Thursdays may not spark the same excitement for me as
first-Tuesdays-of-the-month but it's hard not to feel joyful at an
opportunity to add yet-another game to the library. So, fill us with
joyfulness, Epic Games! Tell us what freebie we get today!

This week's consumerist pleasure is:

* Marvel’s Midnight Suns
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
Conceptually, Marvel Comics meets X-COM, except without
the solid gameplay and a lot more monetizations. It's
not a terrible game but the randomization and RNG make
it a lot less fun than it could be, and it lacks the
earth-shattering combats you'd expect from watching
superhumans pummel one another (it's all very flashy, but
in the end your guys don't have much more effect on the
world than do XCOM troops, which feels very limited
and un-comicbooky. And, yeah, there's a lot of MTX. If
you just want some brief spectacle and bombast, it's fine,
but this isn't a game you want to spend a lot of time
with. Shame; it really looks like it could have been
a contender if more effort had been put into making it
a game and not a profit center.

Seven days, as usual. Also: Ha, Epic! You keep trying to make next
week's game a mystery, but Internet sleuths always out you ahead of
time! I wrote this post 24 hours early!

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>
> Thursdays may not spark the same excitement for me as
> first-Tuesdays-of-the-month but it's hard not to feel joyful at an
> opportunity to add yet-another game to the library. So, fill us with
> joyfulness, Epic Games! Tell us what freebie we get today!
>
> This week's consumerist pleasure is:
>
v encoding error?
> * Marvel’s Midnight Suns
> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
> Conceptually, Marvel Comics meets X-COM, except without
> the solid gameplay and a lot more monetizations. It's
> not a terrible game but the randomization and RNG make
> it a lot less fun than it could be, and it lacks the
> earth-shattering combats you'd expect from watching
> superhumans pummel one another (it's all very flashy, but
> in the end your guys don't have much more effect on the
> world than do XCOM troops, which feels very limited
> and un-comicbooky. And, yeah, there's a lot of MTX. If
> you just want some brief spectacle and bombast, it's fine,
> but this isn't a game you want to spend a lot of time
> with. Shame; it really looks like it could have been
> a contender if more effort had been put into making it
> a game and not a profit center.
>
>
> Seven days, as usual. Also: Ha, Epic! You keep trying to make next
> week's game a mystery, but Internet sleuths always out you ahead of
> time! I wrote this post 24 hours early!

Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 6/6/2024 9:20 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> Thursdays may not spark the same excitement for me as
> first-Tuesdays-of-the-month but it's hard not to feel joyful at an
> opportunity to add yet-another game to the library. So, fill us with
> joyfulness, Epic Games! Tell us what freebie we get today!
>
> This week's consumerist pleasure is:
>
> * Marvel’s Midnight Suns
> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
> Conceptually, Marvel Comics meets X-COM, except without
> the solid gameplay and a lot more monetizations. It's
> not a terrible game but the randomization and RNG make
> it a lot less fun than it could be, and it lacks the
> earth-shattering combats you'd expect from watching
> superhumans pummel one another (it's all very flashy, but
> in the end your guys don't have much more effect on the
> world than do XCOM troops, which feels very limited
> and un-comicbooky. And, yeah, there's a lot of MTX. If
> you just want some brief spectacle and bombast, it's fine,
> but this isn't a game you want to spend a lot of time
> with. Shame; it really looks like it could have been
> a contender if more effort had been put into making it
> a game and not a profit center.

Ooh, I got excited! Then I read MTX. Then I read more about it. Meh.
I have it now. The number thanks you Spalls!

--
-Justisaur

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

On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>>
>> Thursdays may not spark the same excitement for me as
>> first-Tuesdays-of-the-month but it's hard not to feel joyful at an
>> opportunity to add yet-another game to the library. So, fill us with
>> joyfulness, Epic Games! Tell us what freebie we get today!
>>
>> This week's consumerist pleasure is:
>>
> v encoding error?
>> * Marvel’s Midnight Suns
>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>> Conceptually, Marvel Comics meets X-COM, except without
>> the solid gameplay and a lot more monetizations. It's
>> not a terrible game but the randomization and RNG make
>> it a lot less fun than it could be, and it lacks the
>> earth-shattering combats you'd expect from watching
>> superhumans pummel one another (it's all very flashy, but
>> in the end your guys don't have much more effect on the
>> world than do XCOM troops, which feels very limited
>> and un-comicbooky. And, yeah, there's a lot of MTX. If
>> you just want some brief spectacle and bombast, it's fine,
>> but this isn't a game you want to spend a lot of time
>> with. Shame; it really looks like it could have been
>> a contender if more effort had been put into making it
>> a game and not a profit center.
>>
>>
>> Seven days, as usual. Also: Ha, Epic! You keep trying to make next
>> week's game a mystery, but Internet sleuths always out you ahead of
>> time! I wrote this post 24 hours early!
>
>
> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.

I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?

Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 12:29 this Saturday (GMT):
> On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>>>
>>> Thursdays may not spark the same excitement for me as
>>> first-Tuesdays-of-the-month but it's hard not to feel joyful at an
>>> opportunity to add yet-another game to the library. So, fill us with
>>> joyfulness, Epic Games! Tell us what freebie we get today!
>>>
>>> This week's consumerist pleasure is:
>>>
>> v encoding error?
>>> * Marvel’s Midnight Suns
>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>>> Conceptually, Marvel Comics meets X-COM, except without
>>> the solid gameplay and a lot more monetizations. It's
>>> not a terrible game but the randomization and RNG make
>>> it a lot less fun than it could be, and it lacks the
>>> earth-shattering combats you'd expect from watching
>>> superhumans pummel one another (it's all very flashy, but
>>> in the end your guys don't have much more effect on the
>>> world than do XCOM troops, which feels very limited
>>> and un-comicbooky. And, yeah, there's a lot of MTX. If
>>> you just want some brief spectacle and bombast, it's fine,
>>> but this isn't a game you want to spend a lot of time
>>> with. Shame; it really looks like it could have been
>>> a contender if more effort had been put into making it
>>> a game and not a profit center.
>>>
>>>
>>> Seven days, as usual. Also: Ha, Epic! You keep trying to make next
>>> week's game a mystery, but Internet sleuths always out you ahead of
>>> time! I wrote this post 24 hours early!
>>
>>
>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
>
> I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?

Was it?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Sat, 8 Jun 2024 14:29:18 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>>> * Marvel?s Midnight Suns
>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns

>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.

>I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?

Yes, back in January of this year. It came with a free "Doctor
Strange" DLC too. I wasn't particularly sanguine about that one
either, but at least it offered a substantial expansion in the form of
the DLC. Which is more than Epic is offering.

I wouldn't really describe "Midnight Suns" as a fighting game, though
(well, not anymore than any game with combat is a 'fighting game').
It's more akin to a tactical-strategy game, like "XCOM", "Jagged
Alliance" or "Phoenix Point". Yes, many of the combat manuevers are
melee attacks (supermen like going hand-to-hand when thumping other
supermen after all) but it's not like you're ordering each uppercut
and kick, Street Fighter-style. It's a game that has a lot of
potential and, in fact, was done quite well with the old "Freedom
Force" titles back in early 2000s. But "Midnight Suns" ruined its
gameplay with -you guessed it- grindy gameplay and lots of MTX.

On Tue, 11 Jun 2024, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

> On Sat, 8 Jun 2024 14:29:18 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>>>> * Marvel?s Midnight Suns
>>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>
>>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
>
>> I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?
>
> Yes, back in January of this year. It came with a free "Doctor
> Strange" DLC too. I wasn't particularly sanguine about that one
> either, but at least it offered a substantial expansion in the form of
> the DLC. Which is more than Epic is offering.
>
> I wouldn't really describe "Midnight Suns" as a fighting game, though
> (well, not anymore than any game with combat is a 'fighting game').
> It's more akin to a tactical-strategy game, like "XCOM", "Jagged
> Alliance" or "Phoenix Point". Yes, many of the combat manuevers are
> melee attacks (supermen like going hand-to-hand when thumping other
> supermen after all) but it's not like you're ordering each uppercut
> and kick, Street Fighter-style. It's a game that has a lot of
> potential and, in fact, was done quite well with the old "Freedom
> Force" titles back in early 2000s. But "Midnight Suns" ruined its
> gameplay with -you guessed it- grindy gameplay and lots of MTX.
>
>
I guess most games would be fighting games if you just put your standards
right. Even chess is technically a big old fighting game between two
groups of bodyguards protecting their respective... uh... target?

Gottfried Neuner <smaug@ereborbbs.duckdns.org> wrote at 22:53 this Tuesday (GMT):
>
>
> On Tue, 11 Jun 2024, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 8 Jun 2024 14:29:18 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this Thursday (GMT):
>>>>> * Marvel?s Midnight Suns
>>>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>>
>>>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
>>
>>> I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?
>>
>> Yes, back in January of this year. It came with a free "Doctor
>> Strange" DLC too. I wasn't particularly sanguine about that one
>> either, but at least it offered a substantial expansion in the form of
>> the DLC. Which is more than Epic is offering.
>>
>> I wouldn't really describe "Midnight Suns" as a fighting game, though
>> (well, not anymore than any game with combat is a 'fighting game').
>> It's more akin to a tactical-strategy game, like "XCOM", "Jagged
>> Alliance" or "Phoenix Point". Yes, many of the combat manuevers are
>> melee attacks (supermen like going hand-to-hand when thumping other
>> supermen after all) but it's not like you're ordering each uppercut
>> and kick, Street Fighter-style. It's a game that has a lot of
>> potential and, in fact, was done quite well with the old "Freedom
>> Force" titles back in early 2000s. But "Midnight Suns" ruined its
>> gameplay with -you guessed it- grindy gameplay and lots of MTX.
>>
>>
> I guess most games would be fighting games if you just put your standards
> right. Even chess is technically a big old fighting game between two
> groups of bodyguards protecting their respective... uh... target?

I always thought chess was about two warring nations trying to
assassinate the other's leader. I mean, why else would there be a King,
Queen, and Knight?

also this is totally just "every game is a puzzle game" but fighting games lol
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:45:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:

> Gottfried Neuner <smaug@ereborbbs.duckdns.org> wrote at 22:53 this
> Tuesday (GMT):
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 11 Jun 2024, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 8 Jun 2024 14:29:18 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>>>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this
>>>>> Thursday (GMT):
>>>>>> * Marvel?s Midnight Suns
>>>>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>>>
>>>>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
>>>
>>>> I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?
>>>
>>> Yes, back in January of this year. It came with a free "Doctor
>>> Strange" DLC too. I wasn't particularly sanguine about that one
>>> either, but at least it offered a substantial expansion in the form of
>>> the DLC. Which is more than Epic is offering.
>>>
>>> I wouldn't really describe "Midnight Suns" as a fighting game, though
>>> (well, not anymore than any game with combat is a 'fighting game').
>>> It's more akin to a tactical-strategy game, like "XCOM", "Jagged
>>> Alliance" or "Phoenix Point". Yes, many of the combat manuevers are
>>> melee attacks (supermen like going hand-to-hand when thumping other
>>> supermen after all) but it's not like you're ordering each uppercut
>>> and kick, Street Fighter-style. It's a game that has a lot of
>>> potential and, in fact, was done quite well with the old "Freedom
>>> Force" titles back in early 2000s. But "Midnight Suns" ruined its
>>> gameplay with -you guessed it- grindy gameplay and lots of MTX.
>>>
>>>
>> I guess most games would be fighting games if you just put your
>> standards right. Even chess is technically a big old fighting game
>> between two groups of bodyguards protecting their respective... uh...
>> target?
>
>
> I always thought chess was about two warring nations trying to
> assassinate the other's leader. I mean, why else would there be a King,
> Queen, and Knight?
>
> also this is totally just "every game is a puzzle game" but fighting
> games lol

was that a meme?

On Tue, 11 Jun 2024 16:10:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:

> Was it?

yeah I remeber the disappointment

kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:08 this Wednesday (GMT):
> On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:45:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:
>
>> Gottfried Neuner <smaug@ereborbbs.duckdns.org> wrote at 22:53 this
>> Tuesday (GMT):
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, 11 Jun 2024, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 8 Jun 2024 14:29:18 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 6/7/2024 8:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
>>>>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 16:20 this
>>>>>> Thursday (GMT):
>>>>>>> * Marvel?s Midnight Suns
>>>>>>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-midnight-suns
>>>>
>>>>>> Well, I don't like fighting games anyway.
>>>>
>>>>> I think it was on Humble just a while ago, wasn't it?
>>>>
>>>> Yes, back in January of this year. It came with a free "Doctor
>>>> Strange" DLC too. I wasn't particularly sanguine about that one
>>>> either, but at least it offered a substantial expansion in the form of
>>>> the DLC. Which is more than Epic is offering.
>>>>
>>>> I wouldn't really describe "Midnight Suns" as a fighting game, though
>>>> (well, not anymore than any game with combat is a 'fighting game').
>>>> It's more akin to a tactical-strategy game, like "XCOM", "Jagged
>>>> Alliance" or "Phoenix Point". Yes, many of the combat manuevers are
>>>> melee attacks (supermen like going hand-to-hand when thumping other
>>>> supermen after all) but it's not like you're ordering each uppercut
>>>> and kick, Street Fighter-style. It's a game that has a lot of
>>>> potential and, in fact, was done quite well with the old "Freedom
>>>> Force" titles back in early 2000s. But "Midnight Suns" ruined its
>>>> gameplay with -you guessed it- grindy gameplay and lots of MTX.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I guess most games would be fighting games if you just put your
>>> standards right. Even chess is technically a big old fighting game
>>> between two groups of bodyguards protecting their respective... uh...
>>> target?
>>
>>
>> I always thought chess was about two warring nations trying to
>> assassinate the other's leader. I mean, why else would there be a King,
>> Queen, and Knight?
>>
>> also this is totally just "every game is a puzzle game" but fighting
>> games lol
>
> was that a meme?

No idea.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:45:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:

>also this is totally just "every game is a puzzle game" but fighting games lol

Or every game is an 'adventure', or a 'simulation' or a 'role-playing
game'. It's about watering down genres until they are worthless
descriptors.

Of course, it doesn't help that so many games these days are
cross-genre titles. It used to be so much easier to pigeon-hole
titles. Now every game has stats, every game has realistic world
design; first-person shooters let you drive cars and fly planes;
strategy games have involved stories and characters; platformers have
crafting. You can assign ten tags to a game and still not have a clear
idea about everything it offers.

Bah humbug, I say! ;-)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:27 this Thursday (GMT):
> On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:45:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
><candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
>
>>also this is totally just "every game is a puzzle game" but fighting games lol
>
> Or every game is an 'adventure', or a 'simulation' or a 'role-playing
> game'. It's about watering down genres until they are worthless
> descriptors.
>
> Of course, it doesn't help that so many games these days are
> cross-genre titles. It used to be so much easier to pigeon-hole
> titles. Now every game has stats, every game has realistic world
> design; first-person shooters let you drive cars and fly planes;
> strategy games have involved stories and characters; platformers have
> crafting. You can assign ten tags to a game and still not have a clear
> idea about everything it offers.
>
> Bah humbug, I say! ;-)

Right, that's what I was thinking of. Of course, you sometimes get the
opposite where small games are so simple that they can only offer one
type of gameplay..
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom