#honestly the copy paste mini dungeons were a bad idea

[asleepinawell]

thinking about her (waterfowl dance)

[rate-out-of-10]

DESTINY 2 REVIEW

Here we are. Three years later and Destiny 2 is finally in our hands. Bungie has put a lot of work into building Destiny into the goliath it is today. With three raids, a dozen strike missions, a bunch of DLC content, and a ton of loot, Destiny was objectively massive. Destiny 2 has a lot riding on it, with it being the sequel to a game that many thought didn’t need a sequel, just a consistent stream of DLC and updates. What exactly did Destiny 2 build on? Is it a vast improvement from the first game? What will returning players find new and exciting? Is it a big enough draw for new players, or even players that abandoned the first game?

REVIEW NOTE: This review of Destiny 2 is based off of my experiences with the game on Xbox One.

Destiny 2 seeks to up root all that Destiny built from the get-go. The game begins with a brilliant cinematic of The Tower falling at the hands of a special Cabal force called “The Red Legion”. This was a very divisive start and I appreciated it a lot. It gave returning players a sense of loss (our loot! No!), and new players a fresh start, not feeling at all left behind from the first three years of this universe. Our Light is taken away and for the first time in centuries, humanity and the Guardians are vulnerable. I was excited to see how this new dynamic would play out through the campaign, but it only lasted a quick 2 or 3 “missions” until you are given your power back. It was a bit underwhelming. Sure, I have a lot of fun with my Super abilities, but the campaign seemed to be afraid of delving deeper into more groundbreaking territory. There is a line spoken by one of the characters in a side quest that really sums up how I feel about the campaign: “Don’t venture further than you have to, Guardian.” The encounters you’re faced with through the story feel very barren and recycled quite a bit. There are some new pieces, yes, such as the involvement of cinematic cut-scenes that fleshed out some of the returning characters, as well as the new ones a bit. But these weren’t enough to make the story feel authentic. The game often falls into the same traps the first did. Wave combat, mini bullet sponge bosses, or all too convenient plot points. It was nice to have a real villainous face to latch onto, and Dominus Ghaul was really great to look at, but he still felt bland. The final boss fight against him, where he has harnessed the power of the Light, could’ve been a spectacular one, capping the story mode off nicely. But it was short, too easy, and didn’t feel like a nice staple to this story. Throughout the story mode, the general feeling of troughing through it comes up quite often. Though, it’s not a bad campaign, I’ve played much worse before. Luckily the voice work from the cast keeps it from feeling too trivial (yes there are some annoying cheesy one-liners here and there). You can play through the campaign and get comfortable with the controls, all the new gameplay dynamics, get a feel for all the different enemy types, and also acquire some pretty nice loot (that may be the most significant draw to finishing the story mode).

Now the “end game” content is clearly the reason why we devoted players sink countless hours into the game. The loot system is very competent now, which should be a no-brainer compared to the trash heap that Destiny was at launch in 2014. By the end of the first game’s tenure it was a mammoth of content and loot and the loot system was fixed dramatically through that time, and it’s essentially moved right over into Destiny 2. This is the copy & paste stuff I don’t mind at all. The loot system needs to feel competent and rewarding and we need to feel the time invested in the game reflects back with the armor we wear and the weapons we have. Exotics don’t feel all too much locked behind closed doors as they once did. In fact you’ll snag a couple through the story mode. Destiny 2 gets players off to a fast start with acquiring some great gear early on. Some things are definitely welcome additions, like the in-game maps of the areas you can explore, lost sectors (aka mini-dungeons), and the ability to travel where you want, or from activity to activity, without having to go to orbit every single time. Thank you, Bungie, but these are things that many come to expect from exploration centric RPGs and MMOs.

The Leviathan Raid is massive and action-packed. And this is the sort of thing where Destiny 2 shines. Rewarding loot, interesting encounters with changing dynamics that stress teamwork and a game plan, and grand epic scenery and scope. It’s not my favorite Raid that we’ve seen, but it’s still jam packed with content and rewards. The strikes in Destiny 2 feel and play mostly fresh, with some new gameplay elements added to them (but that might certainly be because I haven’t played them to death yet). But my general complaint about all the “end game” is that there isn’t enough. A handful of strikes, repetitive public events, and a raid isn’t enough for me to feel the game is full. It feels much more populated than the launch of Destiny, but that’s not really saying much. Destiny 2, in terms of content doesn’t feel like a real step up. We’re given dates for the first two DLCs for year 1 of Destiny 2, but honestly it irks me to think that Bungie plans on keeping content hidden from us until they decide to sell it to us later. The micro transactions in the game are deplorable. Why do I want to pay for “Silver”? Why wouldn’t you, Bungie, just have all the content you can muster in the game at launch, and have us earn the gear through challenges and more strikes and quests? Don’t lock away stuff from the get-go and make us buy a season pass right from the start. This was one of the biggest complaints we had for the launch of Destiny.

Now, the menu and character pages were revamped somewhat. Instead of a “Primary, Special, Heavy” load out, it’s now a “Kinetic, Energy, Power” loadout. This allows for some more varying weapon combos. For instance, I can equip a kinetic Scout Rifle, a solar damage Auto Rifle in the energy weapon spot, and one of the new grenade-launchers in the Heavy spot. It’s an interesting change of pace for the game, but not a needed change. I would’ve much rather Bungie add some of the new weapon types that they did and keep the old loadout system, and maybe focus on adding a bunch more weapons and gameplay dynamics. There are new subclasses for each character type as well, and most of the old subclasses return. I’m still a bit sad that my favorite class for Warlocks, Sunsinger, is gone. I may just go back and play the first game to relive the glory days of my self-revive. But each class now has different subsections that cater to players who are more defensive/support oriented, and others who are more offensive/attack oriented. I’m very excited to find my favorite build for all my characters. As of right now, my favorite Warlock build is Voidwalker with the Attunement of Hunger subset. The leveling system that Destiny introduced in The Taken King expansion essentially returns intact, but a few slight differences. Now, engrams drop with a set power level when they drop, so decrypting them immediately is the best way to go, rather than sitting on them until you get to a higher level and open them up to a higher level. Factions work slightly differently in Destiny 2 as well. Instead of aligning yourself with a faction and leveling up to get gear from them, there are different factions on each explorable planet and completing activities (public events, adventures, lost sectors, etc.) there grant you Tokens, for the faction of that planet, you can turn in for gear. It’s a nice change I think and gives me reason to go and patrol the planets and complete the challenges on each planet. For some reason, Bungie thought “one time use” shaders were a good idea, and it costs currency to apply them to your weapons and armor. It wasn’t a good idea.

Perhaps the most significant change to the Destiny layout is the introduction of in-game clans. Players can now form clans and keep track of their clan activity and achievements in game. This is much needed improvement to the playability of the game. Now clan members can share loot when they finish certain activities. Like if your clan mates complete the Nightfall strike without while you were at work, all you have to do is go the Tower and meet with Hawthorne and she’ll give you some loot for your clan completing that activity. It’s a nice add that promotes more people being a part of groups and playing with more people. However, solo players aren’t left out. With the addition of Guided Games, solo players can find fireteams, in the game, to help them play activities that require more than one player. How it will work with the Leviathan Raid, we will see, but it’s a nice thought nonetheless.

PvP doesn’t get much of a touch up in Destiny 2. The team sizes switch from 6v6 to 4v4. New maps and new game modes don’t really make the game standout from the previous entry. The PvP is still remarkable well-balanced, and the loot you can acquire from The Crucible can be great. It’s fun to play for a little while, but its simply not my style of play. Other PvP oriented players may find a lot to enjoy from The Crucible since it's a very easy game to pick up and learn very quickly. It also can be very rewarding as you get better and play more competitive modes and Trials makes its return.

Destiny 2 isn’t an overhaul of the universe, it’s not a giant leap forward for the series; it’s simply just another iteration in the franchise. Returning players will have enough to latch onto to keep them going for hours on end, new players will find something worthwhile here for sure, since the game feels a bit more streamlined to appeal to a wider audience, but perhaps those players who gave up on the first game at any point will feel that Destiny 2 is just more of the same. Some areas of the game shine and are spectacular, and other drag on and feel bland or precarious. Graphically, the game is one of the best looking titles right now, the same was said for the first game, and the sound system and score is impeccable. Bungie knows what they’re doing in these regards, for sure. Whether you’re a returning faithful Destiny player or a newbie, there’s a lot stuff here for everyone, however some may feel there’s more than enough, and others may feel it’s all the same and not enough.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

[hrothgarshoard]

Kickstarter projects backed

On my web page, over the years I’ve listed several projects that I’ve backed on Kickstarter. It was a clunky part of the page that didn’t really look all that attractive, even if the information in it reflected my personal views on several projects. So, I decided today to move that information here to my blog where I would add more kickstarter projects that I back as new entries. My hope is that it will be a little more organized and easier for people to find.

So, without further ado, here is just a copy/paste of the projects I’ve backed in the past.

SHROUD OF THE AVATAR

Pledge amount: $30

Pledge Reward: Early Alpha access and digital download

Estimated Delivery: Oct. 2014

Actual Delivery: Unknown

I backed this project because I grew up playing the Ultima series. I spend many a night at college going through Ultimas 4 and 5 (not sure if I ever finished them) and played Ultima Online for years. I backed this mostly for nostalgic reasons, but also in the hope that I could play in the Ultima universe again. However, since I only pledged at the digital download level, I have not been able to play. I live in the boondocks and do not have a connection reliable enough to download or play the game.

So, while I put the blame of not doing much with this project on myself, reading through the comments on kickstarter makes me believe that there are many others dissatisfied with the project. From physical rewards not having shipped a year and a half after the project ended, to graphic engines that look extremely old, this doesn't look like it measures up to the previous Ultima standards. Too bad, because Ultima was one of the games that brought FRP into the digital world.

2/10/17 EDIT: I recently talked to a friend who also backed this project. He plays the game on a daily basis and has very positive things to say about it. If and when I ever get a reliable internet connection, I may revisit this.

DWARVEN FORGE GAME TILES

Pledge amount: $305

Pledge Reward: 5 tile sets

Estimated Delivery: Oct. 2013

Actual Delivery: Probably Oct. 2013

If you haven't heard of Dwarven Forge by now, and you are into RPGs, you really need to check them out. Stefan Pokorny has launched multiple projects of miniature terrain made from his company design of "Dwarvenite." They are nearly indestructible and modular, so you can pretty much use them in any dungeon setting.

I will put one thing that should be obvious out there, though. Miniature terrain is great. BUT you must USE them! I got my shipment in, painted them up and then let them sit for probably 6 months before I actually worked on a dungeon. Once I did, they added a great level of visualization to the game, but I was stuck in my old battlemat and markers mentality and it took me far too long to start using them.

I am very satisfied with the quality of the product and its usability.

2/10/17 UPDATE: Honestly, I use this product less and less. It has nothing to do with the quality of the product, but more to do with me buying a 3d printer and printing my own dungeon tiles. More on that in a future post.

ST. FRANCIS IN ROME - THE RESTORATION

Pledge amount: $1

Pledge Reward: eternal salvation?

Estimated Delivery: not for a long time, I hope

Actual Delivery: I'm not quite dead yet.

This was a project that I backed for a dollar just because I wanted to help spread the word. I did my graduate work in Medieval History, so when I saw this project, I just had to be a part of it, even if it was a very small part.

The monks raised $130,000 to restore St. Francis's cell, and this past June it was reopened to the public. An official ceremony will be held in October. Take a look here for their latest update. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/671087979/st-francis-in-rome-the-restoration/posts/1307245 I'm glad that this project was successful and completed through Kickstarter.

REAPER MINIATURES BONES II: THE RETURN OF MR. BONES

Pledge amount: $255

Pledge Reward: Core Set plus extras

Estimated Delivery: Oct. 2014

Actual Delivery: around the same time

I missed the first Bones campaign and was thrilled to get in on the second. I got the core set, plus several other sets. In all, I'm pretty sure I ended up paying less than $1 per mini and that included a few dragons and giants in the mix.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this campaign. The mini quality isn't great and with some of the minis they tried to put too much detail into a plastic mini, making it nearly impossible (for me) to paint. I've since bought an air brush and tons of paint, so I'll be busy for some time to come. I'd back them again in an instant, even though it would mean more minis that may never get painted.

Update 2/10/17: I’ve actually sold off most of these minis over the past couple years. I just don’t have the time or eyesight to paint these, so I’ve kept a few for my own campaign and have sold many of the rest off at cons. I still think that this was an amazing deal and a great product, and I’ll very likely support them again in the future. I just need to know my own time limitations and plan accordingly.

CUSTOM CHAINMAIL DICE BAGS BY VITALITY HANDMADE DESIGNS

Pledge amount: $60

Pledge Reward: Small Combo #1

Estimated Delivery: April 2014

Actual Delivery: June 2014

This project came out when chainmail accessories was beginning to become very common. My daughter has a summer birthday and I thought I'd get one of these as a gift for her. They arrived in June, so I was actually able to give it to her on time. I got one for each of my daughters

The quality is good and they get used. I can't help but think that $30 is a bit pricey for a dice bag.  Still, I know it took a lot of work to accomplish and I wouldn't have been able to make it myself. If you want a dice bag, this is a good product.

2/10/17 UPDATE: My kids still use these bags, so I really have no complaint about this project. $30 may still be on the pricey end, but they have lasted well, my kids still use them and they show no signs of degrading. Overall a good project.

RHYTHM METAL DICE

Pledge amount: $17

Pledge Reward: d8 in brass

Estimated Delivery: July 2014

Actual Delivery: Still waiting

This was a project where I honestly don't know why I backed. I think it was because I wanted to get some metal dice. I had backed another project and pulled out of it because the creator was doing a poor job at backer communication. I became convinced that they didn't know what they were doing and backed out.

The Rhythm Metal Dice weren't overly attractive to me...they are just too complicated of a design. And $17 for a single die was overpaying pure and simple. So I just don't know why I backed this.

As of 11/2015, the dice still have not been delivered. There have been very few project updates. One did come in late Nov. 2015, but it was largely undecipherable. I couldn't figure out if they had the product in, what the shipping status was or what their plan forward was. I expect that this is $17 completely wasted.

2/10/17 UPDATE: There has not been an update in the past year. Fuck these guys.

HERO FORGE: CUSTOMIZABLE 3D PRINTED TABLETOP MINIS

Pledge amount: $60

Pledge Reward: 2 custom minis

Estimated Delivery: Oct. 2014

Actual Delivery: early 2015

This is one of those projects that is a great concept, but may not be the best for normal use. The Hero Forge software is actually very good and easy to use. The combinations available in faces, body types, poses, equipment, etc. really let you create a one of a kind miniature. As far as this part of the figure goes, it is great.

I bought one for each of my daughters for them to configure as they wished. Once they got around to doing it (which was a long time), they submitted the order and the minis arrived within about 3 days. GREAT!

One week later a dejected teenager hands me her mini in 3 pieces. She hadn't even gotten around to playing a game with it yet, but the staff had broken, as had the mini right at the ankles.  A close inspection of the break revealed that the mini was printed hollow instead of solid. So in the particular pose that it was designed in, there was virtually no support for the mini at the ankle area.

I contacted Hero Forge and they immediately agreed to replace it which was good. But they also told me that this type of thing was common and that a little superglue was the best solution. This response troubled me a little. If they were having that type of issue with the printed minis, then it tells me that they either need to print the minis solid, adjust the programming so it happens less often, or both. "Superglue" shouldn't be a customer service option when dealing with minis.

2/10/17 UPDATE: I see people asking on boards every now and then about this product and the responses are generally positive, so I am willing to accept that they may have improved their product reliability. I hope this is the case because it really is a great concept. I sincerely hope they succeed as a company.

RAVENFELL  28MM FANTASY VILLAGE

Pledge amount: $1

Pledge Reward: Troll outhouse

Estimated Delivery: April 2014

Actual Delivery: April 2014

Tom Tullius at Fat Dragon Games makes gaming terrain that you can print out on your printer, fold on the dotted line and BOOM you have yourself some 3D terrain. This is a low cost alternative to the Dwarven Forge game tiles and other terrain solution.

I backed this because I liked the idea, but I honestly just didn't think I'd use it enough to make it worth my while. Tom is a very nice guy though and if you are into paper terrain, his line of products is outstanding. I'd highly recommend even though I didn't pledge for a large amount.

TOME OF HORRORS COMPLETE II  

Pledge amount: $25

Pledge Reward: 3 minis cast in metal

Estimated Delivery: Dec 2014

Actual Delivery: Company bankrupt.

I backed this one in part because the project creator and I started talks on me providing cases for his line of miniatures. He had great plans for expansion, had run some other projects and it looked like it would be a good collaboration.

Well, his business went belly up, and fiasco ensued. The creator refused (probably on advice from his lawyer) to answer any questions/emails. I'm sure that there are legal actions in the works. What mucked things up even more is that Center Stage Miniatures got a license from Frog God Games to make their minis based on their (FGG's) book. Now, I don't know if the involvement went deeper than this and FGG was one of the creditors involved or what, but I found out today (Nov. 2015) that FGG has offered to give backers a dollar for dollar credit to backers of this project to use in their pdf store. Very cool of Frog God Games. I'm in the process of trying to claim this. Frog God Games puts out some good stuff.

2/10/17 UPDATE: I’m just adding this because I want to state how great FGG was to work with in this fiasco. They had no legal obligation to do what they did, but gave credit for their own product. I ended up getting a few .pdf modules. I’m not a big .pdf fan, but considering the situation, I felt it was more than fair. Kudos to FGG! 

SAVING THROW:  AN INSTRUCTIONAL WEB SERIES ABOUT RPGS

Pledge amount: $15

Pledge Reward: pdf of module

Estimated Delivery: June 2014

Actual Delivery: A little late, but not bad.

This project caught my eye because of its originality. They were proposing a web series where they would teach people how to play games. They also made a fun little spoof video that was fairly well made.

I'll be honest that I've never really even looked at the pdf module. I don't know what the content is or how good it was. That wasn't the reason I supported them. I just wanted to give a little something to promote a project that I thought was a good idea.

The video series itself was good, if a little basic (and had a little bad acting in it.) They did a multipart series on how to play Pathfinder. I'm an old-school D&D guy, so Pathfinder never really appealed to me and since there is a lot of overlap, I can't say that I was terribly interested in it. All the same, great concept and a good all-around series.

Saving Throw has also gone on to produce a bi-weekly series where they film a 5E D&D game being played. Now known as "Barky's Brigade", the series is well done. The adventures are well planned and (mostly) well DMed, the characters do a good job of acting in character, and I think everyone: players and viewers, have a good time with the show. If you haven't seen this, go to youtube and search for Barky's Brigade.

2/10/17 UPDATE: I’m pleased to see that the Twitch TV channel that Saving Throw has produced is growing and has regular programming on most every day. One of these days, I’m going to solve my internet problems so I can actually watch these live.

DWARVEN FORGE: CAVERNS GAME TILES

Pledge amount: Trade

Pledge Reward:

Estimated Delivery: April 2014

Actual Delivery: April 2014

This wasn't so much a pledge as a trade. I had exchanged emails with Stefan Pokorny and traded him several cases and dice towers for a set of the Cavern game tiles.

I found these tiles far superior to the dungeon tiles. The craftsmanship of the tiles were much more detailed. As much as I liked the dungeon tiles, these looked and felt better and were more true to gaming situations.

My only complaints with either of these gaming tiles is that they are a little heavy, and that they don't join together well. I'd like some sort of peg system to join the tiles together and may end up drilling inserts for metal pins between the tiles. This, however will take quite some time.

The only other thing I have an issue with (and this is true with all dungeon tiles I've seen so far) is that the walls of the tile take up 1/4 of the tile. When you lay a room out, a 20x20 room all of a sudden is only 15x15 because part of the tile is taken up by walls. I have not seen a solution to this yet.

2/10/17 update: Ok...there is now a solution to the above problem, but it involves a different product line from a different company. I still like Dwarven Forge items, but am slow migrating to the other solution.

ENEMY OF MAN: FEATURE FILM

Pledge amount: $15

Pledge Reward: Film and Script

Estimated Delivery: April 2014

Actual Delivery: Not yet filmed

MacBeth is my favorite Shakespearian play. In college, a friend and I (for a class on Shakespeare) enacted the final fight scene between MacBeth and MacDuff complete with choreography taken from Return of the Jedi, Ladyhawke, and The Princess Bride. I got an A in that class.

So when I saw a movie production on KS that was to feature this play and have some pretty darn good British actors lined up including Sean Bean, one of my favorite actors, I was down for it.

But, this seems to be another one of those productions doomed to go nowhere. The last update was in May 2015 with basically no news. I think this is another case of money thrown down the tubes.

TABLE TITANS VOLUME 1

Pledge amount: $30

Pledge Reward: Regular edition hardback

Estimated Delivery: Sept. 2014

Actual Delivery:Over a year overdue

I've read Scott Kurtz's PVP comic strip for years...over a decade in fact. He was an early pioneer in gaming comics online. His work is generally good and he gets involved with his community.

But Scott fucked up big time on this project. He was publishing a book of a comic already completed and published online. This was something that could easily have been completed by his 2014 delivery date. But he kept adding things that half his backers didn't pledge for and pushed back his delivery schedule time and again. The comic that he is producing now has been out for 2 years. His communication on KS has been abysmal and frankly he doesn't seem to give a damn that he is so far behind schedule anymore.

He claims books are now in the USA and will be out soon.

But you know what? Fuck Scott Kurtz. Fuck PVP, and Fuck Table Titans. I haven't read his strip in 6 months and probably never will again. Do yourself a favor and avoid Scott Kurtz like the plague.

2/10/17 update: OK...I did eventually receive my pledge reward. I sold it. I sold it quick and I doubt if I made any money on it. Fuck this project. I have no words on how disappointed I was with this. I feel better about the projects that have never delivered that I do with this one. 

this concludes this post. I have actually backed several other projects which I will soon get to reviewing. I would like to do more reviews in general, so take a look and help spread the word