Here we are in 2026, recapping 2025. How was it for gaming for me?
Running Dungeon Fantasy
I GMed 17 sessions of DF Felltower this year.
Session 203, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part III - War of the Robots
Session 204, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part IV - Mechanical Knights, Gnolls, and Cultists
Session 205, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part V - Mopping Up & Pursuit
Session 206, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part VI - Exploring & Looting
Session 207, Felltower 134 - Exploring the Gate Level
Session 208, Felltower 135 - Exploring the Air Gate, Part I
Session 209, Felltower 135 - Exploring the Air Gate, Part II
Session 210, Felltower 135 - Exploring the Air Gate, Part III
Session 211, Brotherhood Complex 9 - Chop & Hannari's Excellent Adventure
Session 212, Felltower 136 - Steel Knights
Session 213, Felltower 137 - Looking for Evil Temples in All the Wrong Places
Session 214, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS
Session 215, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS Part II
Session 216, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS Part III
Session 217, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS Part IV
Session 218, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS Part V
Session 219, Felltower 138 - Into the second GFS Part VI - Walls or Death
We started off finishing a multi-session epic fight that ran over from 2024 and finished with a multi-session epic fight that almost ran into 2026. Good stuff!
Same crew of gamers as last year, plus we added my friend Freddie. Long story short, he used to play in my games back in high school and early into college. We always stayed in contact even if not closely. He was out for a family visit, we did some BJJ together (he's a black belt, I'm not), and he mentioned wanting to drop in on a game session as a visitor. Lo and behold, we play online these days . . . and now so does he. He's a good match for the group.
I'm also well pleased that Felltower has been seen as a lost cause recently, due to lots of dead ends and "can't win" encounters. So what did the players do? This is going to sound crazy, but they put their big boy pants on and got to work on a couple of the thornier problems - a visit to the Air Gate (profitable!), a run at the steel knights (not profitable), and an epic run at the first landing on the second GFS and the maw of the "Gith" area (profitable, but less than hoped.) That really made me happy as a GM. Yes, these are hard problems to solve, and tough battles to win. But edging around the problem didn't help . . . and a straight-on assault of all three made headway. The Air Gate is an active place with a lot to do - even if only "raid more giant's castles." The knights are a problem but they have a better idea of how big of one. And the Gith are a serious, potentially existential threat when engaged, but rich as can be (even just from their arms and armor - nevermind whatever cash they have.) It suddenly looks target rich instead of an empty hole.
Playing RPGs
None. Not one session. Again. Hmm.
Other Gaming
I played a lot of Battle Brothers this year, after finally pulling the trigger on it. I really like it. I eventually added the Warriors of the North DLC and it's fine but I haven't enjoyed it as much since I added it. We'll see. Maybe I'm just getting used to the new backgrounds.
Writing
None. I might be done writing, basically. The opportunity cost in time is high, and the payoff is not great. A sizeable project can net me less than a week's pay at my day job and take many more weeks to do, and a small project isn't an option without Pyramid around any more.
We'll see. I do enjoy the finished projects, so maybe if I get an opportunity for something special I'll take advantage.
Overall, a pretty good year for gaming.
But, not a good year overall for our game group. We lost one of my former gamers. I still don't feel up to writing a post about that, yet. She'll be missed. She hadn't rolled dice in anger since before I started this blog, but she was one of my old game's regulars. I didn't want to say nothing, but maybe that's enough for the moment.
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2026
Friday, June 27, 2025
Friday Roundup 6/27/2025
- I have a good run going in Battle Brothers. My first run, I didn't understand how to build good brothers, so I'm kind of stuck. My second only lasted a few days before it was clear I was in a living hell - few fights I could handle, almost no recruits I could afford, and lots and lots of undead and wolves and other nasties in the area. The third playthrough, I'm around day 55 or so with the Headhunters, and they're kicking ass. I literally smashed an undead camp for a mission, took an additional mission to smash more, and then wiped out a bandit camp on the way home just because they were on the way.
Three things* turned it for me:
1) Having a better idea how to recruit and build brothers
2) Ruthless use of fishing nets and daggers early to get better armor (and I scored a pike in week 1, which was massive)
3) A policy of having as many fights as I could, much like D'Artagnan was counciled to by his pop.
Because of this, I had better armor than before, better brothers, and guys with as many fights as they have days in the company. Fun stuff.
- I didn't have much time to do game prep, because I wasted what I had on Battle Brothers. Next game is Sunday.
- Concussion sucks enough that everyone fixes it. It's broken.
* Besides surprise, fear, and an almost fanatical devotion to the pope. Ah, I'll start again.
Three things* turned it for me:
1) Having a better idea how to recruit and build brothers
2) Ruthless use of fishing nets and daggers early to get better armor (and I scored a pike in week 1, which was massive)
3) A policy of having as many fights as I could, much like D'Artagnan was counciled to by his pop.
Because of this, I had better armor than before, better brothers, and guys with as many fights as they have days in the company. Fun stuff.
- I didn't have much time to do game prep, because I wasted what I had on Battle Brothers. Next game is Sunday.
- Concussion sucks enough that everyone fixes it. It's broken.
* Besides surprise, fear, and an almost fanatical devotion to the pope. Ah, I'll start again.
Friday, May 30, 2025
Friday Roundup 5/30/2025
- I had a little time to play Battle Brothers. I gave up for the moment on my first game - I seem to have made just enough mistakes for long enough that I can't sustain myself in the fights I need to sustain my crew. I will try to advance the game another time when I'm more skilled.
My new game . . . not good. I seem to be in a high-danger area with tough contracts and very few recruits, many of whom are very expensive. A few days in and I've had to go back to my initial save twice already to just try to choose a better path . . . and it's not working. Hmm. I might need another restart.
Still fun.
- Game is Sunday.
- I'm still figuring out which level I'll support the Bat in the Attic kickstarter. But I'm in for sure.
My new game . . . not good. I seem to be in a high-danger area with tough contracts and very few recruits, many of whom are very expensive. A few days in and I've had to go back to my initial save twice already to just try to choose a better path . . . and it's not working. Hmm. I might need another restart.
Still fun.
- Game is Sunday.
- I'm still figuring out which level I'll support the Bat in the Attic kickstarter. But I'm in for sure.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Thoughts & Links for 5/9/2025
- OSRIC 3 launched. I'm thinking of going for it, and seeing if I can't tempt some of my players into trying this version of AD&D.
- Speaking of AD&D, has anyone tried to feed the DMG into, say, ChatGPT and see if it can figure out how initiative works? I'm curious, but also lazy.
- I've been too busy for Battle Brothers. I am looking at trying some quality-of-life mods, like sped up overland movement and stopping on sighting enemy groups . . . but I've never done mods before so I'm putting that off until I have a little more time to unwind any damage I do if I mess up.
- Speaking of AD&D, has anyone tried to feed the DMG into, say, ChatGPT and see if it can figure out how initiative works? I'm curious, but also lazy.
- I've been too busy for Battle Brothers. I am looking at trying some quality-of-life mods, like sped up overland movement and stopping on sighting enemy groups . . . but I've never done mods before so I'm putting that off until I have a little more time to unwind any damage I do if I mess up.
Friday, May 2, 2025
Friday Roundup 5/2/2025
Busy week with work and ice hockey playoffs, so I didn't do much gaming and practically no posting.
- Played a fair bit of Battle Brothers. The tricky bit for me is that combats can take a while, and you can't save during them. So I've had to avoid playing the game because I'm about to get into a fight and yet don't have the time to complete it. This makes it a bit more of a time investment for a play session than, say, firing up Diablo for a little bit and playing that.
I really like the game - the visual representation of troop conditions are great. So is the combat system, which makes me feel like every weapon has a niche, even if one I don't particularly need to use. I also really like that even a savage beating on a brother can leave them alive, but crippled - and yet still useful. My current group has a one-eyed guy who lost it early on. He's still one of my best front liners. Another suffered brain damage (!) and learns at a reduced rate. But he's tough, good at melee, has a solid base of stats overall, and worth keeping. In any other game he'd be junk. The only guys I shoved aside were so badly mauled as to be useless, or turned out to be useless. Just a permanent injury that doesn't make you do your job less well? Stay on the team.
- I like the idea of "load" for Disadvantages. I tend to get one-two big disads if possible rather than as many minor ones as possible.
- Next Felltower is 5/4. Seems like they'll go through the Air Gate.
- Played a fair bit of Battle Brothers. The tricky bit for me is that combats can take a while, and you can't save during them. So I've had to avoid playing the game because I'm about to get into a fight and yet don't have the time to complete it. This makes it a bit more of a time investment for a play session than, say, firing up Diablo for a little bit and playing that.
I really like the game - the visual representation of troop conditions are great. So is the combat system, which makes me feel like every weapon has a niche, even if one I don't particularly need to use. I also really like that even a savage beating on a brother can leave them alive, but crippled - and yet still useful. My current group has a one-eyed guy who lost it early on. He's still one of my best front liners. Another suffered brain damage (!) and learns at a reduced rate. But he's tough, good at melee, has a solid base of stats overall, and worth keeping. In any other game he'd be junk. The only guys I shoved aside were so badly mauled as to be useless, or turned out to be useless. Just a permanent injury that doesn't make you do your job less well? Stay on the team.
- I like the idea of "load" for Disadvantages. I tend to get one-two big disads if possible rather than as many minor ones as possible.
- Next Felltower is 5/4. Seems like they'll go through the Air Gate.
Friday, April 25, 2025
Friday Links for 4/25/2025
Made it most of the way through the week. What random stuff is on my mind?
- I like wargames with clever rules. This one, Race to Berlin, is a two-player game, the Allies vs. Russia. How do you handle the Germans? The Allies play the eastern front Germans, the Russians play the western front Germans. This prevents the old issue with 3-way games, which is the losing player deciding to play kingmaker and throw in with one side to let them win. In this case, that can't happen. Nice. Clever.
- I finally broke down and bought Battle Brothers. So far, it's a lot of fun. I expect to get my money's worth in the long run. I didn't sprint for any DLC but it came with one free one that adds a monster and a banner, IIRC. I'm playing my first game on easy for everything except combat, which is on Expert. It's fine and doesn't feel unfair or especially difficult to this point. I do get the occasional issue of not really having a clear idea of what to do next. Whatever. For now, the Cheat Commandos ride across the lands of whatever this land is called.
Enjoyable game, and I finally had some time . . . and it clearly wasn't going on sale for less than $14.99 so what the hell.
- Under Tenkar's Tavern, for levels 1-3. I love it.
- I like wargames with clever rules. This one, Race to Berlin, is a two-player game, the Allies vs. Russia. How do you handle the Germans? The Allies play the eastern front Germans, the Russians play the western front Germans. This prevents the old issue with 3-way games, which is the losing player deciding to play kingmaker and throw in with one side to let them win. In this case, that can't happen. Nice. Clever.
- I finally broke down and bought Battle Brothers. So far, it's a lot of fun. I expect to get my money's worth in the long run. I didn't sprint for any DLC but it came with one free one that adds a monster and a banner, IIRC. I'm playing my first game on easy for everything except combat, which is on Expert. It's fine and doesn't feel unfair or especially difficult to this point. I do get the occasional issue of not really having a clear idea of what to do next. Whatever. For now, the Cheat Commandos ride across the lands of whatever this land is called.
Enjoyable game, and I finally had some time . . . and it clearly wasn't going on sale for less than $14.99 so what the hell.
- Under Tenkar's Tavern, for levels 1-3. I love it.
Monday, April 14, 2025
Skald: Against the Black Priory - Finished
I finished up Skald yesterday.
It's a fun game - well worth the ~$10 I paid for it. It's a low-res retro-style game. I found the low-res part annoying. I can't make out most of the images of gear to tell you what was what. But the text was readable enough and the gameplay solid. The run game well on my laptop and I actually left the music on the whole game. I tend to turn ambient music off right away but the music in the game is pretty charming at its best and non-annoying at its worst. The game, in generally, is a lot of fun. Better than it appeared from some of the early reviews I saw.
I hit 93% achievents in my first playthrough on Normal difficulty. Also, I went back today to an earlier save game to try a different approach in one encounter, which netted me the sole remaining Achievement left - so I have 100% achievements. Total play time was just under 25 hours, and that includes a bit of play with a new character.
It's kind of tempting to play it again on a harder mode, but probably not. It's not like it was too easy or too hard, so I didn't feel a lot of frustration and generally felt a good level of challenge.
The only bits were, as always, I ended the game with a pile of unused resources. A LOT of ingredients for potions I never found recipes for, food items without recipes to use them, lots of prepared food - days and days and days worth - that I didn't need . . . the usual. Oh, and more gold than I could spend if I played again with it in my pocket from the start. And so many potions, that despite my aggressively using them all over the place I had dozens of extras of most of the basic ones at the end. My only big issue with the game were arrows - I couldn't fletch that many, and in the end I shot off every single arrow I found and bought in the game. My two bow-centric characters at the end were in melee because I'd long since shot off every arrow I could get. I didn't expect to run totally out of ammo. If I played again, I'd aggressively buy every single arrow in the game, even the cruddy ones and overly expensive ones, so I would have ammo at the end.
But overall it's good - the story is good, the gameplay is solid, and the engine apparantly can be used for mods . . . so I find ones I like I can potentially play more games on this chassis. Time well spent.
It's a fun game - well worth the ~$10 I paid for it. It's a low-res retro-style game. I found the low-res part annoying. I can't make out most of the images of gear to tell you what was what. But the text was readable enough and the gameplay solid. The run game well on my laptop and I actually left the music on the whole game. I tend to turn ambient music off right away but the music in the game is pretty charming at its best and non-annoying at its worst. The game, in generally, is a lot of fun. Better than it appeared from some of the early reviews I saw.
I hit 93% achievents in my first playthrough on Normal difficulty. Also, I went back today to an earlier save game to try a different approach in one encounter, which netted me the sole remaining Achievement left - so I have 100% achievements. Total play time was just under 25 hours, and that includes a bit of play with a new character.
It's kind of tempting to play it again on a harder mode, but probably not. It's not like it was too easy or too hard, so I didn't feel a lot of frustration and generally felt a good level of challenge.
The only bits were, as always, I ended the game with a pile of unused resources. A LOT of ingredients for potions I never found recipes for, food items without recipes to use them, lots of prepared food - days and days and days worth - that I didn't need . . . the usual. Oh, and more gold than I could spend if I played again with it in my pocket from the start. And so many potions, that despite my aggressively using them all over the place I had dozens of extras of most of the basic ones at the end. My only big issue with the game were arrows - I couldn't fletch that many, and in the end I shot off every single arrow I found and bought in the game. My two bow-centric characters at the end were in melee because I'd long since shot off every arrow I could get. I didn't expect to run totally out of ammo. If I played again, I'd aggressively buy every single arrow in the game, even the cruddy ones and overly expensive ones, so I would have ammo at the end.
But overall it's good - the story is good, the gameplay is solid, and the engine apparantly can be used for mods . . . so I find ones I like I can potentially play more games on this chassis. Time well spent.
Friday, March 7, 2025
Friday Night Fun - 3/7/2025
The usual fun for Friday!
- I stumbled on this video on YouTube of a military vet on the Warlord demo team showing off a setup for Bolt Action. Looks beautiful.
- I purchased Skald: Against the Black Priory. It was on sale for like $9 all in, so I got it. I figured if I disliked it, I'd return it. The videos of gameplay I saw seemed okay. It's actually a lot more fun than it looks, although it can be hard to read the text. Worth the money for a deeper game than Diablo 1, but not so deep that I can't just learn to play as I play.
- Game is Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I hope it's the last session in this delve, but that's partly up to the players and partly up to the dungeon's environment. DF Felltower isn't a "fast forward" kind of game, so the more time spent in combat, the less time to explore - and neither gets handwaved. I think we'll have time, despite that. Fingers crossed!
- I stumbled on this video on YouTube of a military vet on the Warlord demo team showing off a setup for Bolt Action. Looks beautiful.
- I purchased Skald: Against the Black Priory. It was on sale for like $9 all in, so I got it. I figured if I disliked it, I'd return it. The videos of gameplay I saw seemed okay. It's actually a lot more fun than it looks, although it can be hard to read the text. Worth the money for a deeper game than Diablo 1, but not so deep that I can't just learn to play as I play.
- Game is Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I hope it's the last session in this delve, but that's partly up to the players and partly up to the dungeon's environment. DF Felltower isn't a "fast forward" kind of game, so the more time spent in combat, the less time to explore - and neither gets handwaved. I think we'll have time, despite that. Fingers crossed!
Monday, March 3, 2025
Diablo update
Last time I left my Diablo game, I was stuck. I had a pile of goatmen archers (mostly Fire Clan) that killed my guy outright in seconds, no matter the tactics I tried.
I "solved" this problem the old fashioned way - I ran away. I piled up 8 full healing potions, and made a run for it through the goatmen and through a door. It cost me about 6 of those potions, but I made it through that door and past another and, eventually, down a level deeper.
I cleared out a few levels below. I still can't take out the fire clan goatmen, but I'm steadily killing off the stuff on the levels below. We'll see if I can get back up and clear them out eventually.
I may take out Nightmare-mode Diablo before I can handle those goatmen. Hah.
I "solved" this problem the old fashioned way - I ran away. I piled up 8 full healing potions, and made a run for it through the goatmen and through a door. It cost me about 6 of those potions, but I made it through that door and past another and, eventually, down a level deeper.
I cleared out a few levels below. I still can't take out the fire clan goatmen, but I'm steadily killing off the stuff on the levels below. We'll see if I can get back up and clear them out eventually.
I may take out Nightmare-mode Diablo before I can handle those goatmen. Hah.
Friday, February 21, 2025
Weekly Roundup - 2/21/25
- I've started reading through Power-Ups 10. I have a lot to think about when it comes to potential implementation, but in generally I like skill trees so I like the basic concept.
- I've stalled briefly on Diablo. I've got a pack of Flesh Clan goatmen to deal with who can slaughter my guy before he can kill one. I've cleared everything short of them. I'll give it another few tries before I give up and start a new single-player game for my guy to level up in. I hate to give up on clearing a level, though.
- Our next Felltower game is in a few weeks. I can't wait to see how my players handle the situation they're in.
- If you're into DCC and mutants, the Mutant Crawl Chronicles is up on a Bundle of Holding.
- I've stalled briefly on Diablo. I've got a pack of Flesh Clan goatmen to deal with who can slaughter my guy before he can kill one. I've cleared everything short of them. I'll give it another few tries before I give up and start a new single-player game for my guy to level up in. I hate to give up on clearing a level, though.
- Our next Felltower game is in a few weeks. I can't wait to see how my players handle the situation they're in.
- If you're into DCC and mutants, the Mutant Crawl Chronicles is up on a Bundle of Holding.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Diablo - Won
I finished Diablo tonight, in Normal mode, with now-25th level warrior Mirado.
- I'd forgotten that when you kill Diablo you just go to a cutscene, and then are returned to town. I'm glad I didn't need to mop up all of those teleporting wizards . . . but still, it feels very abrupt.
- The final levels were tough - it took a lot of trips, lots of potions, and almost bankrupted my guy in the process. So many witches. Sooooooo many witches. Tough when you're a melee guy without Teleport and without either mana or life steal.
- I restarted in Nightmare. Should be fun, but Hell mode is where it's really fun. I miss the days of using a trainer program to make a 50th level dude, use it to make a Hell-mode game, and dumping a too-low-level guy into it to try and survive. Ah, the good old days of hacking stuff to make it as hard as possible. I expected the early levels of Nightmare to be a bit of a slog, but at least the loot is worth more sold.
Fun game. I'm glad I messed around and got it working.
- I'd forgotten that when you kill Diablo you just go to a cutscene, and then are returned to town. I'm glad I didn't need to mop up all of those teleporting wizards . . . but still, it feels very abrupt.
- The final levels were tough - it took a lot of trips, lots of potions, and almost bankrupted my guy in the process. So many witches. Sooooooo many witches. Tough when you're a melee guy without Teleport and without either mana or life steal.
- I restarted in Nightmare. Should be fun, but Hell mode is where it's really fun. I miss the days of using a trainer program to make a 50th level dude, use it to make a Hell-mode game, and dumping a too-low-level guy into it to try and survive. Ah, the good old days of hacking stuff to make it as hard as possible. I expected the early levels of Nightmare to be a bit of a slog, but at least the loot is worth more sold.
Fun game. I'm glad I messed around and got it working.
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Diablo: Things I'd Forgotten
Diablo very much influenced Dungeon Fantasy - potion belts with 8 potion slots, hack-and-slash gaming, town is safe, magic items are found or purchased but not made, etc.
There are a few things I'd forgotten, though:
- Quests sometimes trigger new areas in old areas. You might find a crack in a wall that wasn't accessible before when you get a quest, or a chest you can't open until you've met the quest-giver.
- You increase stats, but increasing spells is all about finding magic in the dungeon.
- Unique items are always interesting, even if only useful for a while.
- Mood music is awesome.
Amusingly, some stuff I just remembered - Tab for the automap, arrow keys to move it around, Shift+Click to stand in place and swing, right click to cast spells . . . I haven't played in close to 30 years but I remember the keystrokes like they were yesterday.
And I remember the Battle.net only helm Lightforge . . . which was totally sweet. They said it was only accessible by a lucky drop in the demo version, but it was a hacked item. My friend Ed traded for them and got all of us one each. And me, two, after my first guy was lost in a computer failure. But I digress . . . got to go back to clearing the Bone Chamber . . .
There are a few things I'd forgotten, though:
- Quests sometimes trigger new areas in old areas. You might find a crack in a wall that wasn't accessible before when you get a quest, or a chest you can't open until you've met the quest-giver.
- You increase stats, but increasing spells is all about finding magic in the dungeon.
- Unique items are always interesting, even if only useful for a while.
- Mood music is awesome.
Amusingly, some stuff I just remembered - Tab for the automap, arrow keys to move it around, Shift+Click to stand in place and swing, right click to cast spells . . . I haven't played in close to 30 years but I remember the keystrokes like they were yesterday.
And I remember the Battle.net only helm Lightforge . . . which was totally sweet. They said it was only accessible by a lucky drop in the demo version, but it was a hacked item. My friend Ed traded for them and got all of us one each. And me, two, after my first guy was lost in a computer failure. But I digress . . . got to go back to clearing the Bone Chamber . . .
Friday, February 7, 2025
Random Thoughts & Links for 2/7/2025
It's Friday, time for random thoughts and links.
- Diablo lead progammer David Brevik describes DF Felltower, although you do have a lot more up-front customization of characters in Felltower thanks to GURPS.
But the main thing is loot? Killing monsters and loot, story not needed? Yes. That's my game.
- I've been thinking about my game's rules. I feel like I keep trying to simplify, and cut out things - rules, especially - that I feel don't add enough fun to justify the cost in time and complexity. But I also feel like that's becoming less true as I go on. A couple of rules I'd quietly dumped have been revived after pushes from players. A rule or two I'd downrated in effect have returned to the foreground a bit. If I started from scratch, my preferred ruleset for Felltower would be shorter, and although my players seem to agree in principle, actual practice is causing more rules and rulings to track. Hmm.
- Chester looks at Unlimited Adventures - a Gold Box CRPG toolkit.
- Diablo lead progammer David Brevik describes DF Felltower, although you do have a lot more up-front customization of characters in Felltower thanks to GURPS.
But the main thing is loot? Killing monsters and loot, story not needed? Yes. That's my game.
- I've been thinking about my game's rules. I feel like I keep trying to simplify, and cut out things - rules, especially - that I feel don't add enough fun to justify the cost in time and complexity. But I also feel like that's becoming less true as I go on. A couple of rules I'd quietly dumped have been revived after pushes from players. A rule or two I'd downrated in effect have returned to the foreground a bit. If I started from scratch, my preferred ruleset for Felltower would be shorter, and although my players seem to agree in principle, actual practice is causing more rules and rulings to track. Hmm.
- Chester looks at Unlimited Adventures - a Gold Box CRPG toolkit.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
A Snowy Day in Hell: Diablo
Out of nowhere, yesterday, I decided I wanted to play Diablo 1 again. I fiddled around until I got it to work - and oddly, it didn't seem to love sitting on my main partition so I stuck it on a USB key and it worked fine. I patched it up to 1.09, used a patch to keep it stable on Windows 10, and fired it up. And then a good chunk of my day was back-filled and front-empty thanks to a snow and ice storm. So I played Diablo for breakfast today.
Mirado the Warrior is now level 9 and slogging his way through the upper 4 levels of the dungeons below the old church in Tristam. I spent a good deal of time getting sucked into the loot rewards, just one more fight to level, and the OH SHIT RUN of it all. I don't feel overwhelmed but I sure as hell feel a little nervous with every door I open and every corner I turn.
I played D3 for a little bit a while back, the demo anyway . . . and I wasn't enjoying it. I felt like I was just clicking and hoping. It looked good, but I didn't feel that existential fear of my guy getting popped like in Diablo 1. I felt like I couldn't beat the Skeleton King, but not like I was afraid of losing my guy or like I had any real stakes other than some time. I could have gotten the upgraded D2, or installed D2 and the expansion from my disks . . . but it was Diablo itself that seemed like a great way to spend some time. Much simpler - Warrior, Rogue, Sorcerer - and less worry about skill tree builds.
I played this game so damn much back in the day. I think I capped out at level 48 with one of my guys - Cthulbert - and played with my lamented lost buddy Ed, Don, my coworker Jesus (not Hey-soos, rather Gee-Zus), and a few others here and there. Fun stuff.
If anyone knows a way to get rid of the need for the CD, that would be nice, as my main play machine doesn't have a CD-ROM. If you've done it, let me know what worked - I tried searching for all sorts of methods and tried them to no avail, so don't drop me a link unless it's described what you had work for you. Thanks guys, and see you in Hell! (Aka levels 13-16)
Mirado the Warrior is now level 9 and slogging his way through the upper 4 levels of the dungeons below the old church in Tristam. I spent a good deal of time getting sucked into the loot rewards, just one more fight to level, and the OH SHIT RUN of it all. I don't feel overwhelmed but I sure as hell feel a little nervous with every door I open and every corner I turn.
I played D3 for a little bit a while back, the demo anyway . . . and I wasn't enjoying it. I felt like I was just clicking and hoping. It looked good, but I didn't feel that existential fear of my guy getting popped like in Diablo 1. I felt like I couldn't beat the Skeleton King, but not like I was afraid of losing my guy or like I had any real stakes other than some time. I could have gotten the upgraded D2, or installed D2 and the expansion from my disks . . . but it was Diablo itself that seemed like a great way to spend some time. Much simpler - Warrior, Rogue, Sorcerer - and less worry about skill tree builds.
I played this game so damn much back in the day. I think I capped out at level 48 with one of my guys - Cthulbert - and played with my lamented lost buddy Ed, Don, my coworker Jesus (not Hey-soos, rather Gee-Zus), and a few others here and there. Fun stuff.
If anyone knows a way to get rid of the need for the CD, that would be nice, as my main play machine doesn't have a CD-ROM. If you've done it, let me know what worked - I tried searching for all sorts of methods and tried them to no avail, so don't drop me a link unless it's described what you had work for you. Thanks guys, and see you in Hell! (Aka levels 13-16)
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Year in Gaming 2024
Here we are at the end of 2024. How was it for gaming for me?
Running Dungeon Fantasy
I GMed 13 sessions of DF Felltower this year.
Session 190, Felltower 128 - Exploring Level 1
Session 191, Felltower 129 - Troll Treasure & Orc Holes
Session 192, Felltower 130 - Down, down, down the GFS
Session 193, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part I
Session 194, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part II
Session 195, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part III
Session 196, Felltower 132 - Wells, Pools, and Cultists of the Good God
Session 197, Felltower 133 - Chimera, Stone Bulls, and Baby Mira
Session 198, Brotherhood Complex 6 - Gnolls & Doors
Session 199, Brotherhood Complex 6 - Gnolls & Doors, Part II
Session 200, Brotherhood Complex 7
Session 201, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part I
Session 202, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part II - War of the Robots
This was good, but far less than the 20 I'd hoped for. In fact, this might be the lowest total we had any year since we started. I think it's because we now have a solid core of players, and instead of playing as often as we can, we play as often 75% of more of the core players can make a session. I'm giving some thought about to deal with this.
We lost a few players this year - well, one, and it's clear some of the others aren't coming back. Kevin left the group due to a difference in play style (I think.) I think I can pinpoint the moment it occured. It's okay - my game isn't for everyone, and I don't let players create problems for themselves (say, by trashing entrances to the dungeon so they're hard to use) and then solve them for them (by handwaving the "hard to use" part.) If that costs me players, it's okay. It's just a bummer because I think he left just before the PCs went off and did something he'd be have been terribly interested in.
I was pleased with a few things in-game this year:
- a return to Olympus. There is one more era left, now, and it's a doozy.
- an attempt to do things with the pools. Mostly wasted, but still, it was actual methodical exploration.
- a successful attempt to re-open ways into Felltower.
- the PCs finally found the domed city at the bottom of Felltower.
- a persistent attempt to wipe out the Brotherhood Complex's inhabitants.
Good stuff overall.
Playing RPGs
None. Not one session.
Other Games & Gaming
I was able to play some other games this year:
Board Games:
Third World War: Persian Gulf - I had a great time playing this one, but the randomized system I used for card selection left the Warsaw Pact (okay, USSR) with very little time to really seize the gulf. They ended up with a substantial, but unsustainable, advantage, before logistical breakdown left them in the lurch. A player-chosen diplomatic approach would have placed far more emphasis on getting forces into Iran early. Oh well.
Revolt on Antares - I didn't get to play but I did finally replace my set. I'll play this year.
Video games:
GTA 3: Vice City
Pathfinder: Kingmaker (Lawful Good Paladin aimed at getting the "best" ending)
Fantasy General (one battle left)
Grand Tactician: The American Civil War - played a short bit, I need to play more.
Not a great year for these games. I did get more done in Pathfinder, but as always I stall out in the complicated and not-terribly-fun phase-state House out of Time.
Writing
Almost none. My work-work got busy . . . I set myself a goal of +50% business for the year and met it. No time for writing with that going on.
Other stuff? No painting, although my readers (glasses) make it possible now. Lots of Felltower work. Some new gaming things I can enjoy to read and play with. But that's about it.
As years go for gaming . . . not bad, but not up to par. Next game is 1/12 and I hope to keep some kind of rhythm.
Running Dungeon Fantasy
I GMed 13 sessions of DF Felltower this year.
Session 190, Felltower 128 - Exploring Level 1
Session 191, Felltower 129 - Troll Treasure & Orc Holes
Session 192, Felltower 130 - Down, down, down the GFS
Session 193, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part I
Session 194, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part II
Session 195, Felltower 131 - Olympus Gate II, Part III
Session 196, Felltower 132 - Wells, Pools, and Cultists of the Good God
Session 197, Felltower 133 - Chimera, Stone Bulls, and Baby Mira
Session 198, Brotherhood Complex 6 - Gnolls & Doors
Session 199, Brotherhood Complex 6 - Gnolls & Doors, Part II
Session 200, Brotherhood Complex 7
Session 201, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part I
Session 202, Brotherhood Complex 8 - Raid, Part II - War of the Robots
This was good, but far less than the 20 I'd hoped for. In fact, this might be the lowest total we had any year since we started. I think it's because we now have a solid core of players, and instead of playing as often as we can, we play as often 75% of more of the core players can make a session. I'm giving some thought about to deal with this.
We lost a few players this year - well, one, and it's clear some of the others aren't coming back. Kevin left the group due to a difference in play style (I think.) I think I can pinpoint the moment it occured. It's okay - my game isn't for everyone, and I don't let players create problems for themselves (say, by trashing entrances to the dungeon so they're hard to use) and then solve them for them (by handwaving the "hard to use" part.) If that costs me players, it's okay. It's just a bummer because I think he left just before the PCs went off and did something he'd be have been terribly interested in.
I was pleased with a few things in-game this year:
- a return to Olympus. There is one more era left, now, and it's a doozy.
- an attempt to do things with the pools. Mostly wasted, but still, it was actual methodical exploration.
- a successful attempt to re-open ways into Felltower.
- the PCs finally found the domed city at the bottom of Felltower.
- a persistent attempt to wipe out the Brotherhood Complex's inhabitants.
Good stuff overall.
Playing RPGs
None. Not one session.
Other Games & Gaming
I was able to play some other games this year:
Board Games:
Third World War: Persian Gulf - I had a great time playing this one, but the randomized system I used for card selection left the Warsaw Pact (okay, USSR) with very little time to really seize the gulf. They ended up with a substantial, but unsustainable, advantage, before logistical breakdown left them in the lurch. A player-chosen diplomatic approach would have placed far more emphasis on getting forces into Iran early. Oh well.
Revolt on Antares - I didn't get to play but I did finally replace my set. I'll play this year.
Video games:
GTA 3: Vice City
Pathfinder: Kingmaker (Lawful Good Paladin aimed at getting the "best" ending)
Fantasy General (one battle left)
Grand Tactician: The American Civil War - played a short bit, I need to play more.
Not a great year for these games. I did get more done in Pathfinder, but as always I stall out in the complicated and not-terribly-fun phase-state House out of Time.
Writing
Almost none. My work-work got busy . . . I set myself a goal of +50% business for the year and met it. No time for writing with that going on.
Other stuff? No painting, although my readers (glasses) make it possible now. Lots of Felltower work. Some new gaming things I can enjoy to read and play with. But that's about it.
As years go for gaming . . . not bad, but not up to par. Next game is 1/12 and I hope to keep some kind of rhythm.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Epic Games Free Game: Return to Moria
I haven't played it, but I grabbed it - Epic Games is giving away this game:
Return to Moria
Given that it's free, and I already have an Epic Games account, I went for it. Just passing along the news in case anyone is interested.
Return to Moria
Given that it's free, and I already have an Epic Games account, I went for it. Just passing along the news in case anyone is interested.
Friday, December 13, 2024
Friday Roundup 12/13/2024
End of another busy week.
- Computer RPG as a training device, perhaps? This 1979 CRPG has you play a doctor and prescribe treatment for patients. Pretty neat. Part of me feels like this is what were doing for nuclear reactors playing SCRAM! It didn't come up in my line of work, though. Probably for the better.
- Beowulf, as a DF Wrestler template GURPS character.
- Illustrations from Wizardry: Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord. I'd forgotten about Mordorcharge.
- Computer RPG as a training device, perhaps? This 1979 CRPG has you play a doctor and prescribe treatment for patients. Pretty neat. Part of me feels like this is what were doing for nuclear reactors playing SCRAM! It didn't come up in my line of work, though. Probably for the better.
- Beowulf, as a DF Wrestler template GURPS character.
- Illustrations from Wizardry: Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord. I'd forgotten about Mordorcharge.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Fantasy General: Grinding Out a Win
I have resumed playing Fantasy General as General Marcus.
I think I have two battles left. My current one should put me just outside the Shadowlord's fortress. There is a little side penninsula I ignored, which I'm hoping I can keep on ignoring. In video games, though, one never knows. In WWII the Allies just encircled those "fortress" cities the Nazis set up in France and left them until the war ended. In video games, you might have to clear them before you're allowed to attack the main fortress.
The battle before the last, then, is going on. It's nasty. Rough terrain, spread out objectives, and the enemy has lots of high-experience sky hunters (fighters) and seemingly endless numbers of mechanical infantry units (Mechanus) and cavalry (Rolling Thunder.) They're brutal to take out, and they're backed by Shadow Warriors and Monks of Meo in large numbers. It's been a slog and cost me a lot of pain and I'm not even a quarter done.
I'm enjoying it despite the title - it's a slog, it's a grind. But it's good. It shouldn't be easy. My tactics, though, still work - rush in mobs of Sky Hunters to take out all the units I can easily demolish, hound the wounded, and then let my combined follow-on forces mob the remainder. It's just slow.
I'm interested to see how this wraps up. I enjoy the game in spurts. This is one of those spurts. I hope to finish it this week!
I think I have two battles left. My current one should put me just outside the Shadowlord's fortress. There is a little side penninsula I ignored, which I'm hoping I can keep on ignoring. In video games, though, one never knows. In WWII the Allies just encircled those "fortress" cities the Nazis set up in France and left them until the war ended. In video games, you might have to clear them before you're allowed to attack the main fortress.
The battle before the last, then, is going on. It's nasty. Rough terrain, spread out objectives, and the enemy has lots of high-experience sky hunters (fighters) and seemingly endless numbers of mechanical infantry units (Mechanus) and cavalry (Rolling Thunder.) They're brutal to take out, and they're backed by Shadow Warriors and Monks of Meo in large numbers. It's been a slog and cost me a lot of pain and I'm not even a quarter done.
I'm enjoying it despite the title - it's a slog, it's a grind. But it's good. It shouldn't be easy. My tactics, though, still work - rush in mobs of Sky Hunters to take out all the units I can easily demolish, hound the wounded, and then let my combined follow-on forces mob the remainder. It's just slow.
I'm interested to see how this wraps up. I enjoy the game in spurts. This is one of those spurts. I hope to finish it this week!
Monday, March 18, 2024
The frustrations of spells vs. effects in Pathfinder: Kingmaker
One real frustration I have with Pathfinder: Kingmaker is when descriptions and effects don't really match.
Many, many debuffs have very specific counters. You can get stats drained, paralyzed, petrified, frightened, stunned, level drained, blinded, sickened, exhausted . . . all good. But then how do you fix it? It depends. You have spells like Lesser Restoration, Restoration, Greater Restoration, Remove Curse, Inspiring Recovery, Heal . . . which one fixes what? It's not always clear.
It's not always clear what effects are countered by what countermeasure. I've had plenty of my companions made to flee by a fae's Frightful Moan . . . despite being accompanied by a Paladin who cast a spell to render them immune to fear effects. Cast Delay Poison, Communal to be immune to spider's venom . . . but not the stat-drain poison of other monsters or the save-or-die poison effect from a Prismatic Spray.
Countermeasures seem very idiosyncratic, specific, and arbitrary. From a person versed in the game Pathfinder only from the video game, it's tough. I often struggle to figure out what exactly would help me counter foes who spam Slay Living or Prismatic Spray. I have to dig, dig, and dig in the rules to figure out what does what.
It's really annoying. Mostly I deal with my issues with Mass Heal, rest, and lots of healing spells. But even several playthroughs through the game, and late in the game, I just have a vague idea of how to deal with certain issues. It's not really ideal.
When it comes to magic, I really like when effect-based counters just work based on the effect. If you are immune to fire, fire damage should just fail. Poison immunity? Then "save vs. poison or die" should just be something that garners a chuckle from you. And so on. It's useful food for thought as I continually revise my version of GURPS Magic for Felltower . . . I want it to seem clear why something works or does not work; strange exceptions should be rare and should allow for an "ah-hah!" moment as you figure out why. I'm not getting it from this game, but it is making me think about how not to do things the way Pathfinder seems to do them.
Many, many debuffs have very specific counters. You can get stats drained, paralyzed, petrified, frightened, stunned, level drained, blinded, sickened, exhausted . . . all good. But then how do you fix it? It depends. You have spells like Lesser Restoration, Restoration, Greater Restoration, Remove Curse, Inspiring Recovery, Heal . . . which one fixes what? It's not always clear.
It's not always clear what effects are countered by what countermeasure. I've had plenty of my companions made to flee by a fae's Frightful Moan . . . despite being accompanied by a Paladin who cast a spell to render them immune to fear effects. Cast Delay Poison, Communal to be immune to spider's venom . . . but not the stat-drain poison of other monsters or the save-or-die poison effect from a Prismatic Spray.
Countermeasures seem very idiosyncratic, specific, and arbitrary. From a person versed in the game Pathfinder only from the video game, it's tough. I often struggle to figure out what exactly would help me counter foes who spam Slay Living or Prismatic Spray. I have to dig, dig, and dig in the rules to figure out what does what.
It's really annoying. Mostly I deal with my issues with Mass Heal, rest, and lots of healing spells. But even several playthroughs through the game, and late in the game, I just have a vague idea of how to deal with certain issues. It's not really ideal.
When it comes to magic, I really like when effect-based counters just work based on the effect. If you are immune to fire, fire damage should just fail. Poison immunity? Then "save vs. poison or die" should just be something that garners a chuckle from you. And so on. It's useful food for thought as I continually revise my version of GURPS Magic for Felltower . . . I want it to seem clear why something works or does not work; strange exceptions should be rare and should allow for an "ah-hah!" moment as you figure out why. I'm not getting it from this game, but it is making me think about how not to do things the way Pathfinder seems to do them.
Monday, February 12, 2024
Pathfinder: Kingmaker video game silliness
I spent a little time yesterday and today goofing off with Pathfinder: Kingmaker, with my LG Paladin (Holgar Carlson, of course.)
It's a fun game, but it has a few really amusing things that come along with being a video game.
- One NPC gives you a quest to help track down some poachers. You see, he needs evidence that someone is poaching . . . and proof to give to the guards. So you know, I, the BARON, go find the proof for him to give to the guards. Okay, I'm Lawful Good, so it vaguely makes sense . . . although I'm empowered as Baron to pass judgment without "the guards" helping. It was even funnier when Molly, my LE Monk, was my PC. Why would a Lawful Evil Baron not just exercise her right to believe this guy and execute the criminal if I wanted to?
- We stumbled across a few bandits while travelling. I wanted to try using a Fireball scroll with a character who needed a skill check to use it. We stood in plain sight of them, a short distance away, as she read the scroll over and over until finally it worked. We somehow achieved surprise and got a surprise round on them.
No, I'm not kidding.
- there are all sorts of cool magic items with cool powers. I have to look them up in an online guide, because in-game I can't find out what they do. So I Alt-Tab to my browser and look them up. It's just annoying. And it means you can't just stay fully immersed in the game.
- We fought a really nasty group of organized foes, and one of my characters got mauled. We needed to rest up before the final fight. So I left, rested, did a side quest, and then came back . . . and the organized foes ignored the fact that someone had massacred their gate guards and half their garrison and just waited for us to come back days later to finish them off.
They clearly hadn't read How to Defend Your Lair.
Still fun. But video games aren't TTRPGs.
It's a fun game, but it has a few really amusing things that come along with being a video game.
- One NPC gives you a quest to help track down some poachers. You see, he needs evidence that someone is poaching . . . and proof to give to the guards. So you know, I, the BARON, go find the proof for him to give to the guards. Okay, I'm Lawful Good, so it vaguely makes sense . . . although I'm empowered as Baron to pass judgment without "the guards" helping. It was even funnier when Molly, my LE Monk, was my PC. Why would a Lawful Evil Baron not just exercise her right to believe this guy and execute the criminal if I wanted to?
- We stumbled across a few bandits while travelling. I wanted to try using a Fireball scroll with a character who needed a skill check to use it. We stood in plain sight of them, a short distance away, as she read the scroll over and over until finally it worked. We somehow achieved surprise and got a surprise round on them.
No, I'm not kidding.
- there are all sorts of cool magic items with cool powers. I have to look them up in an online guide, because in-game I can't find out what they do. So I Alt-Tab to my browser and look them up. It's just annoying. And it means you can't just stay fully immersed in the game.
- We fought a really nasty group of organized foes, and one of my characters got mauled. We needed to rest up before the final fight. So I left, rested, did a side quest, and then came back . . . and the organized foes ignored the fact that someone had massacred their gate guards and half their garrison and just waited for us to come back days later to finish them off.
They clearly hadn't read How to Defend Your Lair.
Still fun. But video games aren't TTRPGs.
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