The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot (2015)

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot (2015*)
Ubisoft Montreal
PC
Arcade, Multi, Free2Play

Short one today as I attempted to grab an older title that I thought I'd played sufficiently and would require little refresher and I'd have it reviewed and could move on. At very few if any points in this transaction did any of that happen. Let me start off by assuming that I was in some kind of beta or early access for this because I remember playing it a bit in late 2013 or mid 2014 so the February 2015 date listed on the Steam page is incomplete or outright wrong. This makes no sense to me. The game from what I can gather has also changed drastically in the interval I was not playing to the point I am level 20 and have nothing in my castle but the starter resource nodes (x2). Previously I'd bought or hired traps, creatures, bosses to keep my loot safe and my many other nodes in working order. I couldn't figure out how to manage my lack of resources and the UI has a poor interface that lets you do nothing you want to where it would seem logical, everything must be selected, them toggled what you're doing, then proceed. Clunky does not even begin to cover it and I was so hoping for something a bit better. I guess I should say the reason I came back is in a game code trade I got a pet or something and decided to try it out. Well it follows me around and 'helps' but I have a semi-large, empty castle and now you apparently have to craft or summon the items using mats I did not have nor any idea how to get them. The game had just changed too much and was not being of any use for me to 1) rectify it or b) begin anew so I could learn again. Possibly I will try again on my smurf account (non-standard, usually just for extra storage or extraneous attempts at similar circumstances.

3/10

That said let me tell you why I wish it was better. The comical cartoons and the art style are very nice and approachable. It gives the impression od a Clash of Clans style game without (previously) all the strategic management of resources. I acquaint the minor sarcastic humor to the similar 'kid at heart' jokes present in alot of animated films and kids' shows you see today (I have younger cousins, some of my friends have kids, etc I HAVE seen some recent kiddie programs). There is nothing endearing me to attempt any further progress on my main account as it is free to play anyway so until I get around to doing this, "au revoir."

Khet 2.0 (2014)

Khet 2.0 (2014)
BlueLine Games
PC
Single/Multi
Arcade

This is a relatively new addition to my collection and without a doubt a byproduct of some Steam sale or various bundle offer recently. That said, it's actually not that bad at all. I was expecting something akin to a clunky crossword or sudoku interface I've seen a dozen or so times in assorted incarnations and formats, but this went fairly smooth. Re-watching the trailer I think I got hooked by the puzzle aspect of it and the clincher--LASERS! Of yeah, you're playing a distinct, technologically superior Egyptian chess with laser-beams! Dr. Evil would be so proud. :)

Like most novice (or better) gamers I dove headfirst into it without consulting rules, instructions, or tutorials (not sure if it has any tbh, but I was in the mood to game). The learning curve is't that steep--use your turn to position or rotate a single piece while attempting o destroy you'r opponent's pharaoh. Mirrors will reflect in the 90-degree direction they are angled to. Anubis (2x each) require to be hit on their side or back to destroy. Scarab pieces can override/replace lesser pieces from your opponent's side otherwise they are locked where you place them. Just over an hour played so far and I felt so giddy I decided to throw a few lines down. I have yet to find a way to destroy scarabs, but I seem to be about a 50/50 W/L on medium difficulty.

Its a fairly involved little puzzle or strategy game with enough variations that it could very easily be applied to a mobile app or such. The back-and-forth gameplay is not timed so this could easily fit in a similar niche to 'Words with Friends' or even the early precursor online chess bouts. For the completionist in some of us there are Steam achievements, cards and therefore badges. It may not be something for everyone but it's a fairly inexpensive (on sale) game that casuals and strategy junkies could appreciate.

7.5/10

Upon reviewing their Steam product page apparently it won a few awards including a Mensa Select recognition. So yeah play this game and feel smart!

Incomplete Games

So as I mentioned with KF2, I'm involved in what has to be my first or second "early access" game I've ever had. I was aware things would change, but I wasn't 100% prepared for how limited it was. Let's be fair and honest for a moment, I'm a full-time grad student, part time employee and I just shelled out $40 for an incomplete game. I'm the kind of cheap bastard gamer that buys hoards of games on the Steam sales, bundles, or just naturally waits for prices to go down. The last game I bought at launch was Borderlands 2 and I never doubted my decision there as my 500+ hours will attest to--for the record, no I've still never beaten it 100% or maxed a character yet.

Getting your "money's worth" is something that always comes up in these discussions because let's face it--you, me, us and the rest of the 99% don't always have all the money we want for all the things that interest us and rarely if ever have the time to enjoy them as much as we would like. Therefore it's a very personal question on whether and how much something is worth to you. I believe upon completion I will be spending well worth my money in game with friends or on my own in the future, I support what they're doing as a game developer, and I have a better than chance they WILL complete this game. Oh yeah, if you weren't aware, all these Alpha/Beta versions, early access, or pre-launch games are never guaranteed. You find them on Steam and sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo trying to come up with funds that they don't have or try to drum up interest in games to justify whatever financial support that are getting. I assume Steam vets them sufficiently, but there's 0 accountability on crowd-funded projects to ever be published. It's more of a gamble, one I've participated in a couple of times, but usually only after them meet their requested goals and I'm personally satisfied with what appears to be coming out of there. Two I can readily recall are Banner Saga & Star Citizen. Banner Saga was made by a start-up developer in Austin, TX and this was to be there first big release. I remember being captured first by their artwork and style, this hook led to me watching the video where they showcased a lot of the game already completed (another thing to consider as it can take years to develop games depending on where they are in production). They laid out clear points they wanted to achieve with this money they were asking for and I took the gamble. I enjoyed it and will likely review it at some point, even met one of the lead writers at PAX South earlier this year. Star Citizen is the newest brainchild of the man who most flight simulator or sci-fi games will know by name alone: Chris Roberts. This guy is behind some of the most best selling series in early PC gaming: Wing Commander. His presentation was a testament to what he WANTED to do, very little was flushed out at the time beyond concepts and some very primitive set-ups. But he was making the game regardless and shelled out more informative updates as their project flew thru record-breaking pledges. This baby, whenever it does come out will need me to upgrade to a new rig so I'm not having to run it on minimum settings, but looks jaw-dropping amazing.

Timetables are another thing I briefly mentioned, but are VERY important this day in age with all the instant gratification we've come to expect with the many facets of our lives. Some of these games are completed and just need a bit of polish and fine tuning. These early access period give development teams a great opportunity to stress-test their equipment and play-test their game as a whole. Forums and communities that stem from these experiences are always a mixed bag, but you can usually find quite a few people WANTING to help make the game a better thing. Other projects are just at the treatment or early-on in a design phase, this will take a considerable amount of time to complete and you need to at least be aware of that when you join in--money you're giving away NOW may not get you anything for months or even YEARS down the line. Usually a good team will keep the patrons and backers regularly hyped with updates or teases and announcements with what they're working on. The best ones will give you a calendar that you can follow--even if it changes as the process advances, just knowing they have a measurable goal is a comfort to those of us waiting in the virtual lists.

Beta-testing is a whole other circumstance altogether. For the record I have been involved with 3 closed betas. I was very big into League of Legends and a few years ago a company premiered a new MOBA-style game at QuakeCon entitles SMITE and asked me to be one of the many people trying it out. Many virtual forms were required and had to fill out reports and check lots of tedious little things there, and I didn't really enjoy the game anyway. So after a couple of weeks I filed my last report and moved on. The other one I wish to speak of is a mass-beta event, these are a lot more common closer to a launch. I got into the Elder Scrolls Online with a newsletter all-call to gamers who were interested in trying it out before launch. Only certain portions of the game were available with quests or travel points specifically bugged or left incomplete to keep everyone corralled where the developers wanted us. I participated in 3 of these weekends and filled out a single, short form each. There are some lucky bastards who get paid to play games and critique or identify flaws in the industry. I am not, nor have ever been. I also don't like quite a few genres so I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much as I might think.

If anyone has anything related they'd like to talk about, ask away. These discussion posts are just that to see if there's any interest.

Killing Floor 2 (2015*) Early Access

Killing Floor 2 (2015*)
Tripwire Interactive
PC/Steam
Single, Co-Op, Multi
Instance

So one of the primary reasons I did the first one so early was I had been planning on getting the sequel on launch. However all the hype and demand and "something" from the many throngs of followers online prompted Tripwire to release an 'Early Access' version of the game in late April. I have enjoyed it thoroughly whether just jumping into matches with randos or having a few friends join me who also got it. That said this is a [better than] Beta release. Only 4/10 perks or classes are available and only 3 maps are present at this juncture, with no solo play mode yet. I've followed all of the developer diaries thus far (only 4 or so) and watched a couple of let's plays that came out earlier this year. I will not be regurgitating soundbites for you, but know that more information is out there and likely to continue until an official launch is performed.

Location, location, location:
That's it--3 maps: Burning Paris (France); Biotics Lab (Horzine HQ); Outpost (aka Hoth on some servers). I love these maps so far. They are large enough to warrant exploration and provide actual strategy for their new destructible environments they've implemented in the game. The one issue I've found is sometimes things get destroyed while you weren't there. And I'm not talking about a chair or something, but entire dorrs or [glass] walls that we purposefully avoided to leave them for later wave use are destroyed off-camera. For the time we're unsure if that is truly a bug or just a random affect of the zed (C) invasion. Makes for an interesting challenge so long as it's not persistent every time we do that map.

Perky, Classless Bastards
More of an homage to the semi-filthy language was associate, expect, nigh on demand from this game developer--and we are not disappointed. Good selection of sayings each character and/or class has could only ask for more on the basis I will probably hear and be tired of them whenever my gaming group starts the grinding of skill levels. Currently we have Berserker, Commando, Medic, and Support. I have never been fond of not expect to be of the Berserker--despite my up-close-and-personal play-style on similar games, this is just not my cup of tea. Maybe with more experience and practice. Support is one I have a feint interest in, but haven't had the opportunity to play it much--mostly due to the fact friends or randos, just too many Supports on most maps. Commando is my only niche perk thus-far released. I love the feel, control, and style of the Commando and the visual tracking of stealth stalkers is more convenient than most other starter perks imho. Finally we go to the surprise leader for me the Medic. I am more often than not on this baby for many reasons. The weapons systems here are phenomenal and so unique with the blue iridescent glow. It also makes me very useful to the rest of the team, not to mention that by healing and killing I typically go up a skill level each successful win. Sure that will change as we go higher.

The only negative I have has to do with the "Early Access" issue where everything is working but nothing is guaranteed to remain as is. Perks, achievements, in-game statistics, etc will all be reset multiple times as they include more features, perks, of this build. I wasn't expressly aware of this prior to purchase but I can understand why it needs to be this way. I would feel much more profoundly pissed if this weren't an online game where you're equally dependent of the other guy as much as yourself. If makes sense and new things come into play and get added some re-shuffling and adjustments are very likely. They've actually done a helluva job interfacing with the community to help wart out bugs and errors in what is released. They seem to be a constant presence on the forums and fairly transparent in why things are changing from time to time.

Can't justify perfection as it is still incomplete, but I do love what I see and have played so far. I love the fact that the entire game is being built so that the modding community can have immediate and ease of access once it gets off the ground. I expect this to rise with its official launch but for now, I give it a strong 8/10.

Virgil Stoneblade (NPC)

Virgil Stoneblade was an aged gambler and drunkard who took a fickle shine to Varyn. On good days he would teach him games of chance over cheese and crackers or how to recognize or manipulate odds into your favor. On bad days, the salty old drunk might throw you out with a new bruise across your jaw or a slight limp. On one particularly cloudy day, Varyn seeks out Virgil and finds him in a darkened corner of his favorite (i.e. cheapest) watering hole with a knife in his side. Before the normal bar-flies and crowd take notice, however, Varyn pockets the Dwarf's purse which was always kept off his body but within reach. This was a typical habit for the gambler that was enacted when or where markers might be called in.

Virgil was an older Dwarf, well past the comfortable 250 years where many still worked on or near the docks. He wasn't precisely lame, but he did use a short stick to help steady himself as he walked about town. It was even money whether this was for some physical ailment or his massive consumption. Out on the streets of Bruinstead, you never saw him without a small knit cap; faded and worn, it had seen a fair number of winters itself. Mind you, the second he crossed a threshold it surreptitiously appeared in his coat pocket, exposing his deep asymmetric widow's peaks and what remained of his thinning silver mane straining forward that it might tickle his forehead. His eyes were somewhat sunken into their sockets, but that gave his gold-rimmed eyes a noted glimmer when he spoke excitedly. He held a broad flat nose, much like the rest of his kin, with invisible scars from past breakings. He kept a modified cut of his facial hair, a callback to his time on the sea. Feathery mutton chops laid beneath a voluminous, bushy mustache, the vast majority of which matched his silver tresses, or what was left of them, save his unkempt eyebrows and an odd swath of color running down each cheek which resonated with a youthful brindle hue. If ever he rambled on for more than a few words the mustache appeared to be trying to loose his lips from the rest of his head like scissors, but with the aid of his dimples gave the impression of a flume-operated pipe when he smoked.

The pipe itself was a quaint little thing. Obviously made from a hollowed out claw, the origin of which often changed to suit the most recent rendition of stories that spewed forth on pleasant, mead-laden nights. Virgil was a philosopher with a caustic wit which brought smiles all-around and often, but kept friends few and far between. He rarely got too specific about his role aboard and abroad, but he was old sea dog at heart and could spin a clever a yarn as any decent bard. Additionally Virgil kept his namesake, a large Bowie-sized stone knife with a driftwood handle in a shoulder strap beneath his left arm. Dice and cards were among his most fond games, but rarely did he turn away from fiddling with chance. He was a friendly gentleman, if a nervous sort, but ambidextrously deadly from across the room with a dagger (or dart as the case may be). Often uttering unique colloquialisms when he expressed himself there, "Quit monkeying with the drift wood (discard pile)" or spewing awkward, personal entreatments to Bahamut (this realm's Luck deity).



((Visually think of a stocky Yosemite Sam, with the temperament of Doc Holliday))
Virgil's Stone Blade is above-sized for a dagger, but not quite large enough to be considered a short sword, so it uses a 1d5 or 1/2(1d10) when calculating damage. (doubtful will ever come up)

Varyn, Half-Orc Barbarian

**Updated with expanded material about NPCs**

Name: Varyn (Last Name Unknown) [Wrenwing]
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
System: D&D 5E, but Homebrewed World
Descriptive References: Pirates, Vikings, Norse, land & naval encounters, etc

Personality Trait - I sleep with my back to a wall, all I own is wrapped in a bundle in my arms.

Ideals - Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it.

Bonds - I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me.

Flaws - It's not stealing if I need It more than someone else.

Backstory (modified Urchin BG):
Orphaned at 10, Varyn grew up on the streets. Few if any ever acknowledged his presence unless he got in their way. He had no one to watch over or to provide for him, so he learned to provide for himself. He fought fiercely over food and kept a constant watch out for other desperate souls who might steal from him. Varyn slept on rooftops and in alleyways, exposed to the elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. He's survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each.

Unknown (Father) Male Orc. Has never been regarded by name (to Varyn's knowledge), always refered to as "your father" by his mother. His handwriting is assumed to be the author of the note (below) concerning the scabbard. Unsure whether anyone in town knows.**

Marin (Mother) Human Female. After [whatever happened with father], she carves out a sparse living as a seamstress/washer-woman/thatcher. Some of her duties aside from child-rearing included darning socks, re-stitching the occasional sail or net, clean or create garments as needed by the community. As such she taught Varyn some basic sewing so he could repair simple tears and replace buttons. Died in a house-fire when Varyn was 10 years old.** After the fire, one of the few things recovered was an ornate scabbard (trinket/background item) and note wrapped in burlap and concealed within the floorboards in his mother's room.

[Note]** No person's names are mentioned specifically, but they give reference to this scabbard being held secret until called upon. Additional fluff leads Varyn to suspect that it was penned by his father and the scabbard itself may be more important than just a source of quick pawn-money. The letter is signed not with a signature but by a blue wax seal emblazoned at the bottom of a stylized raven inscribed with the word 'Wrenwing,' presumably from a signet ring or stamp.

Otherwise he's pulled the odd jobs or favors for the townsfolk, whether too old or timid to raid properly, so most everyone knows who he is if nothing else -- "a strong, young back that'll do much for little." (generic racial or derogatory names akin to 'sport' 'kid' etc are popular). Most make small chat about the weather and current on-goings as you imagine they have little to no visitors otherwise. The uncommon "warrior-that-survives-to-old-age" always asks why you're not raiding with the other young me, etc. (motivation to enlist).

Osvin (Pet) Red Squirrel with Black-tipped ears. Found injured by Varyn one evening hiding from an owl, nursed back and now his companion. Usually hangs out beneath his tunic's collar.

Virgil Stoneblade (Mentor) Male Dwarf.
^^See related post

Brief 5E Update

So my rpg table is finally returning to the fray as we tackle the 5E D&D. We will be running a homebrew version of the world my original DM created. Mid-Fantasy, non-gunpowder generic. The area and setting we will be interacting with is Norse/Viking based with more details to follow when we actually sit down in a few weeks. We did have a "session zero" where we discussed the setting and as a group attempted to build their characters and give our player input to the DM.

I will have his backstory and profile up as soon as we meet once due in most part to the fact that I have to balance my story along with the other 3 players and has to fit within the DM's idea of the realm. Basically whatever gets approved will be posted.

What I can tell you is my rolls:

Half-Orc
Barbarian
15-15-13-13-9 (4d6, drop lowest rolls)

I'm excited guys. :D