Yearly Archives: 2018

Conqueror’s Blade Beta Begins Today

Conqueror's Blade Beta News

It’s time to armor up and get ready for battle! Booming Games announced that today at 7am EST the beta begins for Conqueror’s Blade. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of challenging events. The Kingdom War event allows players to occupy Cities, Villages or Passes as a House unit which is comprised of 1-40 players. The more territory players conquer, the more resources and materials they can gather, and particular territories offer the chance to unlock rare Legions. Logging in each day, players can also win gold, Legions, equipment and siege weapons. If participants hit a certain level and log in on the eight day, they’ll receive special “Veteran” equipment, exclusive to this beta.

During the test, 10 different weapons will be available to players, each providing unique appearances and abilities. The full selection of famous siege weapons from Eastern and Western history will also be available, including Congreve Rockets, Dardanelles Guns, Hurricane Crossbows and Mortars. Not to mention up to 20 different siege weapons may be selected. Some are critical for breaching walls or destroying gates (Battering Rams, Siege Towers) and some can only be placed in certain areas and require Legions to operate, forcing players to choose their supplies and movements wisely.

Retro Review: Final Fantasy Tactics

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Retro Review - FFT - Cutscene

According to many (like Kenny), Final Fantasy Tactics is the greatest game ever made. Final Fantasy Tactics revolutionized the turn-based strategy RPG, changing the genre forever. There has yet to be a tactics-based RPG that is as strong all around as FFT, but I’d argue that Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is pretty damn close. FFT changed my life in a variety of ways though, not just in gameplay, but in the story, and the people I met in the community (both positive and negative). Most of the Final Fantasy franchise games up until this point were pretty standard “save the Earth from the absolute evil butthole” in some fashion or another. Kefka, Zemus, Hojo, Chaos, et cetera. In this game though, you are dealing with a god in the end, the majority of the game it’s the nobility vs. the common man. The church of Glabados vs. everyone (The church killed my family!! Sorry, inside joke), and the struggle of being in the world to make money, a killing, if you will, versus doing the right thing because it’s right.

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Algus is an asshole. Full Stop.

The story is incredibly deep, especially for a game where you can create whatever party members fit your needs. There are still named PCs that join you, but the main one is Ramza Beoulve, a man aligned with the nobility, who befriends the peasant Delita. Final Fantasy Tactics is a game of intricate, compelling storylines, and though many players get wrapped up and lost in the grind to get classes unlocked, doing side missions, and leveling up. But beyond that is an incredible story, arguably my favorite one in the series, even moreso than Final Fantasy IV. You’re fighting a god, but there’s a lot that leads up to that, and it’s far deeper than “this person is good, that person is evil”. Is Wiegraf actually evil? He leads the Death/Corpse Brigade, which is fighting the tyrannical rule of the nobility, but he’s done some fairly despicable acts, despite being a Holy Knight. Everyone you save or help is not always truly aligned with your goals and ideals, and it leaves the player with a sincerely large amount of things to think about.

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Noooo, Agrias!

This is a turn-based strategy RPG, and the timer system that determines who goes when is fairly complex, at least to me. It’s known as a CBT system (Charge Time Battle). Actions require a charge in many cases, and the more powerful the ability, the greater the charge. There are also, of course, ways to influence this. This is the first Final Fantasy game to feature permadeath too, and one of the only ones. If a character on your team dies, it has three turns to be Raised/Resurrected or they become a Crystal. Sure, you can gain an ability/restore HP/MP for the person that picks it up, but that character is gone forever. You can also save them simply by beating the stage before the timer runs out. If you’re anything like me, if you lose someone, you wind up resetting, no matter how far back you saved last. The party must be saved, in my opinion anyway. You really get attached to them. But if Ramza becomes a Crystal, instant Game Over. There are a host of different classes, powers, and abilities. Each character can have a Main Job, a Secondary Job, an Inherent (Passive), a Counter Ability, and a Movement Ability. In the base version of this game though, there’s only one honest choice for a counter, and that’s Blade Grasp.

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So many classes, so little time.

Blade Grasp is the Reaction/Counter ability from Samurai, that lets you evade physical attacks. It’s incredibly powerful and far more useful than any of the other ones. Monk’s counter/first strike are okay, but Blade Grasp is incredibly powerful and far more useful. This is where the game begins to get frustrating though. To get new abilities, you need JP, which comes from hitting/healing. Some of the classes that have long charge times (Dragoon, Archer, Black Mage, Caller) really don’t get the JP they deserve for how long they have to wait. And if the enemy is gone, they’ve wasted half a battle doing something stupid. There is a glitch for JP, for the really heavy-ability classes, but I won’t go into that here. It’s worth it in the PSX version, and I don’t care who knows it. But combat is reasonably simple. You position characters when it’s there turn you move, pick an attack, and pick a direction to stand. Most enemies will just move behind/to the side of you, to increase the chance to hit (you can/should do the same). Also note, that enemies that are humanoid can also become Crystals, and Monsters become Treasure Chests.

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Have I said Algus is a scumbag yet? Because he is.

One of the things that’s a positive/negative, depending on your point of view, is that this game is very rough in terms of ability balance. Monster Skill (Support) is absolute garbage. In the PSX version of the game, the vast majority of the monsters are all but useless. Why would you bring a Goblin, when you can have a Squire that stacks Accumulate, and obliterates things? There are combos like Monk/Squire on Ramza (with Dual Wield from Ninja) that is insanely, unnecessarily powerful. Well, I said “unnecessary”, but that changes when you get to some of the more difficult fights (Wiegraf/Velius encounter). You can stay out of an enemies threat range, spam Yell/Accumulate until you get several attacks in a row, cap Physical Attack/Speed, run up, and kill the boss before they have a chance to even react. While there are some very broken combos (such as anything involving Calculator), many of the major encounters are obscenely difficult, especially for someone new to the game. Not being aware of boss fights with instant-kills, Velius’ ‘Clops’ Summon, just to name a few perils.

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Velius/Belias is one of the coolest designs in the game.

There are lots of little intricacies the game doesn’t make you too aware of, too. Such as, if you have Low Brave or High Faith, that character might leave because they are a coward (Brave) or too pious (Faith). Brave is attached to physical damage, and Faith is attached to magical damage, and these are very important when picking/creating characters… If you have a high Faith, you deal more magical damage, but you also take more magical damage and vice versa. But what I do, is I strip all of the generic PCs you get after the first battle, fire them, sell their gear, and use them to make a team that I want. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a plan by stage 1. Have an idea of what you want your team to be. The grind is rough in Final Fantasy Tactics. Not to mention the Random Encounters level with you, while the Story Encounters do not. So if you decide halfway through to do something else, you stand a pretty good chance of being obliterated by Choco Meteor.

Blame Yourself, Or God: 4/5

Retro Review - FFT - Delita

Say it again, for the people in the back, Delita.

Final Fantasy Tactics is easily one of the best RPGs ever made, in terms of visuals, story, mechanics, choices, replay value, and so many more things. Sure, it can be infuriatingly difficult, you can get stuck in a fight if you only have one save (Wiegraf’s final encounter lets you save before the Belias battle; if you only have one save file, and are underpowered, you may have to start over. I know many who have had to), but overall, it’s a game that changed how RPGs are developed and viewed. The story is the greatest thing for me, though. It’s the deepest Final Fantasy story, possibly of all time, even up to XV. It’s not perfect, it’s riddled with design flaws and difficulty spikes, but the game tells a story masterfully, and makes the player think. Even simple lines like “Blame yourself, or god” really speak to me. Almost nobody is who or what they seem, and no matter which version of the game you play (PSX, PSN, War of the Lions or its re-releases), you cannot go wrong.

Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter: World is an action role-playing game where you and a group of friends can team up to take down large deadly creatures. Build your living legend by exploring luscious habitats, fighting baddies, collecting materials, and crafting new weaponry – rinse and repeat until no beast can escape your clutches. Available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and eventually Windows.

Features:

Specialist in Training: Take your pick from a variety of initially difficult to master weaponry to fulfill all sorts of roles, niches, and personally preferable gameplay styles.

It’s In the Name: Just as the title implies, you’ll journey to and discover magnificent locations across the globe combating beasts both big and small.

Scout and Report: You’ve been recruited by a research commission guild to investigate the mysteries behind the once-a-decade Elder Dragon migration. Join your fellow hunters and uncover the secrets bubbling beneath the surface.

Nantucket

Nantucket is a seafaring strategy game taking place in the golden age of American whaling just after the events in the classic piece of literature Moby Dick. Continue the pursuit after the great whale as the surviving Ishmael sailing around the world accumulating prestige, landing jobs, and taking adventures wherever the wind blows. Available for Windows.

Features:

Into the Depths: Discover and unveil the secrets behind Moby Dick and work to dissolve Ahab’s terrible curse.

Ahoy Captain: Manage your ship and her crew by delegating tasks, improving functions, and expanding various capabilities in true RPG fashion.

Man Overboard: Protect your ship from feisty pirates by engaging in tactical turn-based combat.

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is a medieval real-time strategy game taking place on massive battlefields fought by a variety of opposing factions. Rise up as the leader of your clan and fight for dominance on the storied British island. Available for Windows.

Features:

A Deadly Tug of War: Fight or broker peace between the various Anglo-Saxon, Gaelic, and Viking clans.

What’s Yours is Mine: Tactically maneuver troops across the land fighting, pillaging, and conquering anything in their path.

Dusting Off the Textbooks: Explore a pivotal point of history around 878 AD.

Heroes at War

Heroes at War is a F2P fantasy real-time strategy game where you must build, manage, and lead a budding kingdom to worldwide dominance. Order new constructs, hire troops, upgrade your warriors, balance a delicate economy, and command armies to fight other players for your place among royalty. Available in browser, for iOS, and Android.

Features:

Drafted: Recruit soldiers like brave captains, storied champions, ranged crossbowmen, and spell-slinging mages for your army.

All the Mats: Collect and subsequently spend resources on a variety of improvements across your city.

Diplomat: If you can’t beat em’, join ’em. Converse, trade, and ally with other players as necessary.

Memories of Mars Press Preview

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Memories of Mars Press Preview 1

What a gorgeous wasteland.

I don’t really play too many sandbox games. They require a serious time commitment, one I’m not generally able to put down; but I do enjoy the concept, even if I seldom have the free time. However, I do genuinely like what’s on offer with Memories of Mars. Today I joined a group of press and YouTubers to get a look at what’s to come when we all touch down on the surface of Mars later this year. Memories of Mars is an open-world sandbox MMO that, of course, takes place on the Red Planet. Nothing is friendly, and very little life awaits on the dusty red planet next to Earth, but it’s where we’re slated to go regardless. There are hostile life forms, hostile people, and a harsh, unforgiving climate where you must have oxygen, and must eat what you can when you can.

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Suit up, soldier.

We grouped up with one of the developers, created a small clan, and worked together. Our time was definitely expedited, since building, gathering resources, and getting ready to explore will certainly take a lot of time. One of the fears that was alleviated quickly though: there will be enough room when players start to begin gathering resources without fear of being obliterated by players who have been around much longer. There should be very little fear of being camped as soon as you get into the game, which I am very grateful for. I tend to arrive to the sandbox party late, so I want to have a chance as well other players, I’d like them to be able to have fun too. We had the luxury of having bases built instantly, and tons of ammo, food, and weaponry at our disposal.

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This group of miscreants really left their mark on the Red Planet.

We did start off the same way as other players will, in a cloning facility, picking up equipment, including a helmet that will provide your HUD. After leaving that building, you move onto the red sands of Mars. You’ll need ore out in the world, which you’ll pick up. It’ll be obvious that you can interact with it, as it will gleam, or glow slightly. This is not a game that you will just start and be awesome. Like most sandbox titles, you must work at it. And work you shall. One of the things I think is interesting is how you craft what you need. Players acquire a 3D printer in the cloning facility, which will be how you produce the tools you need. I just think that’s a fascinating concept, to use this technology which is really coming into its own in our time, for such advanced concepts in a video game. That’s just interesting. You’ll use these to transform the raw ore into bars, then use the bars to begin building a base, which you can use to build weapons and more.

Memories of Mars Press Preview 4

Stack them Flops.

We also learned about “Flops”, which made me immediately think of Teraflops. This is not too far from the mark. It’s a form of currency in digital form. There are a variety of bases and holds littered around the planet, and if you gain command of a terminal within, the terminal, as long as you hold it, will transfer Flops directly to your inventory. Defeating enemies will also allow you to gain Flops, and if you have the right tools, you can gain more from these bodies. The going will be slow, but time invested will definitely feel worth it in my opinion. Even though it’s Mars, a barren planet with seemingly nothing on it, it is still beautiful. Even in this Alpha build, it’s breathtaking to see the sun rise out in the distance.

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If you have a medkit you can save them…If you want.

There is no safety though, no haven where you cannot be attacked. Even if you make a clan and alliance, you can and probably still will be attacked, if you have something to offer. There is no protection against friendly fire, so you can accidentally kill your friends (or on purpose, if that’s the kind of person you are). I don’t know if there will be penalties for killing people on your side, but I imagine you’ll be booted from a clan swiftly, and then killed by your former friends. We did get to try several different guns too, pistols, rifles, and shotguns. There will be a few others as well.

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My first victim.

There will be three tiers per gun, and three types of ammo per gun. Each tier does not necessarily mean that it’s better though. Each will have their uses, playstyles, and will probably be more familiar to certain styles of players. There also will be frag grenades, smoke grenades, riot shields, and much more. Though PVP is open and has no restrictions as of yet, there are also aliens in the world, weird species of spider and worm that have intelligent AI. They will learn from your patterns, predict what you’ll do and act accordingly. This means there will be fewer if any “zombie” type enemies. You know, they just lurch forward and do nothing, wasting your ammo killing them.

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Pssssh…fill in those walls! Pssssh!

The gameplay is pretty simple, too. You have a bar where you slot items, and you can cycle through them like you would in Minecraft or any other sandbox/builder. Your guns, crafting items, and more will be slotted here. For example, you equip your 3D Printer there, point at the ground, and plant it. You will access it here, and build the main things you need. This is also dangerous because you can be killed while printing, crafting, et cetera. So you’ll want to find an out of the way place to do most of your work. Running, jumping, punching, these all take Stamina, and that bar fills quite slowly. When you’re building your base, you won’t use the 3D printer as much. You’ll use the B button to start placing structures in squares/triangles and fill it in with another tool, which will convert your iron bars into more solidified structures. It’s a cool idea. The last part of the preview was spent throwing grenades at each other, and then simply relogging and spawning in new areas to see everything the planet has to offer. The world is vast and open, with plenty to see and do.

 

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Nobody is safe. Nobody.

I Stand Alone:

Now, Memories of Mars is not normally my type of game like I said, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a lot of fun exploring a new world. It’s still in Alpha and has a long way to go, but it’s definitely showing promise. The world as we saw it had about four kilometers of land to explore, but the full game will have far more, at sixteen kilometers of total land mass. With plenty of room, vehicles, bases to claim, buildings to make of your own, people to kill and discoveries to make. I am looking forward to seeing what else we will be able to build. So far I only saw iron and nanite ores, but I imagine by the time we see a full launch there will be more, much more. Cool weapons, a gorgeous planet, it all feels very thematic, very real. You can be looted when you die, you need to keep your caloric intake up. You can’t fall or jump from high places without taking damage, and it doesn’t appear that there are any regenerative features to be had. Though you can respawn back at your base, so there’s that at least. This is a hardcore game, and not one that is going to coddle you. I appreciate that. Memories of Mars promises to be a truly special sandbox game. I highly recommend that if it’s your kind of game, you keep an eye on it.