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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2151 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 8, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I started playing Rogue Trader this week, as I'm on vacation. For some reason people call it a CRPG, but it's as much an RPG as Final Fantasy Tactics or Paradise Cracked were: it's just a fight after a fight after a fight. I hope it gets better in Act 2, I really miss a proper hub with factions and quests that don't always require you to murder everyone.

I am enjoying it more than BG3, though. Still lots of "why would I ever pick that" abilities, but there are enough abilities that turn everyone into a murder machine. Except the Sister of Battle, whose bolter is laughably weak and won't shoot straight.

Also in the theme of keeping games-related comments together, some good news!

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is now on Steam!

It's old and the UI is a bit clunky (though fan patches can help), but it's a beloved classic for a reason. Prokhor Zakharov is my guy all the way for gameplay reasons--probably a popular choice in these parts--but there's something to love in each character. For a (very) deep dive into the interplay of game mechanics, storytelling, and philosophy of SMAC, I also recommend the classic blog series Paean to SMAC: Meditations on Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.

I was just thinking of giving my copy of SMAC another spin. I have a P233 MMX that would probably be perfect for it.

SMAC actually came front of mind in the culture war thread about SBI and bad writing. Because while the flavor text that reflects the viewpoints of the various factions is deeply political, none of it feels like cheap shots. It's like every factions ideology is steel manned. At least that's how I remember it. Maybe going back to it in my middle age will change that perspective.

I believe it still holds up, but if you do give it a whirl, post a report? If a game in the 2000s can make a sympathetic Christian fundamentalist, it's gotta be doing something right.

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