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Sid Meier's Civilization VI Fantastic Review

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.

Review

Recommended

Turn-based strategy game with free demo and tutorial

Multiple ways to win

Months ago I began to watch one of my friends playing Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution on their Xbox. It looked interesting, so I thought I’d see what’s available for the PC. I noticed that the latest Civilization for PC was VI, so I set my sights on it, I eventually got the Digital Deluxe Edition for half price.

During this time Civ3 became free, so I thought getting a free Civilization game would be a good way to play the game and decide if I wanted to buy it. Civ3 offered no tutorial, so I was lost. However, I realized that Civ6 is the first of the series to offer a... Read All Review

Recommended

Turn-based strategy game with free demo and tutorial

Multiple ways to win

Months ago I began to watch one of my friends playing Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution on their Xbox. It looked interesting, so I thought I’d see what’s available for the PC. I noticed that the latest Civilization for PC was VI, so I set my sights on it, I eventually got the Digital Deluxe Edition for half price.

During this time Civ3 became free, so I thought getting a free Civilization game would be a good way to play the game and decide if I wanted to buy it. Civ3 offered no tutorial, so I was lost. However, I realized that Civ6 is the first of the series to offer a tutorial. Luckily, I found out that the game also has a free demo.

So, I tried out the demo. I started with the tutorial, but ran into a few problems. One of the worst things about the tutorial is that you cannot save your game. So, you either have to keep playing or lose your progress. I also thought I ran into a glitch, but I found my way around it. My next problem was that the amount of turns in the game was running out. This happens at 2050, but the game didn’t end. It continued and I built a massive force and thought I took over my opponent, but the game continued. I may not have completed the final objective (a Domination Victory) in time.

If you’re not familiar with the game series, Civilization is a turn based strategy game. The game focuses on managing a civilization, kind of like Sim City. There are many ways to play and thus many ways to win. You can work towards amassing an army, conquering other nations, and achieving a Domination Victory. You can also work towards science and eventually launch into space achieving a Science Victory. You can also work towards religion, including getting into religious wars, and achieving a Religious Victory. You can also work towards culture, generating tourism, and achieving a Culture Victory. The final way to win is with a Score Victory, when no other victory has been achieved and thus victory depends on who has the highest score.

The game reflects real world civilizations including modern and historic. There are many to play, each with their unique bonuses. I find the real world modern and historical aspects of the game to be extremely appealing.

There are a variety of ways to manage your civilization. The AI provides some suggestions, including an adviser. During turns you can research civics like policies, and science like technologies. You can trigger eureka moments which boost research. This is done by completing certain conditions, for instance killing an enemy with a Slinger boosts the research towards Archer. When that’s complete, you can pay in-game gold to upgrade the unit or build new ones. Units also receive experience and get promotions, which includes offensive and defensive bonus trees.

I’ve only barely scratched the surface of things here, this game is deep. There is a bit of a learning curve for new players, but it's fun. While it doesn’t cover everything, it helps you get started. You will learn a lot as you play and the game includes Civilopedia, basically the game’s detailed manual. However, I’ve found an excellent “Tutorial for Complete Beginners” on YouTube (https://youtu.be/pczrASkYGSo).

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/07/2017 at 10:49pm

Love those Civ games :D! Cool that your digging into 6. I have 5, and love it, but I've heard good things about its successor. The Eureka objectives sounds really interesting. I'm assuming they still have per-unit advancements, but also having research benefits stem from that is a cool idea.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/08/2017 at 12:51am

Yeah, still have per-unit upgrades you can purchase. I'm glad you like 5, from what I've heard they've changed a lot since then. They also recently announced a DLC for release in Feb., which I'll most likely get.

I'm still learning the game. After I watched the tutorial I embedded, I played America and actually got a Science Victory. I'm trying to play as different or random civs to get a feel for them and the game.

This game has made me much more patient for the release of Ark: Aberration lol.

BTW, I saw you play Subnautica as do I. It just updated. I'm interested in what you think of it.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/08/2017 at 11:02pm

I can't remember my play-style changing too much with the different civilizations, though I tend to favor the monarchs: Elizabeth, Dido, Isabella, etc. I'm sure I'm not playing them to their full potential ;).

Subnautica is amazing, and far better than I expected! I'm working on an article for the site now, so you can read the full take in a couple days.

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Improve Your Life At The Enrichment Center of Bridge Constructor Portal

I honestly didn't think we'd get more games in the Portal universe but it looks like December 20th Bridge Constructor Portal is going to see me happily wrong. The developers of Bridge Constructor look to have licensed the Portal franchise from Valve and if the trailer is an indication the games looks like it fits well into that universe. But what's the game?

"Enter the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and experience Bridge Constructor Portal – the unique merging of the classic Portal and Bridge Constructor games. As a new employee in the Aperture Science test lab, it's your job to build bridges, ramps, slides, and other constructions in 60 test chambers and get the... Read All

Chipping Away At My Backlog With The Adventures of Link

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

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

jdodson gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

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

For the most part i've decided to stop buying a lot of new games and focus on playing through my backlog for the next year. It's still something i'm working out the final details on (how many games to limit myself to purchase next year, if any at all) and what games i'll play in some kind of order. Now that I have a son my time is limited and i'd like to spend it the best I can and since I have games i've never played now seems like a good time to do that. One such game is Zelda II: The Adventure of Link a game that before I picked got it with the NES Classic I've never owned before. I've played it a handful of times and always thought it was an interesting game in... Read All

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/06/2017 at 05:09pm

Ganon is so mean. I agree with you that Zelda 2 is probably the hardest of the bunch.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/06/2017 at 09:13pm

> I agree with you that Zelda 2 is probably the hardest of the bunch.

Harder than Breath of the Wild? I haven't played that one so I can't say on that point for sure but you have.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/07/2017 at 04:37am

Breath of the Wild has breadth, but not as hard as Zelda 2.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 12/07/2017 at 05:24pm

I'm going to agree with Will here. Breath is hardish, but Zelda 2 is HARD. Still a really fun change from the normal style Zelda games.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/08/2017 at 02:04am

Wow that's good to know. I've heard so many say Breath of the Wild is hard I figured I'd have a tough time with it but Zelda II is something I can do just fine so now i'm less concerned.

Travis Admin wrote on 12/08/2017 at 04:45am

And BotW even got a hard mode as part of an expansion. If the base difficulty is hard already, that's nigh masochistic.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/08/2017 at 05:33pm

Jon, you need BotW and a switch. It should be your gaming purchase of 2018!

Travis Admin wrote on 12/08/2017 at 05:56pm

Will how much time did you put into BotW? I don’t need to ask if it was amazing, I know the answer. But I’ve seen people say there may be hundreds of hours of content there

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/08/2017 at 08:49pm

100+ hours. I beat it too. I want to revisit it soon. I see they just released more DLC.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/09/2017 at 03:23pm

Yeah they just released the motorcycle DLC. Will I plan on getting one I’m just not sure when. 2018 seems like a good year for one but we’ll see how playing through some other games goes first. I’m making a list of games I want to play in 2018 from my back catalog!

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Now You Can Eat Mario For Breakfast - Super Mario Cereal!

https://media.nintendo.com/nintendo/bin/TbOkYKxoTI8bMOpdVokcsFUycia3Q4_Z/3U9SYJ8Gp80E9bLMkniqSWd1JQjU4KH0.jpg

Back in the 1986 Nintendo released the Nintendo Cereal System that was available for about three years before it was discontinued. It had two bags of cereal such as the separate Mario & Zelda bags. My favorite was the Zelda cereal and I only ate it a couple of time's at my cousin's house as my parents never let us get it. Looks like kids everywhere are getting another chance to eat Mario in cereal form because Nintendo is partnering with Kelloggs to bring us Super Mario Cereal. Not only will kids get to eat Mario but the box comes with a scannable Amiibo that allows you in game bonuses in Super Mario Odyssey such as gold coins and hearts.

Super Mario Cereal will be... Read All

Mega Man 11 Coming In 2018!

Today Capcom announced that Mega Man 11 is in development and will be launched in 2018! The good news is there is a new Mega Man game coming out and my hope for it will that it will live up to the Mega Man series legacy and be challenging. That said, visually it looks pretty much like Mighty No. 9 and that surprised me a bit. Personally i'd have continued the Mega Man numbered sequels with the old school pixel art graphics and then continued the Mega Man X series with the Mighty No 9 art style.

Capcom also noted that both Mega Man Legacy collections are coming to the Switch and that they are working on collections for the Mega Man X series.

... Read All

Humble and Yogscast Celebrate the Holidays With an Advent Calendar of Games

The Yogscast Jingle Jam 2017 released today. For $35 you get Rust, Dungeon of the Endless, Qube Director's Cut, Garry's Mod, and two Team Fortress 2 badges. BUT, every day until Christmas, a new game gets added to the goodies.

The games will total $847 and all proceeds go to charity. While the bundle runs for most of the month, they say supplies are limited so if you know you're interested, it may be a good idea to jump on early.

Check it out here: https://www.humblebundle.com/yogscast-jingle-jam-2017

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/02/2017 at 07:09am

Sweet deal! Those Humble Bundles, I tell ya...

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/02/2017 at 07:21am

No kidding! My backlog needed a boost.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/02/2017 at 08:22pm

Link for people that want to know more https://www.humblebundle.com/yogscast-jingle-jam-2017

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/03/2017 at 06:04am

I added that link a few hours ago before I saw your comment there. Yeah, woops. That might have been important info.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/03/2017 at 04:52pm

Holy cow.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/7h6u7c/the_yogscast_have_raised_2000000_for_charity_in/?st=JAR071Y7&sh=d0640189

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/04/2017 at 08:30pm

Wow that’s an insane amount of money for two days.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/10/2017 at 07:32am

By the way, if you jumped on this and you've been considering Guild Wars 2, you now own the full game (not just the free-to-play parts) and you have a discount on the new expansion.

There's lots of MMO stuff in this bundle to get you a good ways in with a few different ones.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/10/2017 at 09:20pm

Whew that's a crazy amount of games there. And it's not even over yet!

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Building A Time Machine For Us Non-Computer People

The Modern Rogue is a great channel on YouTube where two guys, Brian and Jason, learn about cool stuff. From beer and whiskey to fighting with knives and swords to modern tech hacks, these guys cover a wide range of topics. In this video, they build a game emulator from a Raspberry Pi, and keep it understandable for us noobs to computer building.

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 10 - Thor Ragnarok Special

Apparently we all had time to watch the latest Marvel mega-hit Thor Ragnarok. Jon seems to have a huge crush on Chris Hemsworth so the episode may be worth listening to for that alone. Where do we think Marvel films should go next and what are we excited for in the upcoming Infinity War film? Spoilers abound but we draw the mark about halfway through the show.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/05/2017 at 09:55pm

Spoilers, Hulk transforms back to Bruce in the Avengers 3 trailer. Avengers 4 will tie up the current MCU according to Marvel.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/06/2017 at 04:00am

Yeah, I'm not sure that's much of a spoiler though I figured he be Bruce again at some point but I did like that there was some ambiguity about how his powers would work moving forward. I've been re-watching MCU movies and I like how the Hulk has changed over time to what he was in Thor Ragnarok. For one he is bigger, which is cool because he is obviously eating his Super Mario Cereal which I've heard makes you big and strong.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/06/2017 at 03:23pm

Interesting, though, that he’s Bruce, but in the company of Dr. Strange. Meaning, maybe the transformation is Strange’s doing, which could possibly lead them down the road of separating Banner from Hulk, or at least Strange could teach Banner some tricks on how to control (or become one with) the beast.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/06/2017 at 05:10pm

That would be cool if Strange transformed Hulk back into Bruce!

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Into The Breach Gameplay & Music Show Off A Very Refined Turn Based Strategy Game

Into the Breach is the upcoming turn based Robots vs Monsters strategy game by the creators of FTL. Recently PC Gamer has been playing an updated build and shared the gameplay video above. I can't make out much from the game itself except the person playing it was experimenting with it in ways that weren't entirely easy to understand. One thing I did take away from the game is that it looks pretty far along in development and it seems like every choice you make impacts how the battles will turn out. Into the Breach also seems like it's designed for mobile devices in mind as well as PC so it seems we might be able to play it on whichever platform you want. Eventually.

... Read All

Reading Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts Is Like Eating An Incredibly Decadent Cake! Reviewing The New Zelda Artbook.

This Black Friday I bought a couple gaming related items and one such thing was The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts for $11 on Amazon which is an incredible steal of a deal. At 427 pages and weighing in at 6 pounds this book is a beastly tome that will take you quite some time to finish. Firstly it's a very rich sampler of the art of each Zelda game starting with the original Legend of Zelda on NES and finishing up with Skyward Sword. It drops a couple of pages to the latest Zelda Breath of the Wild but you can sort of tell that the game wasn't quite released when the book was being made because the Breath of the Wild coverage isn't more than a couple pages. That... Read All