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August 21, 2008
It’s been a good week: starting off with session two of our DnD game and culminating in one of those “what the hell have I gotten myself into” moments as detailed below.
- Played a bit of the TF2 Heavy update last night, sampling Arena mode and the new payload map. The former I’m very meh about, but the latter is fantastically fun and surprising complex despite the original description of Badwater Basin. Lots of vertical space, challenging choke points and it flows well. Ended up with two of the Heavy achievements (Iron Curtain and Heavy Industry) with the help of a pair of good engies. Oh, and for those who used the unlocker for the achievements and unlocks: you people suck the fun out of anything good.
- I have many reasons to criticize Games Workshop (a post unto itself), but their 40k fluff and quality of design is unmatched in the industry. I was thinking of getting back into painting minis after a decade and a half, and decided to go a different route (see below), but the more I see of Dawn of War II the more I want to play it. Tyranids are in and they look fantastic. I suck at RTS games but have loved Relic since Homeworld. This plus 40k will probably result in a PC upgrade in the new year. Oh, and it’s coming via Steam as well!
- Looks like EA/Activision/Red Octane/Harmonix/The Rand Corporation/whoever have buried the hatchet and have agreed to allow all fake plastic instruments to work with everyone else’s fake plastic instrument games. They’ve even gone to lengths to make the software detect different peripheral configurations and adapt gameplay to it. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that Microsoft demanded that everyone get along, as cross-game compatibility is in everyone’s best interest, especially if your interest is in boatloads of filthy lucre. Kudos to Harmonix (as usual) for stating that they don’t agree with the trend of signing bands to exclusivity deals.
- My “what the hell have I done” moment came with the realization that I was (re)starting another, potentially very expensive, nerd hobby: miniatures collecting and painting. After much internal debate, I settled on Privateer Press’ Warmachine over GW’s Warhammer 40K, partly for aesthetic reasons, but also for financial ones. I have no idea how long it’s going to paint my Cygnar and Khador Battlegroups, much less where or with whom I’m going to play Warmachine but, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. If anything, it may get me out of the house a couple of Sundays a month to go play casually or in a league, such as at this place. Small steps first: have to paint the dudes I have first and then think about bolstering their ranks to the 500 and 1000 point army mark.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: Reasons for "Living" |
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August 15, 2008
Is there any class more fun to play in TF2 than the Heavy? Probably, but his sayings are simply the best. More on our burly friend and his BFF Sasha below:
- Valve keeps knocking them out of the park. September 19th sees the largest update to Team Fortress 2 yet: the Heavy upgrades, new achievements and a new map. Keeps the game fresh and interesting.
- According to IO9.com, Torchwood has risen very high in the ranks of the BBC, moving from BBC3 to BBC 1 very quickly. Looks like the Beeb will be heavily promoting the series next year in a full five-night run, perhaps to make up for the lack of Dr. Who.
- Alright, alright MGS 4, everything is forgiven (for now). My second try at defeating Crying Wolf went a lot more smoothly. Thanks for rewarding me with all of those wolves following Snake around with little hearts over their heads.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: Reasons for "Living" |
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August 11, 2008
Welcome to a new feature which blatantly rips off a delightful bit from The Animaniacs and combines my love of bitching and bullet points. Good Idea / Bad Idea is more of a knee jerk reaction thing than my usually insightful, well reasoned cough cough Reasons for Living.
Good Idea
This SeeqPod playlist of the entire Rockband 2 set lineup. Time to do do your homework, rockers, it’s only a month away.
Bad Idea
Hey, MGS 4? Y’know that area on Shadow Moses where I once fought a tank all those yonks ago and just blew away 2 Gekkos with a missile launcher? Really cool nostalgia and all, but would you please not change the rules of the game in the sequence immediately following? Don’t make me have to play hide and seek with one in the next room just because you think it might be fun. It’s not. Don’t cheat by having the exact same missile inexplicably fire out of my launcher at a 90 degree angle straight into the ceiling.
Oh, and don’t have the next boss be able to track me by smell in a goddamn blizzard. There is no good way to integrate this “mechanic” into a video game. Ever.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: Good Idea / Bad Idea, MGS 4, Rockband |
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August 7, 2008
The stars were finally right on Saturday night: we managed to kick off the first session of our 4E DnD campaign. To ease ourselves into the new rules, and to shake off the cobwebs, I ran the first two encounters from Keep on the Shadowfell over the course of 2.5 hours. Even though we got started later than I’d like (damned kids and their “sleep is for suckers” attitude) and I felt off my improvisational game, feedback has been positive. Time for reflection has lead to the following thoughts.
Rogues and the striker role
Perhaps it’s the fact that I helped to “optimize” my wife’s rogue, but playing to type works very well for a halfling character with the Artful Dodger trait. Unlike other classes or roles, the rogue seems to benefit most from certain trait / feat / power combinations. By design, she sure can dish out the damage, but if she gets hit, she feels it. Chasing down a backpedaling Kobold Wyrmpriest saw her taken into negative HPs three times. If it weren’t for the paladin, she wouldn’t have gotten back into the fight.
Paladins and the defender role
Taking a paladin as the defender was a good idea in light of the fact that the party consisted of three characters. They incorporate some aspects of the cleric and combines them with the defensive muscle of a fighter. In 3.5, this cross-functionality was a weakness, but in 4E it’s a definite strength. Several powers allow the paladin to heal others during combat and Lay on Hands is invaluable to the group (especially in the case of the yo-yo rogue, above). The rogue/paladin combo, especially when it comes to flanking, marking and combat advantage, allowed the former to get off sneak attacks almost every round.
Wizards and the controller role
I can see where the complaints about the 4E wizard come from: at 1st level, there isn’t much controlling going on. Although they do have some early area denial options, they seem more like a striker than a controller. As long as the wizard keeps moving and stays out of melee, their lack of defensive prowess should keep them alive. Not much more to say without more playtime experience.
Encounter design
With a group smaller than the optimal number, the DM has to adjust encounters appropriately. The method I used for the first two combats was to eliminate enemies in order to not exceed the xp budget for the encounter. This worked well, but it detracts from the “more enemies; better encounter” dynamic of 4E. For the next few, I’ll try reducing the levels of the enemies and making substitutions where appropriate.
Ease of play
Greatly improved over 3.5. However, this may be a result of the fan resources available on ENWorld. Conditions that persist until saved against, or until the end of the next turn, make a ton of sense: no more spreadsheets for buff / penalty durations. Consistent levelling rules across all classes and mechanics that move the math further into the background. In sure I’ll find more as the game progresses, but I have no complaints in this department.
My only real gripe is that 4E has entranced me that I’m seriously considering buying every damn supplement Wizards releases. As long as they maintain their quality, 4E may have a hold over my wallet for the foreseeable future.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: 4E DnD, PnP |
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July 28, 2008
It’s not like there isn’t stuff goin’ down all up in the geekosphere these days, it’s just that time has been at a premium. Here’s some recent things that bring joy to heart:
- I rarely click Google ads, but this one was quite a surprise (seeing as I has searching for something else with geek in the title): Newegg is coming to Canada! If south of the border buzz is to be believed, Newegg has been delivering the best online prices on PC hardware matched with excellent customer service for years. My dormant PC enthusiasm has been revitalized and makes the possibility of an upgrade in the future much more likely.
- Speaking of upgrades, my nerd wardrobe needed a shot in the arm, so I picked up some clothes from the Penny Arcade store. My Heroism hat is a perfect fit, and my Shoot Him First and Petra Ad Ininitum
shirts are pretty well made.
- Thank goodness for obsessive nerds. I’m always on the lookout for resources to help speed game prep as well as actual play at the table, and the fine folks on the ENworld forums have done all the work for me. Particularly, this subforum is chock full of useful stuff, particularly Erlanter’s Power Cards. I’ve also just started creating my own colour cardstock paper miniatures. It’s time consuming, but will pay off in terms of time saving in the future.
- As I’ve had little time to play much other than TF2 of late, I did take some time to get back to where I stalled out in MGS 4: the beginning of act 3. The informant tailing portion did not take anywhere near as long as I had feared, but the cutscene with Big Mama afterwards ate up a bunch of my available time. The resulting motorcycle chase and shootout was more than worth it, even if my son hadn’t decided to turn off the triple just as I started the fight with Raging Raven.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: 4E DnD, MGS 4, Reasons for "Living" |
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July 11, 2008
My favourite Frank Booth line may refer to “a bullet from a fucking gun”, but to me, a true love letter is the kind of thing that my favourite game developer is delivering to appreciative fans this September. Read on and all shall be revealed:
- Harmonix has done what sadly too few video game developers do these days: they listen to their player base. I won’t list all of the fantastic things they’ve done to improve Rockband 2 but suffice to say, they will once again earn the money I’ll fork over to them in the fall.
- E3 is upon us once again. Regardless if it’s much reduced in grandeur, the video game trade show still serves as the launch pad of many nerd hopes and dreams.
- Signs and portents suggest that the beleaguered PC gaming industry may be in recovery. Dragon Age and Dawn of War 2 alone have me thinking of upgrading my 3 year old rig.
- Poor Jackie-boy. Just can’t keep your fat mouth shut, can you? I ain’t no fancy, big-city lawyer (or any kid of legal expert, really), but common sense should tell you not to call the presiding judge in your disciplinary case a “wild woman” nor should you file briefs that contain pictures of naked men. You know what that results in? Well, you do now: an upgrade to the disbarment order from “enhanced” to “permanent” and a very substantial fine.
- Instead of pussy-footing around the tabletop gaming issue, I have decided to forge ahead. Invites have gone out for involvement and regardless of response, some kind of goddamn PnP will be happening in my house!
Written by kingmob | Filed under: 360 |
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June 30, 2008
Summer is usually a pretty quiet season as far as gaming is concerned. Spring and fall are the hot release periods in the videogame world. However, the PR machines are fired up and busily planting the seeds of need in the fertile soil that is the nerd brain. Examples follow:
- A truly impressive blitz of news from Harmonix regarding Rock Band 2, well timed to counter the Guitar Hero: “Insert Subtitle Here” press bonanza of the past week, has put my fears regarding EA’s usual evil influence to rest. I do think that RB2, scheduled worldwide for a September release, may be a tad premature, but it’s hard to argue with a massive 120 track list. Full backwards compatibility with existing peripherals and RB1 DLC equals a huge sigh of relief from the player community. There’s also good news in that they’re not neglecting the weekly DLC releases: a best of The Who compilation will be released on July 15. Undoubtedly more bands will be announced at this year’s E3, but there are already rumours that AC/DC will finally put in a Rockband appearance.
- Finally, Xbox Live brings back the board game bounty with Ticket to Ride. It kind of snuck up on me and after Mel and I played a few games we find it’s more than worth the 800 MS points. A 2 player match takes much longer to play than a game of Carcassone but it’s engrossing all the same.
- Speaking of boardgames, one of my favourite blasts from the past is getting a XBLA (hell, it’s going to be on pretty much every platform) makeover: Games Workshop’s Blood Bowl. Unlike GW’s tabletop version, the cost barrier to field teams of Elves, Orcs, Humans, Lizardmen, Dwarves and more will be negligible. Thankfully, they’re incorporating both RTS and turn-based gameplay modes.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: Reasons for "Living", Rockband, Xbox Live |
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June 27, 2008
I am entirely in love with and immensely proud of my kids, but each in their own way have been squaring my circle when it comes to my hobbies. Liam is on the verge of walking, so his added mobility and attraction to the buttons and cables of the ‘Siddy and Triple makes video gaming nigh-impossible until he settles down for a snooze. Abigail is transitioning from pre-schooler to kindergartener: growing out of her nap requirement which is causing some sleep disruption, particularly in the evenings. We used to be able to count on her being asleep by 8pm at the latest, which allowed Mel and I some personal time. A year ago, this meant that we could play D&D every other Saturday night with few interruptions. Not so much anymore.
Over at Fear the Boot, the topic of episode 105 is gaming when there are kids around. Much like Dan mentions in the podcast, we had a similar experience with our first Eberron campaign where the couple who joined the group would need to bring their toddler along. In order to make sure he could sleep at his regular time, they would need to haul a playpen, blankets and assorted stuffed animals along for every session. It worked pretty well, but as the kids have gotten older and ours gained a sibling, kiddie juggling is no longer a viable option.
So, where does that leave us. My obvious preference is to run a game out of my home as at least 2 players can attend with no problems. However, as any parent can attest, kids are like living alarm clocks: there’s no sleeping in any day of the week because they rise with the sun. Not being able to start a game until 9pm, which also happens to be the time that our energy reserves are utterly depleted, only allows for a 3 hour game. That may seem like a substantial amount of time, but in reality, I’m not able to bring my A-game to the table when I’m half asleep. Finding players who are free is also difficult, particularly when a game like 4E D&D’s default for party balance is 5 characters. Dark heresy is a little more viable, by the time restrictions still apply.
So that leaves traveling somewhere else to game. I swear I’m not a hermit, although I prefer to entertain rather than travel. However, when you get to my advanced age, one is reluctant to fish about for groups or players you don’t know. I also feel bad about leaving Mel at home to deal with the kids’ bedtimes when she’s been wrangling them all day. I fear I may not have much of a choice.
Anyone out there know of a way to get around this dilemma?
Written by kingmob | Filed under: PnP, RL |
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June 20, 2008
Okay. With some confidence I can finally say that I’m no longer sick. I don’t know if anyone else gets this, but I’m always left with a little more energy and enthusiasm in the aftermath of illness. To whit, the future seems very bright indeed:
- Normally I would pillory EA for something like this, but this week’s release of the stand-alone Spore Creature Creator is a great idea. For $10, you get a neat little program to make pretty much any kind of alien critter imaginable. The best thing is that Abigail has totally fallen in love with it and has come up with some cool alien designs already. I’ll have to upload some of them to the now 500,000 + strong Sporepedia.
- Another major update in Team Fortress 2 land gives the Pyro class a much needed shot in the arm. I love playing the Pyro but his survivability leaves much to be desired. Hopefully I’ll have some time to take him for a test run this weekend.
- If there was any doubt, MGS4 will never be ported to another console. The PS3 is a technological marvel but it is somewhat disheartening that it’s taken until now for a game to really push the hardware. I’m not that far into MGS4 but what with the graphical fidelity and blatant Sony product placement, we’ll never see Snake on the 360. And yes, a review of both console and game will come someday…
- The Inquisitor’s Handbook and Purge the Unclean finally came out for Dark Heresy. Looks like they’ll be just as hard to find as the main rulebook, at least until the publishing rights flip over to Fantasy Flight Games. I found my copies by surprise at 401 Games yesterday and the quality is consistent with the core hardcover. Man I want to play this game…
- One of my favourite podcasts (I only listen to three on a regular basis), Fear the Boot, is undergoing some changes due to host burnout. Rather than let podcast fade away, they’re going to mix the format up a bit with different kinds of shows: fiction readings, RPG discussion and media criticism. The former doesn’t interest me much, but the latter two will keep me engaged.
Written by kingmob | Filed under: Reasons for "Living" |
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June 19, 2008
Apparently, Saturday June 21st is Free RPG day. Apparently, its like Free Comic Book day, but..y’know…with RPGs.
Written by grinningskull | Filed under: 360 |
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