Eidolon's recent activity

  1. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Redeemed. Thank you so much!

    Redeemed. Thank you so much!

    1 vote
  2. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Well, that was easy I didn't even have to roll! Congratulations @Wafik, PM'ed you.

    Well, that was easy I didn't even have to roll! Congratulations @Wafik, PM'ed you.

    1 vote
  3. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    I'm 40 hours into CrossCode. I agree with the above, it's excellent, memorable and it also has an amazing soundtrack. However, I do admit I'm struggling with the ever-more complex puzzles. It puts...

    I'm 40 hours into CrossCode. I agree with the above, it's excellent, memorable and it also has an amazing soundtrack. However, I do admit I'm struggling with the ever-more complex puzzles. It puts a lot of my puzzle gaming experience to shame!

    2 votes
  4. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Wow I am a hat fanatic but haven't done my homework as far as the history...this is fascinating, thank you! And I will add this to my podcast list too. And don't worry - it took me around 3 years...

    Wow I am a hat fanatic but haven't done my homework as far as the history...this is fascinating, thank you! And I will add this to my podcast list too.

    And don't worry - it took me around 3 years to complete this game on and off. My combat skills suffered for it but it's otherwise perfectly fine to be as casual as you like. It's totally binge-worthy in short stints though, fair warning!

    1 vote
  5. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of December 22 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Just a quick note, there are some gripes about the anti-cheat permissions with this game. I haven't looked into this properly myself as the PvP issues put me off the game, but security/privacy...

    Just a quick note, there are some gripes about the anti-cheat permissions with this game. I haven't looked into this properly myself as the PvP issues put me off the game, but security/privacy focused folks may want to look into this before installing.

    3 votes
  6. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I think from an RPG perspective it would still appeal - though I haven't played RDR2. The story isn't overcooked, it has its drama but it's not too self-serious and the character development is...

    I think from an RPG perspective it would still appeal - though I haven't played RDR2. The story isn't overcooked, it has its drama but it's not too self-serious and the character development is great.

    Also the mundane things you're referring to are probably the survival elements of the game - you have to eat and sleep. Initially these have a more significant impact but become trivial once you have perks and it's not high maintenance at that point. Although that said, crafting (herb picking and potion-making) is quite tedious and keeping your gear repaired can also be a pain. Not to mention, requiring an in-game item to save. But you can easily mod and remove these constraints!

    Also, I'm with you on the feasts. I LOVE medieval music and feast/party music is so good, especially the drums.

    3 votes
  7. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    My reindeer game is one we play with family and friends every year but we don't even have a name for it! It's loads of fun and easy ! The rules: Divide the group into pairs or if an odd number...

    My reindeer game is one we play with family and friends every year but we don't even have a name for it! It's loads of fun and easy !

    The rules:

    1. Divide the group into pairs or if an odd number make a group of 3 (you can have both pairs and a 3 group at once, it doesn't matter).
    2. Distribute slips of paper and pens and have everyone write down the name of a real person on without showing anyone what it is. This could be a historical persona (living or dead), celebrity, artist, a friend, etc.
    3. Everyone is assigned one person who they will attach the slip of paper to that person's forehead (use cellotape). If a pair, this is a simple exchange, if a larger group, form a circle and you pass on to the next person in the circle. The result: everyone has a piece of paper on their forehead with a name on it that they don't know, but everyone else in the group who is participating can see it.
    4. Allow some time for everyone to observe each other (usually there will be some funny reactions).
    5. Assign a turn order (around the circle works). At each person's turn, they get to ask a question that has a 'yes' or 'no' answer. For example: 'Am I a politician?' 'Am I dead or alive?' etc.
    6. If the answer is 'yes', that person gets to ask another question. Their turn ends when they get a 'no' or win the game by correctly guessing the person.
    7. You can keep going until everyone's guessed correctly or has given up!

    Hints:

    • Folks should try to ensure the person who gets the slip on their head can guess the person!
    • Since people know who they are assigned to give a slip to, they can write someone who they think that particular person would have a good chance of knowing, even if the person is really obscure to the group.

    Bonus

    Additional game that's more tricky that we call 'the hat game'. You need: paper, pens, egg timer or phone with timer app.

    1. Divide your group into 2 teams (works best for groups of 6-8).
    2. Give everyone in the group 5 slips of paper.
    3. Everyone writes down any phrase on the paper - could be a person, place, thing, saying, inside joke...
    4. All pieces of paper go into a hat or box.
    5. Roll a dice to determine which team starts.
    6. On each turn, the team assigns one person that will draw from the hat who will be responsible for trying to encourage the others in the team to guess what's on the paper. You flip/set timer for 1 minute:
    • Round 1 = Person drawing from hat has to describe what's on the paper without using any words on the paper and only their team can guess.
    • Round 2 = Person drawing from the hat has to mime what's on the paper (no words but you can use non-verbal sounds) and only their team can guess.
    • Round 3 = No timer for this round. The person drawing from the hat is only allowed to say one word (without being any of the words on the paper, but evocative of what's on it) - but this time everyone including the opposing team can guess - so choose the word wisely! Once that one word is guessed that team's turn is up.
    1. In Round 1 & 2, Team members try to correctly guess as many as they can within the time. A correct guess means you can draw another slip of paper from the hat. The Team keeps the slips they guessed correctly, if left with a slip that wasn't guessed, it goes back into the hat at the end of the turn. No skips, you're stuck with the slip you draw!
    2. Once the team is finished their turn, the other team has a go and you keep switching turns until there are no slips left. Then you count how many each team has, note it down as your score for the round.
    3. Once you've played through the 3 rounds you'll have a final score and winning team.

    Hints:

    • This game favours those who can memorise what's in the slips to guess faster in the second and third rounds.
    • You get a lot of 'it's on the tip of my tongue but can't remember' moments that are hilarious!
    • Those who are sneaky might make lots of inside jokes and things that would make it harder for the other team to guess/remember.

    Game picks:
    Torment: Tides of Numenera: I picked up Planescape: Torment recently. For some reason I never played any of the isometric CRPG classics as a kid. After really enjoying Disco Elysium, the Pillars of Eternity series and Tyranny, I'm intending to work my way through the classic RPGs when my time starts to free up a bit more next year (and document my adventures on Tildes!).

    Alternative: Wasteland 2: Director's Cut. For the same reasons as above - family resemblence here with creative input from folks who worked on Planescape and Tides of Numenera!

    1 vote
  8. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Gorogoa - because I've never seen a game like this ever...it looks super unique in terms of the design of the puzzle mechanic and visual theme generally. I like the idea of exploring worlds within...

    Gorogoa - because I've never seen a game like this ever...it looks super unique in terms of the design of the puzzle mechanic and visual theme generally. I like the idea of exploring worlds within worlds through the frames and traveling through juxtaposed scenes which themselves blend realism with fantasy. The attention to detail and mystic ornamentation is also pretty impressive.

    Alternative choices:

    • INMOST: Gorgeous dark phosphorescence pixel art + story focus without too much demand for combat + a decaying world....as long as it's not too scary then I'm intrigued.

    Thank you for the generous giveaway, delighted to participate!

    2 votes
  9. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Such a neat idea, I would do the same if I had more time to play games...I'll keep an eye out for that review!

    Such a neat idea, I would do the same if I had more time to play games...I'll keep an eye out for that review!

    1 vote
  10. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Worked perfectly - my thanks.

    Worked perfectly - my thanks.

    1 vote
  11. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link
    Hype-train for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 giveaway! Includes the original Kingdom Come Deliverance (2018) and all the DLCs. Medium: Your choice of: GOG gift, Steam gift, Steam wallet $ (if there...

    Hype-train for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 giveaway! Includes the original Kingdom Come Deliverance (2018) and all the DLCs. Medium: Your choice of: GOG gift, Steam gift, Steam wallet $ (if there is a region lock), or non-PC on request.

    Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Edition

    I'm super excited for KCD 2 and finally finshed KCD1 a few months ago including all the DLCs. This game has seen plenty of discussion on Tildes if you're looking for detailed reviews. Although, take note: it is quite a long game, expect at least 80-100 hours at completionist levels...

    Rules: Tell me something that interests you about the medieval period. Edit: Doesn't have to be in Europe! Anything in the 5th-15th century.

    Method: I will roll 6x 6-sided dice for every entrant. The rolls will determine how many points you get. Whoever has the most points wins. If there is a tie, I will re-roll another round. P.S. - This is inspired by a mini-game in KCD!

    EDIT: Please submit entries before the end of Friday 27 Dec UTC!

    EDIT: Round 1 draw
    ecchi = 6+3+2+1+4+2 = 18
    pekt = 4+6+4+1+1+5 = 21

    The winner is @pekt, congratulations!

    9 votes
  12. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    I hadn't considered how that spell could have such an impact and now I'm curious to roll a caster and try it myself someday. Thanks for entering!

    I hadn't considered how that spell could have such an impact and now I'm curious to roll a caster and try it myself someday. Thanks for entering!

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    I too am also curious about this game! Thanks for the giveaway :) Supertux My father's a mega Linux nerd so I grew up with a shared PC that was essentially a testing instance. We'd probably get at...

    I too am also curious about this game! Thanks for the giveaway :)

    Supertux

    My father's a mega Linux nerd so I grew up with a shared PC that was essentially a testing instance. We'd probably get at least 7 new distros a year - clean slate, no notice that everything was being wiped. For a long time, Windows was a peripheral thing and consoles were permanently banned.

    Each time we had a new distro, we'd be eager to see what games it came bundled with (if any). Supertux was one of the more reliable offerings. It's essentially a Mario-style platformer where you play as Tux penguin, the Linux mascot. As you'd expect, the game gets progressively more difficult.

    I was never very good at the game, but I did enjoy it a lot, especially making it to the forest biome after so much persistence. Perhaps the reason I don't play a lot of platformers these days is simply because of the experience of having my progress reset over and over again.... But now I've just discovered that it's free and early access on Steam (with the prospect of a cloud save!) I will have to check it out again this holidays!

  14. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Woahhhh! I'll put my hand up for 'Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion'. I'm a big space game nut but haven't really gotten into RTS as a genre and have been meaning to. This seems up my alley with a...

    Woahhhh!

    I'll put my hand up for 'Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion'. I'm a big space game nut but haven't really gotten into RTS as a genre and have been meaning to. This seems up my alley with a bit of old-school flavour!

    1 vote
  15. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Let's try this again..

    Let's try this again..

    A delightful exercise, and those all look like good picks!

    Game: A Highland Song
    Alternative: Bō - Path of the Teal Lotus

    Words: Beach, Strawberries, Respite, Contemplation, Sunshine.

  16. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link
    I'll turn this comment into a giveaway of my own! Neverwinter Nights 1 Complete Edition (Steam key, PC) RPG, Real-time with turn-based combat, DnD 3rd edition ruleset Neverwinter Nights Enhanced...

    I'll turn this comment into a giveaway of my own!

    Neverwinter Nights 1 Complete Edition (Steam key, PC) RPG, Real-time with turn-based combat, DnD 3rd edition ruleset

    Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition
    Complete Edition with DLCs

    DLCs consist of: Darkness Over Daggerford, Dark Dreams of Furiae, Tyrants of the Moonsea, Infinite Dungeons, Pirates of the Sword Coast, Wyvern Crown of Cormyr. Some are not strictly 'dlcs' but are premium community created modules that have been expanded somewhat.

    Rules: Enter by telling me your most memorable campaign or particular event that happened in a campaign in a Dungeons & Dragons style tabletop or game. You can interpret this liberally and it does not have to be inside the DnD universe. It can be in as few or many words as you like.

    Winner: Determined by random draw. I will roll a d X = number of players, assigning numbers per time of post entry. The roll determines the winner.

    During the Backlog burner event I had this game on my bingo card, and I'm continuing to enjoy the nostalgia. I ended up getting the whole Humblebundle Beamdog pack so ended up with a spare copy!

    EDIT: Please submit entries before the end of Friday 27 Dec UTC!

    8 votes
  17. Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link
    You can add me to the Bingo win list, with my apologies for lateness! I would like to thank @kfwyre and @wes and to all fellow participants. I'm already looking forward to the next Backlog Burner!...

    You can add me to the Bingo win list, with my apologies for lateness!

    I would like to thank @kfwyre and @wes and to all fellow participants. I'm already looking forward to the next Backlog Burner!

    Final Bingo Card
    Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 10/25
    Is considered emotionally resonant Has a non-human antagonist Focuses on exploration Has a lives system Has a review score above 81
    Came out more than 6 years ago Adaptation of other media type (e.g. board game, movie)
    ✅ Talespire
    You wanted it when you were younger From a studio you haven't heard of before
    ✅ Warhammer: Vermintide 2
    Has a skill tree
    Set in a real world location
    ✅ Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
    Music/rhythm-focused
    ✅ KickBeat: Steam Edition
    ★ Wildcard
    ✅ Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
    From now-defunct dev studio
    ✅ Dark Star One
    Uses procedural generation
    ✅ No Man's Sky
    Randomness determines your fate
    ✅ Content Warning
    Is open-source Has a time limit
    ✅ Lethal Company
    From a different country than you Part of a trilogy
    Uses a unique control scheme You heard about it in our weekly gaming topics Owned for more than 3 years From a different culture or country Has a minimalistic vibe
    ✅ Cloud Gardens
    5 votes
  18. Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games

    Eidolon
    (edited )
    Link
    EDIT BINGO completed + a bonus entry! My Bingo Card Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 10/25 Is considered emotionally resonant Has a non-human antagonist Focuses on exploration Has a lives...

    EDIT BINGO completed + a bonus entry!

    My Bingo Card
    Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 10/25
    Is considered emotionally resonant Has a non-human antagonist Focuses on exploration Has a lives system Has a review score above 81
    Came out more than 6 years ago Adaptation of other media type (e.g. board game, movie)
    ✅ Talespire
    You wanted it when you were younger From a studio you haven't heard of before
    ✅ Warhammer: Vermintide 2
    Has a skill tree
    Set in a real world location
    ✅ Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
    Music/rhythm-focused
    ✅ KickBeat: Steam Edition
    ★ Wildcard
    ✅ Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
    From now-defunct dev studio
    ✅ Dark Star One
    Uses procedural generation
    ✅ No Man's Sky
    Randomness determines your fate
    ✅ Content Warning
    Is open-source Has a time limit
    ✅ Lethal Company
    From a different country than you Part of a trilogy
    Uses a unique control scheme You heard about it in our weekly gaming topics Owned for more than 3 years From a different culture or country Has a minimalistic vibe
    ✅ Cloud Gardens

    KickBeat Steam Edition = Is music/rhythm focused

    Last burner, I had the card that asked after a game that you don't know how you acquired it. I don't have that card this time, but I do have KickBeat for that kind of head-scratching. But thank goodness! This is the only game in my library that fulfils the music category.

    As a martial-arts style game released in 2014 by Zen Studios, a Hungarian developer, KickBeat has an obvious European feel. It's a PC port, but feels surprisingly smooth. The premise: You are confined in a ring surrounded by wannabe kickboxers and a live audience. You must orientate yourself to the next kickboxer and perform a martial arts move at the time the beat strikes to block the attacks. The game provides you with visual cues by colour hinting at the timing, since you optimise your routine by hitting the attack before the beat actually hits. You play through the story by completing a track. It's pretty much a double album since there's only 24 tracks, some known but also others made by one of the devs. But you can apparently load in your own music, although review report mixed experiences.

    I didn't grow up around platform arcade-style combat games and I'm notoriously bad at them as I'm not that great at co-ordination and intense response demands. So I made it through the tutorial but floundered on the first track. To my great joy, I got a Steam achievement for 'failing a track'! I did manage to progress a little, but the game is ultimately a little one-dimensional and unfortunately without nostalgia to fuel it my interest waned quickly. But I could see this game being a niche for those who like this kind of thing.

    Content Warning = Randomness determines your fate

    So, I'm being a little flexible about my emphasis on determinism here, but there are a possible total of 24 monsters that spawn in this game and some of them just eat you alive and seal your fate. While there is this chance element, the game is a bit like other procedural generated roguelikes such as Lethal Company in that you're supposed to learn how to counter each enemy.

    Content Warning was a co-op pickup that my group just tried for the first time and it has to be the zaniest I've tried to date. You have a 3-day gameplay loop where you have to record footage using a handycam and achieve the required number of 'views'. It's this weird mashup of a horror dystopia with surreal elements and whimsical fun. You start in your technocolour world-sanctuary of a cosy house and verdant island where you can purchase utility items (e.g. torches, enemy countering items) and novelty items (e.g. emotes, party crackers, hats). You (and up to 3 players, if multiplayer) descend in a diving bell down to the depths of a sprawling underworld. The maps are limited and procedural generation appears to be more of variants inside maps rather than the whole map itself. The maps are: (1) some kind of tunneled underbelly of a mine/sewer; (2) a sunken ship; and (3) a barren disfigured industrial warehousing complex. Aesthetically the underground is largely monochrome and stylised as if it was sketched. Overall, the game is a postmodern pastiche, it's a bit of a play on the 'work or die' idea that I see increasingly in art/games etc. lately, although with a more specific emphasis on the labour of content generation.

    The physics are buoyant and a little silly but don't seem realistic for swimming underground (you don't have the weight of water flowing against you). You navigate the map with the aim of filming 'scary' encounters (random appearances of monsters) on the handycam and pulling off stunts for extra views, since the aim is go to viral on the 'SpookTube'. You then have to make it back to the diving bell to ascend before you run out of oxygen with the footage. Back in your cosy paradise, you have to deposit the footage into a canister for it to be uploaded to a CD ROM and then physically carry that to the TV. You and your companions can then view the footage you filmed underground and watch your view count rise as procedurally generated comments from your imaginary audience populate the side panel. Bizarrely, you then have to all go to your allocated beds and sleep so that you can progress to the next day.

    I get scared too easily to enjoy horror, but Content Warning is not too bad in that department although you can get jumped by enemies. Replayability is a concern, given the lack of variance in maps, but it's genuinely a funny game (such as when your character dies in a hilarious way). I would not recommend this game for singleplayer and even for multiplayer, I don't see my party sinking a significant amount of time into it, but for something casual and fun it's a good addition to our loadout.

    Dear Esther: Landmark Edition = Set in a real world location

    You're not exactly sure where you are, some island on the Hebrides, windswept and alone. Dear Esther, the narrator begins...

    As you trek through overgrown footpaths, cave systems and abandoned shipwrecks the narrator recalls his story in short installments, infusing the island with his life, his pain, his relationships, and a historical persona who met a tragic end on the island. The story is told in a prose poem, omitting details, simply enough to be pierced by his lonely melancholy and search for solace in this state of mind.

    I had been avoiding Dear Esther, not because of grief but just generally because of being too overwhelmed in life. But as fate would have it, this was the only as-yet played game in my library that is set in a real-world location. Clocking in at around an hour (non-completionist), it is a short but poignant experience. And it is truly a walking simulator, in that you can't run and you amble around, without any means to auto-walk. But the game draws you in to its meditative journey with its atmospheric design and soundtrack. There are no puzzles, no tests of any sort to distract from the story. Visually there also some splendid scenes and wonderful attention to detail.

    Certain things in the game resonated with me deeply, things I don't have time or energy to dwell on here. But I'm glad I saw it through at last - and moreover, this marks 2/2 Bingo events that I have actually completed one game!

    5 votes
  19. Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    Excluding cosmetics, there are 3 paid content DLCs (1 with maps/cosmetics, the others with maps weapons/challenges) and 5 subclass DLCs, one for each hero. Note that if one co-op member purchases...

    Excluding cosmetics, there are 3 paid content DLCs (1 with maps/cosmetics, the others with maps weapons/challenges) and 5 subclass DLCs, one for each hero. Note that if one co-op member purchases a DLC with maps, the whole party can run them, but they don't share the other perks.

    I would assume you'd want to migrate from Recruit difficulty to Veteran fairly quickly, since it's very much beginner-only and is trivial. If you want to go casual and stick to Veteran, you could be satisfied with the base game. There's plenty of content to keep you busy - and challenges too without having to go up a notch. For example, you can pick up items that take up a healing potion slot which give you more XP/rewards at the end. Also, from what I've read, you don't need to purchase DLC maps to cover things off from a lore perspective.

    Where the DLCs start to tempt you is if your party is not hardcore (like mine) and you're finding Veteran too easy and you're at a level that you should be able to move up but haven't been able to make inroads with Champion. From what I've read for my hero, the community rates the DLC weapons the best. This would make business sense, having lured many players in with a 95% off base game. However, if we continue on with Veteran without DLCs, we could just invest our time in getting more resources to craft our power up and increase our levels until we are a bit over-leveled and can take on Champion. But this is at the cost of the game feeling less interesting due to the lack of challenge. So - I don't think the DLCs are mandatory. But maybe my party just suck! I'm really not sure how our performance fares in the scheme of things and whether this experience is by design.

    So...I don't think I have an answer for you as to whether you'd be satisfied - I'm not sure myself of that question yet at this point, though the group is feeling a little frustrated at the difficulty scaling. There is also the option of picking and choosing - not all of the DLCs come as recommended by the community and if you buy on sale the overall investment is low. Thankfully this is not a game where you're encouraged to get the DLC from the get go, so you can make your mind up when you've got a handle on the game.

    2 votes
  20. Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games

    Eidolon
    Link Parent
    I forgot to mention that there's also PvP now too, thanks to the latest free update (Nov 24). It's 4 vs 4.

    I forgot to mention that there's also PvP now too, thanks to the latest free update (Nov 24). It's 4 vs 4.

    1 vote