Sauerbraten Updates. Again.

One of my favorites, Sauerbraten, had a new release Sunday, and a patch for that new release yesterday. Naturally, I took a look.

The first thing I noticed when I started the newest release of Sauerbraten is that performance was really choppy. I wondered for a moment, then realized that shaders are now used by default. No problem for some people, but with my now-dated system the first thing I did was turn shaders off.

The "new" menu system (not that new anymore) is much more usable than the last time I encountered it. During map selection, there are now thumbnail images of the maps, so there's no more (or at least less) wondering which weirdly named map is the one you're looking for.

For the past year or so, every new release of Sauerbraten has had a "flagship" feature, a feature so prominent that it made it into the release name. Physics edition, water edition, etc... This is the first release of Sauerbraten in a long time that has more in common with what new releases of Cube had, improvments all around.

New maps, bugfixes, improved menu system, gameplay tweaks - it's quite a list, although some of the excitement previous releases carried with them is lost as a result. Not that we could expect that forever, and this is a great new release of a an already-great game, so whatever traces of disappointment there may be, they evaporate quickly.

I'd provide a link for those of you who'd like to see the entire list of new things/changes, but unfortunately the Sauerbraten/Cube forums seem to be a bit temperamental right now, so instead I'll toss you a link to the LinuxGames post that originally drew my attention to the new release. There is a link there to the announcement in the forums which may or may not work for you.

Man Down

Due to an injury, no post today. Again, I know.

Again, I've Got Nothing

Seriously folks, see you next week.

At Least The Name Is Crazy

I figured that since Upshift StrikeRacer went to open beta, I'd give it a try this week. Boy, can gPotato find crazy names for its games or what?

The best way I can think of to describe USR is basically this: It's a cart racer that you play online which has cars instead of carts. Then there's some tacked on MMORPG elements that are short one M, and the obligatory item shop which costs you real money. I can see this really appealing to people, as long as those people aren't me.

This just isn't my thing. I've never been that big into car racing games. I've always preferred your Wipeouts and your Jet Motos to your Gran Turismos and your Need For Speeds. I'd probably like USR twice as much if it wasn't a car you're racing. In fact, I guarantee it.

There are some other issues that drive (ha!) me away from USR, though. For starters, you'll probably want a gamepad if you're going to play this. Racers never fare well with keyboard controls, and this is no exception. Secondly, there's no "race against AI" option. You've got your time attack mode, and then there's getting your ass handed to you by other players. Sure it eliminates the "grinding" usually omnipresent in gPotato games, but it ups the frustration level significantly.

Simply put: Check it out, you might like it. I don't.

Wait, So I Actually Have To Know What I'm Doing?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had attempted to take a look at Shot Online, but thanks to the updater not working properly, that attempt had failed. I gave it another try this week and, luckily, the game updated itself without a hitch.

I'd been meaning to try Shot Online for quite a while, long before it became a part of the gPotato family (as an aside - why the hell is it called gPotato?) but I had never managed to get around to it. The idea of a golfing MMO, as strange as it seemed, really appealed to me. Mario Golf: Advanced Tour had successfully proved to me that there is indeed something magical in combining golf with an RPG, so why not give it a try online?

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but this definitely wasn't it. I guess that, because of the MMO elements, I was figuring the golfing portion would be a little more forgiving. Don't get me wrong, it isn't realistic, but certain things (putting, for example) are quite a bit tougher than I thought they'd be. I guess I was expecting Shot Online would be to golf sims what Space Cowboy Online is to flight sims - ie. not one.

Approaching the game with a different mindset, I could see myself getting into this. It's just so far off from what my expectations were that it's going to take some getting used to.

Crap Out

Well, the plan for today was Shot Online, but the updater won't work so I can't get the damned thing to launch. That's was I was banking on, so I'm fucked. See you next week.

You Can Totally Go Home Again

I have to admit, I'm kind of surprised that Eternal Lands is still kicking around. There was a time when it was one of the only playable free MMOs out there, but now those free to play, pay to win MMOs are a dime a dozen (or a dollar a potion, if you'd prefer).

I know it sounds like I've defected, I mean, the game does run on Linux, but it's not open source - go for Planeshift if that's what you're looking for (actually, Planeshift deserves another look from me at some point) - so what is Eternal Lands' continuing draw all about? I used to play quite a bit, so you'd think I'd know, but you'd be wrong.

When I played, people were constantly complaining. Complaining about the in-game economy, complaining about the GMs, complaining about the fact that people could pay for items to make them stronger (and look how that one took off), and generally complaining about everything else that could be complained about. But, apparently, it wasn't that bad, because they're still playing it. Really, what did I expect, they play an MMO - they're bound to complain.

Honestly though, when I last saw the game pop up on The Tome, I had a little twinge of nostalgia. Then that nostalgia turned into me wondering if my old character was still around, or if (the more likely option) a server wipe had caused him to vanish into the ether. And now I'm downloading it again.

Why? I have no idea. But apparently there are a few other people who feel the same way.

I Got Nothing

Seriously, see you next week folks.

This Week: On A Very Special Avert Your Eyes...

So I played Tales Of Pirates for about 20 minutes. Then I uninstalled it. Too many kids. I guess that if you are a kid you'd probably like the game, maybe even love it, but chances are high that if you're a kid you're not reading this site anyway. If you are a kid and you're reading this site, I'm sure your parents wouldn't be to pleased to hear it.

What's the deal with super young kids and MMOs anyway? With the "free to play - pay to be more powerful" games I guess I can understand it, but it always seems to be kids talking about the latest Dragonball or whatever the fuck kids are into nowadays who have got the $50 (real world money) "Cloak Of Teh Awesome" - not adults.

When it comes to young kids playing games like World Of Warcraft it makes even less sense to me. When I was a kid the thought of getting one of your parents to pay fifteen dollars a month for a game they'd already bought for you wasn't only unheard of, it was unimaginable.

Here's a theory I've posited in one form or another in the past: By getting kids used to subscriptions, micropayments and the like without them having to actually pay for anything, we're creating future adults who are already used to not really owning anything. Of course companies - gaming or otherwise - would rather have it that you never really own any of their products, they make way more money that way.

Parents, is this really the way you want your kids to end up? Chances are, if you live in the United States, you're already so far in debt that you'll probably never pay it off (if you're not, kudos to you). Wouldn't you like to see your kids in less dept than you, not the other way around? If so, then stop letting them use your credit card for subscription fees and micropayments. If nothing else, it gets them out of my hair.

Sick Day

Sorry folks, but I'm feeling like crap, so no post this week. That's all I have to say about that.

I Don't F***ing Get Guitar Hero

I don't fucking get Guitar Hero.

The fact the so many people are head over heels in love with this game is a complete mystery to me. I'll admit, I never got why DDR was so popular either, but at least there seemed to be other people on the planet who shared my opinion. Is it really possible that I'm the only one who fails to see the entertainment value in pressing a couple of buttons on a ridiculously shaped mock guitar?

Maybe it's my taste in music - every single song on every incarnation of Guitar Hero makes me wretch. Maybe it's that the only game of this type I ever enjoyed was Parappa The Rapper (Um Jammer Lammy sucked). Maybe it's that I actually play guitar - you know, the instument. Maybe it's all of the above but, whatever it is, they lead to the same conclusion:

I don't fucking get Guitar Hero.

Back with a real post next week, folks. Sorry about last week's no-post, by the way.

I May Be Slightly Exaggerating

It turns out that my fascination with World Of Warcraft was incredibly short lived - I cancelled my account after the free month. I'll play it again, certainly, but I saw no need to pay the monthly fee unless I was going to play the hell out of it. So, it was back to the free MMOs.

I've mentioned Space Cowboy Online before, a game that would probably be much more popular if not for the silly name. My ANI I-Gear has ascended to level 39, but it was level 38 that was more important. You see, at level 38 I-Gears get the third level of their "Frenzy" skill, and it is at this level that the skill shows its true power. No longer content to simply increase the attack power of your missiles, the skill now allows you to fire off an extra volley of missiles with every shot.

With my level 3 "Frenzy" skill attained, I now felt ready to enter the large scale PvP the game had been promising to me from the start. I didn't want to simply charge into BCU territory and start dying immediately, seeing as I'm completely unfamiliar with the their maps, so I waited until I heard that we were being invaded. After waiting a few hours, the moment finally came. I swapped my Power Arrows for my Edrills (to increase my chances of actually hitting the enemy) and headed for the front lines.

Well, not exactly the front lines. The enemy had advanced to one map beyond where I had stationed myself, so I parked outside the gate with a dozen or so others and waited for the storm. At first they trickled in - one or two gears at a time - they were taken down by the mob before I'd even had a chance for my missiles to lock on. Then the attack started. The sky became a flurry of gears in a matter of moments.

I tried to stay on the outside of the battle, hurling missiles at the few stragglers who would venture to the outer reaches of the fighting. Bored, I headed in to check out the action for myself. Did I get shot down? Sure. Everybody did. We'd simply respawn and attack with added ferocity. By the time I took a break to check my inventory, I noticed quite a few Killmarks - an item gained when you down an enemy gear - and to my surprise, some of them had come off of gears much higher in level than my own.

Simply put, I believe that SCO has some of the most compelling player vs. player of any MMO I've ever encountered. I love the fact (and I've mentioned this before) that skill actually factors in to the equation. Even if your opponent is 20 levels higher than you - if you can fly better, you've got a chance, even if it is a slim one.

Made-Up Profanity Is So Much More Fun

News has been popping up here and there about Beyond The Red Line, a Battlestar Galactica themed mod based on Freespace 2. With a Linux version finally available, I decided that I'd give it a try.

Before I say anything, let me state that I am a huge fan of the series. I don't think I've ever been so excited about new episodes of a television show as I have with Battlestar Galactica. So, basically, keep in mind that, with my being such an enthusiastic fan of the show, you should probably take what I have to say with a grain or two of salt.

I've encountered a lot of mods for a lot of different games in my time, and I've got to say: I think the only other mod I've ever encountered that paid such attention to minute details was Alien Swarm. The difference in this case is that while Alien Swarm was clearly influenced by a few sources, Beyond The Red Line comes right out and says "this is a Battlestar Galactica game."

This admission gives Beyond The Red Line full reign to use anything the meticulously crafted Battlestar Galactica universe has to offer, right down to the slang. That the voice acting - usually a terrible choice for inclusion in a fan-made game - is (surprisingly) so well done speaks volumes about the attention to detail that fills this game to the brim. This is obviously a project that the people involved really care about.

Since I had never played "vanilla" Freespace 2 (which is not required, by the way, this game is fully standalone) I was very glad to find that a tutorial mission was included. Usually an afterthought in mods, or often not even included, a tutorial is essential to anyone who doesn't know their way around Freespace 2. The fact that the tutorial actually manages to be entertaining is just sugar on top.

The rest of the missions I've had the chance to tackle are similarly well crafted, and the radio chatter from your comrades only adds to the already deep immersion factor. It's often hard to believe that the game you're playing wasn't produced by a major player in the industry, albeit with tech that's a few years old.

If you're a fan of the show, definitely download the demo. The developers do warn that if you haven't yet seen all of season 2 (and it was season 3 that just had its finale) you may encounter some spoilers, so watch out for that. And let me reiterate: Freespace 2 is not required to play this game, it's entirely standalone. So, make sure to grab this as soon as possible in case the project is shut down for intellectual property reasons.

Ow

I'd seen Penumbra: Overture Episode 1 on the front page of the Linux Game Tome before but, until now, had never bothered to check it out. So, guess what today's post is about. Good job.

Penumbra: Overture Episode 1 is a commercial offering from Frictional Games but they do plan on supporting Linux. I say plan on because the full game isn't available for Linux yet, but there is a beta version of the demo available and, yes, it does work quite well. It's a first person game, but not quite a first person shooter, more of a puzzle action mix with a heavy emphasis on the physics engine.

Therein lies the problem. I was really enjoying the demo, but occasionally some of the required interactions with objects felt less-than-intuitive. Very early on you're required to break ice off of a hatch and then open said hatch to get yourself to safety. Picking up a rock to break the ice was easy enough, but the actual act of turning the wheel on the hatch was far too much trouble, to the point where it became frustrating.

That's a real shame because, minor physics quibbles aside, Penumbra is a very well made, very interesting game. The story is well told, the graphics are well done, and the general "feel" of the game is spot on. In fact, I'll even admit that once I got a bit further into the demo, the physics-related problems all but disappeared. That still doesn't diminish the fact that after about a half hour of play, my wrist was starting to hurt from holding down the left mouse button so much to drag various objects around.

Still Penumbra: Overture Episode 1 is a damn solid game. Hell, I might even buy it when the full Linux version is available. I'll just probably doom myself to carpal tunnel by doing so.

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

Short one this week folks, as I'm busy with lots of other things, but I couldn't let this opportunity slip by.

Last week I was talking about the avalanche of roguelikes abound, and now we have this: Doom - The Roguelike. None of the fun of Doom with all of its name! It'll have to wait though, as I'm busy playing Tetris - The Text Adventure and Bejeweled - The First Person Shooter.

Enough Already

It's been a while since a good old fashioned rant graced the front page of Avert Your Eyes. In fact, it's been far too long. I'm prepared to receive a little heat for this, but it's something that has to be said: I, and many other people, are absolutely fucking sick of roguelikes.

If you don't happen to know what a roguelike is, you could either take a quick look around Wikipedia, or look no further than the venerable Nethack. Now, there is a reason that type of game has become so popular - they can be fun. It really is remarkable how much fun you can have with Nethack given that its entire interface is ASCII (leaving out Falcon's Eye and other frontends).

Yeah, Nethack was fun, but the hundreds of clones and other roguelikes? Not so much. I'm not the type of person who thinks games need great or even good graphics to be worth my time. I am, however, the type of person who gets sick of playing the same game over and over. You say your game is like Nethack but it takes place in a slightly different setting? How the fuck am I supposed to know? Regardless of what some people might say, story has never been any of these games' strong points.

There have been times in the past few months where I have counted no less than four games on the Linux Game Tome's front page that had the word "Rogue" in their name. Four. Out of ten. That is, by far, more than we need. A roguelike's strongest point is how long it can be played for. We don't need twenty new ones coming out every month. They might be somewhat easier to produce, but so are ASCII tic-tac-toe games. It doesn't mean we need to be overwhelmed with them.

In the end, it's up to the developer. They're not writing their games for me, they're writing their games for themselves, and that's how it should be. I just don't see the fun in cranking out clones in a genre that is so specific it's named for its likeness to one single game.

Apology

No post this week. No real excuse - I'm just busy with other things and had no time for an update. Check back next week.

More Fun Than Actually Being A City Planner

Sorry about last week's no-post (how many times have you heard that before?) - call it a sick day, because that's exactly what it was. Anyway this week I took a look at lincity-ng, a game I'd been meaning to check out since it was Game Of The Month over at The Linux Game Tome.

The original LinCity might have been the first open source game I played. Well, it might have been Xbill or something like that, but LinCity was the first real open source game I encountered. My first time playing the game, I ruined a meal that I was cooking because I had gotten so wrapped up I forgot to check the stove.

For those of you who don't know and have no powers of logical deduction, LinCity was a clone of Sim City. lincity-ng (they're the ones who don't know how to capitalize things, not me) is simply the same game with a new coat of paint. The perspective is shifted from overhead to isometric, and most buildings are now pre-rendered in 3D as opposed to being simple pixel art. It's not minor upgrade either, lincity-ng does look much, much better.

The gameplay is, as far as I can tell, untouched. This is a good thing, as LinCity was always immensely playable. If you're familiar with Sim City (and who isn't, really?) then you'll be able to pick it up right away. If by some freak chance you're not familiar with how the game is played there is now a nice and friendly in-game help system.

The game industry has already proven multiple times that taking tried and true gameplay and putting it inside a new candy shell is a valid method for success, and that rule is firmly in effect here.

Cave

I was playing Rappelz last week, not really doing much, wondering what there was to look forward to, when my thoughts drifted to World Of Warcraft. I've managed to avoid it for two years now - mainly because I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of paying a monthly fee. OK, entirely because I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of paying a monthly fee.

I figured that after this long, it couldn't hurt to give it a try, so I downloaded the client and set up a trial account. A day later, my opinion on monthly fees had pulled a 180. I'm not going to go on about how great the game is - everybody knows that by now, but the fact that my viewpoint changed so fast does say something.

I suppose it may have to do with the MMO's I've been exposed to. Anarchy Online was great when I was playing it - I wasn't lying when I mentioned how much I miss it sometimes a while back - but Funcom really gave too much of the game away. I already had access to what interested me, so it didn't make any sense to pay for what seemed to me like a minor incremental upgrade. The GPotato games are a special case since they don't charge a monthly fee, but I haven't spent a cent on any of them for the same reasons.

I can finally see why World Of Warcraft has become as popular as it has. For me, it's the cohesiveness of the world, which is the same reason I dug Anarchy Online so much. It feels like a real place, and that realness adds a sense of gravity to the encounters (positive or otherwise) with the other players in the game world.

I'm going to try not to write about it too much - there are literally thousands of other places you can go if you want to read about World Of Warcraft - but damn, I am hooked for now.

Sometimes, I Have No Idea What To Call These Things

It's a pain in the ass when Thursday comes and I have no idea what to do about an update. Today was once of those days, so today's post is going to be a mix of a few things. At least they're all game related.

First I took a look at Wormux which is, you guessed it, a clone of Worms. I'd been meaning to take a look at it for some time, but the lack of artificial intelligence and online play meant that it was a little less than easy for me to evaluate the game. No online play yet (that's coming in the 0.8 release), but Wormux finally has artificial intelligence. Well, it's certainly artificial, but whether or not it's intelligence is highly debatable. Perhaps the fact that the key to initiating a battle against the A.I. is to name the second player "AI-stupid" should have been a clue.

I'll say this: the game has a nice solid look and feel. The 2D graphics are drawn nicely and have a comfortable cartoon quality. The destructible environments don't generate into pixellated hell, even after a long battle. Once Wormux is playable over the net, it will be a lot of fun. For now, the artificial intelligence is just a bit too keen on getting stuck and walking in place for the duration of its minute long turn for the game to keep any sort of pace. If this only happened occasionally it would be easier to deal with, but it happened to me nearly every turn. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the network enabled release, though.

The second game I checked out was Brutal Chess which is, according to its bio on Happy Penguin, inspired by Battle Chess. For those of you who don't remember, Battle Chess was basically a good old fashioned game of chess with one gimmick: animations of your pieces actually fighting each other when you made a move.

While Brutal Chess is a nice looking front end with the option of picking different chess engines, there is absolutely nothing brutal about it so far. Well, unless you consider plastic chess pieces knocking over other chess pieces brutal. I don't. I am fairly sure that they plan on adding animations over time, as there is built in support for loading md3 (Quake 3) models. They also mention a particle engine, which I never saw used. It may be me, though, I haven't spent too much time with the game.

Lastly, I very briefly checked out Pox Nora. By very briefly, I mean I signed up for an account and took a short look at the tutorial. I'm not one for blindly jumping head first in to multiplayer games, so it may take a while (possibly forever) until I have anything to say about this one. If I actually manage to play it, I'll post my thoughts on it next week.