Video Games Randomness - Prioritize specific game threads!

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Apr 16, 2022 11:19 pm

Scientist Uses Facial Reconstruction Technology On Skyrim Skeleton

A scientist has used facial reconstruction technology on the skeletons from Skyrim.

Twitter user Sulkalmakh, who's part of the Ancestral Whispers cranial reconstruction research team, posted (below) what appeared to be another normal project but a deeper look revealed its nerdy origins.

This particular specimen was an "ancient Atmoran from Saarthal, dated to the late Merethic Era," they said. In other words, it's the skeleton model from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, revived into a grumpy looking cave man.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:23 am

I kinda crushed my boxes to maximize space, and I haven't opened my collection in a few years. :-/

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 12:57 pm

God, that IGN video is horrible. Let us see the picture of what you're talking about rather than plastering large text right across it while you describe it! The text would be more effective in a smaller size in the lower left quadrant. The whole way this video was put together feels pointless as a result.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 1:01 pm

Thats IGN for ya.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:38 pm

Daehawk wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 9:13 pm If you ever liked Sierra and their games this video is for you.

Thanks for posting that, Dae. It was lots of fun watching. I've grown up with their games and have lots of memories attached to them. They were sort of my heroes back then.

In 2013, My Dad and I went to California, and on part of our trip we headed to Yosemite. I managed to recognize one of their buildings along the way, ie the one that was featured in Space Quest 3, which was now the home of a medical clinic. It totally shocked me that I had even recognized it, something that I'd only ever seen via a computer game.

Btw, there's also a followup video where they announce a Colossal Cave reboot.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:19 pm

Last round of Halo Infinity MP I had both a gravity hammer & a energy blade lol. Im deadly with those but both? lolz. We were behind by only a kill or two at the very near end when with the hammer out I turn a corner and there is the entire enemy team bunched up having a shootout across the area with my teammates. Their backs were to me so WHAM! ..The announcer bot went wild...sorta like a Killer Instinct co co coooombo one. Double Kill! Triple kill! GRAND SLAAAAM! Your team wins. Ahhh.

But think Im going to delete it for now. I think its been out long enough for cheaters and hackers to find exploits. I can fire at a guy running from me and he will insta turn and head pop me and I die instantly. Same happens a long distance away on a map ..instant turn and headshot. It happens too much to be luck. Had one death to a guy as I ran around a corner he shot me in the head JUST as I turned the corner and he was crouched there looking my way...BS.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:57 pm

I kind of want an A500 Mini when it is eventually released, just for the brief nostalgia rush. I don't have a lot of confidence that I'll be able to find one at MSRP though.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Apr 18, 2022 7:22 pm

Max Peck wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:57 pm I kind of want an A500 Mini when it is eventually released, just for the brief nostalgia rush. I don't have a lot of confidence that I'll be able to find one at MSRP though.

i missed out on the PC-Engine/Turbografx-16 mini - don't want to miss out on this one

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Apr 18, 2022 9:54 pm

I was an Amiga true-believer back in the day. I fell in love with it back in the mid '80s after reading some early articles describing its capabilities, and I still have an Amiga 500 that I bought in '88 and an Amiga 3000 that I bought in '90, although neither has been booted up in the last 20+ years. For some reason, though, I've never gotten around to getting a software emulator.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:12 pm

I had an Amiga, I think it was during my early teen years. I was always rooting for it to do well, and get some decent games for it, but remember being routinely and repeatedly disappointed. Very rarely provided examples of gaming joy for me. Ah well.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:37 am

I stuck with my Amiga through the period where games went from being developed for the Amiga/C64/Atari to being developed for the PC with fewer and fewer ports. Eventually the A3000 was just a stand for my CRT monitor, and it didn't finally get packed away in a box until I bought my first flat panel monitor in 2014.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:12 am

Baroquen wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:12 pm I had an Amiga, I think it was during my early teen years. I was always rooting for it to do well, and get some decent games for it, but remember being routinely and repeatedly disappointed. Very rarely provided examples of gaming joy for me. Ah well.

I honestly don't remember enough to differentiate what I played on C64 vs Amiga, but my best friend and I played and loved a LOT of games on those platforms. Our gaming in the late 80s and early 90s was split between those and the NES. Only a few of the games on the A500 Mini seem familiar, but nothing I need to play again.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:34 am

As I understand it, the A500 Mini will also be able to load disc images from a USB stick, so it isn't limited to just the built-in games.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:07 pm

coopasonic wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:12 am
I honestly don't remember enough to differentiate what I played on C64 vs Amiga, but my best friend and I played and loved a LOT of games on those platforms. Our gaming in the late 80s and early 90s was split between those and the NES. Only a few of the games on the A500 Mini seem familiar, but nothing I need to play again.

Oh my brother and I had a c64 and played a ton of games on that over the years. But the tech limitations of it always got it the way, just like the first Atari. Gameplay was fun, but graphics were understandably garbage. I was enticed by the capabilities of the Amiga, and just wasn't impressed over my time with that machine. I think a PC was my next machine (286? 386?) and that was a lot my rewarding obviously. NES was a different beast - lots of fun there too.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:13 pm

I've been in a gaming slump for a while, but a couple of games over the past couple of months have really dragged me in: Slime Rancher, and Medieval Dynasty, and they both scratch the same itch. I'm trying to narrow down what that is and see what else might fit that bill.

Both feature exploration, and have open areas, but aren't fully sandbox games - they have breadcrumbs combined with story elements.
Both have clear character/tech progression
Both involve building up a base/home that isn't just cosmetic (sort of a light city builder element)
Both involve managing an economy
Both are 3d and 1st person (although 3rd person would probably be just as good.)
Neither is 'difficult' in the sense that you're one bad moment away from dying or having your base destroyed, nor are they so complex that you need a degree in engineering or economics to play them.

Thinking about it like that, the other games I've played that have been similar are No Man's Sky and Subnautica/Below Zero, although they both lacked the 'managing an economy' element.

What else is like this?

Hrothgar · Post by **Hrothgar** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:35 pm

Well, Stardew Valley is sort of the standard even though it's not 3D. Slime Rancher 2 is supposed to be out this year. BugSnax and Ooblets are somewhat similar but lean more in the Pokemon direction. I've heard good things about My Time in Portia but haven't played it. I presume Terraria and Starbound don't interest you.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:57 pm

Graphics aside, I've watched a lot of Terraria - my son has hundreds of hours in it, and his desk is right next to mine. It looks really heavy on the chaotic combat, something none of the others feature, and something that I've enjoyed not dealing with. My impression is that Starbound is a very similar games.

I will look into the others, thanks.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:21 pm

Hrothgar wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:35 pm I've heard good things about My Time in Portia but haven't played it.

I enjoyed Portia, so Blackhawk might not like it... kidding. It is an interesting intersection of mechanics. Time management is probably the main feature. I'd say it's not too big on exploration, though there are a few dungeons to find and fairly simplistic combat.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:04 pm

has anyone tried Mortal Shell? i might get this one in the future (at a hugely discounted price)

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:06 pm

It was on GamePass and I tried it and kind of hated it. It felt like a souls game with none of the charm.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:30 am

jztemple2 wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 4:58 pm I picked up Insurmountable (Epic link) (Steam link) for free on the Epic store, but I almost got it for 50% off on the Steam store first . Anyway, I've put in an hour on it and it's pretty nice. It is a "rouge lite" (so they tell me, or is it rouge like?) and I've been keeping an eye on it since I first saw it on Steam. Today was the release of the Update 2.0 which apparently made significant changes to the story-telling aspects of the game, but since I didn't play it before 2.0 I can't tell you the different. Anyway, it's free for a week and worth it at that price . It doesn't take a lot of commitment of brainpower and time, but it does have some definite strategy to it.

I finally got around to trying this tonight. My general consensus after an hour is that it might be the most boring video game I’ve ever played.

I’m sure theres plenty of people who will find it’s, shall we say, deliberate pace engaging, but I am certainly not one of them.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:35 am

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:13 am

Thanks to Blues News

TERA Closing

Bluehole announces that MMORPG TERA is closing down at the end of June (thanks GamesIndustry.biz). The TERA Shutdown FAQ covers all the details, saying there is no migration plan, and that no reimbursements for previous purchases will be provided. Those with long-term TERA Club memberships will receive prorated refunds.

This is one of those handful of 'free' MMOs I used to play...this and RIFT and some others.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 10:14 am

That gives me a sad. I loved Tera when it first came out and spent a few hundred hours with it. It really was pretty fun, before it turned completely pay to win. I even dropped $100 when it was ported over to PS4 for a whole bunch of goodies (mounts, cosmetics, etc) that I never even ended up claiming because the console port was SO bad.

It's still the game I have the most hours with in Steam.

Hrothgar · Post by **Hrothgar** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:14 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:04 pm has anyone tried Mortal Shell? i might get this one in the future (at a hugely discounted price)

If you have Amazon Prime, you can play this on their Luna streaming service until the end of the month.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 2:26 pm

I started Valkyria Chronicles 4 a couple of days ago, but I think I'm going to back out. I really enjoyed the first one on the PS3, but honestly, I'd forgotten just how complex the progression was (or else it's gotten way more elaborate over time. I know I'd be enjoying this if my mood were right, but I also think this is more than I want to commit to right now.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:58 am

Perfect World Entertainment, along with Cryptic Studios, has been acquired by the aptly named Embracer Group and rebranded as Gearbox Publishing.

Industry consolidation continues apace.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 10:36 am

News today says some group is eyeing ubisoft.

Ubisoft Reportedly Being Targeted for Acquisition

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 12:35 pm

Max Peck wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:58 am Perfect World Entertainment, along with Cryptic Studios, has been acquired by the aptly named Embracer Group and rebranded as Gearbox Publishing.

I just find it funny that they call themselves Gearbox San Francisco, when they are 26 miles from San Francisco, in Redwood City.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 12:55 pm

So is Geabox Publishing and Gearbox Games the same thing? Cause Im seeing Gearbox Publishing as Perfect World Ent and the ones that have ARC and Star Trek Online and such.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 1:42 pm

Gearbox Publishing (nee Perfect World Entertainment) and Gearbox Software are different business units under Gearbox Entertainment, which is the parent company for all things Gearbox. It looks like Gearbox Publishing is doing all the things that Perfect World did, including operating the Arc Games platform, while Gearbox Software is doing their game dev thing, such as pissing everyone off by pushing out a mediocre DLC for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:22 pm

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:39 pm

Max Peck wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:58 am Perfect World Entertainment, along with Cryptic Studios, has been acquired by the aptly named Embracer Group and rebranded as Gearbox Publishing.

Industry consolidation continues apace.

I wish they’d give Neverwinter an overhaul. It’s actually a cool MMO, dragged down by some truly awful P2W systems and progression slogs.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 7:48 pm

Nexus mods. I still have Fallout 4 and Skyrim on the brain and know I will go back to them one day and Ill want to mod them up good first. I always used Nexus for all my modding. Im not sure how the changes have affected it. Do they still have a free area or is it all pay to mod now?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:38 pm

Daehawk wrote: Mon Apr 25, 2022 7:48 pm Nexus mods. I still have Fallout 4 and Skyrim on the brain and know I will go back to them one day and Ill want to mod them up good first. I always used Nexus for all my modding. Im not sure how the changes have affected it. Do they still have a free area or is it all pay to mod now?

I'm thinking you got your controversies mixed up. Nexus has never had paid mods. It's all free. The only premium option is for higher download speeds. It's only a few bucks for a month's subscription, and it really helps with the big texture packs (and especially with Wabbajack.) If I'm going to be modding a game or two of that size, I usually spring for a month, mod, and then cancel. But it can all be free if you're willing to deal with slower downloads (just like it has been for years.)

The big Nexus issue was in refusing to allow mod authors to delete their mods, including outdated versions. A few mod developers were up in arms when it was first announced, but most decided it wasn't that big of a deal. The few who stayed away simply host their mods somewhere else.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Apr 27, 2022 2:46 pm

Does anyone play Bloodhunt?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/7601 ... Bloodhunt/

Im no fan of BR games but a vampire one might be fun to try.....if it doesn't 'suck'

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Apr 29, 2022 12:32 am

I picked up Teardown from Steam. Gameplay is OK, it's a puzzle game, but I got terrible motion sickness from it. I've requested a refund.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Apr 29, 2022 1:33 pm

Playing Cosmic Star Heroine, a throwback to 16-bit JRPG and looks like it too, but with an original combat mechanic that's NOT random chance based. Very interesting, as if you ramp up the difficulty, you really have to rethink your entire party composition and equipment combo so they synergize. So far I've been playing noob level and getting by the relatively tough fights, but apparently I've been scratching the surface and hadn't done the really nasty synergies that can one-shot bosses. Hmmm...

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Apr 29, 2022 1:43 pm

Intel got me a code for Dysterra on Steam. Guess Ill see what that does.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon May 02, 2022 9:51 am

Square-Enix sells all of its Western game studios—and their games—to Embracer

On Monday, Japanese game publisher Square-Enix confirmed that it was selling all three of its Western video game studios, along with many significant game series and IP attached to those studios, to the European game publisher Embracer.

The sale includes game studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square-Enix Montreal. All three had previously been wholly owned by Square-Enix, and Embracer will acquire their entire staffs, combined at roughly 1,100 people, along with popular IP such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain, and a game-publishing catalog of "over 50 games," for $300 million.

Not all of the deal's IP has been confirmed thus far, however, and an announcement from Square-Enix indicates that its Western operations "will continue to publish franchises such as Just Cause, Outriders, and Life Is Strange." This suggests that Square-Enix will retain some of its Western-specific IP and that its future collaborations with Western game makers will come via publishing deals with outside developers.