Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Thor: Love and Thunder Trailer With a Release Date of July 8

It's been almost a full month since Marvel released it's Thor: Love and Thunder trailer and it looks awesome. It's apparently taking some inspiration from the Might Thor comics in which Jane Foster becomes Thor. I haven't read them yet, but looking forward to it.

Who else is looking forward to this? What do you think?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/17/2022 at 05:45pm

I am ready for any marvel movie. :)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/17/2022 at 08:07pm

Same! I'm eating up every little Marvel morsel and loving every bite! I've even finally taken a dive into the comics. I didn't get that opportunity when I was much younger. Some how I neglected to think much of them even as an adult. I'm enjoying them now though, especially since I can't get enough of the MCU!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/18/2022 at 08:10pm

I was reading the comics for a bit, but I get bit by the comic bug and want to read them all, then I feel overwhelmed when my backlog grows too big.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/18/2022 at 08:41pm

That's understandable! It's like the Infinity Well (see Thanos Quest)!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/24/2022 at 06:05am

Check out the new awesome trailer! https://youtu.be/Go8nTmfrQd8

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/25/2022 at 01:25am

Trailer is awesome.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamers Edition Positive Review

Azurephile gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

I’m kind of surprised at the Steam reviews for Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamers Edition. I recently finished the game and decided I wanted to give those “mixed” Steam reviews a bit of positivity. (I posted a smaller review there, but wanted to write this out here.)

This is one of those HD remasters, although only 3D models were given the HD treatment, so backgrounds do look horrible since our eyes are now so overwhelmed with beauty and impressive graphics these days. However, what a game looks like, even if it’s aged 20 years, doesn’t make or break it.

Chrono Cross was a JRPG that came out in 1999. It is apparently one of the best RPGs ever according to some things I’m... Read All I’m kind of surprised at the Steam reviews for Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamers Edition. I recently finished the game and decided I wanted to give those “mixed” Steam reviews a bit of positivity. (I posted a smaller review there, but wanted to write this out here.)

This is one of those HD remasters, although only 3D models were given the HD treatment, so backgrounds do look horrible since our eyes are now so overwhelmed with beauty and impressive graphics these days. However, what a game looks like, even if it’s aged 20 years, doesn’t make or break it.

Chrono Cross was a JRPG that came out in 1999. It is apparently one of the best RPGs ever according to some things I’m reading. I played through it only one time, but I remember that I really enjoyed it. That’s why I was glad it was getting the HD treatment and coming to Steam. You’ve probably heard of Chrono Trigger, well Chrono Cross is it’s sequel. I’d say the two can be thought of as completely separate as different as they are, but they also have similarities.

Chrono Cross, like pretty much all RPGs, has it’s own ways of doing things. For instance, there is magic in the game, but they’re called “elements.” There’s a circle in the upper left hand corner. It contains two other circles. These circles contain colors of the elements used. So, if you use a blue element like “Cure,” the innermost part of the circle will turn blue. The next element will push that blue to the next ring. This repeats until that first color disappears. If you want to use a summon, you have to get the entire circle of circles all one color. So, you’ll probably have to use some elements to get the field the color you need it, but enemy element usage also affects the circle. Items are use like elements, too. You’re limited by how many elements you can use in battle. This limitation is based on your element tech levels, which will grow as you do as you gain experience.

Otherwise, it’s just as familiar as all other great RPGs. You walk around an open world, talking to NPCs, recruiting characters to your party, exploring the world, and getting through the story. It’s very good though, I think. So, if you enjoyed Chrono Cross, I recommend getting this. It’s only $20. It has some extra features, too. You can press a button to speed up the action or another to make your party pretty much invincible.

The “Radical Dreamers” part of the title escaped me, because I was not aware of what it referred to, but I learned. It’s a text-based game based on the game, but as a bit of a prequel. I played it and died. It was interesting.

Steam users are complaining about the fact that sometimes the FPS is surprisingly not smooth. This isn’t an irrational complaint as you’d expect something like this to be smooth especially on today’s PCs. I did notice the issue, but it was so infrequent and lasted so briefly that I deem it as insignificant. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the game.

After finishing the game, I found New Game+ and Continue+. The latter is confusing. Basically, Continue+ lets you take data from your completed game and put it into a regular save file. So, it won’t work with a New Game+ save. It’s supposed to help you get all the characters. I had trouble figuring it out at first, but I eventually understood.

I tried to replay Chrono Trigger after this, but it was too difficult and I gave up. LOL

Let me know what you think about this. Have you tried it? Do you know about or like Chrono Cross?

Nintendo Switch Sports Brings A Classic Wii Game To The Switch!

Switch Sports launched last month and I picked it up the day my kid got sick. I figured if we were going to be inside a lot, Switch Sports would be a great thing to play and be active. Simply put, if you enjoyed Wii Sports and have a Switch, Nintendo Switch Sports is a must purchase. In my opinion, Wii Sports was one of the best video games of all time and the fact that it was a pack-in title was a great idea that caused the Wii to be incredibly popular.

So far, I've only played a handful of matches of Bowling with my son and his far favorite is Chambara (a game where you swipe swords at each other until someone falls over into the water). Nintendo Switch Sports uses... Read All

Evil Comes Everywhere: Diablo Immortal Launches on Mobile & PC June 2th!

Diablo Immortal is coming to mobile and PC June 2nd, which is good news for everyone. They are billing it as the first MMOARPG Diablo game which, if mostly accurate, seems great. While a lot of mobile games are fun I don't play them long as I burn out pretty quickly on the light mechanics and progression blocking that free to play games typically come with. With all that said, it should be fun to have PC & mobile cross play and the game looks like Diablo III on your phone and if it's in that ballpark the game should be quite fun.

"A battle for the ages draws near. The Burning Hells’ flames flicker and crackle in anticipation, an omen they seek to communicate—Diablo... Read All Diablo Immortal is coming to mobile and PC June 2nd, which is good news for everyone. They are billing it as the first MMOARPG Diablo game which, if mostly accurate, seems great. While a lot of mobile games are fun I don't play them long as I burn out pretty quickly on the light mechanics and progression blocking that free to play games typically come with. With all that said, it should be fun to have PC & mobile cross play and the game looks like Diablo III on your phone and if it's in that ballpark the game should be quite fun.

"A battle for the ages draws near. The Burning Hells’ flames flicker and crackle in anticipation, an omen they seek to communicate—Diablo Immortal™ is coming! On June 2, brave adventurers in most regions* will take up arms against the demonic forces of Skarn, Lord of Damnation, as they uncover events taking place between Diablo II and Diablo III.

Community feedback has been imperative to the development of Immortal and has influenced the game in many ways, as you’ll come to see. One recurring piece of feedback we especially took to heart was the desire to play Immortal on PC. Well, we are most pleased to announce this has been made a reality—in addition to releasing on Android and iOS devices, Diablo Immortal will also be free-to-play for Windows PC upon launch in Open Beta.

This is an especially proud moment for us to announce, as Immortal represents a handful of firsts for both the Diablo franchise and Blizzard. Upon launch, Immortal will be the largest Diablo game we’ve released, home to more distinct zones, unique encounters, and satisfying ways to cut down demons than ever before. Immortal is also the first Blizzard game to be built from the ground up for mobile, delivering the same AAA demon-slaying experience you love but to be played from anywhere.

Lastly, Immortal is the first MMOARPG Diablo game—providing the opportunity to socialize, play, and explore the world freely with other players in ways never previously experienced across the Diablo franchise."

https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23787371/diablo-immortal-a-new-plane-of-hell-opens-for-mobile-and-pc-on-june-2

https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23797159/making-diablo-immortal-for-pc

Transfer Your Bethesda.Net Games to Steam Before 5/11/22

https://logos-world.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bethesda-Emblem.jpg

Bethesda.Net is going down on May 11th, however you can transfer all your games to Steam. It's easy to do and I'm including links for the instructions to do so. At one point it will also allow you to transfer some of your saved game data. Just click on the provided links.

Instructions: https://bethesda.net/en/account/transfer-library

Saved data transfer FAQ: https://help.bethesda.net/#en/answer/55036

Source:
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-how-to-transfer-your-bethesda-launcher-games-to-steam/1100-6502864/

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/28/2022 at 10:10pm

Library transferred! Nice that it was easy.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/28/2022 at 11:15pm

Also, if you had game DLC on Bethesda.net and you notice you get the normal game transferred to Steam, the DLC did transfer you just need you Bethesda.net account attached to Steam to use it.

https://help.bethesda.net/#en/answer/55842

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/28/2022 at 11:47pm

Yeah, I was surprised by how easy it was to transfer. They even send you an email confirming that the transfer completed successfully. Once I opened Steam, I saw the notification that I had "new" games in my library.

I backed up my DOOM Eternal saved game directory before I last uninstalled it. It seems I was able to zip that directory and transfer it to my Steam cloud. I haven't tested if the backup actually worked, but I know the transfer of the .zip was successful. I thought this was neat and I like being able to save to the cloud, even though I do physical backups now if I feel a game is important enough.

Oh and I created this post, because I thought it was a very important announcement. I know some of us here have games on the Bethesda.Net launcher. I just hope everyone who needs to know sees this.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

“Misery Accomplished” Welcomes You To Things Not Turning Out The Way You Thought

If you didn’t know, back in 1998 I started a band called Roy with my friend Paul. We played a lot of shows in Portland back then and released a few songs and some albums. After a very long hiatus we’re back and I’m posting about the new album here and I hope you are into hearing about it. If not, feel free to skip this for the video game and film stuffs you usually come here for.

Misery Accomplished is an album about achieving your goal and it not turning out the way you thought. Some people might call it a concept album but it might be more appropriately thought of as a reality album. When I started writing the songs for Misery Accomplished a year ago we were mid... Read All If you didn’t know, back in 1998 I started a band called Roy with my friend Paul. We played a lot of shows in Portland back then and released a few songs and some albums. After a very long hiatus we’re back and I’m posting about the new album here and I hope you are into hearing about it. If not, feel free to skip this for the video game and film stuffs you usually come here for.

Misery Accomplished is an album about achieving your goal and it not turning out the way you thought. Some people might call it a concept album but it might be more appropriately thought of as a reality album. When I started writing the songs for Misery Accomplished a year ago we were mid pandemic and I had no idea I was going to go through a divorce. I thought the concept of Misery Accomplished was for someone else, and in a way I was lauding my political and social thoughts that were for people that had nothing to do with me. Thing is, when my life took a turn for the horrible, Misery Accomplished became something I thought about a lot and only recently realized is the most autobiographical thing I’ve ever created.

A new Roy album is something I’ve thought about for a few years but decided to actually do when my friend Will gave me his old Casio LK-100 keyboard. To-date we’ve only used one Casio keyboard and an acoustic guitar to write all Roy music. A new-to-me Casio keyboard felt fresh and I liked the idea of Roy dueling with Casio keyboards, which is a sound featured on nearly every track on the album. One day when I was with my son I plugged in the new keyboard Will gave me and started writing an early chorus for “If JJ Abrams Rebooted the Little Mermaid.” Finley immediately started singing it with me and it was one of the most fun moments I’ve had in my life. I don’t think Misery Accomplished would exist if he didn’t keep singing the song over the next few days. Finley is featured on the chorus to “If JJ Abrams Rebooted the Little Mermaid” and I hope to do more songs with him.

When I initially wrote the song “Chris Hemsworth Abs” I thought the song was a joke about things other people experience. Darkness? Pain? Grief? It was a song where the punchline was what other people experienced but as time passed I realized it was everything I was going through. During the worst parts of the divorce I listened and played that song a lot. It was a song written by a much happier me and it felt like he was time traveling to sing it to me when I was at my worst. Literal time travel? No. But it’s a song that makes me feel better when things feel like shit.

When we were writing songs for Misery Accomplished Paul decided to take front and center singing and writing duties on two songs in “Mammoth Army” and “Freedom (Freight Train)”. “Mammoth Army” is a song he’s been working on here and there for over 10 years and I’m glad he finally finished it. The song recklessly flies down the track as it musically smashes into everything and to-date is one of the most involved and well constructed Roy songs we have. It feels like a full journey start to finish and it’s nothing like a song I’d write.

I wrote the song “Netflix and Die” on my iPad and didn’t think of it as much more than a funny take on the popular phrase Netflix and chill. But recontextualizing the song for where I am now, it’s a song wondering if I'd ever experience a relationship in the way others do. It’s hard to process the loneliness of a relationship in its ending death march that takes years without end.

Start to finish Misery Accomplished was only eight songs and after the worst parts of life happened we added two more to it. After the song “Misery Accomplished II” the bullshit ends and I take a breath and we wrap the album on two songs Freedom (Freight Train) and Freedom (Hurricane). A few weeks after my wife told me she wanted a divorce, in one of the lowest points in my life I wrote a song and recorded it on my iPhone and sent it to Paul. I was going through some heavy feelings and I wrote something in all of that. I want to be really clear here, I absolutely did not want to put Freedom (Hurricane) on Misery Accomplished. Over the months we worked on the album Paul said I should record it and I went through several drafts of the song, changing it to be a bit more upbeat. He kept suggesting I record a version like I did when I was at my lowest point and that’s what’s on the album. Me at the lowest point I’ve ever experienced writing a song about the only thing that mattered, my relationship with my friend. Paul decided to take that concept and wrote a completely different version of the song called Freedom (Freight Train). Thing is, even though his version came after and is a variation on mine, I think his is a better song. That said, I really enjoy that it’s two perspectives on the same relationship. I think that’s what relationships are or should be, two people saying the same thing in a way where both messages become something better, unique and also the same.

You can listen to Misery Accomplished today on nearly all the music and streaming platforms. Head over to our website to get all the links to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Bandcamp, YouTube and more.

https://royband.com/misery-accomplished.html

jaelte wrote on 04/20/2022 at 08:47am

I've listened this album several times over the last few days and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the music and all that went into it. I'm glad you've persevered in general, let alone enough produce a new album.
Anyway, I'll see you all on the 30th!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/20/2022 at 02:48pm

❤️

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/26/2022 at 04:14am

Yay a new Roy album! I can't wait to listen! ❤️ What you've written here and the lyrics of the embedded song speak to me and I just want to say "THANK YOU!!!" This all speaks to me very much!

As for Chris Hemsworth's abs, it's time to write a sequel, check out Natalie Portman's biceps!!! (Thor Love and Thunder) https://youtu.be/tgB1wUcmbbw

Travis Admin wrote on 04/26/2022 at 03:18pm

I haven’t said anything publicly because I wanted to sit with it for a while.

Your version of Freedom has not left my brain ever since listening to it. I’ve made like 10 people listen to it. It’s so damn good.

The album as a whole is a sort of comedy/novelty type of thing I wouldn’t generally listen to a lot but there’s charm here that makes it stand out.

And I’m impressed with how complex some of the composition is considering it’s two Casio keyboards usually 😂

I think you two would be amazing at writing kids music. Not that your stuff is juvenile but your energy is infectious and Finley singing along kinda proves that (and btw kudos to Finley for being on pitch at his age).

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/26/2022 at 10:27pm

“If JJ Abrams Rebooted the Little Mermaid" we'd see a LOT of lens flares! LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/28/2022 at 10:21pm

I've had folks mention writing kids music before, that's not a bad idea at all. When I sit down no kids songs come to mind but I guess I could write a few about ice cream or something.

> And I’m impressed with how complex some of the composition is considering it’s two Casio keyboards usually 😂

The root of all the songs are Casio keyboards and some songs acoustic guitar. With that, we've added some modern keyboard sounds to help back the songs and I think they fit in nicely. If I had 10 Casio keyboards we prob wouldn't need to do that. That's said, it's fun to do something that is very old school Roy but pair with a some more modern synth samples.

erfunk wrote on 04/30/2022 at 11:04pm

This album gets it.

Chris Hemsworth Abs made me think about how, when someone is in a dark place, the same advice can be many different things. It can be genuine but unhelpful, it can be mocking / patronizing, or it can be a light to change one's perspective. Sometimes a positive distraction is what it takes to remind us the world is still turning, and Thor's abs are... wait, I'm being told I should watch Endgame. Brb in a couple of hours.

Freedom was so good (both halves). I love the positivity, shining through the heartache, one's own or from someone we deeply care about. Having seen a number of people I care about struggle, Freight Train moves me to persevere on their behalf. Having struggled at times myself, Hurricane moves me to persevere on my own behalf, and has made me tear up a little every time I've listened to it.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 91: Welcome Back, Yakkety Sax

Uhhh testing, testing. Is this thing on? Is this... are we doing a new episode? Has it been a year? Are we really bad at this?

As it turns out, the answer is yes to all of the above. Come hang out with us as we catch up on our lives and share the media that has gotten us through the past year!

My Far Cry 6 Free-To-Play Weekend Review

Azurephile gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

I reported earlier that Far Cry 6 (the latest in the series released last year) had a Free-To-Play Weekend going on. I knew about Far Cry 6 before it was released. I had some interest in it, but perhaps the most interesting thing to me is that the villain is portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito. If that name doesn’t sound familiar then perhaps “Moff Giddeon” will (if you’ve seen The Mandalorian). I realize Moff Gideon isn’t his only role, but that is the only role I saw him in (before this game). His performance was outstanding!

The character looks just like Esposito. Something that incredibly impresses me is that he speaks very well with a Spanish accent. He isn’t of... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/14/2022 at 04:29am

Sorry I didn't comment on this when you originally published this Greg.

> What do you think about this? Is it something you’re interested in? Have you played other Far Cry games? Lemme know!

So far I've played Far Cry, Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon and currently Far Cry 4. I think the Far Cry games are excellent open world shooters that are basically very similar but add new mechanics in each version that are nice but don't change the formula drastically. The biggest shift was when the series went open world with Far Cry 2 and then Far Cry 3 really sealed what the franchise is.

That said, I always am behind with the series because, frankly, it doesn't change that drastically and if you are several games behind you can buy them very cheaply. So right now I have Far Cry 4 and all DLC on my Series X and Far Cry 5 ready to go. So i'm playing through Far Cry 4 right now and I sort of take my time with it and play it a handful of hours per week, but nothing too focused.

For me, just taking each game a few hours at a time gives me more than enough joy and there is so much per game that I can take a year or so do actually complete it.

I honestly can't wait to get to Far Cry 6 because it looks so awesome but Far Cry 4 is so much fun to play so I'll get to it when all the DLC and such is cheap and I've completed each game in the middle. Which I think means I have to complete Far Cry 4 and all DLC, Far Cry 5 and all DLC Far Cry 5 expansions and Far Cry Primal?

Awesome. Might take me years, but sign me up. You can get all the Far Cry games in a bundle on XBox or PC cheap, so I recommend that if you want to jump into the franchise.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 06/14/2022 at 05:30am

Thanks for replying, Jon! I now have FC 3, Blood Dragon, Primal, 6, and now 4, which I just recently got for free. I tried BD, but just wasn't into it. I enjoyed Primal. I enjoyed 6 while I played it, but I lost interest. Real life stuff was involved with that. I don't entirely blame the game, although the gameplay is a bit repetitive. That isn't necessarily or always a bad thing, especially if the gameplay is good. It's really cool. I've tried 3. The first time, I ran out of ammo and got disappointed. I tried it again, but didn't go very far with it. I'm not sure about the first time w/ 3, but the 2nd time and 1st and only time w/ 6, I've shamelessly played on easy.

I like the characters in the games. I like the interesting character models. I also like the auto movement, like automatically grabbing a ledge and pulling yourself up. I enjoyed my animal companions in Primal and 6. Right now in 6 I have Oluso the Panther (amigo) now., which is really cool! 6 also has a really cool weapon called the Primo, which is very effective against a group of enemies.

I have an interesting curiosity. I've been able to play 6 on pretty high quality settings. I don't recall my GPU or CPU fans getting very active while playing it, which surprised me. However, it doesn't take long for that to happen while playing 3 on the highest settings. I'm not sure which resolution I last played it on, but I think I at least tried 2K and didn't like that my FPS was dropped to half and looked a bit unacceptable. It's weird because 3 is older. My guess is that it isn't well optimized, but 6 is.

I've had all the FC games on my wish list for a while. I got 3, BD, and 4 for free, but I paid for Primal and 6, but not until they were out for some time. I got 6 for half off. I think I bought the Gold Edition (basically game plus season pass). I kind of think there was a 10% off coupon involved as well, I could be mistaken.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Minecraft Is Still Really Fun To Play With Kids!

I love playing video games with my son. He's almost 6 recently we got into Minecraft together. I found the physical Switch version of Minecraft on sale for $20 and figured that was a great time to pick up the game and play it with him. He immediately was hooked on the game and we went about building our first house inside a mountain and crafting our area to our mutual satisfaction. Minecraft is a well understood and widely played game at this point so nothing I'm saying is news to anyone but it's fun experiencing awesome things for the first time with your kid. Our cave house was built up to be a small castle of sorts so we can peer over the edge at night and see all... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/29/2022 at 05:36am

(Dang it Jon, I hope others are looking at this site with a resolution above 1080p. 1440p lets me see two stories on the front page and I always feel guilty when I notice someone's posted right as I'm about to and their post gets bumped down. Clearly this isn't the first time. LOL)

Wow, what an amazing thing I totally forgot about, playing Minecraft with your son! However, in contrast to your experience, my son is the reason I got into Minecraft. Once I started, I was hooked! We haven't played together much, but I did set up a Java server briefly. I don't know if you're aware of this, but the Bedrock version, which is the one all consoles run, is actually playable cross-platform. So, while you're playing on the Switch, I could join with my PC, and my son (now 18!) could join with his PS4 (for example). I haven't played the Bedrock version very much, but in my experience it seems to run a lot smoother than the Java version. I got my Windows 10 edition when it was offered for free when it was released for Windows 10.

I'm so happy for you that you've entered the Minecraft world with your son! It's an exciting time! It's a fantastic game for people of all ages. It's one of the few games I can think of that actually brings very many people together. As you probably know, it's extremely popular and you know they're still adding content. The next update will include mangrove forest, frogs, and more.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/31/2022 at 07:20pm

Frogs? Can’t wait!

I also didn’t know that all bedrock versions are compatible, that’s really good to know.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/31/2022 at 07:58pm

Ya know what's funny? My son got me into Minecraft, now he wants to follow in my footsteps and get into Ark: Survival Evolved since it's on PS Plus right now. LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/31/2022 at 08:42pm

That’s awesome. I hope he loves it!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 04/04/2022 at 04:43am

Liam loves minecraft, but will only play it with Joi at this point in time. If I offer to play, I get a “no thanks.” 🤣

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/14/2022 at 12:45am

Doesn’t like the way you build?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 04/14/2022 at 10:44pm

He finds me boring. 🤣

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/15/2022 at 03:41am

How so?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 04/15/2022 at 07:18pm

I probably don't play right.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/29/2022 at 12:54am

Hey guys. I just learned that the release date for 1.19 is June 7th. Here's an article if you want to read more about it: https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/1-19-update-release-date

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/29/2022 at 08:30pm

My son fired up the early 1.19 snapshot release. He is loving it.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/29/2022 at 09:21pm

Awesome! How old is he? High school graduation for mine (18) is next Saturday assuming he gets his work turned in on time.

Paul Soares, Jr. has a 1.18 playthrough on YouTube I've continued watching. It's making me want to jump in. I may check out the latest snapshot after I see what's on xismavoid's channel. It's been about a couple of months since I last played and I'm worried I'll tire of it quickly.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/30/2022 at 04:31am

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/30/2022 at 06:30am

Wow, yeah Minecraft kids are smart! They know how to get the beta content.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/05/2022 at 01:18am

We haven't found the village around us yet. Wish we could but I think it may be far away.

That said, I wonder if you need to spawn a new world to get this cave content after the patch drops? That said, it looks to add a lot more variety to the game by those undercave biomes. Getting closer to Terraria a bit at a time.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/05/2022 at 02:03am

If you have "cheats enabled" on the world, you could use the "/locate" command to find a village and /tp there. I haven't used that command, but I keep /tp coordinates in a document so I can just /tp to where I want to go. Minecraft commands: https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Commands/locate

Yeah, Minecraft is seeming more like Terraria now, that's a good observation. I think this is great, because the underground is getting variety that we've only seen above ground until recently. Speaking of Terraria, did you know there's a Terraria update coming? https://forums.terraria.org/index.php?threads/terraria-state-of-the-game-may-2022.112582/

As far as I understand it, you don't need to spawn a new world to get the new content for each update, you need to explore areas you haven't yet discovered. I'm sure I've heard or read that the devs have taken extra care to make sure that updates don't destroy worlds that already exist. The C&C Update extended the height and depth of the world border so they had to take extra care to make sure they didn't break existing worlds.

Here's a bit more detail: Minecraft worlds are made up of chunks. They are invisible (though you can make them visible) and they contain everything. "A chunk in Minecraft is a procedurally generated 16 x 16 segment of the world that extends all the way down to the" bottom of the world and all the way to the top of the world. (IGN quote) As you explore, new chunks in the world are created. If you started your world with 1.8 then all of the chunks that have been created by exploring are 1.8 chunks. If you want to see the new content you have to explore further into your world so that it will create new chunks, which contain 1.9 content if that's what you're playing after the update.

IGN "How big is a chunk" (gave me an answer I was looking for): https://www.ign.com/wikis/minecraft/How_Big_is_a_Chunk_in_Minecraft

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/07/2022 at 06:21am

FYI Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions are being bundled together on PC. Players who own either version will receive the other for free in a new update coming. The brief article I just read is worth reading. It helps briefly give you an idea about why there are these two different versions of Minecraft and which is run by different platforms.

I bought my Minecraft codes (one for me and one for Vinny) at Wal-Mart many years ago. When they released it for Windows 10, they gave it away for free to those of us that already owned the Java version. So, that's how I have both versions (and this update will be insignificant to me).

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-is-bundling-java-and-bedrock-editions-on-pc-starting-june-7/1100-6504197/

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/09/2022 at 03:18am

I saw that. Does the PC version entitle you to an XBox version now? I hope that's part of this update, it's strange it hasn't worked like that before.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/09/2022 at 05:34am

Yes, but it isn't called "an XBox version." There are two main versions of Minecraft; Java and Bedrock Edition. When I heard about why bundles aren't in the game yet, I was reminded that there is a third version called Pocket Edition. I thought they got rid of it, but it's the one used on tablets and similar touch devices. I used it on the Kindle Fire I had.

The Java Edition is only on PC, because it was originally written in Java, which is incompatible w/ pretty much everything else. So, they created the Bedrock Edition, which is written in C++.

"Parity!" Thanks, you just helped me remember the right term I was trying to use in my Wild Update post (now corrected). I thought it was "polarity," but knew it didn't sound right. LOL! Parity is something the devs are taking very seriously. They want to make sure that every version of Minecraft contains the same content so that there are few if any differences in gameplay.

I'd say each version has it's own unique thing about it. Java is the one with mod support, while Bedrock is the one that has access to the Marketplace.

Both versions and Minecraft Dungeons used to have separate launchers, but they all now use the same one. Currently the Bedrock Edition is listed in the launcher as "Minecraft for Windows," but that's only calling it a different name. I don't know why it doesn't just say "Bedrock Edition."

I like both versions, but Bedrock does seem to look a bit nicer and run a bit smoother. I've been avoiding it since I discovered a nasty bug that AFAIK hasn't been resolved. I (and others) noticed Villagers disappearing, which apparently happens due to chunk borders.

Are you aware of Minecraft RTX? That's a Bedrock Edition exclusive, too.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/10/2022 at 02:18am

I have played around with rtx. It is cool. Not much more to say about it.

My son flipped out about 1.19 officially releasing. We just built him his first pc for 5th grade graduation and it was available the day his PC was done. Great timing!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/10/2022 at 04:15pm

Wow that's awesome and congrat's on the graduation. Vinny graduated high school almost a full week ago. I don't know if he's played it, but I did tell him about it and the Ark update coming in a couple days. I checked out the snapshot, but Diablo Immortal is the game keeping me occupied these days (and I'm loving it!).

It's nice to see he's so enthusiastic. I shared a video by xisumavoid where he was talking about how he's seeing so much negativity towards this update and he explained why that could be (really, expectations not being tempered). I can't wait to get an Allay, though I'm worried I'll lose it since I "/tp" so much. Sorry, I'm repeating myself from my post. LOL

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/10/2022 at 07:37pm

How was the RTX? What GPU are you using? I wish I had a good RTX. Luckily, I've decided I actually don't want a 3090Ti. That thing requires extra power connections and a powerful PSU. It's also big and while I read that it has good thermals, it makes everything else hot. I don't have $2,000 anyway. I'm still happy w/ my 3 year old 1660Ti XC Gaming GPU (which I bought a 10 year warranty for), but RTX is something I'd love to be able to do.

I still want a better GPU for Ark, even though I haven't been playing it as much. There's a new map in a couple days though so I'll probably jump back in soon. Some maps (especially Genesis Part 2) still perform horribly. Although the first map runs really well most of the time.

I got a new monitor at the end of last year, though. Now I'm running 1440p@165hz. I like it, I can even get games to do 2K, but that extra resolution has an impact and I'm not sure the better quality is very noticeable. I haven't played much Ark with it yet, but when I did try it out, it kind of seemed crisper.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/11/2022 at 04:51am

I have a 2070. Rtx was cool, I guess. I am to the point where graphics don’t wow me as much as they used to.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/11/2022 at 05:30am

I'm jealous, but this is interesting. As recent as last year I think, I looked up how much Amazon still listed my GPU, which I bought from them (2019). It was listed double what I paid for it. Now it looks like that's the price of your GPU, which is more reasonable than the $1,000+. I believe we did finally get a break with outrageous GPU prices in recent months. My previous GPU was a 980Ti and about about the price of yours, but this one was half that and better (of course it's newer). The one I had before that was a GTX690. It was a $1,000 card, I got in an Alienware and was a major disappointment. I wanted it so bad, but I came to learn how ignorant I was about it.

I think I'm reaching your point, too, actually. I still want a better GPU, because I want steady performance. I want to be able to have beauty like RTX. I've been pretty satisfied with most games and don't have much trouble running on "High" settings, but Ark could still benefit from new hardware.

What kind of monitor? Or what res and refresh rate are you playing with and how's your FPS?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/11/2022 at 04:58pm

Yeah, I was shocked to see how much my card is still going for. I ended up doing a 3050 for my son. It was reasonably priced.

I have a 1080 monitor. I don’t really know my refresh rate and fps. As long as the fps doesn’t stutter, I am happy. 30fps is all you need. 🤣

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/11/2022 at 10:11pm

1080p is still the great standard IMO. As for me, I want a constant 60 and not much lower. Anything much less than that seems noticeable and I don't like it. Some games are really good at 30 and unnoticeable. 30 isn't good enough for Ark, though, not for me.

The Dell monitor I got with my Alienware served me by being my monitor for two PCs. It still works and is perfectly fine, but I wanted to experience this new tech. I wanted to see what a higher res and refresh rate would look like. I also wanted GSync. Honestly, I'm not sure I'm seeing much of a difference. It's hard to tell. I'm happy with what I have now, so I guess that's what matters most.

The GPU is perhaps the one piece of hardware I always wish I could afford to upgrade. LOL I'm not quite where I want to be, but this GPU of mine seems to be still very good even at about $300-400 and being about 3 years old.

You stating that you're at the point where graphics don't wow you as much reminds me of Moore's Law.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/12/2022 at 05:42am

I tend to play console games more. I do have a 4K/120Hz tv for that. To me the jump from 1080 to 4K is not as noticiable as from 480 to 1080.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/12/2022 at 07:47am

Cool! My TV is about 12 years old. It helped bring me to HD w/ 1080p@60hz with my PS3. Yeah, that sounds like Moore's Law. Res above 1080 doesn't seem noticeable. 720 seems fine for video, but I don't like much less than that.

FPS above 60 doesn't seem noticeable to me either. <60 is what I notice and don't like. (Although some things are fine at 30. I'm used to seeing that this is a console standard.) I've been able to do 2K w/ this monitor and I'm still not sure of a noticeable difference. I played Monster Hunter Rise this way. It apparently locks the FPS max at 60, maybe it's just something it can't do @ a higher rate.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/14/2022 at 05:37am

I'm playing on Ark's new map, finally with my new monitor, at 1440p. At times I see FPS over 30 (at one point I saw it was 31), 40's, and 50's. I don't recall seeing it higher, but it could have been. I haven't been keeping an eye on it the whole time. I want that steady 60 FPS, but don't want to change my resolution or tinker w/ settings once again. What I'm realizing is that 30+FPS is fine and I don't think I'm noticing a difference (between this and 60FPS). I'm not sure if I'm noticing a difference between this res and the 1920X1200 I was using before.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/14/2022 at 03:14pm

30 fps is all you need. Movies are only 24 fps, and we all like it, so think of it as getting 6 extra frames!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/14/2022 at 04:30pm

That's a good thing to point out. I thought movies and TV were 30 and yes they are totally fine. Thanks man!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/14/2022 at 08:32pm

TV is 30 fps. Film is 24 fps.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/14/2022 at 08:57pm

https://youtu.be/GD6qtc2_AQA

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/16/2022 at 04:22am

> 30 fps is all you need. Movies are only 24 fps, and we all like it, so think of it as getting 6 extra frames!

I’d argue the cinematic experience isn’t quite the same as games.

Big reason why is games respond to your input and that effects how they feel. For instance, I bet you’d notice a difference between 30 and 60 and I can sure tell if it’s more than that. For instance 120 fps games on my Series X and TV are really really smooth.

Maybe not everyone can tell, but it’s nice and with movies and such you’re not interacting with it other that watching it.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/16/2022 at 04:50am

I'm glad we're having this discussion again (I remember asking what you all thought about it). You make a good point, Jon. We experience them differently.

I'm not use to 120, but I can do 1440p@165. I'm sure I get that in Minecraft (without my favorite shader pack). Other games are more demanding, certainly, so my FPS varies. I can push it to 2K, but I believe 165 drops to 60. I'm just glad I finally got a new monitor so I could expand my 1080p@60 experience. I'm still unsure about it. I'm not sure I've figured out HDR either and I'm not sure I like it. I've read complaints that Windows 10 HDR wasn't implemented well.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/17/2022 at 05:26am

I actually can’t tell the difference between 30/60/120. It is bliss.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/17/2022 at 10:30am

What resolution do you use while playing normally or most of the time (for games in general)? I'm playing Jurassic World Evolution 2 now (new DLC) at 1440p on some high or very high settings. I'm getting about 30+ FPS and I'm happy with it. 2K wasn't as acceptable. I'm not sure I notice the higher resolutions anyway, unless things get smaller (like text). I think I care more about the flashier side of it all and getting as much performance as I can. I don't like having to make sacrifices, but it's usually manageable. I believe I know Jon's playing with 4K on his XBox.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 06/17/2022 at 01:33pm

4K or 1080p. If frame rate fluctuates I will notice that, but if it is steady, I won’t notice.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/18/2022 at 11:05pm

I believe Jon mentioned this. I'm not sure how I learned about it, probably GameSpot news that I read daily. Anyway there's an announce trailer for Minecraft Legends. I like the "cinematic footage," but I'm not so sure about the "pre-release gameplay." I was happy to see two Allay, one blue. I love them, even though I haven't played w/ them yet. You can see the trailer here (https://youtu.be/1JSjZqV-YK8). I might have more details later.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/20/2022 at 03:32am

I hope they have a lot more details later because I’m not entirely sure what the game is.

My son wants it though 🤣

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Play Far Cry 6 For Free This Weekend

Far Cry 6 is free to play this weekend. According to the Ubisoft website: "Access is available from Thursday 24 March 2022 (18:00 UTC) to Sunday 28 March 2022 (18:00 UTC). You can preload the game from Tuesday 22 March 2022 (19:00 UTC)." It's available for multiple platforms. If you need help accessing it you can check the following website or ask me and I'll see if I can help: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/help/far-cry-6/gameplay/article/information-about-the-far-cry-6-free-weekend-march-2022/000101445?origin=search

If you're playing on PC I strongly suggest you do so via UPlay as it will let you download and install. At the moment Epic Games Store says it's... Read All Far Cry 6 is free to play this weekend. According to the Ubisoft website: "Access is available from Thursday 24 March 2022 (18:00 UTC) to Sunday 28 March 2022 (18:00 UTC). You can preload the game from Tuesday 22 March 2022 (19:00 UTC)." It's available for multiple platforms. If you need help accessing it you can check the following website or ask me and I'll see if I can help: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/help/far-cry-6/gameplay/article/information-about-the-far-cry-6-free-weekend-march-2022/000101445?origin=search

If you're playing on PC I strongly suggest you do so via UPlay as it will let you download and install. At the moment Epic Games Store says it's "unavailable." (after 12AM EST and it's still "unavailable," but I'm playing it on UPlay.)

Quick note: HDR is a feature. I was impressed with my benchmark. The lowest FPS I got was about 66 (at 1440p), highest was just over 80 and avg was about 75. My PC is almost 3. I have an i7, 32GB RAM, NVME SSD, and a GTX 1660 (EVGA XC Gaming). GeForce Experience is recommending "optimal" settings which are lower than I have already set, so I suggest ignoring that. The game will detect your hardware and allow you to customize it.

Oh and there's a Ubisoft Spring Sale going on now until 3/31. This game is 50% off (it's never been cheaper), so it's a great time to try it out and get it while it's on sale.

Also, this is a co-op game, so if you want to play together on UPlay, feel free to let me know. As usual my username is "gregopeck." If you want to play on EGS I can reinstall it for that platform when it's available there.

Be sure to check the embedded video as it's a "Game Overview Trailer." It's nearly 7 minutes long, but worth watching if you're interested or unsure.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about this game in my opinion is that it stars Giancarlo Esposito. I've only seen him as Moff Gideon (The Mandalorian) and he did such an amazing job!

I've played Far Cry Primal and liked it. I've tried Far Cry 3 (which I got for free), but didn't get far (hahah "far") with it (I ran out of ammo). I also tried Blood Dragon, but didn't get far with it either, I didn't really like it.

Let me know what you think. Are you planning to play this weekend? Are you a fan of the series? Share your thoughts!