C&C....

Speak of the devil.....


https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/14/18095301/command-conquer-remastered-red-alert-ea-petroglyph

Battlefield 1....

Mediocre, the last few nights of matches could best be described as mediocre.....

It's been more about the little victories. This was a good moment for me:

Eve Online....

The "expansion" (really an 'just' an update), makes the game look even better than it was previously. I'm really liking the new stargates. The Quality of life improvements are always good and welcome. But that new tracking system would have been so much better if it had previous data to draw on. 

It's more than a little patronising to get an exploration congratulations message for jumping a few systems. Never mind one of my alt characters who was hauling 22 jumps and got a list of pings as he went. 

Just for jumping systems/regions..... 

It's a system that's going to get annoying fast the more active you are.

Command and Conquers Rivals...

Interesting review from Izzy Nobre. Yea that 'games' broad C&C theme still doesn't do anything for me as a fan of the franchise. I didn't take the initial release well. I still don't want to play it.

BF1....

It's the little moments that add so much to a match....

A Casual Carebear

Everspace....

I'm soo rusty at this game now.

Wait in a system too long, trying to gather resources and Everspace enters it's Star Trek like Kobayashi Maru mode. I did, it happened and I did not pass the test....

BF1....

Been a while since I looked up details about streaming etc but only getting around to testing it out in the last week or so. Not sure if I can ever do a 'scheduled' stream; A schedule seems forced, I don't want to play a game forcibly.... Even doing it with no commentary. Although with me playing BF1 that's probably a good thing; The profanity I tend to spew would not be good. Then again that's considered entertainment to some.....

It wasn't a good night of matches, gave as good as I got most of the time; But it tended to go downhill overall.

There were some enjoyable "return the favour" moments....

Unfortunately I didn't save the footage after streaming so all I ended up with was the automatic upload. Which on download was of poorer quality, but for a short edit like the "sniper revenge" clips it'll do..... Lessons learned on all fronts.

STO....

It's been a while since I undocked some characters. My Federation aligned Romulan for instance, hasn't seen space since the grind for the Bajoran Interceptor. A ship and a module set that made for a nice base to get her sorted; Rather than plonking her into the usual ship and mashing together a fit that would "do". The reason for this undocking, like the majority of my other captains tonight was to get them to Drozana station to see what else they can use from the Phoenix pack vendor. It's a handy happenstance when the vendor is available, he acts as an item catchup. 

If it wasn't for the "event's" daily "quest" to pick up the mission and then hand it straight back to him for a free prize voucher; There wouldn't be any reason to visit him. But the vendor is a nice way of interacting with the universe. A free prize voucher box is a free prize voucher box...... *Rubs hands together like a greedy Ferengi*. 

Besides, the current "event's" daily this time round seems to also reward you with a free admiralty version of The Phoenix. I'll pick another captain or two to get that as well.....

My trip to Drozana saw me cross path's with another ship in space. One that I found interesting. Modified and cosmetically changed but a Sovereign class(I'd guess?) Eye catching while not overly gaudy. Very nice. My interceptor looks so small next to it.

I'd forgotten that I'd altered a far flung Federation captain into actually using the best Federation ship with Phaser based technology....

.... Maybe not such a good idea.....

Fallout 4....

With all the latest buzz and kerfuffle about Fallout 76, I took another walk back into Fallout 4.

For 76, I've mainly been watching a playthrough and I'd have liked it as a single player game; But sharing all those materials with others is an added level of hassle I wouldn't want. Never mind asshats just being asshats. You know the type.... jumping everywhere around you, shooting everything in the hopes you'll PvP with them. Pish off!

So what have I been doing in my Fallout 4 universe's. Well, faffin about. Enjoying the game by just being in the game. I'm on Day 5 of my save game revisits. I now know I shouldn't have expected this to be a quick revisit. Noticing one thing leads to noticing another and before you know it I'm micromanaging settlements, readjusting defenses and being massively over detailed about having my characters setup/base/HQ/gear in a certain way. 

My Main was an experience and discover everything neutral/good doer, siding with the minutemen and railroad. Complex beyond all when adding in the DLC's.

Both my Brotherhood and Institute playthrough's were less complex due to the nature of those organisations. But there was still a lot of leeway as the stories played out to be "complex". Both didn't do a lot with settlements unless it was in their interests(Unlike my main who was the opposite).

I guess I did a lot more akin to roleplay with those than my main.

Take my institute character. Once the game progressed far enough, she cleared all the settlers from Sanctuary initially to Red Rocket but then onto The Castle. Finally keeping Codsworth, X6-88, Ada and Jezebel as sentry guards(and Dogmeat of course). The only character playthrough I used console commands with to alter the game; first to physically move Mama Murphy(left her in red rocket), and second to add in a ton of Nuka World shock collars for companions, because of course she would track her subjects. 

I got that idea when my main started to hand out Pip-boy's form Vault 88 to her companions.... One thing leads to another.

The Institute characters "base" not much changed, just tweaked:

The amount of tweaking of things that don't really matter to gameplay is colossal, on all my saves.

Decisions that only matter the the player and the character via game role-play more so than anything else. 

The fact that I got the game and created things before other DLC came out, necessitating redesigns and makeovers only adds to the "work"; I could spend all day/week doing up posts detailing things never mind what version of change management it was at.... Projects on projects. My past posts do detail a lot.  Enjoyable at the time and even now but such a time sinkhole!

I might just do up another post with my last "mess-about-with" character. I'm not even sure about how to classify that playthrough, neutral /non involvement, maybe...

Some things are universal for playthrough's. Like adjusting the companions looks. 

Or always saving the clean comfy pillow's for my own bed.

Or putting a bowler hat on Codworth.

Or a tux on Piper or Longfellow. And/or arming them with a hilariously large shredder mini-gun....

Outfitting everyone!!! Everywhere!!!!

There is meaning in the madness..... It's better to have settler guards in combat gear, just to help in combat.

Or Mama Murphy in a Hazmat or Space suit.... Just for fun.

I almost forgot about this.

All this and a thousand hours of gameplay..... I think I got my monies worth.

Indoor blacksmith's furnace next to 2 high pressure 200 year old welding tanks.... What could go wrong! In Fallout 4 nothing can go that wrong; But I know there still like that in that save game, still there and not adjusted. Just look at the hose running under the tool chest.... It all needs to be redone...... Nah sod it. Time to let go....

Till next time.

ETS 2....

I spoke too soon!

Congratulations we have done it and good job everyone @SCSsoftware @TruckersFM pic.twitter.com/NhMBAtj4eN

— William Short (@billy_speed) November 9, 2018

ETS 2....

While I've done some larger deliveries to Germany this week it's nowhere near what others seem able to do. That's the great thing about a community effort like this. All in it together.

So close to the end I'm gonna slack off and sleep; I fully expect that this will be done by the time I wake up in the morning......

WoW....

....Classic that is.

The more I see the more I want the option to play....

TheLazyPeon

Eve Online....

So it is a stat counter...... But one that's not retroactive for players; I've lost all interest in that new feature.

https://www.eveonline.com/article/phvrit/introducing-the-activity-tracker

Hitman....

I was leaning towards getting Hitman 2. Mainly by mentally bypassing my problems with the Hitman to Hitman 2 content crossover and treating Hitman 2 as a completely separate standalone game. I was hyping myself about it.

My main gripe was that everything I had unlocked in game 1 would not be available automatically in game 2. I for one do not want to stand at the mirror in the hotel, bouncing coins off the mirror into the pool below hoping that the coin will bounce off a rock onto the other rock and stay in the pool to get an achievement, percentage completion and an unlock etc. etc. So if they are saying I'll have to then F**K that! They can shove it. What has really broken the camels back is that you can get some things free with the crossover pack, but others like the Requiem pack will need to be repurchased. They can double go F**k themselves for that.

Legacy pack details etc: https://www.ioi.dk/hitman-legacy-faq/

I'm sure the game will be great; I'm sure the "remaster" of the first game into he second will be fantastic. But I've spent over 380 hours in the first game excluding faffing about with it's Xbox free stuff. So for all that I don't get anything I worked for and I have to pay for what I already paid for so it appears in the second game. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF**K.

Maybe I'm reading it all wrong but I'm feeling ever more shafted so why even bother with the second game.

I'll pick it all up for €20 in two years time, if it's a game worth getting by then....

Like the Witcher 3 with all it's DLC/content that I've still not played....... Getting close on the to play list....

Phoenix Point....

A game I'm still looking forward to.... Role on it's summer 2019 release.

Phoenix Point

ETS 2....

Aaaaaaallllllmooost theeeeeeeeeeeeere.....

Classic WoW....

With gamers spending some time with the WoW Classic demo it's interesting to see what they think.

BellularGaming's latest on the demo is interesting and I broadly agree with what he's saying.

My nostalgia is strong. I'm happy with what I'm seeing. To even go so far as to say that my nostalgia has boarded the hype train. I guess I'm officially hyped for Classic.

My vision of a vanilla wow experience wasn't always so hyped. Looking back to see where I posted about the meaningless grind of modern wow; And my yearning for vanilla with it's long term more meaningful immersive gameplay(I couldn't see my old post, link me if you do).... I did come across some other old thoughts: https://acasualcarebear.blogspot.com/2016/11/wow.html

Time will tell.

Eve Online....

It's that time again.... A winter "expansion". Onslaught's alterations to the game will be due on the 13th of November (this day next week).

I've not been keeping up with any news/forums or community thoughts on the game so I'm gonna waffle....

From my own perspective I see the usual balance/quality of life changes to both game mechanics(inc. ships) and U.I. to be good. Those changes usually are, as they encompass all players no matter what aspect of the game they call their own. Like the new P.I. compact mode Or the Global search. Admittedly I'm probably going to be confused by the global search because I've spent so much time in game I already know where to look for information.

I do like the new stargate visuals, they look great.

The activity tracker is interesting but a bit pointless. Eve players above all others know what skills and activities they do..... Is this really to be like some sort of self achievement/goal.... list, thingy? That lets you see how you spend your time in game......  Something else players will glance at a few times and ignore....."meh".

New Cyno beacon and jammer, look cool but don't affect me, so meh.

The 2 new Triglavian ships also look cool, but as they are more niche ships they don't really interest me. The destroyer, called the 'Kikimora', may be of greater interest over time as it's the smallest entry into that line of ships. Smaller is usually cheaper in both isk and skills....
The Triglavian ships/tech/weapons and skill books all need a lot more proliferation to justify the costs involved. Right now I don't fancy spending billions on em. And I don't have the time or interest to pursue the Abyssal encounters myself.
Onslaught will allow joint entry to the encounters but ....meh. That kind of social effort, especially in an activity that's hotly sought after can be frustrating in it's own right. If your rolling with a larger crew and they are all in then great. Not for a solo casual carebear.
As for the cruiser encounters regarding the new PvP aspect... No thanks, I'm sure the gankers will love it.

And they call it an expansion...... Bit of a stretch of the definition.

If I can't be bothered to check it out with an Alpha character or two, I'm not going to pay for the game......

ETS 2....

Taking a look to see the latest numbers for the Trade Connections (Germany) Event; One more million to go.

There's something a bit hypnotic in watching the numbers tick up slightly when someone somewhere completes a contract:     https://www.worldoftrucks.com/en/

Not that I'm watching it all the time...

Mobile gaming.....

On a broader note Boogie's latest video does go some way to explain the gaming industry drive to mobile gaming, cash.... of course....

boogie2988

I wonder when Project Nova is going to be ported to it's new home on Mobile....