jdodson | Cheerful Ghost

Why We Dropped Traditional Web Advertising From Cheerful Ghost

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When I launched Cheerful Ghost more than three years ago I wanted to build an amazing video game community that was funded by its users. Initially I had three ideas for ways to make enough money to keep things going and one was using traditional web banner advertising. I didn't plan on this making us much money, but felt it was a good compromise to make a few bucks to offset some of our traffic costs. In a perfect world, I don't actually mind this model as it mirrors much of how traditional forms of radio and television use to fund the programs we love. With that, there have been some very interesting conversations recently about web advertising, privacy and respect for your readers. These factors coupled with the simple fact that our 3 year net on ads is less than the price of Fallout 4 has led us to drop our use of traditional web advertising. We don't find it effective, respectful of your privacy or very awesome to look at. We have replaced our advertising banner space with a rotating mention system. Right now it rotates between two things that mention that we recently published our first game Starship Rubicon and mentions how our site is funded.

Cheerful Ghost is a site aimed at creating a safe, open and independent place for people to talk about what interests them in video games. If you have any ideas on how we can do this better or ways we can improve our current Membership system, let us know.

Fallout Anthology - One More Collectable Before The End Of The World

https://bethesda.net/data/images/event/0/Fallout-Anthology_Compilation-EN_730x490.jpg

"For the first time in the history of the award-winning franchise, all the Fallout games you know and love – or need to catch up on – are available in one explosive PC collection. Fallout Anthology features five critically acclaimed games and official add-ons in a premium collectible set – neatly packaged inside a Fat Man mini-nuke!"

I was just going to pickup Fallout 4 but now.... this is really great and I have a place on my new shelf for it. I also don't own Fallout 3 on PC yet as I played it on PS3 originally and want to come back and replay it.

Are you going to pick this up? It's not a bad deal for all 5 games and comes with a neat nuke collectable too.

https://bethesda.net/#en/events/games/fallout-anthology-announced-at-quakeCon-2015/2015/07/13/0

New Legacy of The Void Video "Reclamation" - Everyone Dies For Auir

Blizzard has released a new video called "Reclamation" that goes into history of the Protoss as they get ready for the new Legacy of the Void game.... errrr as they get ready to invade the Zerg infested Auir. As with many things there is a completely coherent idea that war can be avoided and that the Protoss should find a new homeworld to avoid the massive loss of life that would result in an all out war with the Zerg. Good thing Artanis completely rational ideas are immediately discarded as if they went with it after you started the game you'd see Artanis hanging out on the current Protoss homeworld knocking back a cold one saying "good thing we didn't do that war thing" as the credits rolled. Personally i'd find playing that game fun for a few minutes but then wish he'd chosen the more violent path. Good thing he doesn't disappoint.

I know i'll be watching endless Protoss march to their deaths on November 10th, will you?

Hideo Kojima Reviews Hideo Kojima a Hideo Kojima Game

Jack and Rich review Metal Gear V and like all of their reviews I found it amusing and fun. Like Rich, the last Metal Gear game I played was on the NES and I wasn't really drawn to the rest. Many people loved the later Playstation games and there is an incredibly loyal fanbase for them. So much so that this review seems to have caused some Metal Gear fans to take shots at Jack in the comments. Video Game controversy isn't new but I often find it strange as people are essentially getting upset someone has an opinion about a game they don't share. Sure Jack and Rich are snarky as is the Red Letter Media way, but I didn't find it grossly offensive or insulting.

Jack and Rich take point with the story as well as some of the characters such as Quiet that acts and is presented in a very odd manner. They seemed to enjoy the gameplay very much which got a mixed no and yes recommendation from them.

Have you played any of the modern Metal Gear games? What do you think of this assessment of the game?

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/29/2015 at 07:23pm

I've not played any of the modern MG games and only had limited experience with the original NES game (although it seems really awesome at the time).

I enjoyed Rich and Jack's review of the game, and the backlash of MG fan comments seems to boil down to "You don't understand Metal Gear games."

Which then brings up the question "When playing a game(or reading a book, or watching a movie), should you be able to enjoy the game on its own, or because each sequel builds upon the previous games(or books or movies), to really review the game, you should go back to the beginning to fully understand the current game?" (That was a long and convoluted question, I know)

I generally think each game should be able to stand on its own, but I can understand being frustrated with someone who doesn't "get it." I'd be annoyed with someone if they started watching Game of Thrones starting with Season 5 and then tearing it apart for not making sense, or not understanding how the previous seasons built up to it. But of course tv shows are different than movies/books/games that are usually self-contained stories.

Any thoughts?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/01/2015 at 01:19am

There is no such thing as an "objective review." Our perspective paints everything we review and as such I am not sure how I can remove myself from myself on any piece of art. The only kind of objective review I can think of is one that simply lists facts because saying the game was "great" or "immersive" is all subjective. So when someone says they don't like something I love it's not a huge deal to me. I think people often intertwine themselves in the art they love and take all criticism as aimed at themselves or as they would a close family member. I think this covers more than gaming though.

"When playing a game(or reading a book, or watching a movie), should you be able to enjoy the game on its own, or because each sequel builds upon the previous games(or books or movies), to really review the game, you should go back to the beginning to fully understand the current game?"

Depends on the intent I suppose. If this is meant for new gamers to the franchise then sure, if it's meant for diehard fans then maybe not. In this instance I, most likely, won't pick it up for that reason and a few others.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/01/2015 at 01:32am

This just helps support the view that reviews, and even aggregate review scores like Metacritic, aren't necessarily helpful to you. You can get some information from it to help decide if you'll like it, but don't be a slave to the score. In this case especially, you're going to appreciate the game more when you have the lore from the previous games.

SHOULD games stand on their own? That's up to the developers to decide. If you think of games as art (and with Metal Gear Solid, it's definitely more art than many other games-- 45 minute cutscenes, anyone?) then the artist paints with his or her own brush. Art is meant to be enjoyed, for the most part, but it is meant to be an expression of the artist.

So basically what Jon said. :D

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/02/2015 at 02:59am

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Come Hear Our Starship Rubicon Talk And See Our Booth At This Years IndieGame Con

Greetings human. Wick and I will be giving a co-talk at this years Eugene IndieGame Con about Starship Rubicon from it's early stages to eventual Steam launch. We talk about the games humble beginnings, Kickstarter and also discuss the age old question "why make another indie game?" Spoiler alert, we ain't rich but we can hopefully convince you we had fun and learned... something. Oh and come by and check out our all new Cheerful Ghost / Starship Rubicon booth. We will have some surprises for people so come check it out.

IndieGame Con is happening October 2nd-3rd and we will be boothing and give our talk October 3rd. For more information about IndieGame con, ticket pricing and location check the site below.

http://indiegamecon.com/

See you all next weekend!

Alien Isolation Coming To Mac & Linux on Steam September 29th

I've heard it said that in space no one can hear you scream with glee that so many sweet games are being ported to Mac and Linux. Or is that line shorter? 2014's chest-bursting hit Alien: Isolation is coming to Mac and Linux on Steam next week and I am very excited. It seems that some publishers are releasing a game initially then when the game has been out for sometime, drop it on Mac and Linux. I think this is a good strategy to pump some life in a games release cycle. This news also comes about a couple months away from Steam Machines launching so it might be related to that too.

Now watch the original 1979 trailer for a piece of cinematic history and the movie that spawned all of this amazingness, Alien.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEVY_lonKf4

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S3 E5 - That Episode Where They Talk About Terraria

Travis, WhiteboySlim and jdodson are back at it talking about what we've been playing, the upcoming games we are all planning on getting and then one of our favorite games Terraria. Terraria is a special game for Cheerful Ghost as we have been playing it for about 3 years and 5 group servers. We talk about our love for the game, the parts about it we love the most and our most recent server experiences. This may bring our total mentions for the game to damn near close to infinity.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/24/2015 at 02:53am

Look at Travis, "with arms wide open!" LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/24/2015 at 03:31am

Undeeeeeearrr the sunliight!

Travis Admin wrote on 09/24/2015 at 03:39am

I love that default video pic there. I just need a bigger beard.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/24/2015 at 04:35am

I am currently playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Starbound is much better than when I first played it. That crystal boss was tough! Yes, the penguin is still there!

Games coming out in upcoming months I'll be playing: Fallout 4 and Starcraft II: LotV. I plan to start out with Fallout 4. Then I intend to play Starcraft II from the beginning and work my way towards the new expansion. Otherwise, I have no idea what else is coming out that I'd want to play

Years ago, I posted in a video games group on Facebook asking for suggestions on a game to play. Travis then told me about Terraria. After looking at the videos, I thought it didn't look too appealing, but once I jumped in, I was hooked! The updates keep us coming back, but there's so much greatness in the game. The game play, music, everything. What is there not to love about it? I haven't created everything in the game. I'm also not very creative with building, but it's cool to see what others come up with.

The Moon Lord was tough! I'm so glad Travis made that arena! I'm still not sure how I'll do that boss fight on my own. I imagine I'll copy over the arena Travis made. Duke is tough! I was so glad when I finally beat him. I was so intimidated by that boss! Fishing is cool! Yeah, those mine cart tracks were pretty much every where!

I usually progress through the different tiers of metal gear. However, on the new Expert Mode server, I got my first Ebonwood armor set and it looked awesome. Ultimately, I get Platinum, even if it didn't spawn in my world (I use silt and slush to get it if it's not there). Also, I pretty much almost always go with melee weapons.

I don't think I fought any of the Expert Mode bosses. So, I didn't get any of the special loot. Listening to you guys talk about Terraria is making me want to play again! I agree with us starting our new server on Expert Mode, especially since I haven't spent much time with it.

Yes, Travis gave me a copy and I greatly appreciate it! I bought a copy for my son recently. Honestly, it's because of Terraria that I got on here at Cheerful Ghost and "met" you awesome guys (I already knew Travis because we were college roommates)! I love this site!

I have the mobile version of Terraria, yes for my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" tablet. It's good, but unfortunately the Kindle version is way behind every other version. I thought the touch controls were cool. I liked using my finger as a replacement for the mouse, but I thought it was harder to get used to switching the auto-cursor on and off on the PS3.

Soon, maybe we can talk about what's in store for Terraria's future.

Yes, Cheerful Ghost "drink and play!" I can get my favorite red wine, Riunite Lambrusco! =)

(This comment has been edited to fit the 3,000 character limit....you're welcome!)

scrypt Supporter wrote on 09/24/2015 at 07:31pm

For those concerned: everyone survived the fire, but my eyebrows look a little different now.

Great show, guys! Tim, I'm so glad you made the correction on Yogi vs Pooh. Jon, love the new digs (or at least the new office!). Travis, I'm convinced now that Hangouts has an arm fetish.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 09/24/2015 at 07:31pm

Oh, and Drink & Play?! Yes, yes, yes!!

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Cygnus Destroyer Reviews Gameboy Classic Super Mario Land

No one really talks about Super Mario Land anymore but I really enjoyed playing this classic on my Gameboy. When my brother got a Gameboy the first two games we had were Tetris and Super Mario Land so I spent much time playing them both. I did find the graphics of Super Mario Land a bit less than what I enjoyed in Super Mario Brothers but really liked the levels and gameplay. This game was pretty hard for me as a kid and I never actually completed it like I did the other Mario games.

That said Super Mario Land and the other Gameboy titles are really impressive considering the Gameboy had a 4 mhz CPU, 8k of system RAM and an 8k graphics chip.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/22/2015 at 06:10pm

I loved Super Mario Land! It was my first Gameboy game and I played it a lot. My dad coached all us kids' soccer teams (me and 2 siblings), so I had a lot of practices to sit through. My Gameboy got a lot of work! I have really good memories of this game, and loved the submarine and plane levels.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/23/2015 at 03:04am

Those were great levels. As I was looking at the Wikipedia for the Gameboy it had a 15-30 hour life from those 4 batteries. That's better than smartphones. Then again, it ran at 4mhz.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/23/2015 at 04:41pm

I remember this game! It was one of the first games I had along with Tetris and Alleyway. I thought it was difficult. Memory is telling me it was a long game. I think I did end up beating it at least once.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/24/2015 at 03:32am

It was hard for a Mario game but Cygnus doesn't seem to think so as he didn't mention it. I am going to play it again so maybe it was just harder than I expected at the time.

Travis Admin wrote on 09/24/2015 at 03:40am

It was hard just because the physics were different than what you were expecting for a Mario game. The later Mario games on the Game Boy were more in line with what you'd expect which made them "easier" in a way.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/24/2015 at 04:37am

I liked the sequels, or at least the first one with Wario. Sorry, I haven't watched this video yet....will do soon.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/24/2015 at 04:47am

This also reminds me that a couple of games I loved on the Gameboy, other than Alleyway, was the Zelda and Metroid games.

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Would You Be Convinced To By The Legend Of Zelda By Reading The Back Of The Box?

Uh hell yeah I would have. My parents? They'd take some convincing but eventually I was allowed to by The Legend of Zelda. The premise of RetroLiberty's convinced series is to see if you'd buy the game based on the box art and description yet The Legend of Zelda was featured in many issues of Nintendo Power, conversations with my friends and in store kiosks so I find this one hard to say for sure. Young me would have wanted this one due to the gold box art, art and dungeon screenshots but Zelda was so huge it's hard to say what I would have chose aside from all that.

What about you? Were you convinced?

The Craziest Grim Patron Turn I've Seen Yet

This may very well be the craziest Hearthstone turn i've seen. Basically it features two Grim Patron decks with multiple cards working together. An armor smith card is granting the defender mad armor while the attacker drops two berserkers that gain attack for damage done to all characters. I've gone lethal on someone with about 18 damage dealt in one blow, but 32 for two berserkers is pretty neat.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/22/2015 at 06:13pm

That was so rad!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/23/2015 at 03:04am

It was a good match. If you're gonna lose. Lose to that.

JaBo wrote on 09/29/2015 at 06:24pm

I've played the Grim Patron deck and it got boring, they do need to nerf the warsong commaner though to not give charge to summoned minions off other minions again. It's too strong. If I had a way to charge to a minion in priest I'd have this style deck with the heal trigger guys. As is, I've hit someone for 30+ in one swing on T5 with it.

They need to nerf warsong, and add a new neutral minion that gives charge to adjacent minions or can give 1 minion charge. Maybe deathrattle, give your minions charge...something to allow other than warrior to make some fun burst down decks.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/29/2015 at 07:41pm

Grim Patron is a great deck and Blizzard hasn't said they are going to nerf anything associated with it. I don't see it a ton in casual, is it all over ranked?

JaBo wrote on 10/01/2015 at 06:43pm

It's a pretty standard deck. If I play against warrior, it's either Grim Patron, or a control deck which I have started playing (and others it seems) with the new warrior legendary. http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/hearthstone.gamepedia.com/e/e5/Varian_Wrynn%2822342%29.png?version=aa0d3c558d40f77cc6396c1a4844327f

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/12049211_10208050839408116_7237592726228030483_n.jpg?oh=3b5fb1a2b91d63a4e49eccc0fcb3ac88&oe=568C5ABC

and

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12036595_10208050886209286_1358128675092086035_n.jpg?oh=b185d60af41acf45c2060547bde433f7&oe=56A0B1CE

Yup

JaBo wrote on 10/01/2015 at 06:53pm

I it is a combo deck though, so it's not 100% reliable, I'm pretty strong against it as a control warrior deck because my health stays around 20-30 while my armor can shoot up to another 20-30 and they can't burst me down in 1 turn. But as control priest, I have been burst down from 25+ life to 0 in 1 turn with them having nothing on the board

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/02/2015 at 03:01am

Crazy. I've seen new decks that focus on TONS of card draw and armor for Warrior. It's an interesting deck but I beat it that one time I played it. Your deck, I haven't quite seen that one in casual.

JaBo wrote on 10/02/2015 at 09:26pm

I keep card draw out of my control decks as much as I can for 2 reasons. One, Fatigue Rogue is brutal against control. (Just google that, it's basically flooding your opponent with card draws using Coldlight Oracle and making their draws be burned out and killing them with damage for drawing from an empty deck). I have that deck made right now and it can do well pretty consistently.

The other reason is in a mirror match, it often can go down to who has cards left in their deck and who starts taking draw-damage first. So when I play other control priest decks, they will sometimes (often) include those Northshire Clerics and Power Word: Shields. I do not.

Btw, I shouldn't have jinxed myself. I got hit yesterday for about 60 in a turn by that damn warrior combo. He had 0 creatures on the field and I had like 50+ health/armor. It was pretty annoying. I had 2 creatures on the board and those helped him by increasing the dmg triggers for berserker guy.

My Control Warrior deck has been really fun lately, I am bouncing between that and my Secret Face-Hunter deck.

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jdodson1

2757 Posts

Why We Dropped Traditional Web Advertising From Cheerful Ghost

Fallout Anthology - One More Collectable Before The End Of The World

New Legacy of The Void Video "Reclamation" - Everyone Dies For Auir

Hideo Kojima Reviews Hideo Kojima a Hideo Kojima Game

Come Hear Our Starship Rubicon Talk And See Our Booth At This Years IndieGame Con

Alien Isolation Coming To Mac & Linux on Steam September 29th

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S3 E5 - That Episode Where They Talk About Terraria

Cygnus Destroyer Reviews Gameboy Classic Super Mario Land

Would You Be Convinced To By The Legend Of Zelda By Reading The Back Of The Box?

The Craziest Grim Patron Turn I've Seen Yet