Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Oh, it's you: Portal 2 beta for Linux

http://cdn4.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/620/ss_f3f6787d74739d3b2ec8a484b5c994b3d31ef325.1920x1080.jpg?t=1382638717

One of the last Valve games waiting to get the Linux treatment is now in beta. You can opt-in to it to play it now!

Very few games from Valve's library are left now. It may only be CS:GO? Not sure. But it's good to see another high-quality game join the Linux circle, even if it was one that was obviously coming.

Starbound: More Information On Improving Player Progression

"As we said before, the current progression is entirely temporary, existing to provide temporary gameplay whilst we work on the engine. Today I want to share more with you about the games new structure and the beginning of the game.

First of all we’re removing the different universe sectors. In the final game there will be only three sectors. The sector the majority of the game takes place in, a pvp sector and a creative sector without dangers.

Instead of progressing through the game sector by sector, you’ll advance by upgrading your tech to allow you to visit planets that were otherwise inaccessible due to hazards. An example being a planet with no breathable air.... Read All "As we said before, the current progression is entirely temporary, existing to provide temporary gameplay whilst we work on the engine. Today I want to share more with you about the games new structure and the beginning of the game.

First of all we’re removing the different universe sectors. In the final game there will be only three sectors. The sector the majority of the game takes place in, a pvp sector and a creative sector without dangers.

Instead of progressing through the game sector by sector, you’ll advance by upgrading your tech to allow you to visit planets that were otherwise inaccessible due to hazards. An example being a planet with no breathable air. Progression will be less linear and more akin to the kind of progression you find in modern metroidvanias.

We’re building the game with 3 main paths of progression that branch off later on. Farming, adventuring and building. We want players to be able to advance through the game whilst doing whatever they enjoy most.

At the beginning of the game (what would be the alpha sector in the current progression) you start on a ship with a broken fuel module, giving you access to only one planet. Through a series of quests you’re taught how to farm, find trophies in dungeons and build the beginnings of a settlement. Completing these quests will give you the pixels you need to use your ships 3d printer to produce a new fuel module. Which in turn allows progression to the other planets in your current solar system.

At this stage were introducing a new planet type called an outpost. A small and safe planet populated by members of every race. A safe haven for trade and quest taking. You’ll learn how to generate pixels through selling crops, taking quests, selling trophies found in dungeons and renting out houses in your settlement.

From here each of these roles will expand outwards as you progress (for example animal farming becomes an optional part of the farming progression)."

Really looking forward to see the games progression change. Whereas the core mechanics can be fun, the main game progression with sectors seemed very arbitrary. I like the natural progression where you would need to get a breathing system to make it to a planet with no oxygen. I only hope that certain races wouldn't need that as the Glitch really don't need oxygen as they are robots.

I can't wait to see some of these changes make it to the core game and also have the game get way less buggy. I recently started my game and all my chests disappeared including my ship locker. I know it's still early beta, but it's still not great to have that happen. Hopefully things iron out a bit more and we enter a pretty bug free part of the beta.

Curious how long it might be for them to hit 1.0. At this pace it seems like it might be end of 2014 or .. beyond?

http://playstarbound.com/23rd-february/

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/25/2014 at 01:21am

I really enjoyed seeing this post, as I keep imagining Starbound as Terraria 2, and I'm just not really a fan of Terraria. (I know, I know! BLASPHEMY!!!)

But this sounds like a cool game. I will look to pick it up when it finally comes out I think.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/25/2014 at 01:33am

> I really enjoyed seeing this post, as I keep imagining Starbound as Terraria 2, and I'm just not really a fan of Terraria. (I know, I know! BLASPHEMY!!!)

Please delete your account now..

> But this sounds like a cool game. I will look to pick it up when it finally comes out I think.

I think waiting is a good idea. I haven't played it much because you don't really ever "play a game for the first time" again.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/25/2014 at 03:55am

This all sounds good. The massiveness of the galaxy was a little unnecessary really, and while it was awesome seeing what the random number generator could come up with, it felt a little empty. A smaller galaxy with more activity is very welcome.

hardeyez wrote on 02/28/2014 at 02:20am

Ah you got hit by the chests disappearing bug also... It was only there for like a day, but I got hit also (popped on to see the new update and blammo). As a programmer the bug was interesting (non-programmers skip this: they had a issue going to and from lua data structures coupled with the way lua treats nils and silently ignoring objects not loading, this caused storage items to get truncated, then not loaded, and thus disappeared when the world saved). However, a minimal amount of testing should've exposed it before it hit people... I mean I lost my ship's locker.... so I have to wipe my ship to get it back. I also need to wipe the worlds that loaded at that time as they also deleted chests/etc...

hardeyez wrote on 02/28/2014 at 02:21am

oops posted before I meant to...

But, this is the first unexpected loss I've had in the game and it's still early beta...

hardeyez wrote on 02/28/2014 at 02:23am

Also, I'm finding the game quite enjoyable as is. And it will only get better with those listed updates. I'm not as worried about the "play a game for the first time" issue with this one, it's not that kind of an experience. Just like I don't mine that minecraft is constantly updating, (and really changed along the course from alpha).

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RetroLiberty's Top 10 Mario Games

"Its near impossible to pick a favorite Mario game, what games get left out and Aaron has a few top choices that normally are not in the top 3!"

I like this list because it places Mario 2 quite high. I know, Mario 2 was Doki, Doki, Panic, but like the video states, that doesn't make it a bad game. Thing is, i'd love to see a new Mario game riff Mario 2 ideas and have been bummed it hasn't happened yet.

That said, this list is quite good and features a segment from YouTuber MetalJesus! So, you know, watch it.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/25/2014 at 01:17am

That really is a hard list to make. I've never played any of the Mario RPG games, and have limited experience with the Party games, but of the games I've played, my list would have to be:

1. Super Mario World
2. Super Mario 64
3. Super Mario Bros 3
4. Super Mario Bros 2
5. Super Mario Land
6. Super Mario Bros (Hard to argue with the original, but I enjoyed all of the other games more when I first played them. I loved Super Mario Bros, but I also didn't have many options at the time)

They're all great games though :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/25/2014 at 01:39am

Super Mario Land was fun but... I don't think it ages as well as some of the other Mario games. 6 golden coins was a bit better and it was still first generation Gameboy.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/25/2014 at 04:02am

1. Super Mario Galaxy. Yes, really. More than World, more than 64, this game is amazing.
2. Super Mario World
3. Super Mario Bros 3
4. Super Mario Bros 2
5. Super Mario 64
6. Super Mario Bros (although I have probably played this more than any other. I got my speedrun down to 6 minutes without tool-assist before I realized I could be playing more games instead of playing one over and over).

You know, I'm going to stop there. This is futile. The difference between 2-6 is so minor really it's difficult to sort them. The games in the "main" series are all so damn good, it's just hard to place them. At any rate, the end of the list...

...
...
n. Super Mario Sunshine. Again, all the main games are really good, this one included, it just never clicked with me.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/25/2014 at 04:09am

Yeah, Galaxy is really, really great. Too bad it's not on PC. 😄

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/25/2014 at 04:10am

The original game will always be awesome. The first levels will always be burned into my soul :D

rettisawesome wrote on 02/28/2014 at 12:22am

Why doesnt anyone have mariokart?
Mariokart is easily number 1. Haha

Sunshine was actually pretty great too.
But all of them are fantastic.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/28/2014 at 12:45am

Oh man! I totally forgot to list the Mariokart games!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/28/2014 at 02:36am

MarioKart is great, no question. The original is great too and next time I think about a Mario game I will include it.

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How Can I Delay My Inevitable Destruction in FTL: Faster Than Light?

Well, that's the question that comes to mind when playing FTL, because that is exactly what I'm working on. I've found out that my standard double laser beam is more effective than I thought. Sometimes I use it after I use a missile on their weapons, but I've found that sometimes I need to use it to disable the their shields in order to get a missile in. So, those are the two that I usually end up targeting.

As for upgrades, I like upgrading my shields to two, which requires power and system upgrades. Whenever I can afford a Drone Controller Subsystem, I like to get it because the Drone that does Hull Repair is a life saver! The Defense Drone hasn't seemed very... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 02/22/2014 at 12:38am

You should definitely explore, just keep the rebel progression in mind.

How far have you gotten?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/22/2014 at 12:46am

I think my stats say I've reached Sector 5.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/22/2014 at 12:54am

Unless you I with a ship that has drones at the start (Have you unlocked the Engi ship yet?), buying the drone controller subset is too expensive for me. That said, I do enjoy using them :)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/22/2014 at 02:01am

I've apparently only unlocked the Torus. I just discovered that and haven't tried it. Do you recommend it?

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/22/2014 at 02:11am

Yeah, it's definitely a fun build! It's difficult (of course), but fun.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/22/2014 at 07:27pm

I use to never bother with drones but I've since warmed up to them. :) If you are going to use drones though, definitely pick up the drone recovery arm augment for your ship. It will save you a lot of money on drone parts and (more importantly) you are much less likely to find yourself running out of drone parts in the middle of a fight.

As far as improving your survivability goes, I'd say make sure you have a pilot and engineer and then put a few upgrades into your engines. Bumping up your evade % really helps. Buy a cloaking device when you can, and time your cloaks right as the enemy is firing missiles/bombs at you. Don't worry about cloaking to evade laser fire, that's what your shields are for. Two shield pips should be fine until you start getting into the later sectors, but if you have the resources to upgrade, getting that third pip early certainly doesn't hurt. I rarely go for the fourth shield upgrade.

That defense drone was likely working better than you realized. The mark I drones will shoot down missiles every couple seconds. In the early sectors it's rare to find an enemy with more than one missile weapon equipped, so you will only need to worry about energy weapons. If your enemy only has lasers or beam weapons, then the defense drone is useless. Also, if you're in an asteroid field the drone will target asteroids coming at you, which may keep it too busy to shoot down missiles. The mark II drone fires faster and can also shoot down lasers (not sure how that works exactly).

I could go on a lot more (I love this game!) but I think I'll stop here. I don't want to overwhelm you. :P

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/22/2014 at 09:55pm

I tried the Torus, but didn't get very far. In that one, it seems you disable their systems with your weapon, while using drones to attack.

Tim, that's a really good post and I don't think you should hold back. If there's more you want to say, please feel free to! I didn't really consider the evade % that much, that may be something I'll have to look into. I've had the cloaking device a couple of times and probably just need to get to it and when my enemies fire to make it more effective. I think there might have been only one time I bought drones.

You've provided some great input, Tim, thanks!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/23/2014 at 02:28am

My first gold star: http://i.imgur.com/0Pak5Bo.jpg

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/24/2014 at 09:06pm

I've reached Sector 7 twice: http://i.imgur.com/s9FmjAN.jpg

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/24/2014 at 10:01pm

Hey, not bad!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/24/2014 at 10:53pm

=) I've managed to upgrade my engines and shields to almost max. I've also recently learned (after my first gold star) how to level up crew. The music has stayed in my head the last few days. I've been trying to do some more research on guides and strategies. There are still aspects of the game I'm trying to figure out, especially when it comes to strategies. I'm often not sure if I should save scrap or spend it on an upgrade and which upgrade if any. I guess that's a bit of the nature of the game.

I'm also not quite sure if sensors are a reasonable upgrade since they seem to always be disabled in the nebulae. I've started opening most outside doors, to help work on fires if and when they happen. This means 3 rooms of no oxygen on the Kestral. I think this strategy has helped me maintain fires and intruders, who I sometimes try to suffocate.

I don't usually buy weapon upgrades, I usually find then. I've also been learning better power management skill. For instance, the Medbay doesn't always need to remain powered unless crew are healing.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/25/2014 at 01:37am

> I've managed to upgrade my engines and shields to almost max

For most games, i'd agree with your thinking here. That said, I wouldn't go past 3 shield dots. It's just that the fourth is very expensive and you don't really need it during the Rebel Flagship fight.

I can't speak to the engines, BUT like with most systems in FTL, maxing them out isn't really a pre-requisite.

> The music has stayed in my head the last few days.

Ben Prunty's score is really awesome. I have it in my music player as I always want to listen to it :D

> There are still aspects of the game I'm trying to figure out, especially when it comes to strategies. I'm often not sure if I should save scrap or spend it on an upgrade and which upgrade if any. I guess that's a bit of the nature of the game.

Yeah, the game is very strategic. I'd say it depends on what build you are going for, where you are at and what's going on.

> I don't usually buy weapon upgrades, I usually find then. I've also been learning better power management skill. For instance, the Medbay doesn't always need to remain powered unless crew are healing.

Yep. This is really useful during a battle when you need to shuffle things around to power a system that is out for whatever reason. I use pause a ton and then shuffle things around depending on what I need, it's fun.

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ZeldaVR: The Legend of Zelda BETA on the Oculus Rift

This is a VR clone of The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The gameplay and artwork are virtually identical to the original NES classic, however in this version you see the world through Link's eyes, in all of it's virtual 3D 8-bit glory. Explore the world, find weapons, kill enemies, collect items, discover secrets, buy upgrades, delve into dungeons, defeat bosses, restore the Triforce, and rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon.

First thought:
Zelda in VR? That's so rad!
Second thought:
Hmmm, 8-bit graphics don't translate well
Third thought:
Has this guy never played Zelda before?
Final thought:
I'd like to see more

Any thoughts on this? The... Read All

Valve's Free to Play Movie Coming March 19th

"FREE TO PLAY is a feature-length documentary that follows three professional gamers from around the world as they compete for a million dollar prize in the first Dota 2 International Tournament. In recent years, E Sports has surged in popularity to become one of the most widely-practiced forms of competitive sport today. A million dollar tournament changed the landscape of the gaming world and for those elite players at the top of their craft, nothing would ever be the same again. Produced by Valve, the film documents the challenges and sacrifices required of players to compete at the highest level."

Apparently Valve is getting into the business of doing everything... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable S2 E3: Getting A Gaming PC in 2014

In this episode of The Cheerful Ghost Roundtable we talk all about Gaming PC's. Build or buy, Mac or Windows, we talk about it all. At the end we discuss game pricing when I recently came to some sticker shock over $60 buy.

What We are Playing & Drinking

0:45m scrypt: Kingdoms of Amalur & FTL

2:45m Travis: TextMate

3:25m jdodson: catwebcams.com, Portal 2, Reus & Borderlands 2

Getting A Gaming PC in 2014

8.40m What are we current running and what do we like or dislike about our setups?

22:00m Building VS Buying

29:15m What is the most we want to spend?

36:15m Do we have any particular PC brands we like?

42:00m What PC did Greg actually get?

Game Pricing... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/20/2014 at 10:43pm

Thanks for the mention and the link to the post. You guys have made some excellent points and covered many things that I agree with. When Aurora arrives, I'll have to change my user pic. So far I can't tell what color the lights are because in the picture you showed they look red, but on the website's gallery they look purple. For now, I should get a pic of Blue64, I have the blue lights on, except for the side fan as I've replaced it with one that doesn't light (the original and replacement have died and has been replaced).

You guys are running better PCs than I currently am, but I'm about to smoke you. I've been building for the last decade or more and have been satisfied, especially when a custom built PC ran right away and booted fine. I always do my research when thinking about building and upgrading. One think I enjoy of building my own is the ability to get what I want and being able to upgrade later (if I choose to). That said, I thought about upgrading Blue64, which by now would be relatively cheap, but the motherboard lacks some of today's standards (DDR3 for instance). When researching on a new build or pre-built PC, I managed to figure out the components I drooled over and really wanted (like the GTX 690). In the end it was more expensive to get all of the components I wanted as compared to all pre-built PCs I looked at. When it came to Alienware, they had what I wanted and at a cheaper price than purchasing all components separately. Since I could afford to, I bought the Aurora. It's one to drool over.

My current specs are listed in the post along with the Aurora. Right now my only complaint with Blue64 (my current custom built PC) is that I'd like a little more speed at least. I've seen little lag in Terraria at high quality, but otherwise that runs fine. Minecraft runs ok, but will look sweeter with the new PC. FTL runs with no apparent lag. I haven't done much PC gaming except for some Command & Conquer, Magic the Gathering, and Morrowind, for example. Although, I think I'd like to play Starcraft 2 and The Sims 3.

I like the cheap cost of great Steam games like the two I've mentioned and Portal (which was a free download, and the other two were given to me). I haven't really questioned a $60 because I got used to buying console games. I haven't bought a lot of them and am particular when it comes to games. That and my budget hasn't always allowed me to buy many games.

I think Steam is my first experience with digital games and ones that are apparently in the cloud. When I move to my new PC, I'll see how all that transfers. Luckily, I know how to back up Terraria.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/21/2014 at 05:32pm

I think I need to build a computer sometime in the future. I would like to know more about how they work, so what better way than making one? Plus it's like this century's version of building a hot rod.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/21/2014 at 10:21pm

As an IT guy, like Travis, I'm experienced with working on Dell, Gateway, and HP computers, such as troubleshooting and all the tech basics. I've seen lots of issues, but that's what my job has been as a tech guy.

I'm glad you mentioned controllers. I don't have a 360 controller, so I'm interested in a good PC controller. I suspect Logitech would be my best answer. I've had some of their products and like them, but I found myself liking a wired mouse and keyboard better because of battery usage.

I've been loving AMD and buying their processors, but I am abandoning them for the first time in over a decade. I'm not sure what got me hooked on Nvidia as opposed to Radeon brands, but I've been sticking with Nvidia. Some of the CPUs don't be as expensive as I remember, but some really good stuff is expensive. You can easily build a decent PC, suited to your purposes for it, cheaply. It's a fun thing to do and be able to do. Researching components is something I'm fond of doing, even though I'm not always up-to-date on what's out and what's new and best.

Right now, I'm happy with buying as it does actually seem to save some money. This will be a somewhat new experience for me as I've been running this build of my PC for about 7 years. This recent purchase will give me a decent PC that I can let my son use and still do what we'd want it to do and with an ability to be upgraded at some time.

Aurora is still "in production."

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/21/2014 at 11:25pm

As far as controllers, I definitely recommend going with an Xbox controller. I bought a Logitech (PlayStation styled), and it definitely suffers. A lot of games are programmed for the Xbox controller. The Logitech can look like a Xbox controller to the computer, but you have to use a directional pad instead of a thumbstick, and it just isn't as precise.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/22/2014 at 12:02am

Should I just buy an XBox360 controller just for my PC? I'm not sure how much it costs, but I've heard it's great. It might be worth it. I tried getting my PS3 one to work, emulated as an Xbox360 controller, but it still didn't exactly work as I wanted with Morrowind. Maybe I need to change and set some of the controls more properly. I'd like to be able to use a controller for it the same way that I use my PS3 controller to play Skyrim on the PS3.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/23/2014 at 05:46pm

I think the XBox 360 for PC would be a good purchase. Like Adym said, "normal" controllers are fine BUT some games only want to the the 360 controller. That said, I got mine for under $40 I think. It's the USB one, I think the wireless ones would be a better idea.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/06/2014 at 05:43am

My Aurora arrived today (well technically yesterday since it's after midnight). I now have two working PCs in my room that are turned on and ready. There's another very old PC in the room that I tried to set up for my son, but it couldn't handle Minecraft. I can't wait to play Minecraft on this new one with full, ultimate settings! Anyway, I have a point with this comment. Now that I have both PCs up and running in my room, something that I think Jon said in this video is really sticking out to me...the noise level. I built the old PC and the case fans are new and replaced the old ones not long ago. I can tell you that this Aurora is so quiet!!!! I can hear the old PC's fans running. It's not really loud and kind of what you'd expect from a PC, but it is loud compared to this new PC.

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Final Fantasy VIII: You can't go home again.

Final Fantasy VIII was one of my favorites in its era. If you had asked me about it last year, I'd have said it was the last "true" Final Fantasy; Final Fantasy 9 was a fond retrospective of the era and Final Fantasy X began the decidedly inferior era of "modern" Final Fantasies. I'd have also contended that "as goes Final Fantasy, so goes the RPG industry," so to say True Final Fantasy is tantamount to saying True RPG. What makes a True RPG? Here's what I'd have told you:

A True RPG uses stats-based combat, and player skill is represented only by strategy in selecting orders.
A True RPG gives you choices in where to go next. Corollary: the tutorial phase of the game is... Read All Final Fantasy VIII was one of my favorites in its era. If you had asked me about it last year, I'd have said it was the last "true" Final Fantasy; Final Fantasy 9 was a fond retrospective of the era and Final Fantasy X began the decidedly inferior era of "modern" Final Fantasies. I'd have also contended that "as goes Final Fantasy, so goes the RPG industry," so to say True Final Fantasy is tantamount to saying True RPG. What makes a True RPG? Here's what I'd have told you:

A True RPG uses stats-based combat, and player skill is represented only by strategy in selecting orders.
A True RPG gives you choices in where to go next. Corollary: the tutorial phase of the game is only over when you can meaningfully choose where to go next.
A True RPG rewards curiosity and exploration; some of the game's finest treasures will be had by finding something secret.
A True RPG has a compelling story; you should want to finish the game in the same way you want to see the end of a movie.

There are more (I've got opinions), but these are the interesting ones for the purposes of this writeup. These are some of the ways I'd have insisted that FFVIII shines.... but on my last playthrough, I realized that the game actually fails to deliver on all counts.

I've often derided FFX for being an "RPG on Rails" - until the very end of the game, your path is literally one-dimensional; you can go forwards or backwards. Same with FFXIII. I couldn't shake the feeling that "tutorial mode" persisted right up to the end of the fourth disc. But FFVIII does the same thing - you don't actually get a choice of where to go next until the middle of disc 2, and once you *are* given that choice, you really only have two options: sidequest city that you have NO REASON TO KNOW EXISTS, and next plot point. You can also find a Chocobo Forest, which doesn't help you because by the time you get there you have land transportation covered.

Rewarding exploration? Not so much. You can find magic draw points, but your magic caps out pretty quick. Or, you can get cards, which refine into items, which refine into magic. There are a couple of Guardian Forces you can find in the wild, but they're either obvious or they're so hidden as to nearly be easter eggs; they don't reward exploration nearly as much as they reward buying the official strategy guide (which was the thing you did Back Then™).

As far as the story goes, it's obviously a subjective call. All I can really say is that if your story hinges around a high school that teaches its students to fight with personally styled weapons, the heroes all have amnesia and the villainess is a time traveller, then you'll have an easier time impressing 19-year-old Mark than 33-year-old Mark.

Ultimately, I think I was really playing the game I expected it to be, and not the game as it actually was - like, I believed that I could explore, so I didn't notice I couldn't. I'll be interested to see how Skyrim holds up for me in 15 years. Has anybody else here experienced this kind of thing? I'm curious how common this actually is.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/19/2014 at 10:11pm

Speaking of strategy guides, the one for FFIX pissed me off so bad. Here's a brief idea of what you'll be doing. For the rest, go visit playonline.com.

Which of course doesn't exist in the same form anymore so the guide is basically useless.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 02/19/2014 at 10:41pm

HA! I see I'm not the only one who hates the FF9 strategy guide. Even when PlayOnline was up and running it was still largely worthless. Worst. Guide. Ever. It was so bad I quit buying strategy guides for good after that one.
FF8 is one of the few Final fantasy games I have never played. My friends loved it, but whenever I'd see them playing the game it just never caught my attention. When I saw they released it on Steam I got curious though, and considered picking it up, but it sounds like I am still probably fine not playing it.

CapnCurry Supporter Post Author wrote on 02/20/2014 at 12:41am

Oh, wow! The Strategy Guide that Killed the Industry. I forgot about that. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Surely somebody should have realized that the only reason I'm buying your book and not going to Game Faqs is that the Internet wasn't in the same room as my game console and I'm a lazy bastard, right?

I remember they made the argument that no, no, they're not trying to boost their web traffic, they're trying to avoid spoilers in the book.

Come *on*. We all know that there's no such thing as a "strategy" for getting through an RPG that fills a book. You're selling a thorough description of the game world so that I don't miss any secrets. Spoilers are your *product*, you don't get to leave them out of your book. What's next, you sell me an empty carton of yogurt because you're pretty sure I didn't want that milk, it was old and had bacteria in it?

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/20/2014 at 03:45am

Hahahahaha totally. The last few game guides I bought were for Fallout 3 GoTY & Zelda Twilight Princess.

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Wolfenstein: The New Order will include DOOM beta

Wolfenstein: The New Order dropped a new trailer today. It is coming out May 20, which is great news and I'm sure I'll enjoy it thoroughly.

More importantly, though, IT COMES WITH ACCESS TO A DOOM BETA.

It is never referred to as DOOM 4, so it's possible this is a reboot, at least in name, in the same way the previous Wolfenstein was.

Guys and gals, I am stoked. Doom is one of my favorite franchises, and the fact that they're close enough to be talking about betas is exciting news on its own-- the fact that we can get our hands on it soon is icing on the cake.

Read more about the pre-order, the beta, and more here: http://www.wolfenstein.com/en-us/doom

Story Time with Cap'n Curry: Dragon Age: Origins

My wife and I have very different approaches to gaming in general. I favor tactics, strategy, and cunning: if I can defeat you before you know you've lost, that's a good victory; if I can defeat you before you know we're fighting that's a great one. One of my proudest adventures in Skyrim was clearing a cave full of bandits: not because I fought hard or against valiant foes, but because you could raise every bandit from the dead and there would still be no witnesses to the deed.

Beth, on the other hand, favors raw power and force. If there is nothing left of her opponent, that's a good victory; if there's nothing left of the battlefield that's a great one. She punishes... Read All My wife and I have very different approaches to gaming in general. I favor tactics, strategy, and cunning: if I can defeat you before you know you've lost, that's a good victory; if I can defeat you before you know we're fighting that's a great one. One of my proudest adventures in Skyrim was clearing a cave full of bandits: not because I fought hard or against valiant foes, but because you could raise every bandit from the dead and there would still be no witnesses to the deed.

Beth, on the other hand, favors raw power and force. If there is nothing left of her opponent, that's a good victory; if there's nothing left of the battlefield that's a great one. She punishes you for daring to face her in the most extreme manner possible; she never maims when she can kill and she never kills when she can obliterate.

I had played through Dragon Age Origins with my usual assassin-type build, and enjoyed it thoroughly, but was wondering how the game experience is different between classes. Beth came to a plot quest that I had been curious about since my own play-through, because I talked my way past it and I wondered what I had skipped.

Beth, upon meeting the fellow with whom I had dealt in treachery and deceit, immediately pissed him off then caved his head in to illustrate her point. When she was finished playing whack-a-mole with his minions, she went to the valley beyond, where a big dragon flew overhead, perched on a cliff, and roared like hell.

I hadn't anticipated a dragon actually showing up, and was super curious to see how the game would handle this - was this meant to be a fight, or was talking my way out of it just one of several ways to walk past this thing? I started looking for options, a way out, but Beth had already charted her course.

You see, she had found a gong.

She rang the dragon's goddamn dinner bell, pulled out her sledgehammer, and yelled "GET YOUR ASS DOWN OFF THAT CLIFF AND BRING IT, BITCH."

She lost that fight. And the next one. And the one after that. Realizing that Operation Dinnertime was probably the only tactic I'd get to see here, and since it seemed unlikely that the dragon would choke on the dwarf trying to swallow it whole, I went to my office to futz around. About an hour later, Beth came bopping in and proudly announced that she'd beaten the dragon. "Oh, wow!" I said. "How did you do it?"

She looked at me like I was nuts, and said "I hit it with my hammer until it died."