, until each of the 4 players has played a card to the trick.

The defending human player makes the choices for the Strawman players by selecting 1 of the 2 face-up top cards of the Strawman piles of that Strawman player to play. 

Strawman players play by the same rules as humans: they must follow the led suit if possible, and trump if not possible. If they neither have a card in the led suit or a trump, they play any card.

The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless trumps were played, in which case the highest trump wins.

The attacker or defender team (whichever that won) then collects the cards in the trick into their own score pile (a.k.a. trick pile), keeping them separate from their hand cards.

The winner of the trick leads the next trick. Begin the next trick by flipping over the top card of the Strawman piles that were used, so that they again have the top card face-up.

If a Strawman player wins the trick, to keep things simple, it leads the next trick as if it were a human player. Like normal, the defending human player chooses which card from the Strawman player to lead with.

Note:

If during the game, 1 of the 2 Strawman piles of a Strawman player runs out, the only face-up card is moved to the other, now-empty, pile, and the next card of the original pile is turned face-up. There should always be 2 cards to choose from for each Strawman player, unless each (human and Strawman) player only has 1 card remaining.

The Fool card

The Fool is a special card that may be played to any trick instead of following suit, trumping, or a throwaway. The Fool wins itself to the scoring pile of its player's team, but does not win the trick. The rest of the 3 cards determine the winner of the trick, and the team that played the Fool finds a regular 1-point card (per Troggu scoring) from their score pile and adds it to the trick to bump the trick back up to 4 cards (this compensated card can never win the trick). If no tricks had been won, the Fool itself is then won by the trick winner, and no card is compensated.

End of hand and scoring

When all players have played the last card from their hand or Strawman piles, the hand is over.

Each team then counts up the cards that they have captured in their score piles. Choose 1 scoring method that you prefer:

Troggu scoring method:

Kings, trulls (the Fool, I, XXI): 5 card points (CP) each

Queens: 4 CP each

Cavaliers: 3 CP each

Pages: 2 CP each

all other cards: 1 CP each

“Original” scoring method:

Kings, trulls: 4 CP each

Queens: 3 CP each

Cavaliers: 2 CP each

Pages: 1 CP each

all other cards: 0 CP each

Every 4 cards (= each trick, including the initially discarded 6 by the Attacker): 1 CP

Whichever team with the most card points wins the hand and is paid 1 victory point (VP) by the other player. So for example, after 1 hand, the scoring would look like -1:1.

Gather all 62 cards and shuffle them to prepare for the next hand.

After an agreed number of hands, the player with the most VP wins.

2v2 variant

In this variant, 15 cards are dealt to each of the 4 players. The dealer, who goes after the other human player, picks up the 2 leftover cards and discards 2 cards (they cannot discard Kings or trulls) into their score pile so that they begin with 15 cards again. The dealer and the first human player have 1 Strawman player as their teammate each, and there is no bidding.

If using the original scoring method, the initial 2 discards do not count for an additional trick in points (so no +1 for tricks with them, but the cards are still counted for points).

You can agree to a turn order between yourselves. Classical order would be:

Player A, Player B, Player A’s Strawman A, Player B’s Strawman B.

But because the 2 human players are likely to be sitting across each other, an order similar to the following may be more intuitive if the Strawman piles are laid out between both players, which I will call the convenient order:

Player A, Strawman A, Player B, Strawman B.

The cards won by Player A and Strawman A are counted together as 1 scoring pile. Likewise with Player B.

[teenpattiapkdownload09]

Teen Patti Online Play: A Guide to Enjoying India's Favorite Card Game

Teen Patti, often referred to as "Indian Poker," is one of the most beloved card games in India. Thanks to advancements in technology, it has transitioned seamlessly into the digital world, where millions of players enjoy it online. Whether you're a novice or an experienced player, Teen Patti online play offers an exciting blend of strategy, luck, and social interaction. Here's everything you need to know about this thrilling card game.

What is Teen Patti?

Teen Patti, meaning "three cards" in Hindi, is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers. The objective is to form the best three-card hand or to bluff your way to victory. Players place bets, and the one with the strongest hand or the best bluffing skills wins the pot.

Why Play Teen Patti Online?

Playing Teen Patti online brings unparalleled convenience and excitement. Here are some reasons why it's a favorite among card game enthusiasts:

Play Anytime, Anywhere: Online platforms allow you to play Teen Patti from the comfort of your home or on the go.

Multiple Variants: Online Teen Patti apps and websites offer exciting variations of the game, such as Joker, AK47, and Muflis, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.

Secure Transactions: Reputable platforms ensure secure payments for cash games, so you can play with confidence.

Multiplayer Experience: Play with friends or join tables with players from around the world for a more social gaming experience.

Bonuses and Rewards: Many platforms offer sign-up bonuses, daily rewards, and promotional events to enhance the fun.

How to Play Teen Patti Online

Choose a Trusted Platform: Select a reputable app or website that offers a seamless and secure gaming experience.

Create an Account: Register by providing basic details. Most platforms offer a free sign-up bonus to get you started.

Learn the Rules: Understand the game's basic rules and card rankings. Many platforms provide tutorials for beginners.

Join a Table: Select a game room based on your skill level and budget.

Place Bets: Start playing by placing your initial bet, and use strategy to outwit opponents or rely on your luck.

Tips for Winning at Teen Patti Online

Practice Regularly: Use free games to sharpen your skills before playing cash games.

Manage Your Bankroll: Set a budget and stick to it to avoid overspending.

Observe Opponents: Pay attention to their betting patterns and bluffing techniques.

Conclusion

Teen Patti online play combines the charm of traditional gameplay with the convenience of modern technology. Whether you're playing for fun or testing your skills in cash games, it's an experience worth trying. So, download a trusted Teen Patti app today, join the tables, and enjoy the excitement of India’s favorite card game!

[thesimsprojectrene]

Project Rene Datamine MEGAPOST (+More Screenshots, Core Mechanics, Story, etc)

Hello! This post is a "part 2" to my original post from a few days ago. A link to that can be found here in case you missed it: https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1frtd5c/new_project_rene_formerly_the_sims_5_screenshots/

As per tradition, I will be leaving my feedback out of my post, and only displaying the facts.

HUGE thank you to the sims datamining community. Many notable figures in there that helped with these discoveries. Some wish to be unnamed which I will respect, and huge thank you to u/Vegetable_Ear_4141 or thesarahmilani for posting the imgur links!

For now, let's begin with the NEW info. I will be separating this post into 4 sections, similarly to the folder structure in the game files (CAS, Garage, The Hub, Live Mode, +Misc)

ALL of these elements can be seen in better detail in the screenshots associated with them. (ex. DLCs)

CAS (Create a Sim)

This is where most of the interesting stuff comes from. Though the playtest did not allow for us to create our own sims, this build actually contains a very early version of what we are going to see in Create a Sim. There's a lot of info to go through here.

TailoringHQ was the original name for the Clothing Workshop.

First look at Create a Sim (debug) (see imgur)

References to Fine Tuning, Body Frame, Body Height(!!), Clothing layering, Clothing Workshop.

Tweens are confirmed.

Within the "Char" folder, there are references to Humans and Horses.

Horses are editable in CAS. There is also a unicorn variant.

Mobility Aids. Only one at the moment for wheelchairs.

"Upper Varients" lets you customize from preset tops to your liking.

Change sleeves and collars on your shirt.

"Fat Controls" (yes, actually called that) is used internally to make body weight significantly more realistic.

"Fat Controls" go VERY in depth, ranging from all parts of the body to a heavy focus on the face.

Various Body type customization (mainly shapes and sizes).

Various Garments including bags, bracelets, socks, watches, scarfs, etc.

Possible careers include "Student", "Poet", "Gardener" and "Chef".

CAS menu tile (see imgur)

Sim height adjustment icons (see imgur)

Test hairstyle thumbnail files.

Pants thumbnail files

unicorn accessory model for horses

Facial hair, Hair loss, and various hairstyles

Screenshots of Files (+More detailed descriptions): https://imgur.com/a/XalnFj9

Garage

The Garage folder contains stuff relating to the story. The only notable things in here right now are two placeholder artworks of the (protagonists?) named Josie and Rachel.

The concept art for these characters can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/project-rene-garage-storylines-3zvyh1z

The Hub

The Hub is essentially the area that was being playtested. It is a public space for all multiplayer and UGC related things (UGC = User Generated Content). Players can either join their friends, or select "quick play" to join a random session with random players.

It includes a "For You" section, "Marketplace", "Multiplayer", and "UGC" folders. To be clear, the hub is the only place you can matchmake and meet random players. The rest of the game can be played solo if you wanted.

The "For You" section:

Purely speculation at this time

The "Marketplace" section:

Used purely just for DLC.

DLC videos will be able to autoplay, have various sizes, thumbnails, etc.

Icons for The Hub have also been uncovered, showcasing SimBucks currency (Likely MTX).

The "Multiplayer" section:

Contains everything related to MP in the Hub.

Invite players

Search for Lobbies

Get notifications from others

Separate part of the game, used mainly in the Hub area.

Ability to invite other players to your Neighborhood

Kick players from your neighborhood

Invite players to a party

Ability to call other players

Mute/unmute microphone

Deafen/undeafen (similar to discord call)

The "UGC" Section (User Generated Content):

Curated user generated items

Basically "CC" becoming much more accessible.

Doesn't require you to visit external websites to download custom content anymore.

The Hub section will also have promotions, including...

A seasons pass

Weekly events

New purchases becoming available

Screenshots of Files (+More detailed descriptions): https://imgur.com/a/e21rU3n

Live Mode

Files contain a rather pretty looking concept art of the city. (see imgur below)

Icons for sim motives (see imgur for more detail)

Live mode icons, including play/pause controls, moods, motive increase/decrese, etc. (see imgur below).

Live mode folders contain low detail debug sim models. Most are unnamed, except for one 'Rory'.

A horse model was found in the files, however it looks to be the same one used in TS4, likely placeholder. (see imgur).

"Play Neighborhood" menu tile (likely placeholder)

"Matchmaking" menu tile (likely placeholder)

"Find a Game" menu tile (likely placeholder)

"Create a Game" menu tile (likely placeholder)

"Create a Sim" menu tile (likely placeholder)

Functional metro system, used for travelling between areas.

Times of day (Afternoon, Dawn, Dusk, Mid-Day, Morning, Night, Sunrise, Sunset)

Weather system

Objects can be burnt, dirty, or covered in snow. (seasons confirmed?)

City controls, includes things like streetlamps and city lights. Interestingly, also contains references to a "Mural" and "Workshop" modes.

Sim Activity icons

Friendships have 4 levels/modes in rene: Unacquainted, Neutral, Friendly, and Close.

Every single social icon (visual icons that appear above sims' heads depending on what they're talking about; see imgur).

The Live Mode in this build is rather fleshed out in the files compared to what we saw in the playtest. Most of the core sims mechanics are present, such as sim aging and being able to control multiple sims in a household.

Screenshots of Files (+More detailed descriptions): https://imgur.com/a/project-rene-live-mode-Ws1TibU

Misc

This section includes misc information about the game that we found interesting enough to share.

This game uses volumetric clouds.

This game uses parallax interiors.

Also, here are spreadsheets including every single interaction, emotion, objects, and more organized in csv format. I won't be going over this in detail as there is a LOT. Make your own discoveries.

Extra Gameplay Screenshots

Can be found here:

Friendly reminder that everything shown above is subject to change in the final version and should still be taken with a grain of salt as things tend to change over time.

AMA in the comments if you want, I will try my best to answer any question you have about this game. I will respond as long as I have solid proof behind my claims as I would like to remain reliable.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone that contributed to this datamine.

[win2buzzz]

Exploring Winbuzz: Your Gateway to Online Gaming and Beyond

Introduction to Winbuzz

In the ever-evolving landscape of online gaming and applications, Winbuzz stands out as a multifaceted platform offering a range of services and entertainment options. Whether you’re a gaming enthusiast or looking for a seamless digital experience, Winbuzz has something to offer. This article delves into the various aspects of Winbuzz, from its core features to its user interface, and what makes it a notable player in the digital realm.

Understanding Winbuzz and Its Variants

Winbuzz and Win Buzz

Winbuzz, sometimes referred to as Win Buzz, is a versatile platform designed to cater to diverse digital entertainment needs. It provides a rich array of games and applications, fostering a community where users can enjoy immersive experiences. The platform’s broad appeal lies in its ability to offer something for everyone, from casual gamers to those seeking more intensive gaming sessions.

Win2buzz

Win2buzz appears to be an extension or variation of the Winbuzz brand, potentially offering enhanced features or a specialized set of services. This might include advanced gaming options, additional user benefits, or exclusive content that distinguishes it from the standard Winbuzz offerings.

Core Features of Winbuzz

Winbuzz ID

A key feature of the Winbuzz platform is the Winbuzz id, a unique identifier for each user. This ID is essential for accessing various services within the platform, including games, applications, and user-specific settings. It ensures a personalized experience and adds a layer of security, keeping user data and preferences protected.

Winbuzz Game

Winbuzz game refers to the extensive library of games available on the platform. These games range from casual puzzles and strategy games to more complex multiplayer options. Winbuzz continually updates its game offerings to keep the content fresh and engaging for its users. The variety ensures that there is something for every type of gamer, regardless of their interests or skill level.

Winbuzz Login

The Winbuzz login process is designed to be straightforward and secure. Users can access their accounts using their Winbuzz id, allowing them to seamlessly continue their gaming sessions, track their progress, and manage their preferences. A smooth login experience is crucial for retaining user engagement and ensuring satisfaction.

Winbuzz APK

For Android users, the Winbuzz apk (Android Package Kit) is a vital component. This file allows users to download and install the Winbuzz application on their devices. The APK provides a convenient way to access the platform's features directly from a mobile device, ensuring that users can enjoy their favorite games and applications on the go.

Winbuzz Application

The Winbuzz application, available across various operating systems, is the cornerstone of the user experience. It integrates all the features of Winbuzz into a cohesive and user-friendly interface. The app is designed to offer smooth navigation, quick access to games, and efficient account management, making it easy for users to immerse themselves in the Winbuzz ecosystem.

Enhancing the User Experience

Seamless Integration

One of the standout qualities of Winbuzz is its seamless integration across different devices. Whether accessed through a mobile phone, tablet, or computer, Winbuzz ensures a consistent and high-quality user experience. This cross-platform compatibility is essential for meeting the needs of a diverse user base.

Regular Updates and Improvements

Winbuzz is committed to providing the best possible experience for its users. Regular updates to the platform ensure that any bugs are promptly fixed, new features are introduced, and the overall performance is enhanced. This commitment to continual improvement helps maintain user interest and satisfaction.

Community and Support

A strong community and robust support system are integral to Winbuzz’s success. The platform fosters a sense of community among its users through interactive features, leaderboards, and social integration. Additionally, comprehensive customer support ensures that any issues are quickly addressed, contributing to a positive user experience.

Conclusion

Win2buzz represents a dynamic and user-centric approach to online gaming and digital applications. With its wide range of games, secure and personalized user experience, and commitment to regular updates, Winbuzz has carved out a significant niche in the digital entertainment market. Whether you are a casual gamer or a dedicated enthusiast, Win2buzz offers a platform that is both engaging and reliable, promising countless hours of enjoyment.

Website: - https://win2buzz.com/app/home

[millerkingnyc54]

Mastering Solitaire: Can You Beat the Clock?

Introduction

Solitaire, a timeless card game that has been a staple on personal computers for decades, has captivated players worldwide. Whether you know it as World of Solitaire, Google Solitaire, or Klondike Solitaire Free, the game's fundamental rules and objectives remain the same. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of solitaire, explore the different variations and platforms it's available on, and offer tips and strategies for mastering this classic card game.

I. The World of Solitaire

1.1 History of Solitaire

Solitaire's history can be traced back to the 18th century. While the exact origins are shrouded in mystery, the game has been a popular pastime for generations. Its journey from physical playing cards to digital platforms like "World of Solitaire" and "Google Solitaire" is a testament to its enduring appeal.

1.2 Solitaire Variations

Solitaire isn't just one game; it's a family of card games with a common theme: solo play. While Klondike Solitaire is perhaps the most well-known variation, there are numerous others to explore, including Spider Solitaire, Freecell, and Pyramid Solitaire. Understanding the differences between these variants can enhance your solitaire experience.

1.3 World of Solitaire: A Digital Oasis

"World of Solitaire" is a popular online platform that hosts a wide array of solitaire games. This digital realm allows players to access their favorite solitaire games from virtually anywhere. We'll delve into the features that make "World of Solitaire" a standout choice for enthusiasts.

II. Google Solitaire: A Modern Classic

2.1 Solitaire on Google

The Google Solitaire is a term often used to describe the solitaire game that comes pre-installed on most Android devices. This accessible version allows players to indulge in a quick game of solitaire whenever they have a few moments to spare. We'll discuss the convenience of this built-in feature and how it has become a digital staple.

2.2 Mobile Solitaire Apps

In the age of smartphones, solitaire has made a seamless transition to mobile platforms. There is a plethora of solitaire apps available for both Android and iOS devices, catering to the preferences of players. We'll explore some of the best solitaire apps, their features, and what makes them stand out in the world of mobile gaming.

III. Klondike Solitaire Free: A Classic for All

3.1 Klondike Solitaire: The Classic Variation

Klondike Solitaire, often simply referred to as "solitaire," is the most widely recognized and played version of the game. This classic game involves arranging cards in descending order, alternating colors, and stacking them in four foundation piles. We'll provide a detailed guide to playing Klondike Solitaire and achieving victory.

3.2 Free vs. Paid Solitaire Games

While many solitaire games are available for free, there are also premium versions with additional features and enhancements. We'll weigh the pros and cons of free and paid solitaire games, helping you choose the best option for your gaming needs.

IV. Strategies for Success

4.1 Understanding the Basics

To master solitaire, it's essential to have a firm grasp of the fundamental rules and mechanics. We'll walk you through the basics of setting up the game, moving cards, and completing the objectives.

4.2 Planning Your Moves

Solitaire isn't just about luck; strategy plays a significant role. We'll share tips on how to plan your moves, maximize your chances of winning, and avoid common pitfalls.

4.3 Time Management

In some solitaire variations, time is a critical factor. We'll discuss how to manage your time effectively and beat the clock in games that have a time limit.

V. Online Solitaire Communities

5.1 The Social Aspect

Solitaire has evolved from a solitary pastime to a social activity in the digital age. Online solitaire communities and multiplayer options allow players to compete with friends or other solitaire enthusiasts. We'll explore the advantages of connecting with fellow players and the sense of camaraderie it brings to the game.

5.2 Challenges and Tournaments

Many solitaire platforms, including World of Solitaire, offer challenges and tournaments that test your skills against other players. We'll delve into these competitive aspects of solitaire and how they add an extra layer of excitement to the game.

Conclusion

Solitaire, in its various forms, has endured as a beloved card game for centuries. "World of Solitaire, Google Solitaire, and Klondike Solitaire Free represent different facets of this enduring classic. By understanding the history, mastering the game's variations, and employing effective strategies, you can become a true solitaire expert. Whether you play casually or competitively, solitaire continues to offer a world of entertainment right at your fingertips. So, shuffle those cards and dive into the world of solitaire – the clock is ticking, and the game is afoot!

[heartmachinez]

Proc Gen / HyperDec: Part 1

HyperDec - Intro

Originally, before it was called HyperDec, the procedural “decking” system was built out to be able to evaluate the height of terrain at a given XY position & procedurally populate those spaces with props, using seed-informed deterministic random value selections for things like position, rotation, and scale, as well as parametric variation for things like space between props, maximum count, height and slope ranges, spawn area, etc.

From there, we wanted to explore applying artistic intentionality with props/clusters of props, being able to define “child spawns” that would anchor themselves around spawned instances. Pieces had filters for what kinds of surfaces they could and couldn’t spawn on, as well as custom avoidance filters and world-aligned texture masks, so users could parameterize relational behaviors between types of props, all of which were piped into a global HISM array.

After proving out simply laying out these pieces & giving them relational considerations, we moved onto zone targeting. In addition to randomized terrain on each run (more on terrain from Len) we wanted to have distinctive zones with unique props in each. Thanks to some very clever programming from Peter Hastings, Senior Gameplay Engineer, we were able to very efficiently read zone data encoded into world-aligned textures, and filter placement accordingly.

Artists and designers could create Data-Only-Blueprint assets that would contain primary and secondary assets to spawn, and their parameters for placement on the terrain. This workflow of randomized terrain with zone identifications became the foundation of our procedural decking paradigm.

Initially, this paradigm worked out well. But over time, we ran into issues when trying to implement at scale.

A Setback

The implementation we had started to run into issues as it continued to grow. Rather than only placing static props using this system, we began utilizing it for placement of gameplay objects, applying more robust filtering for things like flatness detection, and our evaluation of terrain was happening at runtime per-prop, with prop counts getting up into the 70K - 100K range, which meant that the startup time for each run took longer and longer.

We also ran into issues with balancing density & variation with replication for multiplayer; all of these tens of thousands of objects needed to consistently show up on every player’s instance. Having all procedural placement done on the server and then passing that enormous amount of data to players on begin play was unfeasible, and so instead we would only have the server spawn gameplay relevant pieces, and then each connected client would receive a seed number from the server to feed into the client-side placement of props. Utilizing the same seed across all clients meant that even though they were spawning objects locally, they would all spawn with the same transforms informed by the seed.

While we were able to achieve a satisfying amount of variation and distinction, it became clear that the increasing generation time wouldn’t be sustainable long-term.

Rethinking Our Design Paradigm

Tech Art & Engineering sat down and re-thought our design paradigm for procedurally generated content in the game, and wound up completely re-working our implementation from the ground up.

We were able to move away from a solely-blueprint-driven pipeline for procedural decking, leveraging faster C++ execution, thanks to some awesome effort put in by Justin Beales, Senior Gameplay Engineer. We also moved the per-prop terrain evaluation from runtime to design-time. This allowed us to pre-determine placement of objects and then feed very simple data into a runtime system that grabbed the objects and their intended locations and place them accordingly. Each stage’s variants would have coinciding data to reference, and using a DataTable to layout objects & parameters, we could “pre-bake” candidate points for each object type in the editor, and then save that data for quick reference on begin play. So while there are a limited number of variants as a whole, the selection of candidate points from the list could be randomized with a seed, meaning that the same variant could have unique prop/gameplay layouts every time.

Now that we had generation in a better spot, we set out to expand on the artistic intentionality of the pieces being spawned. It became clear over time that the use of anchor-clustering & avoidance distances would not be enough to make these levels look less like math in action and more like art. This idea and conversation led to the creation of HyperFabs, which are spawned just like regular props via HyperDec, but have some more advanced logic & artistic implications.

HyperFabs

HyperFabs take the concept of Prefabs (prop or object arrangements saved as a new object for re-use) and add some additional utility & proceduralism to them.

The overall idea is that artists can lay out arrangements/mesh assemblies, that are intended to represent a small part of what would normally be a hand-decorated level. They then can use a custom script we’ve built to store those meshes in a generated Blueprint asset, that can then be placed on the terrain. The center point of the actor will align to the terrain, but then based on rules exposed that artists can tweak and assign to components/groups of components using Tags, the individual pieces in the HyperFabs will also conform to the terrain surrounding the actor’s center point in the world. It takes our original idea of relational spawning, but allows artists to lay out these relations through traditional level design tools instead of strictly through DataTable parameters.

A boulder assembly turned into a HyperFab, made by Will in Enviro

It doesnt have to just be for small arrangements though; entire city blocks have been baked into a HyperFab, which conforms to varying terrain as expected.

A city block assembly turned into a HyperFab, made by Wolf in Enviro

The script for baking HyperFabs from mesh assemblies is smart enough to know when to use static mesh components versus mesh instancing, and it also has a utility to merge stacked/co-dependent objects into new static mesh assets, which helps with performance & automation.

On to Part 2...

And for more on this, check out this Heart to Heart talk with our tech artists:

[paragonrobits]

A friend asked me to give a stab at a Tierlist Maker for Video Games Not Yet In the Video Game Hall of Fame Tier List Maker, so here's my list for it!

This is based primarily on what I considered to be overall value to gaming history as a whole, with games with greater influence or impact ranking higher than those that had less impact on those to follow, or on culture. All the entries are those that have been nominated to the Hall of Fame, but not actually inducted as of this post's writing. Games that I personally like are generally rated higher, though mostly because I'm more familiar with them and thus can judge their impact from a personal POV.

(Tier List explainations, below!)

SHOULD BE IN ALREADY

Final Fantasy: I mean seriously. How is this one not already in yet?? It is not, as my research suggests, the first true RPG; that likely goes to games like Ultima. It is certainly an incredibly influential one; FF is a name closely associated with JRPGs in general, and its diverse class system is one of the strongest things to do with it, as noted by challenges like beating the game with a party of Black Belts. FF is THE name of RPGs in general and I'm startled it hasn't made it in, though I suppose that's owing to more notable entries (Hard as that is to imagine). It doesn't hurt that the majority of my favorite FF titles are those most similar to this one, such as FF6 and FF9, in terms of approaching the general world setting and class systems. Most significantly is that this game popularized RPGs and made them accessible, in ways that previous games such as Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest did not; the field of gaming would be VERY different without it; RPGs became VERY popular, to the extent of RPG elements being almost universal among other games in the modern day. (I am also pleased and amused to see 8-Bit Theater mentioned on the actual Wikipedia page. Now THAT'S notability!)

Sid Meir's Civilization: HEY NOW HALL OF FAME JUDGES, DON'T YOU BE MOCKING CIV, ALRIGHT. CIV IS FUCKING AWESOME. Okay, jokes aside, I'm genuinely astonished as the Civ series is considered the first true main game of the 4x series, and it shows; the entire genre centers around expansion, resource usage and diplomacying or conquering your enemies, and considering the impact of this game and its sheer popularity, to the extent of the meme of the game getting people to play for Just One More Turn, I'm a bit disappointed that it's not already in the hall of fame. I also note that I am personally more familiar with the spin off Alpha Centauri, a sci fi variant, which is still one of my all time favorite games.

Half-Life: Given this game's popularity, to the point of its release alone consigning the likes of Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines to cult classic status and its engine spawning a whole THING with GMod and the usage of physics mechanics in FPS games, one thing of note is its use of scripted sequences; at the time, an unknown in most games of the time. There may be something to be said for how the entire game is spent as Gordon Freeman, behind his eyes, possibly engendering a lack of separation between self and character that would be later emphasized in games like Bioshock. It's influence on games cannot be denied, with publications using it as a bookend between eras of gaming. One consistent element of what seems to make this game so distinctive is its approach to storytelling, without simply imitating film techniques which don't always work well with gameplay.

Candy Crush: This is an example of something I don't personally play myself, or even like very much, but I'd be remiss to dismiss it out of hand. There's no denial that phone games are one of, if not THE biggest market of games in the here in now; if now in scale, certainly in quantity. You might call it the TF2 Hat Economy theory; people aren't spending BIG bucks, but they are spending a LOT of little bucks all the time. It proves that highly accessible games that are generally free to play, with optional purchases, are a legitimate means of game business, and this certainly revolutionized how games were seen by the money-makers.

Super Smash Bros Melee: I loved this game as a kid, but truth be told i have a bit of a love-hate relationship; i REALLY dislike the competitive community that has fixated hard on this game, so any thoughts on it will have a slight element of pause beforehand. Even so, I can't forget the thrilled delight I felt watching the trailer for this game in supermarkets for the first time as a kid. at a time when getting any new games at all was a HUGE deal in my family. So, there is a lot of feeling behind this one! Ultimately, I have to concede that while i have complicated feelings about this game, its worth noting that the vast majority of things that made Smash iconic, and influenced the competitive scene AND the games inspired by Smash AND shaped the course of the series going forwards, largely owe themselves to Melee in particular. 64 was far more slow paced, while Melee began the trend towards much more fast paced action (and while I doubt it's SPECIFIC to melee as a whole, it may have been a trend for the genre from then). Melee is STILL widely played, especially on the competitive scene, and this sort of longevity always bears evidence of notability.

Goldeneye 007: I have to admit that despite being a kid in the 90s, despite someone who put most of their time into gaming, and despite being someone whose favorite system at the time was the Nintendo 64, I mostly missed out on the trend of history by honestly not being that much into this game. I have to say that I DID play it, however; I just never managed to get past the first level or so. I have strong memories of triyng and failing to sneak around a snowy lair of some description; it wouldn't be until the mid-2000s, playing Deus Ex Human Revolution, that I got the hang of stealth. All the same, personal indifference really doesn't matter much because HOLY SHIT THIS GAME HAS SOME STAYING POWER. IT HAS INFLUENCE, FRIENDORITOS. Perhaps chiefly, at the time it was made, consoles were not considered viable platforms for first person shooters; Goldeneye revised that notion, and created a whole revolution in multiplayer and shooter games. We would later see the ultimate consequence of this in games like Halo, which further revolutionized the whole genre. Ironically, the stealth attributes I was so bad at were part of what made the game so unique! It's one of those games that may not have aged well, by modern standards, but its import to gaming as a whole goes a long, long way.

Guitar Hero: I expect this one might be a bit hard to justify, but on its own, this game is INCREDIBLY innovative, though its not entirely the first of its kind, having mechanics based on earlier games. The very first entry has a respectable library of 30 songs, which is impressive considered at the time it was made, its not likely people expected it to get as far as it did; bear in mind that the massive libraries of later games were the result of years of this game series being a massive steamroller of a franchise! At the time, this one was an unknown. It has an interesting history as being a successor of sorts to an arcade exclusive, and inspiring a genre of imitators and spiritual successors on its own; of great note is the sheer impact this game had. With so many of those successors, the increased value of liscened soundtracks, and the way the game's concept became so influential, its astounding this one isn't already on the hall of fame. (It's also very fun, but fun alone doesn't make for memorability, sad to say.)

DESERVES IT AT SOME POINT

Myst - an iconic and incredibly atmospheric puzzle game, I'm genuinely surprised that I haven't heard talk about this one in some respect; it bears note as a rare game with absolutely no conflict whatsoever. I actually rank this one on par with the 7th Guest in terms of atmospheric games, though their tones could not be more different. So why do I think this game deserves it at some point? It was an incredibly immersive and beautiful game, lacking in genuine danger or threat, encouraging the player to explore and tackle the puzzles of the game. This sort of open-ended lack of peril makes it an interesting precursor towards certain flavors of sandbox games around now. It's worth noting that it was a tremendous achievement, given technical limitations of things such as the CD-Rom it was stored on, maintaining a consistent experience, as well as tying narrative reasons into those very constraints. It has been compared to an art film; if so, it certainly is the sort that invited imitators and proved to be a great technical achievement.

Portal: PORTAL! What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said by other people? The amazing integration of a physics engine into innovative puzzle solving, combined with a slow burn sort of minimalist plot reveal concerning the AI proving itself to be a kind of reverse HAL 9000? This game got a HUGE number of memes back in the day, and I expect anyone reading this can probably reference a few. The cake thing, certainly, and its relevance to matters of deception. There is much discussion over the game's utility in academic circles, which is certainly quite notable, and for my part, I'm interested by the point that at first the game gives you a lot of hints towards what you're supposed to do, gradually making it less obvious for the player you're on your own entirely, using your experience with the game to get past the puzzles from there, and its excellent game design. Ultimately though, I place this below Half Life in hall of fame urgency, because while I probably like this one more, it doesn't have the same impact on other games, per say. (That's a lot of awards for it, though. Wowza.)

Resident Evil: Is it fair to call this one the major survival horror game of its era? No, because it's apparently the FIRST, or at least the first to be called such. It's certainly up there with shaping the genre as a whole, both its immediate predecessors and modern games. The flavor of a survival horror can even be judged about whether its close to Resident Evil's style of defending yourself with limited resources vs controlled helplessness. It's also worth pointing out that I quite like the restricted, cramped setting of the mansion, rather than an expansive city; Biohazard was a real return to form, even if its something I mostly watched through funny lets plays because OH NO ITS TOO SCARY I CANT WATCH.

Asteroids: It's called the first major hit of the golden age of the arcade. I'm forced to say... yeah, it absolutely deserves it. The actual implementation and hardware of the game makes for interesting reading, and so its innovative nature ought to be noted: it lacked a soundchip at all, making use of handmade circuits wired to the board. It's reception was great, beating out Space Invaders and needing larger boxes just to hold all the money people spent on it. It also invented the notion of tracking initials on the top ten score, which has implications for arcade challenges.

Ms. Pac Man: This one consistently ranks HIGH in gaming records of its time, though there is admittedly some confusion to whether it or Donkey Kong was a better seller. Interestingly it appears to shape most of the gameplay mechanics people remember most for Pac-Man, such as the improved AI of the ghosts. It's more highly regarded than the original game, and on a personal note, I remember being a kid and seeing this arcade machine at ALL the laundry places my family usually wound up going to.

Frogger: It's placing on this list is not solely because CUTE FROG. The accessibility and wide appeal of the game bears a great deal of consideration, the flexibility of its formula, and just how many dang times it's been ported in one form or another. (And also, cute frog.) It also gets points for the creator being inspired for the game when he saw a frog trying to cross a road, hampered by the vehicles in the way, and he got out of his car and carried the frog across the street. The game is also evident of broad appeal, and some money-makers resisting it, goes back a long way; it was apparently dismissed as a kid's game by some, which just goes to show that some problems are older than quite a lot of gamers alive today.

Uncharted 2: this is one of those games where I cannot honestly say I have personal experience to draw from. Of the playstation's big games, I remember the Jak and Daxter series; I remember Kingdom Hearts, and I remember Ratchet and Clank, and I remember Infamous, but the Uncharted series remains

something of a 'I don't go here?' obscurity in my personal playbook. It does look memorable and charming from what I've seen, and one consistent element I've seen in comments about it is the cinematic nature of the game; it feels very much like a fun heist movie, based on what I have seen of it, and the notable thing is how the game FEELS cinematic.. in a literal way. As in, it combined elements of cinematography with game design, and that's no mean feat: what works for movies are unlikely to translate well to the interactive side, and it shows how that can be done for other games. The extensive praise does the game a LOT of credit!

WORTH NOMINATION AT LEAST

Angry Birds: As noted before, I'm not the biggest fan of most phone games, given that i prefer a more passive experience than most provide. As such, Angry Birds isn't something I've played as of this writing, but I have to appreciate the straightforward and simple gameplay; it reminds me a bit of the Burrito Bison game series, which I HAVE played, and I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's because Angry Birds is probably the innovation that coined that particular style of gameplay. It's an example of what made phone games profitable and worth the time of developers to work at them; its easy for casual players to get into, and there's a fun sort of impact involved. Given the popularity of phone games, this one has a LOT of influence in getting that rolling, similar to candy crush, if not as much.

FIFA International Soccer: Simulation games are a tricky business; it can be really difficult to get them right, and this game provides an example of it being done in a way that a lot of people REALLY loved, set up an entire game series, and revived the 3DO system after a very bad year. Of note, apparently it was commented that it was more of a simulator than a console game, and this is rather funny considering how simulator is its own genre nowadays! Such do things change. It seems to have been a revolutionary game and simulation; setting the shape for modern sport games of its type, and tending more towards realism (accounting for acceptable breaks in reality) than was typical of the time. This one's position is thus picked for its impact as a whole; while it may not necessarily be a household name now, the series continues on, and is popular enough that even after 20 years, it's still been going.

Elite: I nominate this game in this position for being a startlingly early entry into what we would now consider open-ended games, even with an element of exploration and trading; if one stretches definitions a bit, a precursor towards gameplay of the like scene in 4X players who strive to avoid conflict, if possible. Its technical breakthroughs are some very interesting reading and make for good game history; a vast and complex game (not just by the standards of the era, either), and opening the door for persistent world games such as World of Warcraft.

Wii Sports: A significant game, and much as how other titles mentioned above were famed for gateway entries into gaming for an unfamiliar audience, or those that would want o play on a more casual basis. It seems notable to me for being most suited as a family game, or a more casual experience of multiplayer than usually associated with games like this; this has greatly influenced Nintendo's design philosophy, and one can see elements of this all the way through the Wii U onwards. It's essentially a fliparound from Mario Party; less competitiveness, but definitely meant as a group thing. Controversy is evident, because like with Mario Party, injuries did result from it.

Call of Duty: I place this one here because, while it DOES hold a very significant role in gaming history, with countless imitators, spiritual successors, being a game-changer in ways that its modern reputation might surprise you with, ultimately it is less so than other games such as Goldeneye, Halo or Half-Life. It's development in AI pathfinding and tactics is incredibly noteworthy from a mechanical perpsective, and the sheer level of awards it won is notable. In the end this game's popularity and continuing influence means that it shouldn't be overlooked.

Metroid: You can't spell 'Metroidvania' without this game! A relatively open ended exploration-based game with further options opening as new tools were found give it an interesting vibe, and the oppressive atmosphere distinctive to the game says great things about its sound and level designs. It wasn't the first open world game, or explorer, or even the first to open new aereas based on equipment, but it had ALL of these elements in a very memorable package. (Samus Aran as a female protagonist is something I'm a bit reluctant to give it credit for, as her identity was obfuscated for most of the game, and only revealed in a fanservicey way in a secret ending. All the same, credit where it is due, I suppose!) It's music seems to endure as a mood setter, too!

Pole Position: Perhaps not the FIRST racing game, but still considered one of the most important from the golden age of gaming, and the one to codify many of the firm rules of the game series. It's three dimensional gameplay is incredibly innovative for its time, and having played it and games like it in the past, I'm struck by how smooth the whole thing feels. No wonder it was popular! It is notable for having been designed specifically as a 3d Experience, meant to execute techniques like real drivers might attempt, which makes it a different sort of beast in that it tried to do more realistic actions; in some ways, a precursor to modern trends of realism in many games, for ill or best. Ultimately I think this one is worth a nomination because of its influence towards racing games (a popular and long lived genre, to say the least) as a whole.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

Nurburgring 1: On the one hand, I feel a bit guilty putting this one so low; it is recognized as likely being the earliest racing game in history, and given that I just finished noting Pole Position's influence, it feels a bit mean to rate this one as relatively insignificant all the same. However, in terms of notability, I never even heard of this one, and it was tricky finding information about it. Accordingly, that may say something about its influence, though this position DOES make it noteworthy as the first of its kind, albeit with Pole Position refining and introducing elements that shaped the genre.

Dance Dance Revolution: It feels a bit strange, putting this one fairly low. This thing was a MONSTER back in the day; entire arcades were built around the dancing control peripherals it required, rhythm based games or mechanics specifically invoked it by name, and it was an absolute cultural touchstone for years and years. So, why place it low? Partly, its because I can't just shove EVERYTHING into the 'deserves a nomination' folder; I do think it's fairly reasonable for this one to at some point get a nomination in the future, though ultimately there's games more noteworthy on the whole. It's specific rhythm qualities continue outside of its genre, and are quite influential to gaming as a whole, though unfortunately the series seems to have lost something in notability over time; popularity is a factor, but so is the impact on other games.

NBA 2K and NBA Jam: I put these two together because they touch on similar touchstones for me, and they really did popularize basketball games back in the day. Jam in particular seems to be invoking the Big Head mode that were a big thing in games at the time, at least going from the screenshot. They were very popular and highly beloved games back in the day, though I don't know if they have much influence on later games. I note that interestingly, they take opposite approaches; 2k focuses on AI and realistic experiences, while Jam was deliberately less realistic and more actiony in its over the top gameplay.

Nokia Snake: This one really impresses me for the sheer number of releases, in various forms, it's had! Interestingly, there seems to be little consensus on the name of this game; most just call it Snake or something on that theme. I went with Nokia Snake because... mostly, it sounds funny, and that's how its done on the list. This one is fairly low, but I Have to give it credit for having hundreds of releases!

Farmville: My mom liked Facebook games, a lot. And I am certain this one was one of her main ones! I rate it fairly low, and no doubt her spirit is yelling imprecations at me across the void of time, space, and abandoned socks; all the same, this one is ranked low because of the sheer number of displeasure aimed this one's way. (And to be fair, she complained about it. A LOT.) It is thus notable for unusually negative reasons; an example of exploitation, pressuring players to pester their friends to play it in an equivalent to electronic chain mail, and microtranscations.

Tron: I'm inclined to give any game that takes place in a computer land and uses programming or mechanical terminology a free pass! Interestingly, this has some association with the Snake game, as they have similar gameplay and Snake games are sometimes called Light Cylce games, after this one. It has an interesting history; the graphical system was chosen largely because it was believed it was more likely to be achieved before the deadline.

NO BUSINESS IN THE HALL OF FAME

Mattel Football: I do feel a little mean putting anything in this category; firstly because I don't want to make actual fans of something sad, and secondly because I believe you can probably find notability anywhere you look, if you are inclined. And here is the chief difficulty with this one: I could not find any real information in this one. It has no Wikipedia page, a google search only led to undescriptive links of SALES for the game, but not any information on the game itself. Notability is my main resource for sorting these entries, and honestly? If google has nothing on you, that's a pretty poor sign. Sorry, Mattel Football, but you look like a poor man's Game And Watch. You're no Portal, Myst or Pole Position.

[inventors-fair]

Kald’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve (and Finally Did) Commentary

No no, of course I didn’t forget, you forgot. And I couldn’t blame you if you did, it’s been some time coming. Commentary may be a special action, but it obviously still uses the stack - and as it gets stacked under more and more things, it can take a while to see it resolved. While I can’t promise the next one is going to have split second timing, I’m definitely going to be adjusting my schedule to make getting things out on time more manageable.

This challenge revisited what I started with the release of Zendikar Rising, albeit with a slightly looser approach, and I definitely enjoyed the increased diversity that I saw in submissions because of it. I think it’ll take a couple more of these before I'm able to mould my prompt to hit exactly the kind of results I’m looking for, so I doubly appreciate everyone participating in my little mad science design experiments in the meantime.

That said, let’s not keep you waiting...

@bread-into-toast​​ - Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms

Flavour: This was a direct cleanup of a card that was already in the set, so there wasn’t a lot of flavour to credit you with specifically. There is new flavour text on the front face (which wasn’t an option on the printed version thanks to the MDFC frame treatment) that I suppose gives us slightly more insight into Halvar’s personality.

Mechanics: The front face has one minor change to the timing of the combat ability that does succeed in making it objectively more powerful, but probably does not make for more interesting gameplay overall - it pushes more of the combat math onto your opponents, essentially reducing the decisions you make to “what punishes these blocks the most.” The back face has a more significant change, trading out the original’s recursion ability for an ability that I assume is supposed to better represent the Omenpaths flavourfully, since it’s certainly not a core white effect. In practice I have to imagine the recursion ability plays more nicely with the equipment theme than a ramp effect does.

Nitpicks/Templating: The front face trigger would read “At the beginning of the declare blockers step each combat,” which is admittedly confusing because “beginning” implies that it’s before blockers even though it wouldn’t be - the awkwardness of the template is probably a reason we don’t see it more often. The ability on the rear face would want to specify where you’re casting the spell from like Sram’s Expertise does, otherwise you’re leaving it up to players to guess which spells it’s allowing them to play, and they’ll often guess wrong.

Overall: Shop the art all you want, I still think he’s as handsome as ever.

--

Charmera - Imyir, God of Tracking // Bow of Freedom

Flavour: I feel like I might be a little sketchy on the flavour for this one, but I believe the idea is that Imyir was fated to track “the Wolf” but never catch it, and had to break free of that fate in order to finally succeed. That definitely sounds like a neat concept, and I think you could’ve been even a little more explicit in delivering on it to really drive that story home - though I suppose this does already have more space devoted to flavour text than any of the Gods that did see print.

Mechanics: The ability on the front face is very powerful, I suspect the fact that the draws are temporary is a relatively small downside compared to the ability to chain card draw by hitting creatures one after another. The back face is... Well, I’ll be honest that I don’t know what you intended it to do. Indeed, both sides are exiling cards from your library face down, meaning you have no idea what they are, but allowing you to cast them. Is it supposed to be casting one at random? Did you forget to include the part where you look at the cards? That confusion aside, the 7-mana legendary artifact that mills you for 10 every turn (but explicitly hoses any graveyard synergies) doesn’t sound particularly exciting, though I guess if the effect isn’t intended to be random the free cast would be quite powerful. But just imagine casting this in multiplayer and milling yourself for 50 cards just to get to cast one for free - the ratio doesn’t seem appealing.

Nitpicks/Templating: If you want players to know what’s under their face down exiled cards, you’ve got to include a “look at” line. If a player was able to look at it once they’ll be able to look at it as often as they like for as long as it remains exiled, but that first look has to happen explicitly. Also: 8 lines of text does not have room for flavour text.

Overall: I just hope the Wolf made it out okay.

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@col-seaker-of-the-memiest-legion​ - Scythed Whirlwind

Flavour: Embittered with time is definitely right up Egon’s alley, though the card name and the other aspects of the flavour don’t feel like they resonate particularly strongly with me. If there’s a way the flavour is supposed to lend itself to the mechanics, I’m not immediately seeing it.

Mechanics: You mentioned in your submission that you intended this to be a “skill-testing” board wipe, but I’m struggling to imagine what skill this would be testing. This is obviously just a board wipe in the vast majority of board states, though obviously it does - somewhat - encourage you to play creatures with equipments, but in practice this is still just going into (near-)creatureless decks.

Nitpicks/Templating: Targets are chosen as part of casting a spell, so they can’t be conditional like this. You’d want the spell to be modal, as you won’t be obligated to select targets for the mode you didn’t choose.

Overall: Maybe it’s just me, but the name conjures images of kamaitachi more than anything out of Norse mythology. But I’m also not an expert.

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@corporalotherbear​​ - Explore the Realms

Flavour: You acknowledged that flavour was your focus with this one, with the flavour text here hinting at an upcoming Phyrexian corruption of the ten realms. That makes some sense in the context of Vorinclex’s unexplained appearance, and indeed may wind up being something Kaldheim has to deal with in the future. 

Mechanics: An Explore variant that lets you drop two lands instead of one, albeit for one extra mana. Ramping by two is a lot more powerful than ramping by one, but the requirement of having two lands available makes this a little less consistent. Generally speaking, cards with high power level and high variance tend to lead to unsatisfying play patterns, so I’d be nervous about the games where this does succeed in ramping from 3 to 6, even if it does so unreliably.

Nitpicks/Templating: Most quotations in flavour text are credited to someone, and while it’s not strictly necessary in a case like this, I think it would go a ways to helping deliver on the flavour.

Overall: Ten realms is an upgrade over nine hells, I guess.

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@deg99 - Nith, Root Gnawer

Flavour: Your goal was to deliver on more dragons, and this kinda does that. I’ll admit that I’m lost on why it’s also a Troll, as those are completely separate species and it doesn’t appear to be an obvious crossbreed of the two. It’s not immediately obvious what the lands in graveyard clause is supposed to represent flavourfully, but if Gadrak is any indication that isn’t really necessary.

Mechanics: What stands out most here is - obviously - the repeatable land destruction. Against anything but the rampiest of decks, if you have this on the battlefield by turn six it is very unlikely for any opponent to recover from blowing up a land and creating a large token every turn. The fact that it’s unable to attack early really doesn’t feel relevant, because it’ll rarely be attacking late either - the upside of denying your opponent resources while expanding your board is almost always just much better than 5 damage.

Nitpicks/Templating: Templating favours common contractions, so it’s “can’t attack,” and (for whatever reason) only subtypes are ever capitalised: “4/4 green Troll Warrior creature token with trample.”

Overall: Repeatable land destruction is certainly a trollish thing to do, I’ll give you that.

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@demimonde-semigoddess - Huatli, Guiding Hand

Flavour: Huatli on Kaldheim is a curious inclusion, feeling even more out-of-place than the existing non-native planeswalkers - of course this isn’t exactly a bad thing, as planeswalkers aren’t really supposed to blend in anyway.

Mechanics: The interplay between the three abilities here seems reasonable enough, the downtick creating tokens that trigger the first ability, and the uptick allowing them to trigger it on both attacks and blocks. It’s a little unexpected that both ways of triggering the ability are inherently aggressive (the block trigger only succeeds in tapping down blockers for the next turn), and cute that the otherwise unique tribal effect works with changelings in the set. It’s a little hard to gauge the overall power of three-mana planeswalkers as there’s often a thin line between unimpressive and broken so I won’t pretend to know how powerful this is just by looking, though I imagine the difficulty of blocking against it would give creature decks lots of trouble.

Nitpicks/Templating: You likely know the creature type in the first ability should be capitalised, and abilities with multiple targets read “each get” for the sake of clarity.

Overall: Is it the dinos that her hand is guiding, or something else?

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@dimestoretajic​ - Calix, the Hidden

Flavour: This is an unexpected take on Calix, taking on a rather different appearance presumably as a disguise. It’s not immediately clear to me what he’d be hiding from, but the reference to Kratos is cute even if it’s ultimately confusing.

Mechanics: Always hard to evaluate planeswalkers without the benefit of iteration, but the abilities seem roughly in Calix’s wheelhouse. The first ability is a scry that upgrades to a draw if it hits an enchantment, probably reasonable enough at three mana; the downtick lets you trade him in immediately for a Stasis Snare effect; and the ultimate gives you a bunch of free Sagas. I think the idea of Calix interacting with Sagas is a little cute, though he definitely had that opportunity on Theros and didn’t so it might have been best to do it a little more subtly.

Nitpicks/Templating: The first ability feels like it has a lot of decision points for digital; I’d consider just revealing in the first place to save some clicks. The second ability is probably much wordier than it should be; I don’t think you gain much by naming the token (or by making it green), and the exile effect should probably just look closer to original Calix’s downtick. Be careful with so many wordy abilities on one planeswalker; I understand the desire to be clever, but ironically being elegant is even cleverer than being clever.

Overall: I’m down for Calix with a beard.

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@driftingthruthecosmos​ - Immortal Triumph

Flavour: This appears to be playing into the trope space of Valhalla, letting your permanents ascend to the beyond only to return for a prophetic final battle. I think the art is an actual depiction of Valhalla, and the name generally signals toward the same concepts without actually embracing Kaldheim’s application of the same trope space, “the Worthy.”

Mechanics: This card definitely doesn’t work as written, but I prefer to judge design on the design’s merit’s, so I’ll do my best to work out how you expected it to work. The fact that this hits any nonland permanent makes it quite versatile, allowing it to return the same permanent turn after turn which can be difficult to overcome - even something as innocuous as Omen of the Sun can be pretty overbearing being recurred turn after turn with relatively little room for counterplay.

Nitpicks/Templating: The first ability leaves a few unintuitive holes where permanents can be lost despite the replacement effect. The second one appears to grant foretell (and a foretell cost) to a card it just put in your hand, which isn’t logistically feasible since your hand is a hidden zone. I’m not sure why the ability didn’t just turn the chosen card face down and make it foretold a la Ethereal Valkyrie.

Overall: I think my biggest wish for this one would be that the ‘glory’ was actually something you had to earn, rather than being totally universal.

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@evscfa1​ - Mistlebranche, Cosmic Prank

Flavour: The core idea of a weapon based on mistletoe deriving from the story of Baldr is really sweet, though some of the aspects of this design seem to stray a bit from that core concept. Most significantly the decision to make it a snow permanent with a snow equip cost seems rather unexpected.

Mechanics: Not to sound like a broken record, but the snow equip cost is what catches my eye the most: it makes the design very narrow, being completely useless without two snow sources plus a creature to put it on. Once it’s equipped, deathtouch and menace means that any creature this goes on will immediately be trading 2-for-1, making it really difficult to keep up with in any deck that’s able to produce tokens. Exiling planeswalkers too is a cute addition, and particularly powerful alongside making your creatures highly unprofitable to block.

Nitpicks/Templating: If you’re gonna make a weapon based explicitly on a plant, how did it end up anything but green? I imagine you designed the abilities first and chose the color to fit, but in this case I think the color was probably an important aspect of delivering on the concept and wasn’t a good place for compromise.

Overall: The name Mistlebranche sounds so elegant, though.

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@fractured-infinity - Firja, First of the Valkyrie

Flavour: Reusing the Firja character with a new title. There’s enough about Firja elsewhere in the set to inform her character a bit, but that also means the title change can only do so much to change my perception of her.

Mechanics: The four life as a cost is pretty close to free here, but it does at least force you to adjust your play patterns to preserve your life total as you work up to it. In practice this is the kind of card you generally hold onto until you can guarantee some value from, and since we don’t see many Angels below three mana, this would often be waiting until eight to get played. That’s probably reasonable though, as once it does get going it tends to end games very, very quickly. This has the interesting upside of being less bad in multiples than most legendary creatures, as the second copy of this can still be cast to generate a token off the first.

Nitpicks/Templating: “First” in the name and each instance of “Angel” in the text ought to be capitalised, and life is always expressed with numerals: “4 life.”

Overall: Nice to see her growing out of that awkward Judge of Valor phase.

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@hypexion - Kaya’s Gambit

Flavour: A play on the existing Divine Gambit design, with a couple minor tweaks. Interestingly, the flavour text comes very close to standing on its own - I didn’t remember the original’s, and yet it made some sense on its own (though perhaps it would’ve made less if I wasn’t aware of Divine Gambit already). The biggest miss is that the “gambit” part of the name makes virtually no sense with this design, as there’s no risk involved in using it.

Mechanics: Flexible if conditional removal. At worst it’s Disperse, at its best it’s just an exile effect. The biggest differences between this and the original are the open information and the (virtual) lack of a failure rate: with open information you’ll never be surprised by what your opponent gets back from this, and only returning the card to hand means that it’s rarely just not worth doing at all. This is clearly a more powerful version of the effect, but I’m not convinced it’s either more interesting nor a more appropriate power level.

Nitpicks/Templating: You probably want to use “with that permanent” instead of “with it”, as the text refers to multiple objects and they like to be as unambiguous as possible. I looked for examples that used “it,” but I didn’t immediately find any.

Overall: There are white cards, and then there are good cards.

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@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ - Winter Travels

Flavour: The name definitely conveys both the concept and the mechanics reasonably well, and the flavour text itself is really evocative and has great imagery to it.

Mechanics: A mistake designers tend to make when designing for a known format is throwing multiple elements of that format onto the same card: when not done carefully, the result is a card that only works in a narrow intersection rather than being interesting in each archetype it makes use of. In this case, Snow archetypes make much better use of this than foretell archetypes, meaning this probably should’ve just accepted it was a Snow card and dropped foretell altogether.

Nitpicks/Templating: The template is unclear about whether the second condition - all snow mana - applies only when the spell is foretold or not, which is always going to be a problem with double-conditional cards. Also: this card had 9 lines of text before you put flavour text, it’s important to know when to make cuts.

Overall: Maybe I’ve read too much Robert Frost, but I really appreciate how poetic the concept here feels.

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@ignorantturtlegaming​ - Elendriel, Twisted Prophet

Flavour: It’s not super clear to me who or what this is supposed to represent. The name and typing is enough to hint at a broad identity, but there’s a lot going on and not enough string to really tie it all together.

Mechanics: Like I mentioned for the submission above, throwing lots of a sets themes/mechanics onto a single card generally makes that card narrower and less exciting, rather than more exciting. In this case you’ve got a card relying heavily on foretell outside of the foretell archetype colors, unable to meaningfully contribute to its own colors’ archetype (Elves) without foretell, plus a boast ability that feels out of place both mechanically and conceptually...and also depends entirely on foretell.

Nitpicks/Templating: Flavour text was pretty important for the boast cards. While there were a couple rares that didn’t have room for it, notably the legendary ones both did because the flavour text was instrumental in selling the mechanic.

Overall: Elves > Foretell > Boast > ??? > Prophet!

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@kavinika​ - Tjalfi, the Godly Messenger // Fjara, Doomskar Lookout

Flavour: Your submission took some time to explain the top-down basis for these two - a servant of Thor (Tjalfi) and one of the roosters of Ragnarok (Gullinkambi) - though obviously you’ve taken some slight liberties. The biggest issue with the flavour here is that it diverges from what the set establishes the Gods to look like - double-faced creatures with elements closely related to their divine duties on the reverse. With the set having only limited space to create and deliver on expectations, there probably just isn’t space to also subvert those expectations.

Mechanics: Mechanically, it’s awkward to have a red card that generates longterm card advantage, even if the condition for doing so is essentially a red thing. The two sides sort of push you in the same direction - lots of nontoken creatures - and the trigger on Fjara theoretically helps to reclaim Boast creatures that were lost trying to trigger the opposite side. The mana costs seem hard to pull off in the same deck, but I can at least see the play pattern it’s trying to encourage - though I can’t help but wish Fjara’s ability was a Boast ability, just to really help the card enable itself as most of the Gods do.

Nitpicks/Templating: Tjalfi’s triggered ability runs on a bit, it probably wants to be separated into two sentences: “ [...] of your library. You may reveal [...]” I’ll also a nitpick that if you’re going to base a character on something as unique as a rooster that crows at the end of the world, you probably want to make the connection as clear as possible - I don’t think anyone is going to make that connection here.

Overall: Maybe I’m just salty that I didn’t get the chicken version.

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@kytheon4-4 - Gunnar the Breathless

Flavour: You made sure to include flavour text, which I think was really important to selling the Boast ability as it appeared on cards in the set. The specific flavour text you chose comes off as wordy, the story it tells is hard for me to parse (one can only imagine where they’d tucked the troll’s club away whilst hitching a ride), and doesn’t feel like it connects in any obvious way to the ability on the card. One of the fun aspects of Boast was how well they focused on creating stories to explain the specific ability on the card, but apart from maybe interpreting the troll’s lunch as life gain, I’m just not seeing that on this one.

Mechanics: You’re right that it would’ve been nice to have one of the Boast enablers show up at a lower rarity, though I’m suspecting that it probably didn’t for power level reasons - Boast is actually pretty powerful, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the rare enablers had started out at uncommon and gotten pushed to rare for being too impactful. I think it’s nice of you to try to make the ability broad enough to work outside of just Boast - there are a few things this breaks in older formats, but in Standard the scariest thing it can do is enable Kargan Intimidator or Subira, both of which are probably safe enough even with free abilities.

Nitpicks/Templating: All the templating stuff looks fine.

Overall: The irony of “the Breathless” holding a horn is not lost on me.

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@masternexeon - Aggravated Berserker

Flavour: This card is a little light on flavour, which I’m normally just fine with, but in the context of Boast the flavour does a lot to bring the mechanic to life. It’s clever that the name is a throwback to Aggravated Assault, but I think a little more attention to detail could’ve helped it really pop.

Mechanics: Obviously this was really close to one of the winners, with the big difference being the Dwarf tribal element. Obviously I favoured the version that had a slightly broader appeal, but since Dwarf tribal was one of the themes of the set, there’s probably a version of this design that does both (extra combat for everyone plus a bonus for Dwarves) that I would’ve liked better than either.

Nitpicks/Templating: You’ll want to make sure to capitalise “Dwarves” in your rules text.

Overall: No spoilers, but this one almost seems designed with my next challenge in mind.

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@misterstingyjack - Toralf and Valki Deceive the Giant King

Flavour: Boy howdy, that’s a name - I’m impressed that your renderer got it to fit. This is a top-down story about Thor disguising himself as his own mother in order to trick a giant that wishes to marry her into returning his hammer. The chapters of the Saga follow that pattern pretty precisely, letting you disguise one of your creatures and - over a couple turns - steal an artifact from an opponent. You might have considered swapping chapters 1 and 2, so that the destruction effect could represent the hammer going missing which prompted the whole endeavour. Indeed, then you could even move the mill effect into that ability, to represent the hammer being buried after it’s stolen.

Mechanics: Similarly, I think putting the destruction effect up front would’ve done this card some good. The copy effect is cute, but it’s not the most powerful effect on the card, and as written this is pretty easy to blank with a removal spell. I do really like the way the abilities intersect the colors - destroying an artifact or creature requires both colors, temporary copy effects from a graveyard feels both red and black, and recurring an artifact is something red can do that still feels pretty black.

Nitpicks/Templating: As much as I respect how ambitious the name was, I’m confident you had shorter options available.

Overall: It’s always lovely to see a top-down story that you enjoy getting represented as a card, nice choice.

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@mtg-ds - Koll, Breath of the Bellows

Flavour: I definitely understand your frustration that there aren’t more smiths that do actual smithing in Magic, instead just encouraging you to build a deck that simulates their doing so. This correction for that is pretty straightforward, making axes and shields to equip to your army.

Mechanics: The low costs on this are going to lead to a lot of Equipment tokens on the battlefield at any given time - any time you have unspent mana you’re going to pour it into making tokens, especially since you can do so at instant speed. Combining that with the first ability reducing the Equip cost to zero, you’re going to have a mass of equipments shifting constantly from creature to creature, which just seems logistically difficult to keep track of.

Nitpicks/Templating: Everything looks right to me.

Overall: I have to assume stumpy Dwarven limbs are to blame for why they’re wearing shields on their shoulders rather than strapping them to their arms like the rest of us.

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@naban-dean-of-irritation - Niko, the Defiant

Flavour: Niko was immediately a beloved character for a lot of us, so I can definitely understand wanting to reimagine that character more in line with your perception of them. It’s hard replacing the first iteration of a planeswalker because all the lore we have available is the card that exists and stories based on that card - so it’s just inherently difficult for me to see how these abilities relate to the character, since it’s essentially establishing a different character with the same name.

Mechanics: The most glaring issue is the fact that the first ability essentially gives haste on a WU card, which qualifies as either a very strange design choice or a pretty significant oversight. The third ability also feels like it’s skirting the color pie, presumably attempting an Omniscience impression that just feels out of place for this pair. The uptick and downtick feel like they’re designed to do pretty similar things, both primarily saving creatures from unfortunate blocks. I suspect the reason is that the ‘instant speed on your turn’ effect pushed the design into rather narrow space, where two abilities came out very similar while the third simply doesn’t really benefit from the instant speed.

Nitpicks/Templating: No obvious templating woes.

Overall: As much as I respect their defiance, defying the color pie is where I draw the line.

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@nine-effing-hells - Fraenir, the Greed-Cursed

Flavour: I always enjoy top-down designs especially, and this story of a Dwarf hoarding treasures until they transform into a Dragon is such an excellent place to mine for those designs - and really, what set wouldn’t want more Dragons? The abilities themselves tell a story of murser and greed, even without needing flavour text to help it along. 

Mechanics: I think my biggest issue with this design is that rather than the transformation being something you work towards or work to avoid, it is awkwardly positioned between the two - there are times the Dwarf Berserker will be larger by virtue of controlling lots of non-Treasure artifacts, making it unclear what the play pattern of the card actually is. It does have the benefit of being easy to avoid transforming when you don’t want to, but I think it would suit the design better to arrange the abilities to make the comparisons between the two states clearer (for example, giving the Dwarf non-combat abilities and saving the combat abilities for the Dragon half).

Nitpicks/Templating: Easy mistake, you missed the word “token” in the sacrifice trigger.

Overall: I’m really curious what the art for a card like this would look like.

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@partlycloudy-partlyfuckoff - Pagan Chamberlain

Flavour: I have to assume the whole design was for a chance to use that flavour text, as the other aspects of the card don’t seem to align with Kaldheim as a setting - the world has no actual vampires, and the concept of a non-believer makes a lot less sense in a world where gods are as tangible as this one.

Mechanics: Similarly, this isn’t playing into any of the mechanical themes of the set; there isn’t even a strong monocolor theme to run counter to. I suspect the rationale is that each of the gods in the set are monocolor creatures, but seeing as there’s already a card in the set with protection from Gods, it seems strange to try to be subtler about it than that one.

Nitpicks/Templating: Nothing much to nitpick over.

Overall: In this set, the answer to that question is usually “an artifact.”

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@real-aspen-hours - Ill Omen

Flavour: The name aligns well with the foretell mechanic, and the flavour text helps connect an important story beat to a broader narrative and to the flavour of the card itself. I’d be a little reticent about including such a significant spoiler in flavour text, but perhaps there’s a way to phrase it so that it reads like a prophecy until you find out it’s already happened.

Mechanics: This is effectively three-for-one removal, which is a lot of value for a single uncommon. Locking it to sorcery speed gives at least some incentive not to foretell it, as that delays it for a full turn - it won’t be often you cast it straight, but that I can at least imagine the situations is a plus. It’s especially powerful in that when it isn’t useful as a removal spell, it allows you redraws for something more useful.

Nitpicks/Templating: Foretell shows up after the spell effect, even for those cards that care whether they were foretold. While we’re here, good catch on including a target in the card draw effect - while it would be easy to exclude one, ensuring that the spell has two targets keeps the whole thing from fizzling if the targeted creature disappears before it resolves.

Overall: This feels like it’s only a slight push away from being constructed playable, and I’d be interested to explore what more it takes to get it there.

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@snugz - Surtland Rimereader

Flavour: I rather like the flavour here, a Giant that’s able to see the future with the help of the snow allowing you a Future Sight effect specifically for snow cards is pretty satisfying. It’s not immediately obvious what the last ability represents, but the rest of the card feels like it sells it well enough anyway.

Mechanics: I’m not entirely sure that blue is still able to play lands off of this type of effect; the original obviously did, but none of the blue variations since then have, and I’m not sure ‘snow’ is a blue identity to bend for it. The triggered ability feels a little bit awkward with the overall design since you specifically don’t have much control over the first spell you cast when you’re doing so from the top of your deck.

Nitpicks/Templating: Good catch on the updated template for Future Sight, as I don’t think they’ve actually printed any cards with that wording yet. It was updated some time after Bolas’s Citadel was printed, and we’ve yet to have another card in that style see print.

Overall: Would’ve loved a rime-rhyme pun somewhere in the set, and this feels like an opportune place for it.

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@stormtide-leviathan - Kvasha, God of Magic // Kvasha’s Birth

Flavour: In this setting, the connection between enchantments and Spirits and flash doesn’t feel immediately obvious. Now naturally this is trying to create a connection where one didn’t exist previously, but it does feel like it muddles the flavour slightly to do so.

Mechanics: This is large and evasive enough to serve as a finisher even without making extra tokens, though the tokens can serve as some resiliency against removal. I’m not entirely sure how the flash ability relates to the rest of the card, except to change the template of the Saga’s first ability. If that were so important I’d have looked for a first chapter ability that could take advantage of being cast at instant speed, but then more likely I would’ve just cut the flash bit entirely.

Nitpicks/Templating: I’m not sure what it was intending, but there’s no way for a chapter ability to see the object it’s on entering the battlefield - that ability won’t resolve until well after the permanent has entered, and if it somehow re-entered the battlefield it would do so as an entirely new object. The last chapter ability will want to specify whose controller the object returns under (usually its owner’s), and you’ll want to move the ‘face-up’ bit into reminder text - you don’t need rules text to make it work that way, but it’s definitely worth clarifying for players who might not realise.

Overall: My favourite god designs in this set were the ones that let you use both sides with just one copy.

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@thedirtside - Ragnarock

Flavour: The setting for Kaldheim reworked the concept of Ragnarok into what they called a Doomskar, leaving the original name feeling out of place within the setting. The color combinations used for the spell also aren’t represented in the setting, making it difficult to imagine what part of the world this is supposed to be representing in practice.

Mechanics: The most obvious point here is that the foretell cost and the casting cost don’t overlap, making it almost impossible that any given deck will actually have the option of casting it both ways - since the options it provides are the only thing that makes foretell interesting, intentionally designing to hamper that doesn’t seem like a good use of the mechanic. The foretell cost is also much easier to pay than the casting cost, making the added bonus for foretelling the spell feel really counterintuitive.

Nitpicks/Templating: It’ll take a slightly wordier template to achieve the second part of this effect, something like: “For each permanent destroyed this way, CARDNAME deals damage to that permanent’s controller equal to that permanent’s mana value.”

Overall: That must be a really big rock.

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@theobligatorysql​ - The Sagas of Worlds

Flavour: One of the fascinating things about Sagas is the way they use art to represent the stories for them - this set uses carvings, reliefs, even tattoos as a form of storytelling. So while the idea of compiling them all into a single tome is cute, it feels to me like it isn’t exactly fitting for the world itself. I could definitely see it as the work of an outsider - Tamiyo, for example - but it feels like it makes less sense as something native to the plane.

Mechanics: I’m a sucker for designs in the vein of Treasure Map and Mazemind Tome, so an artifact with a cheap scry effect is right up my alley - though admittedly, I’m not sure why this inventivises scrying to the bottom as that complicates the calculus and will cause players to make bad scrying decisions for perceived value a nonzero amount of the time. I’m never a big fan of tutoring as it tends to lead to repetitive gameplay, and the fact that it takes at least 4 full turns to set this up to draw even a second card means that it’s nearly always going to be fetching up a cheap Saga instead of a random draw.

Nitpicks/Templating: I’d probably just use “scried” in the first ability, though admittedly that templated hasn’t been used yet.

Overall: This would be a great opportunity to finally get the word “edda” on a Magic card.

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@wolkemesser - Bard of the Fallen Meek

Flavour: This was actually far and away my favourite submission to this challenge in terms of flavour, as I love the way it draws attention to the difference between Istfell and Starnheim, and shows regular individuals within the setting reacting to the concept of the Worthy. The flavour text itself could probably stand to be pared down to be a little punchier about the point it’s making, but I absolutely love what it’s trying to do.

Mechanics: That said, the implementation is a little messier. The skulk mechanic was used in one block five years ago, so certainly doesn’t qualify as evergreen. I like that the creature itself has stats that make it easy to safely get its Boast ability going, though the ability itself feels rather unexciting. I’m not sure what about the card demands the double white in the mana cost, or even what makes this a rare over an uncommon.

Nitpicks/Templating: You missed capitalising “Spirit” in the Boast ability.

Overall: I would’ve loved to pick this as a winner, next time try an extra pass or two to make sure you’re hitting all the aspects of the challenge.

[radramblog]

M____ is missing…

I feel confused. There was a game, it was a big deal, something about a plumber? But you can’t get it anymore? It feels like I should be remembering something but I just can’t get it.

Okay, I was going to do this whole thing in kayfabe but I don’t think it would be any good. I want to talk about the SiIvagunner April Fools 2021 event.

Introductorily, then, SiIvagunner is a channel I’ve mentioned before, but due to its confusing nature requires some degree of explanation in case you’re unfamiliar. [SiIvagunner] (that’s a capital i not an L) is a youtube channel started back in like 2016 as a joke parody of youtube OST upload channels, in which each upload features some sort of joke or meme- usually a bait-and-switch or hidden Flintstones opening in the melody at first.

The absolute lore behind the channel would take an excessive amount of time to explain here, but the gist is that the groups of contributors behind the channel have been working tirelessly on mashups and music for years now, all behind the front of “I only upload high quality video game rips”, with the façade only broken for certain announcements or channel events.

Further context is required. Last year, for the 35th anniversary of Mario, Nintendo released two limited-availability Switch releases- Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collation of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario 35, a free multiplayer battle-royale take on the original Super Mario Bros heavily inspired by Tetris 99. While physical editions of All-Stars can still be purchased while stocks last, both games are no longer purchasable on the e-shop and 35 cannot be played whatsoever as of March 31st. Many people have jokingly referred to this cessation of availability to be the death of Mario himself.

So, for April 1st, SiIvagunner killed Mario.

The sheer effort put into this event really stands out, making it probably the best one since the Winter 2020 one (which wasn’t that long ago, and I was only as big a fan as I was because they finally did the Touhou album). There’s a full-on lore here, though it seems like half of it is being written by the Youtube comments.

It actually started a few days ago, with a daily Majora’s Mask rip featuring Mario mashups uploaded counting down to the death of the games. Of course, I don’t think anyone would have predicted the event just based on this- it was counting down to the shop closure, after all. I think this was great either way, since I don’t think there are many games or soundtracks that convey dread as well as the mask’s piercing eyes do.

Regardless, just about every rip on the day has been a Mario game rip- but all references to the man himself have been scrubbed from existence, both in music and in the logos themselves. Shoutout to whoever did the photoshop work, that shit is super clean, and I like the different variants of it. Super [image missing] Galaxy is a pretty great one.

The songs mashed into the soundtracks are largely pretty eerie, with death, loss, and forgetting being a common theme. Multiple tracks reference Everywhere at the End of Time, an album about the full experience of dementia, theres a few Pompeii mashups (“But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all?”) and Viva la Vida ones, you get the idea. I think one of them goes for Komm, süsser Tod from End of Evangelion which is a nice touch. Gusty Garden Galaxy is empty and fading, Under the Ice has the fucking Sonic drowning music (speaking of Majora’s Mask….), and Ultimate Koopa gets a full Your Best Nightmare mixup. I’m a big fan of how it’s going.

It’s not all depressing, though. If nothing else, it appears this alternate Mario-less universe still has one brother running around, with a Luigi-based Hotel Mario parody and a few sillier mixes in there somewhere.

The other thing that the channel has done to celebrate the death of Mario is to unlist every single Mario franchise rip on the entire channel. This includes some of the most popular videos the team has, but I think it was the right move- it’d be a bit weird to see Super _____ World next to it’s legitimate counterpart. Sure, it broke a few playlists, but hey that’s the way it goes.

On a final note, I have a rather literal one. When this all happened, the channel’s official twitter posted this image, sans any form of context. What this means has yet to be determined, though I’m interested to figure out just what the hell is going on and how this event will end.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Dottler

Debut: Super Mario 3D World

Ahhhh, I love the old classic Weird Mario Enemy trope of “a weirder variation of an already weird enemy!” Do you like Biddybud? Of course you do! It captured all of our hearts in Super Mario 3D Land, and has been continuing to capture them since! Sometimes, I wish it’d let go, but I trust Biddybud to hold my heart more than anyone else.

I suppose it makes sense, then, that by the next game, Super Mario 3D World, that they’d give the Biddybuds a bit more love! And that meant a sweet new variation! Meet Dottler, a Funny Cartoon Bug that’s been enamoring us since back in 2014! Surprised it took us this long to get to it, but it’s never too late to be featured on Curious Mario Critters dot Fandom dot Co dot UK!

Super Mario 3D World was a game with plenty of references to fan-favorite Mario game Super Mario World, including the return of enemies like Chargin’ Chucks, and more importantly, Galoombas! When brought back in 3D World, Galoombas were made so that one hop knocks them over, and kicking them defeats them!

However, this doesn’t mean 3D World didn’t come with its own new additions! With the introduction of Galoombas, it made sense to make a similar variant for a newer Mario enemy! So enter Dottler! Dottler is to Galoombas what Biddybuds are to Goombas! That means that a stomp on a Dottler won’t actually kill it, but rather, knock it over, which makes sense! Its shell looks a lot tougher than a Biddybud’s, thanks to how angular it is. It also looks like a fruit gusher!

But what makes Dottler so unique is that unlike Galoombas, they always appear arranged in large groups, so knocking one over can cause chain reactions where they bump into each other and all fall over at once! Are they the most effective enemies at blocking your path? Maybe not, but encountering them is a whole lot of fun, especially in multiplayer, where one person knocks them all over, and another player kicks them all over for a LOT of points! Whenever a level has a group of Dottlers in it, you know it’ll be fun! It’s a shame they’re so rare, but we’re always tickled pink to see them!

[miloscat]

[Review] Conker: Live & Reloaded (XB)

Let’s see just how well this misguided remake/expansion holds up. This will be a long one!

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is my favourite N64 game. It’s cinematic and ambitious, technically impressive, has scads of gameplay variety with fun settings and setpieces, and when I first played it I was just the right age for the humour to land very well for me. A scant four years later Rare remade it for the Xbox after their acquisition by Microsoft, replacing the original multiplayer modes with a new online mode that would be the focus of the project, with classes and objectives and such.

First, an assessment of the single-player campaign. On a revisit I can see the common criticisms hold some water: the 3D platformer gameplay is a bit shaky at times, certain gameplay segments are just plain wonky and unfair, and some of the humour doesn’t hold up. It’s got all the best poorly-aged jokes: reference humour, gross-out/shock humour, and poking fun at conventions of the now dormant 3D collectathon platformer genre. I also am more sensitive these days to things like the sexual assault and homophobia undertones to the cogs, or Conker doing awful things for lols. Having said that, there’s plenty that I still find amusing, and outside of a few aggravatingly difficult sequences (surf punks, the mansion key hunt, the submarine attack, the beach escape) I do still appreciate the range of things you do in the game.

As for the remake, I’m not sure it can be called an improvement by any metric. Sure, there’s some minor additions. There’s a new surgeon Tediz miniboss, the new haunted baby doll enemy, and the opening to Spooky has been given a Gothic village retheme along with an added—though unremarked on—costume for Conker during this chapter based on the Hugh Jackman Van Helsing flop. Other changes are if anything detrimental. The electrocution and Berri’s shooting cutscenes have been extended, thus undermining the joke/emotional impact. The original game used the trope of censoring certain swear words to makes lines more funny; the remake adds more censorship for some reason, in one case (the Rock Solid bouncer scene) ruining the joke, and Chucky Poo’s Lament is just worse with fart noises covering the cursing.

The most egregious change, and one lampshaded in the tutorial, is the replacement of the frying pan (an instant and satisfying interaction) with a baseball bat which must be equipped, changing the control and camera to the behind-the-back combat style, and then swung with timed inputs to defeat the many added armoured goblings and dolls carelessly dumped all throughout the game world. This flat out makes the game less fun to play through.

On top of this, all the music has been rerecorded (with apologies to Robin Beanland, I didn’t really notice apart from instances where it had to be changed, such as in Franky’s boss fight where the intensely frenetic banjo lead was drastically reduced as a concession to the requirement to actually play it in real life), and the graphics totally redone. Bad Fur Day made excellent use of textures, but with detail cranked up, the sixth generation muddiness, and a frankly overdone fur effect, something is lost. I’m not a fan of the character redesigns either; sure Birdy has a new hat, but I didn’t particularly want to see Conker’s hands, and the Tediz are no longer sinister stuffed bears but weird biological monster bears with uniforms. On top of all this you notice regular dropped details; a swapped texture makes for nonsensical dialogue in the Batula cutscene, and characters have lost some emotive animations. Plus, the new translucent scrolling speech bubbles are undeniably worse.

I could mention the understandable loading screens (at least they’re quick), the mistimed lip sync (possibly exacerbated by my tech setup), or the removal of cheats (not a big deal), but enough remake bashing. To be fair, the swimming controls have been improved and the air meter mercifully extended, making Bats Tower more palatable. And some sequences have been shortened to—I suppose—lessen gameplay tedium (although removing the electric eel entirely is an odd choice). But let’s cover the multiplayer. Losing the varied modes from the original is a heavy blow, as I remember many a fun evening spent in Beach, War, or Raptor, along with the cutscenes setting up each mode.

The new headline feature of this release is the Live mode. The new Xbox Live service allowing online multiplayer was integrated, although it’s all gone now. Chasing the hot trends of the time, it’s a set of class-based team missions, with the Squirrel High Command vs. the Tediz in a variety of scenarios, mostly boiling down to progressing through capture points or capture the flag. Each class is quite specialised and I’m not sure how balanced it is, plus there’s proto-achievements and unlocks behind substantial milestones none of which I got close to reaching (I don’t think I could get most of them anyway, not being “Live”).

The maps are structured around a “Chapter X” campaign in which the Tediz and the weasel antagonist from BFD Ze Professor (here given a new and highly offensive double-barrelled slur name) are initially fighting the SHC in the Second World War-inspired past of the Old War, before using a time machine, opening up a sci-fi theme for the Future War. These are mainly just aesthetic changes, but it’s a fun idea and lets them explore Seavor’s beloved wartime theming a bit more while also bringing in plenty of references to Star Wars, Alien, Dune, and Halo; mostly visual.

Unfortunately the plot is a bit incoherent, rushed through narration (unusually provided by professional American voice actor Fred Tatasciore rather than a Rare staffer doing a raspy or regional voice like the rest of the game) over admittedly nice-looking cutscenes. They also muddle the timeline significantly, seemingly ignoring the BFD events... and then the Tediz’ ultimate goal is to revive the hibernating Panther King, when the purpose of their creation was to usurp him in the first place! It expands on the Conker universe but in a way that makes the world feel smaller and more confusing. It’s weird, and also Conker doesn’t appear at all.

On top of this, I found the multiplayer experience itself frustrating. To unlock the full Chapter X, you need to play the first three maps on easy, then you can go through the whole six. But I couldn’t pass the first one on normal difficulty! The “Dumbots” seemed to have so much health and impeccable aim, while the action was so chaotic, obscured by intrusive UI, floating usernames, and smoke and other effects with loads of characters milling around, not to mention the confusing map layouts, the friendly fire, the instant respawns, and the spawncamping. Luckily I could play the maps themselves in solo mode with cutscenes and adjustable AI and options.

I found some classes much more satisfying than others. I tried to like the Long Ranger and the slow Demolisher, but found it difficult to be accurate. The awkward range of the Thermophile and the Sky Jockey’s rarely effective vehicles made them uncommon choices. I had most success with the simple Grunt, or the melee-range Sneeker (the SHC variant of which is sadly the sole playable female in the whole thing). You can pick up upgrade tokens during gameplay to expand the toolset of each class, which range from necessary to situational. But ultimately it’s a crapshoot, as I rarely felt that my intentions led to clear results.

Live & Reloaded is such a mess. The Reloaded BFD is full of odd decisions and baffling drawbacks, while the Live portion feels undercooked. I’d have preferred a greater focus on either one; a remake is unnecessary, especially only four years on, but a new single-player adventure would have been ace. And a multiplayer mode in this universe with its own story mode could be cool if it was better balanced and had more to it than just eight maps. As a source of some slight scrapings of new Conker content I appreciated it to some extent, but I can’t help being let down. I guess it’s true what they say... the grass is always greener. And you don’t really know what it is you have, until it’s gone... gone. Gone.

Yes, that ending is still genuinely emotionally affecting.

[olddukeofficial]

From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel

Language

Watch

Edit

5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel is a 2020 chess variant video game released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux by American studio Thunkspace. Its titular mechanic, multiverse time travel, allows pieces to travel through time and timelines in a similar way to how they move through ranks and files. The game was met positively by critics and was praised for its complex and elegant design.

5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel

5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel.png

Developer(s)

Thunkspace

Publisher(s)

Thunkspace

Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux

Release

22 July 2020

Genre(s)

Chess variant

Mode(s)

Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay Edit

5D Chess begins each game with an ordinary chess setup. As the game progresses pieces can, following specific rules, be moved onto a past version of the board. To prevent time-travel related paradoxes, instead of changing the "original" past, this time travel results in the creation of an alternate timeline or "parallel universe", for which the starting position is the same as the corresponding time-point in the original timeline but with the time-traveling piece added. Pieces can also be sent between these different "timelines" and, when moving across timelines, can move into that timeline's "past", "present", or "future".[1] Whenever a new timeline is formed from a movement of a piece between different times of the board, the player has to make a move for each timeline created, e.g. if there are 3 separate timelines, each turn consists of 3 moves. The game ends when the number of valid moves available for a player is less than the number of timelines, in which case that player loses.[2] In general, the more moves have elapsed, the more complicated the game gets due to the creation of the new timelines.[3]

The rules of piece movement are generalized from standard chess rules, with time and timelines being axes of movement, as with ranks and files.[4] For example, a rook can move any number of squares along one axis, so a player can send the rook into its current position, but any number of turns in the past, using time as an axis of movement. Bishops move any number of squares in exactly two axes, so it is possible, for example, to move a bishop three squares vertically and three turns into the past. Knights move two spaces on one axis and one on another axis - for example, a knight may move to any adjacent space (one) into a timeline that is two timelines away (two). Kings move one in any number of axes. For example, a valid move for a king is to simultaneously go one space over horizontally, into a timeline that is "adjacent" or one move away, and one turn into that timeline's past. Queens move any number of spaces equally on any number of axes. A valid move for a queen could be moving 4 spaces vertically, 4 horizontally, into a timeline that is 4 timelines away, and 4 turns into that timeline's past. Pawns can move through time and timelines under certain conditions. In addition to the standard six chess pieces, the game includes unicorn and dragon pieces, which can move any number of spaces equally through three and four directions respectively.[1] These pieces can be used in alternate board configurations, as in addition to matches on regular 8×8 boards, the game also supports games on 4×4 boards, 5×5 boards, 6×6 boards and 7×7 boards and a puzzle mode. The game can be played online against other players or offline against an AI.[5]

Release Edit

The game was launched on 22 July, 2020 on Steam. It was developed by Conor Petersen and Thunkspace.[6] Petersen said that he had enjoyed chess variants such as three-dimensional chess and conceived as using time as an additional dimension for piece movements. He said: "From there, I tried to solve each problem or paradox I found".[7]

Reception Edit

Kotaku reviewer Nathan Grayson called the game "remarkably elegant for what it is".[1] Arne Kaehler, of ChessBase, noted that while the game ran well and is a fun chess variant, the opponent AI was not very competent.[3] A Digitally Downloaded reviewer noted that, due to the increasing complexity of the game as turns pass, it presents a "limitless well of possibility".[8] Christopher Livingston of PC Gamer called the game "mind-bending".[9] Jacob Aron of New Scientist wrote how the game "isn't for the faint-hearted" and "is brain-meltingly hard".[10] Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura played the game when appearing on VENN.[7]

References Edit

^ a b c "5D Chess Has Completely Broken Me". Kotaku. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.

^ Vega, Sin (29 July 2020). "Actual 5D Chess proves that time travel should not be allowed". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 29 July 2020.

^ a b "What on Earth is 5D chess?". Chess News. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

^ Kent, Emma (27 July 2020). "With 5D Chess, you can checkmate in multiple dimensions". Eurogamer. Retrieved 16 August 2020.

^ "What on Earth is 5D chess?". Chess News. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

^ O'Connor, Alice (22 July 2020). "5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel sure is 5D chess with multiverse time travel, yep". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

^ a b "This Month In Chess: 5D Chess On The Rise". Chess.com. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.

^ S, Matt (29 July 2020). "5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel – A beautiful look at the limits of the human mind". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

^ Livingston, Christopher. "If regular chess isn't hard enough for you, try 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel". PC Gamer. Retrieved 22 August 2020.

^ Aron, Jacob (9 September 2020). "Playing chess where pieces time travel is confusing – in a good way". New Scientist. Retrieved 17 September 2020.

External links Edit

Official website

Last edited 7 days ago by Monkbot

RELATED ARTICLES

List of chess variants

List of chess variants

Three-dimensional chess

Any of various chess variants that use multiple boards at different levels

Ploy (board game)

[trenchparty]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories psp version mod

Terrific Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is an activity experience game set in an open world climate and played from a third-individual point of view, organized correspondingly to different deliveries from the Grand Theft Auto arrangement. The center ongoing interaction comprises of components of a third-individual shooter and a driving game, managing the cost of the player a huge climate where to move around. By walking, the player's character is equipped for strolling, running, swimming, hopping, just as utilizing weapons and essential hand-to-hand battle. The player can drive an assortment of vehicles, including cars, boats, planes, helicopters, fly skis and cruisers.And there is also lot’s of mods available which you can apply or use in this game.

The open, non-direct climate permits the player to investigate and pick how they wish to play the game. In spite of the fact that storyline missions are important to advance through the game and open certain territories and substance, they are not needed, as the player can finish them at their own recreation. At the point when not taking on a storyline mission, the player can unreservedly wander game's reality. The player can likewise participate in an assortment of discretionary side missions. The conventional side missions of the past games are incorporated, however have been modestly updated and upgraded contrasted with past titles. Another expansion to the game is "Sea shore Patrol", in which Victor (the player's character) should manage bikers on the sea shore by sea shore cart (by slamming or shooting to thump them off their bicycles) or tossing life preservers to suffocating swimmers by boat or by taking a paramedic around to harmed individuals on the sea shore.

One of the key ongoing interaction components in Vice City Stories is "realm building". New to the Grand Theft Auto arrangement, it gets a couple of thoughts from Vice City's "properties" and San Andreas' "group wars" frameworks. To bring in cash, the player should open and work different organizations on property taken over from adversary groups – these can go from security rackets to houses of ill-repute or sneaking mixes; the sort and size of a business is altogether reliant on the player's needs. For Vice City Stories, the battle framework was redesignd. The focusing on instrument has been changed to "shrewdly target"; adversaries representing a danger or assaulting the player will be focused over walkers. The greatest changes concern the hand-to-hand battle framework, as the player would now be able to perform catching moves and tosses, and remain on top of adversaries lying on the ground. The player can pay off police officers or clinic staff when "Squandered" (murdered) or "Busted" (captured) to bring down their needed level, and keep weapons that commonly would have been lost.

The standard shrouded bundle framework returns as 99 red inflatables spread around the city.[1] This is a reference to Nena's 1984 hit "99 Luftballons", which was highlighted in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Enhancements to the illustrations since the arrival of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories incorporate new livelinesss, quicker burden times, a more drawn out draw distance, decreases in amassing of people on foot and vehicles, more mind boggling blasts, and expansions in the thickness of items, vehicles, and NPCs.

Like the game's archetype, the PSP variant of Vice City Stories includes a multiplayer mode, for up to 6 players through WiFi impromptu mode (neighborhood). The game highlights 10 unique methods of remote multiplayer gaming, which join the utilization of autos, airplane, and water-based vehicles. Different person on foot and character models from the single player mode are accessible as player symbols. These multiplayer modes are excluded from the PS2 adaptation.