#I also generally highly recommend the games if you like turn based strategy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

advisorslong · 2 years

Text

Warzone 2100 strategy story

#Warzone 2100 strategy story Pc

It has one of the best controls I've seen in an RTS game. ProductiveCaelus's Experience Total Annihilation style game, it's very smooth and runs well with high number of units and explosions on the screen. I have easily sunk 5k+ hours into this game and still have fun with it, highly recommend See More The best part is it's a game made by people that play it, so any problem you have with UI/controls/QoL will have been solved already and you need only turn it on in the options. Has great scale from 1v1 all the way up to 8v8 matches on big maps with varied strategies. Hiding units behind enemy structures to avoid turret fire, dancing units around to avoid missile fire, dipping into craters to hide from enemy radar, just micro that MATTERS feels so good and rewarding. No other RTS ever compares to this game, it has the perfect balance of micro and macro where your clicks feel important, not just send a blob that way and hope it achieves something. The latest version of BAR has been massively updated into a modern day RTS in terms of graphics, sounds and UI. It makes all the nice touches in the game world live on borrowed time.ShoX's Experience I have played this game in its various states for 16 years now, tried almost every other RTS on the market, this is the only one I come back to time and time again. There are a few more minor complaints that can be said about the game (the control is far from intuitive, and the camera can sometimes hide units from you), but the main problem is that a time clock shouldn't have been included in this war. It's perhaps the reality set by the constraints of the system, but one that could've been made far less frustrating if the timer weren't magnifying the point. This creates a cycle where you'll have to start from scratch every time you take a wrong turn at some critical junction within a stage.

#Warzone 2100 strategy story Pc

How many times would you be willing to spend two hours coming within merely minutes of reaching your goal, only to have the timer run out and your game wiped away? In W2100, the answer is not many, because like other RTS console games, it's missing a critical element of its PC brother: the ability to save anywhere. Missions range from an hour-and-a-half to two hours long, which makes sense in some sorties, but in others it renders them unplayable. Unlike Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Retaliation, Warzone 2100 suffers not from being too difficult, but from possessing a woefully inappropriate time limit. Like many real-time strategy games on the console systems though, there are some fatal flaws. Thus, your new troops aren't so green that they don't have time to use their snazzy new weapons before being wiped out. Units also become better shots, harder to kill, and more maneuverable as they gain combat experience, which can be passed on to later machine generations by recycling the veteran forces in your factories. You'll often ignore the more complex commands, since you use a joystick to input them with instead of a keyboard, but the saving grace is that the units are smart enough to defend themselves, attack the enemy, or repair broken down structures or vehicles if the situation absolutely requires it. You can also command your units to retreat after sustaining light, medium, or heavy damage. You can assemble more than 2,000 unique vehicles from basic building blocks and then instruct those units using more than two dozen different commands, such as attack, defend, patrol, pursue. The best thing is its high level of customizability. That's only one of the things to like about Warzone 2100. Having a base camp to send missions away from as well as defend invests you considerably in the story and world, much like building your own island town in Konami's Suikoden. Later, you invoke the wrath of hostile forces that don't appreciate your poking around in their backyards, and then you must defend your home operations against them. Once the area is fully yours, you send troops on away missions via an air transport to explore other environments and search for artifacts of the past, so your scientists can research "new" technology. You begin your game by setting up a base camp and clearing scavengers completely out of the surrounding area. The basics of any real-time strategy game - you build factories and other structures that harvest natural resources so you can create more structures, units, and machines - are all observed here. That's the premise of Pumpkin Studios' real-time strategy game Warzone 2100, which was developed for both the PC and PlayStation, though it's been made more "actioney" for the console. It's the future, and the world has gone all apocalyptic, but technology's advanced enough that you can build just about anything you want, as long as you have enough resources and can defend them against others out there who are just like yourself.

#Warzone 2100 strategy story

0 notes

samedmunds · 3 years

Text

My litany thoughts on 1999 cult classic strategy video game Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

Alpha Centauri is a game of the early Civilization variety from the EA golden age and ranks very highly in my top ten. While you probably heard of it if you were playing video games around the turn of the century, I've found members of my age cohort to be tragically unfamiliar with this masterpiece.

Alpha Centauri is an unofficial sequel to Civilization II, a game where the only way to way to win is either completely eliminate all competitors to the last city or, rather more easily, send a spaceship loaded with colonists to the title star system. Shortly after leaving home, the ship loses contact with Earth, which would make sense to a player of Civilization II where the bonuses to science and trade from democracies evaporate when technology ends, upon which point all the AIs revolt and become militant fundamentalist theocracies and climate change rapidly destroys the planet, leaving the player with an endgame that is literally 1984. Either way, when the already strained ship arrives at the Alpha Centauri system an unknown partisan assassinates the captain of the UNS Unity and the population fractures into seven opposing factions before firing the colony pods and exploring an inconveniently hostile planet.

The player starts here, in typical Civ fashion: a scout, settler, and absolutely no technology to speak of. That isn't to say you are a bunch of primitives, all your units start out with some approximation to modern guns and judging by the amazing quotes and wonder videos your society is well beyond the 21st century--more on the story later. The gameplay is incredibly well-balanced in spite of its age and quirks (with the exception of the freight-train progression of Yang). Rapid early expansion as the bountiful Peacekeepers may leave you at serious risk to the relentlessly martial Spartans, who are in turn threatened by the uber-specialized technocratic University--but be careful to underestimate the backwards Lord's Believers, their probe teams will just as quickly rob you of your gains. The Morganites can afford to sparsely defend their home if they're willing to pay off their aggressors, but they'll struggle expand over great swaths of territory without irking civil unrest drone riots from corruption. Meanwhile the Gaian Acolytes can harness the permanently-dangerous mindworms to great effect from the beginning of the game. Yang just... builds. And keeps building, and next thing you know he's conquered the Peacekeepers and turned Miriam into nothing more than a puppet and where are all these cruise missiles are coming from?

In short, the strategic design of this game is nothing less than a work of art, but that isn't to say it doesn't have its anachronisms. The User Interface has taken its inspiration from early versions of Microsoft Word and it rapidly pays off to know the hotkeys. The wonder videos are resolution locked and can sometimes cause problems depending on your display configuration. The unit creation system is simultaneously wonderful and horrendous. It allows me to create special long-range nerve gas bombers that eradicate cities shortly before orbitally-dropping specially-trained garrisons to quash all resistance. On the other hand, if you do not accept the cumbersome slew of computer-generated options, keeping your new weapons systems up to date with your latest technology (especially when playing as Zakharov) rapidly becomes a chore.

That said, there are a variety of features in the game that I think deserve to make a reappearance in the Civ Games. The pick-your-government system is incredibly balanced and fun to roleplay. You can't get away with crimes against humanity when solar storms hit in Civilization VI, nor can you weaponise climate change to flood your rivals cities, or strategically terraform to alter weather patterns and deny your neighbors arable land. At the bare minimum, we should be given the option to nerve staple rebelling cities when our control runs out!

All that said, there is also the story to contend with. One is at first tempted to think that a 4x strategy game with a marked emphasis on replayability would necessarily have a tacked-on story, if one at all. After all, the point is for the player to create it through their actions, not have it spoonfed to them. The majority of what you learn about your world that isn't printed in numbers and small pictures on the mapscreen is through blurbs that accompany each discovered technology or new building. The aforementioned wonders even have their adorable early-CG renderings, sometimes mixed in with some experimental film footage. There are occasional interludes that describe the mindworms and machinations of Planet, but the bulk of the wordage comes from epigrams of the faction leaders and the occasional bit of Nietzsche or Plato. It's so good that I can't help but stop and listen to CEO Nbwadibuke Morgan ramble on about supply chain economics or Sister Miriam's apocalyptic warnings every single time. Take some examples.

Proper care and education for our children remains a cornerstone of our entire colonization effort. Children not only shape our future; they determine in many ways our present. Men and women work harder knowing their children are safe and close at hand, and never forget that, with children present, parents will defend their home to the death!

--Col. Corazon Santiago, "Planet: A Survivalist's Guide"

Or perhaps, a more on the nose one:

"The Academician's private residences shall remain off-limits to the Genetic Inspectors. We possess no retroviral capability, we are not researching retroviral engineering, and we shall not allow this Council to violate faction privileges in the name of this ridiculous witch hunt!

--Fedor Petrov, Vice Provost for University Affairs Accompanies the Retroviral Engineering technology

The game often doesn't directly tell you what Retroviral engineering is, nor does it labor to explain just what having someone nerve stapled means, or the precise function of the Recycling Tanks, but through its quotation it beautifully circumlocutes the world you are shaping--and being shaped by. It really never pulls any of its punches, even if its just on Organic Superlube--great stuff--and I still catch muself quoting it regularly.

Ursula LeGuin once wrote

"Science fiction is often described, and even defined, as extrapolative. The science fiction writer is supposed to take a trend or phenomenon of the here-and-now, purify and intensify it for dramatic effect, and extend it into the future. 'If this goes on, this is what will happen.' [...] This may explain why many people who read science fiction describe it as 'escapist,' but when questioned further, admit they do not read it because 'it's so depressing.'"

Alpha Centauri is absolutely extrapolative fiction and very firmly rooted in the 1990s and I love it. It was released in the Aaron Sorkin TV, pre-9/11 days where the word Internet was more often than not followed by the words, "is like an information superhighway" and it absolutely no efforts are made to cover it up. The main factions are a cross-section of the New Millenium's hopes and anxieties. A New Russia that went a very different path before Putin took over, a cheerful clan of ruthless Western capitalists hellbent on putting Morganvision on every network set, a group of vaguely Scottish free-love peaceniks hellbent on defending the most-of-the-time incredibly hostile environment. There's the Second-Amendment preaching Spartans or the optimistically-influential UN which, judging by its naming scheme for its bases, seems to dedicate entire cities to bureaucratic agencies. The All-American Christian fundamentalists don't entirely butt heads with the frighteningly powerful Human-Hive (if your country calls their cities names like "Huddling of the People" and "Paradise Swarming" you might not be the good guys). The expansion also brings in more dynamic characters like the Information Wants to be Free! data angels Brian Reynolds very clearly came up with after watching Swordfish and Hackers back to back or the Nautilus Pirates who have no right to be as fun as they are.

The visions of the future are at once both anachronistic and prophetic; while elements may come off as cheese, I see it as a sort of window to the past, a way to examine what was once (and sometimes still is) on our mind. All in all, I give Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri 4 out of 5 stars and a definite all-time favorite, warts and all. You can pick it and its expansion up for $6 on Gog.com and play it through a built-in emulator that works for most systems. If you're willing to brave a dated interface and an older-fashioned gameplay style, I would definitely recommend it.

#pc gaming #video games #gaming #civilization #writing #ursula leguin #alpha centauri #sid meier's alpha centauri #sid meier's civilization #the drones need you #they look up to you #game retro #game recs #game review

15 notes · View notes

nayialovecat · 3 years

Text

Since I have a lot of free time (sarcasm), I decided to draw and write down how triplets play and which characters in "Don't Starve Together". I chose one for each game mode: solo (playing DST alone is different than playing with someone else), in normal mode, and as a bonus in "Don't Starve" (no matter which expansion). Below I present a justification and descriptions of how the boys play games with these characters. Let's fun!

Sammy Jr Solo: Sam loves playing Webber. As a rule, he quickly finds a large place full of spiders and starts rebuilding it into a base. The goal of his game is to be friends with as many spiders as possible, and since the last update of Webber's character - he even manages to defeat the giants without even moving a finger. In general, his goal in the game is to build a well-functioning, preferably highly mechanized base (automatic pig farms, trees, etc. are the basis). He doesn't discover the sea, except to obtain trees from the Isle of the Moon. He explores the caves before discovering the entire surface and, of course, befriends all the spiders he comes across. Together: When he plays with brothers or others, Sam prefers Winona. As a rule, from the moment he finds a place for a base, he stops leaving it, allowing others to gather resources, and he automates everything he can: fighting the Queen Bee, dog traps, pig farms, farm farms... everything. When playing with him, the only thing you have to run for is a stone. Don't Starve: It's fun for Sam to play the Wagstaff - especially his visual impairment. As he himself says "it's interesting to feel a bit like Henry". He likes playing Reign of Gigants the most, where he quickly discovers the map, finds Things, and then, when the opponents get too difficult, he escapes to the next world. He also likes Hamlet and the expansion of the pig town. For this reason, he also plays well Wilba, but Wagstaff wins nonetheless. Other characters he likes: Wormwood 'cuz he is friendly plant and Warly 'cuz he likes explores new dishes. Also Wilba and Wilbur, but less than others.

Henry Jr Solo: Playing solo, Henry has a few characters he enjoys playing, but Woody remains a favorite among them. First: the indestructible talking ax. Second: the ability to turn into one of several beasts. Third: cutting down large numbers of trees awakens the treeguards that Henry loves. Playing rather quickly, he tries to reach the highest technological level of magic, and then goes underground. Meanwhile, he is also actively exploring the waters of Constant. He loves to fight anything he finds, so he is rarely friends with pigs - but with Lucy the Ax, who needs pigs?... Together: Playing with others, Henry is still a bit of a soloist, but he usually chooses a character whose skills can be useful for the group. Like Wortox's healing. In the group, he usually explores the world quickly - he discovers the underground, makes appropriate markings for tunnels, etc. then come with the rest and overcome everything, collecting the loot. He solo tries to reach the Lunar Island and return from it with the loot. In base he's only to drop things off, and invent new tools - and he goes on. Don't Starve: The goal of the old game is for Henry to get into adventure mode as soon as possible. There he does not rush so much, he likes to enjoy tasks - one of his favourite worlds is the one with eternal darkness. As a rule, he plays Willow - he loves to set forests on fire and watch his enemies burn. He also likes the Shipwreck mode - he starts it when he wants to swim in the sea - he rarely builds a larger base then, rather he has a lot of small ones on various islands and in the volcano. Other characters he likes: When he doesn't playing Willow, he also likes Maxwell. Once tried Woodleg for his sea bonuses, but was too irritated by his loss of sanity on land.

Bendy Jr Solo: Ben, unsurprisingly, likes to play DST alone the most - often, even when playing with someone, he chooses Wurta and settles with it in the swamp near the Merms. This, as a rule, guarantees him a peace and loneliness. Playing solo, he takes his time with nothing - he slowly develops his base, and then carefully explores the world. Initially, he escapes from battles with giants, or uses Merms in it, but when he gets the spin up and gets the right weapon, he begins to hunt everything that previously hunted him. Together: Even when playing with his brothers (he doesn't like playing with anyone else), Ben prefers to fight solo - so he chooses Wigfrid, which is roughly self-sufficient. Her healing during the fight causes her to abandon her habit of long preparation for the first fight and from the very first day he begins to kill smaller bosses, and he waits to fight the bigger ones with a broad (metaphorical) smile on his face. When playing with him, other players do not have to worry about hounds or any other opponents, and when they fight against someone together - Wigfrid's battle songs help a lot. The fact that Wigfrid is an opera singer and a Valkyrie makes her a favourite character of Ben throughout the game. Don't Starve: Ben loves to play Hamlet mode - this is usually when he chooses Wheeler. He doesn't like pigs, so he usually robs and kills them. Playing in the Reign of Giants, he also chooses Wheeler and, leading a highly nomadic lifestyle, explores the world until he gets bored (he discovers the whole map). Then, as a rule, he starts playing again. Other characters he likes: Wortox because of teleportation, Wendy because her sister's aggression towards neutral creatures (e.g. butterflies and bees) can be very helpful.

I recommend you DST and DS by the way. A very enjoyable survival and base building game. I usually play Wigfrid or Wortox and play like a tank - I'm not very good at complex strategies XD

#Samdy Kids #Sammy Jr #Henry Jr #Bendy Jr #BATIM #SATIM #DST #DS #Don't Starve Together #Don't Starve

19 notes · View notes

earlgraytay · 4 years

Text

@ellieintheskywithdiamonds asked for some video game recommendations that are not Triple-A Polished Games that cynically schill for Woke Points. I dunno what genres you like, so this is just a smattering of games I’ve played or watched Let’s Plays of relatively recently.

Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition An indie metroidvania where there’s no gravity and you can’t jump; instead, Dandara navigates by zooming between patches of salt on the floor and ceiling. You get into a nice rhythm bouncing between ceiling and floor; it’s kinda hypnotic. The game’s also got interesting worldbuilding and creative use of its 16-bit-esque artstyle. Like any other metroidvania, you explore a big interconnected world, collect upgrades, fight monsters, and fill out a map, but the moment to moment gameplay is figuring out how to navigate the gravityless rooms. Recommended by Mark Brown of Game Maker’s Toolkit fame, and for good reason- this one has all the polish of a triple-a game and all the obvious love of an indie. Highly recommended. (I’ll note it’s got some extremely blatant political content, specifically anti-fascist content, but it’s wound into the game pretty well, IMO-- it’s definitely not Woke for the sake of being Woke.)

Phoenix Point An XCOM-like game made by the original creator of XCOM, Julian Gollop. The world ended thanks to an eldritch plague from the sea that spreads a deadly fog and turns people into squicky monsters. You’re in charge of Phoenix Point, the last remains of an international task force against these terrors from the deep. Build your army, engage the monsters in tactics-based combat, and keep the warring factions that seek to rule the new world happy. Phoenix Point is what you might call a triple-B game, made by a large indie studio that clearly has the resources to make a big game but not the resources to polish it. And unlike the modern XCOM games, Phoenix Point embraces the genre’s jank. You can micromanage every little part of your strategy and tactics-- and you have to to keep moving forward. You’re under a brutal time limit and your resources are constantly limited. I’ll warn you-- this game was made before COVID-19. It might hit a little close to home now. I had to stop watching the LP because of that. >.>; Also this one is an Epic Store exclusive for now-- it’s not coming to Steam until next year.

Hylics You want weird? Here’s some weird. Hylics is an RPG Maker game completely done in claymation. All the characters, the enemies, and the special attacks are made of clay. The rest of the world is rendered in a really ... strange artstyle. The NPCs’ dialogue is randomly generated and strangely poetic, and the stats are all named things like “MEAT”. You will die a lot-- and in fact, you’re expected to, because that’s the only way you can upgrade your health. It’s kinda grindy, because... well... RPGMaker. TBH I haven’t actually played Hylics, because I only have so much tolerance for RPG Maker games, so I don’t have that much to say about it... but it’s definitely one of the more unique ones out there.

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut The design brief: “What if Twin Peaks were a late-oughts detective VN/survival horror game?” The characters: charming, funny, and frightening by turns. The story: Incredible, one of my favourite game stories ever. The main character, York, is a snarky, chainsmoking, cleverer-than-thou neurodivergent detective; you’re kind of playing as his alternate personality, Zach. Most of the game is wandering around the town of Greenvale and doing side quests to get to know the inhabitants so you can uncover the mystery of who killed Anna Graham. The gameplay: welllllllllllll... Honestly, you’ve probably heard of this game, because it’s the poster-child for triple-B jank. Everything about the gameplay is off. The combat is terrible because it was grafted onto the game at the last minute. There’s a lot of driving, with intentionally “realistic” (IE: ghastly) controls. There’s a lot of character dialogue, corny horror moments, and semi-magical detective profiling. If you like VNs, you will probably adore this game-- and I do-- but if you don’t, you probably won’t miss much. A slight warning: most of this game is a very relaxing experience, almost soothing- until it very much isn’t. There’s some disturbing content, including creative gore, explicit bigotry, and multiple major character deaths.

Dominique Pamplemousse in It’s All Over Once The Fat Lady Sings Let’s continue the claymation theme, shall we? Dominique Pamplemousse is an Extremely Indie LucasArts-style point-and-click adventure game. It’s a quirky detective musical -- most of the plot-important dialogue is sung. And of course, all the character models are claymation- they’re slightly uncanny, but IMO, in a good way. The sets have an almost Yoshi’s Crafted World feel to them. You play as the titular Dominique, a nonbinary detective who must track down a missing pop star for the CEO of a record company. But of course, this is a detective story, and nothing is as simple as it seems. This one is a little more Woke than you’re probably comfortable with-- the main character is nonbinary and it’s clearly signposted, and there is a fair bit of snarky millennial political commentary about the economy. So you, specifically, might find yourself rolling your eyes a bit. It’s definitely a product of a single creator with a particular worldview and is an extension of who they are as a person. But. But. This is a fantastic game. It’s easily one of my favourite point-and-clicks, it’s one of my favourite games of all time, and it’s well worth your time IMO. For heavens’ sakes, it’s got a puzzle you must solve by playing the bagpipes.

Cultist Simulator How do I even begin to describe this game... it’s part interactive novel, part solitaire. You play as an occultist in 1920s London, and your task is to study eldritch lore, make enough money to survive, and ultimately ascend beyond humanity. In your dreams, you climb through an alternate world called the Mansus, discovering deeper and deeper secrets, while gathering cultists (and human sacrifices!) to help you along your journey. Every story event, resource, peril, and connection you have is represented by a card on a virtual table; you organize the cards, and keeping track of them all is a vital part of the game. If you lose track of, say, a nasty lingering illness, or your eldritch-induced existential terror, you’ll lose the game. It’s a stressful experience, at times, but it’s a really fun and immersive one, especially for a game that’s entirely text-based.

Honestly if you play one game on this list make it Dandara or Cultist Sim; those games are both beautiful and well-constructed.

#video games #game reccomendations #long post #game recs #cultist simulator #dandara #phoenix point #hylics #dominique pamplemousse #deadly premonition

37 notes · View notes

theworldbrewery · 4 years

Text

how to use gaming sets in your campaign

the handbooks are great for giving you interesting items and toolkits--but unless you have XGtE, you might struggle with how to use these little sets that for all intents and purposes your players should be treating like an additional skill proficiency. employed properly, proficiency with any artisan’s tools, other set of tools (like a poisoner’s kit), musical instrument, or gaming set grants additional benefits.

If you can, I highly recommend checking out XGtE for the fleshed-out versions of these item proficiencies. But there’s something huge that the handbook is missing: how do you actually use a gaming set in your campaign?

Well, according to the little tool outline from XGtE, you can use the set proficiency for History checks (to remember historical events and people linked to it), Insight (assessing your opponent’s personality and tells when lying) and Sleight of Hand.

All of which are very cool! It gives you a great idea of how your skill with a game gives you non-gaming benefits.

However.

In my experience, people often fumble the actual in-game execution of the game the PCs are playing. They either say “I’m gambling” and give that no flavor or even an opportunity to use the very skill checks it helps them with, or they sit down for a game of Three-Dragon Ante and expect the DM to have the rules for the game ready at hand, as if they’re about to play a game of poker mid-session.

Neither of these are ideal! What we want are streamlined sets of rules that grant an element of random chance (winning vs. losing), opportunities to cheat (if the game makes it possible), and have a mechanic for stakes (usually betting on the outcome--but that can range from “I bet 4 gold I can beat you at Dragonchess” to going all-in on a single hand of Three-Dragon Ante).

Obviously, skimming past the results of the game is better when a PC is truly just trying to get some quick cash, so we can’t discount that. In such cases, it’s better to have an even quicker set of steps that apply to any gaming set.

Choose a skill such as Insight, Deception, History, or Sleight of Hand-- aided by all applicable proficiencies.

State whatever amount you’re willing to risk.

Roll your chosen skill check, contested by a skill check from your opponent(s). The higher roll is the winner.

As you can see, there’s very little flavor here. It’s fast, it’s easy to follow, and it’s simple to do with the dice you have on hand.

In general, for a more in-depth game, there should be multiple steps so players can make conversation, assess one another, and so on. It’s a good space to gather information from someone, scam a mark, or kick-start a relationship with an NPC.

Below, I outline a longer set of rules for each of the four main gaming set proficiencies: dice set, playing card set, dragonchess set, and three-dragon ante set. But of course, following the principles above, you can come up with your own rules, too.

Dice Set:

For this game, the participants bet on their ability to roll a certain number of the same result or of a sequence of results. At low risk, they may bet on a pair of fives turning up in their roll, or a 2-3-4 coming up on the dice. At higher risk, betting on a run of 2-3-4-5-6 or on rolling 5 fours is a dangerous move. You can bet based on confidence in the expected result (it’s very likely to roll 2 fives) or take a big gamble and hope it pays off (your opponent is more likely to accept a high bet against an unlikely result).

Each player takes turns rolling, so you either bet that you can make a certain roll or that your opponent can’t make theirs. A round is over (and players can cash out) once everyone has had a single turn.

Once all bets are placed, the participant rolls their dice. A standard roll is 6d6. If you are proficient with the set, you can add 1d6, increasing your odds of rolling well. You can cheat by re-rolling as many of the dice as you want and make a Sleight of Hand check to do so, contested by the perception of the other players.

If you hit your expected roll or your opponent fails to make theirs, you keep the pot.

Playing Card Set:

When using a set of playing cards, proficiency will mostly take the form of assessing the quality of your own hand and trying to assess the quality of your opponents’ hands.

For this type of game, all players start by rolling a d20 to determine the quality of their own hand. They then should state the range of their roll: Poor (1-5), Fair (6-10), Good (11-15), and Excellent (16-20), rolling persuasion or deception based on whether or not they’re lying. Players may also roll insight to determine whether another player is bluffing or not.

Bets are placed and players can choose to fold or to place their bet. Then the scores are revealed, with the highest number winning.

A player that cheats will roll an additional 1d4 and add it to their score, rolling a Sleight of Hand check to succeed in doing so and contested by Perception as usual.

Dragonchess:

Dragonchess is a cerebral, strategic game. Players take turns making moves on the board, seeking to eliminate the other player’s pieces off the board.

Instead of rolling dice or drawing cards, each player rolls an Insight check (include dragonchess proficiency if applicable) against the other player’s passive Deception score (8+Deception skill modifier+dragonchess proficiency, if applicable). This roll lets each player assess the thoughts and strategy of their opponent.

Meeting your opponent’s passive deception or beating it by 2 or less gives you a slight advantage against them; beating it by 3-5 gives you a great advantage, and beating it by 6 or more gives you a crushing advantage. If their passive beats you by 1-2 points, you are at a slight disadvantage; by 3-5 points you have a great disadvantage; and by 6 or more points a crushing disadvantage.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages: A great advantage is increased to crushing if the opponent failed the Insight check in any way, for example, but canceled out if the opponent also succeeded by 3-5 points, and reduced if the opponent succeeded by a 2 or less or met your passive deception. The 6 tiers of success/failure essentially stack against one another until one side is an obvious winner--or they cancel out completely.

The contests between Insight and Deception repeat. Whoever wins 4 contests first is the winner of the game.

Cheating is difficult in this game, but gambling is not: before you start play, agree on stakes with your opponent. Winner takes all.

Three-Dragon Ante:

In Three-Dragon Ante, a player pulls five cards from the deck and discards two. In this game, you want a low score, and it looks like this:

The person who did not deal the deck plays a card first. The card laid after that must bear a number equal to or higher than the previous card, so if Player 1 played a 4, a 4 or higher can be played next.

Let’s say Player 2 plays a 7, so Player 1 must return with a 7 or higher--but all they have is a 5 and a 6 left in their hand. In this case, they fold, and must add the remaining points in their hand to their total score. If Player 1 plays a 9, and now Player 2 cannot play their remaining cards, Player 2 is stuck with the points.

To play the game in practice, the two players each roll 5d12; the results on each d12 represent the value on the cards they pull. Discarding two of these d12 scores, the game proceeds.

Players bet either on the outcome of a single hand after they’ve rolled their dice/pulled their cards, or on the outcome of the entire game before it begins, but I prefer the former because it’s spicier.

To cheat, a player can roll Sleight of Hand to “swap a card,” or choose a different number instead of the result they rolled on one “card.” Proficiency allows the player to reroll up to 3 of the 5d12 before either player plays a card.

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #gaming sets #long post

33 notes · View notes

webmagazine · 3 years

Text

Top 12 Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online (Beginner)

Earning money has typically been associated with and restricted to the traditional ‘offline route. With the Internet taking over a large part of our lives, more people are looking for ways to earn money online to increase their financial inflows, with secondary income streams or you can say it a passive income stream

There are numerous ways to earn money online, some of these ways might be fake. Also, do not expect to earn a huge amount quickly when using online avenues to earn money.

Here are a few online platforms, websites, and tools that can help you to earn money online.

1. Become a freelancer or freelance writer

Doing freelance work can greatly increase your income. Freelancing has always been a popular way to earn money online and the Internet has several options. There are several websites offering freelance tasks for people with varying skills.

All you need to do is to create an account in any of the following websites and Get paid for every single work done. Get a great reputation and you can turn this into a full-time job.

Some freelancing websites

Upwork.com

Fiverr.com

Freelancer.com

Peopleperhour

2. Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing is one of the best ways to make Passive income online. The best part about affiliate marketing is that you can be an affiliate for nearly any company, from Shopify to Amazon to Uber to FabFitFun and You can start it at any time you want even with a 0$ cost.

Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a living by promoting other brands. This is like a symbiotic partnership. When visitors to your site buy products or services by clicking on such links, you earn out from it.

If you really want to make money online doing affiliate marketing, your best bet is to focus on content marketing and building a blog through a website.

3. Surveys, searches, and reviews

Simply answer online surveys or product tests and make money from home. You can easily make an extra $250 a month while watching T.V.

Take a look at some paid survey websites listed below. At all of these websites, you not only earn some extra cash but also get rewarded through gift vouchers, prize drawings, free products, etc. All of these sites mentioned below are free and easy to sign up and use.

Swagbucks

Survey Junkie

Opinion World

4. Start a YouTube Channel

If others can make money from YouTube, so can you. Your YouTube channel should focus on a single Specific niche so you can build a strong personal brand around your niche.

The secret to making money on youtube is to create content people want that either educates or entertains. Always adds value in people’s lives through your content.

You can use a headline that’s witty to entice people to watch, or you can use keywords that are optimized for YouTube search. Once you’ve reached the 1,000 subscriber milestone, you can officially monetize your channel with Google Adsense and Youtube ads.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the secrets of every successful Business On the web. Anyone who is serious about making money online, email marketing certainly can prove profitable. Before you even try to market anything to anyone via an email list, be sure that they’re people that subscribed and opted in willingly to you.

When you try to market to people via email, you won’t find as much success you deserve as per your work. So you have to work a little bit smartly.

What, if those email subscribers are actively and keenly interested in what you have to say, and they signed up directly through your blog or site, your rate of success will be much higher than expectations.

Email Marketing will grow your business faster than any other marketing medium! I use and recommend GetResponse

5. Build A Blog

Blogging is one of the oldest methods for making money online. People who love writing tend to start blogs with a niche focus.

One of the most exhaustive endeavors when it comes to making money online is to build a blog. But we all know that building a blog with a real readership is difficult. It takes a lot of work and time to scale in this field. You have to be consistent and patient in order to succeed in the field of Blogging.

Blogs can easily generate tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month when done right with the right strategy and content. Yes, One can even build a six or seven-figure income stream from Blogging.

6. Create Side Gigs

Create a side Gig that can help you to make money online while you keep your full-time job. If you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred dollars per month, this is a great idea to start without any investment. There are thousands of people who earn thousands of dollars from freelancing.

Use platforms like Fiverr to create gigs. When you’re new to Fiverr, you’ll want to focus on offering a low price so you could get your first Client. Treat the client like a friend and actually deliver overvalue in the form of a finished product that you can feature on the platform on your portfolio.

The thing with Fiverr is that it’s also a numbers game. If you look at top Fiverr users, you’ll see that they have multiple gigs available. The more gigs you add, the more your chances to list on the first-page increase.

7. Do Translation Work

If you need an instant way to make money Online, translation work is a fairly good niche to be in. You’ll need to be fluent in at least two languages to do this successfully or you can take the help of a Google translator.

In Starting You will need to show some proof of your ability and expertise to translate the project. If you have a language degree or experience translating text, make sure to add it to your portfolio. This will increase your chances of getting hired.

The List of Sites where you can make money online contains:

Upwork

Fiverr

People per hour

Pro Translating

8. Use Shopify To Build Your Own Online Store

When you’re desperate to make money now, sometimes the only option is to sell your stuff. If you’re unemployed and struggling to find a job, selling your possessions is one of the best ways to make money fast. You can earn money online using the links below,

You could always build your own online store using a platform like Shopify. Shopify makes it easy to build a transactional website without all the hassle, which takes much of the guesswork out of doing what some would consider a highly-complex task.

The company markets its services with being able to start selling online in seconds. In order to start, first, you have to do research work through Google Trends, After you’ve figured out stuff to sell online, start your own online store using Shopify. You’ve proven that you’ve got what it takes to be an online retailer. I believe in You, you can do that!!!

9. Sell Photos Online

Whether you’re a professional photographer or just love Clicking great and high-quality pictures, you can monetize your Skill in several ways. you could consider selling them through sites like Shutterstock and iStockPhoto, two of the biggest photo resources online to make money in an easy way.

If you’re looking for more exposure, you can use a site like a burst to sell your stuff. However, if you’re looking to monetize your phone photography quickly, you can use Foap, an Online photo Selling Website.

10. Build An Amazon FBA Business

If you want to go directly to the world’s largest online platform with an enormous audience and traffic, think about setting up a Fulfilled-by-Amazon (FBA) business. Amazon will pick, pack and ship your orders, and almost everything on your behalf. You will get exposure to unimaginable audiences to market your product.

Clearly, there’s a lot of demand on Amazon, and if any product is going to sell, it’s going to sell well on Amazon. But your products should be something that will easily sell at the world’s largest online retailer. Generally, products between $10 and $50 sell very well here, but you have to consider the competition. Do the right market research before jumping on Amazon FBA.

If you are an expert in a particular subject, you can easily earn by mentoring people online. Online tutoring provides you a platform to connect online with students of all ages, across the country to provide doubt-solving help, expert advice, and tutoring in the subjects for which you have expertise.

11. Invest in Stocks

You can also make money online by investing in equity and stocks. If you have knowledge regarding stock, you might want to skip this money making idea, No Matter if you’re new to stocks you can easily learn and from it with the help of Upstox, A brokerage Platform to invest in stocks, While they also provide you with some videos and articles, which helps you to learn about stock investing quickly.

But remember one thing it can also result in money loss if you’re inexperienced. If you currently hold a 9 to 5 job, look into your company’s financial programs and you can start it on a part-time basis.

12. Buy & Sell Domains

Do you buy domain names regularly but fail to use them?

you can still earn from your domain, yes only domain. You can try to resell them for a profit. Selling domains is ultra-competitive and large.

Every day thousands of domains are bought and sold. If you own a one-word .com domain or another domain, you’ll have a chance of selling it.

You can sell your domains by taking participating in GoDaddy’s Domain Auction. Take a look at the domains with the highest bids to see what type of domains will be sold at a high return. There is no upper-limit you can earn any amount based on your analysis and work.

#make money online #make money fast #millionaire #affiliate marketing #dropshipping #stock investing #sell photo online #amazon fba business #amazon fba #youtube #youtube channel #blogging #hosting #freelancer

1 note · View note

zippyreview-blog · 4 years

Text

Zippy Review: The Worlds 1st All-In-One Interactive Viral App

Sick of buying products that gets you nowhere? You know the ones where the sales pages are filled with BS? But then you find out there’s incomplete training on how to make it online. That stops today.

I have something cool you need to check out. A brand new app that lets you leverage… First Of It’s Kind Viral Quiz App For Traffic & Sales… Interested? If yes the you need to check this Zippy Review below!

What is Zippy?

Be honest… you’ve brought a product cause the sales pages are flashy – luxury cars, yachts, vacation spots, houses… Then you discover that the products offered are complicated.

I’ve been there. I’ve learned my lesson. So today… Billy Darr offers a refreshing software that makes it possible for newbies to crush it online. This is the easiest way for anyone to start earning passively at home

First of it’s kind viral quiz app for traffic & sales… With Zippy, you’ll work whenever you want for as long as you like. You’re in complete control. There’s been such a buzz about Billy Darr’s new software.

Others have earned loads from it. Consistent sales every week. And most of them are newbies. If you’re looking for an easy beginner friendly option to earn online. THIS is it.

You’re getting the Worlds 1st AutoPilot Viral Software that leverages viral marketing for hundreds of free viral visitors, you get the step-by-step tutorials, the quick start guide and 5 premium bonuses, worth thousands.

So how do you get ahead of the viral traffic game? Simple. Zippy is the answer. In the details, this is the first of it’s kind ultimate viral marketing software that lets you leverage the power of Quizes, Polls, Quotes and so much more!

The goal of the software is to help turn 1 visitor into 10 and 10 into 100 with power of viral marketing! Zippy is a complete solution & comes with everything you need from the software to the training & everything in between. No list, no website and no hosting is needed.

Zippy is web based which means it works on any device with a web browser. So whether that’s a Tablet, PC, Mac, Android, iPhone literally any device that has a web browser.

With Zippy, you’ll get an all in one suite that can handle just about any traffic generation task you can throw at it. Just take a look at a few of the things Zippy can do in the next parts of this Zippy Review.

Zippy Review Overview

Vendor Billy Darr

Product Zippy

Launch Date 2020-Aug-31

Launch Time 11:00 EST

Front-End Price $17

Bonuses YES, HUGE BONUS

Refund YES, 30 Days Money-Back Guarantee

Product Type Software

Support Effective Response

Official site 👉VISIT OFFICIAL SITE

Recommended Highly Recommended

Skill Level Needed All Levels

Who are the creators?

Billy Darr is a familiar name in the market recently. He is known for his excellent digital products. Some of the products that helped him succeed such as BossFunnels, Surge, Social Profit App, etc.

He always tries his best to create products that serve the needs of the user. They know him by his passion and enthusiasm for digital technology.

Recently, with the help of his colleagues Justin Opay and Dipanjan Goswami, he continued to launch a high-end digital product to serve customers.

Let’s look at the next parts of my Zippy Review to see what he has transformed into it

Features of Zippy

Einstein said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over again and expecting different results…”

That’s why the creators have put together something totally different to what you’ve ever seen before… A solution that not only gets you traffic but a solution that converts that traffic into cold hard cash.

Because let’s face it — you can’t deposit traffic into your bank account! Now what we have for you is not just another software, it’s the ultimate package to getting results online but first let me explain why you’re still stuck.

Once you understand what’s holding you back you can break through and move forward.

Everything you need to succeed is included at an affordable 1-time price!

Brand-New Zippy Software: First-Of-It’s-Kind Beginner Friendly Software Gets You Hundreds Of Free Viral Visitors In 60 Seconds In 1-Click.

Step-By-Step Video Tutorials: The included video training teaches you EXACTLY how to convert the viral traffic you get with Zippy and turn it into unstoppable sales.

Quick Start Guide: If you don’t like going through video’s don’t worry, I have you covered with a Quick Start Guide that just shows you how to fire up Zippy to get viral traffic & sales in seconds.

LIVE Chat Support: We want to offer you to have the best experience ever with Zippy. That’s why we have live chat agents waiting to assist you should you need it.

Zippy levels the playing field for the small guy who’s just starting out. It’s designed and built for the beginner to get “viral visitors”. And you can effortlessly get viral visitors without any of the following:

No Tech Skills

No Being On Camera

No Setting Up Funnels

No Previous Experience

No Paid Advertising

No Huge Budget

With this software, you will be able to create…

Quiz: Generate results based on logic and user profile

Trivia: Create a facts list

Quote: Create a customized post to convey in insight

Poll: Create a poll and ask the users what they think

Flip card: Create a flip card, click and revel back of the card

Personality: determine personality trait based on choices made

Story: Create video based story based on facebook (post, video), twitter, flicker, gist and more

News: Create a featured content using image/gif

👉VISIT OFFICIAL SITE

Zippy Review: Is it worth your money?

So… if you know that viral traffic is the bees knees when it comes to marketing, why aren’t you doing more of it? Or even if you are using it in your marketing strategies, why are you working with so many tools to get the results you’re getting?

Did you know you’re only one click away from getting hundreds of free viral visitors in as little as 60 seconds which in turn let you enjoy sales 24/7 and live a life of total freedom?

If that sounds exciting, listen up and here’s why Billy and his team have built an incredible first of its kind software that lets you harness the power of viral marketing without any of the complicated boring tech stuff. It’s literally as easy as one click

That’s where Zippy comes into play. You’ll have a ton of tools at your fingertips that replaces most of the tools you use to get free viral visitors. There’s a ton of things that Zippy can do, (which you can see at the previous parts of this Zippy Review).

Zippy gets you hundreds of free visitors that multiply leveraging the power of viral marketing. In other words, it gets you traffic which continues to increase on autopilot. It’s literally a case of set forget and laugh to the bank. This is truly a breakthrough in the marketplace

No more fiddling about with expensive software that requires a serious learning curve. All joking aside, if you’re serious about taking your traffic to another level this year, then you owe it to yourself to get a copy of Zippy while the price is incredibly low.

From my perspective, there are several reasons why you need to grab Zippy right now.

Initially, Zippy is 100% fueled by FREE traffic. Undoubtedly, traffic is considered as the lifeblood of any online businesses. If you don’t have any traffic on your website, you don’t have anybody to convert.

But with this all-inclusive system, you would absolutely say goodbye to the days of wasting your time & money for traffic. It will help you tap into hoards of free traffic as well as prevent you from spending a lot of money on buying traffic.

Besides, the software is so SIMPLE and powerful so that ANYONE, even if you are NEW to this whole “internet software”, you can use this software and get results.

To make sure you can maximize the ability of Zippy, it offers you the detailed training that helps you discover all of the ins and outs of the system. Especially, you also get atraining that shows you how to make real money.

But that’s not all. You will be shocked when you know its price that I will tell you in the next part. The vendors offer you a gigantic discount in comparison with what it contains. Believe me, this is definitely cost-effective and worth money investment for you.

Right now however, Zippy is available at a serious discount so you’ll want to head over and check it out before the time runs out and the price goes up.

You’re probably thinking that this unique first of its kind viral software is very expensive and you’d be right to think that. Considering most life-changing software not only started around $97 but typically have a monthly fee too, so it would be fair to charge you at least $97 a month for this…

But today you won’t be paying $97/Month. You won’t even be paying $67/month, not even $47/month. When you act during the limited launch period, you won’t be paying monthly at all.

In fact they’re going to give you an amazing bargain which means today you can get in for a one-time price without any monthly fees. It’s literally less than the price of a large pizza.

And it gets better when you act now, you’ll also get five brand new premium bonuses worth thousands absolutely free.

Pricing

For a limited time, you can grab Zippy with early bird discount price in these options below. Let’s pick the best suited options for you before this special offer gone!

Front-end: Zippy ($17)

Brand-New Zippy Software – Worth $197/Month

Step-By-Step Video Tutorials – Worth $297

Quick Start Guide – Worth $197

Live Chat Support – Priceless

Bonus #1: 1K A Day LIVE Invite – Worth $1,997

Bonus #2: $268 Discount Coupon – Worth $268

Bonus #3: Agency Licence – Worth $497

Bonus #4: 25x DFY Campaigns – Worth $497

Bonus #5: $100 A Day Case Study – Worth $297

365-Day Money Back Guarantee

Gets Results Or Get Paid $300!

OTO 1: Unlimited Edition ($29)

The Unlimited Edition Gets You Unlimited Free Viral Traffic & Sales

With The Unlimited Edition You Can Get Viral Traffic From A Total Of 20 Different Sources

You’ll Get Special Access So You Can Create An Account For Your Friends & Family

There Is No Usage Or Others Restrictions When You Get Unlimited

Unlock Additional Tutorials That Let You Easily Achieve 4-Figures A Day

If You Can’t Scale Up With This Special Upgrade Just Let Us Know & They’ll Send You $500 For Wasting Your Time

OTO 2: Done-For-You Edition – $197

They’ll Setup Everything For You There’s Literally Nothing For You To Do

Then They’ll Ensure The Traffic They Drive Actually Turns Into Sales

Once They’ve Setup Everything For You The Next Thing They’ll Do Is Drive Viral Traffic For You

They’ll Tell You Which Products Produce Sales On AutoPilot & Convert Like Ferocious Wildfire

They’ll Also Include Our Private Rolodex Which Is Worth Its Theyight In Gold

And They’re So Confident That If You’re Lucky Enough To Grab This You’ll Get Results And If You Don’t They’ll Personally Send You $1,000 For Wasting Your Time

OTO 3: Automation Edition – $39

Add the “Automated” edition to your order so you can get autopilot traffic with Zippy and can enjoy making money while you sleep.

The “AutoPilot” Edition Lets You Automate Zippy So You Can Enjoy Traffic & Sales While You Sleep

You’ll Unlock The AutoPilot Function So You Can Experience REAL Automated Traffic 24/7/365

With The Automation Edition You Also Unlock Traffic From Even More Sources..

To Ensure You Know What Todo To Automate The Entire Process Step-By-Step Video Tutorials Will Be Included So You Can Make Money Fast

You’ll Also Get The Rights To Sell The Agency Rights To Others So You Can Make Even More Money

OTO 4: Reseller Edition – $39

How would you like to make 100x times more money from Zippy than the average customer who buys it? The ability to make back 100x times what you’ve spent on Zippy so far?

Now imagine sending people to this exact funnel that you’re going through… imagine them buying products through it just like you have done. But… Instead of me getting money, you keeping all of the money for yourself…

That’s what we’re offering you a proven sales system without doing any of the boring, complicated and expensive tech stuff.

Steal Zippy For Yourself – $9,997 Value

100% Commissions On Everything – $2,997 Value

Leverage Our Marketing Material – $9,997 Value

Ready-Made Sales kit – $4,997 Value

Get Results Or Get Paid $500 – $500 Value

Keep 100% Of All The Money – $9,997 Value

Bonus #1: Affiliate Robot Software – $497 Value

Bonus #2: Affiliate Funnel App – $997 Value

OTO 5: ATM Edition – $197

Their Team Of Experts Will Personally Setup The “100 Dollar Daily Method” For You From A To Z… All You Need To Do Is Grab A Copy Of The ATM Edition Right Now..

They’ll Do All Of The Work For You, Just Sit Back, Chill Out And Watch Traffic And Commissions Roll In Every Day…

If You’ve Ever Wanted Hands-Free Sales & Profits Then This Is It. Imagine Not Doing Any Work Whatsoever Then Logging Into Your Commission Account To See Cold Hard Cash How Amazing Would That Feel?

You Can Do What Your Enjoy Most, While Their Experts Ensure They Do All The Setup For You So You Can Sit Back, Relax And Get Paid Big Time…

Fast Action Bonus: You’ll Get Instant Message Access Directly To Billy And His Support Team To Ensure You Make Money With This Program… This Has $20,000 Value

Zippy Review Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading my Zippy Review. I really hope it did help you with your buying decision. This system is coming out with many bonuses for the early bird. Take your action ASAP for the best deal.

REMEMBER! If you purchase through my link, you will be supported 24/7; That means you can contact me ANYTIME when you get trouble in using or can not contact with the authors/ product supporters. I will help you RIGHT AWAY!

Besides, if you buy this product through my link, you can also get these huge bonuses below (Please remember that these bonuses are not for the TRIAL or FREE versions):

👉VISIT OFFICIAL SITE

You can have an opportunity to receive extra bonuses if you finish 3 steps below:

Step 1: Order the product by Clicking here.

Step 2: Choose 1 of my huge Bonus Packages below! Remember that you can pick one more bonuses pack for each Upgrade you purchased!

Step 3: After your purchase goes through, email your receipt & your chosen bonuses pack to me at [email protected] so I can confirm your purchase and email you information about how to access to your bonus material.

I Will Always Update New Bonus

Now, Check your bonus below!

»»Plugin Bonus Package««

»»Theme Bonus Package««

»»General Bonus Package««

Read more related articles:

LIVIO Review: New App Lets You Start Exploiting 2 Billion Potential Buyers For Limitless FREE Traffic…

Abracadabra Review: New Traffic Siphon Is Like”Magic” & Get Results In Only 5 Steps..

Thank you again for reading my Zippy review & bonus

#zippy #zippy review #zippy billy darr #zippy oto #zippy demo #zippy billy darr review

1 note · View note

tanadrin · 5 years

Text

Notes toward an MMOCKSPP(SO)RPG

i.e., “a moderately multiplayer offline crusader-kings style pen and paper (sort of) roleplaying game”

Provisional Title: Terra Vetus, bc Latin makes things Cool and Medieval Sounding (better suggestions welcome)

Design goal: Something that can be run either in an in-person multiplayer session, or (more realistically) online via a subreddit or Discord server; that satisfies the itch for diplomacy and strategy and cooperation; while encouraging roleplaying; and that supports a large number of players--say, well north of a dozen. A secondary design goal is to make most elements of the game publicly tracked and recorded; because I expect a large number of players, the potential for disputed outcomes the GM(s) must resolve, and a degree of complicated gameplay, it’s important that GMs and other players can go back and check if something feels off, whether due to malice or simple player error. However, if an error is discovered, especially if it’s a minor error more than a couple of turns in the past, it’s not necessarily important to ensure it’s corrected even if that would greatly disrupt the flow of play. More major errors, and things like intentional cheating, should be corrected or punished at GM discretion.

The major gameplay elements are character building and roleplaying; empire management; warfare (mostly strategic, some tactical); personal combat; laws and religion; and, of course, diplomacy.

The following notes do not constitute a complete ruleset. All numbers are extremely tentative, where given. Suggestions, comments, criticism, and other forms of constructive feedback welcome.

1. Game world

The game world is the physical representation of all the lands players control, the locations of their armies and important characters, and of big political organizations like realms and organized religions. There is not a single fixed map: rather, I envision that either the organizers of a game (”GM(s)”) or the players as a whole will discuss and decide on what kind of map they want. It could be a hex grid map, or a map divided into PDS-style “provinces.” These rules should work equally well with either.

[a simple hex map via http://hextml.playest.net/blank.html]

[the eastern Mediterranean in EU4]

At the start of the game, after players have created their characters and decided on how many holdings (i.e., provinces or hexes) they’ll start with, they should take turns selecting their starting holdings on the map. GMs can and should encourage players to start close to one another, to encourage interaction and to leave any blank spaces at the edge of the map for later-joining players, if that’s a thing you want to happen. More on character creation in a bit.

After starting positions are worked out, there is a “free” round of diplomacy, where players work out what the starting configuration of realms will be. During this round, players who want to cooperate as one kingdom or empire can swear fealty to a common overlord; vote on what they want their realm laws to be (more on Laws later); choose their realm’s official religion (more on Religions later), and so forth. When this round is done, the game is ready to start.

2. Basic gameplay

Each round of play represents 1 month of in-game time. Three months are one season; four seasons are one year. The seasons, in order, are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Whether in-person or online, I recommend simply ending a round at a fixed time; say, one day of real life is equal to one round; or twenty minutes, or whatever length of time is convenient for players and for the setup you’ve chosen.

At the beginning of a turn, if it’s the first turn of a new year, every player gets their annual income from rents and taxes on land they own directly. They can then take basic actions.

There are two kinds of actions: military actions (troop movement and the like) and diplomatic actions (deals and discussions between players). Diplomatic actions can take place at any time. Any deals or negotiations between players resolve as soon as players want them to: instantly, or at the end of the turn, or at some agreed-on date in the future. The exception is any deal involving the transfer of land.

Military actions resolve at the end of the turn (only after military actions have resolved do land transfers take effect). Military actions involve ordering armies to move around. They also involve player movement (every player has a position on the map). Armies can move 3 provinces/hexes a turn; 2 if they cross a major river or enter or move through hills; 1 if they enter or move through mountains. If 2 hostile armies are in the same province/hex at the end of the turn, then under normal circumstances a battle will be fought between them.

Only when all movement is resolved, all battles are over, and all other recordkeeping actions for the turn are over, does the next turn begin.

3. Holdings

Holdings are lands you administer, not through any vassal, but as direct owner. Your peasants and serfs work the land; you tax the surplus they generate, and use it to fund your various activities. You can give land to vassals, improve it to improve your economic situation, or conquer it from other players.

Each holding is one map hex or province. Holdings have 3 main statistics: size, population, and efficiency. Size is the maximum productivity of the holding, an abstract measure of land under cultivation and other useful economic activities like cottage industry and resource gathering. Population is the measurement of the available workforce of peasants/serfs/commoners. Efficiency is a measure of any bonus or malus to production from any source (default 100%).

In addition to the actual population, each holding has an ideal population. The ideal population is the size*100. If the size of the population is less than the ideal population, the holding can’t produce its full amount of income. Holding population increases by 2% per year (applied in spring, after rents are paid), up to a maximum of twice the ideal population. Ideal population can also be temporarily increased by “labor costs,” which denote labor being diverted to things like holding improvements. These are represented by a temporary increase in the holding’s ideal population, usually for a set number of years. Labor costs can’t increase a holding’s maximum population.

Holdings can be improved by investing money and/or labor (usually labor, sometimes both). Improvements can increase the efficiency of holdings, their rate of population growth, the quality and number of levies you can raise from holdings in times of war, and so forth. A full list of holding improvements should be made in an appendix.

As the source of the mostly-untrained fighting men in your armies, you can raise the population of a holding as a levy. Levy units require 100 population each. You can’t raise more levies than a holding has Size (a pop 600 size 4 holding can only raise 4 levies normally, despite the surplus population). Raising any levies during autumn or winter will cause a -10% penalty to your holding’s income efficiency for that year. You also have to pay upkeep for levies. If you can’t pay the upkeep, your levies disband. The amount of money it costs to keep a levy raised for a month should be around 20% of the base income of a holding, to encourage careful planning of military campaigns. Right now I assume that you earn about 100 livres a year from a size 1 population 100 holding.

The formula for holding income is:

Size of holding * ( Population of holding / ideal population ) * Efficiency

with the middle term being capped at 100%.

If a military unit is destroyed (not merely defeated, but eradicated in battle), the holding it was raised from loses 100 population.

As a rule of thumb, military holding improvements should be quite expensive; even modest holding improvements probably aren’t a positive sum investment until a few years after they’re built.

4. Knights

Knights are a kind of NPC resource. They represent petty feudal subjects, who form the core of highly-trained elite fighting forces, both cavalry and men at arms.

Knights are created in holdings you control. To create a knight, you grant them land; this has the effect of reducing holding size by 1 (and therefore ideal population by 100), so you can’t do it in a holding of size 1. Knights provide less income--10% of the ordinary amount, so 10 livres a year--but in return they allow you to raise 1 unit of elite soldiers. By default, this is a unit of men-at-arms. You can improve knights’ estates, to change the kind or improve the quality of these units, and maybe mitigate some of the loss of income further.

Knights have their own persistent identities and traits. When you create a knight, you’ll roll up one or two personality traits. You can name your knights. They earn XP: every battle they’re on the winning side of nets them 1 XP, and you can use this to buy military traits for them (up to 3 traits). If a Knight’s unit is destroyed, instead of losing population, the Knight in question is captured by the enemy. You can’t raise the unit again until you ransom the Knight.

If a knight is killed, the land either reverts to you; or you can install a successor of the same line, with new personality traits and no XP. Lists of possible traits for Knights (and other minor NPCs) to come.

5. Battles

Combat is designed to be fairly simple, although still interesting on a tactical level; right now terrain is not a major factor, but I’m open to including that later. Combat is also designed to minimize random elements, to make strategic choices more important, and to minimize the possibility of disputes about how it should be resolved (which I think is important, given I envision lots of players, and GMs being kept busy).

Every unit--knight or levy--has three statistics: its strength, its morale, and a bonus Skirmish value. Strength is ordinary combat effectiveness in a pitched battle. Morale is a defensive value: how long the unit can remain in combat while suffering casualties. Skirmish normally functions as a flat bonus to Strength; but if the unit is ranged (like Archers), it can use its Skirmish value to attack without the possibility of retaliation, if defended by another unit.

Units are grouped into armies for movement on the map. Armies are organized into lines, which are divided into rows. The first row is units in the front line; the second and following rows are units held in reserve. When an army isn’t in combat, you can rearrange it freely. When an army enters combat, its arrangement is normally fixed.

In battle, the armies are centered on each other; each unit can ordinarily attack only the unit directly across from it (unless they’re Maneuverable). Units have three abilities: Harass, Engage, Retreat. A front row unit with a greater Skirmish value than the unit it’s attacking can Harass that unit. This deals damage equal to half the Skirmish value rounded down (so a difference of 1 Skirmish is useless), to the morale of the enemy unit, without the possibility of retaliation. Engage means two units enter combat at close quarters. They deal their full Strength value in damage to the enemy unit’s morale. If at any time a unit’s Morale hits zero, it enters Retreat. A unit that’s Retreating, if it has any unit behind it in the line, moves to the back of the line; all other units in the line move up 1 row. When a unit has been retreating for 2 turns, it’s removed from the battle. If a unit is dealt full Morale damage again while retreating, it is Destroyed. It is removed from the game; if it’s a Knight unit, that Knight is captured. If it’s a Levy, the Holding from which it was raised loses 100 population.

Battles have three repeating phases: harass, engage, regroup. All units that can, harass; all units that can engage, engage; then you put units into retreat that have lost their morale, remove destroyed units, and begin the next harass phase. Units will always attack the facing unit, unless there is no facing unit and they can attack units to one side. If they can attack units to one side, they will attack the inner unit first, and then the outer unit if there is no inner unit. Ranged units on the second row attack using their Skirmish value, and take no damage in return. Ranged units further back can’t attack.

The exception to the deterministic nature of battle is if an army is commanded by a Player Commander. Player Commanders are physically present on the battlefield. They are represented by a special unit Players can always raise, their Personal Guard. Various player traits can affect the combat effectiveness of their Personal Guard, or even entire armies. Player commanders can 1) choose to alter the attack priorities of maneuverable units, and during the regroup phase 2) move units side-to-side along the same row, if space is available, 3) switch the order of two adjacent units in a column (a unit can only be moved in this way once per turn), or 4) order a unit or units to enter Retreat prematurely (this still makes them vulnerable to being Destroyed). Otherwise, as stated, the way an army is arranged can only be changed out of battle.

Units can have special abilities, like Ranged or Maneuverable; Knights who have earned military traits will increase the effectiveness of the units they command. All relevant traits should be provided in an appendix.

6. Laws

Players can group together into Realms. Realms usually have 1) a monarch, and 2) a number of Laws. Laws, created by the valid legislature of the realm (the monarch, the privy council, the Estates, or some other body), govern how the realm is organized. They create obligations for vassals in the realm. Vassals can violate those obligations, and the game doesn’t automatically enforce adherence to the Laws, but this is where roleplay comes in. Loyal vassals and the monarch might band together to punish disloyal vassals. Monarchs might demand a vassal be imprisoned for their crimes. Even executed, to force a succession.

Realms can contain other realms. If you have, say, four players organized into a Duchy, with one player Duke and three player Counts, that constitutes one Realm with its own laws. The duchy might be part of a Kingdom, with several other Dukes and Counts, and a ruling King overseeing them. The Kingdom will have its own laws. Vassals of the Duchy by default have the right of appeal to the Duke’s superior; and the Kingdom’s laws supersede the Duchy’s if there’s any explicit conflict between them.

Laws control how titles pass from one officeholder to the next; how taxes are allocated; what obligations in times of war might be; who the valid legislating body for the kingdom is; and so forth. This is essentially a nomic minigame, but many suggested laws will be provided in an appendix. A default setup for a standard feudal kingdom might look like this:

Elective succession: the next king is chosen by the immediate vassals of the king when the old king dies.

Privy council: the kingdom has a Privy Council, consisting of powerful vassals. The King can make laws, but the Privy Council can veto them by a majority vote.

Taxation: All nobles pay a tax of 10% of their income to the kingdom’s coffers.

War: Feuds between nobles are disallowed; immediate vassals of the king can’t go to war with each other (they can still declare war on outside powers).

Laws can also carve out explicit privileges for certain nobles or certain officeholders or certain holdings.

At the start of the game, when organizing player Realms, the default legislature is the Estates, a general gathering of all the nobles of the realm where simple majority rule prevails.

Minor nobles, even independent ones, controlling 2 holdings or less, start with a default set of laws, under which they cannot change succession and most other laws without the approval of a superior lord, or their religious head (if one exists). If they have no superior lord, they’ll be stuck with the default laws for the forseeable future.

7. Religion

Religious principles are a little like Laws, but in addition to organizing your religion, they also cover dogmas (general metaphysical beliefs that usually have little impact beyond roleplaying) and ethics (guidelines of behavior that should have big importance for roleplaying). Purely organizational laws are called Canons.

The available religions and their features can be created in advance by the GMs; or players can invent their own during setup. Religions will have a head (who may or may not be a major landholder in their own right), and may have internal organization like autocephalous churches, ecclesiastical provinces, bishoprics, and so forth. Much of this will be down to how you organize your religions. Some player traits and qualities interact with religion. If, for instance, you’re playing an avowed heretic, other players can and should treat you differently, especially if they are playing very pious characters. Some religious traits can have impacts on how your armies fight; can grant bonuses to your holding income; and can grant you other personal bonuses. Religious principles with a gameplay effect should cost points, and be chosen at game start via a point-buy system.

8. Player Character

Last but not least! Your in-game agent, for which you should develop a name, a background, a political and social position, and for which you should choose a number of positive and negative traits. At character creation you can also invest in additional holdings for more points, or higher starting wealth.

All players have a rank. Your starting rank will be determined in part by how players choose to organize their realm--you might get lucky and be elected King at the start of the game, for instance. Rank is a fairly abstract quality, though: as in history, a nominal Emperor might not control that much land; a Duke might rule the territory of a King. A general rule of thumb here is that Duke or better titles generally have to be legitimized by a nearby superior, like a King or Emperor, or by a religious head. You might be claimant to a title you don’t possess; the legitimacy of that claim will be determined by other players, not by specific mechanics. Coming up with flavorful in-character variations on noble titles within a realm might be a good way to add color to the game world: as in the real world, a French Comte was equivalent to an English Earl or a German Graf.

Players can purchase equipment to improve their personal combat effectiveness. One-on-one player combat (duels) is governed by the system outlined here. Certain traits may improve or reduce how good you are at dueling. It may also be desirable to let players improve their Personal Guard through equipment they can purchase directly.

Players can earn different kinds of XP. Winning battles gives you martial XP you can spend on making yourself a more effective commander. Fulfilling religious goals (determined by your religion’s Ethics) gives you a religious XP you can spend on related traits--or which you can use to found new heresies. (Religious heads can use them instead to reform religious doctrines, if the religion allows for that sort of thing.) Administrative XP is earned by completing administrative tasks in your holdings that increase income efficiency and population growth, and reduce the cost of improvements. Even if you are (say) a landless character who starts pretty poor, it should be possible to make yourself useful to other players as an experienced commander, administrator, or advisor.

Of course, you will eventually die. You will lose all your traits, you may lose some titles depending on the Laws governing them, and you may lose holdings associated with those titles. But your wealth, independently held holdings, and your remaining titles will go to your heir. Your heir can be another player, but usually it will be someone in your family: your family being a collection of NPCs that act as a kind of resource, like Knights, but for the domestic political side of things.

You can marry an NPC--either a specific NPC in your realm, or a randomly generated NPC. Every month you’re married, you have a chance to have a child. You can change succession laws like any other law; but by default, your oldest child is your heir. The chance of children goes down based on how many children you already have, your age, how many spouses you have (if your religion allows some form of polygamy), and based on traits. Mothers can’t bear more than 1 child in the same 12-month period.

9. Wanted rules

Naval combat

Sieges

Marrying or hiring other players’ NPCs

Making Knights of family members

Other minor NPCs (monks and priests? advisors?)

Treaties to conclude wars

Ways of declaring war (possibly unlimited?)

Detailed army movement; how they’re affected by forts

Plots and murder

Rules for landless player characters

Rules for dynastic extinction

Rules for non-dynastic succession (optional, use only if you are really sure you want a player to, for instance, always play as a religious head or the leader of a republic)

Special resources and commerce (n.b., all money in this game is a unit of account representing the value of revenues paid in kind; not sure whether this should even be added, though it should add an element of map control that could be fun)

Castellans: knightlike NPCs or PCs, who pay 90% (instead of 10) (player castellans pocket difference as salary) and whose traits can be used to boost holding income or levy quality or w/e

Privy council offices you can stick minor NPCs or PCs in that can give you realm-wide bonuses, & can give those characters XP increases they can spend on traits.

Challenging people to duels

Extramarital affairs & illegitimate children

Blood feuds, court cases (outlawry??)

10. Wanted lists

Purchasable items

Special items (e.g., religious relics); ways of distributing them

Holding improvements

Peasant levy types

Elite unit types

Knightly estate improvements

Personal guard improvements

Laws

Religious principles

Player character traits

NPC traits (for knights, spouses, children)

Terrain modifiers (optional)

Naval levies (require directly owned harbors; you can hire other players’ ships)

Special resources (if included)

Poisons

Combat stances and ability cards (for duels)

#terra vetus #v rough draft

25 notes · View notes

gamersonthego · 4 years

Text

Matt Giguere’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

Handheld gaming is in a weird spot. Beyond the plethora of mobile devices running iOS or Android and the app store fronts they offer; the handheld market has now been distilled down to one major device in 2019. Lo and behold, Nintendo, once again sits alone on the hill. While the Switch has seen great gains in maintaining a constant flow of software on its platform, the vast majority of their releases are either mobile ports or older games from generations past. It is amazing on how much has been released so far, but what makes a handheld game a “handheld game” now anyway? When your choice can be a small bite sized game like BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! or a massive single player game like Tales of Vesperia, there really isn’t much of a difference what a handheld platform can offer compared to the home consoles for the types of games that can be played. As the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita sunset into their legacy years, there seems to be a wider line on what can be considered a handheld game.

Nintendo did release a portable only version of the Switch this year, dubbed the SwitchLite. Considering that most of my playtime has been in handheld mode, I picked one up shortly after release. After a few months of playtesting, I think this will be my go-to system for the foreseeable future. I adore the form factor size. The original Switch still works great for quick pick up and play in my home, but I find the new model easier to hold in my hands and store away when I’m travelling. The dedicated directional pad, as opposed to separate buttons because of the nature of the detachable joy-cons, is a big selling point for the myriad of 2D platformers now on the system. I sometimes miss the “HD Rumble” feedback that had to be cut, but that is a small gripe. If you don’t care for playing games on the big screen in a higher resolution and varying framerate, I highly recommend picking this dedicated handheld up.

Admittedly, a lot on my best of 2019 list are games that can be enjoyed on the big screen, especially with the convenience of the Switch’s hardware. Of the games I played this year, I think this smattering represents a healthy dose of what managed to present a case that gaming on the go is still well alive and ever changing.

Top 10 of 2019 or the Hollow Knight Memorial List*

*Sometimes when making a top list our favorite thing came out in a different year or is so clearly ahead it is a lock of number 1 across every critic. This year Hollow Knight from Team Cherry captivated me like nothing else that released this year. Alas, this game came out in 2017. So instead of placing it on my official list for 2019, it takes the honor of being my list’s name. This Metroidvania style exploration platformer is full of surprises, sometimes subverting my expectations when I thought there wasn’t anything left to uncover. If you have a Switch, I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite games in the genre since Metroid: Fusion.

10. My Friend Pedro (Switch, Xbox One, PC)

An action, score-based shooter that I’ve had my eye on for years since seeing the gif put out by publisher Devolver Digital and developer Dead Toast Entertainment. The nature of this very tricky to pull off and even harder to master game lies in its focus on style. Moving across short levels on a 2-D plane, you must, roll, spin, flip, kick, skate, and, of course, kill combo as many enemies to place a high score and a top rank. While there is a story to keep the drive of the game moving forward, I wouldn’t say that should be the guiding factor to check this out. Rather, I found the quick get up and quick play of a level or two perfect for on the go gaming. Once the controls click, this game really delivers on its promised “Bananas” style.

9. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC)

“What if Hitman, but a Goose?” is probably the most quoted pitch heard for this small, but very charming game by developer House House. In it you play as, well, a goose who terrorizes a small town from every front. From untying shoes so people trip to locking helpless victims in garages, no one is safe from this feathered menace! Okay, so the Hitman comparison is apt, minus the extreme brutality, for this sandbox-lite adventure. The best I can compare it to is an interactive toy; one that is unique in how the player can approach a situation and explore the possibilities of what can and will happen within the rules of the program. It might not have the deep experimentation of a larger game of its kind, but I found its calm and lighthearted nature makes this a very stress-free experience, especially when you are the one dealing out all the harassment.

8. SteamWorld Quest (Switch, PC)

I don’t normally go for card-based RPGs, but when Image & Form provide a new adventure in the SteamWorld universe, I had to check it out. This might be the one that changed my mind, because after several turns, I was hooked. The adventure itself keeps things relatively jovial with plenty of jokes and wit to keep the story moving forward. It can be easy to stick to one group of characters, a limit of three per battle, but I find more enjoyment in the battle system when different combinations are put into play. The battle system also provides linked combos that offer bonuses and stringing cards together in a row also adds more to the strategy. Building a potent strategy is where I found the most engagement in this RPG, and all the trappings around the edges made this one stand out in my mind. A good starting point in the genre for those curious.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

A tough logic puzzler I think goes the extra mile with its charm and style. You play as Baba. Or, rather, Baba is you, or a wall, or section of water, or a skull, or... well you get the point. The goal in each stage is to reach the “Win.” What is the “Win?” Most of the time it is a flag, but really it can be anything. Using a simple push function mechanic that many top-down puzzlers have used before, the twist comes in that you can have these sentence blocks to push around and affect the game’s logic. For example, if the winning object is out of reach by a wall that forces you stop (“Wall is Stop”) you can push one of the sentence blocks away so you can pass through the wall. Even making a sentence to “You is Win” will also result in a victory. The difficulty can be a bit stiff, but I would often find myself just thinking about a stuck puzzle while out and about and think of the solution as a sort of epiphany. Even when getting stuck on a tricky brain teaser, the game offers multiple paths so you can keep progressing through. Certainly, Baba Is You has been on my mind since first playing it.

6. What The Golf? (Apple Arcade, PC, Switch TBD)

If Desert Golf is the pinnacle zen of the golf sport genre, What The Golf? embodies its “party mindset.” Yes, it is golf, and yet, it becomes something more than just golf. Sometimes you will find yourself having to hop across a very familiar level. Other times you will have to coordinate trick shots while being an exploding barrel. And sometimes, there’s just good old-fashioned bowling. What The Golf? will keep you on your toes, especially if you are fond of video games released prior to this. I won’t spoil some of the surprises in store, but some of them had me in stitches from laughing so hard. It would be nice to fully outright buy this game on the iOS App Store, but for now, a subscription to Apple Arcade is the only way to play this on the go.

5. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch, Apple Arcade, PS4, PC)

Another Apple Arcade exclusive for mobile (you can also buy it on the Switch at this time), this one showcasing music and style. If there is one thing that counts in making an impression on me, it’s presentation. Sayonara Wild Hearts is described as a pop album video game; one you experience as much as you listen to. The format seems simple at first. Guide your character along the track and collect different items for points to rank a high score while also dodging obstacles. Soon though, things start to mix up as fast as the soundtrack’s BPMs start to pump up. While the touch controls are adequate, I think for certain spots, a physical controller would have been nice. However, there are movements that are far easier to pull off using a touch interface, such as time hits reminiscent of music games like Elite Beat Agents. This gem of a game needs to be experienced at least once, not only for the wonderful soundtrack, composed by Daniel Olsen and Jonathan Eng and featuring Linnea Olsson on vocals, but also to see the twists and turns the game takes. This little game surprised the hell out of me, and I think it will be one that I will revisit again based on its production.

4. Ape Out (Switch, PC)

Sometimes we all need to get out. Especially when you are an ape stuck in a cage. That’s the conceit of the top-down, twin stick, hyper violent, and super stylized game, Ape Out. There is one goal: Be the ape and get the hell out! The concept is very rudimentary which I feel allows the game to shine. You will have to run, dodge, grab and toss enemies to reach the exit while the only advantage is being able to take three hits before going down. Enemies have guns that the player can’t use in the typical way. Instead, grabbing a foe allows one immediate shot to be fired from the grappled target. Used strategically, it can get you out of a lot of close calls. Other enemies can have bombs or body armor to keep this from being too repetitive and thanks to the game’s art style, they all look distinct so there’s no confusion on who you are fighting. Levels are procedurally generated as well, so even thinking on memorizing enemy patterns doesn’t always work. The fluorescent color palette and very minimalist style, like that of a Saul Bass movie poster, highlights the chaos and violence without making it too gross or unappealing. Even the soundtrack is minimalistic, utilizing only jazz percussion that plays out dynamically as the action plays out in real time. A feast for the eyes and a challenge on the thumbs.

3. Katana Zero (Switch, PC)

Taking a page from one hit kill action games like Hotline Miami, Katana Zero plays out at first like a typical note from the genre, right down to its ‘80s aesthetic. You clear room after room of enemies, slashing with your katana, wall jumping to high points, and focusing time to slow down and either dodge or reflect projectiles. A lot of this game is a throwback thanks to its choice of graphics, 2D platforming and story points from movies like Drive and Leon: The Professional. It is thanks to the presentation that makes this game shine for me. The story, music, graphics and gameplay presentation are what makes Katana Zero so high on my list. Clearing rooms is fast paced and quick, with messing up only taking several seconds to get back into the fray. While the loop of the game can get a bit repetitive, there are plenty of surprises that change up the standard formula of the game as you progress. The story does a nice job of not only driving things forward, but also tying in gameplay concepts into the narrative. The music is a healthy blend of synthwave and some very heavy and experimental electronic tunes (one that I’ve had on repeat most of the year). The overall games is fairly short and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but there are speedrunning modes and secrets to uncover from replaying. Katana Zero stands as one of the best independent games this year.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

There was a time when Fire Emblem was on the ropes, becoming a lagging franchise that was not connecting with strategy enthusiasts on the home consoles. Then in 2013, things changed with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening on the 3DS. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems had intended that game to be the last in the series. Instead, we got another 3 (and 1/2) games released on the 3DS this past decade. Now it’s time to pass the torch onto the Switch and boy did they deliver on a packed adventure! Instead of just following one or two paths like most FE campaigns, Three Houses offer up to four different story playthroughs that each roughly takes about 50 hours or more to complete. There is also a vast amount of customization thanks to the setting being centered around a military school and teaching classes. If you love watching meters and bars fill up, there are tons of those to be had in Three Houses. Even though not every aspect is well thought out (the amiibo gazebo comes to mind, even though it is the best named mechanic), the cast of characters and support conversations (all fully voice acted) provide some rich storytelling from a character development standpoint. Do check out this game as it is one of the best in the series.

1. Tetris 99 (Switch)

“Where are we dropping, Blocks?” In a personal first for me, a multiplayer game has taken my number one spot. Tetris 99 is just that. Tetris. However, it’s you versus 98 other players in a battle royal style completion. Released as a free download to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it now has multiple versions that can be bought as well. Thanks to constant updates and weekend tournaments, the online community is still strong, so finding matches is quick and painless. Playing against such a wide number of challengers turns the typical Tetris strategy on its head. Racking up combos instead of quickly clearing lines, for example, is one way to secure victory, but leaving too many gaps and holes can prove disastrous if you suddenly become the target of a handful of players. Even though I have yet to secure a 1st place finish, the nature of Tetris keeps me coming back for more. Whether it’s facing against bots, friends, marathoning solo or playing the featured battle royal, this is a fun version of Tetris to be had.

#matt giguere #goty #gotggoty2019 #my friend pedro #untitled goose game #steamworld quest #baba is you #what the golf #sayonara wild hearts #ape out #katana zero #Fire Emblem Three Houses #tetris 99

2 notes · View notes

justepilepsy · 5 years

Note

Hi! I was wondering if you or your followers know of anywhere I could find info on flashing in games (like how movie health community does for film)? More specifically, Nintendo 3ds/switch games. I’m an avid 3DS player, but I never know which games are safe :/ thanks for your time, and I hope you are doing well!

Hi anon!

Unfortunately there are barely reliable sources on this and I struggle with this as well. In general I have a rough rule of thumb were I assume that games that were released by a Japanese company tied to Nintendo post 1999 (post pokemon porygon episode) are usually a bit more timid in their effects. However this is more a subjective wishful thought on my part.

While researching the topic of photosensitive triggers in media for my thesis I came across:

https://videogameseizures.wordpress.com/about/

A blog whose owner does feed footage of games to the harding test and sees the results. However obviously their blog does not cover all releases.

Also for e. G. Breath of the wild I find myself safest when I avoid playing intensely during I game thunder storms and adjusting my battle strategy so I don't have to much flashing.

I can also from experience discourage from trying naruto fighting games and the like. (one of them for the gamecube gave me a seizure).

I play a lot and mainly Nintendo games as well and I haven't found a good way as to really identify games because there seems to be always situations in game that could be a potential trigger.

Out of principle:

I tend to avoid first person games, shooters, rythm games (guitar hero). I also highly discourage the use of VR technology. Despite all efforts made to reduce the motion sickness in neurotypical people, I think it's safe to assume this technology will forever be unsafe for us.

Games like Fire Emblem work well for me as the turn based system allows me to rest and pace the events to what I can take.

Also I don't recommend Kid Icarus Uprising. I adored the concept but there's a world that has a LOT of pink nd blue patterns in combination with the weird motion and camera. It's a disaster.

Top down games are usually fairly good in my experience as well (harvest moon, fantasy life, animal crossing).

I try to avoid horror due to jump scares and the popular use of strobes and light effects in that genre.

In other terms I can only recommend googling the game title and asking friends who've played the game for their opinion.

It's a flawed system but due to the lack of consistent regulations on video games in this area we have basically nothing to go off with.

I'm going to have to further look at it when I can. Maybe I can find something new related to the subject area.

#Actually epileptic #Answers ask #Anon ask #This area of my thesis was frustrating to research

2 notes · View notes

eljackinton · 5 years

Text

Jack's End of Year Video Game Rundown

It's the start of a brand new year, that means it's time again for me to waffle a bit about the games I played and what I thought of them.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag/Rogue

I've been out of the loop with Assassin's Creed for years, but since I was having computer problems last year I spent some time catching up on older XBOX 360 games.

Black Flag and Rogue are both two very intriguing games in very different ways, and its interesting to see the franchise stuck at a bit of a crossroads at that point. Black Flag is one of the best of the series, but it's also the one least concerned with Assassinations. Rogue presents a completely different perspective on the plot, calling into question the validity of the games as power fantasies.

I guess I'll catch up with the rest of the series another 5 years down the line or something and see where it goes from there.

Night in the Woods

An excellent game that hits upon some real struggles my generation faces in finding their place in the world. While it does have it's missteps, and some behind the scenes bullshit has tempered my enthusiasm over time, I still highly recommend it to anyone looking for depth in their video game storytelling.

Heat Signature

A random galaxy of random ships where anything can go wrong. I've sunk hours into the game but still haven't really finished it because it's more suited to short bursts. Still really good though.

Tyranny

When Obsidian released Pillars of Eternity, I found myself surprised that I didn't get that Baldur's Gate feeling despite it being a slavishly faithful spiritual successor. It's only after playing Tyranny that I realised that it was the feeling of 'new' that I was looking for.

While Pillar's was a great game, I kind of felt it was compromised by being too much, too fast. Tyranny, by contrast, is a tightly plotted tale that focuses purely on your character creating their own villainous legacy. It doesn't outstay it's welcome, but it really left me wanting more.

Halo: Anniversary/Halo 3/Halo: Reach/ODST/Halo 4

I've had a mixed relationship with Halo over the years, but I felt like a bit of a revisit/catch up. First up, while the original Halo still stands up as a classic, the updated graphics and soundtrack of the Anniversary rob it of it's charm.

Reach is probably the second best of the series, mainly because it's almost nothing like any of the other Halo games tone wise.

ODST is a weird outlier that has some interesting ideas but never really sticks the landing on any of them.

Halo 3 stands up better than I remembered.

Halo 4 does not. Way worse than I remember.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

I've already gushed about the game enough. Everything that the first game was good at, better in every way.

Battletech

A teeth clenshingly tense turn based strategy game. Handling different damage types and stability really give it range and tactics that make you really use your noggin instead of poring over percentages. I loved it and I can't wait to check out the DLC.

Valley

A short, fun, Portal-esque puzzler with some great visuals. Feels a bit of a dry run for a better game down the line though. Would love to see the concept revisited.

Takoma

Take the well worn video game trope of exploring a post disaster environment, remove all combat and threat, focus everything else on a deep storytelling experience. That's Takoma. I loved the game, and I love it's take on a System Shock-type story but doing it purely from an investigative standpoint.

Another World

A classic that came highly recommended, and yet, I still haven't finished it. I just find it way too hard and my reaction times don't sit well with it. May get another review if I can force my way past the point I'm stuck at.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm/Life is Strange/The Adventures of Captain Spirit

I steered away from BTS because I wrote it off as an unnecessary prequel. Boy was I wrong. BTS stands on it's own as a story even better than the original LIS. I'd even go so far to suggest people play that game first.

So I enjoyed it so much I wanted to do a replay of LIS, still holds up despite some of it's problems.

Finally I checked out the free Captain Spirit. Really great and emotional narrative game that's just as long as it needs to be. Can't wait for a full playthrough of LIS2.

Fossil Hunters

A whimsical puzzle game that is surprisingly addictive. Played the whole thing from start to finish.

Hellblade: Seuna's Sacrafice

One of the best video game stories I've ever played, and the intense combat is no slouch either. Hellblade feels as though it wants to explore new places that video games can do really well but rarely touch.

Getting Over it With Bennet Foddy

Probably the best game ever made, or, at the very least, the one most focused on what it wants to be about. If you can face the frustration it's probably the greatest piece of art ever made exploring that emotion.

Wolfenstien: The Old Blood/The New Order/The New Colossus

I slept on the new era Wolf games and that was a mistake. While The Old Blood was a fun nostalgic romp that has some surprising depth, it's The New Order that is the main event. A story that really wants to hammer home the evils of fascism, all through a hyper-violent grindhouse revenge story. Near perfect from start to finish.

It's such a shame then that The New Colossus feels like a step down. Maybe it's that TNO was so good that a return feels like it's outstaying it's welcome, but it suffers mainly from wanting to tell a bigger, bolder, deeper story, and finding the confines of a traditional FPS a bad fit for it.

DOOM

RIP AND TEAR

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition

The Icewind Dale demo was the first RPG I ever played and my introduction to the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Getting to play and actually finish the game feels like it's laying some ghosts to rest. Now if only someone could find the source code to IWD2 and give it to Beamdog and I can do the same from there.

As for the game? It's okay, the expansion Heart of Winter is a big improvement and its what makes the experience worthwhile really.

And that's it! I'll be speaking my mind on Prey this time next year since I haven't finished Mooncrash yet, but all in all it was a pretty good year for interesting games. Cheers for joining me.

#video games #reviews

3 notes · View notes

retphienix · 5 years

Text

(Random) Game Recommendations

It’s a new year (or a few days prior as I type this and prepare it for new years) and completely unprompted here’s some game recommendations because I want to mention some games.

No rules really, just some random games I’ve either played for the blog or outside of the blog- heck- it’s not even all games I played this year and it’s definitely not games exclusively released this year.

The last one, for reference, was a little over a year ago on 7/29/2017 with this aiming for new years 2018 into 2019. Also I would change a few things about that due to Bamco not knowing how to stop themselves from ruining a game for microtransaction greedy money grabbing, but I digress.

Hamtaro Ham-Ham’s Unite! for the game boy color

This one is a game from my childhood that I’m so glad I completed through this blog.

If I were to sum it up I’d say it’s a game about learning hamster words and solving simple puzzles (usually making use of these words to interact with characters / the environment) to gather up Hamtaro’s friends for a meeting.

It’s too cute for its own good, it made me shout “THIS IS ON A GAME BOY COLOR” many many times because it looks too good in my opinion and is overflowing with adorable animations, and it’s just makes you feel good.

Ham-Ham’s Unite is a really relaxing and uplifting game, and it certainly left me in a better mood throughout my entire playthrough.

I hear Ham-Ham Heartbreak is even better, so I’ll be keeping that in mind the next time I want to revisit Hamtaro and friends.

Clickpocalypse 2 for android/iOS and apparently even in your browser (news to me)

Yes yes, an idle game. And one I haven’t played in months at that- but then again I haven’t played Hamtaro in a long time as well so I don’t see that as discrediting what I saw in it.

I, usually at least, just don’t enjoy phone games. Not for the bull crap “It’s not real games!” rhetoric, but because as time as gone on phone games have gone further and further from what makes a game good and instead have mostly become manipulative Skinner boxes. Even if they don’t SUCCESSFULLY drain your wallet, heck, even if they don’t have direct monetization and only use ads- they always seem to fail to balance the ‘game’ and the ‘greed’ and you’re left with no game.

You turn it on, play it for a little while, and then you realize you’re almost exclusively being used and you’re not actually getting anything out of the game.

This isn’t an incredible example of directly countering that mentality- it’s just one of a few games I’ve found in the previous years that successfully balance the other way for me at least. I’ll mention another arguably more successful- but inarguably more messy example for the next game.

The reason I mention Clickpocalypse 2 is because, well, it’s a good idle game that hit a very specific aesthetic and enjoyment for me. This is a VERY idle game, you did VERY little- you can’t even “click” to increase speed as the name might suggest. Your input is exclusively “Pick the party. Choose when to use potions or spell scrolls. Equip equipment (it’s simpler than that sounds, it auto lists the best found loot and you tap to equip). Tap to level up when you get the xp etc.

It’s really really hands off- but it felt great to me.

The aesthetic it lands on is classic RPG goodness and the party does as you’d expect, clearing out dungeons and grinding while you check in to equip and level them choosing what skills they learn.

It’s a game I enjoyed because it’s, well, a good idle game. It doesn’t bury you in “You should be tapping this non stop or else” gameplay. It carries enough enjoyable mental tricks like stronger gear and leveling up to make it fun, and the monetization is, well, the most optional thing I’ve seen in a long while.

I’ve played so many games that rely on ads and they all feel highly necessary. This has a similar idea- there are optional ads for buffs like double achievement points (used for permanent buffs across multiple adventures) or tempoary allies- and these are helpful as heck, but man.

Because this is SUCH an idle game, they honestly feel like the most optional ads around. I watched plenty because I enjoyed the game and less because I felt like I needed them in any way.

But there’s not much to say that would convince someone this is a great game. I just think it’s a good idle game for messing around on your phone. It gave me that feeling of watching a friend grind through an old FF game- a very specific feeling, but that’s what I got out of it. A chill idle with a nostalgic feel and the balance of “game” vs “phone bull crap” was tilted heavily towards the game side for me.

Buriedbornes for android

Lord that image is larger than I planned for, my mistake.

Buriedbornes was nothing but a surprise to me. I’ve played a few games I enjoyed on the phone in recent times. Idle Apocalypse and Clickpocalpyse 2 being high up there (not sure how Idle is now, but pre-beta was alright). Even fell into Dokkan for a little while. But this?

I downloaded this because I thought “Oh my god it’s trying to pretend it’s dark souls or bloodborne, what on earth is this.”

And you know what it is?

A REALLY good roguelike with traditional turn based combat!

Like a REALLY good one. It has that feature I adore in good roguelikes where things can seem impossibly difficult, but then you get a couple good drops, you tweak your character to emphasize a certain playstyle, and BOOM! You just beat the entire game in one run deep into the endless mode on a character that seems unkillable due to strategies you built from the drops you found.

And it has the foresight to tell you at a certain point “Score stops at this point so you’re just playing to collect things in your beastiary of items so you might as well stop” along with ways to end a run, though my preferred way to end a god run is to keep making deals with various demons until I end up with a curse that is guaranteed to kill me on the next boss that way I feel like I gambled to death.

Look, I know the last game might have seemed a little floaty on merits, but try this game.

It’s simply fantastic. Dive in, die, dive in, die, and then stumble onto a perma stun build or an infinite shield build or a barrier regen build- you can stumble unto so many unique ways to play and I honestly had a lot of fun breaking and being broken by this title.

Wasteland 2 for PS4/Xbone/PC/Switch

Let’s get away from phone games and handhelds in general.

Wasteland 2 is a game I was looking forward to ages before release. I remember stumbling across news of it being kickstarted or something similar- and bookmarking it for future reference and promptly forgot until I saw it in stores and started berating myself for not getting it at release.

Now it took me a long while to get around to Wasteland 2; Long enough to hear from some that it wasn’t as good as they wanted and others that it was too complicated. Long enough to build doubts.

But my god.

This is a game that I highly recommend you come in with a quick start guide of some sort. Seriously. No it’s not impossible or anything- and I’m sure fans of the original will scoff at me for saying as much- but no, really. It’s “Fallout before Fallout” except now it’s well after Fallout (obviously) releasing in 2014, and it takes that oldschool complexity seriously.

Mostly.

Basically, just read up a quickstart guide, I found a wonderful one for my purposes (pretty sure that’s the exact one I used) because character creation at the start pretty much dictates what your first impressions are gonna be- ranging from “Oh, okay, this is pretty neat, I’m hyped to dive into this” to “OH MY GOD THIS IS TERRIBLE AND EVERYONE SUCKS AT EVERYTHING AND I’M NOT A FAN”.

If your reaction is the latter, I recommend restarting and fiddling with your team composition. You can play however you like- but this is a game that kind of expects your first run to be “mostly diverse” before you attempt a less specialized team in the future.

Enough of that. Wasteland 2 is a newschool fallout game. That’s what you need to know. It’s got a ton of post apocalyptic fun, plenty of moral moments ranging in quality from “Oh heck that’s good” to “.... not good enough” but there’s a lot more good than bad.

The first half of the game is simply better put together than the second half, to be honest, due to budget and deadlines or some other dev level nonsense, but that doesn’t make the rest of the game throwaway- it just sorta simplifies towards the end and then culminates in a massive boss encounter, which isn’t terrible by any means.

Combat’s great if you enjoy oldschool fallout and want some nice squad x-com style battles. Death is scary (very scary). And, heck I don’t know, it’s just a fantastic fallout game. Like a REALLY fantastic fallout game.

I made characters I grew attached to and it felt so natural to do as much because (thanks to the quickstart guide) my team was VERY diverse so I began to associate each of them with their skills and the playstyles those skills dictated.

Seriously, with a short read on what skills do what this is a fantastic game that I’m very glad I got to play through. Oh, and if you’re on console the text is stupid small- go into the options and change that. Also, don’t do what I did which made me sad to notice- don’t type up a large Bio for your characters (at least on console) because a bug prevents the Bio box from scrolling, meaning you will forever lose access to your long backstory ;-; Don’t do that.

Wario Land: Shake It! for the Wii

God I love this game. This goes up with Hamtaro as another feel good game and in a similar way it left me feeling in a much more optimistic and generally positive mood as I finished it.

I am a huge fan of the older Wario Land titles, the first one is one of my favorite games on the game boy- but I never really kept up with Wario until recent years. I didn’t play the later games, didn’t try his mini game compilations, and didn’t look at console releases at all until much later.

I heard of this game from a Wario marathon stream setup someone was doing years ago and took note only for one fact “It’s got good graphics”.

Like that was it. I saw this and went “Pretty” so I took note to get it later on.

I had no idea it’d end up being one of my favorite games, but here we are. This game hit like a truck with quality. You can easily coast through the game if you’re struggling with the harder challenges, but my god, there are SO many challenges hidden all around for treasures. The gameplay is FANTASTIC, the motion controls are SMART (come at me) and that aesthetic! MY GOD, that aesthetic! The entire game looks like a fox kids cartoon or something similar and I adore it.

This goes down as one of those games I’d recommend to just about anyone. You have a wii, find a way to play this. Truly, one of, if not my absolute favorite platformers of all time.

Well I’m dropping this a little early because I don’t mind being off season.

12/28/2018.

There are a metric ton of games I could talk about or recommend, but I had some oddballs I wanted to say and a couple feelgood games I wanted shown as well.

Quick bonus titles would be EDF 5 (a ton of quality of life changes and it’s EDF!!! SHOOT BUGS!), Play Yakuza you dinguses, if my whole emotional sputter and that whole side blog I made didn’t give a hint- Doki Doki Literature Club is worth a play, Dragon Warrior Monsters is the best pokemon game, The Fall was very interesting and enjoyable, Nioh is Bloodborne done right, and God Hand is great.

Have a great new year, everyone~

#Hamtaro #Clickpocalypse II #Buriedbornes #Wario #wasteland 2 #Retphienix

3 notes · View notes

fuentesbigum27-blog · 5 years

Text

Trial Reveals Tantalising Indicators That New Alzheimer's Drug Can Benefit Early.

Bridget Coila specializes in health and wellness, nourishment, pet, parenting and maternity subjects. Different alcohol rehabilitations and medication rehab programs take different strategies, yet the viewpoint is typically the very same - if you are dealing with alcohol abuse and can not take care of to regulate your alcohol consumption, you are possibly alcoholic. Kassidy as well as 4 others are left competing there life's while waiting to see what the medicine will certainly do to them. Anyway, as assured, right here's a handful of studies dealing with the topic of sex as it connects to media effects as well as video games. I would absolutely recommend this publication to anybody whose thinking about medication plan or perhaps the society that surrounds medicines as well as their misuse. The people that were given the brand-new immunotherapy medication actually really felt far better compared to those that were on basic chemotherapy, claimed Angus Dalgleish, teacher of oncology at St George's, College of London, who led the research study. http://recebunica-blog.info indicate the fact that half the prison population is offering a sentence for drug-related offenses with fifty percent of all building criminal activity devoted by drug addict calling for cash. The Sunday evening strike was the first huge attack on a clinic in the border city, where Mexican officials state their crackdown against medication gangs has actually weakened criminal groups and recovered family member calm. Also if each medicine is taken at the recommended dosage, hypnotics can be deadly if you're taking them at the same time as various other medicines (or alcohol). The scientists validated that the gene variants had some impact on the shapes of men, yet a much higher result on a female's figure. This is a quite amusing publication about the background of our drug battle as well as prohibition. They could provide various shapes for the children to pick from and have them compose a rhyme about the shape, in the shape of the thing. On Thursday, Mexico's head of state, Enrique Peña Nieto, revealed plans to legalize marijuana-based medications as well as recommended raising the quantity of the drug that could be legitimately lugged. Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a harmful and also addicting medication that promotes your central nervous system to generate a high, euphoric feeling. FP patterns are great at maintaining function straightforward, pure, testable and also keeping state or side effects isolated. Discussing exactly how alarm system over a harmful black medicine profession sustained assistance in the 1980s for a required minimum sentencing scheme of unmatched severity, Provine contends that while our drug regulations might no longer be racist by design, they remain racist in layout. While it could be an enlightened presumption from this writer it's not a stretch to assume that there are money forces behind the medication battle making it last longer. Of Simi Valley, a federal court has actually temporarily rescinded an FDA ruling that Cholestin is an unauthorized drug. Photo results is a brand-new component for Drupal 8 as it really did not exist in previous variations. The United Nations basic assembly unique session (UNgass) on drugs resulted from be held in 2018 - two decades on from the last session. For instance, the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) used in your phone as well as in your car must take the results of relativity right into account to supply accurate instructions. The problem is exacerbated by huge rises in the schedule of cheap, highly potent heroin, largely the result of Mexican medicine cartels obtaining involved in the manufacturing, trafficking and also circulation of heroin and various other immoral medicines. What Winston Churchill when stated of architecture-- First we shape our buildings, and then they shape us"-- might also be stated of cooking. And while a straight up-and-down number might not seem interesting you, a boylike body shape is perfect for the fashion-forward and courageous. It is presently provided as a Schedule 1 material by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and also a Class A drug by the Home Office in the UK, along with lsd, drug and also heroin. At the very least that's the strategy of a team of aesthetic results workers who have been aiming to battle the effect of tax breaks as well as international subsidies on California's beleaguered aesthetic results industry. Other products went against Fda regulations against asserting to treat a condition without having proved it. Still others were made with material from jeopardized animal or plant varieties. A disaster of negative acting, crazy science and conspicuously affordable unique impacts that can not even follow its own interior logic from one scene to the next. http://recebunica-blog.info made headings a few years ago when his scientific technique to the concern of family member harm of legal and illegal drugs placed him into problem with authorities in the UK federal government. Water provides you 360 level resistance so it will certainly aid shape as well as cut your midsection and also core. Special Effects is the story of a runaway partner Zoe Lund (notorious writer/actress that's well-known for her duty in Ms. 45 and her writing of Bad Lieutenant!) whose an actress-wannabe in New York City attempting to succeed till spouse Brad Rijn tracks her down and forces her to view video clips of their beautiful child. Additionally, alcoholism can cause a boosted tension, quarreling, depression, actions troubles and job issues resulting to relationships becoming unstable which eventually brings about residential violence and also separation. Novo livro de Ben Goldacre, Bad Pharma - exactly how drug business misguide physicians and harm people, ainda sem edição portuguesa, é exactamente contrário dos comentários avulso, repetidos sem um pingo de reflexão sobre os verdadeiros e graves problemas que rodeiam a indústria farmacêutica. Whenever you Flip a vector or rotate form in Map out, you will certainly have the chance to squash it. This can be valuable when you've used Turn or rotate to a form but don't want that makeover to likewise be put on the styling (fill, boundary, shadows). Ideally it will certainly assist individuals cut down on medicines a great deal and also make it much safer to take those few that might stay. The first 3 volumes of Legal medicine have actually been republished in an omnibus volume - which if you already have the Tokyopop versions is kind of repetitive, but excellent to see it back in print. The most up to date Office numbers show that virtually one in 10 grownups had actually used a controlled substance in the previous YEAR as well as greater than a 3rd of grownups had actually taken an immoral medicine in their lifetime. The film additionally introduced the work of Masaru Emoto, a Japanese male that uncovered a way to noticeably demonstrate the results of thought on water! If you are looking into drug abuse treatment for yourself, or a person that you respect, you will certainly discover that there are many different types of programs to choose from. By comparison, in simply nine months since that duration, hogtying or its impacts have been mentioned as a contributing factor in at least 4 fatalities. This is where Narcomunod tries to aid by offering real story regarding drugs as well as their influence on a person's wellness as well as social outlook. A year ago it cost the Texas Division of Wrongdoer Justice $83.55 for the drugs used to execute an execution - salt thiopental, pancuronium bromide and also potassium chloride. As an example I took an e-mail address from one of the consisted of personal results and mosted likely to the web site for that domain name, after that used details from the novel to hack in as well as check out concealed files.

1 note · View note

tifarobles · 5 years

Text

My first Super Mario Party!

I’d heard of the amazingness of this game for years before I’d ever had the chance to play it. To be honest, I haven’t played a lot of any Nintendo games since the original PlayStation released. I’d grown up on the classics - Super Mario Bros 1-3 and Super Mario World. I even loved the mini-game in Super Mario Bros 3, which I later realized was the original Mario Bros arcade game.

I’d been told that Mario Party combined these lovable characters from the franchise, adorable art, and a board game! What’s not to love? However, I’d also heard that this game can ruin friendships, much like New Super Mario Bros on the Wii. I also knew that “board game” in this sense was more like a luck based game, not the high-level strategy games that have my heart forever.

When Super Mario Party came out on the Switch, I was excited to try it out with Mike. We hadn’t gamed together in a while (yay parenthood!) and I had great memories of playing Yoshi's Woolly World together when I was pregnant. I was thrilled to check out this style of game for the first time and Mike was thrilled to experience this first with me.

I enjoyed it enough that we invited friends over to play with us and I even had a couple friends over to play it on my birthday! I’m a big fan of the game. Now that I’ve now played it a few times with friends, I have a lot of opinions to share.

If you are interested, Mike and I did a playthrough dressed as Mario & Peach. It was pretty fun! Note: Peach is NOT a favorite character of mine, but I was able to represent one of the longest standing ladies in video games. Plus, I couldn’t find a reasonably priced Rosalina costume in time...

youtube

1) Losing sucks. It’s (almost) completely luck based when it happens and I kind of feel like every game picks one player to really beat up on. In our first game, poor Monty Mole kept having the worst luck. He was an NPC in our game, but I felt terrible for him. Since then, I feel like I had the same curse twice. It’s not fun when this happens.

2) The individual die of each character is by far my favorite feature of this game. It does make it feel less luck based when you get to decide what your secondary die is. For those who are unaware, each character has a unique die with a different compilation of 6 numbers or actions that you can roll. You still have standard 1-6 die, but you can also select to roll this unique die.

My absolute favorite is Rosalina. Her die is +2 +2 2 3 4 8, which means you have a 1/3 chance of getting 2 gold when you roll, or you will roll a 2, 3, 4, or 8. Rolling 8 rocks and there is no downside on this die. Some dice make you lose coins or have straight up 0s that you can roll and I much prefer something that feels positive every turn.

One of the best things about these dice is that each person can pick a character whose die is perfect for their play style. It adds to the “strategy” of the game and makes it feel like you are making a choice that matters.

3) This game is MUCH better with friends. It’s more fun to laugh at friend’s misfortunes and to win together as a team with real people. Don’t get me wrong, I have a blast playing just Mike and me, but this game is meant for parties.

4) The art is SO CUTE! With updated graphics, these lovable characters are more adorable than ever. I love Toadette’s cutie braids, Rosalina is beautiful, Yoshi is as cute as ever, even Bowser Junior, Koopa, and Dry Bones are super adorable. The maps feature awesome upgraded art from the original games tying into that emotional nostalgia from youth in the best way. This makes just watching the game enjoyable.

5) Whomp’s Domino Ruins is an amazing map for beginner players. It has fewer feel bads than some of the other maps, is very generous, and the movement of the board when you hit an event space makes you care about your decisions as the board changes.

6) Golden Dice are the best! +5 to any roll. This isn’t game breaking good, but it still rocks and can be used to help get a Star if you use it with correct timing and skill.

7) Golden Warp Pipes are broken AF. You basically get a Star on your next turn, every time.

8) Allies are really awesome, but having more than one is unfair. With Allies, you not only get a 1-2 bonus for every die roll, but you also get the choice to use their special, unique die. You can have up to 4 Allies, which means having 6 dice to choose from and getting a minimum of +4 to any die roll and as much as a +8. That’s ridiculous and frustrating to play against.

9) High fives are a really cute feature, even if I look like a fool while I frantically wave the controller around while I try to give one. I think it’s cool that you get bonus points for high fiving your team.

10) Teaming up with NPCs in mini-games is the worst. They act erratically and it feels like a disadvantage. This is another reason why I HIGHLY recommend that you play with friends. It’s way more fun.

11) I love the Paparazzi mini-game! It’s so cute and fun to play. There are SO MANY mini-games. I still don’t think we’ve seen them all. It’s really awesome how many there are and how diverse the variety of games are. Some are very skill based, some reward you for having quick reflexes, some reward you for having a good memory, and some are kind of random and silly. It’s really great to have such a variety of games inside one game!

12) This is more of a critique for the original concept of winning Stars. It should be One-Up Mushrooms that everyone is chasing after and fighting over, not Stars. Stars aren’t even that great. They don’t last that long and you still die if you fall off a cliff. If you want me to care about something, make it a sweet One-Up Mushroom. Also, I always pictured these delicious mushrooms tasting like spearmint, which only makes me want them that much more.

Whether this is your 10th Mario Party game or your first, I hope you get the chance to check out this game! It’s super fun. And don’t get too hurt if you lose - remember this: if you win it was 100% because of your choices and if you lose it was 100% bad luck.

#supermarioparty #video games

1 note · View note

4colorrebellion · 6 years

Text

4cr Plays - Cosmic Star Heroine (Switch)

A secret agent, hackers, ghost detectives, slightly-too-friendly robots, and a galaxy-spanning conspiracy sound like the ingredients for a great weekend. They are also a few of the elements at the heart of Cosmic Star Heroine - an RPG from Zeboyd Games, the developers of Cthulhu Saves the World.

Cosmic Star Heroine launched last year on PS4, PS Vita, and PC, and hits the Nintendo Switch today. I’ve been excited to try Cosmic Star Heroine - a homage to old-school Japanese RPGs, blending elements of Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star - and the launch of the Switch version offered the perfect opportunity to sit down with it. Read on for my impressions.

The story of Cosmic Star Heroine focuses on special agent Alyssa L’Salle, a rising star in the Agency for Peace and Intelligence (*ahem*... the API). The API are a police force that maintain peace in a galaxy full of psychic bugs, ghost detectives, hyper-intelligent tentacled cats, and - of course - a looming rebel threat. Before long, however, Alyssa discovers that the API are developing mind-control technology, and that they are not the force for good that she was led to believe. On the run, Alyssa must figure out who to trust and find a way to take down API before they can conquer the galaxy.

Of course, this is a tried-and-true plotline - the focus of hundreds of Science Fiction stories over the years. Fortunately, the creators of Cosmic Star Heroine know this as well, and aren’t taking the story too seriously. The game is packed with every reference and trope from the cyberpunk genre, but it is all tongue-in-cheek. The goal here is to send you out on a fun, exciting adventure, and they succeed quite well in accomplishing that.

The characters in Cosmic Star Heroine are great. From Alyssa herself - an actual calm, capable woman of the type rarely seen in gaming - to Borisusovsky (er, Sue) - quiet, tough, with an excellent fashion sense - to Orson - a host detective straight out of film noir - the cast are charming and memorable. The high adventure feel of Cosmic Star Heroine is reminiscent of games like Chrono Trigger and Skies of Arcadia, lacking in moping self-doubt or deadly gravitas, and I genuinely had a great time working through the storyline.

The pacing helps greatly with that feeling. One of my favorite things about this game is the breakneck pace at which you move through it. This is an RPG that actually respects your time. As much as I enjoy spending a hundred hours in a Persona game, it’s really nice to have something that lasts a perfect fifteen hours or so. There is no filler, nothing designed to slow you down. Cosmic Star Heroine has a few side activities and optional dungeons to complete, but the main focus is on a well-designed, well-paced central plotline. It feels brisk, and no mechanic overstays its welcome.

Cosmic Star Heroine is an RPG, so much of the actual gameplay consists of battles. You can see enemies on a field, so battles are not random. However, most battles are not optional. That said, once you defeat an enemy, it doesn’t return. In battle, each character takes a turn based on their speed - turn order is shown on the right side of the screen. Your main attacks consist of a series of seven abilities, which you can change outside of combat. Over time, each character learns about twenty abilities, so you have a lot of ability to customize each character. Characters can also equip various shields, which both boost your defense and grant additional abilities. You can change shields and choose the one that best compliments the native abilities of the character using it. You can also select a set of items to take into battle.

The key twist of the battle system in Cosmic Star Heroine is that abilities are gone after you use them until either the end of the battle, or until you spend a turn recharging. Shield abilities and items do not recharge, but do return in the next battle. Rather than being there to frustrate, the removal of abilities introduces a lot of strategic depth. Many abilities work best when you plan the order that you apply them in. For example, some abilities do more damage near the start or end of the battle. Others build off of other abilities. By taking away your ability to keep using one attack over and over, the game forces you to experiment. This means that you actually get to learn the battle system in greater depth than you might otherwise get to.

It is also a lot of fun to play with different combinations of abilities and characters. Certain characters tend to pair very well, and you get a lot of opportunity to try out different strategies. In fact, this is another area where the excellent pacing of the game comes into play. Characters are introduced throughout the game, and you typically must use them in your party for part of the plot. Rather than relying on a set team the entire game, you are forced to work with certain characters. Again, this is actually fantastic rather than frustrating. This means that you actually have to learn to use each character, and figure out how to work them into the overall party. I didn’t like every character, but I had a blast figuring out how to best use them in combat.

Visually, Cosmic Star Heroine affects a pixel-based aesthetic similar to SNES games like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI. I often think that pixel art is kind of uncreative and overdone in modern indie games, but the art in Cosmic Star Heroine is fantastic. The sprites are detailed, and there are a lot of great touches, like how Alyssa’s hair moves when running instead of walking. There is a lot of personality packed into each facet of each character and the overall environment. The general art direction, heavily inspired by Blade Runner, is beautiful and does a great job of setting the overall tone. There is a huge variety of environments to explore - aiding the feeling of going on a grand adventure. The soundtrack also heavily evokes Blade Runner, and is a pretty good impression of Vangelis’ work.

Cosmic Star Heroine is a brilliantly-paced, clever homage to old-school Japanese RPGs. I highly recommend it. I found it refreshing, fun, and better than most longer games that I’ve played recently. If you have a Switch (or PS4, Vita, or PC), then I absolutely recommend picking it up.

This review is based on a review copy provided by the publisher, Limited Run Games.

Developer Website

Nintendo eShop

#video games #review #nintendo #nintendo switch #cosmic star heroine #greg4cr

2 notes · View notes