text:
'Mugabenomics' From Zimbabwe To The UK - "Gold Is Good"
'Mugabenomics' From Zimbabwe To The UK - "Gold Is Good"
Today's AM fix was USD 1,777.25, EUR 1,374.73, and GBP 1,102.38 per ounce.
Yesterday's AM fix was USD 1,778.50, EUR 1,377.19 and GBP 1,100.56 per ounce.
Silver is trading at $34.83/oz, €27.08/oz and £21.71/oz. Platinum is trading at $1,688.00/oz, palladium at $651.30/oz and rhodium at $1,150/oz.
Determined selling saw gold inch down $1.80 or 0.10% in New York yesterday which saw gold close at $1,775.10. Silver climbed to $35.04 then it pulled back on sharp selling and finished with a loss of 0.37%.
Currency Ranked Returns – GBP in Fiat and Precious Metals In Last 5 Years
Gold continues to hover near its 11 month high in dollar terms and near new records and the €1,400 level in euro terms.
The lack of confidence over Spain's finances has kept investors alert as they await a US jobless report on Friday to ascertain just how poorly the US economy is. Recent data suggests that the US economy is in a recession and may be on the verge of a Depression.
Recent disappointing economic data from Australia and China increased speculation of more 'quantitative easing' from central banks after Australia's surprise rate cut yesterday. The Aussie dollar has fallen by nearly 3% already this week after the rate cut.
Although Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy denied a Reuters report of an imminent request for a bailout, Spain has taken centre stage in the eurozone debt crisis while Greece, Portugal, Italy and France wait in the wings.
Bill Gross has compared the US government's reliance on debt financing to a "crystal meth" addict, in the latest in a series of dire warnings from one of the most influential investors in the bond market.
"The US, in fact, is a serial offender, an addict whose habit extends beyond weed or cocaine and who frequently pleasures itself with budgetary crystal meth", said Gross, who manages the $273bn Total Return bond fund for PIMCO.
Gross places the US in a "ring of fire" that includes countries with precarious finances such as Greece, Spain and Japan. He said that failing to address the problem would ultimately lead to government printing of money and inflation. "Bonds would be burned to a crisp and stocks would certainly be singed; only gold and real assets would thrive within the "Ring of Fire"."
Industrial unrest in South Africa has deepened and is spreading from the mining sector to other sectors of the economy. Gold Fields, South Africa's second-biggest producer of the metal, said striking workers threw fire bombs at cars today (see News).
The South African truckers strike has halted the delivery of goods across the country, as more than 20,000 truckers dig in on their demands for higher wages.
ATMs ran out of cash, fuel stations were running dry and hospitals saw vital coal supplies diminish as the nation felt the pinch from the strike that entered its second week. Petrol stations have begun to dry up in several areas in Gauteng province, the country's economic centre.
The strike in the gold mining sector continues to put a halt to 39% of the nation's sizeable gold output. This is supporting gold.
XAU/GBP Daily 2 Years – (Bloomberg)
The well followed and influential UK blog 'Guido Fawkes' has an interesting blog today again warning of the significant risk that rampant money creation will lead to rampant inflation
It also points out the hypocrisy of the current UK Conservative / Liberal Democrat government.
In a post entitled 'Mugabenomics: Inflation in UK Higher than in Zimbabwe', (see commentary) Guido Fawkes points out how the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable once warned that Quantitative Easing (QE) was "Mugabenomics."
This was prior to coming to power and a swift u-turn which would make even the most slippery politician proud.
Remember when Vince Cable warned that Quantitative Easing (QE) was "Mugabenomics"? Vince flip-flopped on that even before he joined the coalition.
Guido Fawkes then reminds its readers about the time when George Osborne said "Printing money is the last resort of desperate governments when all other policies have failed."
Alas as the blog rightly warns, "In government Osborne has overseen the printing of more money than any other Chancellor in British history. A quarter of the national debt – all this government's overspending – has been bought by the Bank of England via QE."
"So it is not a shock that inflation in Zimbabwe (3.63%) is now lower than inflation in the UK (3.66%, August 2011-July 2012)."
Those who have been warning about this monetary madness for some years are gradually being proved right.
Bank of England and UK government policies have already seen the British pound fall sharply in the last 5 years. The pound has fallen sharply versus stronger fiat currencies such as the Japanese yen and Swiss franc and by much more against gold and silver.
The pound has fallen by 208% against gold and by 229% against silver in the last five years (see table above)and the continuation of similar monetary policies will likely see similar falls in the coming five years.
Like the world's largest bond fund manager, Bill Gross, Guido Fawkes correctly and pithily comes to the conclusion that "gold is good."
(Bloomberg) -- Gold Fields Workers at KDC Throw Fire Bombs as Strikes Persist
Gold Fields Ltd., South Africa's second-biggest producer of the metal, said striking workers at the KDC West mine threw fire bombs at cars after about 1,000 assembled at the site. There were no "hospitalized injuries."
The workers gathered late yesterday after being instructed to vacate hostels that had become "lawless and violent," Sven Lunsche, a spokesman for Johannesburg-based Gold Fields, said today by mobile phone. The company applied for a court order to evict them after they failed to leave their accommodation.
Unofficial strikes have spread across South Africa's mining industry since a six-week stoppage at Lonmin Plc resulted in pay increases of as much as 22 percent. Walkouts have also suspended sites owned by AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., South Africa's largest gold miner, and Anglo American Platinum Ltd., where its Union operation is the latest to be disrupted, it said late yesterday.
Gold Fields workers have been on strike at KDC West since Sept. 9, cutting output by about 1,400 ounces a day, and have also downed tools at the Beatrix site. A judicial inquiry into the deaths of 44 people at Lonmin's Marikana mine started this week.
(Bloomberg) – South Africa Platinum Mines May Cut 8,000 Jobs
Platinum companies in South Africa, which produces three-quarters of global supply, may cut more than 8,000 jobs as striking workers demand wage gains from cash- strapped employers, SBG Securities Ltd. said.
Worker pay increases will inflate costs, weighing on "already unsustainable industry margins," analysts Justin Froneman and Walter de Wet said today in a note. Annual earnings may fall by about 65 percent, while employment may drop to about 176,650 next year from 184,890 last year, they said.
Strikes have spread through South Africa's mining industry since workers at Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. downed tools at the start of the year. Impala has since raised pay twice, while a stoppage and violent protests at Lonmin Plc resulted in wage increases of as much as 22 percent. Strikes have also disrupted Anglo American Platinum Ltd., the largest producer of the metal.
Higher wages mean about two-thirds of the platinum industry could be cash-negative next year when taking into account planned capital spending, Deutsche Bank AG said today in a note. While strikes drove up platinum prices by 21 percent in the past two months, the demand outlook has weakened, the bank said.
A stoppage that began at Anglo American Platinum's Rustenburg mines in North West Province has spread to the company's Union mine in Limpopo Province, it said today in a statement. Workers refused to go underground and handed a memorandum to management, it said, without disclosing workers' demands.
Platinum Shortfall
There may be a 355,000-ounce platinum deficit this year following South Africa's "labor spring," greater than the 112,000-ounce shortfall estimated previously, the SBG analysts said. South Africa may produce 4.1 million ounces, its lowest volume of primary platinum this millennium, they said.
Prior to the wave of strikes, platinum companies were already contending with overcapacity, rising costs and falling prices. Aquarius Platinum Ltd., the fourth-largest producer, shut most of its mines in South Africa before the latest labor action. Anglo American Plc said in February it would review its Anglo American Platinum unit as returns fell short of forecasts.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and the National Union of Mineworkers will support wage demands of as much as 21,500 rand ($2,572) a month, Cosatu Secretary-General Zwelinzima Vavi said today. That's almost double the amount in 2010, when annual wages for South Africa's 498,140 mine workers averaged 149,006 rand, the Chamber of Mines' website shows.
Gold Strikes
The strikes that began in the platinum industry have also spread to gold mines, with AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. and Gold Fields Ltd. among companies reporting walkouts.
"There is no doubt in the world that the agreements in platinum will result in job losses" and posts may also be lost at AngloGold, Mark Cutifani, chief executive officer of the Johannesburg-based company, said in an interview on Talk Radio 702.
Strikes that have "ravaged" South African mining will probably increase across the precious-metals industry and may persist "well into 2013," SBG said.
The six-member FTSE/JSE Africa Platinum Mining Index has fallen 22 percent this year. That compares with a 1.5 percent decline in the FTSE/JSE Africa Mining Index.
Cross Currency Table – (Bloomberg)
Johannesburg (AP) -- South Africa Truckers Stage Protest in Johannesburg
Thousands of striking truck drivers protested Tuesday amid heavy police presence in central Johannesburg as labor unrest continued across South Africa, leading to fears of renewed violence.
The truckers marched to the nearby area of Braamfontein to submit a petition to the transport bargaining council for a 12 percent pay raise, said the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union, which organized protests around South Africa. Vincent Masoga, a spokesman for the union, said the group wanted a "massive attendance" of 15,000 people in Johannesburg who were expected to remain peaceful throughout the march. The protesters, some wielding sticks or placards and others dancing or singing freedom chants, gathered in Johannesburg's Beyers Naude Square for the march.
Labor unrest is also affecting other industries in South Africa, where strikes have spread to several gold, platinum and chrome mines, damaging investor confidence in a country that is among the world's top producers of valuable minerals. The Limpopo branch of the South African Municipal Workers Union said Tuesday it was organizing at least 5,000 workers to "effectively bringing service delivery in the province to a halt." The group said it was calling mass action to compel the South African Local Government Association to put in place "a proper wage structure in the municipal sector..."
Miners in Orkney, in the North West province, plan to stage a rally Wednesday over poor wages and living conditions, union officials said.
Strikes began in August at Lonmin's Marikana mines, where police shot dead 34 striking workers on Aug. 16, a level of state violence not seen since the end of apartheid in 1994. A retired judge is currently leading an official inquest into the Marikana incident and related violence that killed at least 44 people. The commission of inquiry will determine the roles played by the police, Lonmin and two mining unions, and whether any of those under investigation could have done something to prevent the violence.
In September the Marikana strikers returned to work after accepting a pay increase of up to 22 percent through negotiations that also involved church leaders as mediators. But two of South Africa's most powerful unions said in a joint statement Tuesday that the Marikana settlement set a bad precedent for labor relations in South Africa.
"Lonmin should have known that getting wage negotiations to be facilitated by the churches and allowing everybody, no matter their legal status, to play a role in the negotiations will create precedents that they will not be willing to repeat anywhere else," the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the National Union of Mineworkers said in a statement.
The unions said that wage demands can still be resolved through collective bargaining rather than "contemplating taking short cuts such as mass dismissals of workers..."
Even as South Africa grapples with the Marikana incident, there appears to be no end in sight to the ongoing labor unrest. A truck traveling on a highway in Cape Town was pelted with stones Tuesday, causing it to overturn, and two other trucks were set on fire, according to the South African Press Agency. The National Union of Mineworkers said Monday that one of its officials had been taken into intensive care after a petrol- bomb attack on his house. The union said the victim is its top official at Anglo American Platinum's Khomanani branch and that the attack was carried out by people who are deliberately intimidating union members.
Workers have been on strike for weeks at Anglo American Platinum, the world's largest platinum producer. Similar strikes are ongoing at Gold Fields, Samancor Chrome Western Mine and Anglo Gold Ashanti, a top gold producer whose operations have been brought to a standstill.
For breaking news and commentary on financial markets and gold, follow us on Twitter.
Gold eases, but still near 2012 high on Spain caution - Reuters
Bill Gross says only gold and real assets will thrive in fiscal 'ring of fire' – Market Watch
Gold Fields evicts workers as mining strike spreads – Mail & Guardian
China's biggest jewelry retailer expanding to feed voracious gold demand – China Daily
Signs Of The Gold Standard Emerging In China? - Forbes
Arensberg: Gold at Critical Price Point – Got Gold Report
From Currency Debasement To Social Collapse: 4 Case Studies – Zero Hedge
Do Western Central Banks Have Any Gold Left? – Zero Hedge
Video: South African Strikes Spread to Gold Mining - Bloomberg
Video: What Do Oil and Gold Need to Hit New Records? - Bloomberg
Look Out Silver, Here Comes Solar Demand – Casey Research
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I am bloody amazed that the U.K. has not already collapsed....
It would see that the power to print your own can delay judgement day...
The "high on Meth" leveraged fiat debt nations are similar to a group of drunken revelers huddled together for mutual support as they stagger down the road. Somehow they all manage to remain more or less upright as the careen off telephone poles and garbage cans as well as each other.
But let just one or two stumble and fall to his knees and the entire mess comes crashing down in a tangled reeking heap.
Good as gold.....hold the meth.
Check out the gold chart for the past 30 days. I wish ZH had included it above. It is flatter than Frankenstein's monster's head.
The resistance at $1,780 sure looks 'man made' to me :-)
We sent the troops in.......not sure why.
I have been pointing out to Mrs Cog for the last few weeks how every time Gold pushes above $1,780 it is quickly sold off on large volume.
The Gold ground hog will eventually surface. It's only a matter of when, not if.
At least Zimbabwe has equality and upward mobility for the poor. As a devout Marxist, Robert Gabriel Mugabe understood that the key to solving wealth inequality in Zim was wealth redistribution. Now that the greedy farmers have been driven out into South Africa and Mozambique, the property can be fairly redistributed according to the preferences of politicians. We can trust politicians because they were elected. It's not just common sense, it's progressive sense. Support the progressive revolution in America by attacking capitalism and promoting wealth redistribution! Be on the right side of history.
You've won my logic MDB, now....send ol' moonstears some o' that fat bonus you tout here, address forthcoming./sarc(...unless you're really gonna send me some of that "million dollar bonus" in the name of "redistribution"as you typed so eloquently)
So when everyone is dirt poor, no one is dirt poor?
I once met an ex-Soviet citizen who summed it up that way. He said, "under Communism, everyone was the same. Everyone was poor. Now, I at least have a chance to do better."
Best defense of true capitalism ever.
But... but MDB, what about buying stocks and buying government bonds like every good American should to maintain the status quo? Now we have to renege on all of that?
Gold/silver watch the raid today before 2:30pm. Blythe has her period.
...a bit disturbing that you know that "fact".
Full Moon bitches. :)
Gold is good money.....(leveraged) fiat is bad money.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the replacement power of equities within an inflationary, Zimbabwe-esque spiral....
BUY BUY BUY. Invest long and prosper.
"So it is not a shock that inflation in Zimbabwe (3.63%) is now lower than inflation in the UK (3.66%, August 2011-July 2012)."
3.66%. How pencil whipped is that number? Just like the Fed telling us we are running at around 2% inflation. The inflation number is and can be pencil whipped to be anything they want.
Its all *COUGH*BULLSHIT*COUGH*
Gold has been slaughtering BULLSHIT for 5,000 years and it ain't gonna stop now....
Silver, bitchez!!!
Be aware.
Gold does not move until oil is bottomed-out.
In July we were hitting 90 dollar a barrel for Brent before the Iran theatre started again.
But be aware for the Black Swan: Arabic winter in Bahrain and Saudi. The first pictures I received of Sirya by twitter are nothing compared by what is going on on a daily basis in these countries.
For Oil
There are some unsold cargo's in the world as we speak :-)
We are not on the verge of a Depression. We ARE in a Depression.
Stupid and sentationalist headline. Zimbabwe doesn't have its own currency any more. Therefore 'inflation' must refer to the CPI, not to the money supply. Since Zimbabwe doesn't have its own currency, CPI inflation must be measured in some other currency. The CPI number you come up with depends therefore on the currency used to do the calculation. Which currency was it.
mugabenomics = odummernomics


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by Patrice Malloy
Check out these race photos from the 2012 Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon!
by Rich Cruse, Published Jan. 23, 2012, Updated Jan. 24, 2012 at 1:11 PM UTC
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subset: commoncrawl


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Created in this Craftsy class
Rigid Heddle Weaving taught by Angela Tong
Even if you've never touched a loom, Angela's class will guide you through preparation, the weaving process and finishing techniques.
Other projects made as part of this class:
WeavingFirst Project.
WeavingFirst Project
WeavingTwisted Green Tea Towels
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
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This is completely gorgeous!! Love it!
04/21/2012 Flag
Really nice. Love your colors!
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Roxy, you are an adorable canine weaver--great job!!!!!!
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Editors' Note: The "Download Now" link directs you to the Android Market where you must continue the download process. This download may not be available in some countries.
Publisher's Description+
What's new in this version:
1.0.1 Updates- Fixed a problem where cards in My Card Storage being deleted or being changed into wrong cards in specific conditions. - Changed Texas and Pittsburgh's pitcher rotation to the newest data- Modified so the pitcher's name will scroll when changing the pitchers. - Fixed other minor bugs


text:
Comprehensive Triaged HIV Prevention in Tanzania
This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
Medical University of South Carolina
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Michael Sweat, Medical University of South Carolina
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: December 17, 2013
Last updated: April 6, 2015
Last verified: December 2013
- Full Text View
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No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
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|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|June 2016
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|March 2016 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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All News
The Bard's Tale IV
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» Continue reading the article...
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Review
Forgottenlor braves the dangers (and controversies) of Siege of Dragonspear.
» Read the article
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Thursday - May 26, 2016
Krai Mira - Funded
Krai Mira has funded. Expect forums to launch sometime soon.
Thank you all of you for big support!
In next few days we will launch forum on our webpage. Just need to set it up and a bit work with theme.
We will keep you inform here and on our webpage.
Thank you!
Thank strus for letting us know!
Krai MiraSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Post-Apoc
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
The Technomancer - Now Available for Preorder
The Technomancer is available for pre-purchase at a 15% discount on Steam with a release date set for 29th June.
The Technomancer is Now Available for Pre-Purchase on Steam and is 15% off!
The Technomancer is a sci-fi RPG set on Mars, featuring dynamic combat and an epic story line, where your choices will affect the fate of the Red Planet. You are a Technomancer, a formidable warrior harnessing destructive electrical powers. Embark on a perilous journey across a planet torn apart by conflict and infested with mutant creatures.
Travel with your companions, choosing between diplomacy, combat or trickery to resolve quests. Gain experience to level up your character, and learn new skills or upgrade perks across 4 unique skill trees. Loot, buy and craft more powerful equipment and weaponry for yourself and teammates, to stand a chance of surviving!
The TechnomancerSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
The Dwarves - Beta Next Week
In the latest kickstarter update for The Dwarves they announce that the Beta will release next Thursday/Friday and provide some details on the content to expect. Expect another update on how to get the Beta and a trailer next week.
The beta will feature approximately the first 40% of the game. Compared to the last Alpha you'll experience four more battles, two new playable characters and a story-loaded visit at Ogre's Death, the fortress of the Secondlings!
Launch Window
We still don't have a final launch date for the game. The date depends on the Beta feedback and other factors.
We might have the opportunity to release the game worldwide on PS4 and Xbox One on physical disc. That's huge for us, because more places to buy the game means more games sold, which raises the chance to make "The Dwarves 2". But a physical console distribution also means a couple of extra weeks for producing and shipping the discs.
There's too much going on at the moment to give you guys a final date. Our plan up to this point was to release the game in August, but at the moment we think early September is more likely. In both cases we'll keep improving the game for as long as possible.
So we hope you agree that launching a couple of weeks later isn't a bad thing if it helps the game. We'll keep you updated and let you know as soon as we have a date.
The DwarvesSP/MP: Unknown
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Banner Saga 2 - Memory Leak Fixed
The Banner Saga 2 has a new patch that fixes some memory leak issues and the flickering character problem. Other fixes and improvements are listed below.
This build addresses the memory leak and flickering-character issue, as well as some other more minor issues and improvements.
Changed: Match Resolution summary now shows injured units in the wrap-up. This shows up in a 'Consequences' section
Changed: Prevent duplicate items from appearing in markets when your caravan already has the item.
Changed: During intro tutorial, the pause/options menu has a button to SKIP TUTORIAL
Changed: Reduced game executable size, slightly improving startup time
Changed: Change caption of 'Assemble your Heroes' page so simply 'Heroes'
Fixed: The memory leak related flickering-character issue
Fixed: More minor memory leaks to improve stability during long play sessions
Fixed: Unable to unlock Fighting Force achievement upon meeting criteria
Fixed: Placeholder text when Stonesinger Ally appears in Chapter 13
Fixed: sav_finale_2 was not saving at the end of the game in some cases
Fixed: Typo corrections to several conversations
Fixed: Assemble Heroes screen returning to view briefly during the loading of some battles
Fixed: Kragswoman Skystriker (kragsman_02) blinking out at end of Rain of Arrows animation
Fixed: Master Tactician achievement not unlocking after completing a sparring battle with six rank 10 units
Fixed: Killing 3rd consecutive enemy using Cull the Weak on last enemy not completing the Objective
Fixed: Nid and Oddleif's activities in the Arberrang gate fight should be less error prone.
Banner Saga 2SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Witcher 3 - Blood and Wine: More Reviews
More reviews for the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine:
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GamesRadar 4.5/5
Gamereactor 9/10
PC Gamer 94/100
PCGamesN 9/10
Rock Paper Shotgun
Shacknews 9/10
Twinfinite 5/5
VideoGamer 9/10
Sunrider: Liberation Day - Captain's Edition
The Captain's Edition of the tactical RPG Sunrider: Liberation Day is out now:
The long awaited story expansion to Liberation Day has now been added to the game! The new story has approximately three times as many words as the story in the main game, and is roughly the size of all the Sunrider games' scripts except Academy put together.
The game will also be on a 30% off sale starting tomorrow to the end of the month.
Return to Liberation Day in a desparate race against time to save the galaxy once more. How will events unfold now that you know who will betray you? This time, you will have the help of Asaga, Ava, Sola, Claude, and Icari. But your mission will not be easy. Prepare to meet death many times as you fight for the happy ending to your return...
Sunrider Liberation Day is a turn based tactics game with deep storyline segments where you are Captain Kayto Shields of the starship Sunrider and must lead your squad of mecha pilots to victory.
Combining an edge of your seat story from the best mecha animes with ruthless gameplay where every mistake is punished and every victory feels like a triumph, Sunrider Liberation Day is a must play for fans of Japanese tactics RPGs and anime.
- Command the prototype starship Sunrider and her squadron of mechas in brutal battles for survival
- Intense story where one of your beloved crew members is a spy
- Vastly improved art and gameplay mechanics from Sunrider Mask of Arcadius
- Full voice acting in Japanese for the entire main cast
Note: It is highly recommended that you play Sunrider Mask of Arcadius (for free!) before playing Sunrider Liberation Day.
Sunrider: Liberation DaySP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Wasteland - Chris Avellone @MyFavouriteGame
Chris Avellone talks about his favourite video game Wasteland and the influence it had on him with myfavouritegame.net
Hey there. Your games podcast sound for the summer is here in the form of the fourth season of My Favourite Game.
We begin tonight with a RPG from 1989 that left such an immersible legacy to games and Chris Avellone, who kicks off Season 4 of MFG talking of it as his favourite game.
Were it not for Wasteland, the RPG genre may be an entirely different looking playing field today. Particuarly when you factor in a little-known spiritual successor under the name of Fallout, be it under Interplay or Bethesda.
The Season 4 premiere sees Chris talk of his why Wasteland was such a design influence, the player styles of RPGs then and now, his departure from Obsidian Entertainment a year ago to go solo and work as a freelancer and how it felt it when it all came full circle for him working on Wastleland 2 with inXile.
WastelandSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Post-Apoc
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
The Surge - New Screenshots
New information continues to trickle about the upcoming sci-fi RPG The Surge. GameBanshee has some new screens for us.
There are a few promising sci-fi RPGs coming down the pipeline yet this year, and one of them is Focus Home and Deck 13's The Surge. To give us another brief glimpse of what's to come, the publisher treated us to two new screenshots from the game, which we've uploaded to our image gallery. These images depict some of the security forces we'll be going toe-to-toe with, and word is:They use the same exo-suit technology as you but have tools built for combat, making them incredibly deadly foes. In The Surge, you will not just be facing opponents your own size; towering mechanical enemies armed to the teeth are ready to face against you.
Source: GameBanshee
The SurgeSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Spellforce 3 - New Details, Screenshots
Heads up, Spellforce fans! New details and screenshots of our favorite vaguely campy RPG/RTS hybrid have emerged.
After a long period of silence, Nordic Games cranked out a fistful of details and a smattering of screenshots for Grimlore Games' SpellForce 3 earlier today. The imagery can be found on our profile page, while the core details on gameplay and other mechanics can be found below:Heroes and Quests
Similar to its successful predecessors, players create their hero from scratch and can then develop the hero's skills during the campaign, complete quests, explore the game world and join forces with up to three characters to form a group of heroes.
Organic Growth
The map in SpellForce 3 is divided into different sectors. The player's base will always grow organically, not arbitrarily. This means that the player can only conquer sectors, which are connected to the base or other, already conquered, sectors. This is important, because there is no "Global Economy", but the distribution of resources will happen mechanically (resources are being transported via carts). The player can decide which raw materials they want to collect, distribute and export in each sector and must therefore carefully plan where to build the sectors.
Sector Management
If, for example, the player defeats all the enemies in a particular sector and the bandit camp is captured, they can establish an outpost in this area. The player can then construct buildings in the sectors, exploit raw materials (wood, stone, food, etc.), transport goods and produce resources to then recruit new fighting units. Each outpost has a set number of workers who can be hired, so a core element of the game is to balance the economy and manage the sector to ensure the most efficient deployment of the available workers.
Hybrid gameplay
We don't want to ignore the RPG component and want players to have the best gaming experience possible with SpellForce 3, so the micro management is not as hectic and fast-paced as in many other RTS games. Players can therefore enjoy both gameplay genres (RTS and RPG) in equal measure.
SpellForce 3 Features
- RTS/RPG Mix: Unique gameplay combining RTS and Top-Down RPG genres
- RTS: the RTS part focuses on macromanagement (overall strategy, building a base/economy, conquering of zones, managing large groups of units)
- RPG: the RPG part puts emphasis on micromanaging the party of heroes (skills of ALL heroes of the party have assigned keyboard bindings) in battles
- Create & Customize: assemble your party of heroes and choose between numerous combinations of different skill builds
- Strengthen and command your army: Prepare your troops and f ight the mother of all battles. Moreover, players can utilize a wide array of strategic choices (like e.g. terrain, troop formations, visibility, scouting etc.) that would make Sun Tzu proud
- Epic Storyline: Unravel a deep and sophisticated story, eventually leading up to the events that cause the world-changing convocation ritual
- Rich Universe & :Lore: Explore the world Eo and discover intrigues, secrets and a lot of loot for your hero
- Extensive Single-Player Campaign: 30+ hours, even more when you manage to discover all the things Grimlore put in the world
- Multiplayer: Strong multiplayer component with various modes - Play cooperatively or in versus battles
Source: GameBanshee
Spellforce 3SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Total War: Warhammer - Know Your Lore
For those of us not intimately familiar with the world, kings, and gods of Warhammer, PC Gamer provides a helpful little guide.
The in-game Total War: Warhammer encyclopedia may take a few moments to spin up but once it does you'll find it contains useful introductions to the main races and characters of the Warhammer World. The can also help you get to grips with who the legendary lords are and what the playable factions are all about.
However, Warhammer has been around since 1983 and has accumulated a lot of background detail since then, a fair bit of which bleeds into Total War: Warhammer. If you're wondering what country that is on the far side of the map or who all these gods everyone talks about are, this is the guide for you.
Source: PC Gamer
Total War: WarhammerSP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Copper Dreams - Role-Playing & Keyword Dialogue
Copper Dreams has a new kickstarter update out about Role-Playing and the Keyword Dialogue system.
We wanted to talk a little bit about events and how they are organized, the branching paths of your syndicate, and the flexibility of dialogue.
Branching quests, extended replay value and event density make up what is largely meant to extend the game from our base game plan, and what most of the Kickstarter funds will be used for.
Quest Design Overview
Copper Dreams features a very open-ended campaign that is filled with intrigue, combat, puzzles and bureaucratic bookkeeping. (Minus the bookkeeping, your agent has the Operations Department take care of that.) As we've said in the main page, we are holding true to our philosophy behind Serpent in the Staglands to give you a very hands-off experience. We find that this is the most rewarding type of game to play, which means no quest markers or auto-populating journals to coach you into what to do. There is a joy to following street addresses to mysterious locations that just isn't the same with a pop-up patting you on the head for your orientation skills.
Copper Dreams is ripe with corporate espionage, conspiracies, and mysteries hidden throughout the city. Without a narrator or journal telling you what clues you found, you get the reward of actually piecing together the puzzle that is the city of Calitana and discern how you want to frame your findings.
Your reports influence how your syndicate operates, and the fate of the characters you meet will begin branching very early on and determine how Wolffz Bay plays the game of corporate warfare.
From a role playing perspective, keywords give you the freedom to choose dialogue choices without an authored tone of the conversation guiding you. From a mechanics perspective, keywords turn dialogue into a puzzle. While sometimes your conversations are trivial, asking directions or reporting results of a mission, at other times you'll be trying to gather much needed information and can use items or saved keywords to open up new conversations paths.
If there is a rogue agent that needs intel and you would like to help him, dragging confidential data diskettes into the dialogue screen (literally handing them over) will turn the flow of your current conversation. NPCs retain their personality and character to drive the conversation.
Copper DreamsSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Modern
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Witcher 3 - Blood and Wine Review
PC Gamer reviews Blood and Wine, giving it a whopping (yet unsurprising) score of 94.
Have you ever wanted to get drunk with a vampire? The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion gives you that opportunity, and lets you ask all the important questions. What's it like to die and come back? What's it like to live for centuries in a world that mostly wants you dead? How does the bat thing work? The brooding, complicated undead are just one aspect of an excellent add-on that every Witcher fan should play.
Frankly if one of these expansions came out every year I'd still be playing The Witcher 3 in 2020. However, this is a fine end. Fantasy RPGs like this offer us the chance to walk through the pages of pulp fantasy fiction, to stand opposite the witches, wizards and wights of those stories. Even if we can't form our own words, or ultimately greatly affect the stories they tell, the semblance is powerful enough. Even in its immutable, heavily cutscene-driven form, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is an accomplished piece of genre fiction with some characters I'll come to miss. Pour a goblet of the red stuff and join them, you won't be disappointed.
Source: PC Gamer
Wednesday - May 25, 2016
Tyranny - Dev Diary #3
Dev Diary #3 for Tyranny focuses on the FateBinder.
The Fatebinders who serve Tunon are skilled in many areas, from swordplay, to spellcraft, to the poisoned knife in the dark.
The Fatebinders serve a key role in Kyros' vast Empire. While the Overlord's rule is absolute, the Empire is too large for Kyros to directly control everyone. Instead, Kyros grants authority over different parts of the Empire to the Archons. Some Archons are governors of provinces or military districts, others control important groups like armies, mage guilds, or specialized agents like the Fatebinders.
Each Archon is granted limited autonomy over their area of control. As long as they serve Kyros' goals and do not break any of the Overlord's laws, Kyros permits the Archons to rule their armies and provinces in a manner of their choosing. Because of this, the Archons and the groups they control will often clash with one another. The Fatebinders were created by Tunon the Adjudicator, Archon of Justice, to solve these problems.
As a Fatebinder and servant of Tunon, it is your duty to resolve disputes that arise between the different armies and mage guilds. You decide whose actions are best in line with Kyros' laws, mediate where you can, and order punishments - and executions - where required. Any citizen in Kyros' Empire can appeal to a Fatebinder for judgment, even if their problem doesn't involve a dispute between factions. Doing so is dangerous, as a Fatebinder's judgments cannot be appealed and some Binders deal harshly with those who bother them for trivial complaints.
Laws of Kyros
Kyros' laws are numerous, and it is the duty of Fatebinders to interpret them in their judgments. Some laws are absolute, some are contradictory, and some are both absolute and contradictory. Fatebinders spend many years learning Kyros' laws, the judgments handed down by previous generations of Binders, and the times when Kyros punished a Fatebinder for overstepping with their judgments.
TyrannySP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
The Huntsman - Book 4 and 5 released
The two final books 4 and 5 for The Huntsman Winter's Curse are out now:
Greetings Everyone,
For those eagerly awaiting the conclusion of The Huntsman: Winter's Curse we have good news! Books 4 & 5 are now available! Discover new twists to the story, confront new enemies, and come face to face with the Enchantress. If you haven't already, now is a great time to pick up the Season Pass. Try the first book for free!
- Books 4 and 5 are now available.
- Equipment in narrative sequences will immediately update if it is changed in Party Details.
- Fixed an issue with Cripple 4 not reducing affected target's damage.
- Counterattack will no-longer do full damage to target if it has Shield.
- Resolved an issue that would prevent main quest progression after completing a Sidequest.
- Made an improvement to how cards overlap with other UI elements on some resolutions.
- The Esc key will now close the reward popups.
The HuntsmanSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Adventure-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem - Kickstarter Update
Some major gameplay changes are explained in Kickstarter update #30:
Hi everyone !
Patch 0.2.0 took a long time to make, as it brings some game changing features to the alpha.
The Resource Opposition System (Umbra vs Rage) is now implemented, and a whole new UI has been designed for it !
The new melee system and magical effects shown in our devblog video are now released !
Weapon Based Combos
We really wanted combat in Wolcen to feel visceral and satisfying, and weapons to represent more than just a bunch of statistics. Now your basic weapon attack (left click) will be replaced with a combo skill depending on the type of weapon equipped. Each combo is different and features unique animations, ranges and cleave angles, as well as special effects like a chance to stun. Experienced players will be able to take advantage of mid-combo bonuses by timing their strikes, and more casual players will get to enjoy awesome animations.
This is the very first iteration of this system, for this reason there might be a few minor issues, but we really want to hear your feedback on this. The next versions will add a special move assigned to right click (like a charged attack or a guard if you have a shield equipped), and an auto-dash feature, allowing you to close-in on the enemy with a fast attack.
Our second big feature is one we call "Resource Opposition System". Early during development it became clear to the team that resource management was an issue in the game. Being classless, it featured three different resource pools: Mana, Rage and Stamina. Players were able to empty one of those resources, and they would still have enough to cast powerful spells with the other, and then still have enough for defensive spells that used Stamina. Our solution was a system we affectionally dubbed "Le Sablier" Le Sablier was an hourglass-shaped resource gauge that could rotate on itself. It featured a single resource pool that changed type between mana and rage depending on which side of the hourglass it was in. Mana flowed into Rage when it was up, and Rage slowly dripped into Mana. This system would in theory solve many issues of the old one and would add a lot of depth to the gameplay.
In the first iteration of this system you could shift the hourglass-vial whenever you wanted to, but it was too confusing to do that in the middle of combat. We then switched to an automatic system. Because this system imposed a strict rule that resources had to transfer from the top section to the bottom one, the hourglass had to shift every-time a resource was spent. This had the unfortunate side effect of slowing the gameplay down, so we made the difficult choice of cancelling this system.
We then developed a system not so different using simpler gauges, that allowed for resources to transfer quickly both-ways. Stamina was streamlined into points, and rolling uses one stamina point. It also was the perfect opportunity to finally rename Mana into Umbra, the magical energy of the game.
With this new system called Resource Opposition System, both Umbra and Rage will be useful, whether you play as a mage, warrior or a hybrid type of character. Because each resource fills the other in some way, every spell in the game can be useful no matter what your play style. New passives will allow warriors to transfer Umbra into rage when hit, or delay the time before Rage starts to fill Umbra. Mages will be able to accelerate the rate at which Rage gets transferred into Umbra. There is only one resource pool, and players will have to manage how it is spread across Umbra and Rage.
Thanks henriquejr!
Wolcen: Lords of MayhemSP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Hack & Slash
Platform: PC
Release: In development
InSomnia - Funded
The Kickstarter campaign for InSomnia has reached its goal. Here's some info about the bosses:
Meet the Bosses
Hi all! After talking of shotguns, SMG and rifles, it is now time to give you a more detailed look at the fiercest enemies you will meet during your time on Object 6; the bosses of the InSomnia universe!
But before we get to it, we'd like to once again thank everyone for their incredible support during our campaign! We now have four days to go, and thanks to the help of over 1,350 backers, we are now over 86% funded! We're less than £8,000 away from the goal, so please continue to spread the word, consider raising your pledge to be part of The Fallen of Object 6, and do consider pledging for one of the limited edition InSomnia Boxed Sets available from the Archivarius tier and higher!
From time to time your journey will lead you into the lairs of the most dangerous and powerful dwellers of this space metropolis. Don't expect them to meet you with hugs and a warm cup of coffee – bosses fights are quite a task and will challenge even the most skilled of players. They are so strong that sometimes you will just have to deal with the fact you can't win.
InSomniaSP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Steampunk
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Fear Effect Sedna - Kickstarter Update
Kickstarter update #21 for the action adventure Fear Effect Sedna:
Things are taking a nice turn!
In the last days, we took a lot of time to benchmark various science-fiction movies, games and concepts. All of this, mixed with the typical Fear Effect elements gives us a more precise idea of where we are headed, and what the overall design of the game will look like.
We also decided which part of the game will be in the demo. Starting to work on a more specific idea makes the team happier and more confident than ever. You will experience all kinds of different gameplays, from puzzles to gun fights and infiltration!
Thanks Farflame!
Non-RPG General NewsSP/MP: Unknown
Setting: Unknown
Genre: Unknown
Platform: Unknown
Release: In development
Guardians of the Rose - New Kickstarter
A Kickstarter campaign for the Aventure RPG Guardians of the Rose has just started:
Guardians of the Rose is a story-driven 2D action adventure RPG. It controls like a modernized, fast-paced version of old-school Zelda and Gauntlet games with the RPG elements of the Elder Scrolls Series.
Kickstarter GamesSP/MP: Unknown
Setting: Unknown
Genre: Unknown
Platform: Unknown
Release: In development
GOG - Torchlight 2 Released
GOG now has Torchlight 2 in its catalogue and its at a 50% discount. The original Torchlight is also on sale for a 75% discount. The discounts last until May 29, 2:59 PM UTC.
The loot, the loot, the loot is on fire!
Torchlight II, the ridiculously addictive sequel to the beloved steampunk action/RPG, is available now for Windows, Mac, and Linux, DRM-free on GOG.com with a 50% launch discount.
The good thing about monsters is that no matter how many times you wipe them out, they just keep coming back! And it is exactly this kind of dogged persistence that makes it all the more satisfying when you get to slice them, dice them, or blow them up to temporary extinction in new and exciting ways. Getting geared up with awesome loot and exploring unknown places infested with secrets is also a nice bonus.
InXile Entertainment - Brian Fargo Interview
@Existential Gamer they interview Brian Fargo of InXile and talk about his history, InXiles games and their reception.
EG: Do you deal well with criticism? How do (the oftentimes heated) online discussions of these treasured franchises and genres affect you?
BF: I like to think I'm pretty self-aware when it comes to the faults of my games. I'll admit that I can get frustrated if a criticism was incorrect or missed the point due to a misunderstanding of particular events, but I do try to keep my cool. I love having Early Access because I can receive that criticism early on, a point at which I can actually do something about the feedback. The most difficult part about dealing with the older franchises is that we often end up competing with the memory of players' experiences rather than the actual gameplay itself. This happens mostly because people played some of these old games at a certain special time in their life.
EG: Torment: Tides of Numenera seems like a hugely ambitious project, one that aims to redefine what a CRPG can be. As it enters open beta, what would you say to a player going in without having played the original Torment? What about a hardcore fan?
BF: I would want anyone new or old to prepare for a literary experience as they begin playing Torment: Tides of Numenera. The quality of its writing and the bizarre universe it established were what made Planescape: Torment wonderful. These are the focus of this game as well. It is not a game that works if your mindset is to rush towards victory.
EG: In our interview with him, Vince D. Weller of Age of Decadence mentioned inXile as the most interesting studio out there. Who are you most excited to see pave the future for RPG's?
BF: I've always been excited to see how small Indies like Vince push the envelope of what makes an RPG. As companies acquire overhead it becomes more difficult to take risks and therein lies the opportunity for the small guy to shine.
InXile Entertainment
BattleTech - Update #27 - Rewards Update
In their latest update, Harebrained Schemes gives us some more details on how backer rewards are coming for BattleTech.
Hey All! This is Brian, Ops Director here at Harebrained Schemes. I've taken on the task of manufacturing the Noble House Heraldry Sets and MechWarrior Flight Jackets but, before we get to that, here's a quick update on how things are going with the game as well as a few other things of note.
- Game Development: Mike asked me to let you all know that game production continues on schedule - the engineering team is currently heads-down and focused on building out all the core systems that make combat possible - essentially taking the game from a rough, bare-bones prototype to a fully-fledged, scalable Combat Game. Meanwhile, the design team is making maps and thinking ahead to plan out a lot of the game's campaign and mercenary career "simulation" aspects, and the art team is busy making lots of terrain features, animations, effects - I've even spied a few classic BattleTech vehicles starting to roll out of the art factory here...
- Novellas: Mike Stackpole has had consultations with all the Backers that will appear in the novellas and we're hoping to be able to deliver the first in the series with Backers in the next couple months.
- Our next Dev Q&A will be on June 8 at 2pm PDT on Hyper RPG's Twitch channel. If you can't watch live, you can watch them any time if you subscribe to HyperRPG or check them out when they're posted on the Hyper RPG Youtube channel. Q&As from March and April and May are available now so you can watch them.
- BattleTech Forum: There continues to be some great conversation about the game and with the Devs over in our Forum. Here's a thread about Vehicles included in the game.
- Death From Above: Our mercenary team, led by the Lord Commander (our own Mitch Gitelman) continues to play on the battlefield with our custom 3D printed 'Mechs every Friday at 6pm PDT on Hyper RPG. You can read more in this Forum post about how the game intersects with BattleTech lore from Aristocra and catch up on previous episodes on Hyper RPG's Youtube channel.
Now, on to the main topic of the post...
We're really pleased with how all these items came out - everyone here at the office has been trying to swipe the pre-production samples, especially the hats and the jackets. It might be a bit warm when you get your jackets (here in the U.S. at least), but go ahead and show them off at GenCon and PAX West -- we'll understand. :)
Source: Harebrained Schemes
BattleTechSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Ultima Online - Ultima Online Wars Announcement
There is a new development in the realm of Ultima with the announcement of Ultima Online Wars set for June 24th. Head to the link to see the release announcement trailer.
We're extremely excited to reveal our release announcement trailer today! The beautiful, and chaotic world of Ultima Online Wars (UOW) offers so much to do and explore. We can't wait to see players experiencing everything to be discovered in UOW.
In other news the UO Wars Launcher has been officially completed and, once UOW has been released on June 24th, will even offer the ability to directly connect to the game itself through the launcher. As of this post onward you can download the UOW client and any updates with the launcher here: http://www.uowars.com/client/Ultima%20Online%20Wars%20Launcher%20Installer.exe
Mirror: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2HPUyuJnu3cMDROc3ZvSmtzeGM/view?usp=sharing
We have even included our own version of Sallos with the launcher installation as well. Hope to see you all on June 24th!
Ultima OnlineSP/MP: Massive
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: MMORPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
RPG Codex - Interview with Feargus Urquhart
RPG Codex's Jedi Master Radek interviewed Obsidians Feargus Urquhart at Digital Dragons.
Jedi Master Radek: If you ever get a chance to develop a game in the World of Darkness setting, what qualities should this potential game possess? What should a great World of Darkness game be like?
Feargus Urquhart: Gotcha! That's... that's a lot of... so, what's interesting about World of Darkness is, we were talking to, we were talking to White Wolf, geez, in 2007? 2008? Well, maybe 2006, 2007. I was... we were talking about doing a World of Darkness game and so I think a World of Darkness game can be done in lots of different ways. But I think like, Bloodlines is a great example of one way, and I think that, that one way if we were ever to make a World of Darkness game, I would want to, I think Bloodlines is a good direction. I think that the other direction, what we had been talking back then, is because we were working on Neverwinter Nights 2 and we thought wouldn't be it cool to take Neverwinter Nights 2 and do a World of Darkness version of Neverwinter Nights. I mean not Dungeons and Dragons, but you know, and then it would not only would it give people, we could make that story and character-based RPG, but what we could also do is then give everybody the tools to go build their own World of Darkness, which is you know, ehm, the Storyteller. The Storyteller? [short pause] I forgot what's the name of the RPG system. I can't believe I just blanked on it. The RPG system is very much about telling stories, not so much about stats. And so if we could create that thing, where people could now create their own worlds and run their own little servers and everything. I thought that would be, that would be a really cool way to make a World of Darkness game.
JMR: One of Obsidian's canceled project we know the least about is Dwarfs.
FU: [enthusiastically] Mmm hmm, mmm hmm?
JMR: Could you tell us something more about it...
FU: Right.
JMR: ...and if we'll ever get a chance to see those Brian Menze concepts...
FU: [laughs]
JMR: ...Kevin Saunders praised so much?
FU: [laughs] Yeah, I don't, so, so, you know. If there is... I would love to share those concepts, and I should ask at some point, I should ask to see if, if Disney would be okay. I have a feeling they would say no, and that's not because they're bad people, but I think that that would be, but I should ask, and so...but particularly, you know, working with a company like Disney, we always, we have to ask to share things. But I will try to share stuff about the game, you know. It was, so it was a third person, it had a party of the dwarfs... so it was you as the prince and then you had dwarfs, and it was third person so you were kinda running, and it had this kind of interesting where as you...you had a conversation system as you were moving with your companions, so it was running from place to place. I can press A, B or, or I could talk with my companions, but I didn't have to stop and talk to them. You could have bigger conversations outside that, but I thought that was interesting. I thought the fight system was pretty cool. From the standpoint of it... it sorta was this fight system which it had these kind of concentric rings of like...and things could be in the different rings, and so it felt really good to do it. It was... we were really proud of like the vertical slice we ended up doing. It had... it was very sort of streamed in open world. So there was no... you just went from place to place and you did stuff there and you did stuff there and that was on a very early version of Unreal 3. And it just had all these qualities, the art was fun, the prince, it felt like, it felt like, I don't want to say a youthful fable. But it just... it was, it had more like... it was just more cartoony but, it was just more fun and like, youthful. And it was too bad that one didn't move forward. I think we... there's still people at Obsidian today that are, that still ask me about doing it. You know and I'm like, particularly now with the announcement stuff from Disney. Yeah, it's too bad that that one didn't keep on going.
JMR: Did it go past the vertical slice, or not much more?
FU: We were at vertical slice, so basically it was at vertical slice where it was canceled.
RPG Codex
Witcher 3 - On Iorveth's Cut Content
At wccftech they explain how the new expansion Blood and Wine for Witcher 3 will tie up loose ends by being the whole games finale. Also CDPR's Philipp Webber explained why Iorveth's content was cut from the main game. Iorveth featured prominently in the Witcher 2.
As we already heard in the past months, the game was apparently going to be even more massive, with some story quests focused on the Wild Hunt getting cut for a variety of reasons. Content related to one of the more popular characters of the second entry of the series, the Scoia'tael Iorveth, has also been cut, and a few hours ago a member of the team commented on the matter.
In a post on the official The Witcher forums, CDPR's Philipp Webber has commented on the Iorveth focused content that was cut from the game. Apparently, this chunk of the story was a big part of it and it was not possible to recreate it in another quest once the decision to cut it was made.
I'd like to give some clarification for this discussion. Like our writers already mentioned a few months ago, Iorveth used to be part of the game. However, as time and development went on, this chunk of the story had to be cut for multiple reasons, but it was quite a big part of the game. At this time, it was simply not possible to "just" create another quest that would replace it and we had to finish and polish the rest of the game. It's perfectly natural that parts of the game are cut in development, and in this case it unfortunately hit a part that Iorveth had a big role in.
And yes, of course you can come up with many ways and ideas how to still cram him in there somehow, but that's not our way. If we do something like that, we do it right and we do the character justice. It's not easy to make decisions like that, so I hope you can respect that.
As The Witcher 3 is going to be Geralt's final adventure, the game was probably the last chance for players to see Iorveth again. While the decision made by the team is definitely understandable, it's still disappointing for those who chose the Iorveth story path in The Witcher 2 and have come to love the Scoia'tael and their cause.
I Am Setsuna - E3 Trailer
I Am Setsuna is now available for preorder on Steam and will release July 20th. Also check out the new trailer from E3.
In a land of sorrow and bitter cold a tale of sacrifice will be told.
Experience the timeless story of I Am Setsuna.
I Am SetsunaSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: J-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Tuesday - May 24, 2016
RPGWatch Feature - Siege of Dragonspear Review
Forgottenlor tried out Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear to see if it lived up to his expectations and what the all the controversies were about in this review for RPGWatch.
While the game offers you a good number of companions of all classes and alignments, how it's done is pretty interesting. Three of the four most resilient melee characters are only available close to halfway through the game. You get Misc and Corwin at the beginning as fighters, but Corwin is an archer, and you lose out on most of her potential if she gets stuck in close combat. On the other hand there is no shortage of priests early on. The result was that I played very differently than in most of my playthroughs of Baldur's Gate, and relied heavily on the web and entangle spells during the first half of the game.
While leveling up in Baldur's Gate was always infrequent (making it a big deal when it did happen), in Siege of Dragonspear leveling up occurs even more rarely. I'm sure this is to try make a smooth transition from Baldur's Gate I to Siege of Dragonspear to Baldur's Gate 2 possible. Personally it didn't bother me, but then again I didn't import a character, and started off at level 6, and probably advanced faster than a I would have with an imported character. Mostly though, I think characters between levels 6 and 9 represent the best balanced and most interesting levels of 2nd edition Dungeons and Dragons. Spell casters have enough spells to let them use a variety of tactics, but haven't completely left fighter types behind in terms of power. I think this contributes to making the battles throughout most of Siege of Dragonspear interesting, but I can see how it could bother some players.
Siege of DragonspearSP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Bounty Train - Developer Videos
Three more developer videos for Bounty Train are available now, featuring more information about gun shops, vehicle upgrades and the hospital.
Bounty Train: Lucrative and risky deals at the saloonDev-videos explain new features step by step
the West will become even wilder: with today's update saloons and shops will be open for business in Daedalic Entertainment's and Coribe Games' Railroad Simulation. In Saloons, you can cut lucrative but risky deals with outlaws. And mastering these deals require the right equipment from gunshops or pharmacies.
Also, engines and cars are now even more customizable. More cargo space or armor plates? No problem! After all, every engine driver should be prepared for the new random encounters which can be their very own boon or complication...
There are several more extensive updates planned until the final release in summer 2016.
Bounty TrainSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Historical
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Witcher 3 - Blood & Wine Launch Trailer
A launch trailer for the launch next week of The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine, named Final Quest, has been made available.
Vampyr - New Screenshots
Three, not so high-res, screenshots have been made available for DontNod's Vampyr.
VAMPYR IMAGES REVEAL THE PROTAGONIST'S DUALITY: CAN YOU BE BOTH SAVIOUR AND MONSTER?Vampyr, the new action-RPG from acclaimed game-development studio DontNod, releases new images today depicting the duality of the central character. Set in London, 1918, Vampyr promises to offer a unique and deeply immersive experience, and a strong and engaging narrative steeped in vampire mythology.
In Vampyr, players take control of Dr. Jonathan Reid, a newly formed vampire who is torn between the Hippocratic Oath he swore as a doctor, and the bloodthirsty need to kill due to the monster within. While London suffers from the Spanish Flu pandemic, your first reflex as a doctor would be to help and heal people... but it will be impossible for you to ignore your inner, violent, nature of Vampyr - first and foremost, you are a lethal predator.
As a Vampyr, you have to accept your need to sacrifice people to survive. Feeding on people will be the basis of your character progression, as it will allow you to learn supernatural Vampyr powers and talents that will be useful in persuasion, locomotion, survivability, and combat. So the dilemma that's offered to you isn't "should I kill people?"" but more "who will I kill"? And this decision won't be without consequences. Killing one person will create a rippling effect on London's ecosystem and you will have to live with both the repercussions and their death on your conscience. Decide to feed on a renowned doctor from the city hospital, and progressively see the health condition of the patients drop.
Every life saved and every life taken by Reid will have deadly ramifications to London and the people around it. When Vampyr releases in 2017, players will be asked: how far are you ready to go?
VampyrSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Historical
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Knights of Aira - Released
The indie strategy RPG Knights of Aira has been released for the PC:
Lead your army to victory! Command noble knights, sneaky rogues, clever mages, deadly beasts, and more as you fight back the dark sorcerers of the Red Sun.
Delve into the deepest dungeons, ancient forests, war-torn plains, and fiery volcanoes. Featuring gorgeous pixel art for a truly old-school feel!
Knights of Aira is a tactical tbs (turn based strategy) game set in a high-fantasy world, inspired by retro gaming and popular turn-based strategy games. It was originally created as an Android application but recently updated for its launch on PC!
- Strategic combat
- Challenging mechanics reward thoughtful playing and punish rash decisions
- A compelling story line with memorable characters and epic combat
- Includes two full campaigns: The Company of Sir Oswell and Grushnakh's Goblins!
- Beautiful retro pixel graphics by Oryx Design Lab
And more!
Discover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the seemingly-peaceful world of Aira. Befriend humans and beasts alike on your quest to save the world from impending doom!
- Twelve exciting scenarios lead you through Sir Oswell's quest to stop a diabolical plot.
Join the goblin warlord Grushnak on a lighthearted quest to raze a village to the ground. Along the way, you'll meet talking trees, pit beasts, angry mobs, and crazy old ladies.
Go on epic quests and use careful strategy and tactics to liberate castles and crush your enemies. Awesome dungeons, immense environments, and incredible adversaries await you in this unique RPG experience.
- Challenging levels
- Nine all-new scenarios
Like Fire Emblem, Civilization, Advance Wars, Total War, Heroes of Might and Magic, or Age of Empires? You'll love Knights of Aira!
Knights of AiraSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released
Krai Mira - Kickstarter Update
Only 24 hours to go in the Krai Mira Kickstarter campaign:
Last 2 days!
Last 2 days left for our campaign and we are very thankful for your support!
Right now we are working hard with load/save scripts and same time setting up forum. We hope that we will manage to launch forum in few days after our Kickstarter campaign finish.
We are very happy that we reached few goals. This money will help us to implement new features faster. And as a Big Thanks for you all we decided that after release, we will try hard even if it takes longer, to implement more features from the campaign goals as updates for the game! Of course for free:)
Also we are planning to place PayPal donation option on our webpage for people who use PayPal. More details will be provided on our web page.
Thank you!
Krai MiraSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Post-Apoc
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Morrowind - Why Modders Won't Let it Go
PC Gamer takes a look at why Morrowind continues to have a hold on us after all these years, and why we just can't let go of it.
Thanks, Couch.
For millions of players, Morrowind was their introduction to the world of The Elder Scrolls, but even Elder Scrolls veterans who cut their teeth on Arena and Daggerfall left Morrowind with an impression that lasted. For some of those players, Morrowind made such an impression that they never wanted to leave at all. Those fans have spent the past years painstakingly updating Morrowind, brick by brick, texture by texture, into Bethesda's more modern engines.
Even returning to Morrowind 14 years later, it's easy to see why. Morrowind's island setting of Vvardenfell offsets a few standard fantasy clichés—a villain who lairs in a wasteland of volcanic ash and dwarven ruins full of monsters—but also more visionary ideas. There's a prison inside a moon floating over a city built on a lake, a transport network of giant fleas controlled by riders who directly manipulate their steeds' nervous systems, and a settlement where most of the buildings are the hollowed-out shells of gigantic dead creatures. Vvardenfell is a memorable place, more outlandish than anything seen in the Elder Scrolls games that preceded or followed it.
Morrowind was also the first Elder Scrolls game to come with a Creation Kit, a gift from Bethesda that gave players the opportunity to alter that world and make it their own. The best mods tended to leave the setting be and instead tinker with the clunky RPG mechanics it was filtered through, changing the way leveling works and the rate skills improve and so on.
The Skywind team are doing impressive work on making Morrowind look and sound better, while also helping it become a little less frustrating to play thanks to Skyrim's mechanical improvements, all to allow the Morrowind we built up inside our heads as we first played it to live again. To some degree, though, no matter which game's variety of combat and leveling are applied to it, no matter which level of fidelity it's polished to, that version that will always live inside our imaginations.
Source: PC Gamer
MorrowindSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC, Xbox
Release: Released
Dishonored 2 - Exaggerated Art Direction
GameInformer has an exclusive interview with Sébastien Mitton in a video interview about Dishonored 2's art direction.
...we wanted to share the direct thoughts from Dishonored 2's art director Sébastien Mitton in this video interview. Mitton was also the art director on the first game, and he's proud of his team for their effort bringing what he sees as the pillars of the Dishonored universe to the new frontier of a city called Karnaca. While visiting Arkane Studios in Lyon, France, for our cover story on Dishonored 2, we spoke with Mitton about what makes Karnaca so special, whether or not designer Viktor Antonov is involved with this game, and why he doesn't want the game's art to just be labeled as "steampunk."
Dishonored 2SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Steampunk
Genre: Adventure-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Kingdom Come - Delayed Until 2017
Everyone's most anticipated realistic medieval RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, has been delayed until 2017, according to a Warhorse Studios source.
We've recently talked with a Warhorse spokesperson and got confirmation that Kingdom Come: Deliverance won't be launched this year. An official announcement regarding the definitive release date can be expected between E3 and Gamescom, given that a Community Manager said on April 17 that it won't be much longer until there's an official release date.
Kingdom ComeSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Historical
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development
Gamasutra - The Passage of Time in RPGs
Gamasutra has an interesting blog on the passage of time in rpgs and how it can feature in an rpg.
RPGs pride themselves on having deep immersive gameplay. Usually this is driven by epic narrative and story/character arcs. But have you noticed time doesn't actually pass in Dragon Age, Skyrim, Final Fantasy, or Darkest Dungeon?
- No one ages.
- No townsfolk age and die of natural causes.
- No NPC family grows by having a baby.
- No NPC child ever grows up to adulthood.
- No towns fade away due to declining population; Or villages grow into bustling cities.
- The king/queen/council never lose power - unless directly due to player activity or scripted events.
- Quest lines, usually involving some life & death problem, just sit in stasis until the player feels good and ready to solve it. Be it today, or a figurative 10 years from now!
If my three-year-old wants a cup of juice, she won't wait the time it takes to write this sentence, yet the proverbial inn keeper with giant rats in the basement will happily wait an eternity for you to get around to his problem.
3. Quests and Due Dates
Quests in Archmage Rises go in a different direction than the trend of "mash the talk button at anyone with an exclamation mark". In our world, NPCs have problems, generated by the simulation based on their life situation, personality, and goals. They need help resolving their problem.
If you have a problem, do you give it to some random stranger that looks good in armor? Probably not. You welcome help from those you trust. So in Archmage Rises the primary source of quests are relationships (there are other sources).
If you ask a friend to help you move, they say yes, but never show up, how does that affect the relationship? I can tell you from personal experience. Before I started dating my wife I did exactly that, and 18 years later she still whips it out in a fight: "Oh Ya?! Well you never helped me move when I was in university!"
Source: Gamasutra
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD - Job System Critique
Gamasutra has an interesting blog on Final Fantasy X2's job system and what it did right.
FFX-2 only has 3 character but it does the exact same thing. Instead of letting the player switch up which characters they were using it let them switch up what jobs those characters had.
Instead of "We need a healer, switch in Yuna" it is "We need a healer, switch Rikku's job to White Mage".
FFX-2 has ~20 jobs (depending on what you count as a job and what version of the game you are playing) and by having a lot of options available the game can push each option further apart mechanically and into their own special little niche. More jobs, more niches. And because of the mid fight adaptability that comes from letting them change jobs each job can be balanced based on situation usefulness and not on general viability.
In FFX everyone basically had their own job but they all existed on the same "Sphere Grid" and so were technically all able to learn all abilities. This makes each character much more adaptable (in an a-la cart sense) but it also means that every job has to share a basic mechanical vocabulary. Things like "Items" and "Attack" are things everyone needs to do becuase Lulu could, in theory, have a really strong attack even though her role in the party is that of a Black mage. So even if a character has a shitty attack that is basically pointless it still has to be there taking up space on the UI.
The job adaptability in FFX-2 though means we can drop things like basic attacks off of jobs like White/Black Mages. In FFX-2 if you are a mage and you want to "Attack" you have to change job which you easily can at any time. "Attack" on the various mage jobs is basically wasted UI space because of how weak those classes are physically.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HDSP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: J-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2253867020130053273.post8530796525262430102..comments2016-05-26T06:06:27.855-07:00Comments on Down the Line!: (UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: It still must be love for the U.S. Open SeriesRich Rodriguezhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2253867020130053273.post-68159660629974006592010-07-15T12:44:56.034-07:002010-07-15T12:44:56.034-07:00Did someone say 'thongs'? *rechecks comme...Did someone say 'thongs'?

*rechecks comment*

Oh, you said 'tongs' natch. I just assumed you meant the other and just missed a letter because, well, it's you. I'm just going to keep thinking you meant thongs since it's a better visual.RiCHhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2253867020130053273.post-17459349131668173342010-07-15T10:14:42.264-07:002010-07-15T10:14:42.264-07:00Did anyone put any thought into that first vid? G...Did anyone put any thought into that first vid? Gah! So stupid. Way to pull in viewers and get people to attend tournaments!
*sound of one hand clapping*

As for Rafa and his pasta dish, I wonder if any tongs are involved? ;)natchhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2253867020130053273.post-25985537841218059622010-07-15T08:57:34.777-07:002010-07-15T08:57:34.777-07:00I think Big Berd can make a big impact at Flushing...I think Big Berd can make a big impact at Flushing Meadows. I'm expecting a deep run there the way Delpo did last year. Can he win the whole thing? Only his head knows.

Kvitova should do some damage as well though she may need more time to develop her game. But when she does, it'll cause major problems for the top lady ballers particularly her lefty can opener serve.RiCHhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2253867020130053273.post-40015524105166904912010-07-14T18:53:49.638-07:002010-07-14T18:53:49.638-07:00The US Open Series promises to be great this year,...The US Open Series promises to be great this year, especially with all the surprise runs at Wimbledon. I'm hoping to see Berdych, Pironkova, and Kvitova hoisting titles over the next few weeks.

They certainly deserve to win.tenaciouslytennis.comhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Re: Being the booker
Summerslam Review:
AMW vs. The Canadian Chris' for the WWE Tag Team Championships. This was a very good opening match but I knew the Chris' wouldn't win when they argued a little bit on Smackdown before Summerslam. I am glad a conflicted tag team did not beat AMW. I cannot wait to see Jericho vs. Benoit but I hope you can drag it out so they can face at Wrestlemania. Surprised to see Benoit did not take action after "Jericho" cost them the match.
The DX promo was vintage and I love the way you use Garrison Cade and Jindrak as the dumb pretty boys. I like how Luther is all about business but I think he should be a little easier going and get into the DX way of things. Michaels was his normal, cocky self predicting that he would win the WHC.
Summer Games match. Wow! I was shocked to see Rey Mysterio pull off the victory in this environment. This was a very creative match and I liked it a lot. I am wondering who the mystery man who attacked Rey is but I think I have an idea or maybe not. It was nice to see Rey getting even with Rhyno and RVD. I was shocked at having Rey cheat a little to win but as they say, what goes around, comes around.
The Foley-Heyman encounter was very realistic but I can tell the build-up to COTC is going to get a lot of effort. I really like the way you are using Paul Heyman. I almost wish you would get rid of Bret and make him general manager but it's your show.
Carlito vs. Sting. I was very disappointed to see Sting pull out a victory here because there is nothing cooler than a Carlito title push. I guess Carlito going over a legend at this point is a little extreme but I never got to watch any of Sting's matches so I am not a big fan of his. I am looking forward to seeing the way that you use these two men.
I liked the Stone Cold and Christian encounter. It was hilarious how stupid Tomko is and how Christian reacts to him. I would like this two to met somewhere down the road because they could hype the match really good seeing as you use them both very entertainingly.
The Cruiserweight Ladder match was very amazing and was probably my favorite match other than the main events. I am a little disappointed that Kidman didn't get a victory but I am looking forward to who will face London next. I hope you bring in the Mexicools because they are very entertaining and have the experience to take the title from London.
Undertaker vs. Christian. Captain Charisma, what else do I have to say. He deserved a push and a push he got. I am surprised he went over the Undertaker cleanly but I am happy at the same time. I hope you wait a little while before you put him back in the title picture to give him a little more chance to build himself up.
I loved the Wrestlemania 22 commercial. I would pay to see that in real life. I hope you do a couple more of these commercials because you wrote this one out so well. Anything with Mae Young, Moolah, and a male superstar means laughs.
JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero. I knew Eddie would probably not win the title back seeing as Heyman said the feud was over but I would have liked to see it end cleanly. Overall, I like JBL's U.S. title reign and I think he is much more entertaining in the U.S. scene than the hogging the main event scene.
The Steel Cage match would have been great to witness. The Legend Killer killing the greatest legend of all time in the structure that made him such a legend. Nice to see Batista interfere in the match but have Orton overcome all odds. Orton is personally my favorite superstar and when used right he could be quite entertaining. A great way to end the fued with Evolution.
Triple H vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. This match has been done before but I liked the way you promoted this match and wrote it out. I am not happy that the Cerebral Assassin went over the Texas Rattlesnake but Triple H can't lose all his matches. I am interested to see where you are going with Hunter know that you put him over Austin.
The triple threat WWE Championship match was a real shocker. I expected the Rock to interfere but I had no idea that Kurt Angle would win the WWE Championship two years in a row. I was kind of pulling for Lesnar to win but being added last minute should have clued me off. I can't wait to see Rock vs. Goldberg III!
Lastly, the main event, Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena. I had a good feeling that Shawn was going to pull off the win here and I am glad he did. I like Cena's no crap character but I don't think he deserves a long title reign. There was no better man to take the title from Cena and I am looking forward to seeing Michaels' title reign!
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text:
Fictionalism in Metaphysics
Version of Record online: 10 NOV 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2011.00442.x
© 2011 The Author. Philosophy Compass © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Philosophy Compass
Volume 6, Issue 11, pages 786–803, November 2011
Additional Information
How to Cite
Kroon, F. (2011), Fictionalism in Metaphysics. Philosophy Compass, 6: 786–803. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2011.00442.x
Publication History
- Issue online: 10 NOV 2011
- Version of Record online: 10 NOV 2011
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
This is a survey of contemporary work on 'fictionalism in metaphysics', a term that is taken to signify both the place of fictionalism as a distinctive anti-realist metaphysics in which usefulness rather than truth is the norm of acceptance, and the fact that philosophers have given fictionalist treatments of a range of specifically metaphysical notions.