The Batlord

lol that's the point just do it

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Key

I'm sitting here in the dark because there's no power at my house and probably won't be for a while. I have data on my phone and I was lucky to have been able to charge my phone today. My dad also bought a generator so things aren't as bad. I also was wondering what I could do with my time and I figured a journal entry is a pretty good use of my time. Now, what to talk about. Well, coincidentally there's been a topic I've been wanting to discuss and it was already slightly discussed here. Speedrunning. Yes, it talking about this amazing phenomenon that has grown to extraordinary lengths. So yeah, let's talk about it.

My first exposure to speed running was actually by accident. I was looking for some interesting streams on Twitch and I saw that someone was streaming Super Mario 64. I always love watching this game so I figured why not. However this wasn't just a normal playthrough. This guy was timing himself and attempting to beat the game in less than like...2 hours. And yeah, he got it done. It was impressive to say the least. The maneuvers he had to master, the little things that make the game tick to and break to make the game even faster. It's just incredible to see the amount of detail that goes into doing something like this.

Then I started watching Games Done Quick on Youtube and that's pretty much what I'll watch if I'm looking for a speed run to just watch. They do a variety of games from Pokemon to Outlast. And yeah, the same amount of intricate detail goes into these runs as well. I imagine a bunch of time was put into perfecting every little movement but to see the end result pay off is just amazing.

Personally, I dont think I could do it. I dont have the patience or the attention span to put that much time into perfecting one game. I find the process and the results that come over to just be fantastic and mind blowing to watch. But I wouldn't be able to do it. I respect it for what it is and I respect those that can do it.

There is definitely a lot to be said about the impact speed running has had as well. Just watching past videos you can see that they continuously gather donations for charities. Every event they do is for charity. It's amazing that gaming has gotten to such a point that it can have as much of an impact that it is having literally today.

I also respect the amount of skill that must go into mastering the techniques necessary to succesd. I can't imagine the amount of practice and attention to detail that these people have to focus on constantly. Shows a lot of dedication and patience for sure.

So yeah, I'm a fan of speed running. I definitely think it's something worth checking out. You'd be amazed at what some of these people can do.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

i always found this one kinda cool

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/kotaku.c...1788534821/amp

dont have anywhere near the patience to speedrun but mad respect for those who do. especially with games like dark souls that make me wanna rip my hair out on normal playthrogh.

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Oriphiel

That one speedrun of Morrowind where the guy just jumps across the world, glitches into the final dungeon, and kills the main boss mid-monologue while juggling two weapons, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

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Key

Genres Genres Genres!

So here's the thing, I had a whole post dedicated to this but it unfortunately got deleted. Nobody's fault. Just an accident. But I still want to talk about this because I enjoy this aspect of video games. When it comes to deciding which games to buy, I do go by a variety of different expectations. What's the game gonna be like? Will it help the genre? Perhaps yes perhaps no.

Now, thats not to say I don't have my own favorite genres of video games. I do. And some of which I'm gonna talk about right now. And as it turns out, I still don't have power at home so why wouldn't I try to at least go into a little depth.

It's funny. Growing up, I wasn't always the biggest fan of open world and RPG style games. I understand the open world genre is so jam packed with negativity that people tend to think it's a normie genre. In some ways it is. A lot of the time, open world games tend to feel the same and uninspired. However, with games like Shadow of War, Assassin's Creed, even Spider Man fits the bill, it's hard to really agree with that outlook. Yeah a lot of games don't do it well but when an open world RPG style game is done well, it can be a ton of fun. Now lets just forget about Fallout 76 and it's existence.

Next up, roguelikes! I love em. I love the genre. I love the style of gameplay that can be changed around to make some originality come alive. Roguelikes are probably within the top 3 game genres that I love the most. It's right there with open world RPGs and of course the next one I'm gonna talk about. But when games like Dead Cells, Binding of Isaac, Crypt of the Necromancer all exist, it's hard to really throw shade at the genre. As a whole, it just gets better and better and more games spark more originality. Slay The Spire is another one and it's card based. It's also one of my favorite games of that year.

Within the top 3 genres that I love, there's one that may or may not surprise you. Simulation / Management style games. I'm talking games like Planet Coaster, SimCity, Oxygen Not Included. Games that make you really think and manage your moves to succeed as long as possible. The infinity possibilities of things that can go wrong is shockingly fun to run into. It's the feeling of constant progression and learning that makes these kinds of games really fun. And I'll admit, I enjoy both Euro Truck Simulator and Farming Simulator. They're relaxing. They're great. I love em.

But of course among those I do have to just slightly mention Strategy style games. I love them probably as close to as much as Simulation style games. A lot of the same mental processes go through both genres. Managing your teams, your cities to make a longer life possible. Games like Civ 5, Warcraft III, Frostpunk. Anything that makes you think about your next move is always a possibility for a great time. It is for me at least.

So yeah, those would be the genres I tend to look out for most but if a game doesn't fit that bill but it looks like my kind of game, yeah I'll buy it. What's the worst that can happen? I at least gave it a shot.

Key

Powers back but still no Internet so I am again too lazy to try and add pictures and stuff. But hey, I try.

There's a lot of back and forths that can take place when talking about something like remasters. Some people think it's a lazy man's way of releasing a new game and some find them to be really great. I fall on more of the side of if the remaster is done well, it can be a real treat. Games like Fable Anniversary and The Crash and Spyro remasters really showcase what a good overhaul can do to an older game. It even happened with Wind Waker with the HD version and it really made an incredible difference. There's plenty of other examples but those ones are noteworthy right now. But, there's several games that have yet to get a full on remaster and I think that's just wrong. I understand why with some tho as certain rights have expired etc. It's still fun to talk about how certain games would work if they did get a new overhaul. I'm here to talk about some that I have definitely talked about in the past.

Fallout 3 (Anniversary Edition or Remastered)

Whether it's an anniversary remaster or just a standard one, Fallout 3 is in dire need of a remaster. If only just to make the game functional on PC. Right now it's nearly impossible to play unless you know how to work with game files etc. Not only that, but it would be incredible to see how Fallout 3 is improved with modern technology. Unfortunately I kind of doubt Bethesda would do it justice. But hey, modded are getting really really good so perhaps a fan made one?

Jet Set Radio Future Remastered

This is possibly my most wanted remaster. I have time and time again praised this game for really raising the bar for what it means to make a roller skating style game. So good in fact that literally nobody else has tried. If this game got a proper remaster and sold on new consoles, it would do extremely well. There's still a pretty large following for this game but it's not talked about a lot. But most people that have played this game agree that it's a true classic.

Banjo Kazooie / Banjo Tooie

I mean, you can really take any of the great N64 games and remaster them and I'd be happy. But if the Banjo Kazooie games were given a proper overhaul, I'd be able to die somewhat less depressed. Experiencing these games for the first time back in the day was certainly a treat and I think a solid remaster of the both of them would still capture that essence that made the games so good. They can do it with Spyro and Crash, they can certainly do it with Banjo and Kazooie. Up to you Rare.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II

There's a solid argument to be made here. Yeah you wouldn't want to ruin the essence that makes this game great and some of it is due to its age. It has held up pretty well but cerain things about its age make the game sometimes pretty funny. Now, I also don't think itd be impossible to make a really good remaster of these two games. It would certainly make the fans happy to be able to play remastered versions of their favorite games. I just think these games are so well made that a good remaster would simply compliment it. Hell they could sell them together as a collectors edition of sorts. I'd buy that in a heartbeat. And I'd probably put many hours into both games as I have with the originals.

Other notable mentions would go to Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Black Ops 1, Yoshi's Story, and of course many others. I just can't think of them right now.

I do genuinely enjoy the concept of remasters because it's basically refining the already existing piece of art. It becomes a collaborative effort to make the game look as good as it possibly can. Some succeed some fail, but I'd say from experience, I've seen more succeed.

The Batlord

Remaster System Shock so the enemies don't look so goofy.

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Key

Still no Internet so we're having another discussion here. But hey, I've been enjoying these so why not keep it going? There will still be themed entries. I just want to be able to make them look cool and I can't right now. I wanna talk about something that I personally go through with video games, and that's playing many games and not having just one to focus on.

I like to keep things interesting and I don't want games to become stale. It's like that with anything, too much exposure and you get burned out. It's the same concept. I probably have on average at least 3 games that I play regularly. Whether it's an RPG, a roguelike, whatever. I like to allow a game to breath and take things slow as opposed to trying to beat it in a day. Don't get me wrong, I do have those games that I will just focus on for days on end. I've done it many times. But even while I do that, I still have at least another game to fall back on just in case I want to play something different.

The great thing about games is there's a **** ton to choose from. My Steam library is evident that I like to play a lot of different things. I tend to even enjoy games that are continuous or take forever to beat. It lets me enjoy the game even longer. Sometimes I'll even play through the game several more times, i.e. Divinity Original Sin 2 and most recently Spider Man.

Roguelikes especially are great for people like me because I can rank up 100+ hours in one and still have quite a ways to go. Multiplayer games are also great for this reason. Rocket League is a big one.

Gaming in general is just something I love doing, and to be able to play as many as I can, it's just a treat. So many different kinds to choose from, so many different ways to enjoy them. It really is truly a remarkable artform and it's going to continue to get better.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

for the past ~year the only constant games in my life has been league and slay the spire.

i take breaks here and there to play interesting new releases (spiderman, red dead, god of war, etc) or whatever games my friends are digging, but those two are the only ones i keep coming back to.

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Key

I'm so glad you're still play in Slay the Spire. Such a fantastic game.