#Hexarchy

[nerdybookahs]

Too much to play...

I have a difficult time deciding what to play in the evenings. First of all, there are fall and halloween festivals in MMOs. I am only playing Lord of the Rings Online at the moment with a bit of Guild Wars 2 on the side. But that is still two festivals! Guild Wars 2 is finally offering the Clock Tower jumping puzzle without the time-limit which is really great especially for players like me who…

[laurarolla]

Last of the smaller games I queued up during the last poll, and this one is pretty nice. Hexarchy is a great combination of 4X Civ-builder strategy games alongside being a deckbuilder card game. It's pretty awesome and might be a new personal go-to game for when I just want to play something reliable without worrying about time or progression or anything like that. Not bad for a game I got with Humble Choice this month alongside multiple other great games. I do actually hope that being bundled with Persona 4 Golden and Warhammer 40k Darktide will lead to more people with Choice checking this out.

[cadyrocks]

Rome has a unique card that lets it build a building for 1 gold. This card is a little bit silly in how it enables some early game shenanigans. If you rush through the tech tree with Writing (ideally your turn 1 looks something like Writing -> Library), Fishing, Astronomy, Mathematics, Education, and finally pick up the social policy of Secularism, there's the University. building that costs 8 production and gives you a whopping 3 science, 3 happiness, and 6 culture.

I was able to build the University within the first 5 turns of the game. For one gold and one production.

This is, to put it mildly, completely broken. Essentially every tech for the rest of the game was free, and I had such an overload of science by the end of the game that I ended turns with hundreds of gold. The only limiting factor was production, but with so much gold, you can just draw cards and burn cards to build whatever you want. Infrastructure gets better the further down the tech tree you get, because paying 1 production and 1 gold for a Granary is all well and good, but paying 1 production and 1 gold for

I ended up winning in dominant fashion on turn 16, having gone from 81 points to 127 points in one turn. That said, I have to give massive props to the Egypt player who managed to stack 30+ strength on a single horse archer, that thing was terrifying.

This game is fun! :D

[linuxgamenews]

Hexarchy strategy aims at Steam Deck

Hexarchy is a new fast-paced strategy game aiming at Linux via Proton on Steam Deck with Windows PC and Mac. Thanks to the insights provided by developer Main Tank Software, we have some exciting details. Due to make its way onto Steam next month. Main Tank Software just released news about their upcoming title, Hexarchy. A solid game for those who like fast-paced strategy and planning. Due to launch on October 19th for both Windows PC and Mac, Hexarchy offers a unique blend of 4X-style exploration and deckbuilding mechanics. Think of it as combining the thrill of exploring vast terrains. While expanding your territory, exploiting resources, and battling rivals. Doing so with the cunning of creating and refining a deck of cards for tactics. As a result, each Hexarchy session won’t drag on for hours and hours. In just about an hour, you'll experience a rich tapestry of decisions and outcomes. All due to shape a distinct story each time. Dive into a vast array of technologies and civics. Design a deck of cards that perfectly blends with your vision of conquest and diplomacy. Set out and claim new areas and build inspiring wonders. While you setup key infrastructures to boost your resources.

...we've tested it some on the Steam Deck. We're doing frequent play tests and would love for your community members to give it a shot.

The team behind Hexarchy are trying it on Steam Deck. Although Unity is being used for game development, Linux support is still in question. The developers are confidence in Proton support. But, a native build is not out of the question.

Hexarchy Trailer

Got a competitive spirit? The Hexarchy multiplayer mode and pit your wits against up to 9 other players. If you're someone who like a more personal challenge, they're rolling out a weekly event where you connect with fellow fans. Due to steer a chosen civilization to global supremacy. And don't fret if you're looking for variety. Hexarchy has everything from customizable matches and daily tasks to newly introduced campaigns every week. Plus, if you're in the mood for some relaxed fun with friends, there's a more laid-back multiplayer option available. What makes Hexarchy stand out is its deep yet accessible fast-paced strategy . It takes familiar concepts, such as building cities, raising armies, and marveling at wonders. Then puts a fresh twist on them using card mechanics. The world around you will change every time you play, thanks to its procedural generation. And the array of tech and civic choices means you'll always have new cards to play with. But the real beauty? The adaptability. Suppose an opponent's city is a fortress. Instead of a frontal attack, why not be clever and cut off their food supply? Or if an enemy force seems unbeatable in battle, think about isolating them by targeting their supply routes. So be sure to Wishlist Hexarchy on Steam. The fast-paced strategy game is due to release on October 19th via Mac and Windows PC. But playable on Linux via Proton as well as Steam Deck.

[nekasu]

Nekasu's Christmas Humble Bundle Giveaway!

I have Humble Bundle's subscription service, and it often results in games I don't really want to play. I have a lot saved up, so if any games interest you, leave a reply with which games you want. There's no explicit limit, but please only list a game if you want to actually play it. I'll decide the winners randomly within a week to give people a chance to join. They're all free, so don't think you have to give me money for them! The only caveat is that you be willing to give me your Steam ID so I can give out the games. Oh, and preference will be given to mutuals.

The games:

December

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Old World

Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand

Crime Boss: Rockay City

The Invincible

Moonstone Island

Inkulinati

Venba

Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip

November

Warhammer 40k Darktide

Persona 4 Golden

Lamplighters League

Cassette Beats

The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales

Karmazoo

Hexarchy

Garden Life

October

Remnant

Persona 5 Strikers

Jusant

Dome Keeper

Jack Move

Station to Station

Remnant Records

McPixel 3

September

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Stranded: Alien Dawn

Coral Island

Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake

Lost Eidolons

Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles

Infraspace

You Suck at Parking - Complete Edition

August

Sifu

High on Life

Gotham Knights

Blacktail

Astral Ascent

Diluvian Ultra

Universe for Sale

This Means Warp

July

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Ghostrunner 2

Starship Troopers: Terran Command

Sticky Business

Zoeti

Figment 2: Creed Valley

Heretic's Fork

Hyperviolent

June

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign

Lego 2K Drive Awesome Edition

Warhammer 40k: Battlesector

Miasma Chronicles

Stray Gods

A Guidebook of Babel

Empyrion - Galactic Survival

May

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Steelrising

Hi-Fi Rush

Loddlenaut

King of the Castle

Bravery and Greed

Amanda the Adventurer

Mediterranea Inferno

April

Victoria 3

The Callisto Protocol

Humankind Definitive Edition

Fashion Police Squad

Terraformers

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga

Coromon

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

March

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin

Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition

Saints Row

Citizen Sleeper

Black Skylands

Soulstice

Afterimage

Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter

February

Life is Strange: True Colors

Scorn

Destroy All Humans 2! Reprobed

Beacon Pines

There is No Light: Enhancecd Edition

Children of Silentown

Oaken

Snowtopia: Ski Resort Builder

January

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Two Point Campus

Aragami 2

Otxo

Roguebook

The Red Lantern

Hell Pie

Twin Mirror

[swampfrogcentral]

some free steam codes

I've got a ton of unused steam game codes from my humble subscription. These are games that I either already owned or just aren't for me, so I decided to give them away.

DM me with the game(s) you want and I'll send you the steam code.

♥ i added a heart to all my faves

·       Aliens Dark Descent

·       Amanda the Adventurer

·       Amnesia: The Bunker

·       Aragami 2

·       Astral Ascent

·       Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand

·       Beneath Oresa

·       Black Skylands

·       BLACKTAIL

·       Bravery and Greed

·       Cassette Beasts ♥

·       Coral Island ♥

·       Coromon

·       Corpse Keeper

·       Crime Boss: Rockay City - First Month Edition

·       Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

·       Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter

·       Diluvian Ultra

·       Diplomacy is Not an Option

·       Distant Worlds 2

·       Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

·       ELEX II

·       Empyrion - Galactic Survival

·       Evil West

·       Expeditions: Rome

·       Fashion Police Squad

·       Fort Solis

·       From Space

·       Garden Life

·       Ghostrunner 2

·       Gotham Knights

·       Gravity Circuit ♥

·       Hardspace: Shipbreaker

·       Hell Pie

·       Hexarchy

·       High On Life

·       Homeworld 3

·       HUMANKIND Definitive Edition

·       HYPERVIOLENT

·       InfraSpace

·       Inkulinati

·       Jack Move

·       Jagged Alliance 3

·       Jusant ♥

·       King Of The Castle ♥

·       Knights of Honor II: Sovereign

·       Lamplighters League

·       LEGO® 2K Drive Awesome Edition

·       Loddlenaut ♥

·       Lords and Villeins

·       Lost Eidolons

·       Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

·       Marvel's Midnight Suns Digital+ Edition and Midnight Suns - Doctor Strange Defenders Skin

·       McPixel 3

·       Metal Hellsinger ♥

·       Miasma Chronicles

·       Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip ♥

·       Moonstone Island ♥

·       Mr. Prepper

·       My Little Universe

·       Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master

·       Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition

·       Nomad Survival

·       Old World

·       Pacific Drive

·       Patch Quest ♥

·       Persona 4 Golden ♥

·       Persona 5 Strikers ♥

·       Prodeus

·       Racine

·       Rebel Inc: Escalation

·       REMNANT II®

·       Remnant Records

·       Risk of Rain 2 ♥

·       Roguebook

·       Saints Row

·       SCP: Secret Files

·       Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

·       Sifu ♥

·       Sir Whoopass™: Immortal Death

·       Souldiers

·       Soulstice

·       Spirit of the Island

·       STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter

·       Starship Troopers: Terran Command

·       Station to Station

·       Steelrising

·       Stranded: Alien Dawn

·       Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical ♥

·       Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga

·       Tales & Tactics

·       Terraformers

·       The Callisto Protocol

·       The Gunk

·       The Invincible

·       The Pegasus Expedition

·       The Legend of Tianding ♥

·       The Red Lantern ♥

·       This Means Warp

·      The Thaumaturge - Deluxe Edition

·       Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

·       Total War: PHARAOH DYNASTIES

·       WWE 2K23

·       Trepang2

·       Twin Mirror

·       Two Point Campus

·       Victoria 3

·       Warhammer 40,000 Darktide

·       Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector

·       Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – Ultimate Edition

·       Yakuza: Like a Dragon ♥

·       Zoeti

[bookieper]

The Capstone Ritual

By Emperor Tetron Ponzi

1. Premise

It has been discovered that single Soul may be split into 7 shards at most without fracture, revealed by  the Dark Lich Molyvort after shattering his very being upon attempting the creation of a seventh Phylactery.

Thus with the limit established, a simple ritual for nigh-unlimited power can be extrapolated based on the premise 1 Soul equals 7 Shards.

2. Ritual

Participants in the ritual include:

1 Overprime

7 Primes

7^n Composites

The simplicity of the ritual is its ability to preformed ad infinitum, exponentially increasing power of all participants with every successive cycle.

The ritual is preformed on the basis that Factors Receive and Dividends of them gift.

The Primary Cycle begins with the Overprime as First Factor who is granted 1 shard from each of the 7 Primes assuming Dividend, forming an Octet. Each Dividend granting 1 shard to their factor leaving each prime with 6 remaining shards.

The Secondary Cycle has the 7 Primes then assume the role of Factor are each granted 1 shard each from 7 First Composites each who become their Dividends returning each Prime to 7 Shards with 6 shards surplus.

The Primes are granted 3 shards of the surplus and 2 shards are given to their Factor and 1 shard is granted to the Overprime. As Primes are the first Dividends 3 shards go the the First Factor

The Tertiary Cycle has the Composites then assume the role of factor and repeat the process with 7 Dividends each gaining 3 shards with 2 shards each given to their factors; the Prime and 1 shard each granted to the Overprime

The Fourth cycle repeats the ritual with Second Composites factoring from Third composites and First composites gaining 2 shards each

Successive cycles increase power further as Factors hold shards over Dividends which hold shards over lesser Dividends

As 1 soul consists of 7 shards total the First Cycle may start once again forming a successive Octet consisting partially if not completely of members in previous Cycles.

3. Pyramid Hierarchy

Hierarchy in the Pyramid Titles consisting of Rank which is based on Cycle seniority as well as Tier being number of cycles participated in.

Ranks are as follows:

1. Overprime

2. Prime

3. First Composite

4. Second Composite

5. Third Composite etc.

Tiers are as follows:

7. Adamance

6. Titan

5. Platinum

4. Gold

3. Silver

2. Bronze

1. Copper

They also correspond to days of the week on call.

So a participant in Fourth Cycle and in 4 more subsequent cycles has the title of Second Platinum.

The Overprime is ranked simply as Emperor and the Primes are titled numerically based on total dividends

4. Alternate Models

While in a Monarchy there exists a single Overprime there are alternative models with double or triple Overprimes each being Factor and Dividend for each of their counterparts.

These Duumvirate and Triumvirate models would likely be quite unstable as Overprimes may seek the destruction of their rival in order to acquire dominion over their Shards.

While Tetrarchy, Pentarchy, and Hexarchy models may be more stable due to division of power they are still in danger of collapsing due to Overprimes allying to do much the same, decreasing the total amount and leading to an even more precarious position.

However the most stable of these modules of are course the most dangerous and least practical.

The Titanomachy model has all 7 Overprimes in possession of a Shard from each Overprime with the Final shards taken from a single Sacrificial Soul. This combination of shards resulting in a Nigh-Gestalt Entity processing 7 Vessels.

Taking this to this extreme is the Octal Singularity where the 8 Overprimes are only defined by the Shard that they do not possess.

[indiegamelover]

Hexarchy

✰ More New release indie games you may have missed:

IndieGameLover @ Youtube

indiegamelover.com

[sock-to-the-third]

Revenant Gun

By Yoon Ha Les

Machineries of Empire series concluded? :(

Well, it is a fantastic conclusion. I like how all the loose ends were tied up with Cheris and Jedao. Not to mention with the light drop of Brezan and Tseya getting together lol. Political marriage or not, they’re gonna be on hell of a couple!

There’s a new they/them fella in this book, Talaw (Kel Commander, I think). They originally worked for Dhanneth (prev General) who has a helluva personality that I love. Very subtle the changes but so gratifying. I love have Yoon Ha Lee gives bits of character development even to supporting characters. Talaw’s a nice addition to the gang who last time I checked only included Sho Zehun (advisor of Hexarch Mikodez).

One thing I can’t get over with Revenant Gun but all the books in Machineries of Empire series is the vocabulary. I love the references to how language changed via Jedao with honorifics to how the “high language” and “low languages” didn’t always translate well into each other but also informal and formal ways of addressing that don’t come up in English so much but add so much to comment on. It made the world feel so vivid and bright.

Lee also did some fantastic development with the Moths like Revenant as well as different groups of serviters. Some of them implied to have hexarchy sympathies while others want to ally with certain humans and the moth-allied ones who just want to fuck off. It makes totally sense the moth-allied servitors (especially under Kujen) to be pretty radical compared to the others but DAMN! I did not think they’d straight up massacre all of Revenant’s crew. Then the servitors being like “we won’t murder Jedao cuz you helped us and we’re polite” but also the moths totally are pissed you’re a turn coat.

It just works so well narratively. Utterly terrifying and suspenseful while reading and I legit thought that moth-Jedao is no way surviving this. Also, I love how Lee differentiated moth-Jedao from Cheris character-wise. AlsoI love how moth-Jedao doesn’t have dyscalcula yet nearly fucked up the whole assasination having the wrong sign which threw off the formation. It’s so simple and believable and real and damn, flipping signs and keeping track of them such a pain.

I have to admit that moth-Jedao being 16-17 y/o yet using formation instinct to get Dhanneth’s assistance pretending to be in a relationship… that.. I still don’t really like that, especially with how it ended for Dhanneth. Say all you want that moth-Jedao is a kid with crazy power yet no life experience in a shitty situation driving him to do shit. Hawkfucking is still pretty fucked up. It’s acknowledged, hell, Cheris shoots moth-Jedao for it. *shivers* It’s just alot and still doesn’t sit well. Not that it should just.. idk what I’m saying.

Anyway, I did enjoy Revenant Gun alot. I didn’t expect singular they/them pronouns and it was a happy surprise plus the queer rep with Inesser (she/her) having wives. Then Brezan having two fathers, one referred to as the “older” and another as the “younger” which I might use that style in my writing.

All around vibe of a book. Vibe of a series. I plan on reading other books by Lee in the future.

Prev: Raven Strategem

[myalternatechesssetproject]

Video Games Using Other Grids - Hexarchy

In Hexarchy, you use cards to build a civilisation on a hexagonal grid. You can play single or multiplayer. You have to choose cards that affect the game. You can spend or trade resources to build things to create your civilisation. Your characters move on the hexagonal gird and everything you build is placed on the grid. The grid id helpful to the player because it is used to show the player where things can be placed and you can analyse threats easier. The hexagonal grid makes this game unique. Because it is a turn-based game the grid system works very well because you can play cards onto the grid then pass your turn. It creates linear gameplay that the grid helps to create.

[resonancebooks]

WIP Scene Excerpt: Rowan's Execution

The vast gilded chamber was bathed in golden light, opulent paintings of prominent figures adorning the walls and rows of empty seats lining the central pit. It was heavenly, yet none of this could even begin to compensate for the all-consuming stench of death. The marbled floors were stained with blackened blood, as if a monument to the many who had died there before and a cold promise to the many who would continue to die there. A long figure stood on the viewing balcony closest to the floor of the pit. He was tall, with a well-tailored suit of expensive tastes, upon which he bore the noble crest of the Morganthal family. Behind him, one white-knuckled hand gripped the wrist of the other. His striking features were crowned by piercing black eyes, eyes which now gazed upon the death chamber with anticipation. A young woman sat tied to a single metal chair in the center, red hair cascading around her limp head. The sound of rattling keys unlocking a door within the pit roused her, and after she took in her situation she began to hyperventilate. As if by chance, the woman looked up and locked eyes with the man above her. Her usually soothing, clear voice now stained with panic, “S-sir, what’s happening?” she shuddered, “Why am I here?” The man offered no response, and yet the woman continued to gaze at him hopefully. Met with continued silence, that hope quickly wilted into a stunned realization of the gravity of her situation. She wept.

WHEN: 2443 CE / 276 PC, Book 1 Prologue

SCENE FUNCTION Alex and the execution of his first Mindguard, demonstrating his need for a new one (the main character).

CHARACTERS

Alex Wolfe Origin: Alcordia Exosia/Magic: Crystaloexosis (Crystal Manipulation) 40 y/o

Shoulder length, black, wavy, well groomed hair. Stylish and professional suit. Current Treasury Auxiliary in The Draylix Empire. A good soul who's passion for helping the disabled and disadvantaged has been stomped on by his new entry into the world of upper-government politics, where he is now subject to the whims of the Hexarchy. One of the Hexarchs, Victor Marshall, has turned him into a scapegoat for a treasonous plan to control or dispose of another important government figure.

Rowan Mardun Origin: Evalexia Exosia/Magic: Pathoexosis (Emotion Manipulation) 26 y/o

Red hair, tired and contemplative, speaks little but when she does it is impactful and meaningful. Fairly young, quiet demeanor, gentle, kind, and loyal. Assigned Mindguard (psychic protector) to Alex Wolfe. Believes in the best of Alex. Has been a platonic comfort to him and helped him through tough decisions, knowing everything about him through and through.

BEFORE SCENE / LEAD-UP Before the scene, Alex would have done something to undermine or shrug off Victor’s control over him. This would have backfired as Victor discovered his “treachery” and implied he would suffer his due punishment. Alex would get back to his office and Rikah would have urgently told him about Rowan’s execution. Alex would be in utter disbelief and panic, dropping everything to rush toward the execution chamber. The halls and chambers are overly large and expansive, creating a feeling of excess in demonstration of power and instilling a sense of personal smallness and the inevitability of resistance.

SCENE DESCRIPTION / GUIDE

Elements

Victor’s manipulation

Loss of intimacy with the mindguard (Rowan)

Sense of coldness and hopelessness

Mindguard executed for false treason

Execution as punishment by Victor for resisting his orders

Alex has been Treasury Auxiliary for 5 years

Execution Style

Unleash a starving vaire that will shred her and enter her corpse to re-enter the Phases.

SCENE NOTES

The scene starts with Alex watching from a spectators’ balcony of some kind, out of breath, clothes and hair mussed, expression haunted by guilt and streaked with repressed anger; something like a clenched jaw and whitened knuckles gripping something. He knows that there is nothing he could do; Victor would have left no exploitable loopholes, due to his brutal effectiveness and complete lack of mercy.

Outline

Alex standing

Rowan interaction, Alex appears indifferent (see below)

Victor shows up, antagonizes Alex

Rikah shows up, staying back

Second Rowan interaction?

Rowan executed

Victor makes a comment

Alex ignores him and moves to either hold or pick up the body (on the ground), OR to just view it (raised off the ground)

Alex may not want to go too close to the body, viewing it from 15 feet or so away

Alex refuses to give Victor the satisfaction of seeing him emotional

Alex instead shoots Victor look of hatred

Victor leaves, Alex is “numb” and still shows no strong emotion

Rikah approaches to comfort him, Alex cracks and shows some small or short sign of emotion

Alex’s reaction: initially very wet eyed

Rikah approaches and is recovering from her own crying

Alex finally spills a couple tears and speaks with a slightly cracked and strained voice while describing how he’s going to contact the family and arrange the funeral

Soon shifts from sadness to suppressed rage only shown flashing through his eyes and clenched jaw/muscle twitches

Rikah - “What are we going to do?”

Alex gives her a softer look before returning to hard stoicism and walking out without a word

(continued from second line above) Alex appears indifferent Hidden - psychic interaction between them, him explaining there's nothing he can do.

Alex is numb and shows very little emotion during the conversation

Rowan - 'Alex, what’s happening? Why am I here?' Alex - ‘I just heard, I rushed here as fast as I could… I-’ Rowan - 'Alex, please, tell me, I don’t know-’ Alex - ‘It’s Marshall, Ro. He… I don’t know, he’s… he’s punishing me. He’s hurting you to punish me.’ Rowan - ‘But there’s got to be something we can do, right? You can go report him, or go tell him it won’t happen again, or-’ Alex - ‘Ro! There’s… there’s nothing I can do. Nothing anyone can do. You know Victor: when he does something, when he makes up his mind… he won’t have left any loopholes. This situation is sealed, just like all of his ‘situations’ are.’ Rowan - ‘But… She fumbled in shock at the realization. but I-I can’t… I don’t want to die. No, I can’t die. Alex, please! Something, there has to be something! She weeps. I don’t want to die…’ Alex - ‘*silence, not knowing what to say* I… I don’t know how to do this, Ro. I don’t… I can’t lose you. You don’t deserve this. That fucking Marshall… I’m going to… Ro… Alex lets slip a flicker of emotion. Rowan - Prolonged moment of weeping and light sobbing. I… Alex… I… Further moments of grief. Alex - ‘I… this can’t be happening. Oh, God…. oh, fuck… no, I can’t… I can’t let this happen… I- *beginning to panic internally*’ Rowan - ‘No. Stop.’ Applies a time limited psionic block to prevent Alex from physically doing anything to interfere. Alex - Alex is shocked. ‘What… what did you do? What did you DO?! I can’t… I can’t move.’ Rowan - She looks up at Alex with a sad flickering smile. ‘You’re right… if this is Marshall, there’s no escape. I… I really don’t want to die,’ Rowan blinks hard as tears fall, looking down and then back up with a shaky but resilient determination. ‘I’m not going to let you throw yourself away for nothing. You WILL NOT interfere.’ Alex - Due to the psionic block, Alex remains externally stoic minus small signals (maybe he takes a drink and his hand shakes slightly). ‘Ro, no. Don’t… don’t do this, Ro. Take it back, take it back now! Let me at least try…’ Rowan - ‘No. This is set, and I won’t let you suffer for it. That vile bastard Marshall needs someone to take him out. Just promise me that… that one thing. Promise me you won’t let him get away with this. Promise me you’ll live long enough to get him.’ Alex - ‘I…’ Rowan - ‘PROMISE!’ Further tears fall, punctuating her desperate expression. "Please..."

A vaire is unleashed on Rowan, Alex is tense and internally horrified.

Internally, Alex is completely shocked and horrified at the scene, but his attempts to rush forward (or stumble back) are hindered by the block.

Rowan - “No, no no no, wait, this isn’t-”

Alex remains still, staring at the defiled corpse. He appears completely unfazed, if otherwise a bit tense. He didn’t react to the gore, he didn’t react to her pleas. He appears indifferent to the execution overall.

After the block fades, Alex lets out a long breath, breathing heavily for a couple seconds. After that, Alex sets his jaw, giving the body one last look before walking away without a word.

[nerdybookahs]

Humble Choice (November 2024): Hexarchy

Hexarchy is part of November’s Humble Choice. “A fast-paced strategy game, which takes the weighty decisions of a 4X and stuffs them into an action-packed 60 minutes. Build a deck capable of founding civilizations which can develop economies, research new technologies and conquer all before you. Single-player and online multiplayer.” Hexarchy usually costs 19.50 €. IsThereAnyDeal lists the…

[laurarolla]

Year in review for me (mostly games)

Well, 2024 has been quite an interesting year for me. I got healthcare again, got back on hormones, and managed to financially tread water well enough to not have to eat all my savings for basic bills. I still need to get a car, though, and I gotta talk to my doctor about my occasional dizzy spells. Regardless, this was a decent year with many enjoyable gaming experiences, most of which were new to me.

The three best games I played this year (for me personally) were: Destiny 2: The Final Shape Pokemon White Nuzlocke Tomb Raider 1 Remastered

Pathologic 2 would almost certainly be on here if I hadn't tabled it for future play when I feel like I have time to really focus on it.

The three least enjoyable games I played this year were: Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall Armored Gunhound EX Blood Rage

Positive honorable mentions go to: Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose (specifically the DLC) Saint's Row 2 Titanfall 2 Hexarchy Elden Ring + Shadows of the Erdtree Abzu

And a special award for Strike Suit Zero for having a story that actually got me talking myself through the surprisingly complex moral implications of it for a little while afterwards. All in all, it's been a good year for gaming for me, and almost none of it are games released this year specifically.

I'll be adjusting my resolution to continue through my backlog next year, but I'll be putting up more polls to vote on the next game I play, so thanks to anyone who has voted in those this last year and helped me decide what games to play. Have a Happy New Year, everyone!

[cadyrocks]

So Hexarchy kinda slaps. It's a 4x deckbuilder where you build your deck by unlocking civics and technologies. You start with a very basic set of cards, and can burn cards at will for extra resources, so there's a ton of strategy in figuring out what needs to stay in your deck and what gets cut so you can afford just that one extra production this turn for the Pyramids.

The game's timeline runs from early agrarian to early medieval, with the tech tree capping out with Gunpowder. I'm so used to 4x games that take all weekend, and the model where a game should last roughly an hour is such a breath of fresh air. I can play against other people and also go outside in the same day! The deckbuilding element reminds me distinctly of 7 Wonders and Slay The Spire in all the best ways.

I have opinions on the balance after playing 3 games, but those opinions may or may not be worth a damn (buff Jaguar Warrior, nerf Cossacks!), given I've only played 3ish games. Certain mechanics are not super well-tutorialized (Combat probably being the worst offender), but after a few games you tend to get the hang of it. I am glad for the loading screen tip that recommends burning cards early and often; it's definitely a good strategy. That useless warrior just paid for a technology and half the production for a library (also absurdly powerful in the early game). If I had to single out my biggest gripe, it's that you can't see the scores of other player, instead only seeing their rankings relative to each other. I get the design decision (makes ragequitting a lot less likely if you can't tell if you're down by 5 or down by 30) but it doesn't make losing by one victory point any less heartbreaking.

Overall, this game is a lot of fun. Definitely gonna play more of it. It scratches some very nice itches for me, and it's nice to play a 4x that doesn't require a team of Sherpas and a week's supplies to get through. It's not a huge game, but there's a ton of replayability despite that, and it's a format almost built for expansion. Pun very much intended. 😁

[tainbocuailnge]

How does Cu compare to top mages like Solomon, Merlin and Medea? Do you think he could be counted among the "greatest mages in human history?"

nah he doesn’t come even close cause cu isn’t a mage, he’s a magic user. it may seem like just semantics but semantics are everything in nasuverse. he uses magecraft the way a warrior would and not the way a mage would. he also only knows one style of magecraft, he just gets real creative with it.

i think cascu’s ochd deug odin is magecraft on par with some of the shit real magi from the age of gods can perform but that doesn’t mean he’s a mage on a similar level because he’s not a mage he’s a druid, but actually he’s a warrior playing at being a druid. the fundamentals are completely different

[linuxgamenews]

Hexarchy development moving forward but with Steam Play support

Hexarchy strategy game holding onto Proton for Linux with Windows PC. Due to the ongoing support and effort of developer Main Tank Software. Which working its way onto Steam. Indie game development studio Main Tank Software informs about Linux and Proton support. Along with support for their historical deck building strategy game, Hexarchy. The was an Alpha update, but it seems that Proton support is the main choice.

A native Linux version is also possible in the future.

Since Unity 3D is the game engine of choice, Linux porting should be easy enough. However, it's also up to the developer and a "wait and see". This is the one big downside of Proton support, it hinders a native port. And of course, developers are catching on. Having played the Hexarchy Demo, I sincerely hope for a native Linux build.

Hexarchy - The Journey So Far

Hexarchy is a fast-paced strategy game. One that takes the decisions of a multi-hour turn-based 4x game and packs them into an action packed hour long game. Play multiplayer online with up to 10 players. You can also customize your single player game. In Hexarchy, you can explore to find other civilizations in a procedurally generated world. Then build cities, armies, make upgrades with your cards, and research more tech. The gameplay boils almost all of your decisions down to two actions. Both playing cards or ordering units. Currently, there is a free demo of the game available on Steam. Which also sees upgrades with Proton support. So it's worth playing.

Features:

​​One-hour games

Up to 10 players online with simultaneous turns

Consequential decisions every turn -- no clicking through turns

Engaging and well-paced game loop. Hexarchy is accessible for non-hardcore 4x strategy gamers

Layered systems offering true strategic depth with difficult decisions even for the most experienced players

Limitless strategies

Use your military units to capture any hex

Strategically destroy cards to tailor your deck to the situation

Is an enemy city too well defended? Take their food supply to starve them instead

Can't defeat an invading army in the field? Try cutting off their supply lines

Hexarchy strategy is due to release in April 2023. Working to make its way onto Windows PC, but Linux is still possible. So be sure to try the free Demo and Wishlist the game on Steam.