Another freebie for the list, Bethesda is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original Fallout by giving it away for free on Steam.
Claim it before the offer expires at midnight 'Pacific Time' September 30.
Not a game I might play but one I did see being played recently, which mentions the need for some mods that make the game play 'properly'.... As true a Bethesda game as there ever was so.
The Skant Uniform options were bringing some fun looks to characters in game. The usual gathering spots like the bank, exchange and ship vendors where all hubs for gamers showing off what they got.
The free shuttle was also a nice touch.
But I doubt I'll have much use for the Worf rewards.
While I don't have much interest in the skant uniforms I was reminded about some other items I tried out. The Star Trek 2 Khan Outfit was a change....
While I've not had a chance yet to try the new Featured Episode: "Melting Pot", I've been having good results with the current weekend event.
I wasn't expecting this news, I'd heard nothing about the previous years of campaigning for it. A Commodore 64 Mini!
PCGamer and Gizmodo gave their take on it and it all sounds good.
I'm optimistic that the mini (and later a full size?!?! version) will be worthy of the nostalgia. The fact they are also doing a handheld version (very far in the pipeline) is very interesting.
Of the games listed there are a few that brought back memories. Cosmic Causeway, Herobotix & Nebuluswere games I put time into, to name a few.
As the hardware is still a work in progress I hope they allow for an SD card so that user roms can be loaded. It's a long shot but if that were to happen I'd pre order the pre orders, pre order.
And halfway through levelling the damage of the Tier gifted sniper rifle.
It was nice to hear some sound news from Carbon Meister that Ghost Wars (PvP mode) will be a free update to the base game. It's a move that makes sense but some game companies can lack common sense when they see the potential for cash.
Today's patch includes the 30th Anniversary items. Unfortunately the Romulans loose out again, even if you have sided with the Federation.
A Type-7 Shuttle and Skant Uniforms will be free on the C-Store. And the TNG 25th Anniversary event will be resurrected.
I finally got my Romulan character on the go. Levelling up to a point where her ship now looks like a proper warbird.
My placeholder Temporal Agent (tactical) looks good in the new Discovery Uniform. Even if the boots, gloves and visor are not from Discovery. I think it's a good mix that works well....
Maybe I should lighten up from the Men in Black trend I've been putting them all in......
For me the less interesting would be a quick look at Gone Home & ignore Rayman 3.
I'd be more interested in a short play of MoH:Airborn but I doubt I'll spend any great time with it.
The best game of the month for me is The Turing Test.
Free is free and I'll be adding them all to the collection vault.
Season 4 week 2 community challenges really are about difficulty for the sake of difficulty. It's a form of out gaming the game, I get that. Like the Narco road DLC it's all about the style points, and I can't be bothered with that. Especially as the reward is just a booster. I dont' really use them and I have enough already to boost the last few tier's. If I can even be bothered with that. This game has worn down my ability to face a grind in a game I love. Not that a reward booster isn't a good thing but I do like the more persistent rewards. If the reward was equal to the challenge we'd be getting some cool gear/items on par with store items.....
I'm just going to plug away at the tier system, maybe peek back every now and again at the Fallen Ghosts DLC. Then quietly retire to my shack on the salt plains.
The last time the event was around I only got to apply two vouchers, this new event will let me complete it.
A reward from the event is the "The Universal Console Reiterative Structural Capacitor", which seems like a very nice 'get out of jail card'. I may have to do this event over a few characters....
In playing more GRW I feel that I've had my fill. It isn't just the grind of Tier 50 to 1 but also the game as a whole. The latest changes to the Season event with player challenges instead of ones from the game designers; makes me feel like they only want minimal involvement with the game now. If they can't be meaningfully interested then neither can I. Maybe I'm just in a pissed off mood.
My short PvP time hasn't prompted me to go back for more so that's a DLC I won't be getting if it's a paid DLC. The first DLC was for me a disappointment, it wasn't in my playstyle. And even the second DLC which I like I find I also can't be bothered completing.
The true source of my "meh" mood is that despite great character customisation, each DLC needs you to create a new character. So my "main" character from the base game campaign wasnt' the character I took into the DLC's; And not the character I'll be doing anything else with outside of the main campaign map. So what is the Tier system really outside of the prestige pounding of enemies that I could already mince at level 30 before the tier system.
It's a DLC/character system that's all over the place and needed better work to streamline.
With my main's "liked" weapons upgraded, I'll work on the tier reward weapon damage upgrades next....
So I'm just doing the weapon upgrades and the tier system because they are there and because I'm a completionist. They are no use to any of the DLC.
I'm starting to cut my losses and close off this chapter of gaming. I'm in a last push to consider it complete. And with my mood right now I'll finish it and never come back. The tipping point will be if they charge for the PvP DLC.
The new space and ground queue's have been detailed and look interesting. I like that the ground version seems to need multiple teams to complete. But that doesn't bode well for it's longevity past initial release. It's hard enough to find normal groups for older content never mind needed two teams.
Time will tell.
In getting my latest sale price Zen rewards, I'm surprised by how fast my my characters are converting more dilithium to Zen. The exchange rate has returned to normal but already I have 400 Zen. With the aim of 1065 for 4 extra character slots. Not that there's a rush for character creation but it is a goal.
It's an ability I wish Eve online had, options to get more than the standard three characters slots.
But Eve's implementation of the SKIN system is what annoys me, it really is a price gouge when compared to Star Trek Online's standard and free ship customisation. Especially considering that STO is thought of as the being worse for it's microtransactions, I have to disagree.
STO v's Eve ship customisation:
STO:
Free ship model style's as well as design patterns to choose.
Free interior you can walk around (other designs can be purchased), ship base material shades and even the window type can be chosen.
And all the colours to choose from...
Eve:
Two tone pre designed look for €10.
Yea Eve is all about getting your cash. That's what gets me, if you want a skin with green accents instead of yellow, €10 more.
The initial thoughts and designs on what ship skins in Eve would be like was very free form.
The dream was real until CCP decided to monetise it.
Considering the PLEX price of Eve skins (for a usual specific two tone design) at a cost of €10 (240plex = 1 SKIN) is really ridiculous. But Eve players are lapping it all up.
It's a pity CCP look at Eve as a cash cow for the here and now despite saying all the blurb about community and the next decade. What happens to a game like Eve that is relying on in game whales, when those whales swim off to spend cash on the likes of Star Citizen when it gets a release.
I was a whale, I payed for plex, collectors editions and the like. CCP steped on me too much enough was enough for me.
STO is free and from a company that uses the game to make money, it isn't their only cash source so they are open to allowing a lot of freebies. Yes STO has a lot of microtransactions but also a lot of way's to pay for those items not just with cash. A lot easier and more lenient than Eve and isk.
CCP in comparison is like Goodfella's. I can't imagine CCP implementing a crew system that allows your characters to put the crew to work and get small amounts of plex daily.
So let me get this right, a hi-sec open encounter with NPC's that web and neut you..... Sounds like a honey trap for hi-sec PvE carebears, no wonder there are so many flashy reds in hi-sec. Gankers are getting some pre trapped prey. Makes me think CCP can go f**k themselves if they call it PvE content.
Week 1 of Season 4 is out and the start of the player suggestion challenges. With the reward being another Tier booster. The community reward was a nice weapon skin that matches well with my co-op character, so it's not all bad.
I set about the challenges last night. The first two challenges are easy enough. Especially from Media Luna Bravo.
Bravo has a SAM site next to it. Easy to bike up the hill, shoot the two guards, or sync shoot them, then C4 the target. Once done, just fast travel back to the Bravo and repeat till complete.
For the second challenge I found it best to do it from the base just north of Bravo, along the river.
The rear of the base by the river allows the perfect entry and the fact the base is split between a main section and a gate section allows you to clear the main section while leaving the gate part.
Clear the main part silently, there is a perfect spot in the middle with an ammo crate and a building that's are perfect. Then "go loud" on the gate section to raise the alert level to 4. Unidad forces will be funnelled in through the town which gives you more control and cover. Call in rebel reinforcements, mortars and distractions to bring all out war to the area and destroy the helicopters as they come until the challenge is complete.
So with two challenges down the next is better done right after completing challenge 2, you just need to turn the HUD off. I however did not do that. Not that it's a challenge not worth doing but I can't be arsed to complete a challenge with no HUD; That's difficult for the sake of difficulty. After dieing three times just for sticking my head up to aim I was done with it. So I exited the game and went to bed. A much better option.
_____PvP_____
Today though I got to try out the Beta of the PvP. I only tried a few matches as there aren't that many people playing (50ish). Most of those that were in the game were of a higher progression than lil'ol level Zero noob me.
The game needs polish and streamlining. There are too many timers, lobby wait, gearing screen wait, match start, in match timer. I do like the gameplay unsurprisingly, it is the same game experience but PvP. Unlike most shooter games that are twitch based it's good so see this slower tactical setup. That's not to say that you dont' need fast reflexes, you do.
As to if I would buy this I dont' know, I like the game but the DLC's have been hit and miss and if the co-op is anything to go by then the PvP population will be whittled down to a small size. So that 6 month's after release as a noob you would join in and meet a wall of steel. That's my impression anyway. It's only been in beta for just over 24 hours and there are already people geared up the wazoo. As with all the DLC you need to create a new character, that's another separation of your previous characters from the newer content, I hate that disconnection.
