As a middle-aged man who recently joined a group of fellow dads on a journey on Faerûn, within the world of Forgotten Realms, I have (re)discovered that engaging in roleplaying games has a significant positive impact on my mental health, anxiety levels, and overall demeanor.
After a few memorable game sessions over the last few weeks (I'm looking at you Godrim! 😂), I came to that realization and shared it with our Dungeon Master during a private conversation at the end of our latest session. Despite having had a rough day at work and feeling a lack of enthusiasm, once I had immersed myself in our virtual session (we play using Discord, D&D Beyond, and roll20), my worries faded away, and the fun began. As a results, I experienced a complete shift in my attitude and demeanor during that three-hour roleplaying session. I went to bed with a smile on my face. A little tired, but happy and fulfilled.
The last game I played that was cel-shaded was Robotech. And though I was a huge fan of the anime, the game wasn't all what I expected it to be. Borderlands is a completely different kind of game, and seems very much what I'm looking for in a shooter these days! Looks like October will see me busy shooting things up both spaceside and planetside!
For a guy who's currently unemployed, let me tell you that I'm keeping myself quite busy! And though a lot of my time these days is spent thinking, breathing and living the life of an EVE capsuleer (besides all the RL chores that keep popping on the endless list - you married guys know what I mean!), there are times when I'm doing geek stuff which isn't related to EVE. Really!
The following video is one of those things that catches my attention. As the title of this post suggests, this is not related to EVE. I'll use the "Out of Eden" prefix for anything and everything that is not related to EVE Online, because I'm a neat freak and like to have things in order!
The two trailers below are of Space Siege, an upcoming RPG from Gas Powered Games; the same guys behind the Dungeon Siege (DS) series and the recently Supreme Commander RTS (which I haven't played). I've been through all the DS series and really like the style and approach they've taken. Though the original DS was simplistic in its approach, I liked the fact that your character would increase in skills depending on the type of combat it used. It was simple, yet effective.
Since I devote a lot of time to EVE, I like my other games to be easy to pick-up and start playing. So I'm looking forward to this one! What other games keep you Out of Eden?
Earlier this week I was flying to a new system in Khanid space and came in to a station from a point of view which reminded me of the Homeworld mothership. As you may recall, I'm currently playing (or trying to at least) Homeworld 2.
So the image of the Kushan Mothership was fresh in my mind when I came across this Amarr space station.
Ok, this has nothing to do with EVE, but it still kicks ass and I still wanted to share it with you. The game is Mass Effect, from Bioware. These are the guys whose games are always top notch in quality, both game play, story, visual and are often innovative. Just look at Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, and oh, remember Baldur's Gate; that's them to.
Anyways, Mass Effect is there latest game, which is coming out on the 360 exclusively and is one of the reason I got mine a while back. This latest trailer will explain better than words why I'm so excited about it. Enjoy.
Oh, and I also got the novel, "Revelation", which is a prelude to the game.
Back in April, just over a month ago, I asked you which type of gamer you were: PC, Console, a bit of both, and everything in between. The results I got were pretty much what I expected. Of the 35 of view who took time to vote, a bit more than half (19 - 54%) are PC Gamers, me included in there. About a quarter of you (8 - 23%) are 'More PC Gamers then Console Gamers', and the rest are either equally both (5 - 14%), or more console gamers (2 - 6%). Only one played more console games then pc games. So there you have it.
As for me, as I've stated, I'm a PC Gamer first and foremost, though my XBOX 360 has it's place in my home. I use it mainly use it for first-person shooter such Halo, Gears of War or Ghost Recon. But since the rest of the games I enjoy are either RPG (Neverwinter Nights and Dungeon Siege), RTS (Starcraft, Battle Realms, 1701 A.D. and Homeworld) or MMORPG (EVE Online, GuildWars, Dungeon Runners) I tend to find that the PC is the better platform for those types of games.
I've always wanted to compile all the EVE Online chronicles into one document, one book that I could read at my leisure and not necessarily in front of a monitor, but wherever I chose.
Well, not only was I not the only one, but I was also late by a couple of month with my 'bright idea'.
Back on the EVE Backstory page are links to two versions of this same book - one with a black background, the other (for printing purposes) in white.
I've download both and will have the white-themed one printed and bounded in full colour tomorrow morning when I get downtown.
I can't wait to flip through it and read it on the commute back home. I just wished we had more of these great books, and can't wait for Tony Gonzales' novel or the RPG books on EVE from CCP White Wolf!
The Escapist #30 was released yesterday. This week they cover how the gaming industry was influence, and still is, by pen-based Roleplaying Games. Makes for a great read for any of us who's ever played D&D, AD&D, MERP, Traveler. Boy does it ever bring back memories. This is one issue you definitely do not want to miss. In Celebration of the Inner Rogue by Mark Wallace Is the avatar separate from you, or is it an extension of yourself?
The Contrarian: Masks in the Woods by John Tynes How has MMO influenced the Role-Players and is there a place for them (us) in today's MMORPG
I Enjoy Playing a Girl by Chris Dahlen Why? Why not play someone completely different from yourself! Also see my earlier post on the subject.
A Roleplayer in Azeroth by Will Hindmarch With computer based RPG, we've gained a lot in terms of the visuals, but at what cost? Is it limiting our imagination or making it boundless?
