I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
"Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
could I? They were terrible...

So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
let's get to it.

Zip-zippity-zoom!
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
* Half-Life: Alyx
* Aviators
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
* Horizon: Zero Dawn

Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
---------------------------------------

* Detroit: Become Human
I don't know why I play these games.

Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
/any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
very well.

"Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
novel or well told.

As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.

And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
aging tech stands out all the more.

The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
have no idea how the developer stays in business.

* Half-Life: Alyx
Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
own?

Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
playable without needing a VR headset.
https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr

Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
better person than I, Gunga Din.

Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!

But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
controllers.

Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.

Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.

But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
VR requirement.

* Aviators
I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
a game I can recommend.

Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
yearn to play it in VR.

Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
(and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.

Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
games.

Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
- and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
actually enjoy.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:16 this Monday (GMT):
>
> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
> could I? They were terrible...
>
> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
> let's get to it.
>
>
>
> Zip-zippity-zoom!
> ---------------------------------------
> * Detroit: Become Human
> * Half-Life: Alyx
> * Aviators
> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>
>
> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
> ---------------------------------------
>
> * Detroit: Become Human
> I don't know why I play these games.
>
> Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
> managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
> /any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
> terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
> lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
> and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
> very well.
>
> "Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
> only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
> as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
> cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
> But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
> resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
> But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
> novel or well told.
>
> As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
> games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
> a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
> quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
> repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
> generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
> Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
> time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
> more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
> other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
> this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
> tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
> humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
>
> And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
> initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
> time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
> are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
> might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
> aging tech stands out all the more.
>
> The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
> cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
> aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
> give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
> nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
> chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
> know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
> have no idea how the developer stays in business.
>
Is that the JASON! game or was that another one?
>
> * Half-Life: Alyx
> Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
> general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
> as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
> doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
> if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
> changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
> own?
>
> Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
> Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
> playable without needing a VR headset.
> https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
>
> Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
> yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
> the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
> NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
> thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
> better person than I, Gunga Din.
>
> Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
> smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
> sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
> ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
> which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
> More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
> even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
>
> But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
> FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
> counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
> the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
> been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
> Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
> lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
> controllers.
>
> Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
> purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
> way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
> not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
> work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
> it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
>
> Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
> to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
> lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
> dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
> well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
>
> But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
> only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
> friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
> no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
> the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
> VR requirement.
>
Alyx is certainly a breathtaking game and it makes me sad they don't
make games anymore.
>
> * Aviators
> I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
> topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
> War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
> a game I can recommend.
>
> Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
> intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
> airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
> modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
> wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
> may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
> scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
> flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
> smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
> yearn to play it in VR.
>
> Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
> amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
> adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
> the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
> (and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
> every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
> absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
>
> Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
> any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
> experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
> games.
>
> Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
> program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
> where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
> - and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
> overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
> experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
> thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
> excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
> and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
> actually enjoy.
>
> On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
> the whole thing in less than an hour.
>
> I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
> be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite
> impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
> informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
>
I have neber heard of this.
>
> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
> It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
> Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
> game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
> be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
> consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
> I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
> or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
> recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
> - meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
> And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
> "Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
>
> Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
> been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
> save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
> broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
> game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
> virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of
> employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
> wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
> of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
> bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
> so miniscule.
>
> But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
> this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
> only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
> could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
> actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
> if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
> petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
> the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
>
> It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
> and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
> employees who were bringing me €20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the
> immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
> that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
> of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
> ever run over SUVs anymore.
>
Helll yea brudder!
>
> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
> "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
> game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
> novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
> having a fifty-million dollar budget.
>
> It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
> always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
> fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
> it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
> Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
> adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's
> green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
> done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
> spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
>
> None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
> merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
> when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
> is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels
> half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
> forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
> predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
> There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
> safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
> minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation
> throughout its forty-hour length.
>
> I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for
> hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
> discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are
> scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
> monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested
> resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
> towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
> NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
> helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery
> hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
> of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
> did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very
> paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
> it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
>
> Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
> triple-A studio production.
^ this
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
> Simply put:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>

>What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?

An NG+ playthrough of Lies of P. I probably had some vague motivation of
trying a different playstyle (I did parry much more often this time) or
seeing a different ending (the very last boss did me in and I quit after
many tries of his second phase; I handled everything else in the game just
fine, but this boss ugh). A good game, especially if you enjoy dark souls
gameplay. The last boss gave me some carpal tunnel, which is still
lingering a bit now. I'll start Homeworld as soon as I can!

rms

rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 18:57 this Monday (GMT):
>>What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>
> An NG+ playthrough of Lies of P. I probably had some vague motivation of
> trying a different playstyle (I did parry much more often this time) or
> seeing a different ending (the very last boss did me in and I quit after
> many tries of his second phase; I handled everything else in the game just
> fine, but this boss ugh). A good game, especially if you enjoy dark souls
> gameplay. The last boss gave me some carpal tunnel, which is still
> lingering a bit now. I'll start Homeworld as soon as I can!
>
> rms

Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 4/1/2024 10:16 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>
'My Time at Sandrock'

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

>Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?

'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
strategy are important. Here you play Pinocchio a sentient robot, battling
evil sentient servant robots in a 19th century setting to discover what went
wrong with the world. Graphics and combat are satisfying and the story is
interesting enough to prompt me to watch two movie productions and read the
original Carlo Collodi stories! It's 'free' on PC Gamepass now.

rms

rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 19:30 this Monday (GMT):
>>Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
>
> 'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
> strategy are important. Here you play Pinocchio a sentient robot, battling
> evil sentient servant robots in a 19th century setting to discover what went
> wrong with the world. Graphics and combat are satisfying and the story is
> interesting enough to prompt me to watch two movie productions and read the
> original Carlo Collodi stories! It's 'free' on PC Gamepass now.
>
> rms

Huh, interesting.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
....
> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
> Simply put:

> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?

Diablo 4 (having problems beating act 3 boss though) and Duo Lingo.
--
"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer." --Psalm 4:1. Slammy Monday to finally getting a job that starts on Th.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On 4/1/2024 7:16 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
> could I? They were terrible...
>
> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
> let's get to it.
>
>
>
> Zip-zippity-zoom!
> ---------------------------------------
> * Detroit: Become Human
> * Half-Life: Alyx
> * Aviators
> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>
>
> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
> ---------------------------------------
>
> * Detroit: Become Human
> I don't know why I play these games.
>
> Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
> managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
> /any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
> terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
> lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
> and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
> very well.
>
> "Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
> only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
> as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
> cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
> But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
> resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
> But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
> novel or well told.
>
> As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
> games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
> a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
> quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
> repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
> generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
> Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
> time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
> more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
> other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
> this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
> tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
> humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
>
> And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
> initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
> time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
> are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
> might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
> aging tech stands out all the more.
>
> The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
> cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
> aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
> give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
> nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
> chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
> know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
> have no idea how the developer stays in business.
>
>
>
> * Half-Life: Alyx
> Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
> general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
> as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
> doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
> if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
> changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
> own?
>
> Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
> Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
> playable without needing a VR headset.
> https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
>
> Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
> yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
> the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
> NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
> thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
> better person than I, Gunga Din.
>
> Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
> smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
> sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
> ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
> which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
> More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
> even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
>
> But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
> FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
> counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
> the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
> been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
> Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
> lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
> controllers.
>
> Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
> purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
> way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
> not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
> work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
> it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
>
> Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
> to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
> lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
> dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
> well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
>
> But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
> only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
> friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
> no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
> the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
> VR requirement.
>
>
>
> * Aviators
> I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
> topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
> War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
> a game I can recommend.
>
> Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
> intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
> airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
> modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
> wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
> may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
> scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
> flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
> smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
> yearn to play it in VR.
>
> Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
> amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
> adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
> the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
> (and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
> every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
> absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
>
> Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
> any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
> experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
> games.
>
> Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
> program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
> where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
> - and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
> overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
> experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
> thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
> excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
> and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
> actually enjoy.
>
> On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
> the whole thing in less than an hour.
>
> I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
> be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite
> impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
> informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
>
>
>
> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
> It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
> Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
> game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
> be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
> consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
> I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
> or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
> recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
> - meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
> And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
> "Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
>
> Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
> been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
> save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
> broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
> game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
> virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of
> employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
> wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
> of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
> bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
> so miniscule.
>
> But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
> this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
> only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
> could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
> actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
> if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
> petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
> the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
>
> It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
> and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
> employees who were bringing me €20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the
> immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
> that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
> of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
> ever run over SUVs anymore.
>
>
>
> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
> "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
> game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
> novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
> having a fifty-million dollar budget.
>
> It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
> always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
> fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
> it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
> Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
> adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's
> green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
> done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
> spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
>
> None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
> merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
> when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
> is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels
> half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
> forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
> predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
> There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
> safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
> minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation
> throughout its forty-hour length.
>
> I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for
> hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
> discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are
> scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
> monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested
> resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
> towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
> NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
> helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery
> hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
> of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
> did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very
> paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
> it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
>
> Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
> triple-A studio production.
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
> Simply put:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>
>

Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:03 this Monday (GMT):
> On 4/1/2024 7:16 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
>> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
>> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
>> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
>> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
>> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
>> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
>> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
>> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
>> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
>> could I? They were terrible...
>>
>> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
>> let's get to it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Zip-zippity-zoom!
>> ---------------------------------------
>> * Detroit: Become Human
>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>> * Aviators
>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>>
>>
>> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> * Detroit: Become Human
>> I don't know why I play these games.
>>
>> Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
>> managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
>> /any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
>> terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
>> lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
>> and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
>> very well.
>>
>> "Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
>> only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
>> as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
>> cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
>> But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
>> resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
>> But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
>> novel or well told.
>>
>> As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
>> games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
>> a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
>> quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
>> repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
>> generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
>> Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
>> time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
>> more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
>> other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
>> this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
>> tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
>> humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
>>
>> And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
>> initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
>> time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
>> are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
>> might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
>> aging tech stands out all the more.
>>
>> The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
>> cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
>> aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
>> give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
>> nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
>> chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
>> know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
>> have no idea how the developer stays in business.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>> Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
>> general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
>> as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
>> doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
>> if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
>> changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
>> own?
>>
>> Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
>> Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
>> playable without needing a VR headset.
>> https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
>>
>> Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
>> yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
>> the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
>> NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
>> thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
>> better person than I, Gunga Din.
>>
>> Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
>> smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
>> sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
>> ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
>> which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
>> More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
>> even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
>>
>> But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
>> FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
>> counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
>> the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
>> been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
>> Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
>> lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
>> controllers.
>>
>> Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
>> purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
>> way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
>> not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
>> work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
>> it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
>>
>> Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
>> to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
>> lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
>> dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
>> well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
>>
>> But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
>> only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
>> friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
>> no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
>> the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
>> VR requirement.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Aviators
>> I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
>> topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
>> War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
>> a game I can recommend.
>>
>> Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
>> intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
>> airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
>> modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
>> wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
>> may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
>> scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
>> flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
>> smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
>> yearn to play it in VR.
>>
>> Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
>> amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
>> adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
>> the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
>> (and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
>> every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
>> absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
>>
>> Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
>> any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
>> experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
>> games.
>>
>> Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
>> program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
>> where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
>> - and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
>> overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
>> experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
>> thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
>> excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
>> and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
>> actually enjoy.
>>
>> On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
>> the whole thing in less than an hour.
>>
>> I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
>> be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite
>> impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
>> informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>> It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
>> Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
>> game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
>> be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
>> consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
>> I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
>> or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
>> recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
>> - meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
>> And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
>> "Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
>>
>> Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
>> been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
>> save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
>> broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
>> game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
>> virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of
>> employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
>> wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
>> of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
>> bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
>> so miniscule.
>>
>> But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
>> this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
>> only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
>> could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
>> actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
>> if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
>> petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
>> the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
>>
>> It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
>> and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
>> employees who were bringing me €20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the
>> immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
>> that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
>> of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
>> ever run over SUVs anymore.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>> "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
>> game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
>> novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
>> having a fifty-million dollar budget.
>>
>> It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
>> always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
>> fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
>> it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
>> Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
>> adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's
>> green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
>> done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
>> spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
>>
>> None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
>> merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
>> when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
>> is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels
>> half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
>> forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
>> predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
>> There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
>> safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
>> minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation
>> throughout its forty-hour length.
>>
>> I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for
>> hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
>> discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are
>> scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
>> monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested
>> resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
>> towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
>> NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
>> helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery
>> hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
>> of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
>> did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very
>> paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
>> it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
>>
>> Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
>> triple-A studio production.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
>> Simply put:
>>
>> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>>
>>
>
> I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
> This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
> a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
> The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
> allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
> personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
> (over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to
> create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
> this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
> least not recognized before.
>
> The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
> but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
> that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
> (Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).

On 4/1/2024 10:16 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>

> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
> let's get to it.

No April Fools here either, well I did accidentally prank my daughter by
putting my mint toothpaste on her brush instead of her "Unicorn Berry
Sparkle." She hates mint.

> * Half-Life: Alyx

Supposedly the Oculus working with Steam has been improved. I really
need to try that again and see if I can get this game working.

> * Eurotruck Simulator 2

> But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
> this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
> only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
> could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
> actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
> if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
> petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
> the Little People and had to start following the rules again.

I'm always tempted to start Warframe over again just for the experience,
but really I'd have to give up all the MTX upgrades of storage which are
absolutely necessary and would either require a ton of grinding or a
bunch of real $ to get when it's harder in the early game, and I never do.

> Still, most
> of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
> ever run over SUVs anymore.

You got an actual LOL of me for this bit!

> * Horizon: Zero Dawn

> It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
> always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
> fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
> it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
> Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry"

Exactly my experience, though I skipped a few things I didn't enjoy like
most of the 'training'

> Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
> triple-A studio production.

Sadly

> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
> Simply put:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?

*** Ghostwire Tokyo
** Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

The long:

*** Ghostwire Tokyo (epic frebie)
A rather interesting take on Japanese mythology where you sort of die
and fight off evil spirits trying to kill everyone to bring the living
world and dead world together. It includes traditional Yokai and spells.

While it's quite a show, the game play is very basic as you use
essentially the same spell, or one of 3 anyway (slightly upgraded) over
and over against 80% the same enemies. It gets very repetitive. I
suppose you could ignore most of the semi-open world, but it feels like
you'd be seriously under powered if you did. The side missions are all
interesting though, my favorite was probably the haunted middle school
which had a couple unique enemies that actually scared me. It might be
worth it to play that far at least.

I will note it doesn't have English dubbing and it can be a bit hard to
catch all the subtitles during hectic bits.

I'd recommend giving it a try, especially if you managed to catch it for
free from Epic.

** Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

A 3rd person fantasy Action-RPG. I already posted about this, so will
leave most of my thoughts already said. I did put it down on the 31st.
I 'finished' the game, though it's one of those games that both seems to
have a lot of stuff 'post game' where it opens up two endless dungeons
along with more quests, which while it's probably the most interesting
part of the game, I got bored with rather quickly.

The base part of the game isn't that hard if you do most or all of the
quests to level up and get gear, but post game you quickly run into
monster bosses that can take an hour of fighting to beat. The monsters
mostly seem to be a gear test. After fighting for a long time you get
to the last phase where you either finish them slowly in a long slog, or
they insta kill you out of apparently nowhere.

I did enjoy fighting one of the new post game monsters, a sort of
beholder like floating eye with teethed tentacle worms that can create
portals around you to attack you from any angle. Once, the second time
I met one, it was beyond me, and wasn't particularly fun.

The game overall felt extremely shallow, none of the quests were really
of any interest and most of them were typical MMO fare of kill x
monsters, escort an NPC with little health (I never succeeded at this,
always they were killed, and then came back.) There were a couple of
minor interest where you go out to kill some monster boss with a group
of soldiers who while used their weapons like wet noodles, at least had
enough health to survive awhile.

As I mentioned the most egregious of the mechanics of the game are a
single save file in which you can have only one character.

The only unique thing it has going for it is the NPC system, while they
don't really have a lot of personality (somehow I did end up with one
one time) they do reasonably well in combat.

While I enjoyed it a bit, I couldn't really recommend it, nor the sequel
which has been described as almost exactly the same except they nerfed
the sorcerer considerably (which wasn't really particularly powerful
anyway,) and improved the graphics. It also has some MTX which
apparently existed initially in DD, but was mostly added for free with
the released the DD:DA version.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

On 4/1/2024 12:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 19:30 this Monday (GMT):
>>> Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
>>
>> 'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
>> strategy are important.

It also typically means 'Really Fucking Hard' though the strategy can
usually get you past a lot of that if you can figure it out (or look it
up as I do when I get frustrated or as reminders) from simple things
like 'use a shield and fire against dogs' to much more complicated
things that are called cheese by the community, such as shooting a boss
from a distance from some outcropping before you actually get into their
arena.

It can be a lot of twitch depending, though I tend to go for
spellcasters which tend to be much less twitch dependent. Though Lies
of P, Bloodborne and Sekiro don't really have much if any spellcasters.

It also is generally available to online co-op in some way which may
make it easier, or harder, which is my preferred way to play.

At this point I'd always say start with Elden Ring as it's the easiest
(if a long slog) if you use all the tools available. And if your PC is
up to it, being the the latest in the series.

If your PC isn't up to it, probably DS2 has the lowest requirements, and
has a somewhat easy start if you probe around until you find a way you
can go. It's old and clunky, and a bit long too. While the base game
is fine, I found the DLCs impossible. Unfortunately co-op is dead with
DS2 beyond the very early areas, and PVP invasions are much more
prevalent so would recommend playing it offline if you start getting
invaded with any regularity.

I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them
out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com> wrote at 16:20 this Tuesday (GMT):
> On 4/1/2024 12:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>> rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 19:30 this Monday (GMT):
>>>> Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
>>>
>>> 'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
>>> strategy are important.
>
> It also typically means 'Really Fucking Hard' though the strategy can
> usually get you past a lot of that if you can figure it out (or look it
> up as I do when I get frustrated or as reminders) from simple things
> like 'use a shield and fire against dogs' to much more complicated
> things that are called cheese by the community, such as shooting a boss
> from a distance from some outcropping before you actually get into their
> arena.
>
> It can be a lot of twitch depending, though I tend to go for
> spellcasters which tend to be much less twitch dependent. Though Lies
> of P, Bloodborne and Sekiro don't really have much if any spellcasters.
>
> It also is generally available to online co-op in some way which may
> make it easier, or harder, which is my preferred way to play.
>
> At this point I'd always say start with Elden Ring as it's the easiest
> (if a long slog) if you use all the tools available. And if your PC is
> up to it, being the the latest in the series.
>
> If your PC isn't up to it, probably DS2 has the lowest requirements, and
> has a somewhat easy start if you probe around until you find a way you
> can go. It's old and clunky, and a bit long too. While the base game
> is fine, I found the DLCs impossible. Unfortunately co-op is dead with
> DS2 beyond the very early areas, and PVP invasions are much more
> prevalent so would recommend playing it offline if you start getting
> invaded with any regularity.
>
> I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
> they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them
> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.

I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

rms wrote:
>> Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
>
>   'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
> strategy are important.  Here you play Pinocchio a sentient robot,
> battling evil sentient servant robots in a 19th century setting to
> discover what went wrong with the world.  Graphics and combat are
> satisfying and the story is interesting enough to prompt me to watch two
> movie productions and read the original Carlo Collodi stories!  It's
> 'free' on PC Gamepass now.
>
> rms
I used to get Dark Souls and Darksiders confused, thinking they were the
same game.

I was playing:

Wizardry 6

Starcraft

Sid Meier's Civilization V

Magic the Gathering: Arena

I've been trying to gain a foothold in Wizardry VII but I keep seeing
holes in my party. I quit screwing around with a thief or a priest in
the front row. Also I reworked everybody for maximum Vitality.
Finally, I recently scrapped the Ranger because he doesn't hit as often
as the melee crew. My current party is, in order:

Ninja Samurai Valkyrie Priest Thief Mage, and with the Valkyrie and
priest I take every spell in Magic to get SP huge for Heal Wounds. I'm
importing from Wizardry 6. I've got a starting party of L6 creatures,
snd I've found Bane's Diary, which can get me better than the basic
Start. However, I'm going to do it. I'm going to solve Wizardry 6
again. This can get me the really phenomenal starts in Wizardry 6 and
also the equipment to go with it.

I'm stuck on the 10th Terran mission in Starcraft, but I'm finding
resources to bypass it. Playing Zerg Campaign and also have an alter
ego that started over from scratch and is up to the 8th mission. While
7 wasn't pretty, I swept the 6th mission with some new tricks.

I have 77 achievements in Civ V.

Wasn't able to settle on a good deck for March, but I've locked in
"Torment," a Nazgul and Shore Up deck for April. It helps to learn the
deck, and that's my plan to stick to this one which looks like No
Contest to reach Diamond. After that the competition will make the
waves choppy, but I have confidence I can reach Mythic this month. I
was working with a very delayed start last month, not really doing
anything until the 10th at least.

On 4/2/2024 3:10 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:03 this Monday (GMT):

>>
>> I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
>> This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
>> a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
>> The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
>> allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
>> personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
>> (over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to
>> create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
>> this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
>> least not recognized before.
>>
>> The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
>> but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
>> that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
>> (Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).
>
> It's wild to me that DLC can just retroactively "fix" a game's ending.
> IMO, the only game that did it well was the first Phoenix Wright.
>
Well, in this case the storyline was progressed. The main story was
about Talion fighting against Sauron between the Hobbit and The Lord of
the Rings (hampering Sauron's efforts in the time the ring was in the
Shire). You can play part of that in the epilogue of the main game, as
you have to fight a series of increasingly difficult sieges of your
fortresses (originally that was over 20 of them, this has been updated
to just 5 in the current version). Then you get a cut scene where it
lays out that the main character succumbed to the ring he was wearing
after all, finally getting killed when Sauron falls at the end of LOTR.

The DLC goes into that process a bit more, showing his corruption by the
ring from the position of another person (the Elvish assassin Eltariel).
She also is in Mordor when Sauron falls and the Bright Lord
(Celebrimbor) escapes.
I am conflicted if this actually was better or not. It does show a bit
more of the progress of the corruption in a way that was not possible to
show in the main game without changing the status quo too much (after
all you were supposed to keep playing and doing further sieges and
defenses).

>> This was nominally the game Middle-Earth 2, even if you'd be hard
>> pressed to remember that main title. Unfortunately it doesn't look like
>> we are getting a part 3.
>> I did hear WB games is working on a Wonder Woman game implementing the
>> Nemesis system from this game, which... I dunno. it doesn't sound quite
>> right. Might be good if they put some work into it.
>
>

Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

> Simply put:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>
>

- Splatoon 3.
That has been all of it. Until the 17th of March I was playing the
campaign, and after that, I jumped into the multiplayer mode since the
Splatfest ran from 22/03 to 24/03 with one week of pre-fest.

The game has ruined console gaming forever for me. it was designed to be
played with Gyro, and although copied, no game has implemented it like
the Splat series. It's closer to playing with a mouse, and I only needed
the second stick for big turns. I have never been able to play Shooters
on console until this game. In fact, I had to buy the Switch Pro
Controller just for this game because the gyro on the Dual Shock 4 I was
using to save money (adapter) did not have the same degree of accuracy.

After taking a break, I went to play...

- Ratchet and Clank (the game adaptation of the movie adaptation).
PS4 version played on PS5, which has the added benefit of playing at a
stable 60fps. This was the first Ratched game locked at 30fps, and no
one was happy.

It's a bit of an oddball, as the characters are aware of the movie and
are more or less retelling how it actually happened... Except that the
game narrator is extremely unreliable too.

The ruined part comes because 1.5 months of Splatoon 3 have retrained me
to expect gyro, and it's not fun at all. With gyro aiming was almost
like moving your head, and now I find myself moving the right stick as
if it was a very stiff lever. It's so hard getting used to it now.

There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm and wrist
badly.

Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 20:03 this Tuesday (GMT):
> On 4/2/2024 3:10 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>> Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:03 this Monday (GMT):
>
>>>
>>> I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
>>> This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
>>> a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
>>> The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
>>> allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
>>> personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
>>> (over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to
>>> create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
>>> this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
>>> least not recognized before.
>>>
>>> The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
>>> but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
>>> that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
>>> (Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).
>>
>> It's wild to me that DLC can just retroactively "fix" a game's ending.
>> IMO, the only game that did it well was the first Phoenix Wright.
>>
> Well, in this case the storyline was progressed. The main story was
> about Talion fighting against Sauron between the Hobbit and The Lord of
> the Rings (hampering Sauron's efforts in the time the ring was in the
> Shire). You can play part of that in the epilogue of the main game, as
> you have to fight a series of increasingly difficult sieges of your
> fortresses (originally that was over 20 of them, this has been updated
> to just 5 in the current version). Then you get a cut scene where it
> lays out that the main character succumbed to the ring he was wearing
> after all, finally getting killed when Sauron falls at the end of LOTR.
>
> The DLC goes into that process a bit more, showing his corruption by the
> ring from the position of another person (the Elvish assassin Eltariel).
> She also is in Mordor when Sauron falls and the Bright Lord
> (Celebrimbor) escapes.
> I am conflicted if this actually was better or not. It does show a bit
> more of the progress of the corruption in a way that was not possible to
> show in the main game without changing the status quo too much (after
> all you were supposed to keep playing and doing further sieges and
> defenses).
>
>>> This was nominally the game Middle-Earth 2, even if you'd be hard
>>> pressed to remember that main title. Unfortunately it doesn't look like
>>> we are getting a part 3.
>>> I did hear WB games is working on a Wonder Woman game implementing the
>>> Nemesis system from this game, which... I dunno. it doesn't sound quite
>>> right. Might be good if they put some work into it.
>>
>>

Oh interesting.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Mon, 1 Apr 2024 18:40:08 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:

>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:16 this Monday (GMT):
>>
>> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
>> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
>> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
>> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
>> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
>> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
>> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
>> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
>> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
>> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
>> could I? They were terrible...
>>
>> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
>> let's get to it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Zip-zippity-zoom!
>> ---------------------------------------
>> * Detroit: Become Human
>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>> * Aviators
>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>>
>>
>> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> * Detroit: Become Human

>Is that the JASON! game or was that another one?

You're thinking of "Heavy Rain", from the same developer. I'd argue
that "Detroit" is a better game, if only because it's QTE are less
annoying, and its story is less insane. But being better than "Heavy
Rain" is a really low bar to clear, and it shouldn't be implied that
makes "Detroit" worth playing.

>> * Aviators

>I have neber heard of this.

It was a freebie on Steam announced here on Feb 23 this year. Because
the topic interested me, and because the visuals looked nice (and also
because the game looked short), I decided to give it a try.

>Well, I've been kinda all over the place this month. Mostly was on the
>3DS tho. I did beat 3 of the Rhythm Heaven games, got past the terrible
>terrible case in Phoenix Wright, and some Mario Kart 7 (Modded, CTGP).

At first I thought you wrote you were playing games on the 3DO and was
surprised not only that you were playing games that old, but that you
had the hardware!

On Tue, 2 Apr 2024 09:01:04 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On 4/1/2024 10:16 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?

>*** Ghostwire Tokyo (epic frebie)
>A rather interesting take on Japanese mythology where you sort of die
>and fight off evil spirits trying to kill everyone to bring the living
>world and dead world together. It includes traditional Yokai and spells.

>While it's quite a show, the game play is very basic as you use
>essentially the same spell, or one of 3 anyway (slightly upgraded) over
>and over against 80% the same enemies. It gets very repetitive. I
>suppose you could ignore most of the semi-open world, but it feels like
>you'd be seriously under powered if you did. The side missions are all
>interesting though, my favorite was probably the haunted middle school
>which had a couple unique enemies that actually scared me. It might be
>worth it to play that far at least.

Yeah, that was more or less my experience. The monsters and
set-dressing were extremely well done, but the game-play was fairly
humdrum. It was Open World Design 101, as if taken straight out of the
Ubisoft playbook. It was gorgeous to look at, the monsters were
fascinatingly weird, and - admittedly - the minute-to-minute gameplay
was largely satisfying... but mechanically the game felt fairly
shallow.

The haunted school section was, undeniably, the most atmospheric part
of the game. IIRC, it was a DLC package added after the base game was
released, which is why it feels a bit out of left-field when compared
to the rest of the product.

>I will note it doesn't have English dubbing and it can be a bit hard to
>catch all the subtitles during hectic bits.

Are you sure? I recall it being in English when I played it. I mean,
it's not a hill I'm going to die on, but it's one of those things I'd
expect to remember about the game.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 14:52 this Wednesday (GMT):
> On Mon, 1 Apr 2024 18:40:08 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
><candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
>
>>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:16 this Monday (GMT):
>>>
>>> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
>>> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
>>> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
>>> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
>>> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
>>> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
>>> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
>>> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
>>> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
>>> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
>>> could I? They were terrible...
>>>
>>> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
>>> let's get to it.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Zip-zippity-zoom!
>>> ---------------------------------------
>>> * Detroit: Become Human
>>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>>> * Aviators
>>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>>>
>>>
>>> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
>>> ---------------------------------------
>>>
>>> * Detroit: Become Human
>
>
>>Is that the JASON! game or was that another one?
>
> You're thinking of "Heavy Rain", from the same developer. I'd argue
> that "Detroit" is a better game, if only because it's QTE are less
> annoying, and its story is less insane. But being better than "Heavy
> Rain" is a really low bar to clear, and it shouldn't be implied that
> makes "Detroit" worth playing.

Ah, right. That was a funny meme.

>
>>> * Aviators
>
>>I have neber heard of this.
>
> It was a freebie on Steam announced here on Feb 23 this year. Because
> the topic interested me, and because the visuals looked nice (and also
> because the game looked short), I decided to give it a try.

Oh cool, it sounds fun

>
>>Well, I've been kinda all over the place this month. Mostly was on the
>>3DS tho. I did beat 3 of the Rhythm Heaven games, got past the terrible
>>terrible case in Phoenix Wright, and some Mario Kart 7 (Modded, CTGP).
>
> At first I thought you wrote you were playing games on the 3DO and was
> surprised not only that you were playing games that old, but that you
> had the hardware!
>
>

Lol, that would be cool. I could be wrong, but I think the 3DS has a 3DO
emulator.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

>There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm and wrist
>badly.

Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)

rms

rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday (GMT):
>>There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm and wrist
>>badly.
>
> Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
>
> rms

What happened? Are you alright?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

candycanearter07 wrote:
> rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday
> (GMT):
>>> There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm
>>> and wrist badly.
>>
>> Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
>>
>> rms
>
>
> What happened? Are you alright?
>

Stupid dumb accident at home while spring cleaning. I have bruising from
the hand to half of my forearm, can't move the right wrist a lot or make
efforts without pain (like picking a heavy backpack or push the bloody
coffee table back into place), and it requires a wrist brace for safety
until it heals.

Guess it would be a good time to learn how to play Nethack.

H1MEM <wipnoah@gmail.com> wrote at 18:12 this Wednesday (GMT):
> candycanearter07 wrote:
>> rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday
>> (GMT):
>>>> There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm
>>>> and wrist badly.
>>>
>>> Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
>>>
>>> rms
>>
>>
>> What happened? Are you alright?
>>
>
> Stupid dumb accident at home while spring cleaning. I have bruising from
> the hand to half of my forearm, can't move the right wrist a lot or make
> efforts without pain (like picking a heavy backpack or push the bloody
> coffee table back into place), and it requires a wrist brace for safety
> until it heals.
>
> Guess it would be a good time to learn how to play Nethack.

Get well soon
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 4/3/2024 11:12 AM, H1MEM wrote:
> candycanearter07 wrote:
>> rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday (GMT):
>>>> There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm
>>>> and wrist badly.
>>>
>>> Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
>>>
>>> rms
>>
>>
>> What happened? Are you alright?
>>
>
> Stupid dumb accident at home while spring cleaning. I have bruising from
> the hand to half of my forearm, can't move the right wrist a lot or make
> efforts without pain (like picking a heavy backpack or push the bloody
> coffee table back into place), and it requires a wrist brace for safety
> until it heals.
>
> Guess it would be a good time to learn how to play Nethack.

Oof. That's all rough, sorry to hear.

Nethack's probably the most difficult of that type of that game, or at
least up there, and really requires writing *everything* down (or a
photographic memory, which I don't have) to make much progress.

I really liked Zorbus, which is (or was) free, fairly simple, IIRC you
can play it with only using kb as well.

I hear Golden Krone Hotel is supposed to have good accessibility
features and good for newbies to roguelikes, though it is $2, not free.

There's always the original Rogue, and the fork Brogue as well.

I really like Dungeon Robber which is a little bit different of a game,
but is playable I think 99% keyboard only.

You can play a number of old games like platformers with keyboard only,
especially stuff on mame, like I was playing Rastan with only keyboard a
little bit a month or two ago. Doom and the like also work keyboard.
Though those games may be too twitch depending.

--
-Justisaur

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