There's a whole world to visit in February's quintet of games. Travel the globe hunting for treasure in the edutainment hidden gem Bush Buck: Global Treasure Hunter (1990, PC Globe Inc). Then take a post-apocalyptic jaunt through Miami in the unofficial sequel to Wasteland that is Fountain of Dreams (1990 Electronic Arts). If you want a more violent foray into the future, check out Quarantine II: Road Warrior (1995 GameTek), an action-driving sequel that's just as gory as the first. If you suffer some wounds on your whirlwind trip, seek the advice of SimHealth: The National Health Care Simulation (1994 Thinking Tools Inc), an obscure entry into Maxis' Sim series. On your way back, stop off at a very romantic location (it is February after all) with William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: An Interactive Trip to Verona Beach (1996 Fox Interactive). Read on to find out more.
Game 1: simulated 5p game (Dave and I played 2 seats each)
I wanted to test the 4-5p starting resources, but there were only three of us. Dave has played a handful of games (last year), while Hoss hadn't played at all. I wanted feedback from fresh eyes on the game in general from Hoss (mostly about fiddliness and grokability), but had Dave and myself each play 2 seats so we could see the 4-5p starting cards in action. Dave had the Afterburner to see if he could abuse it. I had the Upgraded Cargo Hold to see if it felt way too good.
Playing multiple seats is never ideal, but it wasn't too bad. The worst part was probably when the blue player scanned, and then the purple player (both played by me) was able to act on that info :/
In the end, the 5th player (Upgraded Cargo Hold) won, but I don't think it was really due to the starting resources. In fact, I felt like I kind of squandered my start, but that seat just played a good game otherwise.
Dave tried to get the Afterburner online as quickly as possible in seat 4. He ended up in 2nd place by only 6 points. Only two points back was Dave's other seat (P1), who started with $20 and tried avoiding buying a thruster (he got a Hyperdrive).
My other seat (P2-shield +3energy) and Hoss (P3-Cargo Hold) tied at about 10 points back, both seats playing loie n00bs :)
Game 2: 4p, but with starting resources of players 2-5
Russell showed up right at the end of that first game,so next we played with 4, but to test more if the 4-5p cards, we just skipped the 1p ones. Hoss and I started with 2-3p cards cryo Chamber and Weapon+Crystal, respectivly). Dave starter with the Upgraded Cargo Hold and Russell started with Additional Module Slots+$20.
Hoss, still a newbie, didn't do great. He was doing better until a pretty devastating mistake - he left the Outpost to Colonize but forgot a colony marker! I worry a little bit that this may be a common error, but other than warm about it in the rules, I don't think there's anything I can really do about it witjwit making significant changes to the system :/ I did about as badly as Hoss, just taking way too long to actually put my plans into action.
But more importantly, how did the 4th and 5th players do with their starting resources? We'll, Russell had a pretty strong showing, getting 2nd place without ever using the Additional Module Slots. Though all three of us were close packed in score.
Dave however finished 25 points ahead... Which is like 2-3 big plays in this game. How much of this was due to the Upgraded Cargo Hold? We'll, probably at least 10 of it was from capitalizing on Hoss' mistakes, but he was also able to do a lot with the ability to hold both 2 colony markers and so many resources.
In the end, the Upgraded Cargo Hold is probably overpowered, and the Additional Module Slots is probably underpowered. That technologhy just isn't a "starting resource," and as such is not a useful thing to get at the beginning of the game. I'm going to try "$10+1 Energy+loaded colony marker" and "2 brown + 1 energy" instead of those two starting cards.
Also, originally each player started with 3 VP, in case you ran into an asteroid in the early game and didn't have shields. I've been trying the game without that, but I realized today that starting with 1 energy is irrelevant if you have nothing to lose by crashing into asteroids. So I think I'll add VP to all of the cards so that starting with 1 energy is relevant again. I think most of the cards will get 3vp, but I can tune up or down for cards that feel a little strong or weak.
A few other little details...
With the inclusion of the starting resource cards, I have deleted the stage 1 rewards, because they served the same purpose. This shortens the game a little bit, but I did add 3 tiles to stage 3, so it should not be too different than the old version. However, one of the stage 3 rewards is a free Thruster module, which is great (better the earlier you get it), but comes out fairly late, so there isn't much time to use it. But without the stage 1 rewards, that one can come out all the earlier, which may be too strong. I might move that one to stage 4 instead.
As for the Wormhole physics I talked about last time, I worry that "any OTHER wormhole" will be one of those easily forgotten rules. I guess the game doesn't break if players go in and out of the same wormhole, I've been playing that way. But should I have an easier to remember rule?
Every 4 years, right? Lots of sales going on, so here's mine...
Get the premium, luxury hardcover book of Cha'alt for $40 (shipping inside the USA included, otherwise, it's an extra $30). Normally, Cha'alt retails for $60.
Each book is signed and numbered (limited to 2,000 and I'm almost out - no reprints!)... plus, since it's leap day and all, I'll "ultra-personalize" it with an amateur drawing of some tentacled monstrosity.
This offer is only good until midnight tonight, so don't delay!
You can paypal me the money using my email address: Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com
Enjoy,
VS
p.s. Of course, if you order the hardcover, you'll get the PDF for FREE
I have recently been replaying ffvii in preparation for the remake.
One feature I had failed to notice previously is the manner in which each of the party members react to the death of Aeris.
It is a really beautiful moment in which we see something of the depth of characterisation in the party members expressed as well as it could be given the playstation's graphical limitations.
I particularly like Yuffi's scene which I think shows her offering some prayers for Aeris, she then tries to hold herself together before collapsing upon Cloud in tears. What I liked about this was 1) It disclosed her commitment to the religion of her ancestor's 'the dragon gods' of which we hear almost nothing about it the game, 2) it shows her deep affection and perhaps even crush towards Cloud (note how of all the dating scenes Yuffi is the only girl who actually chooses to kiss Cloud for herself) 3) It shows the softness of Yuffi and even the sensitivity underneath her tough exterior.
I could probably offer a similar analysis for each of the other characters in their specific manner of mourning the tragic death of Aeris, but I will leave you to do that.
What I will add is that the different reactions also parallel some of the common responses I often see towards death in my work as hospital chaplain. The game is pretty true to life in the different responses death can bring out in people.
In fact I actually like Cait Sith's ultra weird response- for me this response is actually genuine and common, the person who tries to cheer up the situation in some way or is ridiculously jolly as their loved one is passing, but this is really just a mask for the underlying gnawing sense of grief. I think in Cait Sith's position that also is particularly appropriate given that his betrayal of the party can easily be seen as a cause in bringing about the death of Aeris through the handing over of the keystone... perhaps... I'm not so sure about that now, ... all the same laughter is often a cloak for tears deep down.
In this month of November, the month for remembering the Holy Souls in Purgatory it is salutary to call to mind the eternal truths- death, judgement, heaven and hell. Each one of us will die, each one of us will be judged... perhaps some will mourn our deaths for a little while, but then, ultimately we will all be forgotten. Our souls however will continue, either in heaven, or for the vast majority, in hell.
Stay on the narrow road, in the One True Catholic Church and go to confession regularly.
I've been drawing maps. Several maps. Mainly for a couple of products my game company (Goblyn Head Press) is selling or is going to sell via DriveThruRPG.
Ages ago, angels and demons birthed your world in a forbidden union. Now they've come to claim it. Stand tall among Sanctuary's meek and wicked to battle walking corpses, horrifying cultists, fallen seraphs, and the Lords of Hell. When the High Heavens and the Burning Hells war, humanity must be its own salvation.
Unholy Trinity
The Diablo III game, the Reaper of Souls expansion, and the Rise of the Necromancer pack are all part of the Eternal Collection: 7 classes, 5 acts, and seasons' worth of demon-smashing.
Nintendo Switch™ Exclusives
Discover pieces of Zelda's world in Sanctuary. The Eternal Collection on Switch™ includes the Cucco companion pet, a Triforce portrait frame, and an exclusive transmogrification set that will let your heroes sport Ganondorf's iconic armor. You'll also receive unique cosmetic wings.
UCLan Games Design Experience Of WIG Conference 2019
Two of our lovely Games Design students, Catarina Martins and Stacey Satchell were at the Women in Games Conference 2019 last week. Here's what they had to say about the experience :)
Catarina: "Can't put into words how inspiring and amazing those couple of days were in London at the European Women in Games Conference. The gaming industry is filled with strong and talented people and I had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of them. Also managed to make really good contacts with very helpful and super nice people which I hope to see again soon! Now is time to take all the knowledge and inspiration I received and start applying for jobs. Let the new adventure begin!"
Stacey: "Women in Games was such a wonderful event full of uplifting and talented people from a large variety of backgrounds and roles. From Keynotes that inspired me as a women in the community to panels that taught me so much about the industry as a professional. I left with amazing advice, a positive attitude and plenty of new friends.
Looking forward to it again next year!"
And here's some of the photos they took at the event. Thanks for sharing, Girls!
Spotlight: Alex Gleason From Vegan On A Desert Island
For this month's interview we sat down with Alex Gleason, creator and developer of Vegan on a Desert Island, an upcoming libre action/puzzle RPG. The game follows the story of Rachel, a vegan girl who shipwrecks on an island, and becomes embroiled in a quest to uphold her own conflicted values against the interests of the island's many talking animals. A newcomer on the scene, we spoke with Alex on what inspired him to create this project, along with his views on activism, software freedom, game development, and of course, life.
FG: Tell us a bit about yourself and your project to begin with.
Alex: My name is Alex Gleason and I'm making a game called Vegan on a Desert Island (VOADI). It's a puzzle-adventure game with emphasis on art, music, and storytelling. The game is about Rachel's journey, which I modeled after some events in my life involving animal rights activism I organized in real life, including all its conflict and turmoil. It's a linear story meant to be experienced once and leave a lasting impression.
FG: At a first glance, a vegan stranded on a desert island seems like an unusual concept to make a game about. Could you elaborate on how your experience in activism motivated you to create this project?
Alex: In conversations about veganism people often ask if we'd eat animals under dire circumstances, such as being stranded on a desert island. It's a ridiculous question that deserves a ridiculous answer, which is why I decided to develop VOADI.
The true answer is coconuts. In The Real Castaway, a woman in real life was stranded on an island for 9 months and survived entirely off of coconuts. To answer to the deeper question, it's the same question as if you'd be fine eating another human on a desert island. I believe that animals are people and there is fundamentally no difference. It's impossible to know what you'd really do, but it's not a black-and-white situation. It's okay to not have all the answers.
While developing the game I started to feel like a "vegan on a desert island" in a different way. The animal rights organization I founded collapsed on me. They took my home and crushed my dreams. I was the villain in their story and they were the villains in mine. This inspired me to create a more meaningful story in VOADI, reflecting what happened to me.
I redefined the character of Greybeard from being a classic evil-doer to an ambiguous villain. You're never sure whether he's really good or bad. Good vs evil is a false dichotomy that doesn't exist in real life and I wanted to reflect that in VOADI.
FG: Why did you decide to translate this particular experience of yours into a video game?
Alex: Unlike books or movies, video games force you to experience something yourself. I want players to take a step in my shoes for a minute. The downside is that I cannot guarantee they will actually enjoy it. Successful games make people feel happy, but a lot of VOADI is about misery. Some gameplay elements are even intentionally antagonizing to the player. I think this is balanced a bit by CosmicGem's cheery music and Siltocyn's meticulous pixel art. At the very least, I hope players will always be wondering what's coming next.
The game conflates serious ethical topics with ironic humor
FG: What you just mentioned highlights a certain tendency in the video games industry to reward and empower players in a way they will feel good about themselves, which is a bit contradictory to the idea of art as a form of self-expression. Based on that, do you think there's enough interest or room for dissemination for this type of project?
Alex: VOADI is not a game for everyone, but a few people will deeply resonate with it. If that happens I'll consider the project a success.
FG: For such a personal background, so far the game has been presented as having a cheeky and humorous façade, with an ironic twist to it. Could you elaborate on the role of humor and how it has shaped the game so far?
Alex: I think humor itself is antagonistic. It's about subverting expectations, meaning there is a conflict between what your mind expects and what's really there. "Vegan on a desert island" is a ridiculous premise met with a sarcastic answer. The game is funny precisely because it's antagonistic. Part of that antagonism is in the way the game is presented: a cutesy colorful game about talking animals where very serious things happen.
FG: The project itself has been openly publicized as being a Free Software and Creative Commons endeavor. How did you first became familiar with both of these movements and how have they affected the development of VOADI?
Alex: Software freedom is a boycott, much like veganism. There's a lot of overlap between the communities because it's people who understand the concept of sacrificing something for the greater good. I still use copyleft licenses for all my works. It's a deep conviction I'll never change, and you can be sure everything we put out there will free culture approved.
Linux was a groundbreaking discovery because it defied everything I knew about people's incentives to create things. I thought software freedom didn't go far enough. Later I discovered Nina Paley, a copyright abolitionist, and her view that "copying is not theft" really resonated me. She is a personal hero of mine and an inspiration. In some ways I am quite literally following in her footsteps.
In terms of project impact, being Free software helped VOADI garner more widespread support. Daniel Molina is an amazing volunteer who joined the project to advance software freedom for gaming. I've received support from the sidelines as well, with people donating money and others doing small but important tasks like updating wiki pages and mirroring assets. It's pretty incredible how much people will help you without being asked if you put yourself out there and are willing to give back.
FG: Eventually this has taken you to present your project at LibrePlanet last March. How did that come to be?
Alex: I've been a member of the LibrePlanet community for years but never gave a talk. Last March the stars aligned. I didn't intend to give the talk originally, but I felt empowered by the people there. Lightning talks seem like a low-pressure way to showcase something you've been working on, and VOADI was received very well! Lightning talks at LibrePlanet are open to anyone on a first-come-first-serve basis after the conference starts. All you have to do is add your name to a list.
FG: Switching to more technical matters: You have been using the Solarus engine as a main development platform. How did you first hear about it and how has it helped making VOADI a reality?
Alex: Solarus has a map editor GUI making it a great tool for beginners. The Solarus community is vibrant and generous, always eager to help. It was developed by Christopho as a reimplementation of the game engine from Zelda: A Link to the Past, a game I was already very familiar with. I highly suggest Solarus to anyone new to the free gaming scene, looking to create their own games!
I used to love Zelda, especially the Game Boy Color titles. Nintendo is notorious for cease-and-desisting fan created works, which I think is unjust and counterproductive to a healthy society. I struggle to enjoy the games from my childhood because I'm too distracted by the fact that society would punish someone for deriving or extending works that they care deeply about. I see Solarus as a stepping stone towards creating a new ecosystem of free games that can hopefully touch people's hearts in a way that they'll want to extend and remix the game, and they'll be allowed to do so.
FG: VOADI notoriously bases most of its graphics style on a Creative Commons tileset (Zoria), but it also features original additions of its own, as well as original music. How did you go about sourcing an adequate free tileset, along with finding artists to fill in for the remaining necessities of the artwork pipeline?
Alex: Zoria tileset was found on OpenGameArt. I had been trying to make my own tileset, but knew I couldn't match that level of quality on my own.
Later I commissioned our tileset artist, Siltocyn, through an ad I posted on the /r/gameDevClassifieds subreddit. CosmicGem, our chiptune musician, was found through Fiverr. This has worked out really well for VOADI. It's amazing how much you can do with a small amount of money.
In both cases we switched to free platforms (email and Matrix) for communication. Reddit was the most effective at garnering attention for our gigs.
Originally I planned to make all contributors sign a waiver similar to the Apache contributor agreement, transferring their copyright to me. But the freelancers wanted to maintain their privacy (they didn't want to sign their name and address). So instead now there's a policy where all contributors must put the license on the deliverable file itself, or distribute it in a ZIP with the license.
For graphics we created these stamps that say stuff like "Siltocyn CC BY-SA 4.0" in a tiny font in the corner of the files
A glimpse into the development process
FG: When are you planning to release the game, and in which formats will it be released?
Alex: I'm planning for a 2020 release for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. We'll consider more platforms depending on the reception (although anyone will be free to port it if they have the skills).
I'm planning to distribute the game on some proprietary platforms like Steam, Humble Bundle, etc. Those versions will have a price associated with it. I think of it as a "proprietary tax." Users in the free world will play the game gratis.
I'm also planning for a limited physical release on CD, which I'll cobble together at home using LightScribe disks, booklets I print myself, and used jewel cases from eBay. I mostly just want something to hold in my hands.
FG: Any tips for other Free Software or independent developers out there?
Alex:
Put yourself out there.
Good art and music goes a long way.
Start it and don't stop.
FG: Alright, thank you very much for your time Alex.
Alex: Thanks so much for the opportunity!
Vegan on a Desert Island is set to be released in 2020. The project's code is licensed under the GPLv3, and al of the art assets are being released under CC-BY-Sa 4.0. If you would like to contribute to the project you can join development talks at VOADI's Riot channel or check their repository at Gitlab. You can also donate via the project's Patreon or Liberapay.
All of the images on this article are courtesy of Vegan on a Desert Island, released under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
HOTT 52 - Battle 4 - Attack On An'Burkag's Encampment
I fought my HOTT 52 Week 4 battle over lunch today and had a blast! I tried out the Magician unit for the first time. After the battle report, I'll give you my thoughts on this unit and how it plays out.
To create my armies I have tables that represent armies when they're all militia, all regular/professional, or a mix of the two. Regular armies have (more) elements like heroes, magicians, blades and knights. Militia armies have more of riders, warbands, spears and hordes, plus the cleric that sees to the needs of the common folk pressed into service!
This battle, I wanted to mix it up, so I rolled randomly for regular/militia or militia/regular, then rolled to see which exact army was to be used. The human army would be a militia/regular army. The Orc army, led by the War Chief An'Burkag, would be regular/militia.
The orcs were supposed to have Spear x3 and Hordes x2, but I swapped them out for the Orc Shaman as my Magician experiment.
The orcs lined up outside of their camp, howling and cursing at the humans who appeared on the horizon. They anchored their right flank with an impassable hill.
The human commander put her knights and riders on the flanks with the intent of sending the speedy riders to threaten the stronghold or Orc reserves.
The Orc Shaman Oz'turk, seeing the hateful Human Knights to their left, moved over to that flank, preparing foul spells to cast at them. Meanwhile, An'Burkag detailed a unit of Orc Spears to line up with him to prevent the Human Riders from flanking them or attacking their camp!
The Human army rolled down on top of the orc defense and pushed them all back!
Undaunted, the orcs and goblins gnashed their teeth, gripped their cold iron weapons and charged back at the humans, pushing them back!
(It was an amazing story the dice told! Every orc unit on the line recoiled when it was the human's bound, and almost the same in reverse when it was the orc's bound!)
The human knights, seeing a potential trap, charged at the flanking Orc knights. With nowhere to go, the retreating Orc Knights crashed into the melee between goblin and human archers. The unit broke up! Unfortunately, the impetuous Human knights made a mistake in turning to attack the Orc Shaman. When they attacked, they were overcome by his foul magicks!
(In HOTT, if a Knight (Kn) attacks a Magician and suffers a minor defeat in that same bound, they are destroyed! I had to reread that rule several times to make sure I understood it. It's subtle in the wording... if the Magician had charged/initiated contact, then the way the rule reads, the Kn would not have been destroyed!)
The Orcs also protected their rear/right flank, with the Orc spear destroying the light Rider cavalry. The orc line, however, suffered several defeats and began to fragment.
The human army pressed their advantage and pushed the orcs back. Warchief An'Burkag raced to reinforce the line and the Shaman Oz'turk rained spells and curses on both the flanking knights and units in the humans army, but they had little effect.
In the end, the orcs were unable to mount a serious defense and An'Burkag was forced to sound the horns of retreat. The humans marched upon the remains of the camp and burned it all to the ground, celebrating a hard fought victory!
Orcs: 12AP lost, Humans: 8 AP lost. I rolled quite a few 6 to 1 combat rolls, in favor of the humans, which almost always spells defeat for the orcs. Once the line developed gaps, the bonuses for overlaps from the intact human line spelled the story out. Which was surprising, as the defeats on the flank really blunted whatever advantage I thought the humans would need.
So.. the Magician unit. Fun! It's basically an advanced artillery unit, being able to launch spells at 3x the distance of shooters, a little further than regular artillery. It does require PIPs though, so it requires a choice to be made between moving a unit or two, or using spells. Unfortunately, out of 4 attempts at a spell, only one had any sort of effect (a recoil), so the results weren't as good as I hoped. I was taken by surprise at the result of the Magician killing the Knight unit, though! I'll remember that for the future.
I don't know how this would have turned out if the Orcs had kept their Hordes and extra Spear unit, but it was a fun element to play with. Now I need to try a Cleric... and I need to buy 15mm human Wizards and Clerics! I don't have any!
Image used for criticism under "Fair Use." All rights belong to Warner Brothers.
"What's up, Doc?"
Bugs Bunny was one of the great idols of my childhood. Looney Tunes used to regularly come on Cartoon Network, and Bugs was the one I always wanted most to see. In fact, Cartoon Network used to dedicate the entire month of June to playing Bugs Bunny cartoons nonstop. Such a bold move could hardly be imagined today. Even more inconceivable were his appearances at that time beside Michael Jordan in Space Jam, and Mickey Mouse in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The latter more productive than the former.
I speak of Bugs since he just turned seventy-five this year. In the few moments I've spent with him, eyes glued to the TV set, so many are fond. Who wouldn't adore his arguments with Daffy over whether it was "Rabbit Season" or "Duck Season"? We all know the routine. Bugs would concede that it's "Rabbit Season", but Daffy, not one to agree with Bugs, thoughtlessly insists that its "Duck Season", only to get his bill shot off by Elmer. Though Bugs hardly ever got on Elmer's good side, either. As much as he tried to be very, very quiet in his hunting for rabbits, Bugs usually got the upper-hand. Sometimes he did it by cross-dressing as a woman, most famously in What's Opera, Doc? Now remembered as one of Bugs and Elmer's finest, What's Opera, Doc? is a fanciful adaptation of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, with the "Tannhauser Chorus" and "Ride of the Valkyries" included. The short was produced in the 1950's, when the Chuck Jones cartoons acquired a more modernist art style. We see this on point when Elmer's fury to command the weather gets the background into more clashing hues and greys. What stands out about this particular episode is that Elmer actually succeeds in killing Bugs, to which he weeps. I was shocked upon first seeing this. Tom never caught Jerry. Sylvester never caught Tweety. Wile E. Coyote never caught Road Runner. Yet here we were. Though Bugs slipped in a final comment to berate my surprise, "What did you expect from an opera, a happy ending?"
Even when Bugs was shamelessly ripping off Tom and Jerry's Cat Concerto in Rhapsody Rabbit, he managed to get a good laugh or two in. I mean hell, he literally pulls out a gun to shoot a coughing audience member. I suppose a bullet does better to silence than cough drops.
Bugs had wit. I'd argue that's part of his draw. With so many one-liners, Bugs comes across as an animated Groucho Marx. (Bugs has even put on a Groucho disguise). The rabbit always used his brains to get the upper-hand over his opponents, and being a cartoon, he resolves matters in ways that may surprise the viewer. Compare this to Popeye the Sailor, whom while being entertaining in his own right, always ended his conflicts in the same way: with spinach and muscle. Though the type of character Bugs is comes from the Trickster archetype. NPR compared him favorably to Puck, Anansi, and the Monkey King. Further, the radio station quoted Robert Thompson, who directs a pop-culture studies program at Syracuse University. Thompson remarked of Bugs that, "He defies authority. He goes against the rules. But he does it in a way that's often lovable, and that often results in good things for the culture at large," (Sutherland). Chuck Jones, always made sure that Bugs only acted when provoked. His trickery was a matter of defending his dignity.
And to my recollection, he always won.
Image used for criticism under "Fair Use." All rights belong to Warner Bros.
In the past, I've spent a little time playing online versions of board games, from Puerto Rico on Brettspielwelt.de to Vinci on boiteajeux.net, to Magic: the Gathering on MTG online, but I usually lose interest after a while. I much prefer irl board gaming, face to face with real people. I recently posted that my game Eminent Domain is available for free online play at BoardGameArena.com, and that I'd been exploring some of online boardgames that site has to offer:
Well, I've been continuing to play games online -- my current makes that much more viable than getting to a live game night. I mostly play 2p games late at night with my friend Steve. I like 2p best, since otherwise it can take a frustratingly long time for my turn to roll around, and I will have forgotten what was going on in the game.
Games I've been playing since my last post include:
Caylus - an old favorite, still a great game, but not a very modern feeling one
Hawaii - a neat game I'd played once before, a long time ago
In the Year of the Dragon - one of my all time favorite games. 2p is weird because turn order can be such a big deal
Penny Press - a neat auction sort of game, but feels a bit one dimensional (after only 1 play)
Ponte de Diavolo - an abstract game that it turns out I'd played before, but forgotten. Not my type of game
Race for the Galaxy - I haven't played much RftG irl since EmDo became a thing. It's a solid game, and I like 2p better than multiplayer because I feel like playing 2 cards at a time gives me more agency and feels more fun
Seasons - a decent card combo-y game, but one I got a little bored with after a handful of plays
Signorie - a "heavy"-ish game that got good buzz. It's OK, I guess, but I really didn't feel like there were different approaches like there appeared to be
Takenoko - a very nice, very fun game by Antoine Bauza. Works well with 2, and didn't really seem to get old
Tokaido - another very pleasant, very good game by Antoine Bauza. 2p has a neutral pawn that the player farthest ahead gets to control, which is a really neat aspect. The game is great, but many of the player powers seem lackluster (at least in 2p) because they're so narrow and easily blocked. Still a great game though!
Tash Kalar - a largely abstract game, which is usually not my thing, but this one is pretty interesting. Cool how the scoring goals (Tasks) are what's important more than simply placing pieces and taking opposing pieces (Nexus Ops had some of that going on, and I guess Twilight Imperium did too)
And I've started a game of The Castles of Burgundy on boiteajeux.net with Steve. I like that game, but when I play it in real life I feel like it takes too long. I'd REALLY like the game if it only took an hour, but it consistently takes 2 hours when playing with 4 players. So maybe it's better online? So far, yes and no. It's nice to log in, think about your turn, and do it... but it's real easy for me to ignore my opponent and play solitaire that way, which has hurt me in this game. Also, just like irl, the game has the dice luck that can really be annoying sometimes.
I'm having a lot of fun playing these games online, though it'll never be as good as playing in real life. It's especially fun to play and chat in real time, though with my schedule I can never commit to actual real time games, just turn based ones where we take our turns in quick succession for a while.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 is exactly as it sounds, which is to say a game that has Nintendo and Sega's iconic characters participating in the latest staging of the Summer Games. It's part of a long-running series that taps multiple licenses to generate crossover appeal. That it works, and how, is attributable to its polish; it isn't simply a product that lops together seemingly disparate intellectual properties for expediency and quick gains. Bottom line, it's an extremely well-thought-out title that succeeds in making a variety of sports — events, really — accessible to a population of gamers otherwise loath to dabble in the genre.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 boasts of a Story Mode that, owing to the machinations of Dr. Eggman and Bowser, compels gamers to participate in the 2020 Olympics and the 1964 Olympics, both in Tokyo — albeit with a twist; the former is presented in three-dimensional format, and the latter in eight- and 16-bit graphics and sounds reminiscent of those churned out by the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. The retro presentation has 10 sports on tap, while the modern one has twice as many; exclusives in each are present, further underscoring the differentiation.
Significantly, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 gives gamers options in steering their favorite characters. Joy-Cons can be used together or separately, and provide motion, directional-pad, and button alternatives. Regardless of choice, controls are extremely responsive, and at no time do they hold back or interfere with the unfolding action. To the contrary, the technical proficiency of the interface proves a boon, especially in light of the immediacy of the proceedings. If there's any bane, it's in the waiting time required to get an online multiplayer session going; apparently, there isn't enough competition out and about and angling for a quick mini-game. And, yes, only one can be set up at a time; after a button-mashing bout that literally lasts for seconds, there is need to repeat the process.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 notably brings back the popular Dream Events, over-the-top versions of Olympic sports. Considering their potential for fun, particularly as party options, it's too bad that only Dream Racing, Dream Shooting, and Dream Karate make the leap to the franchise's latest offering. That said, the release also doubles as a repository of information on Tokyo, as well as on the characters themselves. If nothing else, they widen the knowledge of gamers and serve to elevate the title to more than mere passing fancy.
On the plus side, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 puts forth an excellent audio-visual presentation. In fact, no other release in the series looks and sounds better. No doubt, Sega was motivated to put its best foot forward given own ties to the venue of the Quadrennial. Nonetheless, it succeeds in earning its AAA price tag. For all its frailties, it manages to generate interest as a multiplayer marvel, directly involving up to eight, and indirectly keeping more transfixed, in its adrenaline-pumping offerings.
THE GOOD:
The finest in the series to date
Polished presentation
Doubles as a repository of information on Tokyo
A variety of control options on tap
Quick input registers
THE BAD:
Dream Events fewer in number
Online multiplayer sessions take a while to get going
Everyone knows about PUBG these days. PUBG is an online battle royale game. The developer of PUBG is Brendan Greene and it is published by PUBG Corporation. It is a survival game in which a maximum of 100 players can participate. The players will kill each other in a map until the last player remains alive and wins the match. The winner gets a "WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER" slogan PUBG is available in platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, PS4, and Xbox One.
Gameplay of PUBG
Each match starts with players parachuting from a plane onto a selected map area. At present, there are 4 playable maps and these are Erangel, Sanhok, Miramar, and Vikendi. Once they land on one of the four maps from the sky, players search in houses, towns etc. to find many items and equipment including weapons, vehicles, and other surviving tools. Once a player is dead, his clothes, guns, ammo, etc can be looted by other players.
After every few minutes, the safe zone or playable area of the map begins to shrink down and the map becomes smaller and smaller enhancing the chances of an encounter of remaining players. If a player remains out of the safe zone, his life begins decreasing until his death.
During the game, a plane flies over various parts of the playable map and drop many necessary packages. These packages contain special and rare items which are very rare to find in the normal houses or towns. Players in greed of getting those items encounter their enemies and thus a war begins making more players end up their life.
The players keep fighting until the last player wins the match by defeating all other remaining players. The winner then earns a " WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER" promotion. The player also earns some in-game currency with which they can buy accessories from the game store.
Others
Besides the 4 maps of PUBG as described above, it is rumored that PUBG will launch their fifth map Venezia in the global 0.12 or 0.13 version.
It is said that the developer of the map is James Coreman. He is an employee at the PUBG Corporation. It is also believed that the map has been inspired by a city in Venice, Italy. Venice is a city in Italy which is well known for its large number of canals, bridges and small islands.
