{"id":232,"date":"2016-01-26T01:31:24","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T01:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/morsepower.net\/wp\/?p=232"},"modified":"2016-01-26T01:48:50","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T01:48:50","slug":"whats-keith-playing-jan-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/?p=232","title":{"rendered":"What’s Keith Playing? Jan 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my goal for this year was to write more. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Of course, this means I need something to write about. \u00c2\u00a0Since the games I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m playing tend to change from month to month, I thought this might serve as a good source of brain droppings with which I can litter the internet. \u00c2\u00a0The rules are simple: this is just a list of the stuff I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve played, new or old, this month. \u00c2\u00a0Video and board games both count. \u00c2\u00a0It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily mean these games are great, it just means they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve occupied my time for whatever reason. \u00c2\u00a0Usually the two are correlated.<\/p>\n

So, what have I been playing so far in 2016?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Defense of the Ancients 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Valve Corporation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been so long since I typed out the whole name of that game that it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel natural. \u00c2\u00a0In fact, the Steam listing doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even say it. \u00c2\u00a0It just says “Dota 2.”\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like the acronym turned into it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own word shortly after turning into its own genre.<\/p>\n

This game oscillates between being a source of either joy or blinding frustration<\/i>, as it remains one of the least fun games to lose in the history of multiplayer gaming. \u00c2\u00a0But as a rule, I never play it alone, ever<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0Friends that rage together, stay together.<\/p>\n

I often judge games by the simple boolean metric of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153would I recommend this game to a friend?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00c2\u00a0No. \u00c2\u00a0In this case I would absolutely not<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the most-played game in my Steam library by leaps and bounds. \u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not sure what to make of that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Castles of Burgundy<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
www.shutupandsitdown.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect to like this game as much as I do. \u00c2\u00a0The boards seem daunting and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot of dice rolling. \u00c2\u00a0But it is engaging, easy to learn, and not nearly as random as it looks. \u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a 2-4 player game that actually plays well (and differently) at all player counts. \u00c2\u00a0The fact that it scales well to 2 players is really nice. \u00c2\u00a0Also, every game I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve played has ended with fairly close scores.<\/p>\n

The setting is boring as all hell.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s yet another castle-building game in the middle ages. \u00c2\u00a0Also on the down side is the fact that the game does still involve a fair amount of luck, despite several mechanics that exist specifically to mitigate bad rolls.\u00c2\u00a0 A 4-person game can easily last 3+ hours. \u00c2\u00a0But again, since the games seem to always come out close, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not so bad when the games run long.\u00c2\u00a0 I’d recommend it to fans of tile-placement board games.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mechwarrior: Online<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Piranha Games Inc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This game is getting good<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0It took a long road to get here, with an open beta that went way too long, a store that opened way too soon, and a soft launch with way too many features unimplemented and an unforgiving new user experience. \u00c2\u00a0But the UI is slowly getting better, balance is improving, the community is supportive and helpful, and in the end it is still the best iteration of Mechwarrior multiplayer to date. \u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not regretting my time with this game one bit.<\/p>\n

My main problem is that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m flying solo. \u00c2\u00a0This game works really well with a team, but I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the time to join an organized unit or go hunting for community groups (of which there are plenty), and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to recommend this game to friends because of the steep learning curve.\u00c2\u00a0 So I stomp on alone.\u00c2\u00a0 Ping me if you are interested in playing this game and want a mentor. \u00c2\u00a0At the very least, hey, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s free! \u00c2\u00a0You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got nothing to lose!<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fallout 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fallout_4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Obvious entry is obvious. \u00c2\u00a0I will say this, I am having fun. \u00c2\u00a0The game feels more like Borderlands in the Fallout universe than a proper Fallout entry. \u00c2\u00a0The dialogue system is bad. \u00c2\u00a0The factions are dumb. \u00c2\u00a0The graphics are lackluster. \u00c2\u00a0The story is making increasingly less sense as it goes on. \u00c2\u00a0There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way too much mindless combat. \u00c2\u00a0The UI is bad. \u00c2\u00a0There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no way I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d call this a great game, or game of the year, or any of that.<\/p>\n

But I am having fun<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0And I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop playing. \u00c2\u00a0True to Bethesda\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roots, the amount of content presented to the player is staggering. \u00c2\u00a0The writing and voice acting are actually spot on, to the point where I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind having a voiced character this time around. \u00c2\u00a0The combat feels great, even if there is too much of it. \u00c2\u00a0There are interesting characters and I find myself wanting to know more about them and their world.<\/p>\n

Despite its many flaws, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m having fun, and in the end perhaps that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all that matters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Splendor<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/boardgame\/148228\/splendor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The visceral satisfaction of this game, coupled with its short play time, make it a frequent choice in our board game shelf.<\/p>\n

One downside is that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m starting to see how much of a role chance plays in this game, and how that results in a fairly low skill ceiling. \u00c2\u00a0This is great for new players, but when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been playing for a year and those new players blow you away, you start to wonder.<\/p>\n

I sometimes ponder about the competitive scenes of these board games.\u00c2\u00a0 That is, whether or not they exist and what their play looks like.\u00c2\u00a0 Usually when I’m getting schooled at a video game I watch some replays or Let’s Play footage and get some pointers, but I haven’t really found a good source of board game tips and tricks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Space Engineers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Keen Software House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When describing this game, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve often called it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Minecraft and Kerbal Space Program\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lovechild.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00c2\u00a0That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not really accurate, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s close enough. \u00c2\u00a0You are collecting stuff to make things, but you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in going to space and the laws of physics matter. \u00c2\u00a0While playing this game, I have calculated thrust-to-weight ratios and fuel efficiency metrics for fun<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0I taught myself how to pilot a single-engine gyrocopter because I could<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this game is still in Early Access as an alpha product. \u00c2\u00a0And boy does it show. \u00c2\u00a0Shit has a tendency to just explode for no reason. \u00c2\u00a0The netcode has issues: if Dan and I touch each other, one of us dies instantly. \u00c2\u00a0And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the only early access survival crafting game that isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t available cross-platform.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the dedicated server is Windows-only, which would cripple the multiplayer scene if the broken netcode didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t already do that.<\/p>\n

If this game were stable, and had a Linux dedicated server, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recommend it to every single gamer I know<\/i>. \u00c2\u00a0And the non-gamers, too. \u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that good. \u00c2\u00a0Even without a Linux client (which I do not expect to see happen).<\/p>\n

This next year will make or break this game, and one can only hope the developers will move it out of alpha and focus on performance and stability.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FTL: Faster than Light<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/FTL:_Faster_Than_Light<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do you own a computer? \u00c2\u00a0Do you have a few bucks hanging around in your pocket? \u00c2\u00a0If so, you can and should play this game. \u00c2\u00a0Cross platform, easy to walk away from, addictive and infinitely replayable. \u00c2\u00a0And that awesome damned soundtrack<\/a>. \u00c2\u00a0This is on the list because I still pop it open every now and then and play a Random round.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BattleTech<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Catalyst Game Labs http:\/\/bg.battletech.com\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why yes, I did spend some time playing a tabletop game from the 80s that still has a devoted following. \u00c2\u00a0This game is in a weird place for me. \u00c2\u00a0I own an intro box set but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never played with it. \u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s complex enough that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel comfortable running my own game, and the community is so small that I have trouble finding anybody interested in playing it. \u00c2\u00a0Were it not for a monthly meetup in Boston I probably wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. \u00c2\u00a0But thankfully, that does exist, and it is awesome<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I do wish they would update their miniatures and republish their \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmech spec sheets to be a little more interesting. \u00c2\u00a0This game needs a face lift. \u00c2\u00a0I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tried the Alpha Strike rules yet; maybe they shake things up a bit. \u00c2\u00a0All I know is that between this and MW:O, I find myself wondering just how much \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmech action I can get before I burn out on this franchise. \u00c2\u00a0Hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t happened yet. \u00c2\u00a0Not even close.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about it. \u00c2\u00a0Was this interesting? \u00c2\u00a0Should I do more? \u00c2\u00a0Because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m probably going to<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of my goal for this year was to write more. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Of course, this means I need something to write about. \u00c2\u00a0Since the games I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m playing tend to change from month to month, I thought this might serve as a good source of brain droppings with which I can litter the internet. \u00c2\u00a0The rules are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=232"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}