Minecraft....

It's been about two years since I last blogged about Minecraft. Besides updating the game; I've not done much outside of checking a save after a patch to see compatibility or new content.

While I may not be doing anything new there's still moments of fun to be had. I found an old video from about two years ago that proves that point. It may not be a real sunset(square sun gives it away) but it stopped me in my tracks enough to take notice and hit record.

A Casual Carebear

Minecraft in more ways than one is still the game you make of it.

Dawn of Man....

I've found that I like to enter a holding pattern/pause in technological evolution in my Dawn of Man  gameplay. Specifically the end of the Neolithic tech before the dawn of the copper age. 

The way the game allows you to manage your people in a micromanagement way without the micromanagement is great. Work area's save the game from grind. 

It's interesting/fun and oddly hypnotic to watch the cycles of daily life:

A Casual Carebear

Battlefield 1....

While I was a little doubtful about the level of fun tackling the Sniper class would be; Last night proved me wrong. It seems I've taken to it like a duck to water. Given I've still got room to level my Support class, it makes a good fallback when maps or situations are against being a Sniper. 

A Casual Carebear

Star Trek Online....

Some items for free (until June 2019 - no rush!) for Star Trek Online Xbox version. Even if I don't play this version (level 10 character), free is free.

1 Verdant Terran Sword
3 Research and Development Packs
1 Small XP Boost

BF 1....

I was about a year late to the game but even with the large amount of time I've put in I've not been the most productive. But I'm unlocking a lot more these day's. I'm really happy with where my Assault and Medic class loadouts are at. Both level 50's.

Assault:
Annihilator Trench(close range) or the Hellriegel 1915 Factory(Medium range)
Hellfighter M1911
AT Grenade
AT Rocket Gun or AT Mine(depends on the map)
Gas grenade
Welsh Blade
(I've been ignoring a lot of the shotgun unlocks)

Medic:
Mondragón Sniper
Hellfighter M1911
Medical Crate
Medical Syringe
Gas grenade
Welsh Blade
(I've been ignoring a lot of the other self loading rifles)

For all the loadouts I've chosen the Welsh Blade; I think it's needed for a 5 kill in one round unlock of something but I can't remember what it was for ....... Another Melee weapon maybe.....

Also all have the Flak/Cover/Quick Regen bonus's equipped.

For the support class I have 4 (main) weapons left to unlock. Two are outside the odds(and my playstyle) so I'm not going to attempt them. For those two I'd need a level 10 pilot for the M1911 Extended and 40 kills with the FT light tank for the C93 Carbine. Maybe that last one might be doable but I'm in no way pushed about it. The other two are:

The Parabellum MG14/17 Low Weight, which needs 2 airplane kills with LMG's and 20 kills with the mortar airburst(already completed). Very luck and circumstance based.

And the Huot Automatic Optical; Which needs 300 kills with the Huot Automatic and 25 kills with limpet charges(which unlike dynamite, explodes on it's own after a few seconds). Even more luck and situation based PITA.

Both of those unlocks really need a lot of luck. The more I think about it the more I know I'm leaning towards ignoring them. To do them just for the sake of getting an unlock I wont' use. I think I can call the Support class 'done'. I'm happy with the Support 'final' loadout:

Support:
Lewis Gun Suppressive(med to long range ish), BAR Storm(close range ish), Perino Model 1908 Low Weight (Long range ish or sheer bullet hose against planes). Honourable mentions for the M1917 MG Low Weight and the Burton LMR Trench. LOTS to like on this class. LOTS of options.And maybe the IMG 08/18 Low Weight but it's a temperamental beast to handle re ammo/cooling etc. All situational in use.
Hellfighter M1911
Ammo Crate
Mortar - HE
Incendiary Grenade
Welsh Blade

And again with the Flak/Cover/Quick Regen bonus's.

As the class is level 25 there are 25 more levels to go for "max" level not that that's anything more than prestige....

Think I might move on to the Sniper class next....

Dawn of Man....

Dawn of Man had been a game that didn't really snag my attention. My wife on the other hand put it on her wishlist as soon as she saw the trailer last year. The game is from the same developers as Planetbase. While it has a lot of interface similarities it 'feels' like a better game. I think its best to describe it as a cross between Planetbase(modular game mechanics and ease of use) and the look and feel of Banished(a game that was too harsh for me), both games my wife loves. DoM has just been released and both Steam & GoG have -15% off the price. After a weekend of my wife plugging away with it I ended up getting it as well.

Long story short, if you like either Planetbase or Banished and don't mind going back in time to game in the stone age for 10,000 years. It's an easy game to get into and well worth it from what I've seen.

Here's the tutorial level I played:

A Casual Carebear

Battlefield 1....

A Casual Carebear

Hitman 2....

Legacy Bangkok is progressing well; I'm about halfway through the main mission and I've completed the escalation.

I'm not looking forward to two of the hardest parts.

Tuppence a wish, a 'coin trick' special from hell and Slam Dunk, the body cannon shoot without a cannon. That last one being the only challenge remaining from The Source, the Bangkok night rework.

I've tried a few times in a lot of variations of fire extinguishers and explosives but it's at a point where I need to walk away before I slam the keyboard.

A Casual Carebear

I'll potter around with the rest of the challenges until I've whittled them down to the more difficult, quirky or luck based challenges......

GRW....

That is cool(and more like it):

Carbon Meister

GRW....

I'm no fan of the Division games, so mixing in it's story-line with Ghost Recon is a vast game changer to the universe. One I'm ignoring as much as possible.  However the new "recordings" lead on to a parachute pickup that is claimable. I'm all about the claimable equipment. A bright orange chute with the Division 2 Phoenix logo. I followed the tapes, listened to each and claimed the chute at the end. The story-line is interesting but it's not something that would get me into the game. As for the chute, I used it once after claiming it and went back to the fourth echelon chute. I might switch to the Future Soldier version as it's a cool one as well. Choices, choices....

The chute never to be used again.....

A Casual Carebear

Hitman 2....

I hung around to see what would happen. That was a mistake.

The A.I. is still psychic.... That or blame the newbie!!

A Casual Carebear

GRW....

I thought I read that there was to be a free club 'gift' if you played the game with the release of the latest patch. But I think it has yet to come.... There was however a free claimable gift I didn't' expect there so I picked it up.

Kinda cool.

GRW....

While Ghost Recon has moved on in it's evolution to be more PvP and group PvE based; My interest in the game has wained. I've waffled about all this before. I've completed the campaign with two solo characters, taken one of them to complete the Tier system and the other half way. As for the third co-op/multiplayer only character; He is still stuck about mid way thorough normal levelling. His progress/map looks like an unorganised spaghetti junction. His gear and weapons are a shambles.

I'm well done with this game. Only returning to bring my best two through any special mission/operations like the Predator or Sam. Or like today when a new patch hits and things have been updated/tweaked etc.

I do have an itch to scratch with the new guerrilla mode for my co-op character but he is so under geared and under prepared he would have to be carried through it. And the new mode from what I've read isn't for the under prepared.

Just because the game has nothing new for my preferred gameplay doesn't mean I dislike it or the changes. The game has been improved in so many ways over the last year never mind the previous one. I hope year three brings more.

I'm not a lover of the new main menu screen but I'm sure I could get used to it:

I do love the new compass:

But I really love the new 'heat' map feature, funny to see all the path's taken. Spots in the desert from a heli landing and assault etc:

Games with Gold....

The March list of games is out.

Republic Commando is a great game, I've played it on PC and I'll look forward to playing it again on Xbox.

I've no real interest with PvZ but it might be a game my wife will try as she was massively into the first game. Not sure if she ever got the second......

Metal gear Rising might be of interest, I've a love/hate relationship with Metal Gear games. The first 10 minutes of an iteration of the franchise will be telling for me.

Adventure Time is something I'm not into cartoon or game. It's graphics do look like the cartoon so if your into it you'll be into the game....


Republic Commando!!

Rome Total War....

The joy that RTW gives is both in it's quirkiness as much as it's greatness. Still a fantastic game in my view. A game I've purchased several times as time and operating systems have gone on.  I've waffled about it on and off over before.

Getting back to the game for a quick battle or two saw me reload an older save. It's a fun thing in it's own right to asses what stage a save is in; Especially when you've not seen it in years. This save was from an Armenian late stage campaign(Dark Green).

It looked like I had loaded up a best of the best army on a boat. My guess is that they were going to be headed for Egyptian lands to cause havoc behind the lines. But as I was in this save for some 'relatively quick' fun; I decided to take them to capture Rome and see how long they could hold out. 

Surprisingly the Roman civil war was distracting the factions. So it was easy enough to take Rome and fun to hold out until the Julii got their act together in overwhelming numbers.

I like to sally out from cities I'm defending on the same turn they are besieged. The attackers have nothing to attack walls with that turn and the A.I. does be bewildered. Quirky but true. Sitting ducks. 

Defending two early attacks:

A Casual Carebear

Hitman 2....

I've not felt a need to get back into the Hitman 2 campaign maps. Legacy progress is going well.

A Casual Carebear

GRW....

The last of year 2...... Meh......

Ubisoft North America

Hitman 2....

Great patch notes filled with so much goodness.... Patch 2.14

Tomorrow we'll release Game Update 2.14 💪

We'll have server maintenance for HITMAN 2 starting tomorrow at 11 am UTC and end approximately 14 pm UTC.

During that time, we'll roll out the February game update.

Read about the game update here: https://t.co/0j2ZEHXG7c pic.twitter.com/KX7OPJDuUC

— IO Interactive (@IOInteractive) February 25, 2019

Hitman 2....

Progress in the legacy pack is still feeling fun. Marrakesh is done.

I might even be more accepting of the multi-mission challenges being listed and messing up the stats.

3 locations left to do.

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

A Casual Carebear

BF 1....

The past two weeks has seen a new found try at unlocking some more weapons. Some need very situational matches that don't happen too often. But it all adds variety and motivation to play. 

Best Bits Mashup 3, things that get edited late at night.....

A Casual Carebear