End of Feb 2010 Sale

Great deals for this last week of February.  Well I guess March 2010 will bring in the big releases that were delayed but if you're looking for something to play (for cheap) now check out these deals:

Steam and GamersGate has a sale on the Spellforce games.  It's a mix of RTS and RPG in a fantasy world.  The Spellforce 1 games are really cheap like $5 so if you want to try feel free.

Impulse has some interesting deals but too bad the best deal, Battlefield 2, isn't available in my region.  Mount and Blade is just $5 over there and the multiplayer expansion is coming out next month.  Check out the other deals here.

GamersGate has probably my best deal of the week - Batman Arkham Asylum at 60% off - $20.  They also have Majesty 2 and other deals.  I recommend getting Majesty 1 from...

Direct2Drive has a strategy games sale (but not all games are international).  There's Majesty Gold (the first one) at $2.50 which I believe to be better than the 2nd Majesty.  They also have A Farewell to Dragons at 75% off.

Game Detox

I am a video gaming addict and I am undergoing the withdrawal phase.  My mind craves for another hit of the gaming drug.  I need to be immersed in a world that's not real.

My monitor has taken a hit, as I mentioned.  It's probably a driver problem or with my ATI 4770 video card which causes the monitors to die.

Like I mentioned, I'm using a colorblind monitor... red is nearly black and the gamma (even when turned to max) barely shows any light.  In Team Fortress, I feel like I'm walking in dark corridors and can even barely see the stairs in 2Fort.

I'll have a regular one back after a couple of weeks but not gaming feels bad.  You know when you've become addicted when the withdrawal symptoms sets in.  Good thing is that by next week, I'll have Bad Company 2 and that means all out war once my monitor comes.  It's like I"m taking a shot at a different drug to fulfill my addiction.

UBI DRM!

Is it April Fools day already?  Oh wait, thats still more than a month away.  I thought that Ubisoft's new DRM scheme was a joke.  News that the new DRM will require newer games like, Assasin's Creed 2 for the pc, to be always connected to the internet.  The problem lies with that not everyone has a super stable internet connection.  This also adds to the fact that Ubisoft's servers might not be up 100% of the time.

I'm actually fine with this type of DRM if they only maintain it for the first 4 months and drop it all together after that.  The 100% internet connection should automatically save the point where the internet connection was lost and wait for the connection.That way people who want to play the game now, will put up with the DRM.  Later on, when that sort of player goes back, the game is now open to be played offline.

I'm actually thinking that the DRM can be a mechanic in AC2.  If you're not plugged in you can't go in the shoes of Ezio but you can still remain playing as Desmond.  Granted, there won't be much to do as Desmond but hey it's a neat way to tie in DRM and the game world.

Why couldn't Ubi use a simpler DRM scheme like the one that Valve or Stardock is offering?  I was looking forward to AC2 but with this sort of thing, maybe I'll go for other things.

Shattered Horizon

Despite the fact I have a broken monitor (I have to investigate this problem thoroughly), I managed to grab an old CRT monitor to play Shattered Horizon.  Granted this old monitor had really dark reds which were close to black and Shattered Horizon is a pretty dark  game due to it's space setting, I'm not going to comment much on the graphics.  I also have a newfound appreciation on colorblindness as this monitor gives me a mild colorblind feel.

Shattered Horizon is basically a first person shooter for astronauts.  You have full 360 degree movement because there is no gravity.  I think it's a cross playing the alien in Aliens Versus Predator but you have a gun like a marine.  There's only one weapon in the game which works as an assault riffle, melee weapon and sniper riffle.  If you use the scope, it's a sniper rifle which fires 10 bullets at pinpoint accuracy.  If you don't use the scope, you're on assault riffle mode.  If anyone gets in close, you can hit the melee key to have an instant kill.  You also cary 3 types of grenades, a smoke grenade thing, EMP and an impact grenade (I don't remember their exact names).  Each grenade has it's own use, the smoke provides cover, EMP slows enemies and shuts down their electronics and impact blasts enemies away and disorients them.

Cover is one of the most important thing in the game.  It's very difficult to survive if you're caught in the open areas of space.  Considering enemies can come from anywhere, being surrounded by walls helps in protecting yourself.

I think the game looks amazing even with my colorblind monitor.  However, the best part of the game is the sound.  Your space suit transmits sounds and voice chatter through your head so you can hear gun shots and people using their boosters.  There is an option though to turn off the electronics of your suit - making you invisible to detection (people can still see you, and if friendly fire is on, your team might shoot you accidentally).  If your suit is turned off, you have no targeting sensor, radar, thrusters and sound equipment.  The only thing you hear is your heartbeat and the weak sound of your gun if you do fire it.  I also think you can't receive voice commands and radio if you turn off your electronic system.

I've actually reached a total score of 1600+ in around 5+ hours which is pretty good.  I think that most players were just in for the free weekend and aren't that good.  There's actually one player when I entered into the Japan server who was extremely good.  He'd like kill twice the amount that I would kill (and I was the number 1 on the other team).  I later checked the leaderboards and found him to be the number 2 player in the world with like 20,000+ points.

I'd recommend this game though I am not so sure if the player base maintains itself after the sale.   Bad Company 2 is coming out in a week and that will definitely change my mind (and maybe others) in playing it.  It's definitely a unique experience and worth trying if you like it.

Unreal Demos

Damn my title doesn't sound right.  I'm talking about the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) which uses the Unreal 3 engine has been released for a while as a free engine.  I've tried one of the demos, Dungeon Defense, which is a multiplayer action tower defense game.  Basically, it plays like Lock's Quest on the Nintendo DS.  You're defending a crystal from enemy attacks.  You have a character that runs around building towers, after the build phase is done, monsters start pouring in.  You can fire magic bolts against your enemies and continue to build as the monsters start pouring in.  It's quite tough playing it single player as you have to defend multiple sides.  Multiplayer makes this easier as up to 4 players can help you in defending your base.

Another recently released demo is Bounty Arms. I haven't tried this one yet.  It's said to be a platformer - shooter.  It looks really good with it's 2D gameplay with 3d graphics like Trine. Maybe it's like Metal Slug, I'll have to download myself to find out.

I'm very hopeful to see new games come out using this engine.  It isn't a very demanding engine nowadays so most computers can run it.  See more of the games using the Unreal Engine here.

Monitor Blew Up again Sale

Steam has a Shattered Horizon sale which is a space first person shooter.  I think you get to fight in zero-G environments and fly with a jet pack but I won't know cause my monitor has died again.  I was in the process of downloading that stuff too but since I can't play it during the free weekend.  I hope to get in maybe tomorrow after I either get a new monitor or have this one repaired.

GamersGate has a whole slew of MAC games up for sale.  So if you are one of the few MAC gamers who are looking for something new to play - head over to the GamersGate offers page.  MAC gaming is getting far better than it used to a decade ago.

Direct2Drive has a Bionic Commando Rearmed sale.  It's available to most of the world.

Impulse has Tropico 3 up for sale and Sacred 2 but Sacred isn't worldwide so I won't bother linking.

Solium Infernum Recap...

So what happened to my Solium Infernum recaps I mentioned about a week ago.  Well, I'm now in two games of Solium Infernum.  In the first game, hell has frozen over and nothing is happening as the host player is on vacation somewhere.  On my second game, hell is heating up as we have just reached the 10 turn mark.

Similar to the first game, I seem to be in a tight spot.  I'm sandwiched between river and mountains making only 2 ways to get to my strong hold.  My nearest neighbor, a glutton demon like I am have the predicament.  This is probably the first time I'm going to demand tribute from a lord and he gave in.  A few turns later, his legion becomes a super monster with a combination of a praetor and the seat of command.  It was his turn to make demands on my puny legions but I gave in considering that he's just a lord.

Now at turn 10, the lords of hell are on all out demand dealing mode.  Only a couple unclaimed places of power remain (and I still don't have any).  I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve which I can't reveal until I use them...a big surprise happens in turn 12 but I'll tell that story later.

Chaos Rising

The forces of chaos approaches the battlefield.  They are set to hit on the middle of March and another chapter in this Dawn of War begins.  I've gathered a few tidbits of information for this coming war.  First, this is a standalone expansion similar to Opposing Fronts of Company of Heroes.  In multiplayer, the people buying the original Dawn of War 2 gets the new maps, units and game modes except they don't get.  I don't have any info on whether buying the expansion allows you to use the other races except chaos.  I think they would be unlocked though but I haven't confirmed it.  The good thing about this is that I don't have to buy the expansion to play the new modes.  This will also bring in new players so that I won't be fighting people with levels on the 30s.  Second, the new multiplayer game mode is a free for all one.  It's still focuses on capturing points but no one is allied with each other.

I've gone back to start playing the Dawn of War 2 multiplayer but I still don't get decent opponents.  Decent opponent meaning someone my level who won't crush me in 15 minutes.  Well, I guess playing with the best should help me improve but since I don't think I can create a smurf account later on, I'm going to have a really bad record.

I still get crushed by playing against random players.  I bet I would do better if I played maybe during sat or Sunday mornings when most of the US players are going at it.  Hopefully, there will be a couple of new players during that time.  Another big problem with Dawn of War 2 is that there isn't any real build orders or capture orders - it's pretty much a reactionary game.  There isn't much strategy guides as compared to the Company of Heroes guides.  I'll try to make a basic unit guide for the Space Marines once I actually start getting better.

Valentine's Sale

Steam has an awesome sale this weekend.  First off, all Total War games are at 66% off and the complete pack is just $20 bucks.  Next, Mount and Blade, the amazing game I blogged about last year, is at 85% off.  There are more great mods coming out for that game so it's a great deal to buy.  The THQ complete pack is up with all their games at $50 bucks.

Impulse only has the Sworld of the Stars ultimate.  It also has the THQ pack so if you prefer Impulse, go grab it there.  The games are slightly different where Steam has Dawn of War 2 while Impulse has Supreme Commander.  There's also a bunch of casual games up - check the Impulse deals page.

GamersGate has a sale on Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl and a bunch of other games.

Direct2Drive has a valentine sale but since it's not available worldwide..who cares about Fallout 3.

Aliens Versus Predator Demo Impressions

I remember playing the first Aliens Versus Predator (AVP) in LAN with friends.  The first thing we tried was species deathmatch where all players of the same race would work together.  I'd always be a marine with the minigun and I'd find a good place to camp.  I'd automatically spot any aliens or predators coming my way with my motion sensor and just proceed to murder any passer by with a rain of bullets.

The latest AVP reboots the series for a more console centric generation.  Every race move slower except for the alien.  Now, there are stealth and trophy kills for aliens and predators which means they can usually one - hit anyone.  Marines seem to get the short end of the stick with larger and darker environments means bad for humans.  Predator's cloak is far better - there's almost no ghost image anymore so marines can't spot you.

Graphics aren't jaw dropping considering this is but a demo.  I'd love to see how the game will look when it comes out a few weeks from now.

Weekend Sale - 1st week of Feb 2k10

Various games up for sale.  I'll start with Direct2Drive (shocking!) - Overlord 2 is on sale over there and is available worldwide.  It's $10 if you want to go try it out.

Impulse has a Red Faction Pack for sale which has all Red Faction games for 25% off (around $22).   Grab this if you failed to grab the Direct2Drive deal for Red Faction Guerrilla last week.  Another good bundle over there is the Majesty 2 + Majesty bundle.  It's 75% off from the regular price.  Crazy Machines bundle (a rip off on Incredible Machine) is available at $20.  The other two titles on sale are Flatspace and WW2: Time of Wrath.

GamersGate has a whole bunch of Telltale games on sale.  You can get Monkey Island, Wallace and Gromit, Strong Bad and Sam and Max for 10% off.  Space Siege and Bioshock are the two other games of note.

Steam has all the Far Cry games at 50% - check out the Far Cry Complete at $15.00.

What I want in Solium Infernum...

Well, Solium Infernum is a great game though not without flaws.  Here's a list of what I think needs to be added.

1. Colored Tiles.  I want each nation to have their own color which will make looking at the map much easier.  It's not really nice clicking on every tile to see who the owner is.  Though I'm not so familiar with director programing, isn't it similar to just changing a certain hue property in Flash?

2. Improvements with the stat system.  This probably is the hardest thing to implement.  In the manual, it states that your rank determines your starting legion but now in version 1.05, that isn't the case anymore.  Now its just random and I always seem to get the worst end of the stick when it comes to the hellish minions.  Maybe the Martial Skill attribute determines the overall HP and level of the unit and maybe the ranged and melee skill.  Wickedness would then increase the Infernal skill.  I also think that Charisma should replace Martial Skill as the determining factor for the number of armies you can have.  Charisma should also determine the quality value of the tribute given but not the amount of cards.  I think the amount of cards should be tied to a hybrid of the demon rank and your charisma.  Also, the intelligence stat seems to be the most useless one.  Maybe having more intelligence should make your minions level up faster?  Maybe even allow you to cast rituals cheaper.

3. Someway to demand vendetta without going through the council.  Come on, devils have to follow laws?  Is hell filled with lawyers?  I think there should be a way to demand vendetta at someone (at the expense of a higher prestige) without causus belli.  This move should be viewed not to gain prestige but to merely weaken an enemy archfiend.  There could be a risk of being stripped of one's rank or lowering of your own stronghold stats if your vendetta fails making a sudden attack risky.  Also, no prestige will be gained if successful, you only gain the prestige you spent.

4. A way to trade resources and manuscripts (maybe even artifacts,relics, praetors and legions) with each other player.  The initiating person sends a trader to the receiving player on turn 1.  The initiator of the trade presents a list of demands and a offer list.  The receiving player may then give the demands and accept the offer thus having a successful trade in turn 2.  Both players receive a very small amount of prestige on the successful trade.  However, the receiving player may wish to change the demands and offer list, so it sends the trade offer back.  The first person may then accept thus leading to a successful trade or reject the trade altogether on turn 3.  Another thing the receiving player may do is to accept the trade but give less or do not give the demands on turn 2.  This automatically ends the trade, giving player 1 the right to vendetta and player 2 with more resources and a small amount of prestige for the theft.

More Gratuitous Engineering!

I've unlocked a new alien race in Gratuitous Space Battles.  The Rebel faction has ships that are generally faster with their speed bonuses on all their ships.  The default race, the Federation, has hull bonuses meaning your ships HP is much higher.

Engineering Tips:
With testing, I find that the cloaking field is pretty useless as compared to adding another repair bot or even more shields.  Contrary to my last post, enemies can still fire on you (usually just a few lasers) even if you're cloaked.  Enemies generally don't target cloaked ships though but they still can.  Another problem with the cloak is that you can't determine when the ship cloaks.  Sometimes, you're on the offense and your ship cloaks - a waste.  The best time to cloak is when you still have maybe 20% armor left so that your ship can cloak and repair that to full strength though that almost never happens.

EMP modules are the most useful ones in combat.  EMP disables ships from attacking and moving.  Once a ship is disabled, it's basically destroyed.  I'm thinking of adding EMP devices on all my frigates and cruisers.

Slow fighters equals dead fighters.  The best fighters are the ones with extreme speed that weapons can't hit them.  Armor on fighters is kind of a waste unless the it's fighting other fighters.  I've also tried using the Fighter Torpedo weapon which I find to be totally useless.  The torpedoes can't fire inside a cruiser's shields as the the fighter will be too close for the minimum range.  At farther range, the torpedoes will just hit the shields which isn't all good against stronger shields.  Torpedoes also can't hit other fighters (unless they're not moving).

I'm wondering if I can make "waypoint" ships.  These ships are basically empty except for an engine.  There's a horde of fighters in formation with it so once it dies, the fighters go on the attack.  This, I have to test on my next Gratuitous Space Battle.

Gratuitous Space Engineering

I made several mistakes with my last blog post on Gratuitous Space Battles.  I have no idea why I claimed I had 21k points in the survival mode.  I was only 7k I think but now I've reached 15k.  However, I'm now rank 99 (everyone got better I guess).  Except for the top 3 (who have scores of 800k), my goal would be to reach a decent score of 100k.

I tried several new strategies last night.  My first strategy was to have immobile power fortresses with a few long range ships to hit anywhere.  My ships would get overwhelmed once the battle shifts to different sides as an immobile force was easily flanked.  I tried a more slow moving but powerful ships approach.  This brought me my 7k score I mentioned.  It consisted of 3 heavily armored cruisers, 1 fighter carrier cruiser, 2 EMP frigates, 2 laser frigates, 30 fighters and an anti fighter frigate.  Originally, there were more fighters but an anti fighter frigate proved to be more powerful against the fighter swarms that would appear.

Again, once my ships were flanked, my defenses fell.  My ships weren't fast enough to turn to the new direction my enemies were attacking from.  So, it's time for some ship engineering.  I got the cloaking device module recently and I wanted to try that out.  The cloaking device makes your ship untargetable once it's fully cloaked.  The problem with cloaking is that you're ship can't attack and there is a few seconds before cloaking that makes your ship vulnerable.  I loaded the ship up with the best shield and 2 repair bot modules.  It's also my fastest cruiser meant to attack enemy ships and cloak once it takes enough damage.  My first attempt with the new design was a failure as I forgot to add armor to the ship.  My second attempt was pretty successful as it brought me past the 4th wave (giving me the 15k score).  I think I need to tweak the "cautious" order which I gave the ship cause once it hits below 40% life, it just sits at the back doing nothing.

Also, I'm finding fighter carrier style ships to be ineffective sometimes.  Fighters don't seem to last very long to go back and be repaired.  I'll tweak some more before I post my ship listing here.

And for fun, Screenshots!:

Gratuitous Space Battles

Launch the cannons and set maximum thrust speed.  Eight capital cruisers, 6 frigates and 3 fighter squadrons make up my armada.  I've constructed my ships to have the heaviest titanium armor to withstand the heaviest of laser and missile fire.   I stand against an alien invasion of unknown numbers.  Their initial wave was 3 large capital ships and several dozen fighters swarming around in defense. My fleet manages to withstand the onslaught disabling the enemy ships with EMP bursts.  One of my heavily armed laser frigates goes down in the initial assault.  After destroying the capital ships, mass alien fighters come out and swarm my cruisers.  I brought along an anti-fighter frigate for the sole purpose of taking out fighter swarms.  I equipped it with 2 anti fighter missile pods and a fast firing pulse laser.

The second wave came from below.  Our ships were fine and was able to bring their weapons towards the new targets.  Enemy fighters manage to take out my EMP frigates and 2 cruisers though my anti fighter frigate manage to wipe them all out.  After taking the 3 enemy cruisers, a new wave came from above.  3 cruisers started moving towards my unprepared ships.  They take out my remaining frigates and a couple of cruisers.  I still have a couple of fighters still flying around and they seem to be the ones doing the best damage.  I only have 1 badly damaged cruiser after surviving the third wave.

My ships manage to reach the fourth wave - an all side attack.  One alien cruiser for each side of the map and my cruiser could barely move or fire it's missiles.  Laser fire finish off my last ship and I come out 91 in the world rankings of the survival mode of Gratuitous Space Battles.  A score of 21,000 is child's play compared to the 100k plus scores of the top players.

Gratuitous Space Battles is about designing ships, setting their orders and having them battle it out with an alien fleet.  I've designed ships with really long range backed up by ships that have really tough armor and shields but don't have any engines to move.  I'll try to post a strategy guide on the first survival map if I ever reach a higher ranking and score.  Ship combinations need a bit of trial and error to find the best combat fleet against certain situations.  If another space battle sale pops up, I recommend strategy lovers to go grab this one up.