I'll admit it: I never really was that excited about developer
Monolith's offerings. Famous for its "No One Lives Forever" and "FEAR" >franchises, I enjoyed some of their games but never really loved them.
They were interesting but flawed productions; something I'd play
between other, BETTER games. And ever since they were bought out by
Warner Brothers, their games lacked the spirit and originality that
made their earlier titles memorable.
Just for the heck of it, here's Monolith's roster of games. How many
did you play?
* Aliens vs Predator 2 * Blood * Blood II: The Chosen *
Claw * Condemned: Criminal Origins * Condemned 2 * Contrack
JACK * FEAR * FEAR 2 * Get Medieval * * Gotham City Imposters *
Gruntz * Guardians of Middle Earth * Matrix Online * Middle
Earth: Shadow of Mordor * Middle Earth: Shadow of War * No
One Lives Forever * No One Lives Forever 2 * Sanity: Aiken's
Artifact * Shogo: Mobile Armor Division * Tex Atomic's Big
Bot Battles * TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter 2 * Tron 2.0 *
I'll admit it: I never really was that excited about developer
Monolith's offerings. Famous for its "No One Lives Forever" and "FEAR" franchises, I enjoyed some of their games but never really loved them.
They were interesting but flawed productions; something I'd play
between other, BETTER games. And ever since they were bought out by
Warner Brothers, their games lacked the spirit and originality that
made their earlier titles memorable.
Still, they've a long legacy in PC gaming, and (despite being owned by
a mega-corp) still felt like a plucky B-tier developer of the sort
this industry needs a lot more of, so I'm sorry to see them go.
Yup, big daddy Warner Brothers Games has decided to shut down the
studio.*
Then again, it's not like Monolith has been especially prolific. It's
been EIGHT years since Monolith's last game ("Middle Earth: Shadow of
War"), which was a sequel that mostly used the same engine and assets
to its 2014 game. They were working on a "Wonder Woman" game, which I
had absolutely no interest in. They haven't created a new IP since
2005 ("Condemned: Criminal Origins"). Their heyday, when they pushed
out new stuff every couple of years -- "No One Lives Forever",
"Sanity: Aiken's Artifact", "FEAR", "Aliens vs. Predator 2" -- are
more than 20 years behind. So it's not like the industry is really
losing anything precious.
Still... it's sad to see another classic developer fading into
history.
Just for the heck of it, here's Monolith's roster of games. How many
did you play?
* Aliens vs Predator 2 * Blood * Blood II: The Chosen *
Claw * Condemned: Criminal Origins * Condemned 2 * Contrack
JACK * FEAR * FEAR 2 * Get Medieval * * Gotham City Imposters *
Gruntz * Guardians of Middle Earth * Matrix Online * Middle
Earth: Shadow of Mordor * Middle Earth: Shadow of War * No
One Lives Forever * No One Lives Forever 2 * Sanity: Aiken's
Artifact * Shogo: Mobile Armor Division * Tex Atomic's Big
Bot Battles * TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter 2 * Tron 2.0 *
* don't blame me, I'm just reporting what it says here https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/warner-bros-is-closing-monolith-player-first-games-and-wb-san-diego-and-has-cancelled-its-wonder-woman-game/
I'll admit it: I never really was that excited about developer
Monolith's offerings. Famous for its "No One Lives Forever" and "FEAR" franchises, I enjoyed some of their games but never really loved them.
They were interesting but flawed productions; something I'd play
between other, BETTER games. And ever since they were bought out by
Warner Brothers, their games lacked the spirit and originality that
made their earlier titles memorable.
Still, they've a long legacy in PC gaming, and (despite being owned by
a mega-corp) still felt like a plucky B-tier developer of the sort
this industry needs a lot more of, so I'm sorry to see them go.
Yup, big daddy Warner Brothers Games has decided to shut down the
studio.*
Then again, it's not like Monolith has been especially prolific. It's
been EIGHT years since Monolith's last game ("Middle Earth: Shadow of
War"), which was a sequel that mostly used the same engine and assets
to its 2014 game. They were working on a "Wonder Woman" game, which I
had absolutely no interest in. They haven't created a new IP since
2005 ("Condemned: Criminal Origins"). Their heyday, when they pushed
out new stuff every couple of years -- "No One Lives Forever",
"Sanity: Aiken's Artifact", "FEAR", "Aliens vs. Predator 2" -- are
more than 20 years behind. So it's not like the industry is really
losing anything precious.
Still... it's sad to see another classic developer fading into
history.
Just for the heck of it, here's Monolith's roster of games. How many
did you play?
* Aliens vs Predator 2 * Blood * Blood II: The Chosen *
Claw * Condemned: Criminal Origins * Condemned 2 * Contrack
JACK * FEAR * FEAR 2 * Get Medieval * * Gotham City Imposters *
Gruntz * Guardians of Middle Earth * Matrix Online * Middle
Earth: Shadow of Mordor * Middle Earth: Shadow of War * No
One Lives Forever * No One Lives Forever 2 * Sanity: Aiken's
Artifact * Shogo: Mobile Armor Division * Tex Atomic's Big
Bot Battles * TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter 2 * Tron 2.0 *
* don't blame me, I'm just reporting what it says here https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/warner-bros-is-closing-monolith-player-first-games-and-wb-san-diego-and-has-cancelled-its-wonder-woman-game/
On Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:38:04 +0200, Anssi Saari <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
Just for the heck of it, here's Monolith's roster of games. How many
did you play?
* Aliens vs Predator 2 * Blood * Blood II: The Chosen *
Claw * Condemned: Criminal Origins * Condemned 2 * Contrack
JACK * FEAR * FEAR 2 * Get Medieval * * Gotham City Imposters *
Gruntz * Guardians of Middle Earth * Matrix Online * Middle
Earth: Shadow of Mordor * Middle Earth: Shadow of War * No
One Lives Forever * No One Lives Forever 2 * Sanity: Aiken's
Artifact * Shogo: Mobile Armor Division * Tex Atomic's Big
Bot Battles * TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter 2 * Tron 2.0 *
Just three, NOLF, NOLF2 and Shadow of Mordor. I thought NOLF was
brilliant, enough variation that it didn't get boring. One of the first >games where you got stats for hitting different body parts on
enemies. And of course, the crazy tongue-in-cheek Bond-like plot and >locations, including the space station.
Maybe all what was in NOLF done before or better in other games but I >hadn't played that many shooters after Doom and Wolf 3D. And no, the
funny discussions between the guards didn't enter into it. Admittedly, >stealth was just badd and you never had enough of the body disappearing >powder to make a difference.
I remember I became so eager for headshots from playing NOLF it affected
my play in System Shock 2 which absolutely didn't give a damn where you
hit your enemies.
NOLF2 was disappointing and the mediocrity and tedious repetitiveness of >Shadow of Mordor made it a "once and done" game. Still, Gollum's cameo
made for a fun interlude.
However, Shdow of Mordor was a decent Tolkien-related game and I think
it's the only one I've played.... no, wait, there was that graphical
text adventure game "Hobbit" in the early 80s. The kind that slowly drew >the graphics on screen when you changed rooms, I guess there was >insufficient storage for bitmaps back then. Don't remember much, other
than my English at 12 years wasn't really up to playing it.
Not that I'm recommending anything illegal but...
http://nolfrevival.tk/
for those who want to see what NOLF was like (use at your own risk).
Me, I have the original CD-ROMs and period-accurate hardware so I
needn't bother. But it's hard to chastise anyone who goes the above
route when the companies that own the IP are so hostile to the idea of selling the game.
Then again, as I've indicated numerous times before, I don't think
NOLF is really worth the bother. As a historical relic, it's an
interesting diversion; it added a number of twists to the FPS genre
that were quite uncommon for the day (stealth, gizmos, female
protagonist, not being set in space or in WW2, stuff like that). But
most of what made the game so novel and interesting is pretty common
now. And while some of its humor is fun, its presentation works
against it, and a lot of the game just feels OLD. I think a lot of
people who play the game for the first time TODAY won't understand why
it's so beloved, just because its originality is old hat now, leaving
its only its flaws evident.
But judge for yourself. There are always options.
(as for NOLF2, it always felt a bit try-hard in its attempt to top the
first game... but it had its moments. That battle in the cyclone, or
the chase sequence riding a tricycle; they weren't really FUN but they certainly were memorable!)
It seems they were the ones that Didnt Live Forever :>
<groan>
And no, those kinds of games aren't really my thing. I agree that
companies going under sucks usually.
Monolith had a very mixed reputation with its games. Some of their
titles were quite good; others were terrible, and some fall in
between. You never could be sure what you were getting with the
company. But it was definitely not going to be more of the same. They
always did something different.
Take "Blood" for instance. On the face of it, it was just another "Doom-clone" using the "Duke Nukem 3D" engine. Except... it was a
horror game. With a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor...and some unexpected scares... and an unexpectedly deep (for 1990s FPS games) backstory.
Or "Shogo: Mobile Armored Division". It's game-play and visuals were
just awful, but it was a traditional FPS game that was /very/ anime
inspired, and it let you duke it out in giant mechs too (on some
maps).
"No One Lives Forever" --which has been repeatedly mentioned already--
is another example. It had a female protagonist, it had all these
really nifty gimmicks, that same tongue-in-cheek humor, a bunch of
unusual locations and set-pieces. I don't think, its gameplay
mechanically was all that strong but it stood out from every other
game.
Even their lesser known games had their moments. "Claw" was a really well-done mascot-platformer, unfortunately released years after that
sort of game was popular. "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact" was a fun sci-fi
CRPG that I think a lot of people overlooked because marketing focused
so much on Ice T (the rapper) doing the voice-work for the game.
They had their flops too. "Tex Atomic's Big Bot Battles" was a pretty uninteresting robot fighting game, largely intended to cash in on the battle-bots craze. "Blood 2" was just terrible; buggy, poorly
optimized, awful level design... very little about the game was
redeemable. "Gruntz" and "Get Medieval" lacked any real innovation or imagination.
Like I said, you never knew what sort of game you'd get from Monolith.
It might be a classic, like "F.E.A.R."...or it might be bottom-tier
trash like "Blood 2".
On Sat, 01 Mar 2025 03:26:15 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
I enjoyed FEAR 1 game after trying its demo. I never got its sequel
though. :(
"F.E.A.R." had its moments. It was an absolutely gorgeous game for its
time, rivaling many of its contemporaries. It had some honest (if predictible) scares and generally maintained a good atmosphere. The
mechanics of its combat were excellent, with terrific AI, satisfying
gun-play and fun bullet-time. But it wasn't without its faults either;
a lot of the levels dragged on, good chunks of the backstory were
hidden in answering machine messages (which, if you stopped to listen
to them, slowed the game's pace even more) and there was a lack of
variety in level design.
It really was a very uneven experience, with some great highs followed
by a lot of slogging through 'more of the same'. So... a typical
Monolith game. ;-)
"F.E.A.R. 2" was utterly forgettable; its story went nowhere, its
gameplay was simplified for consoles, and it generally didn't do
anything too novel or exciting. It was more for the sake of more. It
didn't really help that the story and setting for the first game
didn't really take to being expanded into a longer tale; all the
additions made to the world just started to feel ludicrous, and this
cost the game a lot of its vaunted atmosphere.
And then there was "F.E.A.R 3" (or "F.3.A.R" if you want to be 100% accurate). But at least that we can't blame on Monolith...
On Wed, 5 Mar 2025 22:20:02 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 15:35 this Saturday (GMT):
On Sat, 01 Mar 2025 03:26:15 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
I enjoyed FEAR 1 game after trying its demo. I never got its sequel >>>though. :(
"F.E.A.R." had its moments. It was an absolutely gorgeous game for its
"F.E.A.R. 2" was utterly forgettable;
And then there was "F.E.A.R 3" (or "F.3.A.R" if you want to be 100%
accurate). But at least that we can't blame on Monolith...
So the rule of sequels has been proven yet again :)
I mean, for me it was. There are some who like 'more of the same', and "F.E.A.R. 2" was the introduction of the franchise to millions more
plays (on account that it was released to console and PCs), and
everybody always remembers their first the most fondly.
Even "F.E.A.R.3" wasn't without its merits; it tried to seamlessly
combine a co-op shooter into its single-player storyline and,
depending on which character you play, you get two different
experiences (I think that game's biggest failing wasn't its mechanics
so much as that the entire F.E.A.R-franchise storyline was pretty much
tapped out by that point).
But I'm a grumpy sod who dislikes playing the same games (with tiny variations) over and over and so much prefer new IPs over sequels. I'd
rather risk playing a potentially bad new property than constantly
going back to the well of Far Cry or Call of Duty or Diablo. ;-)
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, 5 Mar 2025 22:20:02 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 15:35 this Saturday (GMT):
On Sat, 01 Mar 2025 03:26:15 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
I enjoyed FEAR 1 game after trying its demo. I never got its sequel
though. :(
"F.E.A.R." had its moments. It was an absolutely gorgeous game for its
"F.E.A.R. 2" was utterly forgettable;
And then there was "F.E.A.R 3" (or "F.3.A.R" if you want to be 100%
accurate). But at least that we can't blame on Monolith...
So the rule of sequels has been proven yet again :)
I mean, for me it was. There are some who like 'more of the same', and
"F.E.A.R. 2" was the introduction of the franchise to millions more
plays (on account that it was released to console and PCs), and
everybody always remembers their first the most fondly.
Even "F.E.A.R.3" wasn't without its merits; it tried to seamlessly
combine a co-op shooter into its single-player storyline and,
depending on which character you play, you get two different
experiences (I think that game's biggest failing wasn't its mechanics
so much as that the entire F.E.A.R-franchise storyline was pretty much
tapped out by that point).
Remember F.E.A.R. Combat that was a standalone multiplayer game?
But I'm a grumpy sod who dislikes playing the same games (with tiny
variations) over and over and so much prefer new IPs over sequels. I'd
rather risk playing a potentially bad new property than constantly
going back to the well of Far Cry or Call of Duty or Diablo. ;-)
I used to like replaying same games, but I just don't have time. I do
love trying out the new games when I have resources like free time,
energy, hardware, etc. I'm grumpy too as Grumpy Anty. Get off my lawn,
you young whippersnappers. :P
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 20:15 this Thursday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, 5 Mar 2025 22:20:02 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 15:35 this Saturday (GMT):
On Sat, 01 Mar 2025 03:26:15 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
I enjoyed FEAR 1 game after trying its demo. I never got its sequel
though. :(
"F.E.A.R." had its moments. It was an absolutely gorgeous game for its >> >> "F.E.A.R. 2" was utterly forgettable;
And then there was "F.E.A.R 3" (or "F.3.A.R" if you want to be 100%
accurate). But at least that we can't blame on Monolith...
So the rule of sequels has been proven yet again :)
I mean, for me it was. There are some who like 'more of the same', and
"F.E.A.R. 2" was the introduction of the franchise to millions more
plays (on account that it was released to console and PCs), and
everybody always remembers their first the most fondly.
Even "F.E.A.R.3" wasn't without its merits; it tried to seamlessly
combine a co-op shooter into its single-player storyline and,
depending on which character you play, you get two different
experiences (I think that game's biggest failing wasn't its mechanics
so much as that the entire F.E.A.R-franchise storyline was pretty much
tapped out by that point).
Remember F.E.A.R. Combat that was a standalone multiplayer game?
But I'm a grumpy sod who dislikes playing the same games (with tiny
variations) over and over and so much prefer new IPs over sequels. I'd
rather risk playing a potentially bad new property than constantly
going back to the well of Far Cry or Call of Duty or Diablo. ;-)
I used to like replaying same games, but I just don't have time. I do
love trying out the new games when I have resources like free time,
energy, hardware, etc. I'm grumpy too as Grumpy Anty. Get off my lawn,
you young whippersnappers. :P
I just don't like replaying a game many times. I have a hard limit
somewhere around 20-70, I think, then I can't bring myself to booting it
up again.
also very small lawn :)
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:[snip]]
I just don't like replaying a game many times. I have a hard limit
somewhere around 20-70, I think, then I can't bring myself to booting it
up again.
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
also very small lawn :)
Mine isn't. :(
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:25:56 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:
But these days, I prefer sticking to one game for a long time. To
prove my point, I am still playing Project Highrise, the FIRST game I
got from Spalls from his giveaway.
Really? Wow!
(checks spreadsheet* to see when that was)
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
On 3/7/2025 7:41 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:25:56 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>** There should ALWAYS be a spreadsheet.
wrote:
But these days, I prefer sticking to one game for a long time. To
prove my point, I am still playing Project Highrise, the FIRST game I
got from Spalls from his giveaway.
Really? Wow!
(checks spreadsheet* to see when that was)
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:41:58 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
No game is good enough to play for that long. Or if there is, I
haven't played it yet.
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
I don't doubt it.
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:12:37 -0500, Mike S. wrote:
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:41:58 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
No game is good enough to play for that long. Or if there is, I
haven't played it yet.
Depends on what the player wants in a game. I've been playing
Elite Dangerous for that long. Some folks, Eve, I'm sure.
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
I don't doubt it.
Have been avoiding busting out a spreadsheet to keep track of
materials for my new (ED) colony. Have been just taking screenshots
of the materials list, and then checking things off with an
image editor...
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 21:36 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:[snip]]
I just don't like replaying a game many times. I have a hard limit
somewhere around 20-70, I think, then I can't bring myself to booting it >> up again.
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
The good ol days of having 2 games total..
also very small lawn :)
Mine isn't. :(
sure :)
On Fri, 7 Mar 2025 07:47:28 -0800, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 3/7/2025 7:41 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:25:56 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>** There should ALWAYS be a spreadsheet.
wrote:
But these days, I prefer sticking to one game for a long time. To
prove my point, I am still playing Project Highrise, the FIRST game I >>> got from Spalls from his giveaway.
Really? Wow!
(checks spreadsheet* to see when that was)
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
I mean, I make Excel spreadsheets to put on my bed, ffs. I have no idea
why they don't fit.
Spreadsheets are civilization.
On Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:36:06 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
Exact opposite for me. When I was younger, I needed to constantly play
a new game. I never stuck with one game for long. It partly explains
why I own so many games.
But these days, I prefer sticking to one game for a long time. To
prove my point, I am still playing Project Highrise, the FIRST game I
got from Spalls from his giveaway.
On Thu, 06 Mar 2025 20:15:26 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Remember F.E.A.R. Combat that was a standalone multiplayer game?
Actually... no. And that's a very unusual admission for me to make.
Huh, it came out in 2006.
"F.E.A.R. Combat is a standalone multiplayer component based
on F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon, but released
for free, less than a year after the original game. F.E.A.R.
already had full multiplayer options, but this 1.76GB
component allows everyone to join the online battles, without
needing to buy the game. It includes 22 multiplayer maps, 10
game modes, all the weapons and updates, and the ability to
play user-generated content. You only need to apply for a free
CD key. Users of this version can also play against the owners
of the original game. The game modes include Deathmatch,
Slowmo Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Slowmo Team Deathmatch,
Elimination, Team Elimination, Capture the Flag, Slowmo Capture
the Flag, Conquer All and Control."
Apparently the website for the game still is up
https://fearcombat.org/
"During the next years, Monolith, Punkbuster, Sierra
(Activision) and WBGames ended their support for the game. The
Original page of the game stopped offering new CDKeys. This
meant that new players could not play and led to a decline in
the game. With the FEAR Master Server Shut down by GameSpy on
December 5, 2012, the game couldn?t find running servers,
and servers couldn?t be run anymore. "
Fortunately, modders to the rescue again! They've patched the game and provide the game-files so you can keep playing.
(Queue DMCA from WBGames in 5...4...3...2...)
vallor <vallor@cultnix.org> wrote:
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:12:37 -0500, Mike S. wrote:
On Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:41:58 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Oh, you meant the 2024 give-away. I thought you meant you got it back
in 2014. Now I'm less impressed. ;-) ;-)
No game is good enough to play for that long. Or if there is, I
haven't played it yet.
Depends on what the player wants in a game. I've been playing Elite
Dangerous for that long. Some folks, Eve, I'm sure.
I couldn't get into Elite and Eve games. Too grinding and complex. :(
* of course there's a spreadsheet!
I don't doubt it.
Have been avoiding busting out a spreadsheet to keep track of materials
for my new (ED) colony. Have been just taking screenshots of the
materials list, and then checking things off with an image editor...
What about ANT colony? ;)
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 21:36 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote: >> [snip]]
I just don't like replaying a game many times. I have a hard limit
somewhere around 20-70, I think, then I can't bring myself to booting it >> >> up again.
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
The good ol days of having 2 games total..
... with editors, etc.
also very small lawn :)
Mine isn't. :(
sure :)
:P
Yeah, I try to avoid playing new full games.
I couldn't get into Elite and Eve games. Too grinding and complex. :(
That's not to say I defend the practice; the publishers are literally charging us for stuff that used to be in the games by default, and^^^^^^
their loot-box tactics are unabashed gambling mechanics made to keep
you buying more and more in hopes of getting that shiney new hat that
you really want... but if you can just control your desire for shiney
hates, then a lot of that nonsense becomes inconsquential
Have been avoiding busting out a spreadsheet to keep track of materials
for my new (ED) colony. Have been just taking screenshots of the
materials list, and then checking things off with an image editor...
What about ANT colony? ;)
Tell you what: when I make a colony station, I'll call it
"Ant Colony". I currently have a space outpost (not renamed yet)
and a ground mining station, called "Vallor's Folly". :)
On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 15:10:07 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:58 this Saturday (GMT):
Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
On Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:36:06 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Heh, I used to love to replay, rewatch, etc. when I was younger.
Exact opposite for me. When I was younger, I needed to constantly play >>>> a new game. I never stuck with one game for long. It partly explains
why I own so many games.
But these days, I prefer sticking to one game for a long time. To
prove my point, I am still playing Project Highrise, the FIRST game I >>>> got from Spalls from his giveaway.
Yeah, I try to avoid playing new full games.
I usually don't play modern games, because 1. my computer doesnt support
it and 2. the microtransaction hell. Indie has gotten quite good.
While the microtransaction shit is awful, in many games it _is_
completely avoidable if you don't care about cosmetics and other such nonsense.
A lot of games I really enjoy I realize after the fact have all this
nonsense DLC attached to them. But I just shrug, and say, 'Nah, I'm
good with the base game' and move on to the next experience.
There are too many games, sure, which fuck up their own gameplay and
make it so grindingly awful that MTX solutions become the only way to
enjoy the game, but most MTX in most games I play are about new hats
or a different skin on a gun... and I couldn't give a damn about those things.
That's not to say I defend the practice; the publishers are literally charging us for stuff that used to be in the games by default, and
their loot-box tactics are unabashed gambling mechanics made to keep
you buying more and more in hopes of getting that shiney new hat that
you really want... but if you can just control your desire for shiney
hates, then a lot of that nonsense becomes inconsquential
(admittedly, a lot of people have problems with that step, which is
why MTX is so corrosively evil)
TL;DR: don't avoid modern games just because of MTX. There are still
good experiences out there if you ignore the unfettered greed of the publishers preying on your FOMO.
On Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:10:04 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Right, MTX is one reason, but it's somewhat hard to play any modern
games on an older linux laptop :P but if i do get the chance i may try >>some?
That is definitely a more insoluable issue, and one reason I generally
avoid laptops for gaming. But then I'm lucky enough that I'm currently
in a place where I can afford more than one computer, and I know not
everyone is there yet.
Still, I'm often surprised at how capable modern laptops often are.
While they rarely can play games on highest-detail settings, probably
won't reach the blessed realms of 60fps, and may struggle with the
most modern titles, it's amazing at how well they can perform with
games even a few years old. A colleague was playing "Sons of the
Forest" on a stock two-year-old HP laptop and it was impressive it
could manage that. Heck, I've played my silly truck-sim game on my
ten-year old laptop and -even if I did have to crank down the detail
levels and it sometimes chugs- its still a fun experience. Given how (comparatively) underpowered these machines' GPUs are, its amazing
what they can manage.
But I'm still sticking with my desktop for real gaming. Just being
able to upgrade it over the years makes it worth the investment;
there's nothing like slamming in a new GPU and watching games that it
used to struggle with suddenly fly like an eagle (or am I mixing
metaphors?)
TL;DR: I don't have a summary here. I'm just rambling :-)
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