A Private Little War

One thing that caught my interest in recent weeks is the announcement that the classic Games Workshop tabletop game Necromunda will be turned into a game for the PC and console.

Well if you have Mordheim as a game then you may as well got the whole hog and do Necromunda as well...

As someone who was very interested in the Game Workshop in the mid-nineties, I have fond memories of Necromunda. There was something so satisfying about playing a game on a much smaller scale than that of FB or 40k. And was especially gratifying to see the fighters that made up your gang grow and evolve with each passing battle (and also very disheartening when they bit the dust). But unfortunately, the campaigns I played in tended to be short-lived - so I could never experience that feeling of taking a gang the whole way from inception to victory (or something).

Thus, having an adaption such as this would be a dream come true, right?

Well i have no idea if anyone in Rogue Factor will read this, so regardless, I offer my two cents on a potential Necromunda game. As far as I'm, concerned it need to have three things:

1) Squad based combat
First and foremost, the only way i can see this working if the makers of this game took the approach of squad-based combat popularized by Xcom.Unlike Mordheim, Necromunda always took an individualistic approach with the men (or women if you chose house Escher) under your control and you built a connection with your dudes, experiencing satisfaction when they did well and dismay when they were killed off - something that Xcom players would know all too well.
If i were to make a Necromunda game,. the first thing I would do is study the combat utilized in Xcom and understand why it worked so well (both in the original and the remake).

2) League system
Another game I would look at, for my hypothetical Necromunda game, is Worms - and in particular the league system. Now i will admit that I don't know how league systems have improved with two decades of gaming advancement, but the one in Worms will forever be my benchmark.
I liked how in Worms it came with it's own inbuilt league and a combination of computer controlled worm teams of varying ability. By playing against each team, one could get a sense of progression and build up genuine rivalries as well as see each worm progress and build a history - which is exactly the type of thing Necromunda offers.

3) Unique gangs
Can we have them please? 
Seriously though, one of the more interesting things about Necromunda is that each of the gangs are unique with their own play style, skill-sets and weapons. And in some cases, particularly the Outlander gangs, their own rules. Granted such a scope may be tricky to implement in a game such as this but such an effort will not go unrecognized.
Oh and get the Enforcers while we're at it.

That was the year it was: 2016

And so we reach the end of another year of Game Tumour. The festive season has come around again and it's time to step away from this blog.

2016 has been a quiet year for this blog - although some of the cynically minded would say that 2016 for Game Tumour ended months earlier. I guess Real Life got in the way for a bit there. Still, at least I can say I beat Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. And by playing Don Bradman's Cricket I've gained a new appreciation for the sport. Oh and Xcom. Xcom Enemy Unknown is an excellent game.
So in the end, a quiet year is not without successes.

However, maybe a quite year may pave the way for a more active year in 2017.
So, in that sense, Game Tumour is done for 2016 and I hope to speak to you all again in 2017

Colonels. Colonels Everywhere

Still trucking through XCom Enemy Unknown.

But I have recently enjoyed some success: Nine of my soldiers have all reached the rank of colonel.

All together now:

Original video located here. Accessed 5th August 2016

Cut up

Last night I was playing XCOM when I was hit by a power cut.

Fortunately however, I had saved my game shortly before hand so i lost little of my progress.







What, you were expecting me to lament about losing so many hours of game time?

Flight of the Valkyrie

Still pushing through XCOM: Enemy Unknown (new one).

Funny thing is, I seem to have an abundance of female soldiers. I know the gender of the soldiers is randomly determined (well, as far as I know) but so far, out of my soldiers only one in four is male.

Guess the sisters are doing it for themselves.

Enemy Known

Things uttered while playing XCom: Enemy Unknown:

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Bullshit you can't make that shot!"

"Oh no, not these arseholes again!"

"Come on! You can more damage than that"

"Great! Now my guys are going to die because YOU missed!"

"You sure picked a good time to run out of ammo!"

"Reload!"

"We're not leaving this mission until I get all my guys out alive!"

Solider: "That did not just happen!"
Me: "You're telling me!"

Know Thine Enemy

Still playing Xcom: Enemy Unknown

I'm enjoying this game a lot. Much like the original, I'm finding a lot of atmosphere, the combat intense and myself getting attached to my grunts. And much like the original, I'm having a difficult time trying to micro-manage everything and finding it all going downhill rather quickly.

I know I tend to treat remakes with a degree of caution but in this case, I couldn't help myself but love this game. True it may have an uphill climb living up to the original but I'm finding some elements which are actual improvements. I like having the one base as it dials back the micro-managing significantly (not that I was any good at it in the first place). I like having an interface that actually explains what I'm doing. I like having a reduced number of soldiers to take out onto the field as it provides a degree of focus. I like the soldier customization. I like how this game is more welcoming to the newcomer and provides a clearer picture of what the hell I'm supposed to be doing.

It may be heresy to say so but I doubt I will returning to the original any time soon.
Unless, of course, I truly want a challenge....

A Walk in the Park

Lately I've been playing XCom: Enemy Unknown.

Much has been written about how the success of the original XCom relied on how the TV series The X-Files. It wasn't intentional of course: Both had similar themes through drawing from the same sources.
Having lived through the X-Files hype during it's original run, the thing I best recall is the soundtrack compilation/album, Songs in the Key of X. And in particular this masterpiece, which, I'm pleased to say, still holds up as the perfect soundtrack to alien hunting:

Original video located here. Accessed 8th June 2016

The X-COM Files

Some of the regular readers to this blog may recall I was once interested the original XCOM. However, for some reason, I have gone off this game and have yet to revisit it. I guess a lot of other games kinda demanded my attention. Either that or I just found it hard to get to grips with as a complete newbie.

Nevertheless, I have been viewing footage of the recent remake on YouTube and I must admit that it looks interesting. Compared to the original, it certainly seems more accessible and the customizing feature for the grunts is welcome. So this new X-com does warrant some further investigation.

Mind you, for a while I did think that the voice of the council guy was none other than Peter Cullen himself. Imagine my disappointment when this proved not to be the case

Second Prize

Following on from the previous post, has there ever been a game I purchased a second time around? Why yes there have - and not just one. I'm sure I'm the only one who's purchased multiple games more than once but in some cases, not without good reason.
So here's a list of the games I purchased a second time - and some cases my reasons for doing so may make for fascinating stories by themselves:

Age of Empires
Had the original but seeing it on Steam was too good to miss (expect to see those words a lot ahead). Funnily enough I am still hanging onto the original disc seeing as Steam tends not to be kind to the modding community

Freedom Force
Got it on ebay but it didn't come with an install code. But then I saw it on Steam....

Dragon Age
In my previous post, I mentioned I was considering buying Dragon Age for the PC just to get my meat-hooks onto the mods available. But what would come as a surprise to some people is that my current version of Dragon Age Origins isn't the first: I got my first version of Dragon Age Origins second hand and Awakenings on the cheap. And then I found about about the Special edition....
So I got the special edition, with all it's DLC but to this day I'm still not sure if I saved any money from not buying the DLC on XBLA
Still one can't argue having all the DLC on a handy disc.

Half Life
In 2009, I was in Melbourne and I saw this in a store. I grabbed it and thought I was very lucky to get such a find. And then in 2013, I discovered something called Steam...

Pharaoh
I got Pharoah as a birthday present in 2001. Sadly, in recent years, the original disc disappeared on me so I got a new version. I was fortunate to find one in a Melbourne EB store for $10 - and this one had the Cleopatra expansion too!

Rock Band
I had a Wii at the time so naturally I'd download songs to use for it. But then I got a 360 and discovered that songs could be saved to the console's hard drive and utilized the songs from all the Rock Band games. So I got all the Rock Band games for the 360 and downloaded all the songs I liked a second time. A terrible lack of foresight true but at least I'm keeping certain musicians from going hungry.

Secret of Monkey Island
I managed to get this game working using Scummvm - only to go on Steam and finding the special edition/version.

Sonic CD
I got the Sonic gems collection on PS2 to play this - but then it reappeared on XBLA in HD graphics and with the original soundtrack restored. 

Soul Calibur
Once again, it was nice in it's original format (Dreamcast) but to see it on XBLA in HD is even better (still bitter they dropped the Direct the Opening feature though....)
 
Stars Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Funny story: I purchased this game on the PC before encountering the Xbox and figure dit may be a better played on the console (stay with me). I played the Xbox version a lot but found, much to ym dismay that it wouldn't work on the 360. Solution? Download it on Steam

Xcom
Again: Had it on disc but then saw it on Steam

The GoG parade
Duke Nukem 3d, Baldurs Gate, Deus Ex, Thief 2, Rayman 2, Planescape Torment, Sim City 2000, Clive Barker's Undying, Fallout, Heroes 2, System Shock 2. Why buy them all again? Well I like that I have them all in digital format and they are continuously updated for modern OS by the tireless folk at GoG. Duke Nukem 3d is of special note: I had it on XBLA but then I saw a special event where GoG was giving it away for free for a limited time...

Looking back over what I've just typed, I can see a pattern emerging: If I've purchased games a second time it's largely down to two reasons: 1) a lack of foresight and 2) the game in question comes on a preferred format or system. The former can be dismissed as pure human error but the latter is more interesting: There is certainly a lot on offer for a digital format in that it is always in easy reach, it takes up less physical space than a boxed game (besides my 500g game hard drive isn't going to fill up itself) and, in the case of GoG and Steam, it's not going to disappear any time soon. And in some cases, sometimes it's better for some games to be played through gripping a console controller than bashing a keyboard. And at the same time, modded games can sometimes yield a greater experience than the restrictions imposed by a console game.

Still, once again, there is the thought that if I'm continually striving for the best than I deserve to be ripped off.

Take the Controls

Seems Homeworld isn’t the only IP getting a new lease of life: Stardock Entertainment has picked up Star Control for a revamp. Inspired by the success of the recent XCom reboot, Stardock wants to reboot Star Control and is even looking to draft some of the original development team in for the job.

I assume that this will be a reboot of Star Control 2 – for the original game was a ‘space battle’ game whilst its sequel builds upon the previous game incredibly (there was a Star Control 3 but people choose not to talk about that one….). I myself am delighted by this news I’ve been playing Star Control 2 a lot this year and found it much to my liking. True the game is already available for free online in the form of the Ur-Quan Masters, but if this reboot generates new interest in this classic then I’m all for it (It’s been a long time coming too).

In fact it would be interesting to see how this reboot stands up, when everyone’s been busy playing Mass Effect. Sure the element of space exploration may invite comparisons but whereas Mass Effect is an action RPG built around a central character, Star Control 2 is more about building a fleet, finding locales to visit, ship combat and building relations with other alien races so they’ll join your cause.
Mind you considering how many goofy alien races populate the Star Control 2 universe, one can only wonder how they’d work in a 7th/8th generation game.

The Uncanny Xcom

Another game I had a go at over my Christmas break was Xcom: UFO Defense. Not the recent remake (although I've heard a lot of good things said about it), but the original from way back in 1994.
I recall my high school years, 1994-1997, to be something of a golden age for strategy games. Everyone I knew played Civilization 2, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Dune 2 and, eventually, Starcraft. Even Syndicate and Heroes of Might and Magic 2 had it's fans. But strangely, I can't recall anyone ever playing Xcom or, as it was known in Europe and Australia, UFO: Enemy Unknown (incidentally now that I think of it I'm not sure if this game was ever released in Australia).
I was only aware of it through being an Amiga owner and even then I thought it had a really bizarre  image for the box art:

Still, with absolutely no idea what to expect, I took the plunge and played Xcom: UFO Defense.
And to be honest I was really surprised: This was completely different from the strategy games I'd grown up with. The flow of time could be altered, resources weren't in easy reach and required proper management, solider deaths actually mattered and something was always happening - even if the player wasn't aware of it. It wasn't enough buying soldiers: I had to provide guns and amour as well as engineers to build it and scientists to discover it.
And the combat sections were indeed tense affairs with the aliens suddenly appearing, dreading that every shot might miss and the loss felt when a soldier died (for the record: I kept an Xcom tradition with naming all my soldiers after people I know).

One thing I found tricky was the handling of the income: As I found out, it takes a lot of money to establish a base and fit it out with the necessities required. But, of course, you're expected to have an eye on every location on the glove and if one nation isn't getting the necessary attention - most likely because you're trying get a base going to deal with potential aliens - they will cut their funding. And this will make the task of organizing the defense even more tougher. Indeed, far too often I would find myself sitting on my thumbs wondering what to do and even advancing the time to get to the monthly payout - only to find that something else was already happening beyond my notice.

Still this is indeed game that grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. Sure it may have had it's slow moments but somehow, the accolades of the 'Greatest PC game EVAH' somehow seem justified.
Needless to say, I do feel excited to one day tackle the remake but, I suspect, it won't be for a while yet. Why? Because I'm far too busy playing the original!