I am, very likely, the last person on Earth who should be writing tips guides for gamers. Nonetheless, I’ve put in enough time and spectacularly destroyed enough starships (along with going 2 for 2 in victories on Easy) that I feel I can offer you, dear reader, the chance to learn from my mistakes. Without further adu, I present to you 15 tips for surviving to the final boss in FTL:
The worst kept secret at Bioware is that Dragon Age III is in production. Today, franchise Executive Producer Mark Darrah makes that all official-like with an open letter. Given the lack of any detail to speak of whatsoever, there’s not much to report here. Here’s the most relevant bits from the letter.
So here’s what I can confirm for now:
- The next game will be called Dragon Age III: Inquisition.
- We won’t be talking about the story of the game today. Though you can make some guesses from the title.
- This game is being made by a lot of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins. It’s composed of both experienced BioWare veterans and talented new developers.
- We are working on a new engine which we believe will allow us to deliver a more expansive world, better visuals, more reactivity to player choices, and more customization. At PAX East, we talked about armor and followers… Yeah, that kind of customization. We’ve started with Frostbite 2 from DICE as a foundation to accomplish this.
You check out the rest here, if you’re so inclined.
After the break, however, I can offer you an NHS-exclusive look at the main Foozle in DA3! (Yes, this is an excuse to make you click through to see something that is decidedly not the main Foozle in DA3. It’s worth it.)
Image: Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Jumping the Shark 143 can be safely thought of as the show before Borderlands 2. Consequently, Brandon and Bill wax poetic about playing the game and Brandon scolds Bill about not having a build already planned ahead. Binky is such a boy scout. Sort of. Then they bicker for awhile over who’s fault it is that we don’t play more together online, with the consensus being the blame probably lies with me. Funny how that seems to happen. We also set aside some time to talk about the Wii U release strategy, which includes charging extra for a game, and a steeper than expected price point ($300). Sorry, Nintendo, but I don’t think you made a sale to the JTS gang. Hang your collective heads in shame. Finally, we talk some more FTL, Inquisitor, and Dark Souls. As I wrote last week, FTL is really frigg’n good. And it’s $290 cheaper than a Wii U. You know what to do.
Direct Download
iTunes Link
RSS Feed
Past Episodes
Edit Type: Skype
Continue Reading…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:16 — 60.7MB) | Embed
Saavik: So you’ve never faced that situation? Faced death?
Kirk: I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.
—Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
Is there any sci-fi geek of my generation (anyone born in the 70s) who hasn’t wanted a video game to bring the infamous Kobayahsi Maru scenario to video games? Various games have tried. There have been actual Star Trek games that have tried. None that I’ve played have ever quite captured that spirit of crewing and powering and surviving aboard a starship like FTL: Faster Than Light. This rogue-like in space that stumbled into $200,543 in Kickstarter funding, while petitioning for a mere $10,000, is the game I’ve been looking for ever since I first heard Kirk tell Sulu to lock phasers on Reliant and “await my command.”
It’s been a long wait…
If you head on over to robertsspaceindustries.com you’ll see a screen like the one captured above. The little question mark doo-hickey asks for the answer to the Ultimate Question, which anyone who’s ever read the legendary Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy knows is 42. (You have no idea how smug I felt when that log-in actually worked.) At that point you’ll see a message from Wing Commander creator Chris Robers revealing his intent to make a new game, or in his words, “And if you would indulge me I would like to create a world for you.”
More from Mr. Roberts:
Image: Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
For Jumping the Shark #142 Brandon and Bill play some games. No, I mean that literally. Bill loads up Dark Souls and laments the shoddy state of Games for Windows Live while trying to kill some horrific spider queen type beastie. Brandon plays some Darksiders II while talking about the difficulty of the end-game and reminding us all of the depths of his achievement-whoring ways. (There’s also some talk of Inquisitor lodged in there.) In between I talk about my time spent captaining FTL: Faster Than Light and why this $10 starship simulator, straight out of the early 90s, is one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had this year. (Game to be released 9/14.)
Direct Download
iTunes Link
RSS Feed
Past Episodes
Edit Type: Skype
(The embedded feed is after the break.)
Continue Reading…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:57 — 36.6MB) | Embed
Up to this point I knew absolutely nothing about this game, but Battlestar Galactica fans, this freeware mod for Descent: Freespace 2 is for you. Hopefully the game itself is at least half as cool as this trailer for it. Seriously, it makes me want to go suit up. Right. Now.
If only I knew what became of my old CH Flightstick Pro and accompanying throttle. Not that myPC has an serial ports to connect them to. My goodness, it really has been a long time since the days of Wing Commander and X-Wing/Tie Fighter. And just why did I never get around to the Freespace games? Folly, I tell you. Pure folly.
Spotted at RPS.
So, this happened.
I’ve long thought about trying to stitch together some favorite moments of JTS, but I’m lazy and worthless and I can’t remember what moments happened when. I have more excuses too, if you like. I’m like Jake Blues offering platitudes to Carrie Fisher’s character in Blues Brothers. But I digress.
Autistic Angel is a better person than me and that’s why there now exists not one, but two Best of of Jumping the Shark audio compilations that absolutely had me rolling yesterday. We really have had some great times recording the show and I’m reminded how much we miss Danielle’s contributions to it. Part two is above (just because the size fits our front page images better), while the first is after the break. Enjoy!
We founded ArenaNet to innovate, so Guild Wars 2 was our opportunity to question everything – to make a game that defies existing conventions. If you love MMOs, you’ll wanna check out Guild Wars 2. And if you hate MMOs, you’ll really wanna check out Guild Wars 2.
That line is from ArenaNet’s MMO Manifesto video, which I embedded in a blurb I wrote a few days before Guild Wars 2 launched. As a rank MMO amateur who likes his single-player fantasy RPGs, the video effectively sold me on trying the game. After all, I was in the mood for a high fantasy RPG and since I largely hate MMOs, I “really” need to check this game out, right?
Among a host of other promises, the game promised a better combat model, a more immersive world in which you feel a little less like one of a billion other hosers all doing the same thing, and perhaps most significantly, no grinding. After roughly a dozen hours with the game, it’s hard to say that it really cashes in on these promises. No, you’re not collecting a dozen wolf pets every fifteen minutes and the game does solve a lot of problems that MMOs have, but it is most decidedly not a game for people who hate MMOs. If that’s you, do what I failed to do and just save your money. Dark Souls PC is just $40 on Steam. Maybe try that.
Image: Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Joining us for Jumping the Shark #140 is the one and only Jason McMaster, he of Cap’n Patch Kickstarter fame. Now, I would tell you that nobody in their right mind would back a game who’s main character is a spider, but even I have to admit the little bugger is oh so cute. I mean he’s got a pipe and a spatula. What more could you ask for? Jason and I then talk up some Guild Wars 2 action. Given that he’s an MMO guy, and I’m incredibly not, it makes for a decent point-counterpoint. For those of you looking to see Bill get his PC Dark Souls on, you’ll be shocked to learn that he hates it. And I mean hates it. Except that he doesn’t. Who’d of guessed? Finally, Brandon is witness to the Fall of Cybertron in the latest Transformers game from High Moon Studios. Find out why the guy with an Autobot tattoo isn’t as blown over by the game as he’d hoped. All that and little Bastion on the iPad talk is coming your way in this week’s JTS!
Direct Download
iTunes Link
RSS Feed
Past Episodes
Edit Type: Skype
(The embedded feed is after the break.)
Continue Reading…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:52 — 61.2MB) | Embed
Dishonored in Review
XCOM: Enemy Unknown in Review
Borderlands 2 in Review