Finals are Over! - Coming up next - Deus Ex or Witcher 2

Finally exams are over... The last two of them passed today :p Sociology of Domestic Security and Power Indices. 

What now? I would leave that to you in what title you are interested more? Deus Ex or Witcher 2? 

E3 Starts Today

Today, Los Angeles, 1201 South Figueroa Street, E3 kicks off. What we can expect?! 


Deus Ex
Mass Effect 3
Tomb Raider (new dirty Lara is something that tigers like most)
Wii 2
God of War 4
Konami and their plans for MTG series (I have seen that in Square pormotional video of FFXIII and now in Konami too... one could expect that president of US division could speak proper english...)
Codename: Kingdom some slasher form guys that created Crysis with strong similarities to Spartakus TV series


This are only things i expect how about you guys? (and maybe girls ;P if they visit delirium (Ok Jesse shows from time to time).
Some news about new System Shock

Deus Ex Human Revolution Leaked

As in title more info... when i investigate.

Solium Infernum

While I was looking through various decks in Armageddon Empires to produce some decent Human Fraction overview I found another game by Cryptic Comet. Above all others this one possess multiplayer mode which is sadly missing in Empires. Solium Infernum is another boardlike game from Cryptic Comet. You assume the role of fiend lord who wages war for dominance in hell by all means necessary ranging from direct military campaign to subterfuge, treason and backstabbing.

Game is played in simultaneous turns with few actions available per turn executed in order one after another till last order of current last player. Game is similar in themes to another real pen and paper hell based boardgame “The Hell Game” by Living Dead Entertainment Like in Armageddon Empires case I can provide link to demo version, if someone interested in PBEM session I will be happy to oblige.


http://sidemo.s3.amazonaws.com/SIDemo.exe

Armageddon Empires - Battle system

Ok as I promised Armageddon Empires.

I don't know why most reviews starts with world description or some more or less successful show-off of their proficiency with pen. I'm not like that so if I review wargame I will start from what tigers like the most, the meat of any strategy game – battle system!

If you think that boardgames or their electronic offshots are less sophisticated than modern RTS or even turn strategy you should think twice. One can build up complexity in two ways, one is math - insane equations including earth rotary speed to decide if that bullet reaches it's target or not, second is diversity of easily recognizable factors. In this case Cryptic Comet decided to chose second patch and in my opinion they chosen well.

Combat is based on dices, sometimes few and sometimes many of them. Dices can produce 2 possible outcomes - Hit or Miss, Yes or No, 0 and 1 call it whatever you like just know it's rough binary system with no gray area, no uncertainty. Now that's disappointing isn't it? Ok but there is more cause number and outcome of dices can be modified

by various ways, examples? Here you go.

Hills - Defender bonus +2 dices.

Equipment – Here we have vast range of choices from Upgraded laser rifle + 1 dice and energy weapon feat (random dmg bonus If hits) to Tactical Nuclear Warhead – Destroys enemy unit regardless of it's current HP.

Leadership – Trade your AP (I will explain this later, or not) for bonus dices if you have leader character in play.

Battle Cards – re-roll dices yours or enemy, score automatic Hits on your side or Miss in hostile camp etc.

Also mind that great majority of units has some feats that range from minor bonuses while they fight alongside with their allies to Absolute Terror field which reduces every damage taken to 1.

That was shallow view on tactics but what about strategy? Form this few games I have played I learned one thing that fog of war is harsh on the wasteland and without scouts you are blind and if someone has any doubts sooner or later also dead. Imagine that your core units infantry, tanks (I talk about Humans, sides in Armageddon 

Empires are really distinct both in their design and gameplay style) have field of view equal to... 0. They can spot what is on their own hex and even then the bigger target the better their chance to actually find it on their little piece of desert so don't expect that your armored division will find Mutant saboteurs or cloaked assault mech. Subterfuge is not only thing you should worry about, AI plays in aggressive style and while you can exploit it later first you have to learn that sending majority of your forces to wipe out some local cult is not always good idea... ok it's never good idea. Have I mentioned that it's rare but you can find nuclear warhead? Or even produce one later. Then you have to deliver it by any means you find possible to your opponent outpost or even headquarters and... press the “Fuck I win” button. Or not :p your plane can be shot down, your agents can be captured (forgot about poor agent THEY HAVE YOUR NUKE NOW!)... here I should write something about how to stop that old SCUD launcher dragged by mutated mammoths relatively close to my lands but I don't know how (Did I mentioned that AI placed that launcher on fortified hills in heart of vast horde of their radiated fellows?) Now think about all that options knowing that you have certain amount of AP (action points) per turn and every order cost few of them. Move one agent or unit? Ok it's 1 point. Order sniper team to camouflage themselves, move to enemy base and try to assassinate their scientist? 1+1+6 = 8 AP. Want to order conscription of infantry unit? Here you go - 3 points of Human Resources, 2 Tech, 1 Fuel and of course 4 of your attention measured in AP.

What about world... Let's put it that way Armageddon Empires = fallout with Enclave vs Masters supermutant armies conflict then add terminator skynet fraction and on top of Cthulhu finally awakens. I will try to describe human fraction soon.

If you want to try it here you 

can find demo. 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/AEDemo/ArmEmpiresDemoSetup.exe

Gemini Rue

Everyone writes about mega productions like CoD or another AC so I wanted to present some less known games, often equal or even superior in playability to world top productions.

Adventures genre was once very popular but in present it's a little underdeveloped. What real competition we have here?
Monkey Island? Indigo Prophecy? Ok but not everyone likes comedy or QTE experiments with genre. I admit, I don't play that type of games a lot so I know almost nothing about Alan Wake or heavy rain but few weeks ago I run into some kind of independent production called Gemini Rue by Wadjet Eye Game.

Plot of Gemini Rue places you in two roles, one is ex assassin now working for interstellar police second is mysterious patient of some kind of mental institution. Their stories are shown separately giving player choice which plot advance first or now. Stories will eventually merge but for most of the game you just get two plots, two gameplay styles (Investigator has large area to cover and seek for leads and tips while patient or prisoner has to deal with his escape plans in limited space of secret facility he inhabits. Game follows art and interface style of Indiana Jones adventure games or other contemporary Sierra products. We have arcade sections in gun fights, time based challenges or even choices that lead to sudden death all this features saved me from common sensation of boredom present in most of genre that time and now. The world created by Wadjet deserves my most sincere admiration, hard sci-fi setting with all that dirt, rain, leaky steam pipes and pollution are present along with their corrupted people. This is the world in which organized crime has power equal or even greater than falling authority of the State. This is one of most characteristic cyberpunk themes business organizations like mobs or corporations wield powers and responsibilities over general population which we think are reserved for national state. Again I recommend Gemini Rue for all who like adventures, cyberpunk or just something different than mainstream gaming. 

Delirium Tigers - Mirror Image

I decided to change something with my blog layout and content so I divided it into two sections Books and Games. I will duplicate my other interests like... you know sociology has very wide field of interest and I’m used to amuse myself with both weird and common things depending on my mood or unhealthy and sometimes even illegal substances that circulate in my bloodstream.

And now for taste of things to come!

http://www.crypticcomet.com/games/AE/ae_Overview.html

Armageddon Empires by Cryptic Comet, another great game from unknown depths of industry. Voice activated command interface? No. Approximately 10,000+ animated 3D models? Nope. Original idea and fun boardgame-like mechanics. Yeah. Just let me learn how to win just one scenario and I'm back with you with my review.