Not-So-Great Expectations...but I was Wrong.

Like every other major consumer industry in the Western world, Steam decided to have its own version of the "Black Friday" sale.  The "Autumn Sale" has featured some decent deals and I decided to get in on the reduced price action.  My one major purchase has been a three game (+2 DLC) bundle featuring games from the SteamWorld series (I think it's a series....they all feature robots...so let's just say they're a series).  I played through the relatively short, but still enjoyable SteamWorld Dig and then moved on to SteamWorld Heist.  I'm not really sure what I expected--I had read that Heist was a turn-based strategy (TBS) game but at first glance it just didn't seem like most of the TBS I've played in the past.  I will admit that I walked into it thinking it was probably a laughably easy TBS game that I could dance all over.  Wrong...wrong...wrong... but in a fantastic way.

Piper, Ivanski, and Seabrass.  Part of your robot crew.

The premise of SteamWorld Heist is that you are commanding a band of renegade steambots, known as cowbots--the honest-folk type of robots who farm moisture, the fuel for steambots--who are being attacked and exploited by gangs of ruthless Scrappers and also the diesel driven Royalist forces.  You start off with your own mostly empty ship and just one crewmate.  There's definitely room for more!

Aboard your ship with Piper and the expanded crew.

Unlike many other TBS games, SteamWorld Heist isn't a top down type of game--it reminds me of platformer in just the way the levels are presented.  I walked into the first mission expecting things to be extremely simple and was shocked to find that to be successful you really do need to strategize and plan ahead.  Similar to other TBS games your characters can only move forward so many tiles before you either have to choose to take cover to attack or to sprint forward, giving up your chance to attack on that turn.  There's cover strewn about each mission but one of the more unique features is the vertical way a level can play out.  You are able to shoot through some floor surfaces--this offers the chance to locate yourself above or below your target and still be able to attack them.  This also means that enemies can do the same thing so it's extremely important to think about your own movement--horizontally and vertically.  There's something really satisfying about destroying an enemy, there's a loud metallic clanging noise as the enemy bot breaks apart into a pile of small, but recognizable, lumps of former robot.  It's not so satisfying when those lumps are your own crewmates....

Generally the priorities on each mission are to gather as much "swag" as you can.  Swag is loot that is scattered throughout the mission.  This might sound easy but many missions feature a countdown timer that will up the difficulty as time goes by.  All too often you will find yourself having to choose between trying to grab all the swag while increasingly difficult numbers and types of enemies appear or evacuating before you're completely overwhelmed and destroyed.  If your team is completely destroyed it will cost you half of the resources you currently have to be re-built.  Losing is costly so grabbing that one last bag of swag just might not be worth it.  Once you've evacuated your crew you get to open all the swag that you've just grabbed--each bag contains water or a nice piece of loot.  You can also grab "epic swag" which grants a nice item and reputation.

Completing missions grants players "reputation" in the form of stars.  Finish a mission and complete all the objectives...get all three stars.  Finish a mission and lose a crew member...lost a star.  Cleverly enough rep is used as a sort of checkpoint for progress--you have to earn a certain amount of rep so you can advance to the next part of the story.  Rep is also used to unlock certain rare items available at vendors--you can only purchase those items once you've earned enough rep.  Getting maximum rep on each mission is tough--especially the challenge missions.

But say you fail a mission.  What happens?  First, you have to pay a penalty in water (resources) to have your team rebuilt.  50% of your current water goes toward those costs.  It's generally better to spend water if you have it.  You restart the level and can re-choose the crew members you take along and also re-outfit them.  Here's where things get interesting (and awesome):  many missions are randomly generated.  The layout of the mission you just failed is probably completely different.  This keeps things fresh and throws in another layer of challenge.

As you advance through the game you are able to recruit new crew members.  Some are free and will willingly accompany you for nothing, while others cost water--your main resource as a steambot.  Each crew member has a certain class and features their own set of unique abilities--each can wield a certain set of weapons--assault characters have the ability to do bonus damage when hit, sentries gain a bonus to damage if they don't move for a turn, sharpshooters can wield long-range sniper pistols.  Along with the class skills each character has their own unique story and set of abilities that tie in with their personality.  Piper Faraday, the captain of the ship, can inspire nearby crewmates and increase their damage.  SeaBrass, the salty former sailor, is just grouchy and gets mad whenever he gets damaged...which in turn increases his own damage (payback).  A large part of the fun is mixing and matching your crew members to figure out exactly what combos work the best.  The number of crew members you can take on each mission varies so figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of your crew is vital to your success.

Some of the hats I've collected.

One of the more enjoyable and less serious aspects of SteamWorld Heist is hat collecting.  As you fight enemies you will notice that some are wearing hats.  When those bots are destroyed you can loot their hats and add them to your collection.  There's a hat for every occasion!  You can also purchase different hats from vendors sprinkled throughout the game.  There's an entire DLC that is strictly dedicated to adding hats to the game.  Your crew can also have their own hats shot off which triggers a very dramatic slow-motion moment in the action (not to worry though, once you have a hat it stays in your inventory).

I haven't quite finished SteamWorld Heist yet, but I've been so pleasantly surprised at how good it is.  I would recommend it to any gamer who enjoys TBS games--the serious players can crank up the difficulty and try to challenge themselves with maxing out rep and unlocking all the items and the more casual player can enjoy the challenge of the missions and story without the risks of losing resources when you fail a mission.  The story has been enjoyable, the missions are varied and interesting--survival, beat the countdown timer, boss fights--and there's a certain goofy charm about the cast of misfit robots.

Now I've just got to finish it--I know the last boss fight is gonna be a doozy.  Pick up SteamWorld Heist for PC on Steam:  SteamWorld Heist

Digging Up Fun at $1.99

I received a notification today that eleven items on my Steam wishlist are currently on sale--you gotta love random sales!  I especially love them when they make a semi-cheap game into an outright steal.  I landed the GOTY edition of Middle Earth:  Shadow of Mordor for $4.99 last year.  For the same price as a fancy coffee I got the joy of repeatedly and violently stabbing orcs to death.  Suck it Frappucino...just sayin'....  This year I decided to take a gamble on a bundle that includes all the SteamWorld games.  The first game in the series, SteamWorld Dig, was offered for a whopping $1.99.  How good could a game be that costs less than a hamburger?  Pretty dang good it turns out.

Rusty, a mining robot.

In SteamWorld Dig you play as Rusty, a steampunk-esque robot, who sets out to visit his robot uncle in the tiny Western themed town of Tumbleton.  When Rusty rolls into town he finds out that his uncle is missing in action and a helpful local robot named Dorothy points him to a nearby cave.  Unfortunately for uncle robot he has met a sad and unexplained end.  After recovering his uncle's handy pickaxe, Rusty decides that searching his newly inherited mine for clues would be a good idea.

The bulk of SteamWorld dig involves using your tools to dig and locate special upgrades which allow you to go even further and find more clues about what happened to Rusty's uncle.  It's sort of like a highly upgraded version of the classic game DigDug...but so much better.  Part of the fun of digging is locating the mineral nodes and orbs that are hidden throughout the different levels.  Minerals can be cashed in on the surface at Tumbleton and used to buy items and upgrades.  Rusty's tools can be upgraded to mine harder rocks and do more damage to the enemies scattered across a level or Rusty himself can receive upgrades to health and water (which is used as fuel for special moves and for certain tools).  You can also opt to buy helpful items like ladders, dynamite, or transporters--some of them cost cash while others cost the rarer orbs which are primarily used for upgrades.  Part of the challenge is to figure out how to spend your limited resources--there are only so many orbs and so many minerals sprinkled around each zone.

Tumbleton--Home of Robots.

As you dig deeper into each level you will find doors which contain puzzle-like challenges.  Figuring out how to solve these challenges will usually net you a bunch of minerals or some orbs.  There are also specific numbered doors which contain upgrades which will allow you to reach the next part of the story.  As Rusty is upgraded and advances the town of Tunbleton grows and more merchants pop up to sell improved items.

Like DigDug there are enemies sprinkled throughout each zone.  The decision to fight or avoid them might be based on your current health or resource level.  Defeating enemies means that they drop health, water, or oil.  One of the more clever mechanics involves Rusty's lamp and oil level.  As long as Rusty has oil for his lamp the area around him is illuminated and you can easily see any minerals or enemies that might be located underground.  If Rusty's lamp runs out of oil the area grows dark and it is almost impossible to see where those objects might be located.  Players must frequently return to the surface where the game is saved, your lamp oil is refilled, and you can sell any minerals that you might currently be carrying.

Moving deeper underground means that the number of enemies increases and that there are more dangers.  These dangers can be enemies, but they can also be self-created.  Certain heavy stone blocks will fall directly down if the dirt below them is destroyed.  One careless mistake means that Rusty gets crushed and must be revived on the surface.  Not only will you feel really dumb for not paying attention, but you'll also have to cough up 50% of your current gold to pay for this service.  If you're able to plan accordingly stone blocks can be a handy way to crush nearby enemies.

I played through the entirety of SteamWorld Dig in 7 hours and think that I got a great deal for this cute little game.  If you're in the market for something that's fun and relaxing, I would recommend picking up SteamWorld Dig.  Have fun digging and pay attention to those stinkin' stone blocks!

Thar's Some Loot Crate Drama Brewing....

I don't really play multiplayer games, but I do pay attention to what is happening in the wide world of video gaming.  Lately it seems like you can't look at anything gaming related without some sort of major controversy popping up.  The current backlash seems to be aimed at the loot crate system that seems to be spreading like a horde of Call of Duty-esque Nazi zombies.  It seems like every new game (especially the AAA titles) has some sort of microtransaction or loot crate system built in.  The question begs to be asked:  is this a good thing for gaming/gamers or is it a blight that we should be fighting before it completely swallows all of our hard earned cash?

Much of the controversy seems to lie around a very central issue that has made its way into the legal systems in several different countries--are loot crates a form of gambling?  The developers and companies who produce the most loot crate laden titles (EA, Activision....namely) argue that it's not really gambling.  When a player spends money they are guaranteed to get something.  It definitely won't be an uber/rare thing every time, but you do get something.  It's not like putting money into a slot machine where you aren't guaranteed to get something for your money.  So, basically in their eyes, this is not technically gambling.

Overwatch loot crates.  Buy em' by the batch!

My major issue with the developer stance is that no one buys loot crates because they just want some basic items.  People buy loot crates because they are definitely betting on the chance that they will get that uber item/thing that they want.  Developers are taking advantage of the fact that many people are willing to continue laying down real money for that chance.  When the issue of gambling came up in China they made it a law that the rates for items to appear in loot crates/boxes must be published.  I think this is a positive step and wish it was a requirement around the world.  Not that I think it would keep some people from continuing to buy crates....but some people would probably balk at spending an additional chunk of change on top of what they've already spent to purchase a game.

There are so many issues with loot crates beside the whole gambling aspect.  Terms like "pay-to-win" come to mind and it seems like some games are trying to steer away from giving players direct gameplay advantages from buying crates.  I am more willing to accept the idea of loot crates if they don't give players a distinct advantage.  If someone wants to spend $50 to unlock a special character outfit or a skin for a weapon...that's completely their choice.

A loot crate from Call of Duty:  WWII

One of the more insidious uses of loot crates I've read about is currently appearing in Call of Duty:  WWII.  Players are rewarded for watching other players open loot crates.  You can see exactly what loot another player has just unboxed.  So what's the big deal?  Isn't it kind of fun to watch other people opening boxes and seeing their reactions?  Yes, totally!  But, on a psychological level, players are being socially influenced--watching others get something you really want is going to make you want to get that item even more.  Plus, someone else just got the thing...you'll definitely get it too!  Unfortunately this isn't true and this strategy is the perfect way to influence people to buy more crates.

I don't see the loot crate system going away anytime soon...especially in multiplayer games.  Developers argue that microtransactions and loot crates are an integral part of the system.  Modern games can cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and in order to make them better they need more cash flow.  They also argue that there is usually a way to earn loot crates without paying actual money--usually players can spend a bunch of time playing to earn the same rewards.  I experienced this firsthand during my brief stint playing Hearthstone.  For completing daily "quests" that involved winning a certain number of matches or participating in arena matches you earned in-game currency that could be used to unlock packs of cards.  The problem with this system is that to earn enough in-game currency to unlock a pack of cards would require many hours of gameplay.  Wouldn't it be simpler to just pay $2 and unlock some cards?  Yes, yes it would.  In our time strained/constantly busy world I can understand that buying cards is convenient.  (I never actually bought any and ended up quitting Hearthstone because I realized how much of a time sink it was turning into)

Personally, I won't be buying into any loot crate systems and wish the whole system was more transparent.  Players should know exactly what their chances are of unlocking items if they choose to buy loot crates.  I understand that part of the fun with loot crates is the mystery of opening them and seeing what you win but wish people would think about how much money they are spending.  Why not just say "this skin costs $40?"  Profits...that's why.  But what if those profits are helping to make games bigger and better?  /sigh.

Failure and OST's from Weird Games I Like

Sadly I have to report that my efforts to "git gud" at the ARPG Grim Dawn have failed.  I resigned myself to failure in the last couple of days.  It's kind of weird because when I played Diablo III things usually went pretty well.  I wasn't playing on Torment 89 or anything, but I wasn't getting constantly one-shot by every heroic mob that I met.  I am trying to figure out where I went wrong--is it my gear?  Unlike D3, Grim Dawn doesn't have a system that gears loot drops toward the class you are playing.  I've had a really difficult time getting armor drops for my class.  I've gotten a literal crap-ton of caster stuff...a billion pieces of plate armor...but almost no good demolitionist items.  I've questioned if I should spend more time grinding out faction rep to unlock some items.  The answer to that is "probably."  The other possibility leading to my failure is the allocation of my talent points.  I have no idea if I am putting them in the right place.  I feel sad and pitiful when I look up builds on the interwebs, but it would undoubtedly help.  So, for now at least, I'm taking a little break from the frustrations in the land of Cairn.

My demolitionist...is now retired.

Much of my struggle now involves trying to figure out what I want to play.  I'm bouncing back and forth between a bunch of games and feeling listless about what exactly I want to do.  I started a men's prison in Prison Architect and have been spending some time trying to make it into a rehabilitation paradise.  I learned much from my first sandbox prison and things have gone relatively smoothly.  Not as smoothly as I would like as my report card shows an 8 for punishment and a 5 for rehabilitation..oh, and a -2 for health.  This time around I decided to up the difficulty and add in random events and guard needs.  Random events can vary from a burst water pipe, to random fires, or to my personal favorite, neighboring prison overload.  When other prisons are overloaded they will send you a large contingent of new prisoners--and, for some diabolical reason, they are always maximum security.  It was in one of the two times I pulled this event that I landed a legendary prisoner who enjoyed riling up everyone in max. sec. and liked to attack and slaughter my guards.  He was good at attacking and overpowering the armed guards that I set up on constant patrol around him and then using their own shotguns to kill them and any prisoners around.  I moved him into his own "supermax" wing and set up guard towers, armed patrols, and multiple guards around him.  That slightly helped...  The story ended when he somehow ended up being temporarily stored in the holding cell and then managed to escape.  I actually cheered when he was gone even though it was a failure.

Apparently you do poop and eat in the same room.

Guard needs also adds in a new twist if you choose to go that route.  Like the prisoners, the guards also have specific food and bathroom needs.  When building a breakroom it should now include serving stations for staff meals and toilets so that your guards have a place to take care of their bathroom business.  If you don't meet the needs of your staff they will perform their duties in a less than satisfactory manner--they move cripplingly slowly while performing their tasks--and if they are angry for long enough they will eventually demand a pay raise.  If you don't meet their pay demands they will go on strike.  This means no guards, no cooks...no staff in your prison--a catastrophe in the making.  I would recommend that more experienced players turn on this option as it does add some challenge.

Part visual novel, part drink mixing simulation.  100% awesome.

One of my favorite things to do while playing certain games is to listen to music.  Generally the music I prefer to listen to is music from other games.  Ironic, yes?  I very much enjoyed the quirky game VA-11 HALL-A:  Cyberpunk Bartender Action and was floored when I discovered the soundtrack available for purchase.  All those sweet, sweet, electronic hits from the jukebox are available to download on Bandcamp.  Just listening to the music has gotten me in the mood for another round of dishing up drinks to the assorted characters in Valhalla.  I really hope another game is in the works!

Blizzard Announces Next World of Warcraft Expansion with Epic Cinematic!

Even though I try to completely avoid multiplayer games (for so many reasons that would require their own separate post) I have many fond memories of the years that I spent playing World of Warcraft.  WoW seeped into my blood and I was as close to addicted as I've ever been to anything in my life.  I quit a few expansions ago because I decided it was time to move on and that I didn't have the energy to dedicate to the semi-serious WoW lifestyle.  Sadly, I still pay attention to what's going on in WoW and there was a hot new announcement yesterday.  This has been reported on literally every major gaming news source on the magical interwebs...but here you go, just in case:

Just watching this made me feel some serious WoW yearnings for so many reasons.  Sylvanas was always one of my favorite characters from the original Warcraft games.  She has the perfect backstory--someone who fought bravely for her people, the high elves, and who attempted to stand up to Arthas to keep him from capturing the Sunwell.  Arthas decides that rather than killing her that he will turn her into a banshee--an undead wraith-like creature who cannot die and is forced to serve Arthas in his quest to exterminate her people and conquer the world.  All the while she plotted and planned and found the perfect opportunity to literally stab Arthas in the back and break free from his domination.  From there she was able to gather her own army from among the ranks of the other undead outcasts left in the wake of Arthas' path of destruction.  The Forsaken became the Undead in WoW and Sylvanas is their de facto leader.

I love Sylvanas as a character because she embodies vengeance and has this tragic existence.  She remembers her past life as one of the now extinct high elves but is cursed by being one of the undead.  She can never go back to her own people and that rage boils inside of her.  But there's also a sadness about her--hence the "Lament of the Highborne."

It has been exciting to see this new cinematic and see a favorite character fleshed out.  I have no intent of going back to WoW, but damn it if this cinematic isn't absolutely amazing!