Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Portland Indie Greenlight Roundup - Laser Lasso BALL, Mimic Arena & XO

I recommend everyone take a look into the local Indie game scene around your home town. If it's even a fraction of the mad craze in Portland then you are in for a treat. Recently a lot of really great games have been announced here in Portland and I wanted to wrap a few of them up for you to chew on. All of these games are being made by my friends from PIGSquad which makes this post double cool.

Laser Lasso BALL

Laser Lasso BALL is a local co-op game where two players go head to head in alien deathsport. Featuring some of the fastest mutiplayer matches I can remember, Laser Lasso BALL is a really fun experience that is easy to understand and hard to master. The amazing... Read All

Run Your Personal Game Streaming Service Using Amazon EC2 and Steam

One of my Twitter pals shared this wicked cool Amazon EC2 hack that basically shows you how to rent Amazon cloud server time to run your own personal high end Steam PC streaming service. After quite a bit of technical Amazon server bit flipping you can run high end PC titles like The Witcher 3 for about 53 cents an hour. Factoring in the cost of running your own high end PC, renting the time from Amazon doesn't seem like a bad option.

The steps listed in the blog post are pretty technical but you can skip all the way to the end by just using the EC2 image and going from there. If you didn't know, Amazon rents time in its cloud for any person or company to use. You can... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 08/18/2015 at 03:04am

That's WAY cheaper than Playstation Now.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/18/2015 at 03:08am

True, but you have to bring your own games. I think part of the cost involved with PS Now and the like is the game is included? Or something?

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/explore/psnow/faq/

Looks like you can rent most PS Now games for $1 a day? So this would be more expensive because it's 50 cents an hour. PS Now also seems to offer a Netflix style service for $20 a month? Thing is, that price doesn't include the hardware, something the Amazon services offers.

That said, I wouldn't go PS Now as the overall cost of the hardware + fee would be more than buying Steam games + Amazon rental fee with this option. Oh I guess that means you're right then

Travis Admin wrote on 08/18/2015 at 03:52am

A few things:

First, I read "53 cents an hour" as "53 cents a day" at first, so there's that.

But to determine which is cheaper (or rather, a better value)l, there are a lot of factors to take into account. You buy the Witcher 3 for example and you can play it whenever you want when you have the beefy hardware. It isn't a game rental, really, like PS Now.

You don't need any additional hardware for PS Now, it all runs on Sony's servers, you don't pay for those. BUT, the cost of a new PS4 if you don't already have one is way higher than something that can stream Steam games.

But I think the prices have dropped on PS Now since the last time I checked, so I was definitely wrong about it being cheaper. Overall.

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The New Hearthstone Brawl Teases New Grand Tournament Expansion

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Blizzard is keeping the hype train real as the days march closer to to it's August release of The Grand Tournament Expansion. After a large game patch tomorrow that will knock the game out of commission for a couple hours we will be getting an all new Tavern Brawl highlighting some new cards in the upcoming expansion allowing us to try them out pre-expansion launch.

"Wednesday’s Grand Tournament Match features a thrilling Brawl between two potent forces. One, led by that mysterious master of magic, Medivh, will be packed with minions eager to heed your call to battle and power up with Inspire. Standing against them will be the mistress of the hunt, Alleria, along with... Read All

Portland TriMet Light Rail Map in The Style of Mario 3

Artist Dave Delisle has recreated the Portland Trimet light rail lines in the style of Super Mario Bros. 3. I find this particularly cool as I live in Portland and ride the MAX lines when I head into work. Dave has also created version of metro lines in other cities such as Washington DC Metro, Vancouver Skytrain, Pittsburgh LRT, Toronto TTC, Calgary C-Train & the Atlanta Marta.

http://www.imagekind.com/Portland-Trimet-MAX-Map-_art?IMID=a23c5985-1fe3-41e8-9b9f-c0ff73c52203

8-bit Video Takes Us Back To The Happy World of District 9

CineFix has created some amazing 8-bit videos of popular films imaged in the graphic styling of NES and Super NES era games. The latest installment recreates Wikus van de Merwe's journey from District 9 to full prawn. If you have no idea what that means then quickly watch District 9 then come back and watch this 8-bit recreation.

It's Official. Blizzard Has Money Fights With Gold Bars Over Success Of Hearthstone

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According to SuperData Research Hearthstone is doing so well it is leading the pack in sales to the tune of $20 million per month! That's an impressive number considering Hearthstone started out on a small team at Blizzard. Hat tip to them though, the game is incredible and I love opening those free packs and grinding quests for gold. I've known Hearthstone has been successful for Blizzard but we've never known how successful till now.

With Bethesda and EA getting into the digital collectable card game genre it's a good time for people that want to try out different approaches to the genre.

... Read All

Fallout Shelter Comes To Android - Build Your Indoor Utopia While You Survive The Apocalypse

Bethesda has finally brought Fallout Shelter to Android after debuting it on iOS a few months ago. iOS users will also see a Fallout Shelter update in version 1.1. What's in the new version? Check below.

What's New in Version 1.1

To ensure your experience is as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible, Vault-Tec engineers have implemented some exiting new features!
Overseers should be on the lookout for new threats to their Vault Dwellers. Some Vaults have reported attacks by burrowing Mole Rats and enraged Deathclaws - likely attracted by the sound of new construction.
Vault-Tec has partnered with General Atomics International in order to offer Overseers their very own... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 08/14/2015 at 03:26am

Any word on iCloud support? It's kinda rough that if you buy a bunch of lunch boxes and your phone crashes you've just thrown money away.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/14/2015 at 03:36am

Not that I saw. That situation sounds horrible!

Travis Admin wrote on 08/14/2015 at 03:38am

Yeah it does! It hasn't happened to me but I've seen a few unhappy people.

jaelte wrote on 08/14/2015 at 04:05am

Aaaand, I've started the download.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/14/2015 at 04:25am

Cool. Let me know how it plays.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/14/2015 at 03:42pm

Oh no... I already spend too much time on my phone!

JaBo wrote on 08/14/2015 at 06:58pm

My phone time can't go up... already play hearthstone as much as I can lol, don't see how trying this hurts me =]

Timogorgon Member wrote on 08/17/2015 at 10:33pm

Dropping by just to say that Deathclaws suck. My vault dwellers make short work of the Raiders, but the Deathclaws tear my poor dwellers to pieces! I've started stockpiling extra med packs just to keep people alive.

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Terraria Mac & Linux Finally Released

After a time in beta Terraria officially comes to Mac & Linux to much joy. I've been playing it on my Mac and Fedora Linux machine and it works incredibly well. The Steam cross saves really make the experience really seamless. I consider Terraria a national treasure so it's good to see that anyone can play it on any of the major PC platforms.

"Mac and Linux Terrarians, your day has finally arrived!

We here at Re-Logic are thrilled to announce that we are officially launching the Mac & Linux versions of Terraria today! This has been a very long time in coming - and we know how very much the Community has desired these new Terraria platforms, so we are eagerly... Read All

Goodbye Ubuntu - My New Gaming Linux Distro Is Fedora 22

I've been using Ubuntu Linux as my primary Linux Desktop since it's first version, Warty Warthog. Fun fact, Travis and I first met as moderators for the Ubuntu Forums website and have been friends since. In my opinion, Ubuntu has been the best Desktop Linux for years and recently have I felt that position change. I don't want to get into a Linux distro war debate but needless to say, over time, the changes Ubuntu has been making to it's system have annoyed me. I don't particularly enjoy the Desktop they are creating or the direction they are headed. That said, I applaud them for all the hard work and as a many years loyal Ubuntu fan, leave with a lot of respect for... Read All I've been using Ubuntu Linux as my primary Linux Desktop since it's first version, Warty Warthog. Fun fact, Travis and I first met as moderators for the Ubuntu Forums website and have been friends since. In my opinion, Ubuntu has been the best Desktop Linux for years and recently have I felt that position change. I don't want to get into a Linux distro war debate but needless to say, over time, the changes Ubuntu has been making to it's system have annoyed me. I don't particularly enjoy the Desktop they are creating or the direction they are headed. That said, I applaud them for all the hard work and as a many years loyal Ubuntu fan, leave with a lot of respect for the project.

I've been looking around for a new Linux to fill my needs as there are so many to choose from. Mint Linux aims to fix much of the strange direction Ubuntu is going, Arch seems to be a very modern take on a DIY distro for power users and Fedora Linux has always been something i've wanted to try more of. After acquiring a Fedora 22 USB install drive from OSCon this year, I decided to give it a spin in a Virtual Machine and was very happy with the results. So much so that over the next week I re-imaged my PC with a dual boot of Fedora 22 and Windows 7.

One common complaint I hear from folks is that Fedora and other Red Hat RPM based distros suffer due to package management. This was very true a few years ago, but in my experience this has all but evaporated. Want to install Handbrake, Steam or Banshee? Install the RPM Fusion repository and use the graphical program to do it. I did have to drop to the console to do a few things, but I find that to be par for the course on any Linux distro I install. I cataloged all my steps in a Github gist you can read below.

https://gist.github.com/jdodson/d2caa9de20ebfdb59ce6

Those steps will get you all you need to get Nvidia drivers & Steam running as well as tweak your fonts to look a bit nicer than the default settings. I really enjoy the Gnome 3 Desktop and I have also included steps in that gist to make it work more like a traditional Mac-like Desktop with dock and menu bar. Gnome 3 is a great Desktop it just has a few odd defaults and after you turn them off I works better(I think).

Video game performance on Fedora 22 is about what I've come to expect from Linux, which is to say very good but not quite as great as Windows for some games. Fedora 22 packages a good version of Wine so I got Battle.net to run alongside Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm. Occasionally Hearthstone lags a bit but it doesn't make matches unplayable. Over the years Wine has gotten great at emulating Windows software and seeing how well it works now, gives me hope for future non native Linux gaming.

If you are looking for a nice way to start out on Desktop Linux Fedora 22 ain't a bad way to go. You could always try it out in a Virtual Machine and if things go well install it on a spare PC. That said, some of what you love in Fedora comes with SteamOS and over time I imagine that may become my primary Linux Desktop. Until then, Red Hat's bleeding edge community distro is a strong option and I have really enjoyed using it.

http://i.imgur.com/fRNMVSO.jpg

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/10/2015 at 02:37am

What distro did I start out w/? I think Red Hat, that was back in the late 90's. I've tried a few others in that time, but Ubuntu was one of my recent favorites (circa 2005). However, I later didn't like how the UI changed.

Fedora was the distro used in a class I took at my local community college. The class was working towards Linux+ certification, which I didn't attempt, but aced the class.

It's been a long time since I've dual-booted Linux. I do it sometimes, but don't end up playing around with it very long.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 08/10/2015 at 05:13pm

Not SteamOS?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/10/2015 at 05:29pm

@Will I think that I might try it a bit later. For now, Fedora is full featured and has a path for it being a very good Desktop OS. SteamOS isn't officially released yet, but when it is I will check it out for sure.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/10/2015 at 10:08pm

SteamOS is still really rough around the edges, and I don't think will ever be the best idea for a desktop. If you get SteamOS and install all the stuff in it to make it a desktop, then a quicker way would be to just install Debian and then put Steam on it. The big customizations coming from SteamOS are just simplifying ways to get your drivers up-to-date, providing a way to immediately boot into Big Picture mode, and a few hooks from Steam into the OS so you can customize things straight from Steam. All of these, aside from customizing the OS from Steam, are done easily in a desktop Linux distro. And Valve has said that, while you can install anything you want, the bare-bare-barebones desktop environment is there basically so you can more easily tweak things.

In fact, even Valve thinks using it as a desktop OS is a bad idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWaG9hOvNn0&feature=youtu.be&t=7m23s

scrypt Supporter wrote on 08/12/2015 at 12:40am

Thanks for the info, Jon. I'm Linux illiterate, so it's always nice to read trusted recommendations. Will definitely read up on Fedora.

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Have Enough New Games To Last Years? Why Not Play An Old One Instead.

Most of us have games to last us for years. If I just played games to completion on Steam I have yet to start, i'd be playing for the next 10 bazillion years. It's a great time to be a gamer but so many choices can be a bit overwhelming. Recently i've been enjoying the Cheerful Ghost Borderlands 2 event. We get together every Monday and play through the game a couple hours at a time. If you pay any attention to the site here you also know my current standby is Hearthstone. Currently I am saving up gold for the new Grand Tournament expansion, so when it drops I can buy as many packs as I can. Currently I have enough gold saved for 20 packs and I hope to get more gold... Read All Most of us have games to last us for years. If I just played games to completion on Steam I have yet to start, i'd be playing for the next 10 bazillion years. It's a great time to be a gamer but so many choices can be a bit overwhelming. Recently i've been enjoying the Cheerful Ghost Borderlands 2 event. We get together every Monday and play through the game a couple hours at a time. If you pay any attention to the site here you also know my current standby is Hearthstone. Currently I am saving up gold for the new Grand Tournament expansion, so when it drops I can buy as many packs as I can. Currently I have enough gold saved for 20 packs and I hope to get more gold to bump that ever upward. We have the current Cheerful Ghost Terraria server going strong and I wish I could play it more. Terraria requires a huge time commitment, something I can't do right now due to juggling a plethora of life things. That said, earlier this year I completed the original Legend of Zelda and that experience left me wanting more Zelda so a few days afterward I started up The Ocarina of Time. I've played this game before always getting near the end before, for whatever reason, I don't complete it. This time may be different but it's fun to just play it again for however long that lasts.

When I come back to an old classic like the original Legend of Zelda or Ocarina of Time I try and ask myself if the game still holds up? In the case of Ocarina of Time the game holds up as well as it did in 1998 with a few exceptions. As gaming has advanced since then I noticed the frameyness and the control scheme isn't quite as polished as a modern Zelda. With that what Nintendo pulled off on the Nintendo 64 is admirable and once I started the game it's graphical low resolution and occasional play control jitters didn't bother me at all.

I am not going to get into a full review of Ocarina of Time as it's been discussed elsewhere in better detail. I will say that as to my last session I just opened up Jabu Jabu and have yet to complete that level. I am not very far into the game as I can only sit down to play it about one session per week but every time I do the games adventure brings me right back to "dat 90's magic." I have a Nintendo 64 and the Ocarina of Time cart but for this playthrough I have opted to play it over Mupen 64 on my Nexus Player. Mupens upscaled graphics and the ability to map controls to a XBox 360 controller are nice but about every hour and a half the game crashes due to what I consider to be some kind of memory leak. I save often and it's not hard to get back to where I was, but emulation is still not as good as just playing on the original hardware itself as far as stability goes for the 64. If you are looking to head back to an old classic you couldn't do much better than Ocarina of Time and if you wanted to break lots of pottery, there isn't a better way I know of to live that experience.