Hey folks, I don’t know if y’all have noticed, but every now and then this site goes kinda quiet for a spell because I lose myself in a non-spacey game for a spell. Whether it’s Driver: San Francisco or Skyrim, it’s sometimes not easy being an gamer who likes almost all types of games and who also has ADHD. ;) I then thought that hey, we all love space games, but we’re gamers above all else, so there’s surely to be cross pollination with other types of games we’re all playing. Therefore I thought I’d start a new thingy in which every now and again we’ll all check in with what non-space games we’re enamored with at the moment. That’s why I’m calling it “Down to Earth” since it’s not in space. ;) Now, with all that said, what are y’all playing lately?
For me, it’s Diablo III. I avoided this game when it first came out due to its always-online requirement along with a lot of mixed reviews. I also wasn’t that into Diablo II very much, though I adored the first game in the series. Recently the game underwent a major revision with a “Loot 2.0” patch that was getting a LOT of positive word of mouth from folks on my usual online hangouts. On Facebook, my buddy Mike Cathcart said it was one of the best patches in gaming history. So after listening to him and some other folks just gush about the game, I decided to give the free Starter Edition a try and…wow…WOW…it’s so good. I mean, REALLY good. I’m completely hooked on Wizarding my way through thousands of bad guys who die and blow up real good. :)
So what about you guys? What are y’all playing? I know Jim is enamored with Titanfall at the moment, for example. ;) Talk to y’all in the comments. :)
For me, it’s Diablo 3, Warlock 2, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 + DLC (and Mirror of Fate HD starting from tomorrow, I suppose) with a bit of Penny Arcade 3 and Tales of Maj’Eyal around for good measure.
I would mention Smugglers 5 and Ring Runner, but those are space games. :-D Having a lot of fun with Ring Runner, by the way. What a great game it is.
But in the end… 70-80% of my gaming time has been Diablo 3. Act 5 (Reaper of Souls) is amazing so far.
How are you liking Warlock 2? I can’t imagine that doing well in Age of Wonders 3’s shadow…
And yeah, I can’t wait to get to act 5 in D3. I’m still in act 3 my own self, but loving the variety. Story is silly but engaging enough…
I like it. It’s Warlock 1 with some changes to modify the “flow” of the game. So far, I like the changes, but I have to play more. I would, but I’m too busy with Diablo 3 at the moment, and Warlock 2 is still a bit buggy.
Warlock 2 and AoW3 are different games. Some people like AoW3 better, some people like Warlock 2 better. I’m just glad I will be able to play both of them.
This is true. I’ve already pre-ordered AOW3, so W2 will have to wait for a sale though…
During the week I’m so mentally burnt it is almost always Mechwarrior Online, but that is kinda spacey…hmm. I play a lot of DCS and Command Air/Naval Operations from time to time. I’m also a huge fan of logistics sims, like Locomotion/Transport Tycoon, the Anno series, etc.
I tried MWO with Jim once, thought it was meh. Have you tried Hawken, though? SO. GOOD. Seriously, I can’t stand multiplayer arena games and I LOVE Hawken.
I do play Rimworld a lot lately (alpha 2 stage currently, a new alpha build to be released any day now). That is a perfect “dwarf-fortress-like” for me without the tedious graphics and interface of DF. With the promised features that Rimworld should have I have quite high expectations from it! Especially as it will be fully moddable (many things already are. albeit the palette is so far limited). kudos to Tynan Silvester!
Apart from that I try to get into Starshatter TGS (but that is a space game) and I also play a few Android games on my tablet.
Glad to see Starshatter getting some love. It’s one of my favorite games. I should find time to play it again. :-)
I’ll have to check Rimworld. I have Gnomoria, and it seems good for a DF-lite, but I’m open to other DF-like games for sure.
Starshatter deserves all the love it gets. I keep forgetting I too have access to the Rimworld alpha, so I need to give it a whirl.
You would have to ask that when the only game I’ve put any real time into lately is AI War. :) After 32 hours (as reported by Steam), I finally feel like I have a handle on the early game, but get out of my depth once I have more than a couple of planets to defend.
I have been meaning to give Crusader Kings II a try, though. Unfortunately, my desire to play intricate strategy games has been outweighed lately by work leaving me unusually tired.
I should get back to AI War. It’s a fantastic game. And so is CK2.
AI War scares me, but I need to muscle through that. I need to play more CK2 as well, what with its latest expansion dropping.
I too have been playing Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls….so much better without that real money auction house.
I have also been playing the old Lands of Lore series…and Might and Magic 5, 6, & 7.
My new favorite space game is the star trek mod for Sins of the solar Empire. They really did a nice job on that mod.
I need to try that Trek mod as well, it looks great. Diablo 3 is just so good, and I’m still only in act 3.
Only played a couple of games myself but it’s pretty good. Still in beta i think. Unlike other trek games the Borg are actually terrifying!
Hey Brian, Great thread! Currently in the digital arena the non-space games I’m playing are Diablo III – and man it feels like an all new game! Lets see, Age of Wonders III, Warlock II, and Medieval Total War with the Third Age TC. Also playing some great M:TG stuff. Forge, Manalink, and BotArena are really fun M:TG games and Forge has virtually every card ever printed, a ton of game modes, and over 10,000 decks to download. The best part is that these are all free! (Yeah, I still like to geek out on M:TG).
Non-digital: Lord of the Rings LCG, Mage Knight, Mice and Mystics, and Runbound!
Wow, that is a lot of great gaming there Vlad, and welcome to the comments as well! :)
I got my first new computer in several years, so I finally started Skyrim. I tend to play RPGs solid until I finish them.
I did pick up Qvadriga and have been playing that when I don’t have enough free time to go into Skyrim.
I hope to get back into Distant Worlds after I finish Skyrim.
Hah, we’ll see you in a few months, because really, no one “finishes” Skyrim. I’m 100 hours in and nowhere near “done” with it.
I’m up to 116 hours, but have been mostly doing side-quests. I might have another 100+ hours to go.
Oh, at least 100 hours. :)