Laugh and Game IT'S FRIDAY

[JudgeDredd]

@geek -- good luck with the hunt -- that's a stressful situation, no doubt.

Well, I'm doing something I never thought I'd do again, which is, give WitE another go. I've tried (only partially successfully) to ignore the WitW roll-out, but it got me to thinking about WitE again. Plus, with Jison's superb new map and modded UI, I'm able to (just barely) get past my longtime revulsion at the game's hideous, sterile interface.

To anyone who cares, I highly recommend these tweaks to the in-game fonts:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3507982

Gives the text some nice character and, more importantly, added legibility.  This, plus Jison's map, greatly enhance WitE's visual appeal -- which it desperately needs.

Thanks for the heads up on the mod. I'm pretty sure it's not the visuals that stop me playing it but I always fire it up now and again. The smaller scenarios are fairly enjoyable...I just don't understand some things about the game and the reports are almost totally non-informative to me.

But it's installed and I do hit the icon occasionally.

[sandman2575]

I've never really gotten past the 'beginner' scenarios like Road to Minsk or Road to Leningrad, but they are fun, I agree.

To me, probably the biggest failing of WitE is the absurd way it presents combat results. In many respects, this should be the *heart* of the game. It's a game about battles. The game should engage the player emotionally and intellectually in those battles - what forces and factors were at play? How did the battle evolve?  Where did it turn decisively?

Battle-results in WitE have all the drama of a credit card receipt. No visual flare or interest, just 'data' presented in a needlessly cramped and uninformative way. "Here's the number of dead and destroyed. Some divisions were involved, and for some reason, maybe a couple of Corps-level assets, and some airplanes. Many factors were involved, but there's no space to give the details in any clear way. Have a nice day."

I find it ludicrous that 2by3 thinks this is a satisfying way to present the results. They really need to take a page out of AGEOD's recent playbook. Combat results in AGEOD games used to be pretty hard to decipher, but they've made definite improvements in Civil War II and To End All Wars.

You play WitE and you start zipping through the battle results. The game makes it so hard to get a clear picture of the results, you stop caring about everything but the bottom line. It should not be this way. Battles should not be annoyances to click past so you can get back to the super-important task of moving your units.

[undercovergeek]

I also thought MD was a.doctor. Still not clear if ucg's situation was just for yesterday or if it was in fact, for good. With the scanning of job websites comment it sounds like the latter. So sorry to hear that, ucg.

thanks guys

i shall be summoned after an 'internal investigation' which i think means speaking to the company solicitor and deciding if it was gross misconduct, i imagine thats early next week, at which point if its bad news i drive to work, hand in the car, and try and catch a train home - theres a shit load of christmas jobs thatll get me thru to january/feb then i dunno - its hardcore stress but i feel somehow its a good thing, ive been in charge of 100s of staff in the middle of african countries, in charge of exhibitions with 50k visitors, it would be nice to try and find 2 stress free jobs, and run them together and take home the same money with nothing to worry about but whats for tea

either way its the kick in the ass i needed to get a new job, im getting too old flying around the frikking world installing networks

[Gusington]

That's the spirit ucg...I should take a page from your book and go punch my boss in the face right now, see what happens. How old are you, btw?

[undercovergeek]

42 - i reckon im still marketable - theres a sweet looking job at the local airport so while Elite 3.9 pokes me, i have shunned it for CV constructing and ill see how that goes

there may be beer tonight too, once junior is tucked in

[Gusington]

That is very responsible of you.

Someone hijack ucg's account?

[undercovergeek]

lmao - its been a responsible kind of day, im sat here with the pic of junior i had on my work desk in the office and its coming upto Christmas - fk you fat MD!!!

lol - enough now, talk about games and having a good weekend

[-budd-]

Sorry to hear about your work stress, i'm sure it will work out for the best. When you said MD i also thought you were referring to doctors, i work with a lot of doctors and more than a few times i have wanted to bitch slap a MO FO, i keep a really sweet letter my daughter wrote me that i found on my work bag one morning on my desk to keep my work stress in its proper place.

As far as gaming is concerned i'll be all over flashpoint and mix in some FSP for a break, i like it more than i thought i would. It's needs some work but i am having fun with it.

[MengJiao]

I would've highly recommended staying with it. The story is superb I thought.

But I like a good story in my games

  I always get caught up in mods and editors and almost never with stories and campaigns.  I'd forgotten what fun the Far Cries were.  I've learned to drop from hang gliders onto the top level of the radio platforms (the trick is not to hit the zip lines) -- but the most recent radio tower was a matter of some leaps.  Very satisfying.  And the mercenaries on the South Island are a nasty crowd.  Shooting them is so satisfying.  Especially when one of them says "I want a sitrep" and then you blow up everything in sight.  The vehicle crashes and explosions really hit the spot too.

  I may try the Paradise mod or something before moving on to Far Cry 4 eventually.

[Sir Slash]

Sorry to hear about your job-troubles Geek. Try this one, "I wasn't shouting. I thought he was hearing-impared." Might work. In 35 years of employment, every time I started a new job I thought, "what the hell am I doing? Am I crazy?" Only to think a month later, "Why the hell didn't I switch jobs 6 months ago?" Things have a way of working themselves out if we give them time to. The really bad thing about being retired is if the boss is an asshole, it's you man.  Anyway I've gotten re-hooked on the Germans in Rome 2 and so will be spreading the culture via club this weekend.

[Martok]

Man, I have no idea what I'm going to play this weekend.  I'm overwhelmed by choices! 

Birth of the Federation and Medieval Total War/Viking Invasion continue to beckon; however, so does Distant Worlds: Universe, Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, Pandora, and Age of Wonders 3.  Having received new updates, I also wanna take another crack at Horizon and Commander: The Great War.  Finally, I'm really curious to check out Mount & Blade (especially since GOG was kind enough to give it away for free and all)...  Gah!! 

I also thought MD was a.doctor. Still not clear if ucg's situation was just for yesterday or if it was in fact, for good. With the scanning of job websites comment it sounds like the latter. So sorry to hear that, ucg.

thanks guys

i shall be summoned after an 'internal investigation' which i think means speaking to the company solicitor and deciding if it was gross misconduct, i imagine thats early next week, at which point if its bad news i drive to work, hand in the car, and try and catch a train home - theres a shit load of christmas jobs thatll get me thru to january/feb then i dunno - its hardcore stress but i feel somehow its a good thing, ive been in charge of 100s of staff in the middle of african countries, in charge of exhibitions with 50k visitors, it would be nice to try and find 2 stress free jobs, and run them together and take home the same money with nothing to worry about but whats for tea

either way its the kick in the ass i needed to get a new job, im getting too old flying around the frikking world installing networks

Hope all turns out well for you on the job front, geek.  Keeping my phalanges crossed for you. 

[-budd-]

Everybody knows flashpoint campaigns is 40% for the steam launch....right.

[RedArgo]

One of my boys is grounded from the computer, so we may play some Sails of Glory together.  I've also been playing Banished since it was on sale a couple weeks ago, fun game, but it is weird not having an end goal that I'm aware of.  I also may pick up Horizon while it is on sale.

Happy gaming.

[-budd-]

One of my boys is grounded from the computer, so we may play some Sails of Glory together.  I've also been playing Banished since it was on sale a couple weeks ago, fun game, but it is weird not having an end goal that I'm aware of.  I also may pick up Horizon while it is on sale.

Happy gaming.

Banished is kinda relaxing though ain't it. What's your pop up to, i've put it down for now i'm up to 60 pop.

[undercovergeek]

saw this tonight, not for the first time but realised our foreign brothers may have not - too much beer, cried like a baby