Another week, just like that....

Another week, just like that....

With Good Old Games (GoG) being DRM free they have always had my interest, but more-so for running older games on modern systems. They are definitely in the lead when it comes to the preservation side of the 'game'. Seems they have a lot more leeway then they thought, maybe the tasks ahead allowing them to 'let' players 'keep' the games they 'own' is too large.... ? It will be if a giant platform that holds a gamer's library goes under. Maybe, maybe not?

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/gog-is-gonna-keep-games-like-new-vegas-running-on-modern-systems-by-itself-using-its-own-devs-to-keep-a-growing-set-of-oldies-going-for-generations-to-come/

The 'dead' game news has had some interesting updates.

While IGN had info about the basics. Ubisoft Hit With Lawsuit for Shutting Down The Crew - IGN Daily Fix;  Accursed Farms had the better and more in-depth info and analysis. 

 

Accursed Farms

 

My game back catalogue has Star Trucker in an 'almost' next to play lineup... I'm glad to see the game get patched and updates(like many others).

Update 1.0.43.0 - Custom Control Mapping

 

 

While I am very much in the Microsoft/Xbox ecosystem I'm glad to hear that Xbox consoles are still going to be 'a thing'. Less so that 'everything' is going to be an Xbox..... Meh, we'll see how this all plays out. But given that their Windows 10 upgrade is for users to get a new PC for Windows 11 I hold out no hope of anything 'good' for users... Everything at a price etc....

This last week has seen my usual 2 MMO's get the usual time/gaming.

 

Eve Online once again is my same'ol, same'ol casual carebear-ish-ness game-play on main's and alt's.

I've moved some scout alts that don't see much use(just no need for them) into a corp on their own..... For no reason than I could. One way or another it really doesn't matter other than for my own lol's.  My r.l. co-corp friend is much the same, doing his own thing, in industry. One day I will get my investments back (in ships)...... But that 12 hour time difference is a killer for co-op. So yea, me my alts and I are doing my thing.

 

 

With the event login goodies 50% done I'm giving 2 alts 10 plex each to use to buy the 7 days in the store to claim the login goodies and with luck the store freebies..... Will see if it works out but at least they will have the login time to claim the rest of the 'event' goodies(Skill Points).

As for Star Trek Online.. News that Earth Space Dock is getting a makeover was initially interesting to me until I saw it was the Picard Season 3 version. A space-dock that looks squat and inelegant. At least when compared to the current movie version... In my view. I've always thought the current look is a good look. 

 

 

 

 

It's all in development and all up in the air until it hits the live system; More than likely early next year with the new 'expansion'. 

I'm all for STO taking the best of the franchise and using it; But dámn, STO does trek better than today's nü trek. STO has done a lot to take what is Trek and expand and improve; They should do the same for any new ESD. From what I've seen of this new ESD (CasualSAB - New Earth Spacedock - First Look) as I've not seen season 3 of Picard(can't get past the first 2 episodes); As detailed as it is, it's an addition to the game that takes more away from the game than adds to it(in my view). I mean the internals have always had a Trek aesthetic not based on any one show, but the external is 'so' movie Trek iconic. Pesky nostalgia getting in the way of modernity.

Anyway. Gameplay has been my usual on PC and Xbox across the dailies and events. The current event on PC, The Feast (https://www.playstartrekonline.com/en/news/article/11572293) has TFO's that are 'easy'; Both ground and space are 99% no brains needed to complete(not just being normal difficulty). For this I've been using the defender semi afk with my wife, fire and forget-esque. Time is not an issue so no need to speed through the ground TFO when the space version will do.

On Xbox the event Dimensional Typhoon is proving to be more interesting with the new TFO, even if I'm still being lazy by doing the Defense of Starbase One instead. Still new is new and the new one with a decent pick up group can still be done fast and well enough. Random is random and mileage varies so for me it's time of day dependent. More and better players at peak times etc....

 

 

 

Like on PC I've used some of the campaign 'free' Lobi to buy some Badgey 'pets' and have the combat variant for my latest mirror character. The character cosmetics not being in the patch don't really matter to me.

Even if the combat pet does no real damage I've found him to be of help cleaning up and picking off small enemies that are usually all over the place in some ground TFO's..... The manner of how he 'is', knife in hand with little boots and the sounds is all hilarious to me.

 

 

Plenty of pets to share, I've no need to sell.... But could do with more account bank slots. Memo to self, next services sale!

The more fleet invites my charecters get to fleets the more things prove fleets are not what a player needs. No random ones decent enough to stay in yet...

 

 

 

 

The only other game to note is South Park the Stick of Truth. A game I played back in the day on PC. Yea 10 years ago! Doesn't seem so long but fk it's been a while. The game is the game, I love it; It's as fun and funny on Xbox now as on PC back then. My cat has taken to watching me play, if not from the couch than face up to the screen..... What ever makes him happy.

 

 

But it's been fun to be back into the game from scratch.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Playing the game on console I can now see how the game was censored. While I'm glad to have played the uncensored game on PC I get why they would change it for certain areas. Less so for all console versions... But yea World War 2 and probing issues etc I do 'get' it. They have to cover their own ásses.

Screenshots from my gameplay footage back in the day...

Current Xbox version.....

 

 

 

Elle Cordova

Ditto....

With one thing or another that pesky real life has again been getting in the way of gaming. Still same'ol same'ol.

 

 

MechWarrior 5 Clans is a bit of a mixed bag. I don't like the way the characters are designed, they can look 'ok' in cut-scenes but do have a lot of a bobble-head vibe to them. 

 

 

There's also a lot of graphical pop-in and texture loading. I'm a clan boi at heart from way back when but this game as much as I like the clans isn't a draw for me. I've hopped in and played the tutorial and first real mission but I've no motivation to do more. In a lot of ways its seems like a worse game than the main Mech 5 game! Controls take a moment to 'get used to' but even then they're not fully intuitive; Especially when in combat.

There have been a lot of gamers saying they don't like the way the characters interact regarding how they talk but to me I'm fine with it. https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Smoke_Jaguar

 

When I think of Mechwarrior games I am constantly thinking about both of the Mech 2 games for gameplay action, thinking of the 3rd games action and mission briefings and the 4th games everything. The 4th game is the real golden age for me; From 4: Vengeance to Black Knight and the pinnacle of 4: Mercenaries. 4: Mercenaries is a game I've spent many many hours on in many many playthrough's over years. I wish GoG would get to sell it! I still have the disks but compatibility is an issue, more of an issue as time goes on.

 

Playing 5: Clans makes me want to go back to the old games. If only I could; But I can more easily get back into the more recent Battletech game. https://store.steampowered.com/app/637090/BATTLETECH/. Epic in it's own right. A game I've poured a lot of time into and blogged a lot about!

Clans is 'just meh'. Maybe I expected too much from the game. Given my dislike for the 5th game; I guess I had hope that this new Clans edition would have included the lessons of the past and been better. Still on my Steam wish-list but it'd have to be really discounted to consider purchasing(or whatever it is a consumer buys via a 'store' these days)......

I was harsh with buying new titles and waiting for sales and deep sales but now with this purchase not a purchase lark it's made me wait worse than I was.....

 

With ETS 2 I'm still pottering away with trucking event items. As well as company/garage management. Both garages that I moved are now very profitable. Both small garages; One has gone from a few k profit to a few 100k and the other which was minus or 0 for a long time is now like the other with a few hundred k profit. Good enough.

 

There was a preview of the upcoming Greek DLC, which should be good.

SCS Software

 

A sale game purchased a while ago and still on my 'longer' term list of games to play, Maneater; I've played it via Xbox Ultimate but wanted it for Steam..... 

 

 

As up in the air as 'ownership' of a purchased game on Steam/other platforms 'is'... I've started to play the game and promptly put it on another ' to play ' list in the 'short-term'.  Too many games not enough time.

 

I really should formalize my 'lists' again.

 

 

 

With all the updates it's compelling to be a part of No Mans Sky; But I always end up in the same loop where I want to play but there's now too much game to play. Still it's nice to see the updates even if I'm really detached(in body if not soul if you know what I mean).  Jason Plays keeps his vid commentary so up beat Big Update Out Today! No Man's Sky Cross Save Update. 

Star Trek Online has seen the usual event dailies. PC has mainly seen my more recent TOS recruit and Xbox the 'pseudo' Mirror universe dude. Pottering all round. Red Alerts being the order of the day on both platforms. I'm looking forward to Q's Winter Wonderland...

 

 

 

Pottering about is much the same on Eve Online. I've no interest in the new expansion/patches etc. Daily Eve life will go on for me much the same. Solo(semi-solo) Casual Carebear life goes on. Mains, alts and more.

 

 

 

 

 

Not much since last time....

Same'ol Same'ol since last time.

Eve Dailies on my main accounts(2), so 6 characters in all; Which isn't all that much extra to do on them as I'd be doing the P.I./Industry anyway. Faffing about with whatever character and activities seem to take my fancy at the time. From asset management, ship refits etc etc. 

 

 

Still I've got the bigger picture to keep working on as well as I've so many characters spread out over large areas of space. With hefty sides of Skill queue management. The game/game launcher is still having 'issues'...

Star Trek Online is much the same as Eve in regard to doing dailies/events, ship fits and character management. Far less work on Xbox than on PC but all ongoing. It's 'nice' to revisit an alt after a period of time away; Look at ships/fits etc and rejig to be better given more knowledge/experience or taste.. All part of the fun in both games.

 

For Eve I've more ship spinning faff in Gal space and with STO it's on console with my sudo-mirror universe character in his Nova. A ship that exceeds my expectations. Great little ship.

The Red Alert in STO on console went on until I mentioned it here and then they took it away.... Then it came back for a day as I could claim a reward..... Then it went away again.... So strange does happen.

1st of Nov

 

All said the Red Alerts are back on all platforms from November 7th to November 14th.... I'm sure the Winter Wonderland will be on soon enough after that.........
 

Both PC and console have the ongoing Halloween event as of now. I'm still baffled by the lack of player 'understanding' with regard to 'tactics' etc... Pick Up Groups are Pick Up Groups..... But still fun to be had with the event.

 

Staying with STO on console, my new character is still getting a lot of random Fleet invites, nothing strange about that; But the fleets themselves.... Less casual co-operation and more forced labour/extortion etc.... Even fleets that offer 'help' to players seem high pressure....

But then again I'm a casual carebear so each to their own. The broader player-base will shift and move the social experience. Just seems to be 'getting worse'. No wonder I like the consistency of being solo. For now it's a case of join fleet, check terms and conditions, leave fleet....

Mandragora has a demo out worth playing. A great looking game which has given me a lot of interest to see more. Not as fast paced as the likes of Deadcells(in an Elden Ring kind of way) but still of interest after having played it.

Euro Truck Sim 2 has been of ongoing fun as well. Even with the event personal goals done. Seems the Community goals are near.

 

 

I've been using the event to continue my 'faffing' about with garages/trucks/trailers and drivers.

Moving two less efficient garages to what should be more 'lucrative' positions. Time will tell. Time like using the event to 'just' truck..... With new DLC 'due' I think I'm open to a new personal garage and truck line setup....

 

 

 

Gaming goes on....