Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Why We Dropped Traditional Web Advertising From Cheerful Ghost

http://cdn.na16.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/scrooge-mcduck.jpg

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... Read All

Never Gonna Give You Up, Mario

*Had a longer post written before my browser crashed*

At first I saw Super Mario Maker as just a fancier Mario Paint, but I've been watching some Let's Plays and have seen it been used super creatively. I've seen a Sonic Green Hill Zone Act 1 recreation (https://youtu.be/zmnzh0BHM6w), a level with flying super mushrooms that you're actually avoiding like enemies because you need to be small to continue through the level, and many others.

It looks really great. I will probably pick this up now when it's on sale around Christmas :)

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.

... Read All

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... Read All

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... Read All

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

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

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... Read All

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... Read All

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!!

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

The Witcher

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.

Recommendations:

The Witcher (first game): Not so great, not really recommended

The Witcher 2: Good game kind of recommended

The Witcher 3: Strongly recommended, must play!

The Witcher (first game): Not so great, not really recommended

The Witcher 2: Good game kind of recommended

The Witcher 3: Strongly recommended, must play!

This summer, one of my friends mentioned that he was playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I knew the game was popular, but otherwise knew nothing else about it. I noticed that The Witcher series was on sale during Steam's Summer Sale. The entire series cost about as much as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so basically it was as though I bought the third game at a discount and got the other two games for free.

I started out with the first game and I wasn't too greatly impressed. It was an ok game, although parts of it really got on my nerves. For instance, in one city at night you can hear a baby constantly crying. The game introduces you to the character Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher, who is basically a mutant that has special magical abilities and is pretty much a monster slayer for hire. He carries two swords, one is steel for humans and the other is silver for monsters or non-humans. Although a contract killer of monsters, Geralt finds himself hesitantly getting involved in local politics in an era that's most like our Middle Ages. Although I didn't really enjoy the first game, I did like the character of Geralt and knew I would continue playing the rest of the series.

During the time I spent playing the first game, my expectations grew, hoping, and even knowing that the second and third games had to be much better. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was definitely better than the first game. Before playing it, I took a break to play some other games and by the time I was ready for The Witcher 2, I pretty much wanted exactly what it gave me, a game that didn't require me to use my brain so much, and one that would tell me a story. I wasn't very disappointed.

Geralt returns in The Witcher 2, however he has amnesia and thus his memories begin to return as the story unfolds. The game starts out showing the assassination of a king who is being entertained on a ship. This CG movie was really good. This game was, to me, a great improvement over the first. It wasn't very difficult, likely because I selected an easy difficulty setting. The tutorial at the beginning is good, but it still leaves some things out, which I had to look up. In fact, there were only a few things I had to look up, mostly things that occur in the beginning. The first boss fight was the most difficult of the entire game and it took me a few tries and “Googling” to get it right. At that point, I was intimidated and tempted to give up playing, but I pressed on.

The game continues as another king is assassinated and Geralt is wrongly accused, thus he goes on in order to clear his name. He finds himself hesitantly in the midst of politics again. One of the interesting aspects of the game is that you get to make decisions in the game and they, presumably, change the outcome of events, though I can't attest without “investigation” whether this is entirely true. I liked that at points, I could choose whether to spare or take a life. I spared some lives, but not all. I enjoyed the story a bit and I kind of like how it turned out. I thought the second game was a great improvement on the first, I still found it to be an “ok” game. I still enjoyed the character of Geralt.

I just recently finished the second game and decided to start playing the third. This one contains a lot of DLC, the majority of which is free, although there is at least one that you can buy. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a grand improvement over the first and second games. While following the main quest, various side quests open up in which Geralt can take on monster killing contracts or help out other NPCs. That is what I'm doing right now in the game, exploring outside of the main quest.

One of the main differences, in the third game, is that Geralt rides a horse named “Roach.” I found the name to be humorous because one of the main characters in the second game is a man named “Roche” (pronounced just like “roach”). The graphics are great, although the sound volume seems to vary at times. One thing I love about these games is that they have performed exceptionally well on my PC without any obvious frame drops.

These games remind me of a few others. Some of the music in the second game sounds a lot like Oblivion. The third game reminds me a lot of Red Dead Redemption.

If you play the third game, I don't think it's essentially necessary to play the other two, although you won't notice the returning characters. Although there are new characters which were never even mentioned in the first two games. Still, I think the third game could be enjoyable even if you don't play the previous games of the series.

These games are based on a "book series" by Andrzej Sapkowski.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/11/2015 at 12:29am

I'm really enjoying The Witcher 3. It's very much better than the first two games in the series. However, I'm glad I played those because it makes me appreciate this one more. Plus, I recognize returning characters.

While nearly every DLC for the game is free, one is expected to be released in a couple of days, for a price. I have pre-ordered it. It seems yet another is coming after that. I didn't buy the Season Pass.

Also, a massive update (6+ gigs) was released for the game, fixing a lot of bugs. This was part of why I decided to start a new game. I also decided to play the side-quest card game, which I ignored my first time through.

There is plenty to do in this game, multiple quests and side-quests. I think it's fun and interesting and therefore highly recommend it.

jaelte wrote on 10/11/2015 at 07:20am

Man, I need to drag myself back to that game before Fallout 4 comes out and monopolizes my next 150-200 hours or so of gaming. I think I'm about a third of the way through it.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/11/2015 at 02:08pm

I'm not sure how far I got in the game. Steam says 61 hours, but I noticed my first few hours were reset after installing some DLC, so I've actually played a little more than that. I haven't finished the game and I'm not sure how far into I got. I never left Velen. I'm not sure what level I got, but I don't think I reached 20 yet. I can see how very easy it is to spend hundreds of hours in this game.

jdodson Admin wrote on 10/11/2015 at 05:04pm

To date I haven't really been sucked in by a Witcher game. 2 was great graphics wise but I sort of walked away due to the complexity of the controls. Does 3 simplify that at all Greg?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/11/2015 at 07:08pm

I thought the first game's controls were complex. It took me a little bit to get used to. The second was better. One way the third one simplifies things is that when you face an enemy, Geralt automatically draws the right weapon. However, other controls get more "complex." There are so many keys you can use. Tab brings up a quick menu with a radial dial so you can switch between items, especially ones that you use by clicking the mouse scroll wheel. You can also press space on this menu to meditate. Backspace brings up a larger menu with nearly everything in it, you can click on what you want to go through such as Alchemy, Character, Inventory, World Map, and Glossary. You can access Inventory with "I" and the World Map with "M." You can switch weapons with "1" and "2." So, I'd say the third has more complex controls, but I don't think that means an increase in difficulty with control usage. I'm not sure how this game makes use of the controller, but as popular (and great) as this game is across all platforms, I'd assume it does it quite well.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/11/2015 at 07:21pm

I think combat is rather simple, use the left mouse button to attack, however that's a "fast attack." To do a "strong attack," you need to hold the left Shift key along with the left mouse button, but I don't often attack this way unless someone has a shield. Signs are used with the "Q" key, you can switch between them using the mouse scroll wheel. One of the things you can use by clicking the moust scroll wheel is the crossbow, but you can use other items this way. Also, I think this game makes the signs more memorable and usable. There are other keys you can use for food (to regenerate vitality) such as "R," "F," and "T."

I would say don't pre-judge the third game based on the first two. The third one is so much better than those two. I did find the story in all of them to be interesting and I do like the characters and being able to make choices throughout the games.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/13/2015 at 09:47pm

Jaelte, have you played Gwent? I ignored it mostly at first, but now I've gotten into it. I like it, it's simple and fun. Did you get the new DLC? Did you get the Season Pass? There's apparently another DLC coming.

One of the things I learned in my second play through was that you can use your crossbow underwater. I'm not sure why the game didn't tell me that the first time. I was wondering if I could attack enemies under water. Thank goodness the game let me know, finally.

jaelte wrote on 10/20/2015 at 04:20am

GregoPeck, sorry I didn't see your questions until now. I've played quite a lot of Gwent. Unfortunately, I think I may have broken the Gwent quest line by advancing the main quest to a certain point at the wrong time. At least I haven't figured out how to get that one mob boss dude (former advisor to a king) to play a game with me in his current location.

Anyway, I don't have any of the DLC yet. I figured I'd worry about it later if I wanted to play more after I beat the game. I haven't had cause to fight under water yet, so thanks for the tip!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/20/2015 at 05:44am

Cool, better late than never! Yeah, you probably advanced the quest involving Djkstra or chosen an option that doesn't allow you to play Gwent with him. I managed to play him, I think. I have his card, too. I really love Gwent. I have a collection, but not every card. I haven't played using any deck except the default, Northern Realms. I like it.

The DLC that just came out has quests with a suggested level of 32. I did two of those quests, actually. One involved a tax collector who decided I had to pay some taxes. He approached me while I was in Novigrad. I have plenty of money, so I decided to go ahead and pay the taxes that were due. Another involved a dwarf alchemist that was missing an apprentice. I ran into that one because I was looking for a White Gull recipe, but it turns out I had it and wasn't looking at the right place under Alchemy because it's an alcohol. I needed that for a sword upgrade, but then I don't have yet have the diagram for another piece I need. I haven't done all of the treasure hunts yet. I did run into a bug during one, though. A missing power cell didn't show up where it should have, so I ended up having to install a mod for the command console and give it to myself.

I haven't finished the main story line yet. It has progressed more than I expected. Meaning, the game didn't end when i thought it would, which pleases me. I usually stay away from the main story line and do side quests. There is absolutely so much to do in this game. I really love it!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/20/2015 at 06:09pm

Speaking of Gwent, I just did the High Stakes quest and won the tournament! =) I got some new leader cards out of that. I doubt I'll collect all the cards. I haven't been playing every merchant or innkeeper nor have I looked to see if they have cards to buy.

jaelte wrote on 10/21/2015 at 04:46am

I was thinking about doing the High Stakes quest, but I decided that I don't have a good enough collection yet. I think my current best deck is a Scoia'tael one, but I'd like a few more cards before I'd consider it consistent enough to try that tournament.

jaelte wrote on 10/21/2015 at 04:50am

As far as the main quest goes, I still haven't left the first major area (with Baron, Dijkstra, King Whats-His-Name, etc.), but I think all the main quest lines are pointing me off to a new zone. I still have so many side quests to finish, though! I've only played ~50 or so hours, I think.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/21/2015 at 06:14am

I don't remember when "High Stakes" became available, but I know it took me a long time before I decided to finally do it.

The first time I played, I didn't get make it out of Novigrad, either. I didn't want to finish the main story quest line too soon and you know the game provides plenty to do. When the latest (huge) patch came out, I decided to start over. I still hesitated to move on, but eventually I did.

I finally decided to pursue the main quest to the end and I just finished it tonight. I still didn't do every quest or explore every undiscovered ("?") area on the map. Steam says I played the game for about 150 hours, but I think I played 20-30 more as I noticed my counter was reset after installing some of the free DLC. It's a great game and it's very easy to spend a lot of hours playing it.

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

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.

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