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Last week some friends and I hopped on to play a few games of Sentinels of the Multiverse online. They talked me into using a Discord server they have setup, which I had never used before. While I can appreciate the whole "operates in a browser" concept, that failed horribly for me. However, I installed the App, logged in, and was quite impressed. Chat, voice, push-to-talk, and a whole slew of really nice features right away. Well, and a slew of annoying things, like convincing it to not run all the time, to actually log out and close, and so on. It's currently a love-hate relationship, but much like other programs in the past, once a user overcomes the quirk, it seems like a great tool. We shall see how it works out.
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Planning for GenCon 2017 continues a pace. I have finalized my arrangements with various companies, and at this point I'm all set except for buying the plane tickets, and then filing large numbers of expense reports. However, the pricing this year for the 50th Anniversary is insane. Clearly the businesses involved (especially the hotels) are milking this on such a level of short sightedness it is repulsive.
The hotel pricing this year is double or triple what it has been in previous years. Everything is drastically more expensive. I can only hope that GenCon is taking notice and considering carefully how much longer they want to be in Indianapolis.
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Following on the Heels of TIS-100 and Hacknet last year, my latest source of computer game amusement is Shenzhen I/O. Basically a game covering the un-exciting world of electronics engineering, you are an ex-pat citizen living in Shenzhen, China, helping a minor player in the electronics industry create "cheap Chinese junk" to fill various needs. Things like "Drinking Game Score Keeper" and "Fake Security Cameras" are commonplace.
It also has a design mode, and the Steam Workshop is littered with challenges from other players, plus the ability to create your own. Overall, it is a great game to exercise your thought processes, build equipment, get an idea how "things work" in the real world. If all else fails, the challenging game-within-a-game Solitaire is amusing. So amusing in fact that it has been released as a standalone game, possibly to the chagrin of the developers.
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Well the end of PC Gaming, for me, not in general. Overall, it seems like the industry is picking up after being beaten by console games for several years. Of course, I only have completely unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence to support this theory - this makes me eminently qualified to be a news reporter in the United States.
In any case, I've noticed my time spent playing games has dropped dramatically in the past thirteen months. In fact, were it not for Sentinels of the Multiverse (the Video Game), Hacknet, TIS-100, and Shenzhen I/O my entire gaming last year would be summarized as, "single play through of original Banner Saga" and "half a dozen losses playing Dungeon of the Endless."
There is just little out there that seems compelling to me. The last game I soaked a lot of time into was Total War: Shogun 2 - which is still my favorite of the series. I have not even brought myself to buy newer Total War games, they just do not feel compelling.
So what games out there are so amazing people think I should try them?
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Yes, it is that time of year again, when event submissions become required, travel plans need to firm up, hotel reservations have to be made, and preparation for the "Most Exhausting Four Days in Gaming" begin. I will be there again this year, running a slew of RPG events for Tunnels and Trolls, 2d20, Savage Worlds, and Dungeon Crawl Classics. (No, I do not run Pathfinder at the Con, no matter how many times people ask.)
It promises to be great fun and amusement for all, and I look forward to seeing everyone again this year. Last year was pretty spectacular, but this year may be better - it is GenCon 50 after all, which means crazy gaming people have been doing this for FIFTY years now. As a newbie, I have *only* been going for 18 years straight. Sometimes I think about calling it quits, but I usually have a good enough time that the siren call lures me back.
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