written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, March 31, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Witcher 003 - At The Gates
wherein clever bandits use the castle defenses against the witchers
0:00 - Cinematic
2:40 - Gameplay
6:00 - Cinematic
6:35 - Gameplay
31 March, 2010
30 March, 2010
Game Journal: The Witcher
written by Blain Newport on Monday, March 29, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Witcher 02 - Introductions
wherein we meet the witchers (and Triss)
0:00 - Cinematic
6:10 - Housekeeping and First Fight
8:20 - Cinematic
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Witcher 02 - Introductions
wherein we meet the witchers (and Triss)
0:00 - Cinematic
6:10 - Housekeeping and First Fight
8:20 - Cinematic
29 March, 2010
Game Journal: The Witcher
written by Blain Newport on Monday, March 29, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Witcher 01 - Tools Of The Trade
The opening cinematic introduces us to Geralt of Rivia.
0:00 - Cinematic
7:50 - Menus
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Witcher 01 - Tools Of The Trade
The opening cinematic introduces us to Geralt of Rivia.
0:00 - Cinematic
7:50 - Menus
20 March, 2010
Review: Mass Effect 2
written by Blain Newport on Friday, March 19, 2010
Developer: BioWare
Platform: PC
US Release: January 2010
Genre: Third Person Action
Price Paid: $30
My Score: 4 of 5
The Short Version
Mass Effect 2 is much more consistent, streamlined experience than its predecessor. Interesting stuff happens all the way through it. Whereas the first game was mediocre with an ending I loved, Mass Effect 2 is good throughout.
Obligatory Pretties
The Long Version
Theatrics
I came to Mass Effect 2 with some preconceptions based on marketing and podcast discussions of the game. It was supposed to be like The Empire Strikes Back, the dark middle chapter to the series. You were going to go on a crazy suicide mission where anyone could die. These turned out to be exaggerations, but they improved my experience.
The stakes were always higher for me in Mass Effect 2. This was partly because I knew my team could die, and I didn't know how that would work. I also knew that as a Paragon, I was going to make sure my team made it back. As if that wasn't enough, I knew my decisions would matter in Mass Effect 3. I wasn't just going on a suicide mission determined to not lose a single person. I was secretly preparing the entire galaxy for war.
The characterization is mostly well acted and directed and the dialog is often witty and memorable, but technical decisions blunt the effect. The overall structure of the game is stilted. Plot point. Recruit quests. Plot point. Loyalty quests. Plot point. Game over. It turns life changing events into items on a checklist. Additionally, the choice between Renegade or Paragon isn't much of a choice at all. Going back and forth never seems like the right thing to do. And the inclusion of a neutral choice is usually pointless. It often felt like they could have just had you pick a path in the opening menu and been done with it.
Mechanics
Mass Effect 2 is largely simplified. Instead of sorting through a huge list of duplicate guns, you buy upgrades for your existing guns. You scan planets from orbit instead of driving around on them. Scanning is less interesting than driving, but negotiating rough terrain was a pain and I think scanning takes less time. Then again, I was playing as an engineer who could buy research for less minerals, so I didn't have to gather as much as someone playing another class. The interface is also more streamlined, but there are still weird quirks (inconsistent menu navigation, being told not to rebind keys because upcoming DLC won't be able to handle it, teammates switching to new guns even if they're less effective, and having to manually import save games because the game won't bother looking in the default Mass Effect 1 save directory) that make it feel like sub-par design / PC porting.
Combat is somewhat improved. Your AI buddies will still occasionally stand in the open until the enemy kills them. But they won't shoot you in the back as much while they do it. And finally, there's locational damage when you shoot people. It didn't mean much for my engineer, but I think my soldier will get some use out of it. I'm still not huge on the pace of combat in these games. I'm more of an action guy and the encouragement to pause and general pace of the game rarely pushes my buttons. But when the galaxy is at stake, I'll tolerate it. :)
Addendum
I would like to nominate Mass Effect 2 for "Worst Use of Tricia Helfer in an Entertainment Product". The character she plays has virtually no emotional range. Her voice is processed to the point of being unrecognizable. Why cast a capable actress for such a generic role?
Developer: BioWare
Platform: PC
US Release: January 2010
Genre: Third Person Action
Price Paid: $30
My Score: 4 of 5
The Short Version
Mass Effect 2 is much more consistent, streamlined experience than its predecessor. Interesting stuff happens all the way through it. Whereas the first game was mediocre with an ending I loved, Mass Effect 2 is good throughout.
Obligatory Pretties
The Long Version
Theatrics
I came to Mass Effect 2 with some preconceptions based on marketing and podcast discussions of the game. It was supposed to be like The Empire Strikes Back, the dark middle chapter to the series. You were going to go on a crazy suicide mission where anyone could die. These turned out to be exaggerations, but they improved my experience.
The stakes were always higher for me in Mass Effect 2. This was partly because I knew my team could die, and I didn't know how that would work. I also knew that as a Paragon, I was going to make sure my team made it back. As if that wasn't enough, I knew my decisions would matter in Mass Effect 3. I wasn't just going on a suicide mission determined to not lose a single person. I was secretly preparing the entire galaxy for war.
The characterization is mostly well acted and directed and the dialog is often witty and memorable, but technical decisions blunt the effect. The overall structure of the game is stilted. Plot point. Recruit quests. Plot point. Loyalty quests. Plot point. Game over. It turns life changing events into items on a checklist. Additionally, the choice between Renegade or Paragon isn't much of a choice at all. Going back and forth never seems like the right thing to do. And the inclusion of a neutral choice is usually pointless. It often felt like they could have just had you pick a path in the opening menu and been done with it.
Mechanics
Mass Effect 2 is largely simplified. Instead of sorting through a huge list of duplicate guns, you buy upgrades for your existing guns. You scan planets from orbit instead of driving around on them. Scanning is less interesting than driving, but negotiating rough terrain was a pain and I think scanning takes less time. Then again, I was playing as an engineer who could buy research for less minerals, so I didn't have to gather as much as someone playing another class. The interface is also more streamlined, but there are still weird quirks (inconsistent menu navigation, being told not to rebind keys because upcoming DLC won't be able to handle it, teammates switching to new guns even if they're less effective, and having to manually import save games because the game won't bother looking in the default Mass Effect 1 save directory) that make it feel like sub-par design / PC porting.
Combat is somewhat improved. Your AI buddies will still occasionally stand in the open until the enemy kills them. But they won't shoot you in the back as much while they do it. And finally, there's locational damage when you shoot people. It didn't mean much for my engineer, but I think my soldier will get some use out of it. I'm still not huge on the pace of combat in these games. I'm more of an action guy and the encouragement to pause and general pace of the game rarely pushes my buttons. But when the galaxy is at stake, I'll tolerate it. :)
Addendum
I would like to nominate Mass Effect 2 for "Worst Use of Tricia Helfer in an Entertainment Product". The character she plays has virtually no emotional range. Her voice is processed to the point of being unrecognizable. Why cast a capable actress for such a generic role?
18 March, 2010
Keepalive
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Shattered Steel walkthrough is done. The Witcher will be starting Monday. I'll still be doing weekend posts as normal, but I will not be doing weekday posts if a given walkthrough ends on a weekday. I like having a little time off. I should have some Mass Effect 2 thoughts and possibly a review this weekend. Sweet Shepard is back, and orange-er than ever. :)
The Shattered Steel walkthrough is done. The Witcher will be starting Monday. I'll still be doing weekend posts as normal, but I will not be doing weekday posts if a given walkthrough ends on a weekday. I like having a little time off. I should have some Mass Effect 2 thoughts and possibly a review this weekend. Sweet Shepard is back, and orange-er than ever. :)
17 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, March 16, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 33 - Short, Noisy Goodbyes
The End
0:00 - Mission
3:05 - Closing Cinematic
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 33 - Short, Noisy Goodbyes
The End
0:00 - Mission
3:05 - Closing Cinematic
16 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Monday, March 15, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 32 - Ride The Lightning
The final fight begins.
0:00 - Mission
2:30 - Debriefing
3:15 - Briefing
4:10 - Arming Bay
5:10 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 32 - Ride The Lightning
The final fight begins.
0:00 - Mission
2:30 - Debriefing
3:15 - Briefing
4:10 - Arming Bay
5:10 - Mission
15 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Sunday, March 14, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 31 - Gatecrasher
Gates two and three go plooie.
0:00 - Briefing
1:05 - Arming Bay
2:20 - Mission
4:10 - Debriefing
4:50 - Briefing
5:40 - Arming Bay
7:00 - Mission
8:30 - Debriefing
8:55 - Briefing
9:30 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 31 - Gatecrasher
Gates two and three go plooie.
0:00 - Briefing
1:05 - Arming Bay
2:20 - Mission
4:10 - Debriefing
4:50 - Briefing
5:40 - Arming Bay
7:00 - Mission
8:30 - Debriefing
8:55 - Briefing
9:30 - Mission
14 March, 2010
A Brief History of My Video Talkthroughs
written by Blain Newport on Saturday, March 13, 2010
This is all pretty "inside <sport nobody cares about>", so you may want to skip it.
At PAX 2007, I wore the following t-shirt.
I didn't expect people to recognize all the stuff on it, but I figured that in the gamer rich environment of PAX, at least one person would know Heart of Evil, my favorite Half-Life mod. Nobody did. So I did a walkthrough and showed at least two of them how great Heart of Evil was.
What I Learned: I learned the basics of using Fraps, dinking with audio levels, and using Windows Movie Maker.
A few months later I started thinking about Blood, one of my favorite FPS games of all time. Nobody references that game, and it had a lot of great stuff in it. And, like Heart of Evil, it required a lot of roaming and exploration. Many modern FPS games feel like rail shooters in comparison. So I recorded a walkthrough of it.
What I Learned: I learned to be respectful of my viewers' time by warning them if there were long segments of aimless wandering. :)
Since Blood is an older game, I put a setup together that would allow me to record video from external sources, in this case my old Windows Millennium Edition machine. In theory it will eventually allow me to do walkthroughs of console games, as well.
It was during Blood that YouTube viewer Dulebstnurzweimal started commenting on every video uploaded. He generally has funny, observant things to say, which has been encouraging and improved the quality of the work.
Then the Let's Play Index started up on the Penny Arcade forums. Nobody had recorded a walkthrough of another personal favorite, Republic Commando, so I staked a claim.
What I Learned: Action packed games make for difficult walkthroughs. Republic Commando is a very busy experience. There are explosions and fighting and radio chatter throughout most of the game. Getting a word in edgewise was often difficult.
This was also my first experiment with using Windows Movie Maker for more than compression. I used it for title cards and subtitle comments that I couldn't say due to battle noise. I was particularly pleased when I was able to splice a clip from episode three into a much later episode (to show that General Grievous had been present on Geonosis).
I did a secret walkthrough of Batman: Arkham Asylum for a friend (which I still haven't finished because I am a lazy jerk).
What I Learned: The walkthrough had to be as Batman as possible, which meant no screw-ups and more refined stealth than I would normally bother with. That meant a lot of editing. Occasionally I also made jokes about my own commentary in the subtitles, which was weird, but Paul liked it, so I guess it worked.
Next came Gunman Chronicles, a Half-Life mod gone commercial. The game is equal parts fun and cheesy, which I felt made it ripe for a walkthrough. (And since I was sort of doing a Mystery Science Theatre walkthrough, I put together a video parody of the MST3K theme song as the cherry on top.)
What I Learned: Doing walkthroughs makes me explore more elements of a game than I do when I play through them myself. All I care about when I play a game for enjoyment is seeing what's next. But when I'm doing it for a walkthrough, I experiment more. It's not necessarily a better experience, but it's definitely a more thorough one.
On the technical side, my editing got more involved as I started fast forwarding past boring bits (the tank sections). And the music video was the most complicated thing I'd ever put together. I must have crashed Windows Movie Maker half a dozen times.
With Mass Effect 2 releasing and the Star Wars MMO on the horizon, BioWare was the subject of much discussion. But no one on any of the podcasts I'd listened to seemed to know anything about BioWare's first game, Shattered Steel. I figured it was my civic duty to put a walkthrough online so people could see what it looked like. Also, I didn't find any guides online for the game, so hopefully my walkthrough will make surviving the more difficult missions easier for anyone interested in experiencing this bit of history for themselves.
What I Learned: I was pretty concerned about making Shattered Steel watchable. I found out that by putting time indexes in the sidebar, YouTube viewers could skip all the briefings and debriefings.
Liberal use of fast forward whenever the game got repetitive was also helpful. But this meant I couldn't know where one installment would end and another would begin. You lose the personal touch when each installment doesn't begin with a hello and end with a goodbye. There's also an immediacy and feeling of shared experience that's lost when time becomes mutable. And finally, you have to be very careful not to prematurely delete any raw footage. :P
I should finish Shattered Steel this coming week. Then I'll take my customary week off. Then I've got a tough choice to make.
Do I show off The Witcher (my first perfect score of the year)? It's timely, as the sequel should be out in not too long. Very few people have played the original since it's PC only. I'm curious to see how putting the decisions in the hands of the audience will turn out.
Or maybe it's time to start Devils and Ninjas. I loved Devil May Cry. I didn't love Ninja Gaiden Black. I'd like to do a walkthrough of DMC to show people how I play, then start a walkthrough of Ninja Gaiden Black to show what I don't like about it. Will I prove that DMC has superior elements? Will I prove that whichever you play first is the one you'll end up preferring? Will I discover I was trying to play Ninja Gaiden too much like DMC and learn to love it for its own merits? I don't know, and the opportunity to learn interests me.
I'll probably go with The Witcher, since the other games are so out of date. It makes little difference if I do them this year or next. Heck, I could celebrate DMC's 10th anniversary if I waited until next year to do it. (And considering how long The Witcher is, it might be next year by the time I'm ready to start DMC.)
This is all pretty "inside <sport nobody cares about>", so you may want to skip it.
At PAX 2007, I wore the following t-shirt.
I didn't expect people to recognize all the stuff on it, but I figured that in the gamer rich environment of PAX, at least one person would know Heart of Evil, my favorite Half-Life mod. Nobody did. So I did a walkthrough and showed at least two of them how great Heart of Evil was.
What I Learned: I learned the basics of using Fraps, dinking with audio levels, and using Windows Movie Maker.
A few months later I started thinking about Blood, one of my favorite FPS games of all time. Nobody references that game, and it had a lot of great stuff in it. And, like Heart of Evil, it required a lot of roaming and exploration. Many modern FPS games feel like rail shooters in comparison. So I recorded a walkthrough of it.
What I Learned: I learned to be respectful of my viewers' time by warning them if there were long segments of aimless wandering. :)
Since Blood is an older game, I put a setup together that would allow me to record video from external sources, in this case my old Windows Millennium Edition machine. In theory it will eventually allow me to do walkthroughs of console games, as well.
It was during Blood that YouTube viewer Dulebstnurzweimal started commenting on every video uploaded. He generally has funny, observant things to say, which has been encouraging and improved the quality of the work.
Then the Let's Play Index started up on the Penny Arcade forums. Nobody had recorded a walkthrough of another personal favorite, Republic Commando, so I staked a claim.
What I Learned: Action packed games make for difficult walkthroughs. Republic Commando is a very busy experience. There are explosions and fighting and radio chatter throughout most of the game. Getting a word in edgewise was often difficult.
This was also my first experiment with using Windows Movie Maker for more than compression. I used it for title cards and subtitle comments that I couldn't say due to battle noise. I was particularly pleased when I was able to splice a clip from episode three into a much later episode (to show that General Grievous had been present on Geonosis).
I did a secret walkthrough of Batman: Arkham Asylum for a friend (which I still haven't finished because I am a lazy jerk).
What I Learned: The walkthrough had to be as Batman as possible, which meant no screw-ups and more refined stealth than I would normally bother with. That meant a lot of editing. Occasionally I also made jokes about my own commentary in the subtitles, which was weird, but Paul liked it, so I guess it worked.
Next came Gunman Chronicles, a Half-Life mod gone commercial. The game is equal parts fun and cheesy, which I felt made it ripe for a walkthrough. (And since I was sort of doing a Mystery Science Theatre walkthrough, I put together a video parody of the MST3K theme song as the cherry on top.)
What I Learned: Doing walkthroughs makes me explore more elements of a game than I do when I play through them myself. All I care about when I play a game for enjoyment is seeing what's next. But when I'm doing it for a walkthrough, I experiment more. It's not necessarily a better experience, but it's definitely a more thorough one.
On the technical side, my editing got more involved as I started fast forwarding past boring bits (the tank sections). And the music video was the most complicated thing I'd ever put together. I must have crashed Windows Movie Maker half a dozen times.
With Mass Effect 2 releasing and the Star Wars MMO on the horizon, BioWare was the subject of much discussion. But no one on any of the podcasts I'd listened to seemed to know anything about BioWare's first game, Shattered Steel. I figured it was my civic duty to put a walkthrough online so people could see what it looked like. Also, I didn't find any guides online for the game, so hopefully my walkthrough will make surviving the more difficult missions easier for anyone interested in experiencing this bit of history for themselves.
What I Learned: I was pretty concerned about making Shattered Steel watchable. I found out that by putting time indexes in the sidebar, YouTube viewers could skip all the briefings and debriefings.
Liberal use of fast forward whenever the game got repetitive was also helpful. But this meant I couldn't know where one installment would end and another would begin. You lose the personal touch when each installment doesn't begin with a hello and end with a goodbye. There's also an immediacy and feeling of shared experience that's lost when time becomes mutable. And finally, you have to be very careful not to prematurely delete any raw footage. :P
I should finish Shattered Steel this coming week. Then I'll take my customary week off. Then I've got a tough choice to make.
Do I show off The Witcher (my first perfect score of the year)? It's timely, as the sequel should be out in not too long. Very few people have played the original since it's PC only. I'm curious to see how putting the decisions in the hands of the audience will turn out.
Or maybe it's time to start Devils and Ninjas. I loved Devil May Cry. I didn't love Ninja Gaiden Black. I'd like to do a walkthrough of DMC to show people how I play, then start a walkthrough of Ninja Gaiden Black to show what I don't like about it. Will I prove that DMC has superior elements? Will I prove that whichever you play first is the one you'll end up preferring? Will I discover I was trying to play Ninja Gaiden too much like DMC and learn to love it for its own merits? I don't know, and the opportunity to learn interests me.
I'll probably go with The Witcher, since the other games are so out of date. It makes little difference if I do them this year or next. Heck, I could celebrate DMC's 10th anniversary if I waited until next year to do it. (And considering how long The Witcher is, it might be next year by the time I'm ready to start DMC.)
13 March, 2010
Keepalive: MMO-palooza
written by Blain Newport on Friday, March 12, 2010
Having finished my time with Lord of the Rings Online, I decided to peek around at some other MMOs. The first was Dungeons and Dragons Online.
I thrilled to the detailed environments.
I watched epic battles. (Note the two misses and a hit for zero damage.)
At least the city actually looked like something. But overall, there was no fun to be had here.
Age of Conan was a bit more impressive. This was mostly due to the graphics.
Hunting panthers in darkened jungles, with bits of light coming through the canopy, looks very nice.
You can see some blood coming off the enemy in this shot. It's weird to see blood and chunks coming off a guy who has no visible injuries.
The combat in Age of Conan seems really good after D&D Online. Enemies have defenses that are left, right, or center. You have attacks and special attacks that are also left, right, or center. It makes the combat slightly more involved, but not to the point that I'd actually play it.
The final insult to injury was that I loaded up Free Realms and had more fun than I did with either of the others. I maxed out my ninja. I equipped multiple regeneration trinkets and bought a sword that gives life back whenever he hits someone. I got to the point where I could sweep through a dungeon, trailing dozens of enemies, until I reached a boss. Then I'd let the horde catch up, blow a couple special attacks, and kill everything. Ahh. Finally, gratification.
As time goes on, Free Realms releases more content to non-subscribers. Unfortunately, it pretty much confirms that there's nothing to be gained by subscribing. The pay combat classes weren't fun, and crafting is a huge letdown. (It's the same puzzle game as mining / harvesting.)
I keep trying with MMOs. Other people love them. Maybe someday.
Or maybe I'm just too cheap. :)
Having finished my time with Lord of the Rings Online, I decided to peek around at some other MMOs. The first was Dungeons and Dragons Online.
I thrilled to the detailed environments.
I watched epic battles. (Note the two misses and a hit for zero damage.)
At least the city actually looked like something. But overall, there was no fun to be had here.
Age of Conan was a bit more impressive. This was mostly due to the graphics.
Hunting panthers in darkened jungles, with bits of light coming through the canopy, looks very nice.
You can see some blood coming off the enemy in this shot. It's weird to see blood and chunks coming off a guy who has no visible injuries.
The combat in Age of Conan seems really good after D&D Online. Enemies have defenses that are left, right, or center. You have attacks and special attacks that are also left, right, or center. It makes the combat slightly more involved, but not to the point that I'd actually play it.
The final insult to injury was that I loaded up Free Realms and had more fun than I did with either of the others. I maxed out my ninja. I equipped multiple regeneration trinkets and bought a sword that gives life back whenever he hits someone. I got to the point where I could sweep through a dungeon, trailing dozens of enemies, until I reached a boss. Then I'd let the horde catch up, blow a couple special attacks, and kill everything. Ahh. Finally, gratification.
As time goes on, Free Realms releases more content to non-subscribers. Unfortunately, it pretty much confirms that there's nothing to be gained by subscribing. The pay combat classes weren't fun, and crafting is a huge letdown. (It's the same puzzle game as mining / harvesting.)
I keep trying with MMOs. Other people love them. Maybe someday.
Or maybe I'm just too cheap. :)
12 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Friday, March 12, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 30 - Gate One
Frankly, it's a little anti-climactic.
0:00 - Walker Review
2:35 - Briefing
3:35 - Arming Bay
4:25 - Mission
8:25 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 30 - Gate One
Frankly, it's a little anti-climactic.
0:00 - Walker Review
2:35 - Briefing
3:35 - Arming Bay
4:25 - Mission
8:25 - Debriefing
11 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, March 11, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 29 - Look At My Shiny New Body
NIXON'S BACK!
0:00 - Briefing
0:55 - Arming Bay
2:50 - Mission
9:25 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 29 - Look At My Shiny New Body
NIXON'S BACK!
0:00 - Briefing
0:55 - Arming Bay
2:50 - Mission
9:25 - Debriefing
10 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 28 - Pets
the softer side of the K'narshtek
0:00 - Briefing
1:00 - Arming Bay
1:45 - Mission
9:35 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 28 - Pets
the softer side of the K'narshtek
0:00 - Briefing
1:00 - Arming Bay
1:45 - Mission
9:35 - Debriefing
09 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 27 - Another Day, Another Base
I should have remembered the radar guided missiles so I'd have something to talk about.
0:00 - Briefing
1:00 - Arming Bay
2:00 - Mission (Wildcard)
6:20 - Debriefing
7:45 - Intelligence
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 27 - Another Day, Another Base
I should have remembered the radar guided missiles so I'd have something to talk about.
0:00 - Briefing
1:00 - Arming Bay
2:00 - Mission (Wildcard)
6:20 - Debriefing
7:45 - Intelligence
08 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Sunday, March 7, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 26 - Let Rusty Handle It
A lot of sneaking around.
0:00 - Mission
9:15 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 26 - Let Rusty Handle It
A lot of sneaking around.
0:00 - Mission
9:15 - Debriefing
07 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Friday, March 5, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 25 - Death From Above
It's the only way to be sure.
0:00 - Briefing
1:30 - Arming Bay
2:40 - Mission
6:30 - Debriefing
7:25 - Arming Bay
8:35 - Briefing
9:55 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 25 - Death From Above
It's the only way to be sure.
0:00 - Briefing
1:30 - Arming Bay
2:40 - Mission
6:30 - Debriefing
7:25 - Arming Bay
8:35 - Briefing
9:55 - Mission
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, March 4, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 24 - Rolling On
more fighting and a choice
0:00 - Mission
3:50 - Debriefing
5:50 - Intel
7:15 - Mission
9:55 - Debriefing (edited down)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 24 - Rolling On
more fighting and a choice
0:00 - Mission
3:50 - Debriefing
5:50 - Intel
7:15 - Mission
9:55 - Debriefing (edited down)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, March 2, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 23 - Buy Alien Biomass Futures
It made me laugh.
0:00 - Intelligence
1:25 - Briefing
2:35 - Mission (Operation Kickback 2)
4:45 - Debriefing
6:45 - Briefing
7:50 - Arming Bay
8:15 - Mission (Operation Kickback 3)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 23 - Buy Alien Biomass Futures
It made me laugh.
0:00 - Intelligence
1:25 - Briefing
2:35 - Mission (Operation Kickback 2)
4:45 - Debriefing
6:45 - Briefing
7:50 - Arming Bay
8:15 - Mission (Operation Kickback 3)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, March 2, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 22 - Mystery Machine
A sleepy Blain is sent on a "stealth" mission.
0:00 - Debriefing
1:05 - Briefing
2:45 - Arming Bay
3:15 - Mission (Operation Kickback)
8:50 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 22 - Mystery Machine
A sleepy Blain is sent on a "stealth" mission.
0:00 - Debriefing
1:05 - Briefing
2:45 - Arming Bay
3:15 - Mission (Operation Kickback)
8:50 - Debriefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Monday, March 1, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 21 - Getting Lucky
I endure.
0:00 - Briefing
1:40 - Arming Bay
2:35 - Mission
10:15 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 21 - Getting Lucky
I endure.
0:00 - Briefing
1:40 - Arming Bay
2:35 - Mission
10:15 - Debriefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Friday, February 26, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 20 - K'narshtek Flambé
It's kind of an ambush.
0:00 - Briefing
1:45 - Arming Bay
2:25 - Mission
9:35 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 20 - K'narshtek Flambé
It's kind of an ambush.
0:00 - Briefing
1:45 - Arming Bay
2:25 - Mission
9:35 - Debriefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, February 24, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 19 - The Best Defense
is the offensive campaign, apparently
0:00 - Mission
1:05 - Debriefing
2:50 - Arming Bay
3:20 - Briefing
4:40 - Mission
8:30 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 19 - The Best Defense
is the offensive campaign, apparently
0:00 - Mission
1:05 - Debriefing
2:50 - Arming Bay
3:20 - Briefing
4:40 - Mission
8:30 - Debriefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, February 24, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 18 - Pun Goes Here
more plasma, a new chassis, and a new baddie
0:00 - Mission
4:00 - Debriefing
4:40 - Arming Bay
5:50 - Briefing
6:55 - Mission
10:50 - Choice For Next Time
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 18 - Pun Goes Here
more plasma, a new chassis, and a new baddie
0:00 - Mission
4:00 - Debriefing
4:40 - Arming Bay
5:50 - Briefing
6:55 - Mission
10:50 - Choice For Next Time
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, February 23, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 17 - Sucks To Your Plasmar
A familiar enemy and a new gun wind up the first mission of the second campaign.
0:00 - Mission
5:00 - Debriefing
6:30 - Arming Bay
7:50 - Briefing
9:00 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 17 - Sucks To Your Plasmar
A familiar enemy and a new gun wind up the first mission of the second campaign.
0:00 - Mission
5:00 - Debriefing
6:30 - Arming Bay
7:50 - Briefing
9:00 - Mission
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Sunday, February 21, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 16 - Boss
The boss is quickly disposed of, leaving us to be dispatched to another front in the war against the aliens.
0:00 - Mission (continued)
1:50 - Debriefing (cut scene)
3:00 - Intelligence meanderings
5:15 - Arming Bay
6:10 - Briefing (with surprise)
9:00 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 16 - Boss
The boss is quickly disposed of, leaving us to be dispatched to another front in the war against the aliens.
0:00 - Mission (continued)
1:50 - Debriefing (cut scene)
3:00 - Intelligence meanderings
5:15 - Arming Bay
6:10 - Briefing (with surprise)
9:00 - Mission
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Friday, February 19, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 15 - Cavalcade of Pew Pew
and fast forward chipmunk warfare
0:00 - Mission
1:55 - Debriefing
2:55 - Arming Bay
3:25 - Briefing
4:45 - Mission
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 15 - Cavalcade of Pew Pew
and fast forward chipmunk warfare
0:00 - Mission
1:55 - Debriefing
2:55 - Arming Bay
3:25 - Briefing
4:45 - Mission
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, February 17, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 14 - Full Frontal
featuring my first experiment in talking slow enough to be understandable at 4x speed
0:00 - Briefing
1:20 - Mission (Frontal Assault)
6:20 - Debriefing
7:45 - Briefing
9:00 - Arming Bay
9:40 - Mission (Frontal Assault 2)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 14 - Full Frontal
featuring my first experiment in talking slow enough to be understandable at 4x speed
0:00 - Briefing
1:20 - Mission (Frontal Assault)
6:20 - Debriefing
7:45 - Briefing
9:00 - Arming Bay
9:40 - Mission (Frontal Assault 2)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, February 17, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 13 - Howitzer GO
edited to the point that Windows Movie Maker had kittens
0:00 - Mission
4:15 - Debriefing
5:30 - Arming Bay
6:15 - Briefing
7:25 - Mission
10:10 - Debriefing (or snippets thereof)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 13 - Howitzer GO
edited to the point that Windows Movie Maker had kittens
0:00 - Mission
4:15 - Debriefing
5:30 - Arming Bay
6:15 - Briefing
7:25 - Mission
10:10 - Debriefing (or snippets thereof)
06 March, 2010
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Monday, February 15, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 12 - All The Way To China
0:00 - Debriefing
1:20 - Arming Bay
2:00 - Mission (I skipped the briefing accidentally.)
7:00 - Debriefing
8:00 - Arming Bay
9:30 - Briefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 12 - All The Way To China
0:00 - Debriefing
1:20 - Arming Bay
2:00 - Mission (I skipped the briefing accidentally.)
7:00 - Debriefing
8:00 - Arming Bay
9:30 - Briefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Sunday, February 14, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 11 - In Search Of Loot
My attempt to take the hard road in search of better gear continues.
0:00 - Debriefing
1:35 - Briefing
3:10 - Mission (Operation Silence 2)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 11 - In Search Of Loot
My attempt to take the hard road in search of better gear continues.
0:00 - Debriefing
1:35 - Briefing
3:10 - Mission (Operation Silence 2)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Friday, February 12, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 10 - Com Post
Given a choice, I always take the hard road.
0:00 - Debriefing
2:10 - Arming Bay
2:45 - Mission (Operation Silence)
6:40 - boring base demolition
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 10 - Com Post
Given a choice, I always take the hard road.
0:00 - Debriefing
2:10 - Arming Bay
2:45 - Mission (Operation Silence)
6:40 - boring base demolition
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, February 11, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 09 - Perimeter Defense
It's another base defense, spiced up by a powerful new weapon.
0:00 - Mission Continued (Dig In)
1:55 - Debriefing
3:45 - Arming Bay
4:15 - Briefing
5:30 - Mission (Dig In 2)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 09 - Perimeter Defense
It's another base defense, spiced up by a powerful new weapon.
0:00 - Mission Continued (Dig In)
1:55 - Debriefing
3:45 - Arming Bay
4:15 - Briefing
5:30 - Mission (Dig In 2)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, February 9, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 08 - Secure
We've got to secure a site for a new base. Too bad it's crawling with jerks.
0:00 - Intel
1:05 - Mission (Dig In)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 08 - Secure
We've got to secure a site for a new base. Too bad it's crawling with jerks.
0:00 - Intel
1:05 - Mission (Dig In)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on ***day, February XX, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 07 - Betrayed
The twist no one saw coming!
Besides everyone.
0:00 - Arming Bay
1:00 - Briefing
3:05 - Mission
6:45 - Debriefing
8:20 - Briefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 07 - Betrayed
The twist no one saw coming!
Besides everyone.
0:00 - Arming Bay
1:00 - Briefing
3:05 - Mission
6:45 - Debriefing
8:20 - Briefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Sunday, February 7, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 06 - Convoy Cleanup
Having escorted the convoy back to the Coris Manufacturing Center, we defend the facility from enemy attack.
0:00 - Coris Manufacturing Center Mission Part 2
9:10 - Debriefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 06 - Convoy Cleanup
Having escorted the convoy back to the Coris Manufacturing Center, we defend the facility from enemy attack.
0:00 - Coris Manufacturing Center Mission Part 2
9:10 - Debriefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, February 4, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 05 - Maniac Miner
rocking the bad guys in the Coris Pit Mine
0:00 - Coris Pit Mine Mission
3:05 - Debriefing
3:55 - Arming Bay
4:50 - Briefing
6:15 - Coris Manufacturing Center Mission Part 1
(and for some reason I explain how you can lose a map after winning again)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 05 - Maniac Miner
rocking the bad guys in the Coris Pit Mine
0:00 - Coris Pit Mine Mission
3:05 - Debriefing
3:55 - Arming Bay
4:50 - Briefing
6:15 - Coris Manufacturing Center Mission Part 1
(and for some reason I explain how you can lose a map after winning again)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, February 3, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 04 - Desert Defence
Ack! Bright!
0:00 - Mission 4
5:10 - Debriefing
7:10 - Briefing (it is supposed to be like that)
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 04 - Desert Defence
Ack! Bright!
0:00 - Mission 4
5:10 - Debriefing
7:10 - Briefing (it is supposed to be like that)
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Tuesday, February 2, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 03 - Prison Break
All right. Rocko, Mugsy, Steve, we're bustin' outta this joint.
0:00 - Briefing
1:40 - Mission 3
6:55 - Debriefing
7:55 - Armory
9:05 - Briefing
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 03 - Prison Break
All right. Rocko, Mugsy, Steve, we're bustin' outta this joint.
0:00 - Briefing
1:40 - Mission 3
6:55 - Debriefing
7:55 - Armory
9:05 - Briefing
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Monday, February 1, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 02 - Stealthily Proceed
DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!
0:00 - Mission 1 Debriefing
2:00 - New Intel
2:35 - Mission 2 Briefing
4:00 - Mission 2
7:15 - Mission 2 Debriefing
9:00 - New Intel
utility used to slow down my Windows ME system
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 02 - Stealthily Proceed
DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!
0:00 - Mission 1 Debriefing
2:00 - New Intel
2:35 - Mission 2 Briefing
4:00 - Mission 2
7:15 - Mission 2 Debriefing
9:00 - New Intel
utility used to slow down my Windows ME system
Game Journal: Shattered Steel
written by Blain Newport on Monday, February 1, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 01 - Intro and First Mission
We begin the 1996 robot combat game Shattered Steel. I'm sorry about the sound levels, but once I fixed them, the capture device refused to record the cinematics.
You can purchase a digital copy (which runs in DosBox) from Good Old Games.
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Shattered Steel 01 - Intro and First Mission
We begin the 1996 robot combat game Shattered Steel. I'm sorry about the sound levels, but once I fixed them, the capture device refused to record the cinematics.
You can purchase a digital copy (which runs in DosBox) from Good Old Games.
05 March, 2010
Shattered Steel Marathon
written by Blain Newport on Friday, March 5, 2010
I almost forgot the introductory post for the weekend event. I'm catching the blog up to the YouTube channel. This weekend will see a new installment of the Shattered Steel walkthrough every hour: 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday. That won't finish up the game. I suspect it will be around two more weeks to get to the end. But it will be much easier for me to keep track when the blog and YouTube are in sync.
I do have some actual gaming to write up, but none of it's urgent. I'm just glad I was able to replace my video card and get my system up and running again. :P
I almost forgot the introductory post for the weekend event. I'm catching the blog up to the YouTube channel. This weekend will see a new installment of the Shattered Steel walkthrough every hour: 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday. That won't finish up the game. I suspect it will be around two more weeks to get to the end. But it will be much easier for me to keep track when the blog and YouTube are in sync.
I do have some actual gaming to write up, but none of it's urgent. I'm just glad I was able to replace my video card and get my system up and running again. :P
04 March, 2010
Game Journal: Gunman Chronicles
written by Blain Newport on Friday, January 22, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 25 - General Chaos
Rather abruptly, the final confrontation is upon us.
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 25 - General Chaos
Rather abruptly, the final confrontation is upon us.
03 March, 2010
Game Journal: Gunman Chronicles
written by Blain Newport on Thursday, January 21, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 24 - Damp And Crumbly
We wrecked it up good.
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 24 - Damp And Crumbly
We wrecked it up good.
02 March, 2010
Game Journal: Gunman Chronicles
written by Blain Newport on Wednesday, January 20, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 23 - Icecapades
In a startling change of tactics, Archer endangers himself and others by wrecking stuff with wanton abandon.
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 23 - Icecapades
In a startling change of tactics, Archer endangers himself and others by wrecking stuff with wanton abandon.
01 March, 2010
Game Journal: Gunman Chronicles
written by Blain Newport on Monday, January 18, 2010
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 22 - Spaceport Bound
We backtrack towards the spaceport while the AI proves to be full of surprises.
GAME JOURNALS CONTAIN SPOILERS. DEAL WITH IT PINK BOY.
Gunman Chronicles 22 - Spaceport Bound
We backtrack towards the spaceport while the AI proves to be full of surprises.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)