I Don't Think Gamerant Gets D&D Treasure

I haven't picked up Baldur's Gate 3 (yet) but  came across this Gamerant article regarding the distribution of loot in the game vs. TTRP D&D. The title was total clickbait (well, at least clickbait to the likes of me): Baldur's Gate 3's Approach to Treasure is a Great Lesson for D&D DMs

Now I read the article and I don't think the author gets it. The core of the article, and coincidentally my problems with it can be summed up in just these two sentences from the article: "Crates, buried chests, and specialized loot containers are at every turn in the slice of Faerun players can access, something that greatly encourages exploration and thorough investigation. This is in contrast to the way many DMs approach loot, reserving piles of gold, consumables, equipment, and magic items for the post-boss treasure hoard."

Even in video games, and especially in TTRPGs, I don't think players should be rewarded with loot simply for walking around. Sure....walking around might lead to opportunities to adventure and acquire loot, but you shouldn't be picking up loot simply because you wandered around and tripped over some boxes. Sounds more like smashing every pot & crate in The Legend of Zelda.

I think that some of the best loot should be reserved for a post-boss treasure hoard. I mean, think about it.....the BBG (Big Bad Guy) is generally large & in charge, right? If he/she/it wasn't then there's nothing for the party to contend with. As the BBG, a good percentage of the available loot is going to be taken up to be hoarded or used. Sure, some items may be farmed out for minions to use, but the good stuff should be hoarded from and used against the party.

WTF would the BBG take all of the good stuff and box it up and store "at every turn....of Faerun"? If that was the case, wouldn't somebody else....hell, everybody else, be rooting around smashing & grabbing what they can?

I mean I kind of get wanting to have the players explore everything that the GM (or in the case of BG3, game designers) has created, but you know....that's not what being a GM/DM is. I do not feel it is the GM's job to get the players to explore every nook & cranny. The GM can dangle some threads for the players to pull on, but they should be running the show...making the actual decisions. Sure, there is some expected back & forth, but when the GM starts pushing the players to basically show off....that's not the name of the game here.

Personal Note: This is going to be my last regular post here at Tenkar's Tavern. I'm not even sure how many years I've been posting on Sundays, but I feel like the reasons I started doing so aren't relevant anymore and posting here has become a bit much for me. I'd like to get back to my own blog and doing reviews, free GM resources, and whatnot and honestly after posting on Sundays I'm not feeling like doing more over at my own space...

No worries. Erik & I are good and I'm grateful for the opportunity he gave me to share my thoughts here.

Computer RPGs Just Aren't a Suitable Sub for TTRPGs.

If you're like me at all, and I'm willing to bet in this regard you probably are, when you explain to "outsiders" that you're a gamer, they immediately think you like to sit around and play video games all day. In my case, I do sometimes, but I don't define myself by console or PC (like "those" gamers usually do.) Still it's far too hard to explain (many times again...) that I mean table-top RPGS. 

Of course it doesn't help that I have the opportunity to fiddle with the Xbox controller far, far more than I get to sling dice. A lot of times it's just a substitute, but it's far from a suitable-sub. First off, I'm usually a completionist. If I can 100% a game, or think I can, I'm going for it. My gamerscore is currently standing at 99,300....but that's probably more a factor of having an Xbox for so many years than my awesomeness of playing. I do have 38 games 100%'d and some of those were a PITA. IIRC one I had to set my calendar and play on a certain anniversary day (couldn't cheese it by changing my system clock), and some have recockulus requirements (one step beyond ridiculous).

Even though there are computer RPGS, they are just so not the same and I FINALLY got to the point with my current game (Starfield) where I 100%'d it and can walk away. I am so effing glad to be done and I'll admit the game stopped being fun maybe last week when I realized I could crank up the difficulty to the maximum and still play easily. 

There is such a wide divide between TTRPGs and Computer RPGs, and I think I was experiencing all of the issues that highlighted this difference:

• Save Scumming: TTRPGs don't allow you to screw up and "go back" to an earlier point and try again. Even worse, you can't save at an opportune time to "rinse & repeat" actions to try and try again for a better loot outcome. The RNG (random number generator) gods aren't always so kind, so at one point I tried for a couple hours to get a better pistol, which I never got (but I did get a kick-ass sniper rifle).
• Cheesing the AI: probably has an actual name, but it's too easy to watch the AI routine do it's thing, establish patterns, or just ...well wait. If I shoot a guy in the head and his buddies see him die, they will only spend a small amount of time looking for you, before just giving up and going back to their routine. I don't think a GM would let the players get away with hiding for a minute......
• Grinding: This is almost the worst thing with computer games, having to just re-do things over and over because you need to get a certain amount of experience to get that skill you need, or a specific number of widgets to be allowed to progress. While TTRPGs have you doing stuff to get XP to level, I cannot think of a single time a GM has let you re-run an encounter or scenario/adventure over and over. With Starfield a lot of "unique" missions (bounties for the most part) were set in different locations that were exactly like others. It got to the point in Starfield where I knew that on the 6th landing of this one facility there would be a dead scientist, and on a certain table would be a hookah (noticeable because the "tobacco" vials looked like something out of Resident Evil).
• Achievements: This probably doesn't sound like a problem, and you'd think after this post I wouldn't see it as a problem, but in-game I did some things that I wouldn't have done otherwise....just so I can get that achievement. I think I would have stopped playing last week if not for "needing" to get to level 100, and the cheesy stuff I needed to do to get from where I would've quit at level 65 to that level 100.
• Bugs: There is a bit of a tie for the actual worst part of a computer RPG, with one part being bugs/glitches in general. Bethesda is kind of known for being buggy as hell, and fixing bugs is something they eventually get around to. On my game there was a power I couldn't use without basically crashing the game, another I just couldn't earn, and so....so much more. In my game there were portions of a city that just....disappeared. I eventually found it. It wasn't so much that it didn't render, just it rendered at an altitude that put in in space. On the plus side one bug kept me from being able to steal spaceships I should be allowed to, but let me get access to a line of starships I was not supposed to be allowed to.
• Solo play: The other tie for worst part is having to play by yourself. A HUGE part of TTRPGs is the social aspect of playing with others. Sure, there are MMORPGS, but they take these computer problems and ramp them up to the Nth degree.

Let's just say I'm looking forward to getting some face-to-face gaming in next weekend with the NTRPG folks. 

Humble Bundle - The IGN Editor's Choice: 9 & Above Club (Computer Games)

When I check in at Humble Bundle, to see the latest deals, I give the computer games a quick glance, but as a Mac OSX user, I am generally left disappointed. Not this time. Four of the seven games offered run natively on a Mac, and all four interested me (the others may work with Crossover, but I didn't check.

So, what are the games you get in The IGN Editor's Choice: 9 & Above Club Bundle? 

• Disco Elysium - The Final Cut - Mac/Windows
• Wildermyth - Mac/Windows/Linux
• Chivalry 2 - Windows
• Spiritfarer - Mac/Windows/Linus
• The Forgotten City - Windows
• GRIME
• Paradise Killer

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Just Discovered a New Console/Computer RPG for Under $10....

This weekend has been a pretty good one for me gaming-wise. Got to sling dice Friday night for a bit...and that'd normally be enough to record this as a good weekend (unless you have a shitty GM & group....been there, quit that, sorry if that hits close to home), but Saturday was a bit more game-filled than expected and this Sunday morning I'm dragging ass a bit because of it.

I know, I know, why should you care.....I'll get there...eventually.

So Saturday morning I managed to get a while hair up my ass and decided to finally break down and pick up a game I've been wanting to try for like, forever. Stopped in at my FLGS and they did not have a copy of HeroQuest. I've never played it, but it isn't a cheap game by any means, so deciding to pull the trigger on a $100+ game isn't something I take lightly.

Since that didn't happen, I drove around town, did my normal Saturday errands, and stopped off at my local Gamestop to look at used XBox games. That store did have a copy of HeroQuest, and it was $95! Online it's listed at $135.....yoinks, mine now. I haven't cracked it open yet because I don't need to see more minis I'm not going to paint and terrain I need, but am not going to build (I'll eventually do that is a lie I tell myself often). 

On a side note, I just did a HeroQuest google search and I think I may have started myself down a very dark and dangerous board game path.....holy hell there is a lot of add-ons and customization....this purchase may be my gateway drug to a new gaming addiction...(hope not).

While I was at Gamestop, well it was my main purpose for being there until I got sidelined by HeroQuest, I managed to pick up some games during a 4 for $20 (priced $10 or less). Normally it's hard for me to find enough games that I want to pretend I'll play, but I found three I liked & wanted to try, but I needed a fourth.....so I grabbed up Pillars of Eternity (Complete Edition).

Holy crap did I just luck out, and if you're anything like me you might be going, WTF is Pillars of Eternity? Hell, I didn't have clue.....just picked it up to round out my purchases figuring the $7 was essentially free. Now I had asked about the new Baldur's Gate game and Gamestop didn't carry codes or copies of the game. I liked the original Baldur's Gate game, have bought it like three time now, but the Xbox version.......suuuuuuuuuuuucckkssssssss. The controls are crap. I guess that the new Baldur's Gate 3 game isn't yet available for Xbox, and last I heard it will be download only and only available on the Xbox Series X. If you have a S or Xbox One, you're just SOL. Now that's just what I've heard....

If you don't want to wait and/or shell out $60 or like $560 if you don't have a Series X, and you liked the OG Baldur's Gate, then check out Pillars of Eternity. While it took a little getting used to, the controls (and graphics) are great and....well I'm impressed. It feels like instead of taking a tabletop RPG and forcing a console game over the top of it, they did the reverse. It's playable and a lot of the fiddly bits are pushed aside, but there if you need them. I don't quite understand the game mechanics 100%, but I don't need to. There's enough to get to just jump in and there's a lot of lore I can either dive into, or just gloss over.

I thought I'd just make sure the game ran, maybe see what character creation was like, and get through the intro. Next thing I know it's 1 AM. 

One thing I really liked it that this game doesn't coddle you and aside from a little necessary rail-roading during the intro, lets you figure things out on your own. A couple of barely-spoilery events in the first bits of the game:

• You enter your first "dungeon" with a couple of NPCs....or maybe they'll be party members....and one wants you to do one thing and the other definately doesn't want you to do that one thing. If you do what the one character wants, which makes sense and is totally reasonable, the other character nopes out.
• When you get past the end of the required adventure start railroad you're free to explore. You comes across a solitary character that is morning the loss of a friend to a bear attack. He warns you to not enter the cave to the North, which I promptly tried to do.....and got ganked hard. Well that dude did warn you..... My PC has leveled a couple times so I got back and try again. Oh hell no! That bear un-alived my group just as quickly as before, and this time I had tactics and everything. I'm not sure what level I need to be to overcome this brute, but so far the only way to survive this Kobayashi Maru is not to play.

There's a few game mechanics that I'm really enjoying, mostly because I have some pre-conceived notions that Pillars of Eternity is just not playing into. First is that I'm expecting party members to just come along for me to accept or turn down, so I'm talking to every character with a name. After a few hours of gameplay I've found one. That guy is an established new party member, but I could, and just did, hire an adventurer. When you do that you get to basically create them like you did your main PC, and so far there isn't really any difference between the hired gun and the discovered-in-the-wild party member.

The other new thing I like is actually kind of two-fold. When you level your character and get to add some traits/abilities, you can choose to add a low-level starting ability of another class. I haven't taken one of these options yet, but I'm hoping that can basically lead towards some sort of dual/multi classing. Speaking of classing, if you decided you don't like where your PC is heading ability-wise, you can pay to basically retrain (re-class) your PC. Again, not something I'm taking advantage of, but the fact it's there is pretty cool.

Pillars of Eternity was made by Obsidian Entertainment, who has done some damned fine computer games (pretty much too many to list) and this game was Kickstarted! I know, listing a successful big-budget gaming KS here at the Tavern is like almost unheard of. It's also available on Steam right now for a whopping $9.99 (for the version I have on XBox). I'm considering picking up the PC version as well for when I travel.

If you like isometric computer RPGs and don't want to (or can't) shell out $60+ for Baldur's Gate 3, then I highly recommend Pillars of Eternity.....for $10 or less....you'll defiantly get your money's worth!

Humble Bundle - Storied Strategy & Roleplaying (Computer Games for Win and OSX)

I don't cover many computer games here at The Tavern. I don't play them nearly as much as I did 20 years ago, and having moved on to an OSX environment nearly 20 years ago (coincidence?) finding CRPGs that work on an iMac often leave me depressed ;)

So color me VERY surprised when all six titles in the current Storied Strategy & Roleplaying from Humble Bundle were available for Windows and OSX for only 12 bucks. Joy of joys, I have some new (for me) games to play :)

Time to find time for distractions!

Don't forget to subscribe to the Tenkar's Tavern Youtube Channel to ensure you don't miss an episode. https://www.youtube.com/c/TenkarsTavern

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Thinking of Using Minecraft to Run a TTRPG as a Game Aid

I know I've mentioned several times that I'm pretty much using, or at least trying to use, the month of February to move out of my old rental and into a new (to me) house that I bought. I'm not bragging, just that this process is a total PITA and it has been taking me way too much time to get what should be a simple and straight-forward job done. It really didn't help that I lost a good week to my back being screwed up from repetitive motion. My VA doc was less than helpful, at first, with my pain management and I seriously thought I was going to spasm out and require another hospital visit.....

....anyway, I know that really isn't why you're here, but it's a bit of backstory to explain I've had a bit more time laid-up than I'd like and I've been a bit stressed about it. Should I mention my car engine died on me and I had to purchase a new ride on top of everything else? Stressed is an appropriate response I think.

One thing that has really helped me calm down a bit is playing Minecraft. It's definitely not slinging dice at the game table, but it has proven to be a good time-waster that keeps me a bit more engaged than just watching TV.

Minecraft is now owned by Microsoft and it seems to be available on just about anything these days and while I haven't messed with a server or played in any online games, I know that is an option. What I didn't know, until this morning around 5 AM (couldn't sleep thinking of all the crap I have to get done today). I learned that there is an Education Edition and that schools are using Minecraft to be a fun way of teaching "geographical issues like erosion, pollution, urban planning and more".

Of course, as these things tend to do, I got to thinking of how Minecraft could be used at the gaming table, and now I think I'd like to try this: build an adventure in Minecraft, well at least the map. I'm not all that familiar with creative mode, but it has to be easier than survival mode since you have access to everything. Let Minecraft create the general world map then start placing villages and building out your dungeons per your adventure map. Using a projector, give the players a 1st person 3d view of your dungeon. Since Minecraft is already blocky laying things out should be easy. As the GM you'd just have to be careful about where secret doors and traps are, but if you're running the player walking through the world, as a place-holder for the party, that should be easy enough. Allowing the players to connect through on laptops would be possible, but could also be problematic.

I think if you just used Minecraft and a projector to show the map and then switched to a traditional battlemat when combat ensued, you'd be good to go. It could be a LOT more fun if you ran a maze and let the party's mapper just keep track not by what you tell them, but what they have to pick up from the screen. Is this room 40' or 50'....wait, were those double doors back there?

I'm thinking there is a lot of potential here......thoughts?

Wanting to Combine My Gaming Circles (Again)

Like most of us, and I know this is an assumption, I'm not just a single type of "gamer". This week a couple of new console games came out, most notably Far Cry 6 and Back 4 Blood. Now I know there are a few "I don't give a damn" eyerolls at the very mention of computer/console games, but years ago my console and RPG gaming circles overlapped, and one of the big overlaps was Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2.

Now I've been hearing that Far Cry 6 is just more of the same, for good or bad and Back 4 Blood, which I purchased, is technically is an all new game. I say technically because the creative team behind the game worked together on the Left 4 Dead games and damn, does it feel like a difficult, updated version of those games. Since it is a different game/series, the zombies are not necessarily zombies, more like a zombie-like plague or some such called the "Ridden".....I think it's a parasite. The special Ridden have new names and I keep wanting to call them by the closest L4D equivalent.

Anyway I know this is a long intro, but basically I got this new game and really wanted to link back up with the old console gaming group and once again kick some zombie Ridden ass. 

So I did reach out to one guy I'm still a Facebook friend with to see if the rest of the guys still game.....I kind of dropped out when the Call of Duty games when "futuristic" and I refer current to past-era CoD games. I think I'm the only one who got the pre-order.

Now I'm not sure the game is worth the $100 or so for the "Ultimate" edition, but if you want to play an updated L4D......my gamertag is "Face275"

TL;DR I need "friends" to play Back 4 Blood with online.

Now I have a different console gaming/friends group for a different game......the Borderlands series. I'm a huge fan of all the games but one of my favorites was a DLC for Borderlands 2 called "Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep"

 Now if you haven't played this game or the DLC, the whole thing is essentially a game-within-a-game. Tiny Tina was a ancillary character in Borderlands 2 that is a little "explosives happy" and a lot deranged. In the DLC she is running a table-top game of "Bunkers and Badasses" that is an over-the-top homage to D&D. It's a great fusion of two disparate games, with plenty of puns and adult-ish humor tossed in.

My problem is that my circle of friends that play Borderlands are on the newest game and its DLCs, and you can really only play Assault on Dragon Keep so many times (odds are 3x per character).......

....unless you manage to pick up a copy of Bunkers & Badasses. Yep, the folks at Nerdvana Games is flexing the mashup the other way. I purchased a pre-order and while, like pretty much everything these days, production is running behind, allegedly the game has been produced and is on it's way to the fulfillment center for a mid-October arrival.

With any luck I will again get a couple of my gaming circle to align!

I've Discovered my Spiritual Successor to Baldur's Gate

Confession time: Like a lot of grown-ass men, I'm not a lot of fun when I'm not feeling well and Friday I got my 2nd Covid-19 shot. The side effects are there, I am cognizant of this, and I'll try not to be a whiny bitch this week.

That being said, I'm mildly annoyed with the community after my post a month ago about computer RPG games. Since this is largely an OSR community here at the Tavern I get it though.......this will make sense in a hot minute.

So I mentioned that I've bought Baldur's Gate a couple times now, most recently on Xbox One. I've played it for maybe an hour and I'll just say it: I think the Xbox port sucks major donkey dick. I think some of my veteran brothers know that "major donkey dick" is a quantifiable measurement. I was an idiot and bought this when it 1st came out and now at the price of $18 for BG1 & BG2......I'm not sure it's worthwhile at that price. Now maybe with a keyboard and mouse.....but with a controller? Nope.

Since I knew I was likely to be sick for a couple days I figured I'd hit up the Gamestop to see what I could find and I came across a copy of the "Definitive Edition" of Pathfinder Kingmaker. OK, so it isn't D&D, much less anything close to OSR, BUT it is a surprisingly good table-top RPG on a console. I'm really digging it and finding it so much more enjoyable than Baldur's Gate on the Xbox.

Now, of course the interface is not perfect. There are some occasional things, like group movement changing where I'm trying to figure out what button combo I accidentally pressed to change things. Overall though, it's freaking fantastic. I love, love, LOVE how you can basically create a bunch of hotkeys for each character. Want to use a spell, ability, or even have some equipment at your virtual fingertips....easy-peasy.

After five hours of gameplay....and by five I mean probably more like 25 since time freaking flies while gaming online.....I have lost count of the number of times I was thinking, "I wish these guys would use this engine on Baldur's Gate." Many times I forgot I was playing Pathfinder and the ruleset stuff wasn't as big of a deal. I don't know the Pathfinder rules and my experience in D&D 3.5 was limited, so the rules weren't really that big of a barrier for me.

Yes, I did have to spend much more time reading things to figure out ruleset stuff, but again this is where the interface shined. If I needed a bit of an info-dump it was usually a button click away.

Now I'm only in the beginning of the game with level 4 PCs. I know there is going to be some kingdom-building "stuff" in the game I may or may not like. I was thinking how much it'd suck if I didn't like this aspect of the game, but after looking at the in-game options I can have that stuff automated and concentrate on the adventuring aspects. Actually, there are a TON of options as far as gameplay goes, much more than just tweaking difficulty settings.

The biggest is that you can have real-time combat and traditional turn-based, so you can be more like a "regular" computer game and a "regular" Pathfinder table-top game. Feel free to let the AI run the other PCs and concentrate on your one (main) guy. I haven't tried the AI option yet and try to control everything on my own, which takes up more time. One HUGE improvement over Baldur's Gate is that you can toggle on and off PC auto following, and you can tweak your party formation really easy.

One think I HATED with BG was pausing the game so I could direct each PC to take a specific action and then when you un-pause they do that one thing and then go all Leroy Jenkins on your ass. Ugh. This means I'm always having to pause and un-pause to keep my guys from running off stupid (even when I've tweaked the AI). While I can pause the Pathfinder Kingmaker game, when I do it's usually by accident. Since I'm playing turn-based those PCs move when I tell them to (in combat) and they will keep in formation when out of combat. Unlink the PC movement and I can put each PC where I want and *gasp* THEY STAY THERE!

Clearly I'm enjoying this game and I wanted to share this with the other patrons because....well because this is a game I would have normally passed on by and I'm willing to bet the average OSR-focused Tavern patron would as well. Honestly the biggest reason I picked it up was the fact that Deep Silver worked on it and I've liked every Deep Silver game I've played. Just consider this post a PSA of sorts. 

More Playing with Myself: But with Computers (and Consoles!)

Like probably everyone reading this blog I enjoy playing games, specifically RPGs. Now most of us here probably think of slinging dice first when talking about RPGs, but the average non-gamer tends to equate "RPGs" to computer games.

Now I like computer RPGs as well, but it's such a different animal and frankly the blend of D&D and computer RPGs has been rather hit-or-miss for me.

I've only played a few "Official" D&D computer games and really.....I only remember two: Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Both games were pretty awesome, for different reasons.

Baldur's Gate was a fun game I've played about 1/2 way through several times. I still have the original CD-Roms, the expansions, and even the follow-on games. I recently tried to install the game and play again, but no matter what I did I just couldn't get the game to run. No clue why....it was beyond frustrating. No worries, I'll just try another methodology.......I'll grab the Xbox version.

Now that starts right up......but OMG does the gameplay suck. For such an expensive game the graphics suck and navigation is problematic. It just isn't fun to play.

I ended up grabbing it again on Steam. Now I can play on my laptop wherever I am.....much, much better.

The one Xbox D&D(ish) game that did work, and I did enjoy was Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. It is so not like playing D&D, but the graphics were good and so was the gameplay. I especially enjoyed the fact that I it was a two-player hack & slash. Unfortunately it isn't available for backwards compatibility.....so no go, well at least not yet.

I'm working on a couple of emulation projects and maybe I'll get to try this game again that way. While I'm at it I might be able to check out one of the bazillion(ish) other actual D&D computer games.

I did not know there were so many other titles to check out.

Now to this point I've been restricting my computer gaming to D&D-only titles, but there are a metric-butt-ton of other Fantasy RPGish games out there, far more than I am aware of. One of my favs has been Torchlight, but you can only replay that so many times before it gets old. Now South Park: Stick of Truth was a fun homage of sorts and I do have a couple Witcher games to check out.

Clearly I have hours of future entertainment already lined up, but I'm thinking there could be some real gems out there I am just not aware of....and other readers might not know about either. If you have a favorite computer RPG game, especially one that does a good D&D-style fantasy RPG...please share with the group!

The Tavern Chat Podcast - E 116 - Win a Month of Humble Bundle Monthly & CRPG Talk

Humble Bundle has been truly generous with me this month and we have yet another giveaway, this time for a month free of Humble Bundle Monthly.

Listen to this episode to learn how you could receive a month of Humble Bundle Monthly (9 games) - I talk about classic CRPGs.

Link to Episode #116 - https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E-116---Win-a-Month-of-Humble-Bundle-Monthly--CRPG-Talk-e261b6

www.humblebundle.com/monthly?partner=tenkar (affiliate link)

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (For Win / OSX / Linux)

I saw this mentioned over on EnWorld and after watching the video I had to share it here: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is coming to a computer near you via Steam.

From the Steam page:

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a tabletop adventure come to life! This fantasy solo RPG combines unique, simultaneous turn-based combat with a journey that changes based on each figurine you take into Firetop Mountain! Which hero will you take into Zagor's lair THIS time?  

The original 1982 Fighting Fantasy paperback by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson has been transformed into an epic domain, with new areas to explore, characters to meet, and of course, monsters to slay! Zagor's home builds right before your eyes as you travel deep into the belly of the mountain.  

Each character has their own motivations for being in Firetop Mountain, changing the way the gamebook is written and choices presented. Combat is fought using the digital miniatures in a simultaneous, real-time system called GridBluff, and the game includes over 100 unique hero and monster figurines to discover.  

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is currently in development. Follow here to keep up to date of upcoming news towards its release.

Minimum Reqs

OS: Windows 7 
Processor: 1.5 GHz
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Hardware Accelerated Graphics with 1GB memory
Storage: 3 GB available space

OS: Mac OS 10.10.5+ 
Processor: 1.5 GHz
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Hardware Accelerated Graphics with 1GB memory
Storage: 3 GB available space

OS: SteamOS + Linux
Processor: 1.5 GHz
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Hardware Accelerated Graphics with 1GB memory
Storage: 3 GB available space

RPG Computer Games are the Time Sink From Hell... but I Love Them ;)

Well, there goes 2 hours of potentially productive time down the drain ;)

For those that enjoy computer RPGs, Steam is running a sale and I've been making a few purchases.

The two games I picked up between last night and today can both be played on the Mac and can be played multiplayer (but aren't MMORPGs)

Last night I grabbed Sword Coast Legends. Sure, I've heard mixed reviewed (and the Mac version can be a little buggy to get started) but the bit's I played of it last night weren't bad at all. 10 bucks for the basic edition, 15 for the bells and whistles.

Today I grabbed Torchlight II. I played the shit outa Torchlight I and II is better than I. Well, maybe not, as it doesn't have the same specialness that the first version of the game had, but for 5 bucks? I will get way more than my 5 bucks worth. Way more. It's damn good.

Just over six weeks to go before I'm allowed to have regular time sinks ;)

Alright, onward to reading more of +James Spahn 's The Hero's Journey. Hopefully I can put up a good teaser post later this evening ;)