What Are You Playing?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I thought it might be nice to start a discussion about video games, which is roughly in keeping with our wargaming tradition.  I usually have a video game going, although I can't find time to play more than a couple of hours a week, in addition to the D&D campaign I usually am running.

For right now, I've been playing Alien: Isolation.  I rewatched the first couple of Alien movies, and the way this game nails the ambience is just amazing.  It's not a shoot-em-up, but instead you have to carefully manage your resources and spend a lot of time hiding.  It ends up having more in common with The Long Dark than something like Aliens Versus Predator!  The soundtrack is also incredibly intense, and when I keep the sound up and play in the dark, I sometimes find my heart racing from a close call.

I recommend it if you like horror and puzzles, but not if you're looking for something casual!

What are you playing?

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

I started playing Minecraft again a few days ago (on PC this time; before I had never played anything except pocket edition).

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I started playing Minecraft again a few days ago (on PC this time; before I had never played anything except pocket edition).

All of my students talk about Minecraft so much! I really should give it a try at some point, but I never have. It always seemed a lot like 3D Dwarf Fortress, but not as ridiculously complicated.

[Françal I. Lux]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

Is that like the Civilization games?

[Françal I. Lux]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

Is that like the Civilization games?

Yeah it's the same concept, but the thing with Paradox games is that they crank up the complexity to an 11. You gotta manage so many things and with Crusader Kings specifically, you gotta make sure your dynasty survives until the game's end. It's a bit overwhelming at first but man it keeps you hooked! Lol

[Sir Ian Plätschisch]

I started playing Minecraft again a few days ago (on PC this time; before I had never played anything except pocket edition).

All of my students talk about Minecraft so much! I really should give it a try at some point, but I never have. It always seemed a lot like 3D Dwarf Fortress, but not as ridiculously complicated.

I've never played dwarf fortress so I can't say.

[Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial, UrGP]

I have been playing Cook Serve Delicious 2 co-op lately. My God is it stressful, but also very fun.

Speaking of Paradox Games though, Victoria 3 confirmed, for real this time! I'm ecstatic.

[xpb]

On www.youplay.it have been playing Blue Max and Wooden Ships and Iron Men - these are great planned move games adapted from the board versions.

[Françal I. Lux]

I have been playing Cook Serve Delicious 2 co-op lately. My God is it stressful, but also very fun.

Speaking of Paradox Games though, Victoria 3 confirmed, for real this time! I'm ecstatic.

Yes!! I can't wait! They're not messing around this time. It's supposed to be really good

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

Is that like the Civilization games?

Yeah it's the same concept, but the thing with Paradox games is that they crank up the complexity to an 11. You gotta manage so many things and with Crusader Kings specifically, you gotta make sure your dynasty survives until the game's end. It's a bit overwhelming at first but man it keeps you hooked! Lol

I've heard good things.  I also heard that (just like Dwarf Fortress, previously mentioned) much of it is procedurally generated.  Does that work out well?

On www.youplay.it have been playing Blue Max and Wooden Ships and Iron Men - these are great planned move games adapted from the board versions.

Haven't you been playing Wooden Ships and Iron Men for a good while now?  I know someone else has mentioned their enthusiasm for this game, but I can't remember if it was you.  If not, you might have a gaming pal out there!

[Françal I. Lux]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

Is that like the Civilization games?

Yeah it's the same concept, but the thing with Paradox games is that they crank up the complexity to an 11. You gotta manage so many things and with Crusader Kings specifically, you gotta make sure your dynasty survives until the game's end. It's a bit overwhelming at first but man it keeps you hooked! Lol

I've heard good things.  I also heard that (just like Dwarf Fortress, previously mentioned) much of it is procedurally generated.  Does that work out well?

Most Paradox games do find a good balance between all its components. Certain games emphasis more on certain things than others, but overall it keeps you engaged throughout the ~400 year timeline you're gonna play in. There are event triggers that make things more interesting too. Plague hitting your court, Mongols rising in the East, etc.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Been obsessively playing Crusader Kings 3 lately. I like to play grand strategy games in general. Anything by Paradox Interactive is a game I'll play.

Is that like the Civilization games?

Yeah it's the same concept, but the thing with Paradox games is that they crank up the complexity to an 11. You gotta manage so many things and with Crusader Kings specifically, you gotta make sure your dynasty survives until the game's end. It's a bit overwhelming at first but man it keeps you hooked! Lol

I've heard good things.  I also heard that (just like Dwarf Fortress, previously mentioned) much of it is procedurally generated.  Does that work out well?

Most Paradox games do find a good balance between all its components. Certain games emphasis more on certain things than others, but overall it keeps you engaged throughout the ~400 year timeline you're gonna play in. There are event triggers that make things more interesting too. Plague hitting your court, Mongols rising in the East, etc.

I guess I should pay more attention to game publishers, but the only one I really know is Ubisoft (because they make you install some terrible platform of their own to play things like Far Cry on your PC).

I'll put CK3 on my wishlist, thanks!

[GV]

I am addicted to the idle/incremental genre - I never should have started Cookie Clicker back in '13.

I eschew shoot-em-ups.  My dexterity is awful, and I hate shooting stuff in a 'realistic setting'.  Had a Windows machine, I'd be online playing Age of Empires 2 until daybreak most nights.

In about 2007 through ca. 2012-ish, I was somewhat big into WoW.  I was never able to get into raiding, but had some amazing times.

Factorio overwhelms me.  I've never been able to wrap my mind around it or any game like it, but it's an amazing title everyone should try out.

I used to love anything by HyperHippo, but when that company started (deliberately?) borking its titles with bad updates a few years ago, I began specifically avoiding that outfit. 

I love anything empire-building/city-management.  Such titles are what mostly populate my Steam, though being a Mac guy, thanks to no 32-bit support, I am stuck on El Cap for now.  Eventually, I will have to kill my Steam library for use on Mac, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

At the moment, I'm playing a title called 'Heathlands', another city-management I can figure out.  Video games have been my vice lol.

[xpb]

One may also note the King and other esteemed citizens at http://uk.diplom.org/
It was through those connections that I became aware of the Kingdom.