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Subnautica and Below Zero Review (No Spoilers!)

Azurephile gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Azurephile gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

I noticed that I didn’t write a review for Subnautica. Since I just finished Subnautica: Below Zero (BZ), I thought I’d give both of them a review here.

If you haven't played Subnautica, it may interest you if you like games that include survival, crafting, and exploring (probably the kind of game that has most interested me for quite awhile now). While you can craft things like base pieces and tools, you obtain these recipes by finding the items or fragments of them in the game and scanning them with your scanner tool.

There is a bit of a scary element, too, as there are huge creatures called Leviathans that are definitely scary as they will attack you and your... Read All I noticed that I didn’t write a review for Subnautica. Since I just finished Subnautica: Below Zero (BZ), I thought I’d give both of them a review here.

If you haven't played Subnautica, it may interest you if you like games that include survival, crafting, and exploring (probably the kind of game that has most interested me for quite awhile now). While you can craft things like base pieces and tools, you obtain these recipes by finding the items or fragments of them in the game and scanning them with your scanner tool.

There is a bit of a scary element, too, as there are huge creatures called Leviathans that are definitely scary as they will attack you and your vehicles. These games take place in an underwater environment, the planets are mostly made of an ocean with very little landmass. So, you’ll spend your time mostly underwater and you have to be aware of your oxygen level (along with food, thirst, and temperature, since BZ has frozen areas). There are different game modes, so these things are optional.

If you liked Subnautica, you'll probably like BZ. I bought BZ pretty much as soon as it was released into Early Access on Steam. I stopped playing it after a while as I decided to wait until the completed version was released. BZ is essentially Subnautica, just with more of an Arctic-like setting. Just like Subnautica, you’ll find there are different biomes, so it’s not all wintry. It also has some new things such as a Sea Truck and Spy Penglings, among others. At first, I didn’t like the Sea Truck. I liked the Sea Moth and Cyclops submarine in Subnautica, so initially (during Early Access) I was disappointed that these were missing. However, the Sea Truck has modules you can craft, connect, and disconnect easily. I found all of them useful, except the Sleeper module, which I didn’t build. It was frustrating in Subnautica when using the Cyclops and bumping into things, just like it is in BZ with the Sea Truck, although you can repair them easily with a repair tool (which was made easier in BZ). I also didn’t enjoy having to try to be quiet in certain areas with the Cyclops as it could attract Leviathans. That’s not the case in BZ, but if they see or get near you, they will attack. However, you can get an upgrade for the Sea Truck that lets you shock them, which will greatly reduce the amount of damage received. This will make them stop targeting you for a little while. I did find ways of killing a Leviathan (one of which is no longer valid as the tool used was removed), but they do respawn.

BZ also has a different story, though it's kind of related.

Subnautica received a lot of really good reviews and since BZ doesn’t stray very far from that game, I imagine that it will also get positive reviews. Already on Steam, the reviews are “Very Positive.”

I did restart my game a few times (something I frequently do in games once I start playing them). If you don't want to lose items when you die, then take my advice and save your game often, so that you can quit and reload to prevent that.

The game is short. I do wish it were longer, but I did enjoy it. At some point, you may want to look at a walk through to help you advance. I did this once I reached a certain point, because the game doesn’t always hold your hand and tell you what to do or where to go next. Also, it can be difficult to find some things on your own, though the game does give you some markers of places to visit. You can turn these beacons on or off in your main screen (PDA) and even choose a few colors for them. You can hit F1 to bring up a screen that tells you a lot of info, including coordinates. You can find coordinates of where things are on the game’s wiki page. If I remember correctly, the first number relates to East/West, the second is depth, and the third is North/South. You may want to consult a quick video on how this works, so you can find things easier and not get as lost (though you still may find yourself getting lost). You can also craft beacons to place so you can find your way back to an area easily. You may want to revisit an area for things that you may have missed or to gather more resources. Speaking of resources, it seems they do not respawn, though I seem to recall that the wildlife does (at least in Subnautica). There are plenty of resources, though, so this isn’t really something to worry about.

I recommend checking out Subnautica and then checking out BZ, especially if you liked Subnautica. I think Subnautica helps get you started and gives you a good understanding of the game in general. Plus, as I mentioned, the stories in both games are kind of related. Subnautica starts you off with you crash landing on an alien planet covered in a large ocean with little landmass. BZ, however, has you playing a character who wants to investigate the death of her sister on a frozen alien planet. Though it is interesting to note that you can freeze on land, but once you get into the ocean, temperature is no longer relevant (unless you get into a thermal vent).

If you’ve played one or both games, let me know what you think. Also, let me know if you think this is something you may be interested in.

You can check out my other BZ (spoiler-free) post here: https://cheerfulghost.com/GregoPeck/posts/4629/subnautica-below-zero-cinematic-trailer-and-release-date

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 90: The Switch After Three Years (a little over a year late)

We're gearing up for more episodes of Cheerful Ghost Radio, but while those new episodes are baking in the oven, we've done some spring cleaning and found this old episode in the couch cushions. The Nintendo Switch just turned four in March, and we recorded this never before heard episode last year about our opinions of the Switch after *three* years. Listen back to our thoughts on the Switch without the past year to inform us, and also hear which things we wanted back then that we got!

Venom Let There Be Carnage Trailer Released

Sony has released a new trailer for Venom Let There Be Carnage, the sequel to the Venom movie. It looks kind of interesting. I really enjoyed the first Venom movie, so I'm really hoping this one is as good or better than the first.

Surprisingly, my greatest disappointment with the trailer is that it says, "only in theaters." I'm fully vaccinated now and I did go see Godzilla Vs. Kong (before I was vaccinated), but I guess I've grown so used to watching things on Disney+ or HBO Max that I think I'm preferring to be able to watch movies and shows in the comfort of my own space. What do you think about this?

Let me know what you think about the trailer and what you... Read All

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/10/2021 at 09:47pm

I haven’t see the first movie yet.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/10/2021 at 11:22pm

Do you have any interest in it?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/11/2021 at 02:19am

Kind of? It isn’t a must see for me, but I have a slight interest.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 05/11/2021 at 06:01am

The first Venom is a fun movie. If you find it free, I recommend it. It's not a masterpiece, but much better than the low expectations I had for it lol.

But, I'm not really excited for this next movie. The trailer was just kinda meh for me. But, I am looking forward to movies in theaters, and this would probably be a fun one to see there :)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 08/04/2021 at 09:08pm

New trailer! In this one we get to see what looks like how Cletus gets the Carnage symbiote. There are other things in it. I think the best part is when Venom is facing Carnage but refusing to fight and goes back into Eddie, saying "that's a red one." So, it must mean something (bad) to Venom. https://youtu.be/ueXkLEpJBPU

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/07/2021 at 07:03am

I just found out this movie was supposed to come out this month, but they pushed it to next month, then reduced the days. So, now it's coming out October 1st. I don't know when I was expecting this, perhaps not so soon, but I'm looking forward to it. Apparently the rescheduling is due to COVID, but Shang-Chi did so well that they made the last change to an earlier date (earlier as in before the last delay they gave it).

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/venom-let-there-be-carnage-moves-forward-now-releases-october-1/1100-6495957

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Streaming Now

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming now on Disney+. I actually forgot about this, but luckily YouTube brought it to my attention recently. You may remember The Bad Batch that were introduced in The Clone Wars. They're a unique group of clones, each individual in the group looks different and has they're own specialty. The trailer introduces them and also introduces us to some characters you may recognize from other Star Wars shows or movies. Tarkin is perhaps the most recognizable as he appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy as the commander of the Death Star. He also appeared in Rogue One and had a cameo at the end of Revenge of the Sith, although with some... Read All Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming now on Disney+. I actually forgot about this, but luckily YouTube brought it to my attention recently. You may remember The Bad Batch that were introduced in The Clone Wars. They're a unique group of clones, each individual in the group looks different and has they're own specialty. The trailer introduces them and also introduces us to some characters you may recognize from other Star Wars shows or movies. Tarkin is perhaps the most recognizable as he appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy as the commander of the Death Star. He also appeared in Rogue One and had a cameo at the end of Revenge of the Sith, although with some film trickery since the actor died in 1994. He also appears in The Clone Wars and Rebels. You may also recognize Fennec Shand who we got to see in The Mandalorian. I think what makes her more recognizable is that she is voiced by the actress who played her, Ming-Na Wen (she was also Chun-Li in the 1994 Street Fighter movie and Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. among many of her other credits)

I haven't watched any episodes yet, but the Internet tells me there have been two released so far and there will be a total of 16 of them. Being a Star Wars fan and really enjoying everything Star Wars, I imagine this will be a good show (at least in my opinion, which isn't too critical).

I think if we can establish that some, most, or all of us have watched some or all of it, we can, together, agree to talk about it with or without spoilers in the comments. I'm sure those of us that haven't seen any of it yet want to avoid spoilers and once I do see some of it, I'll definitely avoid giving away spoilers unless I get a general consensus that enough of us have seen it and are willing to talk about it in detail. Otherwise, let me know if you plan to watch it and what you think about The Bad Batch in general (if you saw them in The Clone Wars or just watched the trailer, if you haven't watched The Clone Wars, you may want to go do that, I thought it was a good show).

Wakanda Forever and The Marvels! (And More!)

HOLY HYPE, BATMAN (er, Nighthawk?)

Marvel just released a nice look back on the movies that came before, then shows clips of Black Widow and Shang-Chi... Then shows clips from The Eternals! Then goes on to reveal all their Phase 4 movie titles and release dates!

I cannot wait to watch all of these!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/03/2021 at 09:05pm

This gets me emotional, looks like I've shed at least a tear. This is so good, it's beyond description! That new Marvel theme music really tugs at my heart, I really love it! Every time I hear it, I get excited, because I know what follows is going to be really awesome! Thanks for sharing! I can't wait to watch all of the new stuff, too! I love Marvel! RIP Stan Lee and Chadwick Boseman. Wakanda Forever!!!! Oh and here's to hoping we see The White Wolf in Black Panther 2.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 12:43am

All leading up to fantastic 4. Hopefully they get Chris Evans back as the human torch.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 02:03am

>All leading up to fantastic 4. Hopefully they get Chris Evans back as the human torch.

Yes!!! And since we'll open up the multi-verse (hopefully, it's expected anyway), maybe this could actually happen. LOL I've only seen him as Torch and Cap and I think he's a good actor. I wonder how they'll deal with the Fantastic Four since we got the two movies w/ Chris Evans and then the one without him. In the latter, he was replaced by the guy who played Killmonger in Black Panther. Also, I noticed Wal-Mart is selling comics and I've hardly read any so I was surprised to see Wolverine among the Fantastic Four on the cover of one of them. Wolverine is definitely one of my most favorite comic book characters (and I wonder who might play him if and when he comes to the MCU).

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 03:29am

I hope the bring back Wolverine as X-23. You would get a new wolverine and could leave Jackman's performance untouched for a while longer.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 04:42am

I'm unfortunately not familiar with X-23, there's little in the comic book world I'm familiar with, even though I'm most familiar w/ the X-Men. I remember I had a Ghost Rider comic book and I watched the X-Men animated series when it was on TV. I liked Jackman as Wolverine, but I know he's done w/ it.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 01:39pm

X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine. If you saw the movie Logan, she was the girl that he was helping.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/05/2021 at 06:34pm

Oh, right! I thought that sounded familiar.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/06/2021 at 02:07pm

I just realized that Richard Madden and Sebastian Stan look a lot alike. I watched that trailer the first time wondering why Bucky shows up in Eternals, but seeing the still frame I can tell that's someone else :D

Yeah I'm looking forward to all of these. I have no idea what to expect from Shang Chi or the Eternals films, and I love that. Marvel needs some variety. I think the reason Thor Ragnarok and Black Panther are my favorites is because they finally felt different.

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 05/06/2021 at 03:11pm

I completely agree. Same with WandaVision. Hopefully Marvel will continue leaning into that variety.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/24/2021 at 05:57pm

New Eternals teaser trailer. Stick around for the end of it: https://youtu.be/0WVDKZJkGlY

Travis Admin wrote on 05/25/2021 at 03:36pm

The Eternals have never interfered... until now.

Thanos? Dude about to wipe out half of life in the universe? SON of an eternal himself? Nah, not our problem we'll wait for something more important. :D

I kid, I'm sure they'll touch on that in the film but it should be interesting. Kinda like how Captain Marvel never showed up for any of the massive alien invasions or anything.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/25/2021 at 05:31pm

Maybe all of the eternals got wiped out by the snap.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/25/2021 at 06:55pm

I do wonder why every super hero we didn't see in End Game wasn't there. maybe they were off camera, I don't know, but I would like to see an answer to this.

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/27/2021 at 11:51pm

> The Eternals have never interfered... until now.

And Shang Chi and the folks in Black Widow and …. Modok?

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/28/2021 at 02:04am

>And Shang Chi and the folks in Black Widow and …. Modok?

Exactly! I saw a New Rockstars video that theorized the Eternals, except for one, weren't aware they were Eternals, because one of them made them forget. Apparently something like this happened in a comic book. It's also possible that the snaps awakened them. As for the others (non-Eternals), I have no idea and would like an explanation.

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/28/2021 at 04:27pm

They are going to explain it like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5k8ZQsZJpk

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/19/2021 at 09:03pm

Check out this new Eternals trailer! It gets into the plot of the movie, the acknowledgement of Thanos's actions, why the Eternals weren't around to help, and why they are now fighting. https://youtu.be/x_me3xsvDgk

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 08/24/2021 at 02:33am

Can't wait! I already have my Shang-Chi ticket, and I'll be seeing Eternals opening day too! (And Spider-Man! That trailer looks great!)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/24/2021 at 05:49am

Sweet! I'm just disappointed that those movies aren't streaming at the same time. I guess it makes sense, maybe they'd make more money by putting them in theaters first. I guess I don't really want to go to the theater, I like watching things in the privacy and solitude of my own room (I really don't like the general population around here in this rural town in VA...deep red, just to say the least).

Travis Admin wrote on 08/26/2021 at 04:20am

I love the theater, absolutely adore it, but the way the delta variant is spiking… yeah I’m waiting things out. I work with fully vaxxed people who are coming down with covid and it’s honestly terrifying. It’s irresponsible of Disney not to put them up for streaming at the same time honestly. Or even delay them again if you want. I’m not trying to spread a deadly virus to see a superhero movie

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/26/2021 at 06:41am

I agree with you Travis. I'm probably not afraid of the delta variant as I should be, because I'm vaxxed, but I'm aware there are vaxxed people still getting sick, though not with a sickness as deadly as the un(or anti-)vaxxed are getting.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/26/2021 at 03:21pm

A few people I work with who are vaxxed got it, a couple of them felt really bad and one has lingering issues. Crazy times

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/26/2021 at 11:32pm

"Crazy times." I'm afraid that even to say these times are completely insane is nothing but an understatement. I'm not sure I can think of a time when things were ever even close to being this crazy.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 08/28/2021 at 01:19am

I may go to the theater at an off day at an off hour to see the Marvel movies, but I am not going opening weekend.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/22/2021 at 02:27am

Head's up, The Eternals has 2 post-credit scenes. I know nothing else, I'm not on Twitter and I avoid spoilers. New Rockstars suggests staying off of Twitter until you see the movie (Erik Voss got invited to the red carpet premier). I'd suggest staying off of Twitter and Facebook, but not just for that reason, I have many others. LOL

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/22/2021 at 11:10pm

I just recently heard spoilers from Vanity Fair have spread to Facebook. Be careful. (How many reasons to leave Facebook? Oh, let me count the ways.....oh looks like I already have. *smile*)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 11/06/2021 at 12:25am

Did anyone else go see Eternals last night? I was expecting a very long line for opening night, so I went super early. It turned out I arrived much earlier than necessary (half an hour before the show starts is too early). I was still surprised later when everyone was in and there weren't very many people there at all. I live in a rural area in VA, so this shouldn't be much of a surprise I suppose, although I seem to remember more people at the Star Wars movies. I also expect to see more next month for Spider-man. If you haven't seen it, be sure to stick around because there are two post-credits scenes.

I enjoyed the movie. Some things happened that I wasn't expecting for sure. I really liked the part where Kit Harrington's character starts to reveal who he is and that he has a "family history."

*Now for spoilers!*

In the second post-credits scene we see him opening a case for the Ebony Blade, which is very special. I'm sure we'll them again as he's greeted by someone. At first I thought it was Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher from What If, but it's actually Mahershala Ali who will be playing Blade in his upcoming movie. He played a major villain Netflix's Luke Cage.

I'm surprised that the multi-verse wasn't addressed in this movie, since that's the direction Marvel seems to be going, perhaps just not all of it. It does certainly seem like we could see an Eternals 2. I remember hearing about how in the comics Eternals can actually be resurrected, so who knows if they're gone for good.

Let me know what you think!

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/06/2021 at 03:32am

> Did anyone else go see Eternals last night?

Yep. Adam and I both did.

> there weren't very many people there at all

Ours wasn't very full either. At least, it didn't feel full. Might have been we were pretty far up in the theater.

> I also expect to see more next month for Spider-man. If you haven't seen it, be sure to stick around because there are two post-credits scenes.

Spider-man should be pretty great.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 11/06/2021 at 05:36am

Great that you and Adam did! Did you like it? What did you think about it? I was surprised a friend of mine showed up when I did so I got to talk to her and her son and sit next to her.

Audience size is interesting. I'm not sure how to explain this one. I'm just glad there was really no line to wait in.

I think Spider-Man's going to be awesome!

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/08/2021 at 03:53am

> What did you think about it?

I enjoyed my time in the theater and based on the reviews I read before I went, I wasn't quite expecting that.

That said, it's a Marvel movie but I liked the different tone if a bit serious.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 11/08/2021 at 04:33am

It was a bit twisty, which caught me by surprise. It had moments that I wish didn't happen, but that's not at all a critique on the movie. These thoughts and feelings are just an expected product of what happened. I did remember what I heard on New Rockstars about the Eternals in the comics, so some things might not have really mattered. I could explain more in detail, but I'm afraid it's spoiler territory and I don't know if everyone here is ready for that yet. I'd also like to mention the post-credit scenes. I heard a voice I thought was Jeffery Wright who plays Uatu. It's been confirmed that it was a specific someone else. New Rockstars mentioned the voice sounding like Jeffery Wright, so at least my initial thought wasn't all that crazy.

I enjoyed it. I loved at least most of the characters and I'd love to see them again. I'm not really sure what I expected, but I've been obsessed w/ the MCU, so it'd be really hard to disappoint me. I agree w/ Erik Voss at New Rockstars, though. I think I've enjoyed the Disney+ shows more than the movies we got after they started. It's not that the movies weren't great, but the shows are truly epic and definitely brought out serious emotions for me.

I've clearly been watching New Rockstars all the time! It's helping to feed my MCU obsession, making it much sweeter, more fulfilling, and even more curious.

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Cryptocurrency and Gaming!

2 of my interests are colliding on Friday!

https://akash.network/blog/akashcraft-minecraft-on-the-first-decentralized-cloud/

In collaboration with the MothRuby community, we will be running a scavenger hunt for 1000 AKT in the world’s first Minecraft server hosted on Akash. Akashcraft will be the first scavenger hunt ever for a cryptocurrency in a Minecraft server hosted on a decentralized cloud. Yes, this is extremely meta. Yes, you should be excited for this historic event.

The Akash Network is a decentralized cloud computing network that runs on their cryptocurrency "AKT." I already own some AKT, so I'm biased, but I'm a huge fan of Akash and am excited to see where... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 04/27/2021 at 04:49pm

I just want more people to join us on Pi-- that seems like a responsible way to crypto, as any resource intensive mining is way bad for the environment.

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 04/27/2021 at 05:12pm

I agree, Pi is going to become a fantastic tool! You should post your invite here!

I feel like a lot of cyrpto gets a bad environmental rap because of the two behemoths of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin seems like it'll always been bad for the environment, as it does use *a lot* of electricity to power the blockchain. And Ethereum is similar, but it's in the process of changing from Proof of Work (what Bitcoin is) to Proof of Stake, which requires much less energy. Many other cyrptos are already Proof of Stake and aren't the drain on the environment that Bitcoin and Ethereum (currently) are 🙂

Travis Admin wrote on 04/27/2021 at 05:51pm

That’s a really good idea Adam!

And seriously this isn’t some scam thing and it seems private and secure, and if you know me you know I’m big on that stuff.

I am sending you 1π! Pi is a new digital currency developed by Stanford PhDs, with over 10 million members worldwide. To claim your Pi, follow this link https://minepi.com/tnewman and use my username (tnewman) as your invitation code.

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 04/27/2021 at 06:04pm

I'm in Pi too, and it's worth checking out. There are around 15 million users of it already! Currently the Pi token has no value, but later this year the Pi Mainnet will be launching, and then the Pi that we've been mining on our phones will have value. So jump in now and start earning some Pi!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 04/27/2021 at 06:38pm

I will have to look into Pi. Kevin Smith is getting into NFTs: https://crypto.jayandsilentbob.com/

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 04/27/2021 at 06:58pm

NFTs are super interesting! Right now there's a lot of negative news about the environmental impact of NFTs, since most are on the Ethereum blockchain, but it's still an interesting concept. I have a few NFTs through NBA Top Shot myself :)
https://nbatopshot.com/showcases/e63dd45c-1a91-44aa-8cdb-b12ad251165f?isPlaying=true

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 04/27/2021 at 08:23pm

I get the token part of NFTs, I don't get the art side of NFTs... Seems very transient and easily reproduced.

Travis Admin wrote on 04/28/2021 at 06:13pm

Yeah I really don't get NFTs. I mean I get the tech, but not why anyone would want one. They seem to be a way to say "sure, this is digital and easily reproducible, and you may have a copy of it yourself, but I have a blockchain certificate showing that I paid for it"

I could see it working for something like digital Magic the Gathering cards or something. But then, if you're playing Magic online you're playing through their servers, so there's already a way to track it.

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 04/28/2021 at 07:26pm

Agreed with both of you. I don't get NFTs either, but they're interesting lol

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 05/01/2021 at 05:11pm

*update*
There was such a massive interest in this, the server couldn't handle it, so they've postponed the game to May 8, at 9am PT 😀

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 05/07/2021 at 06:19pm

**update update**
They're stress testing the game, and the event is postponed TBD

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XBox Makes Online Multiplayer for Free-to-Play Games... Free

Recently Microsoft announced a price increase on XBox Gold, the service that allows folks to play games online. Due to the overwhelmingly negative response Microsoft kept the pricing as it was and did one more in that they said they would allow free online multiplayer for all free to play games. Put another way, you can play games like Warframe and Fortnite for free without having to pay for XBox Games Pass or XBox Gold. As someone that recently bought an XBox Series X that doesn't have Games Pass or Gold this is a very welcome change. Feels like I'm getting an upgrade for just having an XBox. I'm well aware the PC versions of these games allow free online multiplayer... Read All

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

New Marvel trailer so ... you know... here it is! This time for an entirely new set of phase four characters. Phase Four of the MCU features a lot of new characters and Shang-Chi seems to start that out with a fun chop to the face. I’m not sure how this fits into the larger MCU but something, something evil dark magic that somehow things with a character and something something cameo with existing something or other from the MCU. If that’s entirely too specific, sorry I don’t have a whole lot to go on but the trailer looks fun and I’m sure I’ll check this out when I can.

One question I’ve heard folks ask is why all these powerful folks weren’t part of the battle... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 04/19/2021 at 08:22pm

Was coming here to post this and yeah how this fits in is a mystery and honestly... if it didn't have the Marvel logo on it and we hadn't heard plans for this for ages now, I would have no clue this was a Marvel flick. And that's a good thing, I think they need some more variety. I'm hoping Eternals is way different too.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 04/19/2021 at 08:48pm

Sweet! Ten rings to rule them all! Erik Voss at New Rockstars says The Mandarin is his father. The Ten Rings have been there since the first Iron Man movie. Members of the group reappeared later, in Iron Man 2 and Ant-Man. That is a good question about where all these people were when Thanos was around. I'm not sure if being "blipped" is a reason, because I thought they were all returned. I dunno, hopefully that will get answered eventually. Maybe we just didn't see them??

You can see the New Rockstars reaction video here: https://youtu.be/R7CV7IyA1bk Later, or tomorrow, there will be a video going over the details of the teaser.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/20/2021 at 07:50pm

Dude yeah, I am already hyped for this movie!

The actor playing the main character is a martial artist and stuntman, so I'm expecting the fight choreography to be amazing!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/25/2021 at 01:20am

This new trailer is good, it's not just a rehash of the first, but contains a lot we didn't see before: https://youtu.be/8YjFbMbfXaQ

Travis Admin wrote on 06/25/2021 at 04:10am

Interesting-- Abomination in the cage there at the end. Tim Roth is coming back as Abomination for She-Hulk too, I wonder if that's going to get referenced.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/25/2021 at 05:55am

I noticed that, too, but I also had my doubts. It looks like he has fin-like ears, so I thought it was something else. But, other sources show it was indeed him. He is coming to She-Hulk, which I think just points to how all of the MCU, or at least many pieces of it, are woven together.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/26/2021 at 02:40am

Awesome trailer, thanks for sharing it Greg!

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Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Update Getting Separated

Minecraft devs have been working on the next update which is called the Caves & Cliffs Update. It adds new blocks like copper, which oxidizes, meaning that after some time it will turn from orange to green, though it seems we will have control over whether or not this occurs. It also adds new mobs like the Glow Squid and the adorable Axolotl, along with goats. The update is also going to include new cave biomes and change how world generation works. Because the update is adding large mountains, the height of the world is expanding. Archaeology is also in the update.

The devs have just recently announced that this update is now being split into two parts. The first... Read All Minecraft devs have been working on the next update which is called the Caves & Cliffs Update. It adds new blocks like copper, which oxidizes, meaning that after some time it will turn from orange to green, though it seems we will have control over whether or not this occurs. It also adds new mobs like the Glow Squid and the adorable Axolotl, along with goats. The update is also going to include new cave biomes and change how world generation works. Because the update is adding large mountains, the height of the world is expanding. Archaeology is also in the update.

The devs have just recently announced that this update is now being split into two parts. The first part will be released this summer and will include mobs and blocks. So, you'll see that adorable Axolotl, Glow Squid, goats, copper and more. However, because this update is making a change to world generation, this part of the update is more technically challenging and is being delayed to the end of the year. The devs want to make sure that they deliver a high quality update, they don't want to introduce new bugs (even if some are inevitable) or destroy old worlds. This means more time is needed. Archaeology is a new system within the game, which means more complexity. It will also be released in the second part of the update.

Part of the reason for the delay of some pieces of the update is the global pandemic currently going on. The company, like many others, values the health of it's employees and wants to keep everyone safe so that we can all safely get through this time together. The pandemic has affected very many people and companies world wide. Many game developers are finding it more difficult to work together by being physically separated and this has caused many games (and many other things like movies, TV shows, etc.) to be delayed.

This delay may be disappointing, but in the end it means that the quality of the update will be much better, because it won't be rushed and released too early. Many games have done this and have suffered by being a buggy mess.

What do you think about this Minecraft update? What do you think about this delay? I feel like the delay is reasonable. Ove the years my impatience for games or updates to be released has finally taken a chill pill. I find myself much more patient with things like this now. I think that's because there were things I impatiently waited for was disappointment with what I got. I also saw how the length of time of my impatience outweighed the amount of time I actually spent enjoying something. Plus, especially with all of the free games I've been able to claim and all the games I got during a great sale, I feel like I have plenty of games to play. Let me know if this is something you've experienced to.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/15/2021 at 07:09pm

Question: I haven’t been to hip to the latest with Minecraft for a bit now but I’m wondering what version these new features come to? Is it the Java Classic version or the modern multi port version? Or do they update both versions together?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/15/2021 at 07:32pm

Both. Actually I heard or read months ago that this update would be on both editions (Java and Bedrock) at the same time. I can't remember the term I've heard or read for this, but pretty much it's like parallel or something, they keep both editions updated with the same things, at least pretty much at the same time. Bedrock Edition covers Windows 10, XBox (presumably One and now Series X), PS4/5, and Switch. Also there is cross-platform play on the Bedrock Editions, so a PS user could play together with Xbox, Windows, and Switch users. Vinny has it on the PS4 and I have it on Windows 10, we could play together, but I haven't yet. Minecraft Dungeons is the same. There are differences between the Bedrock and Java Edition. I could get into that if you want, too. Basically Bedrock doesn't have the mod support, but it seems to look and perform better. It does have additional things, some of which are free (if you already own the game) like Minecraft RTX, and some you have to pay for, like a world or something (I remember there being one of these of Nintendo/Super Mario Land or whatever on the Wii U, but that's just an example I can remember at the moment). "The more you know...." LOL

Travis Admin wrote on 04/15/2021 at 08:32pm

Bedrock also covers the mobile versions. I'm definitely glad to see that rewritten in a less hungry language than Java but the flexibility is definitely better with Java. And if you know what you're doing you can get some of those paid things from Bedrock for free in the java version 👀

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/15/2021 at 09:24pm

❤️

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/15/2021 at 10:44pm

I forgot about the mobile versions, but I do know older platforms no longer get these updates, such as the Wii U version. At least, I'm pretty sure that's right from what I last read years ago. I wasn't sure if I was clear enough on the paid things, so I'm glad Travis understood what I meant. :)

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Subnautica: Below Zero Cinematic Trailer and Release Date

Subnautica: Below Zero joined Early Access on Steam about two years ago. They've recently released a cinematic trailer for it and announced it's release date of 5/14/21 for multiple platforms. If you liked Subnautica, you might like this. I thought the trailer was really interesting and funny. It follows a brief time of a guy living on the planet dealing with some of it's creatures, though they didn't show off any of the very large ones nor did they give much details in the way of the game's story.

S:BZ is much like Subnautica, but this time it takes place on an icy planet, so if you go to the surface, you'll see plenty of snow and some of the water you can swim under... Read All Subnautica: Below Zero joined Early Access on Steam about two years ago. They've recently released a cinematic trailer for it and announced it's release date of 5/14/21 for multiple platforms. If you liked Subnautica, you might like this. I thought the trailer was really interesting and funny. It follows a brief time of a guy living on the planet dealing with some of it's creatures, though they didn't show off any of the very large ones nor did they give much details in the way of the game's story.

S:BZ is much like Subnautica, but this time it takes place on an icy planet, so if you go to the surface, you'll see plenty of snow and some of the water you can swim under is covered in ice. There are new creatures, tools, and of course a new story. The story has changed since it's launch into Early Access. I played and followed the development early on briefly before they decided to rewrite the script and hire new voice actors. I got it right away, pretty much, because I very much loved Subnautica. Now that I'm looking at the Cheerful Ghost game database, I see no one's written about it. I'm surprised I didn't write about it, since I really enjoyed it (more than I thought I would). If you're unfamiliar with Subnautica, it's a crafting, survival, and exploration game, but takes place in the vast ocean of an alien planet after your space ship has crashed. You're left with an escape pod, which has some basic survival things you'll need. One of the greatest tools in the pod is a fabricator. There's a good variety of fish you can catch with your hands. They can be fast, so you'll want to craft your first major piece of technology, which is something you hold onto that can propel you forward. You can take fish to the fabricator and turn them into food or water. Different fish are better for satisfying your hunger, but some are much better for your thirst. You can breach the ocean's surface to get some air, but there are also plants that often pump out bubbles of oxygen you can breathe underwater. However, you're going to need to go much deeper, luckily you can craft some submersibles. In the end you'll have your own submarine. You can craft things with many of the planet's resources like copper, which is good for batteries, or quartz, which is good for glass. You'll find pieces of technology scattered on the floor of the ocean. Scanning these will give you progress towards being able to craft it. Beware though there are many dangers. There is a monster that can latch onto your submersible, which performs a really good "jump scare," but it's not the only thing down there to worry about. There are also a good amount of different biomes you'll find. While exploring, you'll find the logs of other survivors. You'll also find a very small island where you can find some useful things, like garden plots to scan and plants you can collect to create your very own self sustaining garden. You can build underwater housing, too, but if you build too many pieces (like glass windows), you'll need to support them by also building some reinforcement pieces or the pressure will break your habitat, which will flood. You can use a tool to repair leaks and also to add more reinforcement, so just because your habitat gets inundated, all hope is not lost as it can be fixed and the water can be drained. There are also a few different game modes, so if you want to play without the survival requirements (like food and water), you can do that.

Let me know what you think about the trailer and the game. Also let me know if you've played Subnautica. If you like games like Terraria, Minecraft, and Ark: Survival Evolved, I think it's a game you might like. If you want to watch some good videos on YouTube of someone playing Subnautica, I recommend looking at the channels of Paul Soares, Jr. and Sl!pg8r.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/15/2021 at 06:29am

I found an article stating that Subnautica, "was recently made free on PlayStation consoles through Sony's Play at Home initiative." It also states that people, "can upgrade their copy to the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S version at no additional cost." If that is available to you, I think you should jump on it! It'd be a shame to pass up a great game for free.

Subnautica: Below Zero was released yesterday along with a new trailer, which is quite unlike the one embedded in this post. The new one contains a bit of story, basically the beginning parts, so no real spoilers. The game is much like the original, in that it's story driven (though you can ignore it), but this one is based in a bit more of an Arctic-like setting. There's building, crafting, exploring, and resource collecting, along with hunger and thirst, just like the original game, but with some new things. There are, however, different game modes, so you could, for instance, ignore hunger and thirst requirements. In the article (posted in the links below), it says that GameSpot gave Subnautica a "9/10". Their review says, "Subnautica's story, scares, and beautifully rendered underwater setting make it one of the most fascinating survival games around." I regret that I did not write my own review of the game, it deserves a "Must Play" Cheerful Ghost rating.

I was an early adopter of Below Zero, since I enjoyed Subnautica so much. I paid for Below Zero when it was released for Early Access on Steam and I played through it a bit in the beginning, but decided to stop and wait for development to finish. I am kind of disappointed that they decided to recast some characters and change the script, but I don't think the new cast or script is so far disappointing.

Check out the article I found here: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/subnautica-below-zero-and-free-subnautica-update-out-now/1100-6491531/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage

Also, you can check out the trailer (which is included in the article) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZrjL1SzGvM

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