Any gamers around here?

[Hydra009]

New horizons await.

[Hydra009]

++CONNECTING....
CONNECTION_ESTABLISHED 8.8.8.8 255.255.255.0
SEQ 42
DATABURST_TRANSMISSION_$Name&Rev.00alpha1 // audio=1 // video=1
destination port(s) 80, 443
<< 4D 45 43 48 41 4E 49 43 55 53 20 31 30 >>
01000101 01110110 01100101 01101110 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100100 01100101 01100001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110011 01100101 01110010 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01101101 01101110 01101001 01110011 01110011 01101001 01100001 01101000
FIN++

Very good mirroring of the mechanicus mantra from the first game!

[SoldierofFortune]

I am not really into gaming, and I find gaming pretty time consuming activity which you can't gain anything other than pleasure. But my mind has changed about it after I discovered that some games has behind them some really fascinating philosophy and science. And If I don't like some subcultures, then there is something I don't understand about them.

I have been studying neuroscience for some time and come to the conclusion that the fate of mind in the universe lies in the silicon chips rather than in meat and flesh.

[Unbeliever]

I play a game I got from the play store, called Physics Balls. It's a bit like pinball on super steroids!
You start with one ball, but that quickly becomes two, then three, and pretty soon you have a whole big pile of balls with which to play. My current high score is 161,000.
I like bouncy balls, so this is very satisfying.

[Hydra009]

I am not really into gaming, and I find gaming pretty time consuming activity which you can't gain anything other than pleasure. But my mind has changed about it after I discovered that some games has behind them some really fascinating philosophy and science.

This one has an insane mismash of religious dogmatism and magical thinking and techno-anthropomorphism combined with transhumanism and plasma cannons.  They're simultaneously the most dedicated and determined and resilient people ever and also the most closed-minded and backwards with deep and pervasive flaws in their thinking.

The Necrons are straight up omnicidal pharohs who formerly served what were essentially godlike yet physical beings who eat hope.

I have been studying neuroscience for some time and come to the conclusion that the fate of mind in the universe lies in the silicon chips rather than in meat and flesh.

++My Cognitators register delight that you have discovered this simple truth but dismay that you have you have discovered this by heretical methodology rather than a rigid application of holy dogma, as instructed by Martian Scholams.  An explorator fleet with a suitable war host is already assembling++

[SoldierofFortune]

This one has an insane mismash of religious dogmatism and magical thinking and techno-anthropomorphism combined with transhumanism and plasma cannons.  They're simultaneously the most dedicated and determined and resilient people ever and also the most closed-minded and backwards with deep and pervasive flaws in their thinking.

The Necrons are straight up omnicidal pharohs who formerly served what were essentially godlike yet physical beings who eat hope.
++My Cognitators register delight that you have discovered this simple truth but dismay that you have you have discovered this by heretical methodology rather than a rigid application of holy dogma, as instructed by Martian Scholams.  An explorator fleet with a suitable war host is already assembling++

I'm unfamiliar with the jargon of that particular game.

Are you happy in your escapism in such a world building gaming genre?

[Hydra009]

I'd push back on regarding fiction/interaction fiction (narrative-driven games) as merely a pleasurable diversion or form of escapism.  While it doesn't serve an obvious practical purpose, forms of play do allow people some sort of cathartic thrill, create opportunities for teamwork and social bonding, engage one's creative juices and strategic thinking, and allow one to explore otherwise very sensitive topics without any real personal risk.  And yes, they also do allow for a much-needed escape from the drudgery and existential horror of everyday life.

And to zoom out real quick, so much of the culture that makes up a civilization can be chalked up to mankind's storytelling capacity.  Myths, holidays, cultural heroes, urban legends, cryptids, even often proverbs - it's all made up.  It's all an exercise in imagination.  Fiction is the cornerstone of civilization.

[Hydra009]

And yes, I enjoy it immensely.

One of my favorite moments with those red-robed machine cultists is when their gigantic spaceship came under attack by unknown aliens.  The aliens managed to board the ship undetected and launched a surprise attack on the main reactor room, killing all but one of the techpriests tending to the reactors before the guards could respond and occupy them in pitched battle.

The remaining techpriest had to do the work of his five fallen comrades, lest the reactors become unstable and detonate, immediately killing everyone onboard and a large part of the solar system (osha is not a thing in this setting).  With his cybernetic body, he had to single-handedly compute enormous calculations and rapidly make adjustments, but the strain was too much for even his augmented body to withstand.  His flesh-and-machine brain cycled at dizzying rates, generating huge amounts of waste heat.  Despite his cooling systems whirling as fast as they possibly could, his blood started to boil.  His cooling systems formed a ring of hoarfrost around him, freezing him in place as he worked frenetically, oblivious to the pitched battle raging around him.  His remaining flesh-and-blood eye popped and hot blood poured down his robe only to freeze in place - only the robotic parts of his body were still alive at this point and his remaining cybernetic eye was still functional.

Finally, reinforcements were able to force the aliens to retreat and a new squad of techpriests tended to the reactors.  Miraculously, the reactors were all still intact, kept from even the slightest damage.  The lone techpriest was barely recognizable - a scorched/icy statue frozen in place, utterly unmoving.  The other techpriests briefly noted his condition and continued their work.  Servants came by and carted away the body to be incinerated along with other debris without ceremony or reflection.  But in the bowels of the ship, there was a new alcove and in that alcove, a statue in the likeness of that techpriest, surrounded by lit candles.  A new saint.

[Mr.Obvious]

I've fallen into my usual trap, with horizon forbidden west, so common in these open world games.

But to be fair: i lay part of the blame with this game.

Every quest you can do has a 'level'. And some of the available quests are below the main quests levels, or above them.

So naturally, i try to do all sidequests with lower levels before the main quest.
Add to that how i love collectathons and go for every small puzzel i can, when i can...
Result?
I estimate being about halfway through the main game and am already the highest level i could be.

I find myself loving this game. It is pretty darn good. The story catches me less than the first installment, but it is not bad. And the gameplay is great fun, though occasionaly frustrating on hard difficulty.
And the characters and animation has evolved immensely.

But they did label their quests in an odd way.
And i've learned they don't even really reflect the difficulty of the actual mission.
One od the lower level ones has you fighting a robot t-rex at the end whilst a higher level one just basically has you going to a few places and climbinh some walls.

[Unbeliever]

For several days now I've been trying to put together a 3D "crystal" jigsaw puzzle. It will eventually be a pirate ship, and has 101 pieces.
When I was almost halfway finished with it the damned thing fell completely apart, so that I had to start over from the very beginning!
Having already solved a good bit of it, the second time wasn't quite as hard as the first time, but I got a little further than before, and the bastard fell apart again!
I've tried to find my scotch tape in order to tape it together as I go, but I can't seem to locate it, so I'm going to have to get some more. I think that if I can tape it carefully together I might be able to keep it together so I can complete it.
Wish me luck! ☠️

[Mr.Obvious]

Good luck!