BailerAppleby's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on The ethics of buying, playing military, war or games inspired by them? in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkGamers often use the term "guilty pleasure" to describe a playing a less prestigious game when it should describe your engagement with something that goes against your principles, as is the case...Gamers often use the term "guilty pleasure" to describe a playing a less prestigious game when it should describe your engagement with something that goes against your principles, as is the case here. Unfortunately, gamers on the whole lack media awareness and regularly consume products that would otherwise not be accepted outside of this niche market, showing an inability to critically examine the harmful effects of a hobby they won't allow to be criticized.
That means the biggest impact to a popular game isn't a boycott that would harm revenue, but a discussion that could (possibly) change opinions. If I were a trillionaire warmonger (I admit I've thought about it), sure I would want money from a licensing deal, but I would probably prefer having control over the way my image was being portrayed. Dollars to donuts that they are using the Ace Combat franchise as a way to control they way they are perceived by the public. Whatever they are earning in this licensing deal, the military porn converts they earn are worth every penny spent.
If you're one guy who enjoys military sims, your financial support of AC won't be as substantial as the politicians you vote for, or the causes you are willing to fight for. Expanding further, enjoying sex and violence in video games does not have to mean you support these things in the touch-grassiness of real life.
That out of the way, I'll admit I haven't played Ace Combat, but would venture to guess that this is not the type of game that features Lockheed Martin getting grilled at senate hearings or continues the narrative of victims that had their lives altered by your successfully deployed bombs, S-Tier Ranking Achieved, Good Job! This game is inherently political; it coddles the player with the fun aspect of war without any of the messy ramifications of their human cost. It shouldn't mean that you can't enjoy it for the fun game aspects of it, nor excuse it for its problematic associations.
Videogames have reached a state in which ethical consumption has become a real issue. Human-rights-denying companies with exploitative practices want us to support their illicit practices with the fun games we aren't willing to give up. I agree it's tough, but you can make the right choice for you, and it begins by ignoring the statement "Don't bring politics to my games".
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Comment on Leon S. Kennedy is a car salesman now in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkFinally. We media-illiterate, pre-release buying, integrity-requesting-of-our-journalism video gamers finally get to play as a bitter middle-aged man lost to nostalgia lacking the self-awareness...Finally. We media-illiterate, pre-release buying, integrity-requesting-of-our-journalism video gamers finally get to play as a bitter middle-aged man lost to nostalgia lacking the self-awareness required to feel shame at betraying his principles.
I feel as though there should be a rage-inducing YouTube video about this. But there's probably not.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
BailerAppleby Link ParentHm. I should have better articulated that "We don't own anything anymore" should have been applied to streaming and the awful trend of subscription services. I guess I originally meant to say that...Hm. I should have better articulated that "We don't own anything anymore" should have been applied to streaming and the awful trend of subscription services. I guess I originally meant to say that question mark uptalk a la Michael Costa.
Thanks for pointing that out.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )LinkTunguska: The Visitation is a surprisingly immersive "Stalker-lite" as shown from an isometric perspective; honestly, it's a lot like playing the OG Fallout but in real time without the...Tunguska: The Visitation is a surprisingly immersive "Stalker-lite" as shown from an isometric perspective; honestly, it's a lot like playing the OG Fallout but in real time without the time-stopping V.A.T.S. and its accompanying "pssssssht" sound. It goes quite hard in its simulation elements, requiring you to micro-manage your eating, sleeping, radiation sickness, but so far it's been manageable, the same way it has been with its obtuse controls and steep learning curve. For me, it could be the post-apocalyptic setting that keeps me enthralled in this ugly orphan stepchild of a game that would never otherwise receive the grace of my love.
And here's a fun fact for you: this is a not some game made by a "Ruskie". I know this because the dev chimed in on some board that he's a Chinese guy living in Texas. So, the more you learn...
Choo-Choo Charles is a quirky survival game that makes the most of its meme-friendly antagonist. It's great fun to ride the rails of your own train with straightforward get-the-keys-to-set-up-a-confrontation-with-the-previously-undefeatable-big-bad gameplay, but never derails from its propensity for jank. It could use a lot more polish, but then nobody with money would ever take a chance on a whimsical game like this. One reviewer had the gall to criticize this game for not animating lips to match the voiceover; it's like, do you hear the words these NPCs are saying? I don't think the performance of the "Pickle Lady" would be improved by this extraordinary effort to placate errant critiques. To which I say: top points for coining the term "lockpickles".
The game's music does a lot of its heavy lifting. It's not emotionally affecting, but interactive to the degree that such a spooky-but-not-scary game demands.
I'm salty that this game's display goes haywire whenever failing Nightmare Mode, thwarting my need to 100% it.
Tried War Mongrels, but can't make it out of the tutorial that kills you and reloads on an auto-save made after a critical move that can't be changed. Was excited to try this modern take on Commandos, but the vast moveset does not seem to be very friendly for the Steam Deck. Oh wells. One day I'll get a proper computer when I grow up.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of March 1 in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkFanatical is continuing with its Bundle Fest that includes Build Your Own Story Rich Adventure Bundle and Build Your Own 3D Platformer Bundle that each have some good games at good prices. From...Fanatical is continuing with its Bundle Fest that includes Build Your Own Story Rich Adventure Bundle and Build Your Own 3D Platformer Bundle that each have some good games at good prices. From the latter, I picked up for myself three games: the weird Paradise Killer, the collect-a-thon-ish Staffer Case, and the very European Quantic Dream Bundle that includes Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
BailerAppleby LinkEverything in terms of consumable nerd culture. Here's a short list of what I'm talking about: Star Wars Star Trek Lord of the Rings Marvel movies DC movies (superheroes and Watchmen) The Matrix...Everything in terms of consumable nerd culture.
Here's a short list of what I'm talking about:
- Star Wars
- Star Trek
- Lord of the Rings
- Marvel movies
- DC movies (superheroes and Watchmen)
- The Matrix
- Diablo
- Fallout
- Transformers
- G.I. Joe
- and more
I loved all that stuff. Still do. But I recognize that the stuff I loved, while still there in their original forms, don't exist anymore. Not the way I remember them. Because although my memories are mine, my nostalgia doesn't belong to me. It's been bought out and ransomed by huge corporations who want to take me for everything I've got.
None of it belongs to me. So that's why I can't be a fan anymore of the things I like. The longing and familiarity I have with the good times in my youth has been weaponized against me as a wage earner with a (marginally) disposable income. Spending the price of admission becomes a test of my principles when I choose to support mega corporations that exploit their workers, infringe human rights, and mine me as a resource.
It's honestly a bad time to be a fan of anything these days. Businesses are squeezing their grip on their properties, hiking prices to offer "premium experiences" knowing that it doesn't matter if you lock out the majority of your supporters when the diehard fans with the money are willing to pay.
The mistreatment is at its worst when you come to the way the "stewards of the IPs" treat their fans. Art is dead, everything is just content, an unending flow of ground-up fan service that doesn't discriminate between meat and gristle. It is beyond an atrocity how Paramount has betrayed the utopian principles and brave pioneering of Star Trek. It is downright insulting how Disney has reduced Star Wars and Marvel properties to becoming seasonal content drips that prioritize licensed merchandise above good storytelling. It is simply abysmal how my hard-earned money is used to support exploitative companies that will layoff their talent to cut corners for a tighter bottom line.
At some point, we all have to just admit that none of this belongs to us fans. It's their property, it's their story to tell, it's their price we have to pay. I don't deny that any of them could put out an undeniably good product worth buying, but it remains that none of it is interesting anymore, not at what is expected of me to give up in return.
Instead, I say goodbye to endless sequels, legacy sequels, remakes and remasters. I look to indie creators to provide the spark of my next inspiration. It could be that they themselves could become the next big thing (just look at James Gunn's trajectory from making superhero-satire Super to becoming the studio head that made the latest Superman movie), but here amongst unhyped spectacles, there's some charming gems to uncover.
It's so tough to say goodbye, but I need to let go of nostalgia and stop asking for more of the same. We have the original Lord of the Rings, the original first Matrix movie, the original Watchmen graphic novel... and that's enough. Enough for me as a money-paying fan who knows that asking for more when it comes to consumer nerd culture is asking for diminishing returns.
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Comment on Humble Choice - March 2026 in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentReceived and redeemed! Wow, thank you very much! I am excited to try out what looks to be "what if Ant-Man, but imperial colonizer"! Very interesting, indeed!Received and redeemed! Wow, thank you very much! I am excited to try out what looks to be "what if Ant-Man, but imperial colonizer"! Very interesting, indeed!
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Comment on Humble Choice - March 2026 in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentI would like to request Smalland: Survive the Wild if it is still available.Smalland: Survive the Wild
I would like to request Smalland: Survive the Wild if it is still available.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of February 22 in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkFanatical Build Your Own Killer Bundle Deals start from 5 games for CAD$7.89. This bundle is good for having a wide variety of genres. I'm looking at Choo Choo Charles, The Chant, Zombie Army...Fanatical Build Your Own Killer Bundle
Deals start from 5 games for CAD$7.89. This bundle is good for having a wide variety of genres. I'm looking at Choo Choo Charles, The Chant, Zombie Army Trilogy, and some others.
FYI Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is featured in another bundle for really cheap as well.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkInspired by this post, I decided to play Jesus Christ RPG from my backlog. I have to say: the most surprising thing about it is that it is almost entirely inoffensive, and suitable for the...Inspired by this post, I decided to play Jesus Christ RPG from my backlog. I have to say: the most surprising thing about it is that it is almost entirely inoffensive, and suitable for the faithful and non-faithful alike. And then I would have to say: the second most surprising thing about it is that this game follows hundreds of years of Christian symbolism, emphasizing its legitimacy as a bonafide entry into Christian art.
This game smartly adapts the New Testament by using the vocabulary of RPG mechanics. Jesus is a magic user who can perform miracles, you know the thing. More than that, instead of having to write things out, Jesus Christ RPG uses Christian symbols that refer to other Bible stories and meaning. For example, Mary Magdalene uses a jug for a weapon, while Judas uses a whip/rope; Simon Peter has a special ability called "Rooster", while Judas can call "Kiss" during battle that summons Roman soldiers, as only he can.
It's a short game made in RPG Maker with pop culture references, so let's not call this the Second Coming. But, it's quite amazing how well integrated the Bible fits into a video game, way better than Wisdom Tree or even I Am Jesus Christ* as mentioned in the post in the beginning.
And, thanks to @aphoenix, I've been playing A Plague Tale: Requiem, a sublime work that artfully balances game and story for a gut-wrenching emotional take on the acceptance of grief. It's a shame this got overshadowed by the eventual Game-of-the-Year winner God of War Ragnarok, but with Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 taking the prize last year and Quebecois studios miles ahead of their contemporaries in Canada, APT:R-maker Asobo Studios is the latest example to show how masterful the French are at making video games.
The worst thing I can say about this game is that my Steam Deck can't handle it (so the fault must be elsewhere), and that this game sorely needs a Mercenaries-type mini-game, but that would detract from the narrative, which does something that only video games can do, putting this in the realm of unique examples like Bioshock, Braid, and The Stanley Parable.
End Spoilers: Don't read unless you've finished this game
Amici loves her brother so much that she won't stop fighting for him, against all odds and even when her own brother requests it. So to finish the game, Amici must essentially stop being herself; as the player must do the same, we're tasked with rejecting the conditioning we've built up in the game. After requiring us to beat a room full of enemies throughout the game, the final "boss" does the same to us, and so, on instinct, we start fighting, but we can't win.As the game shows us, to overcome grief, we need to stop fighting, betray our instincts, be everything that we're not.
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Comment on ‘Andor’ creator Tony Gilroy gives the interview he couldn’t during its release in ~tv
BailerAppleby Link ParentNice to meet a fellow watcher of Red Letter Media. Not that it is very important during these strange days, but what Star Wars and Star Trek did were betrayals of their audiences. Star Trek...Sorry, I’m… working through some things.
Nice to meet a fellow watcher of Red Letter Media.
Not that it is very important during these strange days, but what Star Wars and Star Trek did were betrayals of their audiences. Star Trek sacrificed principled sci-fi storytelling within a specific worldview for stylized action spectacle made by unapologetic non-fans. Meanwhile, in its Galactus-type quest of extinguishing every type of genre in the universe, Star Wars has consumed its own tail, overturning the idealistic hero's journey that defined its appeal for decades, relegating its own legacy as naive and one-dimensional.
It's not for us anymore. Just like how Vegas isn't for common plebes anymore. These corporation are doing everything they can to attract new audiences and squeeze more mileage out of tired, old-trick-learned dogs. Fine. I can still watch the old Lord of the Rings trilogy as they chase after Gollum in next year's abomination.
But it is different here. In betraying the principles of its source material, Star Wars and Star Trek have become irrevocably broken. They can't go back. By having Section 31 exist, the world of Star Trek has been revealed as a sham, and Roddenberry's optimistic view of the future shown to be fake and unsustainable. By taking its source material seriously with Andor, Star Wars has admitted its fun space opera is actually simple, shallow, space terrorism, a out-of-lane misstep as blunderful as the Star-Trek-inspired "midichlorians".
I like Andor. I think it's the kind of story the world needs right now. It isn't what Star Wars needs, but what Disney needs.
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Comment on ‘Andor’ creator Tony Gilroy gives the interview he couldn’t during its release in ~tv
BailerAppleby LinkAndor is the worst thing to ever have happened to Star Wars. It's brilliant storytelling and grounded narratives comes at the cost of lambasting its own legacy of heroic fantasy. I understand this...Andor is the worst thing to ever have happened to Star Wars. It's brilliant storytelling and grounded narratives comes at the cost of lambasting its own legacy of heroic fantasy.
I understand this is an unpopular thing to say about a beloved intellectual property with endearing licensed merchandise. But with its well-YouTube-documented decline and its back against the wall, Lucasfilm has released the well-funded Andor as a hail Mary after previous efforts failed to inspire its cash-infused devotees. As such, Andor is a genius flash in the pan that would signal the final death throes of George Lucas' $4 billion payoff if only corporations were capable of recognizing shame and not be compelled to maintaining the flow of its revenue streams.
Andor is good, great even, and its anti-fascist message is the one that needs to be heard. But for Star Wars moving forward, this on-the-driveway, door-key-fumbling, pre-bathrobe-confronting sobering up arrives too late, a massive course correction that spits in the eye of every missed stormtrooper shot, every loathsome callback, every cliche that will invariably be a part of future movies. This franchise's future relapse into pre-Andor tropes will ignore the brand's newfound post-modern awareness, thereby distinguishing the corpse-eating storytelling of Andor versus the creative bankruptcy of rights holders Disney.
With the Pandora's box of self-awareness open, any future Star Wars films and shows are going to suck. Further scrutiny of Star Wars tropes is going to tear down this flimsy house of cards. Star Wars can't simultaneously exist as a kid's show and an adult prestige drama. You either feel bad for shooting stormtroopers with fully realized backstories and motivations, or you don't because they're trash mobs to overcome between set pieces. The cognitive dissonance will become unbearable, but it won't matter with the latest Fortnite tie-in and baby Grogu must-have Christmas gift.
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Comment on "I am Jesus Christ" and other games about Jews in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkGreat video. I did not know Bioshock was so Jewish. Will definitely bring context to my next playthrough. I always thought Bioshock to be more Christian since the contraband they were smuggling in...Great video. I did not know Bioshock was so Jewish. Will definitely bring context to my next playthrough. I always thought Bioshock to be more Christian since the contraband they were smuggling in were Bibles.
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Comment on "I am Jesus Christ" and other games about Jews in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentI'm starting to play it now. It's got pop culture references (Rolling Stones and Oasis) but what impresses me is how well the vocabulary of RPG mechanics have been used to tell the story of the...I'm starting to play it now. It's got pop culture references (Rolling Stones and Oasis) but what impresses me is how well the vocabulary of RPG mechanics have been used to tell the story of the Bible. Want to change water into wine? You need the Baptism upgrade before you're able to perform Miracles (that take mana to perform during combat). Beating a mini-boss shows cutscenes using scripture from the Bible. It's impressive how all of this fits together; seems like a step up from the Wisdom Tree.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentNot a problem, no offense taken, and I did want to show my gratitude for letting me experience something new that I wouldn't have otherwise. I hope to be working through some of your other...Not a problem, no offense taken, and I did want to show my gratitude for letting me experience something new that I wouldn't have otherwise. I hope to be working through some of your other contributions in the near future.
I enjoy video games, but I probably enjoy thinking about them more; it's like how I love playing Resident Evil 5 even though I'd rather talk about how it's explicitly racist (more racist that Capcom's usual level of casual racism). There's just so much to video games that don't get discussed.
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Comment on "I am Jesus Christ" and other games about Jews in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkTaking this opportunity to remind everyone about Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy, a real video game that incorporates Bible stories into an RPGMaker game. The most shocking thing to say about it is that...Taking this opportunity to remind everyone about Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy, a real video game that incorporates Bible stories into an RPGMaker game. The most shocking thing to say about it is that it is a functional entry in the RPG genre (Mary can call angels, the 3 wise men can use magic, etc) and that it plays it mostly straight, only injecting Light humor that avoids anything sacrilegious.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )Link ParentHey there, thanks for the chance to play this game! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, just sounding out my thoughts on the game. I mean it when I say it is a competent boomer shooter, but I also...Hey there, thanks for the chance to play this game! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, just sounding out my thoughts on the game. I mean it when I say it is a competent boomer shooter, but I also mean it when I say this game lacks the spark of joy. It's a dour and grim experience. As dark as DOOM is, that game had metal guitars and horror elements that make for a great combo for a fun boomer shooter. By comparison, this base game has no metal even though the trailer for the DLC prominently uses it.
I'm mostly saying that the Warhammer setting doesn't work well as a story told from a single hero's perspective that in turn is a first-person shooter. You're basically alone with a fascist for ten hours accompanied by all the storage crates in the world, it seems. I think the strategy games will be better; I'll be trying out Rogue Trader later, let's see how that goes. Anyways, I'm glad I got to experience this myself after wanting to play it for so long.
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Comment on Giving away three copies of my friend's recently-released game in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkCongrats on joining Tildes, good on you for helping your friend, fortuitous for me as this is my kind of game. Good luck everyone!Congrats on joining Tildes, good on you for helping your friend, fortuitous for me as this is my kind of game.
Good luck everyone!
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Comment on Best of Humble Bundle: Beamdog & Owlcat: RPG Masters (pay what you want and help charity) in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkGlad you posted this deal here. I'm very much inclined to buy this bundle at the second tier (as I have Rogue Trader from a previous bundle), but the one thing that is holding me back is that this...Glad you posted this deal here. I'm very much inclined to buy this bundle at the second tier (as I have Rogue Trader from a previous bundle), but the one thing that is holding me back is that this bundle represents thousands of potential playtime hours. I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing, but man, that's a lot of playing.
This bundle showing up now is quite a coincidence for me as I have been binging the YouTube channel for Mortismal Gaming, this crazy guy who 100% all the games he reviews, of which the CRPGs in this bundle are his bread and butter. In fact, his hard playthrough of Tyranny is downright insane; it's where he spends half a week doing 50 runs to pass a particularly difficult section.
Anyways, he waxes so poetically about Pathfinder that this bundle sounds really appealing. This is a nice balance between old and new, which for me will probably mean playing Planescape again as well as Mythforce for the novelty of it.
Honestly, the time between Steam sales are too short, I have got to slow down, so this won't help the backlog at all.
I paid maybe a buck for Heavy Rain as part of a two-for-one in a recent Fanatical Bundle, and I am over the moon with it. I just started it, but it is everything I love French developers for: aesthetic competence, minimal noise, and batshit crazy concepts. I love that the jankiest part of the game's setup is your human interaction, that the total control you have as a player gets translated in-game to spastic movements as your in-game avatar tries to wake up and take a shower. Yes, the game's controls are weird and awkward to use. I'm like everyone else and hate being inconvenienced by whatever new prompt shows up on the screen, and yet, it adds so much to the experience that it sweetens any saltiness that bothered you before.
I was a big fan of QD since Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit, the game where you're the killer and you have to catch yourself as the cop. Brilliant roleplaying. Love the cops dressed with the yellow sash; if only all US police officers can be costumed by the haute couture-minded.
As said, I can not wait for the game to go balls-to-the-wall insane. Can't wait to continue my Quantic Dream lovefest with the other for-a-buck purchase with Beyond: Two Souls.
Speaking of Fanatical purchases, I have also been enamored with Gori: Cuddly Carnage that I paid maybe $2 for in another bundle. It's phenomenal in that it is everything a kid could want: challenging 3D combat rewarded by gratuitous ultraviolence, subversion of family-friendly branding, toy nostalgia from the last 4 decades, anthropomorphic pets, a heavy metal soundtrack with self-referential lyrics, and full-on F-bombs.
It's a delightful fulfillment of a strange vision by a small developer, and as well as the game delivers on performance and showmanship, its weirdness that blessed me with its touch will also ultimately doom it to obscurity.