Happy New Year....

Happy New Year!

 

 

Of late I've been trying to keep up with the more Indy-ish and early access games I've got.

Plan B Terraform has been a game in early access but with a plan, a stream of steady updates. No wonder I bought it and 'bought' into it. A game I should play more but the more updates the better.

 

 

Astrox Imperium, another game with a plan and more improvements. Really looking forward to the next video update.

 

 

Open Imperium Galactica(Open IG), a java based remake of the original(still on GoG) has seen some updates that really do make it so much more of a 'modern' game to play. Interesting to see this alternative version in action. 

- https://github.com/akarnokd/open-ig

- https://www.facebook.com/OpenImperiumGalactica/

Splattercatgaming did a video about an in development game Heat Death: Survival Train, that seems to be 'interesting'. That said I've not had a chance to try it's demo with the season/real life and 'what not's'; Least I've installed it.

 

 

Of the games coming in 2024 via gameranx, Top 10 NEW Games of January 2024,  War Hospital looks the most interesting to me; Even if that's interest classified on the more mild side. One to watch but not to 'really' keep an eye on if you know what I mean.

 

 

With the Steam winter sale still ongoing I picked up En Garde! So a bit of fun with that in the new year should be had. At least it's a smaller/shorter game that's on my to-do list, more doable than others.

 

 

The last week my gaming has seen a lot more Mad Max on Xbox. It's open world but not big enough to be waht some would say 'Assassins Creed' intimidating; Especially if you do only as much as is needed for the story line. I've been double downing on a completionist behaviors to clear each map zone; While ignoring other aspects. Not in any perfect way but enough to make sense building up each Stronghold and then moving on to the next. So a game that is open to a variety of playstyles. Mad Max, yeah I'm into it.

 

 

 

 

 

The gameplay loop of kill/collect/clear/progress that's on some terms 'simple'; But complex enough to be enjoyable. Very very doable when mixed with upgrades for Max and the car that make it compelling. At least for me.

Upgrades to Max and the car are all impactful. All upgrades make a difference to gameplay that 'feel good'; Unlike other games where upgrades are more a name/number than an effect. A game where I've no problem getting mobbed by loads of enemies knowing I've a chance to get out alive in style(of a sort). Gameplay as much style as substance.

 

A Casual Carebear Gamer

 

Some of the sights in the wasteland are interesting, it's not all noticeable cookie cutter elements(besides tyre-armchair toilets).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Xbox, Battlefront II's single players campaign is one I've been taking another look at. I enjoyed it on PC so seeing it on Xbox is as I seem to always say, the same but different. 

 

 

Space combat is a pain but the ground FPS gameplay is fun. Very Star Wars fun. I may not play it more than a few missions but enjoyment all the same. Pity the multiplayer is all but dead; In the time it takes to get a proper 'big' match I'd have played some single player and moved on.

 

 

Given the amount of Xbox games I've been playing it's no wonder that a PC game or two should take a 'bit' of a hit to their time. ETS 2 and ATS have been that tradeoff. That said ATS and ETS 2 have seen some minor improvements and gameplay across the board and with the event.  ATS more with the income and player experience leveling due to it.

 

ETS 2 has been much the same. Nice to see the new winter rewards with the old, lots to mix and match with.

 

The wear and tear on parts is definitely a new thing to get used to. Sim is sim after all. Not a real cost concern in ETS 2 as it's very end game

 

 

But ATS is so starter that wear and tear costs on tyres alone is very much a concern("me profits!").

 

 

Dave the Diver has seen some more play due to the crossover. That said I guess I'm in the 'meh' post honeymoon of that newness. It's not profitable enough to skip normal play to get to it. The event isn't nearly often enough to be worth it. I'm thinking to stay the course with normal end game content to earn more profits. 

When the fog happens and the event is on there's time to collect aberrations for the collection.... So there's that angle.

Star Trek Online has seen more of the same gameplay. Dailies and Dil. Dailies for dil and dil for the phoenix prize packs. Keeping a stock of it's tokens for any future store buy's there; With the rest used to get the upgrade tokens. It's all surplus and I'm all about that future proofing. Take advantage now to make whatever tomorrow brings smoother. 

 

 

 

After so much free prize packs, dil conversion to prize packs I'm all out of luck on the xbox version for getting my Breen a Breen Ship. It's just not happening. Luck springs eternal but that RNG has been harsh to me(then again maybe it's not me). 

 

 

 

Instead I've been having my Breen play around with the event ship. Which has continued to be 'fun'.

On PC I've been playing with it as well. But it's proving to be more fun with the pre winter event's reward. The Maelstrom torpedo is a joy to use. So much extra DPS it makes me giggle. Even when using a ship fit slapped together from parts.

I'm looking forward to the event coming to Xbox in the new year so my Breen can slap that torp on his event ship. All just for fun.

 

 

While I'm not usually a multi torp fit player the Maelstrom has opened my eye's; Makes me wonder if two is better than one(two is the max for the Maelstrom?)

 

20 Plex is 20 Plex after all; That said 20 x 5 Million isn't gonna buy a lot of use in this modern market of inflation. But nice to see in the wallet all the same(multiply by number of accounts). Yea my mind is still in a time when T1 Battleships weren't over 200 Million.

Needless to say I've been playing Eve Online. Pottering about as usual. Main's, alts, ship fits and ship spinning.

 

Doing industry with/for my friend is still proving interesting even if I like to be the silent partner/investor. Part of which has been to use a player run refinery or two. Which all brings me to my real point. The newer type of station internals. I'm not a fan of them. To me they are claustrophobic and cluttered. Unclear in viewing the one thing I cam to see.... My ship. Never mind not being able to ship spin......

 

I do like the ship change animation.... See, I don't hate everything!

 

Happy Christmas....

 

It seems that Stadia users have been given an extra breather to convert their controllers to Bluetooth. So users have until the end of December, 2024. Official site for more info.conversion etc... 

Has me wondering if it's worth getting one cheap, just because.

 

Tiny Combat Simulator is getting better and better with each patch. I may be a broken record on this subject but it's really great to see it's ongoing improvements.

 

 

This year Eve Online has done an email stats notification rather than a personalized video. Once again the stats are open to interpretation. Apparently I've spent 90 hours in game on my main. 43 hours with my second main and 46 hours with an alt. All very high, unbelievably high. While I'm sure there's a lot of crossover in shared time between them(two mains on main PC and alt on the side at the same time); It's still a lot more time than I'd have guessed. Which makes me in the top 15% of players spending time in the game. So much open to interpretation. There must be so many Alpha accounts skewing those stats as well. I wonder if being logged in but left on the character select screen also counts as 'time'.

Isk generation is also questionable given my mains 'industry' is in Planetary interaction at a basic level. With my second main transferring isk to my main main. That said my main is in the top 12% of income earners, top 16% of player expenditures and net difference in the top 4%. As the saying goes lies, dámn lies and statistics. If my main is in the top 4% of earners making a profit then the stats are skewed and the top 3% are a colossal number of players earning astronomical sums(life of the 1%).

My main is in the top 65% of systems visited(12) but in the top 23% of gate jumps taken(399), visiting 13 stations putting me in the top 32% of players.

Strangest of all imho, despite all the other stats are the % given to my main for mining and industry. Top 25% of miners with only (just under) 500000 units of ore mined. Top 19% of industry jobs started.with only 31 jobs. If I wasn't helping my friend out on that score I'd have none listed so swings and roundabouts. The majority of eve's industry really is held by an elite top % running it all. Monopoly of monopoly. I'm sure the exponential increase in profits going up the percentages chain would really be extreme to see.

Away from stats I'm really not doing much in the game. Passive income is passive with PI and some minor gameplay in my preferred PvE lifestyle (mission/abyssal running) but not much else at all. I'd not even mention mining; But would mention ship spinning and asset managment. Guess I'm playing more of the game than I thought and every little adds up. 

 

 

 

On Eve related news I saw a tweet about a 6 month roadmap for Vanguard's development/testing.

As is and for the foreseeable the game, it's systems and it's 'gameplay' are of no real interest to me. Ship Skins or plex etc are not doing it for me either be they tiered participation/leader-board rewards. I see those as I see sales being a trap to buy when you didn't want to buy anything. I want an FPS but this FPS is all about CCP and Eve entailment rather than it being an FPS for FPS players. None of the first 5 months listed hold any interest. June's listing of Additional activities and objectives are the small glimmer of hope for something worthwhile being added. Otherwise this big show is not for me. This game is gonna be way more niche than it needs to be. I really miss Dust 514. Given this is a game essentially in early access there should be 'hope' for big changes to develop in 6 months; But those listings in the roadmap are all the same, balance, participation rewards, balance.... And then June gets the 10 seconds of quick talking terms and conditions to cover all the bases and draw out the hopium. Rubs me all the wrong way. They have the game they want to bring and noting is gonna alter their course. Again I won't be diving back in; I'll keep an eye out for good news and see that summer brings. I've said it before but the feeling I get is that this is going to be developed and released without too much more 'big' changes. I'm sure it's gonna be wonderful for a (small?) crowd of sycophants and a few onlooking Eve players golf clapping from the sidelines. Best of luck to all of them.

Speaking of stats, Steam has given it's own yearly player stats update for me.

Given I use the Arc launcher to use Star Trek Online; The appearance of STO on the Steam list never mind as a top entry is a bit puzzling. Maybe I used the Steam version of the game but memory on that is more than a bit fuzzy; I vaguely recall that there may have been an issue with the Arc Launcher not working early last year, so maybe that was it.

The extra stats are interesting; Other than the sheer number of games played it all seems to make sense. Especially with regard to Dave the Diver and Darkest Dungeon.

Speaking of Star Trek Online, life there has been ongoing as usual. The daily, on both PC and Xbox is being done on my Breen themed characters. With other characters returned to their own places after the initial event start shuffle. Mainly Fed to ESD, Jem'Hadar to DSN and Klingons to the shipyard over Qo'noS. Yea I'm as fickle with characters in STO as I am in Eve Online. Characters/placement/ships/factional theme etc etc.... So it's no wonder that my Xbox STO is following the PC version footprint(for the most part).

 

PC

Xbox

 

 

The overall game events besides the Winter Wonderland have popped with sales and in game happenings. Best of which for me and one I've been waiting for on my Xbox Breen, the Phoenix Prize Pack Event started. Unfortunately the gods of random numbers have not granted my efforts with an Epic token reward. Just in case it mattered I gathered all Dil from all characters and reclaimed it on my main who then got more than her fare share of II tokens, but no Epic. This shíz happens. Can't help but feel a little disappointed. I'd really have liked to get the Breen Plesh Tral Heavy Raider; I've used it on my PC Breen from when the ship was a Winter event reward back in the day. 

Gonna have to pause my Xbox Breen's setup/gear and return to getting Dil together for the next PPP event... That at least will 'make' have me playing more of the game in the new year. Using real world cash is not going to happen; Even on PC I've only ever bought the lifetime sub(and one or two charity packs), can't see myself ever getting a lifetime sub on Xbox! My moaning about player interactions(or lack of) aside, I do play the game for enjoyment, so I'm gonna do that.

Posting this on the 24th the rewards ship has been claimed and tested on an alt; I have to say I really like it. A ship with a lot of maneuverability, which I like. I really do enjoy the power-sliding ships. I know a lot don't.

A ship I fitted out with whatever was handy on the alt and it's a mashup of fun; I'll be playing more with it.

 

Testing the ship is also the first time I'm getting to really see the last event reward the Maelstrom Triflouride Torpedo. A real 'omg', 'wtf' moment... This torp is amazing! Why havn't I refit all ships on all characters to have it!!!!! Something to do in the new year!

Of the STO news I'm a fan of the following for information.

MC Stu  -  Winter Event How To

CasualSAB  -  2023 Winter Sales & Events Breakdown

He also did an interesting vid on the coming anniversary event 14th Anniversary Info & Predictions

 

Augmented Dictator Games  -  Tamarian Deep Space Cruiser Combat Review

After my time Splurge on doing the Winter Event on ETS 2; I've been taking it slower on ATS. The event is an easy way to make decent income with the added bonus of a bit more fun than usual. My  ATS setup is so very very starter. While I don't want to get as involved as I am with ETS 2, the urge take advantage of the event is strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Xbox I've been really getting more into Mad Max; My time in game seem to evaporation. Safe to say I'm really into it. It's a game that is undervalued; It's in game systems are basic but with depth. You may only X on a controller to punch but the options you open up with the increase of several leveling systems make for alternative moves and counter moves. All of which 'feel' good in an enjoyable empowerment of your car/character.

 

 

The world isn't as big as other games, but it really makes up for it with character and theme. Not a perfect game but very forgivable. I was a big fan of fury road and this game makes me live it and enjoy it. A much as I'm into it I'm taking my time and doing it slowly. Seems I'm being very methodical and it's proving to be a game where I'm doing/collecting/upgrading all the things!

 

 

Chumbucket is one of the best sidekicks I've seen in a game. His little speeches and one liners are one of the ways the game shines and really put him up there on the sidekick list.

 

A Casual Carebear Gamer

 

 

 

 

Happy Christmas.... Enjoy a good one as much as you can!