#Blaugust2022 Day 8 Playing catchup

I can’t believe we’re on Day 24 of Blaugust already and less surprised that I’ve only managed 7 (8 including this) posts so far. It’s not for lack of motivation, but time seems to get away with me and especially this summer, with my garden flourishing and requiring attention daily, my daughter getting ready to enter her senior school, and work ticking over.

Add to that, what little free time I’ve had has been spent dipping into various games, new and old.

Chimeraland

Chimeraland has been a new discovery for me and I’m loving the many aspects that the game offers. My character has hit level forty and after accidentally wandering into a fight against one of the massive ancient creatures and finding some sweet loot, I’m not chasing that particular dragon, literally and figuratively.

Lord of the Rings Online

LOTRO has been calling me back too, with a new update on the horizon, I’ve been trying to arrange my storage over 17+ alts, that in itself a mammoth task, as well as levelling my guardian.

Monster Hunter World

Yesterday I jumped back into another game I haven’t touched in some time, Monster Hunter World. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing so have started from the beginning again and thoroughly enjoyed that too.

Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

On the mobile front, I’ve been playing Lord of the Rings: Rise to War. My server is now entering its fourth season and I’m beginning to wonder if I should continue. It’s one of those games that has become a habit, I don’t get much from it, but it’s there. I don’t participate in the War, but just build and grow. I’m a bit baffled by the adverts I’ve seen for it lately, it looks nothing like the game I’m playing!

What are you playing at the moment?

#Blaugust2022 Day 6 Welcome to Chimeraland

After seeing a couple of posts from other Blaugustians, I decided to check out the latest MMO/Survival/Open-World game, Chimeraland and I have to say, it’s incredibly addictive.

I’ve never been a huge can of the Asian-style of game, I’ve tried a few like Blade and Soul, Black Desert Online and even Genshen Impact (my daughter’s flavour of the month) but none of them have really grabbed me but there’s something about this.

One fairly unique element of the game is the kind of characters you can play. Races are wide ranging, from humans to every animal type you could imagine each with a different look based on age. I rolled a bull.

It has everything, quick and intuitive combat, resource collection, building, questing and crafting. Just when I think I have the systems figured out, I come across even more detail, Life skills for example, allow you to specialise in particular crafts, with advancement points earned through performing a particular activity. Chopping down trees makes you better at it, which then gives points to learn how to get extra materials from a given tree.

I feel there is still a huge amount to learn, having put in about 30 hours so far, but I’m enjoying everything about it so far.

Vampire the Masquerade: Blood Hunt

This game slipped under my radar but was released a couple of days ago and resurrects to the online gaming world, a beloved IP of mine, Vampire the Masquerade. Developer, Sharkmob are at the helm.

Taking on the role of a member of one of the Vampire clans, fighting it out on the streets and rooftops of Prague. It plays as other Blood Royale games made popular by games like H1Z1 and later Player Unknown Battlegrounds. The arena gets small and smaller as gas closes in, killing anything caught in its path, forcing players into a tight space until only one remains. There’s an interesting mechanic where your vampire can feed on civilians for different buffs or even get extra lives, in case you fall foul of a competitor. Of course, get caught and you break the Masquerade and a hunt begins! Feed at your peril

Different play styles come about through choosing different clans with different specializations or archetypes. The Clan gives a particular skill and the archetype gives another couple.

Clan Brujah has two archetypes – Brute and Vandal. Their clan skill allows them to perform a huge leap. The Brute’s passive skill heals up to 50% of their max health when they aren’t being damaged, while their class skill sends out an energy shockwave to block enemy attacks. The Vandal’s passive skill reduces the damage they take from close-ranged attacks from enemies, while their class skill allows them to punch the ground and create a shockwave that sends opponents flying.

Clan Nosferatu (my current personal favourite) has two archetypes – Prowler and Saboteur. This has class skills that allow them to turn invisible for a few seconds. The Prowler’s passive shows a red trail in the air that only they can see, which leads to other players that have been wounded. Their class skill creates bats that reveal the position of enemies nearby and shows their outline through walls. The Saboteur’s passive skill allows them to turn semi-invisible after crouching, while their class skill allows them to create a poison gas mine that damages over time.

Clan Toreador has two archetypes – Muse and Siren. Their clan skill allows them to project a fake image ahead of them, which they can perform a short-range teleport to, or use as a feint. The Muse’s passive skill refreshes their active cooldowns, allowing them to use their class abilities straight away, while their technical skill acts as a healing regeneration aura that restores themself and allies. The Siren’s passive skill allows them to charm mortals on the map, making it easier to feed on them. Their class skill can temporarily blind opponents, leaving them helpless.

My Nosferatu Prowler, ready for a snack

So far it looks pretty good. Bloody, as you’d expect, given the content but this really gives a fresh spin on the Battle Royale genre and represents the IP well.

Blaugust 2021 Day 8 – Back 4 Blood

OK, so time got away with me and I missed a number of days, but I’m going to keep my numbering so at least I can see how many times I posted.

Back in 2008 a game-changing game was released on the world, Left 4 Dead, a co-operative shooter where four survivors of a zombie apocalypse survive through scenarios filled with endless waves of zombie hordes. The game was followed a year later by the originally titled “Left 4 Dead 2”, same scenario, different episodes.

I was a big fan of both games, playing them on the Playstation 3. Similar games have launched in recent years, notably Big Shark’s “Warhammer: Vermintide” with a similar idea but set in the Fantasy world of Warhammer Fantasy and instead of zombies, you face the rat-men known as Skaven.

Now Turtle Rock studios, makers of the original Left 4 Dead (as Valve South) and Evolve have created what they describe as a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, entitled Back 4 Blood. Thanks to Discord user, everwake, I got a key for the beta so jumped in over a few days to check it out.

I can definitely say that what little I saw did not disappoint. It has the same feel and general gameplay of the originals, running and gunning through hordes, searching for supplies, special mobs that can take down a disorganised team with ease. In addition, the game has a card system adding extra buffs and you can select from a deck which cards to use based on your play style. Graphics and sound are clearly improved for a modern version.

Obviously being Beta, the game is not completely bug-free yet, but I loved getting into the world and I look forward to its official release.

#Blaugust2019 – New Organised Play Campaign from Chaosium

Call of Cthulhu has been in my life for many years. Whether as fiction; the Cthulhu Mythos being classified a genre unto itself thanks to the work of HP Lovecraft and those that followed or in roleplaying form, the RPG Call of Cthulhu produced by Chaosium is currently in its 7th Edition and is currently having something of a renaissance thanks to its introduction of a one-shot on popular podcast show, Critical Role

I have been running Call of Cthulhu Campaigns in my play by post sites for many years and today I got some exciting news, a new “Organised Play” Campaign is coming later this year. These are designed for GM’s that play publicly to introduce players to the game, often at conventions, and are available to insiders, part of the “Cult of Chaos” – GM’s that apply for this honoured position. I have been playing their last campaign of this nature on Gamer’s Plane – A Time to Harvest and the introduction of another campaign is great news, especially if the quality of the stories are as excellent.

Entitled Flotsam and Jetsam, this campaign is a four-part serial, and introduces the journal, Strange But True! and presumably, the investigators will be employees of the newspaper.

STRANGE BUT TRUE! is a weekly newspaper publishing “true” accounts of the bizarre, the weird, and the frankly unbelievable. Elijah Cleaver, the chief editor and publisher, may have a taste for the outlandish, but he knows that the world is filled with darker secrets than most of his readers could care to imagine. When he can, he uses the resources of his newspaper and its loose network of investigators to uncover the truth and present it to an incredulous readership. Whether or not such investigations result in a publishable story, Cleaver hopes to, at least, make the world a safer place.

H1Z1 Just Survive Update

Although H1Z1 Just Survive, the survival portion of the game by Daybreak Games has been sunset, there may be some good news of the horizon. From an email today:

Dear Survivors,

As we announced back in August, we’ve made the difficult decision to sunset Just Survive on Wednesday, October 24 at 11 a.m. PT. All game servers will be coming offline at that time, and the game will no longer be available for play. For answers to some of your frequently asked questions regarding the Just Survive sunset, please read this article.

While this chapter for Just Survive has come to an end, we are discussing the possibility of allowing our partner and developer of Z1 Battle Royale, NantG Mobile, to bring Just Survive back online and take over development of the game sometime in the future. Should we have further information to share regarding that matter we’ll be sure to inform you accordingly.

Thank you again for the countless hours of fun across Pleasant Valley and Badwater Canyon – we appreciate your support and dedication to Just Survive.

If this happens, I’ll be very happy. Although I haven’t played regularly, I did like to jump in for hours at a time and the base building element was really beginning to grow. I was hoping for a time where servers weren’t continuously wiped and bases would stay put.

Here’s hoping NantG see the sense in bringing the game back to (un)life.

Durin’s Day in LOTRO

So this weekend is the time of Durin’s Day in Lord of the Rings Online and there’s a Deed available if you visit the monument in Erebor where the thrush tapped on the stone on Durin’s Day, when the light of the setting sun revealed the secret door (in The Hobbit) The deed is available until Monday 22nd October, 2018.

I visited on several characters before taking my Captain, Diaspora there and summoned a load of characters to claim the deed (while promoting the Charity LOTRO Twitch stream, currently raising money for Extra Life)

I got this lovely shot on Diaspora, showing the spot and the one place in LOTRO where you see the sun and the moon at the same time.

New World of Darkness game coming soon – Werewolf The Apocalypse

Paris-based video game publisher Focus Home Interactive is pleased to announce its partnership with White Wolf Publishing, license owner of the famous World of Darkness universe (Vampire The Masquerade, Werewolf, Mage Ascension).

The World of Darkness is a gritty vision of our own time. The world’s most devious conspiracies are true. The divide between the rich and the poor is huge and corruption is rife. In the shadows of our declining societies, humans fall victim to supernatural horrors, all struggling for control.

The partnership between Focus Home Interactive and White Wolf Publishing concerns the adaptation in a video game of one of the most acclaimed licenses from the World of Darkness – Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The game will be developed by studio Cyanide (Styx: Master of Shadows, Blood Bowl, Call of Cthulhu). Become a werewolf, known as Garou (from French “Loup-garou” meaning werewolf), immersed in the atmosphere of their shamanistic and tribal world. Garou are Werewolf warriors opposed to urban civilization and supernatural corruption, all heading towards inevitable apocalypse.

“The World of Darkness has always attracted creatives with a strong passion for telling dark and immersive stories. So to work closely with the great talent at Focus Home and Cyanide exploring the savage Werewolves of this universe is an absolutely fantastic experience for us at White Wolf and we are more than excited to see this great and highly relevant IP realized in a video game ,” says Tobias Sjögren, CEO of White Wolf.

“We are pleased to partner with White Wolf to bring Werewolf: The Apocalypse to life in a video game for consoles and PC. We are excited to work on the World of Darkness universe, as this is formidable playground to tell the players a great story. We are also happy to partner with Cyanide Studio in this adventure. They are behind the original wish to adapt this universe, and we are faithful in their ability to create a game that will please both fans of World of Darkness and newcomers,” says Cédric Lagarrigue, President of Focus Home Interactive

More info about this new adaptation of this brutal Werewolf mythology to come at this year’s event in Paris, What’s Next de Focus , on February 1st and 2nd.

Blaugust 2016 Day 13 – Gaming goals for the rest of 2016 and beyond

So with four and a bit months left to go of the year, I have decided I want to make concerted effort to work through some of the games I have started or bought intending to throw myself into. As I don’t currently have an MMO sucking me in, this might be a good time, if I can drag myself away from No Man’s Sky and Diablo 3! I can’t say I’ll get through these by the end of the year, but I’d love to make a start.

Fallout 4 – My aim is to finish the story. I’ve been far too bogged down with base building and need to focus on it. Not too concerned about DLC

Dragon Age : Inquisition – On PS3 so doesn’t appear on my Steam list (and probably why I keep forgetting about it)

Shadows of Mordor – Another PS3 title. Really want to get through the storyline

Batman: Arkham City – PS3 again. Fully intend NOT to buy the more recent Arkham game until I get through this.

BioShock Infinite – I’m a fair way through this but find I only play in short bursts. Really need to get it finished.

Mass Effect 2 and 3 – I played through 1 on the XBox but has started again on the PC to go through the whole story. Currently on 2 but barely into it.

 The Witcher 3 – It’s there, installed and mocking me. Not even started yet but I really want to sit down and play this. That might take up most of 2017.

The Walking Dead Season 2 – I enjoyed season one but never got back to play through the second part

Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Started and really like it

XCom Enemy Unknown – still haven’t finished part one and really want to try part 2

Any suggestions on where to start?

This post is part of Blaugust 2016, an initiative to Blog throughout August. For more information visit the Tales of the Aggronaut Blog

Blaugust 2016 Day 11 No Man’s Sky

It was late at night, several hours after the PC of launch of a game I have anticipated for years, No Man’s Sky. I had wanted to buy it at launch but started reading reviews to get a feel for any issues that may have occurred, something anyone buying on the first day is aware of. It didn’t look good. Steam reviews were mixed , with 51% being negative, lots of complaints of the game not launching or for those that did get in, terrible lag and stuttering even on high end systems. It didn’t look good for me and my two year old machine with a GTX 555 graphics card.

I checked Twitter and the feed showed the same picture. Huge amounts of people complaining, warning people against wasting their money. I’d had a similar experience with Total War :Warhammer that took ages to get fixed. To add to that, I noticed a friend was playing on Steam so I hit him up and asked him how it was going. Not good came the response, Had been following all the suggested fixes and despite having a fairly high end machine, couldn’t get it to run.

I wished him luck and went to play Diablo 3 as I’ve been doing the last couple of nights but it wouldn’t load. I tried out the Battlefront Star Wars Trial that Origin are offering (first four hours for free, highly recommend it) but after finishing the tutorial, I glanced at my Steam friends list. Now four people playing No Man’s Sky. So I buckled. I bought it, downloaded and started it up.

It loaded first time! And not only that, it ran incredibly smoothly. No lag, no hitching and damn, this game is beautiful! and the sound – just amazing. I was hooked and three hours later, at 2am I got my spaceship to fly to big black. I can’t wait to get back in tonight. Here’s a few screenshots from my first session.

My homeplanet, later renamed Knifesedge Alpha. Stranded with a broken spaceship

View across what is now known as the Knifesedge Badlands

We have liftoff!

A great feeling of achievement when you finally take off

Why does this Space Station AI remind me of Hal 9000?

This post is part of Blaugust 2016, an initiative to Blog throughout August. For more information visit the Tales of the Aggronaut Blog