As someone who appreciates a serious, gritty story, I loved Yakuza 0 as soon as things really started getting interesting. It told a story that, even when displaying its darkest deeds, was enjoyable in a way that most other games haven’t, at least for me.
Hi all! This is just to say that there’s not going to be a new episode this week. We had some unfixable audio issues, unfortunately. However, we have good news! We’ll be at the opening of Balance Patch, the first social video game cafe in Boston. We’ll be there hanging out later in the afternoon, and we’d love it if we got to meet some of you guys!
An analysis of 2015’s best Video Game Music.
The Hello Games team has been teasing No Man’s Sky’s 1.3 update patch since earlier this week. And today, it was released! On No Man’s Sky’s birthday, no less. The patch boasts over vehicles, improvements to in-game systems, and over thirty hours of new story content.
One of the things that always bothered me about many D&D worlds was how rampant magic tends to run. Heroes tend to go from novice to master magician in only a few years time. Magic is extremely powerful. Where is the fear? Where is their check? Enter the Inquisitor.
Inquisitors are based on the real world equivalent by the same name. The men of the Church who would go around and destroy things they considered unholy whether they be text or people themselves.
Magic in many worlds are sort of viewed as an equivalent to science. So the Inquisitor coming to destroy arcane documents fits well thematically.
Inquisitors can play a interesting role in many worlds:
I hope this class really sells that idea and allows for a true check of the arcane. Leave critique here in the comments or @TLCStageHazard.
If you’re interested in other D&D 5E Homebrews, here’s one about a more Pious Bard.
High Ranking Inquisitor | Art by: Wes Schnieder
| Paladin Level: | Spells: |
| 3rd | Detect Magic, Identify |
| 5th | Silence, See Invisibility |
| 9th | Counterspell, Dispel Magic |
| 13th | Fire Shield, Locate Creature |
| 17th | Circle of Power, Dispel Evil and Good |
When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Martial Counterspell: When a target casts a spell within your melee attack range you can spend your Channel Divinity and reaction to immediately interrupt the their casting (wasting their spell slot and action) and take an attack of opportunity.
Focus Rupture: As an action, you can make a special attack with an attack bonus equal to your Intelligence or Charisma modifier(choose one). If the attack lands any spell the target was concentrating on is immediately ended.
Inquisitor reflecting on the night’s events. | Art by : Kim Junghun
Beginning at 7th level you and allies within 10 feet gain a bonus to saving throws vs spells equal to your Charisma or Intelligence modifier.(Choose one) This effect does stack with Aura of Protection.
Beginning at 15th level, whenever you use your Divine Sense feature you also gain the effects of the Detect Magic spell. This does not use up a spell slot.
At 20th level, as an action, you can emmit an aura of anti-magic. You gain the following effects for 1 minute.
We get some interesting questions and reminisce on mini golf.
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Last year, the Overwatch community was head-over-heels for new things to do in their favorite competitive shooter. The Summer Games, themed after the Olympics, brought new skins, emotes, voice lines, and even a new game mode to the game. This year, they return with more.
(Image from here)
The teams competing in the International Dota 2 Championships are fighting for that record-breaking $24 million prize pool distribution! The grand prize being over $10 million, second place receiving $3.8 million, and third place with $1.6 million. The cash reward difference between the first and second place makes my palms sweat and my legs shake. I have much respect for competitive gamers. Esports has come a long way and it will further mark its place in the years to come.
The International Dota 2 Championship is happening from August 7th to the 12th! (Watch it here or…. HERE if you consider yourself a noobie)
There is really no need to ever get mad at a game. Okay, correction, there is usually no need to get mad at a game. Frustrating things happen, you get titled, a certain player isn’t pulling their weight, you’ve been put in a lobby with a dreaded thrower… I’m looking at you Overwatch. You? Yes, you.
I really enjoy playing Overwatch, like a lot- not like it was one of the only games I owned on my PC or anything, but I really like it. It’s just cool to be a part of the team, and know that victory is only possible if everyone works together. Unfortunately, that’s the dream, and not always the reality.
In truth, Overwatch is at times an extremely toxic environment. It is ripe with anger, hostility, irrational thinking, and people who are so quick to pit the blame on their teammates. It’s not fun being on the receiving end of these comments or just being a bystander to it all. It sucks and it’s just not fun.
Most people play games to get away from it all, to just relax and wind down after a long day. Unless your career is Overwatch, then I guess you just play for a living. Truth be told though, the majority of people are not playing Overwatch for a career, most people are in the huge percentage of people who just play for fun, enjoying a bit of competitive play every once in a while, but then that’s the part most people seem to forget; the whole “fun” aspect.
There’s just no need to get so mad about something so small in the grand scheme of things. It’s not your job to play Overwatch, so why waste energy getting mad at something you have no control over.
I don’t have the best internet in the world (there’s a reason I don’t host the streams on the Lifecast), so I know I’m not alone when a ping spike can ruin your good time. It’s tilting, but I find too often that everyone else is madder at my inability to play than I am at my internet.
In the past, I’ve always ignored the onslaught of insults I have gotten from picking a certain hero, or from my inability to properly play because of my connection, or even just from not playing terribly great for any number of reasons. It doesn’t help me feel better that you’re yelling and honestly, I can’t imagine it helps you much either.
So, then that begs the question, why get mad in the first place? That’s a question easier asked than answered. I know I can’t just hardwire everyone’s brains to be nicer to each other, but I can ask people to just step back for a moment and really think if being mad is worth it. I mean honestly, your either mad at someone else, or yourself, neither of which is worth the time or the energy- especially since it would be negative energy.
It’s exhausting being mad. Like, truly tiring and draining and it’s just not fun and it’s not worth it. It makes you mad, it makes everyone else uncomfortable and mad, it’s a vicious cycle of anger and frustration and it needs to stop.
I’ve stated before that ignoring the toxicity can work, but it only works for so long. You need to step up, take a moment to breathe and ask if it’s worth it. Probably not, right? So, then what can you do to be a better team player, and less toxic person in the gaming community. Well, I’m glad you asked.
1.) If you’re not in a good mood don’t play.
It seems easy enough on paper, but having restraint and knowing your own limits is huge. I know that when I’m not feeling right I don’t want to make other people feel bad. So, next time you feel like crap maybe don’t pick up a team-based game. Might I suggest a nice single player immersion game?
2.) Get up and go for a walk.
You don’t have to go on a vision quest or run around the block a dozen times, but just get up from your computer and walk- to the fridge, to get a snack, to the grocery store, across town- pull yourself out of the gaming mindset even just for a few minutes and focus on something else. It’s amazing what going to make a nice little meal can do for your psyche. Who knows maybe you’ll go back to your game with a clear head and a full belly
3.) Try not to get tilted- and if you do, don’t let other people know.
Now this doesn’t mean you can’t offer constructive criticism, but you can do it in a more delicate way. A friendly suggestion is A-Okay, but screaming and swearing is not. Just don’t do it. It is fine to be mad or disappointed, but pitting the blame on others just lowers team morale and that’s no good for anyone.
4.) Stop blaming others and start blaming yourself.
Okay, let me rephrase that. Instead of constantly blaming your teammates and pointing out their flaws, maybe acknowledge that you’re not perfect either. We all make mistakes, even professionals mess up and that’s okay, but it’s not okay to get so absurdly angry.
And finally, …
5.) Stop playing.
You don’t have to stop entirely, but if it’s too much just stop. It’s not worth getting mad over and even worse, hurting yourself or others. If you are so mad about losing some rank in competitive, then just stop. Turn off the game, pick up something different, go out for a bit, or nap… personally I always recommend naps.
Getting mad is no good when playing games, so maybe next time you feel a little flustered of find yourself trying to bite your tongue… or if it’s too late and you’ve already succumbed to the evil that is toxicity, consider these strategies to chill out and cool off any hot-headed feelings.
And remember, it’s just a game. 🙂
The third Nintendo World Championship (held originally in 1990 and again in 2015) will be held October 7 in the Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom, New York, USA. Qualifying tournaments at select Best Buy stores across the country (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Dallas, Seattle, and Miami) will begin later this month (August 19). At the tournaments, attendees can also play demos for Mario Odyssey and Metroid: Samus Returns. Details and store addresses can be found on the official website.
This year, Nintendo has added a 12 and under division that hasn’t previously been present. The other age division is simply 13+. At the qualifying tournament, the website says that competitors will be playing Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS to compete for their spots in the competition.Whether or not there will be prizes of any kind has not yet been specified.
The Nintendo World Championship is perhaps most well-known from its legacy of the legendary golden Nintendo World Championship cartridges, which are often called not just the rarest NES game, but arguably the rarest video game of all time. For collectors, a golden 1990 Nintendo World Championship cartridge is a holy grail that commands 10s of thousands of dollars when they go on the market (which, as you can imagine, is almost never).
Finally coming out of early access last week with its 1.0 update is Slime Rancher. I sat down with it for a long while over the last week, and I really liked it! If you’re here for the more nitty-gritty, keep reading. But if you’re just here for a solid game rec, you’re all good.
The weakest point in any security system is people. Whether it be weak passwords, no passwords at all, falling for social engineering attacks, etc., passwords are the first line of defense from people getting access to your account.