It's also been great to see new affordable entry-level equipment become available. I had a friend finally get an espresso machine a few months ago, and I was able to point him to the Fellow Opus, which is only $195 ( and was on sale for $150).
To your point on "When to invest?" - there are certainly things this grinder could do better, but he has yet to hit a real problem in his coffee making. So sure, an $800 grinder might have fewer fines or more micro-adjustments, but that's not really offering any value to him at the moment.
After the Helldivers 2 release Sony started talking about getting more aggressive with PC releases, so I think we're going to see a lot less console only releases.
All the gameplay I saw on release did not look quality. It simply did not seem fun to play, you can hit all the feature check boxes, but if your game is just a bunch of blinding particle effects it's going to get panned.
I also want to thank @Wizards_DnD and specifically the DnD team for giving us carte blanche. I’m really sorry to hear so many of you were let go. It’s a sad thing to realize that of the people who were in the original meeting room, there’s almost nobody left. I hope you all end up well
Penny Arcade also had a post yesterday about hearing from former WOTC team members who have been let go.
I've been pulling out my Aeropress more because my roaster keeps sending me tart, juicy roasts that do not work in milk drinks. I normally make espresso and a latte for my wife, but if I get something like this that I cannot make palatable for milk for the life of me, I'll just brew it with the Aeropress. Otherwise, I'm stuck trying to have two espresso grinds dialed in.
They were actually pretty small when they made Battletech. I know they pretty much pushed Unity to its limits at the time. Also, some of the design team that made Battletech so great left the company afterward.
It's pretty disappointing that Lamplighters' League doesn't give me the ability to blow parts off my enemies to build my own new troops so they can go out and blow up more enemies.
I was hoping this was going to end with a call to help so I could then recommend Bunny Drop. Because the internet has poisoned my brain, so why not share the damage?
I'm done giving developers a pass for not even putting in the minimum. Larian and Bethesda didn't even put horses in their games because they're so afraid of rendering the sack.
Everyone says Phantom Liberty will finally redeem Cyberpunk, so I can only assume CD Projekt has spent the past three years creating a perfect horse with the most dazzling balls we've ever seen. Can't wait for those RTX and DLSS 3.5 rendered oysters.
I swear deleting that account felt like shackles coming off. Any hint of BS now and I'm just cancelling subs and deleting accounts. I've ditched about six services I thought were essential before.
The golden age isometric RPGs (BG1 & 2, NN, Fallout, etc) were dubbed Computer RPGs, because the idea of translating a pen & paper roleplaying game to the computer was novel. But as the 2000's marched forward and 3D graphics became an expectation - and video game budgets ballooned - simulation and writing took a backseat to visual spectacle, action gameplay, and set-pieces. Niche CRPGs became too expensive to be worth the risk, leading to KOTOR, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, etc; which would have more mass appeal.
As Larian has been showing, the ability to pack all that story and character moments, and present it with a cinematic look and feel is becoming increasingly possible (with years of hard work). Larian and Obisidian have been whetting everyone's appetites for the CRPG format, and now BG3 seems to be reaping the rewards.
I believe 2008 Bioware had the chops for it, Post-Anthem Bioware gives me such doubt. I think EA has made it impossible for them to make a game like that again.
The timing on these comments reads to me like: "I sure am sad EA made us dilute Dragon Age into a third-person action game and chase trends, now that BG3 proved CRPGs can still sell".
Though TBF, the genre went on life support for a reason. It will be interesting to see if we get more CRPG mainstream hits going forward.
It's such a bizarre, but real issue. I've always been boggled by the idea that you can't offer your opinion on some games without first giving them a full work week. "I know you just sat there for the length of 5 movies and didn't like it, but it doesn't really get good until you sit through another 10."
If you give it 2 hours, a game should have made it worth your time.
There are lots of options for roleplayers who want to bring the Witcher to the table in the meantime, of various levels of complexity. There's On the Path for something fun and streamlined, or Vaesen and Ironsworn for a bit more meat. You could use Monster of the Week or Bump in the Dark if you're willing to move the setting into a more Witchery direction.
And if you'd rather stick with a system you're more familiar with, there are supplements like Into the Wyrd and Wild or The Perilous Wilds that allow you to put your players through dangerous evirons on the trail of unique monsters.
It's also been great to see new affordable entry-level equipment become available. I had a friend finally get an espresso machine a few months ago, and I was able to point him to the Fellow Opus, which is only $195 ( and was on sale for $150).
To your point on "When to invest?" - there are certainly things this grinder could do better, but he has yet to hit a real problem in his coffee making. So sure, an $800 grinder might have fewer fines or more micro-adjustments, but that's not really offering any value to him at the moment.