Video Games Randomness - Prioritize specific game threads!

[Kasey Chang]

Did the autra cache mission. Actually lost one of the sldf mechs, the super griffin. But it's the least armored among them. One of them lost a leg but was able to limp into the lz.

Managed to finish my first 4 skull mission, chase down a war criminal. As expected, it's a trap. But I sent my precious Highlander and it made the difference. I killed the guard Lance and the directorate support units. And the was criminal was in an awesome albeit with lasers, not triple ppcs. And I didn't lose any mechs (3 mediums plus highlander) basically highlander tanked the damage while the rest concentrate fire going for knockdown.

[GreenGoo]

Kasey, I'm not speaking for anyone else or the forum, but I'd like to ask you to keep your AARs to the game specific threads.

I love reading them and think your contributions to the forum are great, but this is a wildly inappropriate location for them, imo.

You don't have to change of course, I just don't think a single thread is the place for specific game discussion, particularly if others were to follow your example and multiple people started dropping their AARs in here. I don't want all the other threads (which are already slowing down) to dry up and the entire forum be replaced by a single, mega thread.

No animosity intended. Again, I very much appreciate the effort and sharing you contribute.

[Blackhawk]

I do find it really confusing, as I'm often not entirely sure what game's being discussed and have to try to figure it out from the content or read back to remember what game you're playing right now.

[GreenGoo]

I had a twitch steam open when someone gifted me a subscription, but I was afk at the time.

What is it? What is the etiquette? Do I send this guy a pm thanking him? How would one do that? Do I need to "activate" the sub? What does the sub do (see the first question)?

[Max Peck]

The main benefit of the channel subscription is that it gives you access to the channel's chat emotes while the sub is active, and gives you a subscriber badge in that channel's chat. It may also come with additional perks (e.g. access to a subs-only discord) depending on what the streamer has set up. The sub will be active from when it was gifted and will expire after a month unless you continue it (i.e. subscribe to the channel on your own dime).

Generally, if I receive a gift sub while I'm actually in the chat, I'll thank the gifter at the time it happens. If I'm afk/offline and it's not from someone I know, then I usually don't send them a whisper thanking them, partly because I'm lazy and partly because they didn't gift the sub to me so much as they gifted it to the streamer. There's an option to "gift to the community" which means that Twitch will randomly assign it to a viewer, apparently giving priority to someone who is in chat at the time or who follows the streamer. It's fairly common for people to "drop sub bombs" where they give a number of community gift subs as a show of support for the streamer, so if you received a gift sub while afk, that's probably what happened.

[GreenGoo]

So there's a mechanism to tell twitch "I'm giving away 20 subs, find people for them" and twitch just hands them out randomly (or whatever criteria they use)?

Thanks for the heads up.

I was watching a stream and it was getting down to the wire (PUBG) and then I got 3 minutes of commercials which was basically the most crucial of the 25+ minutes I'd been watching, so I can see the appeal of subscribing from that standpoint, however, chat, chat emotes and discord aren't worth the 5 bucks a month to me. I get that it is for many people, although I'm constantly put off by the "hey, we're pals, right streamer?" that comes from the majority of the chats I've seen.

It seems like a LOT of people are subscribing for the opportunity to be "close" to the streamer, and that's fucked up imo. I mean, I get that people are lonely and/or looking for social interaction, but paying someone to acknowledge you is...unhealthy, imo.

I realize that subscribers are an entire spectrum of motivations and personalities, it just seems like these kinds of guys stick out, for me at least.

Anyway, I like to watch PUBG streams live because you get to see the mistakes these high quality guys are making, which are all edited out on youtube. I mean, you can learn a lot from great gameplay, but you can learn at least as much from taking note of mistakes.

Anyway, this is mostly my first foray into twitch, more or less, and it's interesting. I'm slightly appalled by the number of people live streaming their lives, but even more by the number of people willing to pay that person while watching it. Live streaming your every day life is pretty much the antithesis of my core being, so it's mildly horrifying to realize.

[Skinypupy]

Rogue Squadron HD remade in Unreal 4 engine.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Rogue Squadron HD remade in Unreal 4 engine.

Meh. Wake me if/when the HD remakes of the X-Wing/TIE Fighter series are ever completed.

Given the richness of the underlying IP, it’s a rather bleak reminder that we're left to pine for updated versions of games twenty years old or more in terms of playing worthwhile Star Wars titles in today's day and age.

[gbasden]

Given the richness of the underlying IP, it’s a rather bleak reminder that we're left to pine for updated versions of games twenty years old or more in terms of playing worthwhile Star Wars titles in today's day and age.

Amen. What I would do for an updated version of Jedi Knight, and an updated Tie Fighter would make my year. Even better would be new, good games, but that seems too much to hope for.

[wonderpug]

Even better would be new, good games, but that seems too much to hope for.

Jedi: Fallen Order looks really promising, but there's still plenty of time left for EA to ruin it.

[coopasonic]

Even better would be new, good games, but that seems too much to hope for.

Jedi: Fallen Order looks really promising, but there's still plenty of time left for EA to ruin it.

It's high on my must play list based on the announcement stream. I still think nostalgia is propping up a lot of those older games in my minds. I'm excited for the new Rebel Galaxy game, though I that is more a Wing Commander Privateer replacement than a X-Wing vs Tie Fighter replacement.

[wonderpug]

I'm excited for the new Rebel Galaxy game, though I that is more a Wing Commander Privateer replacement than a X-Wing vs Tie Fighter replacement.

I can't wait for Rebel Galaxy. I actually just yesterday resurrected my HOTAS setup in preparation, even though we still don't have a definite release date. Even the cockpits look like they were pulled straight out of Privateer.

[gbasden]

Even better would be new, good games, but that seems too much to hope for.

Jedi: Fallen Order looks really promising, but there's still plenty of time left for EA to ruin it.

I'm desperately trying not to get my hopes up, but I would be very happy if it doesn't suck.

[Rumpy]

Man, that just reminds me how annoying and frustrating that particular mission was. It was partly due to the engine's limitations with draw distance coupled with the viewing angle and controls that made it a real pain. And then you realize that the mission had a time limit and you failed unless you achieved an objective within a certain allotted time which caused me to automatically fail if I didn't do it in time. Then you had to restart the mission all over again. There was also a Hoth mission where you had to take down those walkers using the tripline which I found very difficult to do due to the controls.

[Kraken]

I haven't played a game in a week. Night after night, I sit here at my gaming PC for hours on end...not gaming. I'm bored with everything I have and don't want to start something new. *Somebody* has to read the internet every night -- all of it.

[Paingod]

Playing Anno 1404 off and on, I was doing a custom endless scenario with a couple AI opponents. I kept running into a problem with one of them being hyper-aggressive - which in itself is fine, I have him on "Hard" - but coupled with his aggression, he's getting fleets of warships and is constantly ahead of me on the curve.

I refine, tweak, and push my strategy. Now I can hit milestones before him and expand before him - but for the life of me I can't figure out how he's affording 5 warships and 3 trade vessels before I even have one of each. His cities aren't massively larger. He's not harvesting more than I am. Then a little light bulb goes off in my head.

I checked online and was reminded that the AI for a lot (maybe all?) of the Anno games is allowed to cheat. Free resources, free ships, added money, etc. In short, I'll never get ahead of him. Sure, I can beat him in the LONG haul because I'm smarter, but it's not really fun. I don't play Anno games for the combat, but rather the city-building mechanics. Combat is a distant secondary. I like a little competition for resources to keep things interesting, but including a cheating aggressive AI that constantly wages war on me wasn't fun.

So I'm back to medium AI across the board.

[Max Peck]

This trailer almost makes me want to get a VR rig just so I can play it.



No, wait, I meant this trailer...

[JetFred]

Jack Black plays it in yesterday's Jablinski Games video.

[GreenGoo]

and...2 weeks goes by without a post without Kasey keeping the thread going. The fates are cruel.

In any case, what's the difference between a builder and a sandbox game? Are they the same? Different? Sub-genre of one or the other? Does their VENN diagram intersect at all? Do builders even exist anymore, as a separate genre?

[Blackhawk]

Context?

Generally, 'sandbox' is a gameplay element that can be used in conjunction with any number of genres. Minecraft, for instance, could be described as a sandbox game. Ark, too.

[GreenGoo]

Context?

Generally, 'sandbox' is a gameplay element that can be used in conjunction with any number of genres. Minecraft, for instance, could be described as a sandbox game. Ark, too.

Minecraft *is* a sandbox game. So is Ark. So is Don't Starve. So is Terraria. So is Factorio.

I think that's my point. What's a builder (in the last 5-10 years)? Well, I don't have a point. I'm trying to figure it out. If the few games I named only have a "gameplay element" that is sandbox, what are their genres then?

Modern definitions seem to put these games in their own "sandbox" genre.

I mean, Diablo, Skyrim and Baldur's Gate are all rpg's, so just being wildly different doesn't necessarily mean a different genre. We invented adjectives to differentiate those rpg's from each other, but they're all rpgs.

[Rumpy]

Builders have clear goals, in the sense that you always have something to achieve and unlock something like an upgrade towards being more efficient. I'd consider Minecraft a pure sandbox as there aren't really any stated goals, just building stuff based on what you find via exploring.

[Blackhawk]

Context?

Generally, 'sandbox' is a gameplay element that can be used in conjunction with any number of genres. Minecraft, for instance, could be described as a sandbox game. Ark, too.

Minecraft *is* a sandbox game. So is Ark. So is Don't Starve. So is Terraria. So is Factorio.

I think that's my point. What's a builder (in the last 5-10 years)? Well, I don't have a point. I'm trying to figure it out. If the few games I named only have a "gameplay element" that is sandbox, what are their genres then?

Modern definitions seem to put these games in their own "sandbox" genre.

I mean, Diablo, Skyrim and Baldur's Gate are all rpg's, so just being wildly different doesn't necessarily mean a different genre. We invented adjectives to differentiate those rpg's from each other, but they're all rpgs.

I think I'd have called Minecraft, Ark, and Don't Starve survival games. What are you calling a builder? My thought when you mentioned it was that you were talking about games like Cities: Skylines, Planet Coaster, and that sort of thing.

[Kasey Chang]

I think we're honing a point that's a bit too sharp.

Arc and Minecraft have both build mode and survival mode. There are a lot of these "build something and use it to survive" games out there. Lots of zombie games are like that... build a fort and use it to defend yourself during the night. Lots of games drop you on a planet and have you fend for yourself. You can call it "sandbox survival" if you want.

I've always viewed "builder" games as a bit larger scale. Build blocks, whole buildings, whole neighborhoods, not individual walls and place the individual toilets like the Sims or even Roller Coaster Tycoon, but I guess RCT would could as a builder game, as you do have to build a whole park, and the toilets you place are more like installations, not individual toilet seats.

[Isgrimnur]

I picked up Aircraft Evolution for $5 on the sale. It reminded me of the old arcade game, Two Tigers, but without the quarter slurping. I got to mission 15, and the game was so choppy due to poor optimization and so many things on screen that I can't finish it. One would figure my i7-7800X and GTX 1070 would be able to hold up to a side-scrolling shmup, so I'm just going to blame the game.

They finally patched it to playability, and I finished it.

The developer has a new title in Early Access:

[Max Peck]

What if... Captain Planet was a werewolf?

‘Werewolf The Apocalypse: Earthblood’

Cyanide, Big Ben

Vampires and zombies are too ubiquitous. But here come the werewolves. Based on a popular tabletop role playing game, you're the shapeshifting werewolf Cahal ("great warrior" in Irish, I was told). As a human, you're a tattooed soldier on a mission to stop humans from attacking the environment, from fracking, for instance. You deal with clans like the Black Furies, who fight for gender equality and the Bone Gnawers, whose goal it is to end poverty. But don't forget the brawl-filled action. And watch your Rage meter. Filling it helps you kill more enemies. But fill it fully and you're dead.

[JetFred]

...what's the difference between a builder and a sandbox game? Are they the same? Different? Sub-genre of one or the other? Does their VENN diagram intersect at all?...

You summoned me by debating categories. Every time I've tried to make a thread specific to this debate, no one particularly cares (understandable), so rather than list all 69 of my Steam categories...

I use 10 major categories. The most recent addition was survival/crafting as its own category. The other two relevant ones are sim/sandbox and strategy. Some of the games mentioned are in a strategy subcategory called God Base City Tycoon.

[Blackhawk]

I love arguing categories, and it's easy to argue because people tend to see labels as black-and-white based on their prejudices (the old 'Fallout 3 isn't an RPG' debate.)

I use Playnite rather than Steam to organize my games, mostly because it lets me combine all my different libraries (Steam, Origin, Uplay, GoG, Epic, etc) into one. All of my games get labeled twice, once based on gameplay, once based on setting. Pretend that I only have Fallout 1, Baldur's Gate, and Warhammer: Vermintide. My system lets me see all my RPGs (including both Fallout and Baldur's Gate), or all my fantasy games (including both Vermintide and Baldur's Gate), or all my fantasy RPGs (only Baldur's Gate.) Tags give me another semi-category (so I could see all FPS sci-fi tower defense games, for instance.)

[JetFred]

I love arguing categories, and it's easy to argue because people tend to see labels as black-and-white based on their prejudices (the old 'Fallout 3 isn't an RPG' debate.)

FWIW, my full ten categories are action, adventure, arcade, platformer, puzzle, racing, role playing, sim/sandbox, strategy, and survival/crafting. I have LOTS of subcategories to those. And there is an 11th category for multiplayer-only games, so I can ignore them.

Years ago I held to a system that had shooter, dungeon crawler, tactical, and field commander instead of platformer and survival/crafting, and the extra category to ignore was sim.

In other words, my categories have morphed with the way I choose and play games, not necessarily with the intention of identifying the gameplay elements in a completely objective way. That's probably where the argument breaks down from person to person. Each person recognizes clearly defined gameplay elements but prioritizes them according to preference, so something I treat as a subcategory may be a top-tier sorting element to someone else.

For example, not only do I prefer adventure games to anything else, I also tend to identify any game with more adventure than action as an adventure game first and a subcategory next. I think people may be more interested in discussing categories within the confines of a condition like "gameplay elements in adventure games" or "types of strategy games" rather than all-encompassing, mutually exclusive list.

[Blackhawk]

Action
FPS
MMO
Multiplayer
Other
Puzzle/Adventure
RPG
Sim/Vehicle
Strategy
Utility

Other grabs all the platformers and 'arcade' titles, plus those that defy classification, as well as a few genres that I don't play at all (racing and sports games, mostly.) For those that can go in multiple, I put them in the one that I 'feel' more when I play them (Fallout 3/4, for instance, go in RPG.)

It's not a global set of categories, but it matches how I play games. The divisions are for me, after all.

[coopasonic]

I sort by status, not by game type. I almost never play a game a second time or once I have decided I wasn't interested so any other categories are meaningless.

Early Access
Evergreen (KSP and XCOM2)
Finished
Kiddie (Games I bought for the kids before they had their own steam account)
Not Interested
Backlog (generally fewer than 10 games so I don't need any subcategories)

[Kasey Chang]

I have way too many games so categories are useless to me. I basically only group by "installed" (vs. not installed).

[Blackhawk]

If JetFred can categorize, anyone can!

[JetFred]

Yeah I guess that can go two ways, 69 categories or no categories. I confess that only a few thousand of them are actually sorted. Once I started acquiring all the indie and garbage bundles, I've had to just throw games into a giant unsorted pile until I get to some of them. I've slowed down a lot on the acquisition of absolute trash.

[Daehawk]

Clint of Lazy Game Reviews has posted his visit to E3 this year. Its a 40 minute look at what its like to go and stuff you'd see. I admit it looks interesting.

[infinitelurker]

I just completed my every-few-years replay of Sid Meier's Pirates! (2004)

I've been playing that game since the late 80's on my Apple IIe, and I still get the itch to fire it up every 2 to 3 years, thinking I'll just play for a few minutes. Then, before you know it, I'm looking at this:



and after dividing the plunder:



Call me crazy, I even enjoy the dancing minigame.

[Rumpy]

I'd love a modern reimagining of this, with the addition of being able to wander around on the ship in a first-person mode while you're sailing.

[Daehawk]

Rented Pirates! a lot on the NES.

[dbt1949]

I'm back playing Fantasy General. Trying to adjust Dosbox to slow down the action is a challenge tho.
Sure wish Gog would come out with Star General.

[Kasey Chang]

I remember someone said they found Gunnar glasses too expensive?

Here's some Arozzi Visione "clones" starts at $25. You can re-glass them with prescription lenses. Most have the thin temples for headphone use.

https://drop.com/buy/arozzi-visione-gam ... ter-optics