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GrissalliaJanuary 21, 2024 - Day 386 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 422Game: AI War 2Platform: Steam Released: Oct 23, 2019 Installed: Jan 21, 2024 Unplayed: 0d Playtime: 27mRating: 1 - NopeAI War 2 is a "grand strategy/RTS hybrid", involving fighting back against an AI that's taken over a galaxy.Reading other reviews of the game, it certainly sounds like a game that I'd like, but they don't reflect my experience of the game.Over time I've concluded that I'm not really wired for this kind of RTS game. They very quickly become overwhelming, which I think is an aspect of <a href="https://aus.social/tags/AuDHD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AuDHD</a>. There are so many different moving parts to try and follow, and I tend to hyperfocus on one aspect, which doesn't work terribly well in a lot of RTS games.In this case I found the tutorials overwhelming. There was so much to keep track of, and so much going on, that I started to feel stressed out.In the tutorial.From a design and execution point of view, AI War 2 seems like a really good game, however from the point of view of whether or not I'd enjoy playing it?1: Nope<a href="https://aus.social/tags/AIWar2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AIWar2</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/GrandStrategy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GrandStrategy</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/ProjectONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ProjectONG</a>

GrissalliaDecember 29, 2023 - Day 363 - NewPlay Bonus Review Total NewPlays: 393Game: MindustryPlatform: Steam Release Date: Sep 27, 2019 Installation Date: Nov 6, 2021 Unplayed: 783d (2y1m23d) Playtime: 1h12mMindustry is a top-down automation strategy game mashed up with an RTS.I've always had a thing for automation games, which I suspect is a largely <a href="https://aus.social/tags/autistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autistic</a> thing. Most games of this type are about systemisation, finding efficiencies, then building (and rebuilding) automation pipelines to produce a particular outcome.These are games that I avoid because they suck me in to the point that I've lost entire days inside them, with Shapez & Production Line being just two examples. I've seen at least one person whose *entire* Steam 2023 review was one game played, no new games. All Factorio, all the time.A game in this space has to bring something different to the table; for Mindustry that's planetary domination, leaning into the RTS side.Build factories, research technology, build tanks, and defenses, seek and destroy.Unfortunately, this is where Mindustry leaves me a bit cold. It's not that I don't like RTS games: I cut my teeth on Dune II. I went on to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, then finally StarCraft.Unfortunately, Mindustry feels it doesn't quite pull off either type of game that well. The gameplay elements are not explained clearly, and the UI is *really* clunky, making it difficult to find critical information, and not always making it clear what the next step is.Unfortunately, the RTS side of things feels like (at least in the early stage of the game) like the only real strategy is Zerg rushing.I finally quit out of the game, entirely unsure whether I'd completed that stage of the game, or needed to do something else.There are a bunch of nice ideas in the game, and I think it's the work of a single dev, as far as I can tell. I just feel like it needs a lot of polish.Mindustry is:3: OK<a href="https://aus.social/tags/Mindustry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mindustry</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/TopDown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TopDown</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Automation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Automation</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Strategy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Strategy</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

alxd ✏️ solarpunk promptsBuilding on an older thread about <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/solarpunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarpunk</a> <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/gameDesign" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gameDesign</a> , I recently played <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/againstTheStorm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#againstTheStorm</a> and I think it's a brilliant example of what I meant with the mechanic above:You keep building an outpost. It might succeed or fail, but it's always eventually blown by the storm and you need to start anew. Yet every time you learn something, you improve a little, and the <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/rougelike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#rougelike</a> element keeps the game fun.<a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/games" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#games</a> <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/strategy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#strategy</a> <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/rts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#rts</a> <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/cityBuilder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cityBuilder</a> <a href="https://writing.exchange/tags/gameDev" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gameDev</a>

GrissalliaNovember 18, 2023 - Day 322 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 341Game: Ashes of the Singularity: EscalationPlatform: Steam Release Date: Nov 11, 2016 Installation Date: May 8, 2020 Unplayed: 1289d (3y6m10d) Playtime: 24mAshes of the Singularity: Escalation is a RTS game, developed by Oxide Games, and published by Stardock Entertainment.It is a generally serviceable RTS.I played through the first tutorial, and having completed it, I'm uninstalling the game.As much as I said yesterday I try not to talk about the devs behind games, I'm talking about the devs for a completely different reason today.I was surprised to see the Stardock logo pop up, as I don't play games published by Stardock, on principle.Both Oxide Games and Stardock Entertainment were founded by Brad Wardell; since he happily poured fuel on the GamerGate fire, and was openly supportive of GamerGate, amongst other things, I made the decision not to buy or play any of his games.Since I'd already started up the game, figured I'd still give it an honest review (as a game, it's OK), but will I play Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation again?1: Nope<a href="https://aus.social/tags/AshesOfTheSingularityEscalation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AshesOfTheSingularityEscalation</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

GrissalliaJuly 11, 2023 - Day 192 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 212Game: Dark Future: Blood Red StatesPlatform: Steam Release Date: May 17, 2019 Library Date: Jan 5, 2020 Unplayed: 1283d (3y6m6d) Playtime: 15mDark Future: Blood Red States is a car-combat RTS based on a TTRPG. Set in an alt-history post-apocalyptic wasteland thanks to the corporations that took over the United States when Nixon beat Kennedy, you are a road warrior, tasked with...Yeah, honestly, I just kind of gave up trying to follow everything after a while.You're a brain in jar, controlling a car that has to fight other cars until a boss car shows up, and if you win, you get cash to upgrade your car and run another mission.Except you do not actually "control" the car. Your brain-in-a-jar tells the AI what to do, and the AI changes lanes, and fires the guns.I did not win the first mission. I did not feel any desire to give it another try. I just found it frustrating to try and manage all the moving parts, before being overwhelmed by other cars while trying to kill the "boss" car.I did not care for it, and it was the first game in a while that I was thankful when I hit the 15 minute mark.Dark Future: Blood Red States is a:1: Nope<a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/CarCombat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CarCombat</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/MastodonGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MastodonGaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

GrissalliaMay 29, 2023 - Day 149 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 165Game: NorthgardPlatform: Steam Release Date: Mar 8, 2018 Library Date: Apr 7, 2019 Unplayed: 1513d (4y1m22d) Playtime: 49mNorthgard is a real-time strategy game about Vikings. Slightly cartoonish Vikings, but Vikings all the same.Having watched his father the King, and clan slaughtered, Rig the now-very-angry seeks vengeance, by way of taking several years to build one single village, to build a longboat, and set sail to Northgard, where his father's killer has gone to invade and colonise.I get that the seasons are a necessary part of the RTS process of this game, but it took three years of in-game time to get to the point I could follow the guy across the ocean.He could be dead by now, for all I know. OK, he probably isn't, but still.In any case, build a building to process wood, assign villagers, build a scout building, train scouts, etc etc. The game has its own charm, but on the surface it appears to be a pretty run-of-the-mill strategy game.Not going to complain, but not itching to jump back in.Northgard is:3: OK<a href="https://aus.social/tags/Northgard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Northgard</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Strategy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Strategy</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Vikings" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Vikings</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/MastodonGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MastodonGaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

GrissalliaMay 8, 2023 - Day 128 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 143Game: Total War: SHOGUN 2Platform: Steam Release Date: Mar 15, 2011 Library Date: Apr 28, 2020 Unplayed: 1105d (3y10d) Playtime: 25mTotal War: SHOGUN 2 (TW:S2) did not get off to a flying start.As this was the first run, it wanted to install Flash Player. I refused to allow that, and it seemed to run OK. Turns out that it was included to show ads on the main menu, so no loss. In the case of TW:S2, I knew it was a strategy game, going in, and since I've had a pretty good run with strategy games over the weekend, I thought I'd give it a go.That good run ended today.I started with the tutorial, and it was just teeth-grindingly slow. I tried to persevere, and finally, after 15 minutes, I was about to engage the enemies on the main battlefield of the tutorial, after a couple of skirmishes....and it crashed.I started it again, went into the campaign, one the first battle, but what little forward motion I had was gone, and I quit out a few minutes later.TW:CS2 is, apparently, a "blend of real-time & tactics strategy, but it just hasn't grabbed me, and the random crash was enough to leave me wanting to spend time in other strategy games.Maybe ones with Space Marines.Total War: SHOGUN 2 is:2: Meh<a href="https://aus.social/tags/TotalWarShogun2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TotalWarShogun2</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/TurnBased" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TurnBased</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Strategy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Strategy</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/MastodonGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MastodonGaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

GrissalliaApr 22, 2023 - Day 112 - NewPlay Bonus Review Total NewPlays: 123Game: Sudden Strike 4Platform: Steam PC Release Date: Aug 12, 2021 Library Date: Aug 27, 2018 Unplayed: 1699d (4y7m26d) Playtime: 39m(Housekeeping: I've said previously that I won't review sequels unless I've played the previous games, but I'm qualifying that to say I will play them if I don't own any of the predecessors. Carry on.)Sudden Strike 4 is a real time strategy game set in World War 2.I fell in love with RTS games with Dune II (RIP), and played through many of the Command & Conquer games, Warcraft II (I still have the manual!), and up to StarCraft.StarCraft was where I started falling out of love with the RTS genre. I realised that I was struggling to keep up with all of the different things I needed to, and that combined with being the main strategy in multiplayer seemingly Zerg rushing, I stopped playing.I was since diagnosed as autistic & ADHD, and (at least for me), I find complex RTS games overwhelming.It didn't help that Sudden Strike 4 threw me into the tutorial as the Germans. I just don't play as Nazis, ever. It's too on the nose in 2023.I got out of the tutorial, played the first match of the Allied campaign, and it's a good looking, solid RTS, but just a bit much for me to manage.It's not bad, but just not my cup of tea.Sudden Strike 4 is:3: OK<a href="https://aus.social/tags/SuddenStrike4" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SuddenStrike4</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/WorldWar2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WorldWar2</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/MastodonGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MastodonGaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

GrissalliaFeb 23, 2023 - Day 54 - NewPlay Review Total NewPlays: 60Game: Driftland: The Magic Revival Platform: Steam PC Release Date: Apr 19, 2019 Library Date: May 3, 2020 Unplayed: 1026 days (2y9m20d) Playtime: 15mWhile I don't look at the info about the game beforehand, I usually look at it after.Particularly in the case of Driftland: The Magic Revival, because I wasn't exactly sure what kind of game I'd just played.Apparently, it's meant to be an "old-school RTS", but I played old-school RTS games; I cut my teeth on Dune II, Warcraft II (the first RTS I ever bought), and Starcraft.This just doesn't gel in the same way. I found it somewhat confusing, with a quirky interface that felt overloaded, but with instructions that felt like they'd been written in another language and then run through Google Translate.But when I check the reviews on Steam, it's "Mostly Positive".Am I the problem? At least there's someone out there who enjoys it.Driftland: The Magic Revival won't be revived any time soon. It's a bit:2: Meh<a href="https://aus.social/tags/Driftland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Driftland</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gaming</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365ONG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365ONG</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Project365" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Project365</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/NewPlay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewPlay</a>

RichardsonsRubiconThis is another <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/Introduction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Introduction</a> as I moved instances recently. My name is John and I live in <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/Scotland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Scotland</a> with my husband and kids. I'm a retired <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/InfoSec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#InfoSec</a>, <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/ITIL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ITIL</a> and <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/Governance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Governance</a> professional and run a B&B. My hobbies involved doomscrolling through <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/Twitter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Twitter</a> and yelling at the sky. Now I enjoy landscape <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/photography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#photography</a>, <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/beekeeping" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#beekeeping</a> and when I get time <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/Stellaris" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Stellaris</a> is the <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/RTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RTS</a> for me. <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/XenoScum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#XenoScum</a>I do an infrequent <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/tags/CurrentAffairs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CurrentAffairs</a> podcast too. Feel free to say hello.

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