Valorian Endymion

While I did knew that I might won´t work with my current video card (GT 430, I am planning to upgrade anyway), much to my surprise, somehow the game is working and I am able to play it, at low, but still quite pretty and playable. Oh, this might help someone: If you did have the save from the Witcher 2 from GoG (like me) and the Witcher 3 from steam you can import the save, just drop it either on Steam\userdate\{userid}\20920\remote or maybe in the my documents\witcher 2\gamesaves (or something like that).

Well Koei just announced that they will bring Nobunaga´s Ambition to the west (https://twitter.com/koeitecmoeurope/status/600280963625701376) and I saw on Polygon that there will be a Cossacks 3 (http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/5/18/8615339/cossacks-3-announcement-release-date-gsc-stalker) Now, while I did only played Cossack very late, when GoG add it to its catalogue, I didn´t like very much, while building regiments was kind fun, control them was almost to hard (they died to easy) and often I did felt that was easier to just keep spamming and throw more and more troops ...but on the other hand I do look foward for Nobunaga´s Ambition. Almost forgot! Beyond Earth is getting a new expansion: http://www.vg247.com/2015/05/18/civilization-beyond-earth-rising-tide-expansion-announced/

Acromage mini-game on Might and Magic VI-VIII was fun. Later 3DO planned (or did) standalone version, but while it as fun as a break on the gameplay, acromage itself isn´t enough for a whole game.

Never said it was perfect. Good points, yeah that sudden -200 opinion was ugly. But, sorry I may not been very clear, when I mean adjustments, I mean not only what could be possible by mods, but in the theory too. Anyway, in my experiences playing, I had both the ugly game breaking situations and the times when kind "worked" (with lots of commas), because I guess much is how the current campaign state is when it unfolds. When it "worked", the campaign was at a point, where there wasn´t much factions left, therefore, the player vs all wasn´t so bad and mod allow me kept my allies, also it created situations, where in order to avoid I had find other ways to face enemies while still building my strenght.

Yeah I do agree about the Realm Divide, because I could see what they where trying to do, to simulate the division between Tokugawa and Mitsunari with vassals going to one side or another, until you had the western and eastern armies, but as you said it was flag rather that a organic system. However, with small adjusts (to make long time allies don´t change sides when the flag goes up) it kind worked and was fun. I am not 100% sure, but I haven´t see a civil war like in Rome 2 in Attila, the closest thing I see as a much smaller scale when a general lost too much loyalty. EU IV, have the advantage of lacking victory conditions, which allow you more room play in different style, like someone ally/vassal. Which I think once Bruce Garyk said, so you don´t have to play going straight toward a victory condition from the very early start llike in civ 5 per exemple.

I do admit that one of my issues with Star Drive is that the atempts of humor and some faction design do kept me at the bay. Also given the size of maps and the large time of play, maybe space 4x should have some kind of armistice/surrender mechanic to avoid the endgame anticlimax situation, where you have nothing elso to do but the "clean up phase" where all you do is facing enemies that simple have no more to challenge you but also are still to spread around which turn the whole thing a busy work. Maybe if a game make that soon as some large power are emerging, smaller ones, will flock to one side or another becoming like vassals/allies, so your end game is showdown between huge power and their allies. Also a victory condition, that make possible to you win as someone vassal would be fun.

After the break when you guys are talking about what to do with a lots of ballons did remind me of this classic article from Cracked: http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-50-creepiest-pieces-romance-advice-ever-published/ One thing, SkiUI creator was retired from modding way before this and it´s mod was in version 4.2 (or more), what happend is that he planned to return and create a new version of SkiUI (5.0) which would be paid. Anyway, yeah, there is certain mods which are essential to others, like FNIS for poses, SKSE for more complex mods, there is another one which expand the menu and so on. That could have caused a lot of problems, but far as I know, none of this authors said anything about turning in paid mods and some said they would kept them free during the whole thing. Maybe they thought that trying that with a already large modding community it could work better, because a in newer one, it might lack enough modders or it could scare them away. But as you said, it worked against it. I think even with a better presentation/share it would not prevent or even predict (in size) the backslash. Which still bring me to The Sims, I think there mods could be sold, don´t know if offical or not, but since most mod there (from memory) are individual assets and not so much overhauls or linked, in theory a paid system could work (or not), since it wouldn´t run in the some same issues like Skyrim.

I can understand that. But at least Uplay is way better that during the time I played Heroes VI, where I would be disconnected at random times or it would remain days without connecting... This days I play only M&M X which I think only use uplay for activation, anyway, I hadn´t a single problem with it. I guess that aside from Heroes VI and M&M X (and maybe Heroes V, but I had retail version, so I can´t say how much linked to Uplay it is and maybe also the Heroes III HD) use uplay. Meanwhile Heroes II, IV and the 6 pack (M&M 1-6) maybe are GoG versions. Just to keep on topic, in case someone like, there is a Star Wars Collection on sale on steam with 70% discount.

Now humble bundle is making a Might and Magic Bundle - https://www.humblebundle.com/ But since I am fan of Might & Magic franchise I do have almost all of them. Still... First tier is good - the 6 pack have the classic rpg titles, I recommend start by M&M 2 and move foward since M&M 1 maybe too much old school, so save it for later. Heroes II is classic and while lot of people look down on Heroes IV isn´t that terrible game, I mean, given the horrible working conditions they had, it´s somewhat good game that maybe tried to change too much stuff which also increased rejection by old fans. Second tier.... not so good, I do like Heroes V but is only worthy if it had all expansions. I do have lots of mixed fellings about Heroes VI, is almost good... but the campaing is terrible unbalanced. Never liked Dark Messiah but I heard that Clash of Heroes is great. Third tier - Heroes III is classic...but the version in the bundle is the HD which isn´t great nor have the expansions. M&M X is good, the first new rpg in the franchise after many years.

Yeah I would agree about the cycles. That part why I think they have more chances with more focused/smaller titles. I too would recommend Shogun 2 with all expansions, you got pretty much everything there, from melee battles to more modern/late napoleonic style battles (Fall of the Samurai). Warhammer will be a trilogy which might be a good sign, because the End of Time event (which the game will be based), from what I read about, is a very large event, I could perfectly see a game trying to cover all of it not working. This reminds me, didn´t XIII Century didn´t also had some people from Medieval 2 original team? In on hand I can see what they tried to do, but overall it was really bad game (mostly due bad map design and too much scripted battles). My fear for Oriental Empire is the too large time frame (which somewhat was what plagued Empire/Rome 2 too large, too many factions), there is simple too much stuff to cover. It might meant a characterless game (which could still work, but miss half of the charm, specially during the period of the Three Kingdoms) or simple a bland/hollow approach to different periods and dynasties. But I do really hope they manage to deliver it.

Depend you mean from large developers? There was a lot of releases last year I guess it take sometime before anything big. But still here is a few things around: There was some talks about how Beyond Earth and Starships will somehow interact. Age of Wonders got it´s next expansion, is pretty good. Oriental Empires was linked in the 4X thread, begin based on Ancient too, I guess, late Medieval China. I kind wish this game to be really good, but I have some questions about it. Pike & Shot did got a expansion (I have to pick up this soon or later). Hearts of Iron IV is coming out this year. There is also a EU IV expansion on the way. There is a lot of space themed (I guess 4x) games coming to steam. About Attila...I don´t think so, Attila did got positive reviews from both players and media, but it I could say, Attila is kind like Napoleon was (even in terms of cycle, I guess it will got the edition tools and a few more dlcs, but no huge expansions but I could be wrong), both might didn´t generate huge buzz but where solid and good games (for all kinds of reasons, If I am not wrong, there was a couple of very large releases close to Attila, meanwhile, Rome II with the Imperial Edition did became good game, unlikely Empire which while did get patchs it didn´t get such huge turnover). Yeah, it is a Standalone.

And in the same day Konami delist itself from stock exchange - http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/27/8503893/konami-delists-itself-from-new-york-stock-exchange This article about is quite interessing about the whole thing about Konami: http://www.twinfinite.net/2015/04/27/konamis-financial-silent-hills-cancelled/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

To be fair, Attila is pretty good (and I mean from day zero), so I am optimistic a bit about Warhammer. It appear to follow, so far, from the limited information a more focused development, and overall CA more focused titles (Napoleon and Shogun, now maybe Attila) where some of their best ones. Empire was a mess, but I kind liked the mess it was. But back on track, Chroma Squad will be out this week, its a tatical strategy game where you lead a super sentai squad (aka Power Rangers).

There is the Sovereignty: Crown of Kings from slitherine, which is on steam on early acess now, I haven´t tried, but it dos look worth to keep on eye on it. http://store.steampowered.com/app/312430/

Since steam is having a Rogue-like sale, can I make a recommendation? One Way Heroics, its a very good game with a amazing catch - you have allways keep moving or the darkness will catch you so you need to think very well before moving because you can´t go back. Its not a very long game which make it a great game to play in short time, but does have lot of options and stuff to unlock in each run.

Star War names not only strange in Italian, in Portuguese (Brazil) they look even more strange or resemble other words (and a few dirty ones), but they didn´t made any changes in localization. I will just leave a classic and clean (almost) exemple: Captain Panaka - It sounds almost like the word "Panaca" which could be (not exactly) translated to english as "dumb"

Well, this isn´t so much on Valve, but one Bethesa too, to be fair it was their idea first, they kind use the concept which Valved had applied to TF2. Maybe they even had heart (or part of it at least) in right direction, they just missed a couple of stuff on the way. I wonder what happen next, not that I expect the end of the world (and mods), because it won´t happen. So far only 18 mods made it (a couple are on waiting list, they remain there for week, and none are, if we can say this, "vital" mods, there isn´t such thing as drama of mass migration would suggest, no nexus won´t die and have two place with mods isn´t the end of the world, didn´t people remember when mods where spread around in gazillions sites?). I made a huge mistake and read some comments around, I don´t think my eyes could roll up more. Anyway, I had enough of this for now (not that I mad just with valve/bethesa, is way more seeing hate stuff around). I still think it could work, but there is a few things that I haven´t thought about: - Most Skyrim mods, with exception of weapon/armor/clothes are very rarely truly independent, major mods really on other mods (like skse which a lot of mods use), even in case of clothes there still the mesh/texture question. This kind make everything more confusing, as a mod might be using something from other. This was kind of problem before, I had my shares of seeing dramas about meshes backin Oblivion. I guess, that if the system continues, majority of paid mods will be either visual (easier to make it independent) - But even with better shares or better conditions, the greatest problem is part of the community behavior and its sense of entitlement toward mods and modder works (and god forbid modders from ever lose interess/have personal issues/other stuff have to leave, they are expect to work 24 hours from now to forever and for free, you might think I make overblow this a bit, but I too once was part of mod team, not for skyrim, and I see this kind of behavior. Even if they say now they want defend mods, I just wonder if some of this people leaving toxic/hate comments ever thanked someone? donated? endorsed? or maybe this are the same people that flood mods with toxic comments because they didn´t like one mod or another and maybe even drive some people away. Do this people even planned to ever use on of this mods? Yes I have see stuff like this happen) - On the other hand there is the question about mods begin stolen, which is another problem, they have this seven day period, where files could be only seen but not downloaded or sold, during this time (and after) they could be takedown, but how well this will work, it´s not sure. - I wonder how much this will or already turned in PR nightmare, which make me curious on what happen next.

From what I have been reading around: - You can even apoint some service providers (such as blender and some player´s communities) to also get a share, if you want. - You can´t give ratings on mods unless you bought them. - Is quite vague about what to do on case o breaking or updates. Still you got a refund (under 24 hours, "The remaining time for an individual item is displayed on the item's Workshop page.") and abuse from it may lead to not begin able to ask for more refunds. - Is upon to each developer/distribuitor to decided if they want allow mods to be sold or not. - Stuff that is copyrighted isn´t allowed, but I am not sure how they will handle that, in the faq "then you may forfeit all earned revenue from the item, may be liable for damages and compensation, and may be banned from future participation in this Workshop or the Steam Community in general." By the way, did The Sims also allow you to sell mods? or mods where begin sold by players? I just asking because I have a vague memory of my brother talking about that.

Really? while I still play the game I lot and do use many mods I did not noticed anything really, but I don´t follow close the community (which I maybe keep doing for now until thing calm down). Wonder if could be because of that or because other things (like the extra space to upload, before this update, there was a limit in file size so larger mods had to be split in parts).

I am curious about that, because it could encourage and help modders in more ambitious and large (or complex) projects, while still give you options (modders still could upload where they want, giving it for free or not), which is great. Also from what I heard you can get refunds, which kills broken mods. But overall, for the average player not much will change, many mods use (and need) Nexus and it´s manager (and other related tools) instead of steamworkshop, while many people will leave it for free, so no apocalipse in the horizon (but expect some drama).

While I am enjoying more exploring around (doing quest, finding stuff) and craft, even game perfromance is much better now (at least is that felt playing now). I do slowly start to feel that a maybe a small issue is that how the game uses the same "channel" to tell but important and vital stuff and not so important lore stuff, which is very easy to ignore and click too fast or simple dismiss by accident, combined with the fact that sometimes characters may run in really important stuff but they don´t really react to it. This kind made worst by all reward begin in small amounts of Power, which you don´t really need and the quanty is so low that won´t help at all. I did enjoyed the Halimshiral part (more spoilers ahead), the outfit you gain and the end is just one of the best so far. But...

That is very true, now Civ kind tried to solve that by having random events in Civ 4, but their event were either meaningless, as such small buff/penalty that you won´t notice or annoying, such the one which you can handle a citiy to another neighbor faction, which not only you had no reason do to it, but it was very easy to accidently give them the city and having to reload again. Paradox games solved that (maybe not perfectly but they did), where as you said the world felt more alive, because everything is much less stable, not ony for you but for the computer too, therefore even playing the same country the way things will unfollow is different. Guys, this Oriental Empires does look interessing. Nice move to go for the historical approach, but I have lot of fear because their timeframe is just too big (1500 BC to 1500 AD) and there is so much stuff to cover that I worry that it might simple lack a sense of character (or even character at all and this might cost somewhat flavor, just remember how one thing that make the Romance of the Three Kingdoms unique is it huge cast of characters) or eveyrthing might felt slight bland (I don´t know if this make sense, but anyone remember how Empire Earth had gazillions of eras, but many of them where bland of felt empty?) or the project just begin over ambitious (now I remember Rob once saying that often wargames try to cover everything). Still I definitly kept this on the radar because it does liook really good. Since we are talking about this, did anyone remember that Gamergate (the website!) had this game Sango 2 (www.gamersgate.com/DD-SANGO2/sango-2) which look like Total War Shogun 1 and Medieval 1 and a bit like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms 11? there is even a Takeda 3 (which is almost like Sango but in Japan) and a Strenght and Honor (which I think cover more the western world on the same engine). Never played or heard much about this games.

I was thinking about the the discussion about that abstract game and how it had theme which almost appear (without at least knowing the context or reason in that case) "forced" in. This kind reminds me about the old saying "just because you can, don´t mean you should". Which I don´t mean a literal way, but, let´s say, as conscious act to think about before you tackle on certain objects, just remember how some games or movies or even cartoons which tried to tackle a subject, but instead of any insight or a meaningful message, all you got was at best a weird pseudo bad psa (which fail to deliver because the whole point got off track) or maybe even kind might be kind offensive to certain people (other day I was listen to the We Have Movies where they talked about a certain episode of Captain Planet, where he tackle the LA Riots...). Overall I think the ideal is figure what kind of game you have and what you could adress that could be tied and work inside it (in sense of theme/subject and game begin one thing or even figuring out that certain subject might not work at all and that there is nothing wrong with that)

Great episode! While the term 4x maybe isn´t very good, I found out that, the fact in this games everyone start with a single to a few units and explore around is good way to keep some distinction. It was already said, that unlike grand strategy games where the world is already habited and much about the game is relationships between powers. In 4x you have this huge empty map with a single/few units, but I believe there is afew more differences: The middle to late problems in gameplay in 4x I think came from both space limitatios (the AI might not have enough space to recover, even in space 4x, where maps are larger, they still constricted by lanes, which mean that factions can be still be keep under control) and victorion conditions (depending of the kind of conditions and how they work the player have no reason to have much allies or let anyone became powerful, also as the player came grow the other side potential danger diminish) and number of players (many 4x games can have not so much factions in comparsion to a grand strategy game, which mean is easier for the player keep everyone in check). This three things might lead to the eventual clean up phase, where there isn´t no longer dangers to the player (they no longer have space or numbers to oppose) no climax or tension. Meanwhile in grand strategy games have the larger space (which mean the AI can came back or new power can step up) higher numbers (the player can´t keep everyone in check) and often intentional lack of victory conditions (which mean the player isn´t forced to put with everybody out of the way or risk losing the game). I loved the part where you guys talked about faction design/concept, so many games could improve on that. I do confess I did loss interess in more that one 4x game do lack or weak faction design (this appear to happen a lot in space themed 4x, where alien designs might be visual good but many times not, their gameplay often, and also, feel flat and hollow, the greatest exemple still MOO3, with things like begins which live inside gas giants, that play exactly as everyone else which often mean they do a lot of stuff which make no sense). On faction design, aside everything already said about Endless Legend, I got to say that Age of Wonders III proves that even using classic troopes, you still can have something that is really good and still feel unique. By the way, Age of Wonders (any of the three games) are really good fantasy 4x, with a few twists, such the maps have already other cities around. I would really like to see this episode about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, while I haven´t played much the strategy titles, so hard to find, lately I see myself turn a Dynasty Warrior fan and really like the story. Talking about it, maybe one thing strategy games could use is have so much character like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and use them well as in the story (to reflect the different generations, height the sense of drama, ect...)

I was rethinking about this and have to agree. Because, meanwhile, Gamesworkshop goes the other way - some factions are, I guess, really meant to be unrelatable like the Dark Eldar, Necrons, Chaos Hordes, Undead ect... and in theory, feel as something alien (I could be wrong, but didn´t the Black Library books had some kind of guideline of all book had to be Space Marine/Imperial Guard PoV, because they which to keep the other factions sense of mistery? I could be really wrong on this) (or maybe is just still a slight left over of 80/90 themes/troopes/aesthetics/feeling).