[Episode 29] When Did The Fun Go Away?

[Voodoo]

http://image.colonyofgamers.com/imcast.png

On this edition of the Immortal Machines Podcast, your "no thanks I don’t want to play that PC game anymore" cast of Robert [Trebor], Eric [Ravenlock], Jeremy [Lord Don], Clayton [Voodoo], and back by special engagement, J Arcane talk about why some PC games just lost that loving feeling. For some it's just too much of a good thing, for others it's just not having the patience to deal with overly consuming adventures and puzzles. And for some it's just a simple matter of not having the time to really play the damn game, like you did before getting a job, a wife, and a family to look after.

There is the usual line up of "What have we been playing" which we chat about what we have been spending our free time with and what we can afford to play. In the "Retro" segment the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RollerCoaster_Tycoon) is discussed and why managing a theme park can be such naughty fun. In the world of "Indie" games Din's Curse (http://www.soldak.com/Dins-Curse/Overview.html) is the action RPG that comes with high marks. And in the "Mod" segment the Star Trek conversion for Sins of a Solar Empire, Sacrifice of Angels 2 (http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-trek-sacrifice-of-angels-2) , will get your 1701 on!

So get out that PC game you just can’t stand to play anymore, sit it next to your monitor facing you, download and play, When Did The Fun Go Away (http://www.immortalmachines.com/public/podcast/When_Did_The_Fun_Go_Away.mp3)?

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[Ravenlock]

Liiiiiinks! Well, just the two links this time, most of them are in the initial writeup.

If, however, you want to read about Runic's favorite Torchlight mods, including the Leviathan one I talked about in the episode, go over here (http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/11/torchlight-devs-share-their-favorite-mods.aspx).

The demo for Din's Curse is also now out - the day after we recorded, of course - and you should download that (http://www.soldak.com/Company/Demos.html).

[nabokovfan87]

Lol, I think the post is broken, it says not written by anyone and no replies/views and doesn't show up in the newest post section.

ANYWAYS, enjoyed hearing about RCT, but have to say you all are assholes. Lol, my enjoyment was building waterslides, coasters, and other badass rides I could only think of. With regards to the discussion of which genres are getting boring, I can't believe anyone didn't mention strategy games. granted I am extremely new to this genre (along with rpgs), but don't all of these games play with the exact same mechanics.... Supreme Commander, Company of Heroes, Civ, Hearts of Iron, Total War, World in Conflict, LOTR: Rise of middle earth, etc. The mechanic I am talking about is how you start with unit A and work your was to unit z by researching, upgrading, or just getting some sort of funds, mana, or research points. Even when you look at RTS vs. Turn-Based, you still have to make 10 unit As rush to town 1 and take out opponents A, B, and C. This is really boiling things down, but I hope my point comes across.

I played the LOTR games as my first strategy game, went to something like world in conflict, played through the tutorial and just cannot stand another minute. Matches taking hours and all you do is farm units and just spawn and run to point x on the map to attack the enemy who is doing the same thing.

[Ravenlock]

I didn't mention strategy games because with very few exceptions I never had that much love for them to lose. This won't endear me to my co-host and fellow podcasters, but with few exceptions the Sins and Warhammers of the gaming world just never caught my attention. I love me some Civ IV, and once upon a time enjoyed Age of Empires and AoE II to make it through the single-player campaign, but multi-player is so frequently the focus of strategy games, and I have no interest in diving into that pool.

I enjoyed Warhammer: Dawn of War II for changing the RTS formula up a bit and sprinkling in some RPG, but honestly, that's the last real time strategy game I gave more than a few hours to. I own a copy of Company of Heroes I haven't even installed. Never played more than the demo.

So I'm not burned out on them because I was never really deep enough in them to get to that point. Others on the show may have a different response, though.

[nabokovfan87]

So I'm not burned out on them because I was never really deep enough in them to get to that point. Others on the show may have a different response, though.

It's amazing how you can be entirely bored by something you are very new to, I share the same sentiment with the exception of seeing one (like starcraft 2) and thinking how cool it looks, and when you play it the gameplay is so outdated that I cannot stand it.

[Doogie2K]

The Western game with the bullet-time quick-draw was Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood.

Also, I think I need to try out Sacrifice of Angels II when it's a little more fully baked. Sounds like a blast already. (Also, I loved that episode of DS9.)

[Ravenlock]

I thought it was Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood when he said it too, Doogie, but that game is really recent, and it sounded like he was talking about something older. Did the original CoJ have the bullet-time thing as well? I never played it.

Gun had a similar mechanic, but was 3rd person. Great game, though too short.

[Doogie2K]

No idea. I only know about it in this one from the Giant Bomb video, but I think Brad said when he was doing it that it was a new mechanic, at least for that series.

[CappinCanuck]

Well, I'm downloading Din's Curse. Not too impressed from the screen shots, considering the $20 price tag, but I'll give it a go. The gameplay better be amazing though.

I just picked up Valkyria Chronicles for $20, Mass Effect 2 and BFBC2 can be had for $30 as well. Don't know how well this will do at such a price but perhaps he has a large following. Depths of Peril sounded fantastic though, so Din's Curse gets some of my attention.

[Ravenlock]

Well both Depths of Peril and Din's Curse now have demos, so it's not like you have to lay out any dollars if you don't like them, you know. ;) They're doing something different, and I think they're doing it pretty well, so I didn't have any problem rewarding them for that, but I try not to lead people into purchasing decisions on anything short of sure bets, and certainly those are both "try the demo first" games.

[MagGnome]

Depths of Peril is a lot of fun, and pretty unique.

Do you guys miss me yet? :p

[Ravenlock]

Every day, Gnome.

Every day.

[MagGnome]

I miss you guys too. I should be on the next episode, and hopefully return as a series regular!

[nabokovfan87]

Still trying to find out where to post my article/thing I wrote. Hopefully you all can have a brief chat about it and give your thoughts (maybe one 5 minute chat per month?). Lol, no worries, I just can't wait to hear people tell me I'm crazy again....

[kyrieee]

Rollercoaster Tycoon was such a great game!
I played it under software emulated Win95 on an iMac at like 10 FPS and I still loved it! :)

I don't know what about it makes it so fun but making the rollercoasters (and watching them go) was certainly a big part of it. In one of the expansions I know I managed to make one with an excitement rating of over 11 while still not having an insane intensity rating so I could charge something totally ridiculous for the tickets.

Just thinking about it makes me want to go back and play it! It's a strangely forgotten game

[Psykoboy2]

God how I loved me some RCT back in the day. LOVED it.