The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?

Anyway, here's what I played:

The List You Need
---------------------------------------
* Dead Space Remaster
* American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
* Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The List You Deserve
---------------------------------------

* Dead Space Remaster
Mathematically, I enjoyed 58% of the "Dead Space Remaster". That's
because I enjoyed the parts of the game that were "Dead Space" but I
was not so sanguine about the "Remaster" aspects.

Not that there's anything straight-out /terrible/ about the remaster.
I just don't think it really adds anything necessary to the original
game, and in some respects actually detracts from it. The best thing I
can say about this new version is that it is easier to run on modern
hardware; no need to fiddle with config files or compatibility
settings. The slightly improved controls and native wide-screen
support are nice too.

But I'm less enthralled by the visual and audio updates. There was a
certain chunkiness to the original's graphics that really enhanced the
down-and-dirty feel of being on a gore-splattered mining spaceship.
The new visuals are just too sharp, the lighting effects just too
glossy to maintain that atmosphere. There are more obvious changes too
(including an entirely new look for protagonist Isaac Clark; this
newest iteration looks particularly gormless, as opposed to his more
practical appearance in the original version). There are numerous
audio tweaks too; most aren't too noteworthy, but the extra-loud
clunking of Isaac's space-boots hitting the decks with each step was a
constant annoyance.

They were some minor gameplay tweaks too; again, very little of note
was changed, except for the addition of some 'zero-G' acrobatics which
had Isaac flying around the place like Iron Man. Yes, this was a
feature added to the franchise in later games, but it feels
particularly out of place in this first game, which was all about a
constant claustrophobia.

The remaster is also far less subtle with its revelations about the
nature of both the source of the monstrosities, and with the fate of
Isaac's girlfriend. I get it; by this point, Nicole's ultimate
disposition is probably as well-kept a secret as the Luke/Darth Vader
relationship, but there's no sense of mystery and revelation.

Still, the core gameplay and conceits remain strong; the remaster is
recognizably "Dead Space" and dismembering space-zombies is still as
much fun as ever. Neither newcomers to the franchise nor old hands
will actively dislike this version.

It's just that the original remains the superior experience.

* American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
this. I did warn you all this was coming.

I realized what I was getting into early in my explorations. The Truck
Simulator games have these spots on the map called 'viewpoints' where
you have to take a screenshot of a specific location. These are
usually of famous - or at least notable - landmarks; the Golden Gate
Bridge in San Francisco, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The first one I
saw in Nebraska was highlighting a sport supply store sitting off a
highway. The others I found weren't much more interesting.

Yeah, it's that kind of state. The sort of place where a path that
people used to /leave/ for better places (the Oregon Trail) is one of
the state's premier historical attractions.

I can imagine there was a sort of desperation amongst the developers
of this expansion, trying to find something - anything! - interesting
to showcase (I wouldn't be surprised if the residents of the state
felt a similar anxiety). I got that impression from the fiddly roads,
the overly detailed storefronts, the excessive detail and hidden paths
that curved around the few geographical features worth looking at.
There's almost nothing to see in the state, but the developers did
everything they could to milk what few sights there were.

This isn't a problem unique to Nebraska; previous map expansions
suffered from similar limitations. But even if those other states
weren't topographically interesting, at least they were fun to drive
through. Not so Nebraska; its roads were too often narrow, twisty, and
slow. The Truck Simulator games are best when you've long highways to
drive down; when you can almost zone out and become one with the
traffic. Nebraska demanded too much attention to the road... and
offered too little reward for that effort. But like the old joke goes,
while the driving is terrible, there's very little of it too. Despite
being a fairly large state, the Nebraska expansion feels very light in
actual content, namely: roads and destinations. I make it a point to
traverse (or at least try to traverse) every bit of road in the game
with each expansion, and usually it takes a week or two for me to
complete this challenge. With "Nebraska", I finished it off in four
days.

So, yeah. I'm not really a fan of this expansion. I can't say to skip
it -after all, it's the American Truck Simulator, and you can't have
America without all its states- but Nebraska isn't one I care to visit
often. Not even to drive through. Sure it's got its corn. But it
doesn't have much else.

* Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
I'm not sure I should even include this game on the list, I played so
little of it. But I just couldn't make myself want to stick with the
game very long.

Not that, mechanically, it's a bad game. I mean, no, it's not really
wowing me with its game-play, but it's competent enough. It's lack of
an interesting storyline (or characters) didn't help either. Lara
Croft and her constant daddy-issues are a well long since drained dry,
but the developers keep going back to that same uninteresting subplot
(the massive evil conspiracy that's the game's main antagonist isn't
much better either).

But, really, it was the open-world that kept me from playing. That,
and the constant crafting. I didn't want to have to engage with any of
that nonsense. I miss the days of solid games with well-made,
well-paced maps. Levels with a definite start and finish, and a clear
direction from the one to the other. Wandering around giant maps
clearing out dozens of subquests and finding useless gimcracks placed
there just to fill out the game don't excite me. I've better uses for
my time. It's not fun; it's grind.

So I played relatively little of the game. In terms of polish and
mechanics, it's probably the best of the rebooted series, but that
open world? No thank you. I've no desire to work my way through all
that nonsense.

---------------------------------------

Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
find out.

What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

On 6/1/2024 10:04 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
> get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
> little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
> ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?
>
You aren't.

I played a little Stardew Valley but it was a very hectic month and I
frequently went multiple days without playing anything at all.

A true horror, I know.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:04:37 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

Fallout 76. I bought this game 2 yrs ago for $10, not having liked
what I saw of it upon initial release. Back then, I played for a
while but stopped around level 12 or so.

Watching Fallout TV and seeing videos about how much better FO76 had
gotten over time inspired me to fire it up again, so resuming my
earlier character I grinded my way up to the point where the
combination of level, perk cards, discovered map locations, and
overall skill gets to a point where the world is a bit less dangerous,
and found myself enjoying the ride.

From what I understand you don't have to start a new game at level 1,
there is an option for new players to jump straight to level 20 at
character generation, which I guess probably alleviates some of the
pains some complained about with difficulty early on.

Other than intentionally joining events to level up faster, I don't
actually see other players all that often. I do join teams to get the
benefits of bonuses but it still feels mostly like single player
gameplay. I've only even spoken to one other player over the mic in
the weeks I've been playing it, and that was only to say thanks but no
thanks to a much higher level player who was asking me if there was
anything I need like extra stimpaks or whatever.

I play in "pacifist mode" so that my shots don't damage other players
during events, and I suspect this is how most people play. So if
you're turned off by the multiplayer aspect or worried about PvP in
this game at all, then just don't, because it's not that kind of game
and most players will help you if asked. Maybe later on I will dabble
in PvP but I don't think there is much for me here in that mode.

I know there were no NPCs at launch, and some still think they are too
few and far between, but I think the NPC population feels about right
for a post-nuke-disaster game like this. There shouldn't be lots of
people running around everywhere, it would ruin the vibe.

The combat mechanics, like most FO games, definitely have a clunky
feel, but you get used to that and it all kind of grows on you over
time.

Not sure how long I'll stick with it, but I'm still enjoying it for
now.

On Sat, 1 Jun 2024 10:27:15 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

>On 6/1/2024 10:04 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
>> get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
>> little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
>> ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?
>>
>You aren't.

Hey, if anyone can work through a game backlog, I think Spalls can.

>I played a little Stardew Valley but it was a very hectic month and I
>frequently went multiple days without playing anything at all.
>
>A true horror, I know.

I sometimes go multiple days without playing a game but I try not to
make it a habit.

On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:04:37 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>* American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
>So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
>this. I did warn you all this was coming.

You did.

Some here may judge you negatively for your Truck Simulator fetish but
I can't. I just got through telling Rin in another thread that I like
doing things like fishing, cooking and picking flowers in MMOs.
Fishing in particular, I know I have now done for many hours in WOW
alone.

I can't explain why I like doing these things other then... they are
relaxing to me.... which probably does not explain it at all.

>What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

Indika
What Indika is 'about' isn't a simple thing. We meet the title character as
a noviate, living in a bleak, uncaring, and brutal world, where she has been
shoved into a corrupt and completely irrational religious bureaucracy for
past 'sins', coping with inner daemons, being used and abused, and hopefully
by the end of her journey breaking out of these mental shackles to confront
life as it is with some independence of thought.

Very reminiscent in its presentation of this world to games like
Metamorphosis and McGee's Alice & Alice Madness Returns, with mental worlds
portrayed with over-sized, fantastical objects, though in Indika's case in
an even bleaker monochrome palette, interspersed with child-like platforming
interludes from her past (which I didn't care much for).

There's less of a 'game' here than an experience, and I wish more use had
been made of the 'pray/demon' mechanic which has Indika suppressing her
inner demon by 'praying' to switch between two alternate views of the world
so as to navigate a level. Her demon muttering and arguing with her over
religious niceties and morality are the best parts of the game. If you want
a game that makes you think about fairly serious issues, and not just pure
escapism, Indika is a good choice.

The Painscreek Killings
https://store.steampowered.com/app/624270/The_Painscreek_Killings/
I enjoyed this mystery-investigative title hugely, and wouldn't let go until
I'd 100%'d it. You're a reporter tasked with solving a long-ago cold case in
a deserted village, by visiting buildings and residences in a fully 3D
environment, and looking for clues, documents and keys that lead you further
into the complicated lives and relationships among these townfolk, in the
manner of the famous game Gone Home.

As in Gone Home, there is no UI -- so refreshing. It's just you following
clues that lead you from location to location, opening doors, searching
buildings, and reading the many letters and documents to build a picture of
the past. The writing here is very good, and the central mystery worth the
effort to solve. A big thumbs up for The Painscreek Killings !!

rms

On 6/1/2024 11:21 AM, Mike S. wrote:
> On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:04:37 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
> <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
>> So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
>> this. I did warn you all this was coming.
>
> You did.
>
> Some here may judge you negatively for your Truck Simulator fetish but
> I can't. I just got through telling Rin in another thread that I like
> doing things like fishing, cooking and picking flowers in MMOs.
> Fishing in particular, I know I have now done for many hours in WOW
> alone.
>
> I can't explain why I like doing these things other then... they are
> relaxing to me.... which probably does not explain it at all.

Explains it perfectly to me.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:04 this Saturday (GMT):
>
> The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
> get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
> little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
> ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?
>
> Anyway, here's what I played:
>
>
> The List You Need
> ---------------------------------------
> * Dead Space Remaster
> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
>
>
>
> The List You Deserve
> ---------------------------------------
>
> * Dead Space Remaster
> Mathematically, I enjoyed 58% of the "Dead Space Remaster". That's
> because I enjoyed the parts of the game that were "Dead Space" but I
> was not so sanguine about the "Remaster" aspects.
>
> Not that there's anything straight-out /terrible/ about the remaster.
> I just don't think it really adds anything necessary to the original
> game, and in some respects actually detracts from it. The best thing I
> can say about this new version is that it is easier to run on modern
> hardware; no need to fiddle with config files or compatibility
> settings. The slightly improved controls and native wide-screen
> support are nice too.
>
> But I'm less enthralled by the visual and audio updates. There was a
> certain chunkiness to the original's graphics that really enhanced the
> down-and-dirty feel of being on a gore-splattered mining spaceship.
> The new visuals are just too sharp, the lighting effects just too
> glossy to maintain that atmosphere. There are more obvious changes too
> (including an entirely new look for protagonist Isaac Clark; this
> newest iteration looks particularly gormless, as opposed to his more
> practical appearance in the original version). There are numerous
> audio tweaks too; most aren't too noteworthy, but the extra-loud
> clunking of Isaac's space-boots hitting the decks with each step was a
> constant annoyance.
>
> They were some minor gameplay tweaks too; again, very little of note
> was changed, except for the addition of some 'zero-G' acrobatics which
> had Isaac flying around the place like Iron Man. Yes, this was a
> feature added to the franchise in later games, but it feels
> particularly out of place in this first game, which was all about a
> constant claustrophobia.
>
> The remaster is also far less subtle with its revelations about the
> nature of both the source of the monstrosities, and with the fate of
> Isaac's girlfriend. I get it; by this point, Nicole's ultimate
> disposition is probably as well-kept a secret as the Luke/Darth Vader
> relationship, but there's no sense of mystery and revelation.
>
> Still, the core gameplay and conceits remain strong; the remaster is
> recognizably "Dead Space" and dismembering space-zombies is still as
> much fun as ever. Neither newcomers to the franchise nor old hands
> will actively dislike this version.
>
> It's just that the original remains the superior experience.
>
>
>
> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
> this. I did warn you all this was coming.
>
> I realized what I was getting into early in my explorations. The Truck
> Simulator games have these spots on the map called 'viewpoints' where
> you have to take a screenshot of a specific location. These are
> usually of famous - or at least notable - landmarks; the Golden Gate
> Bridge in San Francisco, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The first one I
> saw in Nebraska was highlighting a sport supply store sitting off a
> highway. The others I found weren't much more interesting.
>
> Yeah, it's that kind of state. The sort of place where a path that
> people used to /leave/ for better places (the Oregon Trail) is one of
> the state's premier historical attractions.
>
> I can imagine there was a sort of desperation amongst the developers
> of this expansion, trying to find something - anything! - interesting
> to showcase (I wouldn't be surprised if the residents of the state
> felt a similar anxiety). I got that impression from the fiddly roads,
> the overly detailed storefronts, the excessive detail and hidden paths
> that curved around the few geographical features worth looking at.
> There's almost nothing to see in the state, but the developers did
> everything they could to milk what few sights there were.
>
> This isn't a problem unique to Nebraska; previous map expansions
> suffered from similar limitations. But even if those other states
> weren't topographically interesting, at least they were fun to drive
> through. Not so Nebraska; its roads were too often narrow, twisty, and
> slow. The Truck Simulator games are best when you've long highways to
> drive down; when you can almost zone out and become one with the
> traffic. Nebraska demanded too much attention to the road... and
> offered too little reward for that effort. But like the old joke goes,
> while the driving is terrible, there's very little of it too. Despite
> being a fairly large state, the Nebraska expansion feels very light in
> actual content, namely: roads and destinations. I make it a point to
> traverse (or at least try to traverse) every bit of road in the game
> with each expansion, and usually it takes a week or two for me to
> complete this challenge. With "Nebraska", I finished it off in four
> days.
>
> So, yeah. I'm not really a fan of this expansion. I can't say to skip
> it -after all, it's the American Truck Simulator, and you can't have
> America without all its states- but Nebraska isn't one I care to visit
> often. Not even to drive through. Sure it's got its corn. But it
> doesn't have much else.
>
>
>
> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
> I'm not sure I should even include this game on the list, I played so
> little of it. But I just couldn't make myself want to stick with the
> game very long.
>
> Not that, mechanically, it's a bad game. I mean, no, it's not really
> wowing me with its game-play, but it's competent enough. It's lack of
> an interesting storyline (or characters) didn't help either. Lara
> Croft and her constant daddy-issues are a well long since drained dry,
> but the developers keep going back to that same uninteresting subplot
> (the massive evil conspiracy that's the game's main antagonist isn't
> much better either).
>
> But, really, it was the open-world that kept me from playing. That,
> and the constant crafting. I didn't want to have to engage with any of
> that nonsense. I miss the days of solid games with well-made,
> well-paced maps. Levels with a definite start and finish, and a clear
> direction from the one to the other. Wandering around giant maps
> clearing out dozens of subquests and finding useless gimcracks placed
> there just to fill out the game don't excite me. I've better uses for
> my time. It's not fun; it's grind.
>
> So I played relatively little of the game. In terms of polish and
> mechanics, it's probably the best of the rebooted series, but that
> open world? No thank you. I've no desire to work my way through all
> that nonsense.
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
> find out.
>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

I've not really been playing a ton..besides a LOT of Phoenix Wright. I'm
actually up to Spirit of Justice now! (but dang the dual destinies
finale was insane)
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Still Duo Lingo and Diablo 4 when I can.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
> get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
> little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
> ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?

> Anyway, here's what I played:

> The List You Need
> ---------------------------------------
> * Dead Space Remaster
> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

> The List You Deserve
> ---------------------------------------

> * Dead Space Remaster
> Mathematically, I enjoyed 58% of the "Dead Space Remaster". That's
> because I enjoyed the parts of the game that were "Dead Space" but I
> was not so sanguine about the "Remaster" aspects.

> Not that there's anything straight-out /terrible/ about the remaster.
> I just don't think it really adds anything necessary to the original
> game, and in some respects actually detracts from it. The best thing I
> can say about this new version is that it is easier to run on modern
> hardware; no need to fiddle with config files or compatibility
> settings. The slightly improved controls and native wide-screen
> support are nice too.

> But I'm less enthralled by the visual and audio updates. There was a
> certain chunkiness to the original's graphics that really enhanced the
> down-and-dirty feel of being on a gore-splattered mining spaceship.
> The new visuals are just too sharp, the lighting effects just too
> glossy to maintain that atmosphere. There are more obvious changes too
> (including an entirely new look for protagonist Isaac Clark; this
> newest iteration looks particularly gormless, as opposed to his more
> practical appearance in the original version). There are numerous
> audio tweaks too; most aren't too noteworthy, but the extra-loud
> clunking of Isaac's space-boots hitting the decks with each step was a
> constant annoyance.

> They were some minor gameplay tweaks too; again, very little of note
> was changed, except for the addition of some 'zero-G' acrobatics which
> had Isaac flying around the place like Iron Man. Yes, this was a
> feature added to the franchise in later games, but it feels
> particularly out of place in this first game, which was all about a
> constant claustrophobia.

> The remaster is also far less subtle with its revelations about the
> nature of both the source of the monstrosities, and with the fate of
> Isaac's girlfriend. I get it; by this point, Nicole's ultimate
> disposition is probably as well-kept a secret as the Luke/Darth Vader
> relationship, but there's no sense of mystery and revelation.

> Still, the core gameplay and conceits remain strong; the remaster is
> recognizably "Dead Space" and dismembering space-zombies is still as
> much fun as ever. Neither newcomers to the franchise nor old hands
> will actively dislike this version.

> It's just that the original remains the superior experience.

> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
> this. I did warn you all this was coming.

> I realized what I was getting into early in my explorations. The Truck
> Simulator games have these spots on the map called 'viewpoints' where
> you have to take a screenshot of a specific location. These are
> usually of famous - or at least notable - landmarks; the Golden Gate
> Bridge in San Francisco, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The first one I
> saw in Nebraska was highlighting a sport supply store sitting off a
> highway. The others I found weren't much more interesting.

> Yeah, it's that kind of state. The sort of place where a path that
> people used to /leave/ for better places (the Oregon Trail) is one of
> the state's premier historical attractions.

> I can imagine there was a sort of desperation amongst the developers
> of this expansion, trying to find something - anything! - interesting
> to showcase (I wouldn't be surprised if the residents of the state
> felt a similar anxiety). I got that impression from the fiddly roads,
> the overly detailed storefronts, the excessive detail and hidden paths
> that curved around the few geographical features worth looking at.
> There's almost nothing to see in the state, but the developers did
> everything they could to milk what few sights there were.

> This isn't a problem unique to Nebraska; previous map expansions
> suffered from similar limitations. But even if those other states
> weren't topographically interesting, at least they were fun to drive
> through. Not so Nebraska; its roads were too often narrow, twisty, and
> slow. The Truck Simulator games are best when you've long highways to
> drive down; when you can almost zone out and become one with the
> traffic. Nebraska demanded too much attention to the road... and
> offered too little reward for that effort. But like the old joke goes,
> while the driving is terrible, there's very little of it too. Despite
> being a fairly large state, the Nebraska expansion feels very light in
> actual content, namely: roads and destinations. I make it a point to
> traverse (or at least try to traverse) every bit of road in the game
> with each expansion, and usually it takes a week or two for me to
> complete this challenge. With "Nebraska", I finished it off in four
> days.

> So, yeah. I'm not really a fan of this expansion. I can't say to skip
> it -after all, it's the American Truck Simulator, and you can't have
> America without all its states- but Nebraska isn't one I care to visit
> often. Not even to drive through. Sure it's got its corn. But it
> doesn't have much else.

> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
> I'm not sure I should even include this game on the list, I played so
> little of it. But I just couldn't make myself want to stick with the
> game very long.

> Not that, mechanically, it's a bad game. I mean, no, it's not really
> wowing me with its game-play, but it's competent enough. It's lack of
> an interesting storyline (or characters) didn't help either. Lara
> Croft and her constant daddy-issues are a well long since drained dry,
> but the developers keep going back to that same uninteresting subplot
> (the massive evil conspiracy that's the game's main antagonist isn't
> much better either).

> But, really, it was the open-world that kept me from playing. That,
> and the constant crafting. I didn't want to have to engage with any of
> that nonsense. I miss the days of solid games with well-made,
> well-paced maps. Levels with a definite start and finish, and a clear
> direction from the one to the other. Wandering around giant maps
> clearing out dozens of subquests and finding useless gimcracks placed
> there just to fill out the game don't excite me. I've better uses for
> my time. It's not fun; it's grind.

> So I played relatively little of the game. In terms of polish and
> mechanics, it's probably the best of the rebooted series, but that
> open world? No thank you. I've no desire to work my way through all
> that nonsense.

> ---------------------------------------

> Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
> find out.

> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

--
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." --Galatians 6:2. Slammy Monday?
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Oh, I played with a few old Atari 2600 games (e.g., Adventure and
Asteroids) in my iPhone 12 mini with https://www.retroarch.com.

Ant <ant@zimage.comant> wrote:
> Still Duo Lingo and Diablo 4 when I can.

> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> > The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
> > get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
> > little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
> > ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?

> > Anyway, here's what I played:

> > The List You Need
> > ---------------------------------------
> > * Dead Space Remaster
> > * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> > * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

> > The List You Deserve
> > ---------------------------------------

> > * Dead Space Remaster
> > Mathematically, I enjoyed 58% of the "Dead Space Remaster". That's
> > because I enjoyed the parts of the game that were "Dead Space" but I
> > was not so sanguine about the "Remaster" aspects.

> > Not that there's anything straight-out /terrible/ about the remaster.
> > I just don't think it really adds anything necessary to the original
> > game, and in some respects actually detracts from it. The best thing I
> > can say about this new version is that it is easier to run on modern
> > hardware; no need to fiddle with config files or compatibility
> > settings. The slightly improved controls and native wide-screen
> > support are nice too.

> > But I'm less enthralled by the visual and audio updates. There was a
> > certain chunkiness to the original's graphics that really enhanced the
> > down-and-dirty feel of being on a gore-splattered mining spaceship.
> > The new visuals are just too sharp, the lighting effects just too
> > glossy to maintain that atmosphere. There are more obvious changes too
> > (including an entirely new look for protagonist Isaac Clark; this
> > newest iteration looks particularly gormless, as opposed to his more
> > practical appearance in the original version). There are numerous
> > audio tweaks too; most aren't too noteworthy, but the extra-loud
> > clunking of Isaac's space-boots hitting the decks with each step was a
> > constant annoyance.

> > They were some minor gameplay tweaks too; again, very little of note
> > was changed, except for the addition of some 'zero-G' acrobatics which
> > had Isaac flying around the place like Iron Man. Yes, this was a
> > feature added to the franchise in later games, but it feels
> > particularly out of place in this first game, which was all about a
> > constant claustrophobia.

> > The remaster is also far less subtle with its revelations about the
> > nature of both the source of the monstrosities, and with the fate of
> > Isaac's girlfriend. I get it; by this point, Nicole's ultimate
> > disposition is probably as well-kept a secret as the Luke/Darth Vader
> > relationship, but there's no sense of mystery and revelation.

> > Still, the core gameplay and conceits remain strong; the remaster is
> > recognizably "Dead Space" and dismembering space-zombies is still as
> > much fun as ever. Neither newcomers to the franchise nor old hands
> > will actively dislike this version.

> > It's just that the original remains the superior experience.

> > * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> > So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
> > this. I did warn you all this was coming.

> > I realized what I was getting into early in my explorations. The Truck
> > Simulator games have these spots on the map called 'viewpoints' where
> > you have to take a screenshot of a specific location. These are
> > usually of famous - or at least notable - landmarks; the Golden Gate
> > Bridge in San Francisco, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The first one I
> > saw in Nebraska was highlighting a sport supply store sitting off a
> > highway. The others I found weren't much more interesting.

> > Yeah, it's that kind of state. The sort of place where a path that
> > people used to /leave/ for better places (the Oregon Trail) is one of
> > the state's premier historical attractions.

> > I can imagine there was a sort of desperation amongst the developers
> > of this expansion, trying to find something - anything! - interesting
> > to showcase (I wouldn't be surprised if the residents of the state
> > felt a similar anxiety). I got that impression from the fiddly roads,
> > the overly detailed storefronts, the excessive detail and hidden paths
> > that curved around the few geographical features worth looking at.
> > There's almost nothing to see in the state, but the developers did
> > everything they could to milk what few sights there were.

> > This isn't a problem unique to Nebraska; previous map expansions
> > suffered from similar limitations. But even if those other states
> > weren't topographically interesting, at least they were fun to drive
> > through. Not so Nebraska; its roads were too often narrow, twisty, and
> > slow. The Truck Simulator games are best when you've long highways to
> > drive down; when you can almost zone out and become one with the
> > traffic. Nebraska demanded too much attention to the road... and
> > offered too little reward for that effort. But like the old joke goes,
> > while the driving is terrible, there's very little of it too. Despite
> > being a fairly large state, the Nebraska expansion feels very light in
> > actual content, namely: roads and destinations. I make it a point to
> > traverse (or at least try to traverse) every bit of road in the game
> > with each expansion, and usually it takes a week or two for me to
> > complete this challenge. With "Nebraska", I finished it off in four
> > days.

> > So, yeah. I'm not really a fan of this expansion. I can't say to skip
> > it -after all, it's the American Truck Simulator, and you can't have
> > America without all its states- but Nebraska isn't one I care to visit
> > often. Not even to drive through. Sure it's got its corn. But it
> > doesn't have much else.

> > * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
> > I'm not sure I should even include this game on the list, I played so
> > little of it. But I just couldn't make myself want to stick with the
> > game very long.

> > Not that, mechanically, it's a bad game. I mean, no, it's not really
> > wowing me with its game-play, but it's competent enough. It's lack of
> > an interesting storyline (or characters) didn't help either. Lara
> > Croft and her constant daddy-issues are a well long since drained dry,
> > but the developers keep going back to that same uninteresting subplot
> > (the massive evil conspiracy that's the game's main antagonist isn't
> > much better either).

> > But, really, it was the open-world that kept me from playing. That,
> > and the constant crafting. I didn't want to have to engage with any of
> > that nonsense. I miss the days of solid games with well-made,
> > well-paced maps. Levels with a definite start and finish, and a clear
> > direction from the one to the other. Wandering around giant maps
> > clearing out dozens of subquests and finding useless gimcracks placed
> > there just to fill out the game don't excite me. I've better uses for
> > my time. It's not fun; it's grind.

> > So I played relatively little of the game. In terms of polish and
> > mechanics, it's probably the best of the rebooted series, but that
> > open world? No thank you. I've no desire to work my way through all
> > that nonsense.

> > ---------------------------------------

> > Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
> > find out.

> > What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

--
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." --Galatians 6:2. Slammy Monday?
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On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 06:57:44 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Oh, I played with a few old Atari 2600 games (e.g., Adventure and
>Asteroids) in my iPhone 12 mini with https://www.retroarch.com.

The Atari 2600 was the last console I owned and Adventure was my
favorite game on that platform. I played that game so much I think I
can get through the mazes blindfolded.

On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:21:04 -0400, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:

>On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:04:37 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>* American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
>>So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
>>this. I did warn you all this was coming.
>
>You did.
>
>Some here may judge you negatively for your Truck Simulator fetish but
>I can't. I just got through telling Rin in another thread that I like
>doing things like fishing, cooking and picking flowers in MMOs.
>Fishing in particular, I know I have now done for many hours in WOW
>alone.

It's not the playing that's the problem. It's my insistence on telling
you all about it that's the issue. ;-)

I'm worse than those door-to-door religious types

<knock knock>

Hello, would you like to hear about the Lord and Saviour of PC Video
Games, "American Truck Simulator"? ;-)

<slam>

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote at 17:27 this Saturday (GMT):
> On 6/1/2024 10:04 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> The months are just flying by, aren't they? How's a person supposed to
>> get any gaming done with the days whipping by like this? Well, I got a
>> little bit of gaming done... but not as much as I'd like. How am I
>> ever going to work through the backlog at this rate?
>>
> You aren't.
>
> I played a little Stardew Valley but it was a very hectic month and I
> frequently went multiple days without playing anything at all.
>
> A true horror, I know.

Oh no! Is your farm ok?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 06:57:44 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

> >Oh, I played with a few old Atari 2600 games (e.g., Adventure and
> >Asteroids) in my iPhone 12 mini with https://www.retroarch.com.

> The Atari 2600 was the last console I owned and Adventure was my
> favorite game on that platform. I played that game so much I think I
> can get through the mazes blindfolded.

Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.
--
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." --Galatians 6:2. Slammy Monday?
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On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
>Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.

I played a lot of Combat with my brother. It came with the system so
it might be the first video game I ever played. Or the first video
game played at home at least.

The only other game on your list I played to any degree was Pitfall.

Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

> >Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
> >Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.

> I played a lot of Combat with my brother. It came with the system so
> it might be the first video game I ever played. Or the first video
> game played at home at least.

> The only other game on your list I played to any degree was Pitfall.

I remember getting far in Pitfall until my friend resetted the game. Frak!
--
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" --Romans 6:3
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On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 06:57:44 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>> >Oh, I played with a few old Atari 2600 games (e.g., Adventure and
>> >Asteroids) in my iPhone 12 mini with https://www.retroarch.com.
>
>> The Atari 2600 was the last console I owned and Adventure was my
>> favorite game on that platform. I played that game so much I think I
>> can get through the mazes blindfolded.
>
>Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
>Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.

Demon Attack (by Imagic) was addictive as hell. Sort of Phoenix-like.

On 6/2/2024 9:13 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:21:04 -0400, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:04:37 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
>> <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
>>> So. Nebraska. A state most famous for its corn. Yeah, we're doing
>>> this. I did warn you all this was coming.
>>
>> You did.
>>
>> Some here may judge you negatively for your Truck Simulator fetish but
>> I can't. I just got through telling Rin in another thread that I like
>> doing things like fishing, cooking and picking flowers in MMOs.
>> Fishing in particular, I know I have now done for many hours in WOW
>> alone.
>
>
> It's not the playing that's the problem. It's my insistence on telling
> you all about it that's the issue. ;-)
>
> I'm worse than those door-to-door religious types

Not at all. Here's your validation, now you can stop asking for it. :)

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 21:01 this Monday (GMT):
> Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>> >Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
>> >Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.
>
>> I played a lot of Combat with my brother. It came with the system so
>> it might be the first video game I ever played. Or the first video
>> game played at home at least.
>
>> The only other game on your list I played to any degree was Pitfall.
>
> I remember getting far in Pitfall until my friend resetted the game. Frak!

Sounds like you experienced a pitfall :D
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Rin Stowleigh <rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com> wrote at 23:08 this Monday (GMT):
> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>>Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
>>> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 06:57:44 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>>
>>> >Oh, I played with a few old Atari 2600 games (e.g., Adventure and
>>> >Asteroids) in my iPhone 12 mini with https://www.retroarch.com.
>>
>>> The Atari 2600 was the last console I owned and Adventure was my
>>> favorite game on that platform. I played that game so much I think I
>>> can get through the mazes blindfolded.
>>
>>Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
>>Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.
>
> Demon Attack (by Imagic) was addictive as hell. Sort of Phoenix-like.

~~phoenix wright?~~
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 6/1/2024 10:04 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

> * Dead Space Remaster
> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
>
>
> Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
> find out.

Hours wise maybe, who knows. Titles wise no.

>
> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?
>

Fallout 3 Unmodded. I'm determined to get through the DLCs this and
I've got through 3 of them.

Operation Anchorage - I enjoyed this more than last time. I decided to
leave this until I was what 17 or so and felt pretty powerful so as not
to screw up the game by getting power armor and a stealth suit so early.
I enjoyed it much more than last time, possibly because I had a good
small guns skill and a number of perks that helped. I still missed some
stuff and felt a bit too powerful. But that ended pretty quickly once I
hit level 21 and started running into the bullet sponges that were
added. I don't like the bullet sponges - ghoul reavers, super mutant
overlords, etc. I just feel lie I'm spending a bunch of time in a not
very enjoyable fight. Fallout is best when the fights are short and
brutal.

Mothership Zeta - This was initially more enjoyable, but as I hit it
after 21 it too had a lot of bullet sponges. I couldn't tell which by
name as they were all named "Alien". I went through blind and after
getting through looked some stuff up about it and missed a perk that
would've made the alien weapons perhaps useful. I always like the alien
blaster before. But the alien weapons weren't very good compared to
what I already had without the perk. Unfortunately I hadn't really set
up for energy weapons either, which I'm sure doesn't help. It felt
excessively long and repetitive after awhile. From what I've read
you're better off doing it before level 20 due to the shields they get
at 21+.

The Pitt - This is my favorite so far. I probably short circuited the
quest though by killing off the ex-BoS boss as soon as I met him, but I
was playing a goody two-shoes with no bad karma and didn't see why not.
I discovered why not, only after killing him :(. Too late then. I
didn't like hunting down all the steel, and felt robbed as I couldn't
find the last of it to get the last reward (I tried looking up where
they were but as I'd got 90+ of the 100 I didn't feel like going back
and checking every location again, not to mention a lot of the locations
are very non-descript so it's hard to do a proper guide.) This one
feels like it should be played much earlier than I did.

Overall the rest of the game was getting pretty boring by the time I got
to the DLCs. I also really should've not installed Broken Steel
(raises the level limit and adds the bullet sponge enemies) until end
game, and I still think the game needs the xp reduction mod I was using
previously. I probably should still mod the game as the CTDs are
getting more frequent, perhaps every couple hours now, invariably when I
finish off a mob for some reason. But I'm close to the end with only
the two DLCs left.

I at one point didn't fire up the game for a couple days, not for lack
of time, I just wasn't that into it, but I didn't fire anything else up.
I'm just on the old 'determined to finish' attitude I used to have for
everything right now.

I probably shouldn't be dragging Red & Shorty everywhere, as they're
supposed to be temporary companions, and probably making the game too
easy. (I had Sticky earlier too, but finally decided to drop him off at
Big Town as he was annoying for his constant talking and penchant to
take friendly fire. For some reason Red and Short don't seem to get in
my way even though I've got them set up with melee.)

*****

I'm torn what to play next.

Fallout NV is looking a bit more appealing to me now, as whatever love I
had of the open world of Fallout 3 has long worn off, and feel like I'd
appreciate the more linear quest of NV now than when I played it when it
was released. However I do remember it has a lot more crafting which I
hated and still dislike in most games.

Elden Ring DLC is coming out soon and it seems many people have started
playing again to hone their skills, which means co-op is probably
flourishing again, so I'm tempted to go back for that.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 21:01 this Monday (GMT):
> > Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
> >> On Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:53:05 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
> >
> >> >Adventure wasn't my favorite. I liked Pitfall, Dolphin, Ms. Pac-Man,
> >> >Enduro, Phoenix, Combat, Asteroids, etc.
> >
> >> I played a lot of Combat with my brother. It came with the system so
> >> it might be the first video game I ever played. Or the first video
> >> game played at home at least.
> >
> >> The only other game on your list I played to any degree was Pitfall.
> >
> > I remember getting far in Pitfall until my friend resetted the game. Frak!

> Sounds like you experienced a pitfall :D

:P
--
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" --Romans 6:3
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Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

* A little arcade fun via MAME.

- Asteroids Deluxe, since the first Gravitar ROM I tried didn't work. I
was surprised in that I didn't suck hugely. Was able to hit the side
of a barn or at least a large rock.
- Gravitar, well, after some fumbling to get it going. I seemed to suck
pretty hard here, couldn't hit the side of a barn, let alone the
bunkers you're supposed to shoot up. Maybe it's the gravity, Asteroids
felt a lot easier.
- Xevious, old fave but I seemed to suck here too. There's an early boss
enemy that you have to hit with bombs but that means getting pretty
close to it and so I got killed every time. But amazing how familiar
everything still looks even though it's been over 40 years since it
came out.

All in all, I felt I kinda need an arcade controller for
these. Definitely not that much fun on a laptop keyboard.

* Mass Effect

This is from the cheap bundle I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Updated
graphics but not very impressive. Way better than what an Xbox0 in 2007
could do and fluid as heck.

So I got started, got through the intro mission on Eden Prime and then
traveled to the Citadel. The Citadel is very pretty so here the GFX
updates really seem to pay off. All the more important since as I
recall, the other games in the series didn't feature the Citadel as
much.

After running around the station and meeting some wonderful people and
doing some odd jobs, I've put most of my band together and I'm ready to
get coronated to a Spectre and save the galaxy. Well, almost. I think
there was some safe to poke into in some office before that... This
really seems to trigger the completionist in me.

On Mon, 3 Jun 2024 17:12:12 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On 6/1/2024 10:04 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> * Dead Space Remaster
>> * American Truck Simulator - Nebraska DLC
>> * Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider
>>
>>
>> Well, that's my short list for my month. Did you do any better? Let's
>> find out.
>
>Hours wise maybe, who knows. Titles wise no.
>
>>
>> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?
>>
>
>Fallout 3 Unmodded. I'm determined to get through the DLCs this and
>I've got through 3 of them.

The most interesting thing about the Fallout 3 DLC was that each one
was notably different in style and content from the others.

Operation Anchorage was, in many ways, "Fallout 3" as an FPS. It was
extremely combat focused. "Mothership Zeta" was pure dungeon-crawl.
"Broken Steel" was... well, it was mostly just a traditional
expansion; a few new monsters, gear and quests. "Point Lookout" added
a horror and mystery element. "The Pitt" added an entirely new region
with its own unique aesthetic, making it feel almost like its own
spin-off game as opposed to an expansion.

None of any of the later Bethesda RPGs had anything near the variety.

>I'm torn what to play next.
>
>Fallout NV is looking a bit more appealing to me now, as whatever love I
>had of the open world of Fallout 3 has long worn off, and feel like I'd
>appreciate the more linear quest of NV now than when I played it when it
>was released. However I do remember it has a lot more crafting which I
>hated and still dislike in most games.

"New Vegas" isn't really any less open-world. It's storyline is
perhaps a bit more integrated into the overall quest. "Fallout 3"
basically abandoned you to your own goals for much of the middle part
of the game, and only reminded you there actually was a narrative at
the end. "New Vegas" allows you the same freedom, but it has more
prompts as to how everything connects. Oh, and it has invisible walls
that sometimes prevent you from taking the more obvious route. But
otherwise, if you want a better-paced, more linear adventure, "New
Vegas" isn't going to satisfy your need. It's still a game where you
mostly just bumble about the wasteland taking on random quests and
discovering long-lost dungeons (sorry, "vaults").

>Elden Ring DLC is coming out soon and it seems many people have started
>playing again to hone their skills, which means co-op is probably
>flourishing again, so I'm tempted to go back for that.

I should play this game finally. One day.

On Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:15:55 +0300, Anssi Saari
<anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> wrote:

>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> What Have You Been Playing... IN MAY 2024?

>
>* Mass Effect
>This is from the cheap bundle I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Updated
>graphics but not very impressive. Way better than what an Xbox0 in 2007
>could do and fluid as heck.

I still find even the original game to be quite appealing visually. I
mean, sure, if you look you can see the low-res textures and baked-in
lighting, but in the same way you can look at a well-painted portrait
and complain about how it's not as realistic as a photo. There's
artistry in the originals that still stands out regardless of how old
the game is

(but who am I to talk. I still like some of the pixel-art in some
mid-90s adventure games. I'm obviously easily impressed ;-)

>So I got started, got through the intro mission on Eden Prime and then
>traveled to the Citadel. The Citadel is very pretty so here the GFX
>updates really seem to pay off. All the more important since as I
>recall, the other games in the series didn't feature the Citadel as
>much.
>
>After running around the station and meeting some wonderful people and
>doing some odd jobs, I've put most of my band together and I'm ready to
>get coronated to a Spectre and save the galaxy. Well, almost. I think
>there was some safe to poke into in some office before that... This
>really seems to trigger the completionist in me.

Fortunately, the "Mass Effect" games don't really punish you for
snooping. If you can open it (e.g., if it's an interactable object)
you might as well. Who knows what exciting and valuable treasures
might be inside? ;-)

(Alas, the "Mass Effect" games rarely rewarded you for your
persistence; equipment variety was quite limited and most treasures
were of the "this gun is 3% better than one I already have; that's
good I guess?" variety. Still, finding all the loot is half the fun in
the game. So go open that safe!!!! ;-)