Free Games and Stuff

Just making a post here. No reason.
So, it turns out that there's some pretty decent commercial games that have been released as freeware. The three I downloaded were pretty good games, though I don't think I'd have ever actually bought them. But free, they're definitely worth a download. I got them all from Gamershell.com

Full Spectrum Warrior
The Suffering
Area 51

So...yea.

Savage 2: A Tourtured Soul

Check it out. Savage 2 is a new way (well, its been out since '06, so not "new" anymore) to play online games. It combines RTS, FPS, and MMORPG factors in an interesting way to create a really fun experience- for free. S2 games announced it as freeware several years ago, and if you haven't checked it out, it's definitely worth a peek.

For most players, the game is played as an FPS/ Action RPG game. You choose a side (humans or beasts), and do your best to take out the enemy command center. Melee fighting is done in an over-the-shoulder view, and comprises of the main portion of the gameplay. You attack by clicking, block with middle mouse button, and charge/dodge with RMB. Pretty standard, except when blocking, you have a block bar that is knocked down with each hit, and can be broken with a strong attack. It's different, and takes some getting used to in order to get the most out of it, but you can circle strafe until you do.

Ranged weaponry plays like a pretty standard FPS, and is mainly used to snipe at enemies, and take down low-health ones. As the humans, you get medieval weapons (just as crossbows and longbows) as well as steampunk weaponry (such as "The Ravisher", a steam-powered chain gun). Beasts get magical attacks such as lightning.

Each team also has one player who is their commander. They see the game as an RTS, and with all the characters being the other players (with exception of a builder type NPC). The commander is in charge of building structures and gold mines, as well as giving orders to the players. I haven't had the chance to play as commander yet, but it seems like a challenging-but rewarding- job.

There are some issues in the game, though in my short time playing I haven't found many. But hey, for free, they can easily be overlooked.

There is also an option for a premium account, which is a $10 one-time payment, which gives you 2 extra inventory slots, access to player's lifetime stats, the ability to play as the special "Hellbourne" units an unlimited amount of times (free players can only spawn as them once per match), and the ability to watch a replay of every Savage 2 match ever played.

Oh, and if you run into MasterWaldo, you'll know it was me. Probably you'll have killed me- the game does have a bit of a learning curve. It's still a blast to play even if you aren't sure what you're doing though :)

MW

Can't Talk Now

Bought Sims 3. Must...eat...grilled...cheese...

Just kinda bored

I’m bored at the moment, waiting for Visual C++ 2008 to finish downloading, so I guess I’ll make a post.

Got my new laptop Wednesday. It’s beautiful. Truly it is. More powerful than either of my other 3 combined. I guess that’s not really saying much though- my other 3 are a 9 yr. old desktop, an 11 yr. old laptop, and a bargain bin PC my friend gave away for free. Nonetheless, a dual-core 2.66GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 256MB HD graphics card feels wonderful. Especially on the 17” widescreen Hi-Res screen, and with a 320GB HDD running at 7200 RPM as my main disk (planning on getting a portable at some point). I doubt anyone this is addressed to will read this, but thanks to all my friends and family that helped pay for it with the graduation money they gave me.

It really is an awesome laptop (Dell Studio 17). I tend to multitask a computer to death, but this should be able to handle me. For now. One day I want something with Intel’s Core i7 at its heart, but that will be a ways off.

While I didn’t get it with these specs in order to game, it is pretty excellent at gaming. I was actually able to play Company of Heroes on it at full settings w/o a hiccup. And it was jaw-dropping. That is a great game.

Been reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Its good, though I get the feeling I’d be getting more out of it had I actually read Jane Austen’s book. Oh well, it’s a good zombie book in its own rights.

On the subject of zombies- well, more connecting zombies to scary stories/movies- I watched Repo: The Genetic Opera a few days ago. For those who aren’t familiar with it, its a play turned film directed by the guy who directed several of the Saw films. It’s pretty good, though definitely do not let little kids watch it- lots of gore and sexuality, some swearing, and a bit of nudity.

So then. Yea. Like I said, I’m bored at the moment, but I do plan on continuing this and returning to updating semi-regularly.

MW

Happy Easter! Plus new post.

First off, Happy Easter. Its important to realize that today is more than the Easter bunny and candy, but is the day that Jesus rose and released us from our sins. We need to remember that as we celebrate the day and remember the real reason to be joyful: we are saved.


On another note: We got Halo Wars! Woot woot! Its pretty awesome, coming from a fan of Halo, RTS games, and Ensemble Studios. I can definitely see problems people could have with it: its campaign is too short, there is no Covenant campaign, the story, while really good, is a little predictable (pretty similar to the rest of the series in terms of what happens). And on lower difficulties (I played through on Normal) the enemy AI isn't that intelligent and a bit predictable.
However, the good outweighs the bad. The story is really good, the graphics are quite good (downright amazing on pre-rendered scenes, still really good in gameplay), the sound effects are straight up Halo, the soundtrack as well, the gameplay is pretty solid. I give it an 80/100.


So, have fun with whatever the Easter Bunny brings, and remember the true reason to celebrate.
God's Blessings

MW

P.S.- Oh, and Halo Wars has an AWESOME (underlined, glowing, and on fire as well) cut scene where a group of Spartans are fighting a bunch of elites. Think ninja spies in battle armor with guns. That are on fire. An epic, awesome fire. That rocks. And you'll have a fraction of the awesomeness. And the main character goes total bada$$ on the Arbiter. Old Arbiter, not the one from Halo 3. Its pretty sweet.
IMHO.

I <3 Companion Cube

Found some cool stuff for Portal, thought I'd share some of it.

From FanFiction.net, by encoder,

Once upon a level dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Once upon a level dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious puzzle of forgotten lore,
While I starved, nearly collapsing, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my level door.
'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, tapping at my level door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Coster 3
From Limerick DB:

There once was a buggy AI
Who decided her subject should die.
When the plot was uncovered,
The subjected discovered
That sadly the cake was a lie.

Real Life Portal Gun
This one has got to be the coolest thing of them all. Not only did he create a real looking portal gun, he built it at his girlfriend's request. That's right. He has a girlfriend who enjoys video games to the point where she cosplays, and wanted to dress up as Chel from Portal. Lucky dude.










Well, that's my geekiness for today. Or maybe not. Never can tell with me.

Y'know what, lets just run with the theme of the day.

Favorite Zombie movie: Shaun of the Dead- "A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living" (imdb.com) Hilarious movie, part parody of the genre, part actual horror film, part romantic comedy. Main characters are the same guys in Hot Fuzz, if you like that movie.

Favorite Zombie book: World War Z by Max Brooks- Same guy who wrote Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z is an oral history of the Zombie outbreak of the near future. It is written as a series of interviews starting with witnesses of some of the first cases of "African Rabies", up to the aftermath of the war for survival. Really, really great book.

Favorite Zombie game: Dead Rising. This is actually one of the only ones I've played. That's right, I have not played Resident Evil. I'm sorry. When RE5 gets cheap, I'll probably get it and likely enjoy it. But for now, its Dead Rising. Or the PBBG DeadAwaken (in my "Favorite Online Games", check it out). Looking forward to Dead Rising 2.

Zombie book I'm looking forward to reading : Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. Came out earlier this month. I haven't read P&P, but I really want to read this. And I definitely think that, if it's any good, plenty of other classics could do with zombies in them (Tale of Two Cities, Grapes of Wrath, and 1984, just from the ones I've read in Lit classes). Not that these classics aren't good books as they are, just that everything is better with zombies involved.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I think the zombie theme may be over for today, but you never know.

P.S.
Forgot Favorite Zombie Song. "Re:Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton, of course. How many zombie songs are there?