Any gamers around here?

[Blackleaf]

I'm thinking I'll join the RP server. I'm still a little peeved that The Elder Scrolls Online never added the option to join instances with other RPers. Always had to deal with people harassing us.

But anyway, I'm already brainstorming character names. Hopefully, they're not all taken. Donut steel.

Nightburn - With a mix of purple fire and purple lightning attacks.

Battle Beetle - A tech-based character, with battle armor resembling a beetle, if possible.

Blacklight - A sneaky, stabby type.

Tomba La Bomba - A nuclear themed character, maybe with ice as well.

Bullet Biter - Speedy type or defensive tank.

Amoeba Boy - Science type. If there's a duplication power, all the better.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Great Caesar's Ghost" (Crosses any Rubicon!)
"Apocalypse Meow" (guess)
"Something Wickeder." (Bradburys enemies)
"Scratch N. Whiff." (Full combat arm pits.)
"Bottle Axe" (Best fighter when drunk)

[Hydra009]

I'm thinking I'll join the RP server. I'm still a little peeved that The Elder Scrolls Online never added the option to join instances with other RPers. Always had to deal with people harassing us.

But anyway, I'm already brainstorming character names. Hopefully, they're not all taken.

It's only unofficially an RP server, so a sizeable percentage roleplay but not everyone and not all the time.  In the big raids, people generally chit chat or talk about raid objectives.  The smaller teams are a lot more likely to roleplay.

A lot of the obvious superhero names are already taken, like Frostfire or Ajax or Captain Steel.  But less obvious names like Silverwing Lancer or Molten Carnage or Agent Kiera Moon are still available.

I suggest making a name you like first and then picking their powers second rather than the other way around.  My reasoning is that people will pick fire powers and ice powers and then call themselves something generic like Frostfire, whereas if you pick a name you like first, it's easier to build around that and ultimately, you're more likely to empathize with the character.

[Nobody]

"Bottle Axe" (Best fighter when drunk)

Like Jackie Chan, in Drunken Master? 🤣

[Blackleaf]

It's only unofficially an RP server, so a sizeable percentage roleplay but not everyone and not all the time.  In the big raids, people generally chit chat or talk about raid objectives.  The smaller teams are a lot more likely to roleplay.

A lot of the obvious superhero names are already taken, like Frostfire or Ajax or Captain Steel.  But less obvious names like Silverwing Lancer or Molten Carnage or Agent Kiera Moon are still available.

I suggest making a name you like first and then picking their powers second rather than the other way around.  My reasoning is that people will pick fire powers and ice powers and then call themselves something generic like Frostfire, whereas if you pick a name you like first, it's easier to build around that and ultimately, you're more likely to empathize with the character.

Good to know. I should try to find an RP group. Or maybe I'll bump into one organically. I meant to play this morning, but ran out of time. I'm anticipating character customization taking me at least an hour, so I'm not doing that when I have a work shift coming up. lol

[Hydra009]

Good to know. I should try to find an RP group. Or maybe I'll bump into one organically.

You almost certainly will.  Plus, guilds (supergroups) advertise often.  There's no downside to being in a guild anymore - they used to charge a small tax to fund the base, but bases are free now so no guild taxes anymore.  In fact, guilds run a network of portals, which really help newbies get around.  Non-guildies can use them as well if the guild allows it.  Fast travel to almost any zone for free, no cooldown.  Very convenient.

I'm anticipating character customization taking me at least an hour, so I'm not doing that when I have a work shift coming up. lol

I've done that.  Mercifully, you can save your progress.

The name alone takes an hour.  Then there's the outfit.  And there's also an underrated customization option - customizing the combat animations, mostly just the colors.  You're going to see them a LOT, so it's a good idea to tint them to your liking.

[Hydra009]

Dawn of War 4 looks interesting.  Graphics and gameplay seem phenomenal, with an emphasis on synced animations (not just killsyncs).  To briefly explain what I'm talking about: in RTS games, when units die, they normally just disappear from the screen or maybe there's some brief death animation.  In Dawn of War, when a unit kills another unit, they both do a brief animation together - hence the sync part.  In this latest game, when a unit engages another, they'll now animate a nice little martial dance together.  Afaik, it doesn't affect the outcome of the battle, it's just an entertaining thing to watch.  And since the whole point of games is entertainment, that's a good feature.

I'm also happy to report that base-building is back, albeit somewhat more limited than Dawn of War 1.

At launch, this game will have Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus.  Oooh man, those are some solid picks! I'm a little miffed about the lack of Chaos, though.  Normally, they get top billing.  I hope that later expansions add Chaos, Eldar, Imperial Guard, Tyranids, and Tau.

This game will also have a Last Stand mode, which I liked/hated in Dawn of War 2.  In that one, the matchmaking was slow and tedious and even when you managed to get a team together, it was such an onslaught that it was difficult to do much actual strategy.  The devs say that this'll be more MOBA-like, which I appreciate.

If all goes well, this could be a fantastic new RTS and breathe new life into Dawn of War, which noticeably sagged with Dawn of War 3.

[Hydra009]

By brother showed me a new tactical strategy game:

Article

The twist is that you can capture enemy units, who then join your squad - not sure if it's just for that mission or also for upcoming missions.

I'm not crazy about the map control feature, though.  *has Company of Heroes flashbacks filled with explosions, yelling, and the AI bulldozing whatever defenders I have ever single time*

[Hydra009]

Windows 11 data harvesting operation causes framerate drops for gamers

Windows 11's Gaming Copilot may be actively monitoring and capturing gameplay and sending this back to Microsoft for 'model training' (of the AI) by default. The poster shares a screenshot of the 'model training on text' option being enabled by default, raising concerns over privacy therein.

Microsoft's FAQ for Gaming Copilot clearly states that 'screenshots are not stored or used for model training' and that grabs are only taken when you're actually using Copilot in Windows 11's Game Bar.

This would be the first and only time Microsoft has ever used an opt-in model, so color me skeptical.  And other outlets have reported privacy violations, so I'm more inclined to favor them over Microsoft.

One thing we do know for a fact is that the "Gaming Copilot" feature causes pretty significant framerate loss, 5-10ish fps from the looks of things, though of course it needs a little bit more rigorous testing and reporting than just one guy eyeballing it on a single game.  Could you imagine car races with the announcer saying that the lead car hits speeds of 150-200mph, but it occasionally hits more or less than that?  Some math nerd out there needs to figure out some way to take speed snapshots and mash them all together to get some sort of average or something, that way it'd be easier to compare!

[drunkenshoe]

OK. I've done it. I've bought the Anno 117 Pax Romana, because I love Anno series very much, and my worried that it would get expensive in the final date. And thanks to my coins accumulated, I got hundreds of discount. :D

13 of November.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Part of the above post was in English?