Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword mods

I've appreciated a good mod ever since downloading Counter-Strike via dial-up back in 2000, but a steady paycheck lead to decreasing mod usage over the years. It was quite the pleasant surprise when I recently discovered that my favorite expansion for my favorite computer game, Civ IV: Beyond the Sword, shipped with a number of mods. Some notable ones were a winter-setting fantasy world, post-apocalyptic tactical scenario, and a Mesoamerican setting. Being a fan of Aztec history, I have a feeling that I'll be spending some quality time with the final mod, although possibly not until after Steam Con this weekend.

The AFK Tavern

For anyone around Seattle and thereabouts, the AFK Tavern is a new restaurant/bar/gaming venue in Everett (by the Memorial Stadium). When I was asked to host game night, my lack of square footage at home made it a perfect opportunity to check the place out. Their website calendar stated that it was Steampunk Night, so I donned my khakis, grabbed my comically oversized wrench and rolled out. How was it?

At first glance, it appears to be a typical restaurant. Placed conspicuously by the door, however, was a sword and a list of the house's collection of board games. Wandering in a bit farther, two large TVs in alcoves stand out, showing Rock Band or Uncharted 2 sessions instead of sports. The actual bar is just big enough to serve drinks from, with a longer stretch devoted to monitors that are apparently hooked up to Xbox 360s. A small group was playing Halo: Reach, which my girlfriend joined in for a bit (she's so awesome). My group, all nine of us, claimed one of the two large tables in the back. I couldn't help but notice some wargaming terrain on the other table; never did find out if it belonged to the house or a patron. The whole ambiance wasn't quite the mecca (mecha? :> ) to gaming geekery that I hoped for, but they just opened and there's plenty of room for swag to fill up the walls.

The menu was filled with self-aware dishes; I had the meat-lovers' Orc Burger, and the g/f had a Can Haz Cheezberger. If you're feeling adventurous, the Orc Piss is an inexpensive pitcher of 50/50 beer and a soda of your choice. That and a plate of +2 Tater Tots would be enough for a gaming group to snack on all evening. The burger was a little pricey, but filling. And they have sweet potato fries. :D

There weren't too many people there at the time that my group arrived (10:15 pm or so), and the only steampunks present were three from my group. The Seattle Steamrats are looking to start an Everett chapter, with meetups there on Wednesday evenings. Seeing what the Steamrats have done for business at the Wayward Coffeehouse, I'm sure the AFK will welcome the various bodgers, artistes, and ragamuffins. A steampunk art exibit in the future should add some flavor to the decor, as well. (If I can craft a nice mount for one of my pistols, I may even contribute.)

Both the owner and head cook said hi to our group, and welcomed input on the food and venue. The staff was very friendly, and from what I gathered know their games. Also, even though it's billed as a tavern, 18+ can come in for the food and gaming. Young broodlings are even welcome with their parents.

Overall, the AFK Tavern seems like it's still trying to get into its groove, but there's definitely promise. I'll be going there again, board game under my arm.

Vindictus: First Impressions

After seeing ads for it on The Escapist and watching the trailer, the promise of physics-based combat in Vindictus was too tempting to pass on. That, and it's free-to-play (F2P). What do I think after two missions?

Good: 

It's BEAUTIFUL. My gaming rig isn't the newest, so anything that looks good even on low graphical settings and 1024x768 is keen. There are just little things that stand out as well, such as being able to change your character's expression on the creation screen. The Source engine looks like it wasn't squandered when you see your character smoothly shift from a coy smirk to a full-on toothy grin, and it doesn't look cheesy.

Movement. Movement feels quite fluid like in a platformer, rather than the slightly plodding pace of other MMOs. On the scaffolding of a bell tower I was able to smoothly maneuver around gnolls and kick them off to their doom.

The Prologue. I know it's just fluff, but the introductory cutscene and prologue really set the tone well, and are a cut above what I'd expect from a F2P game. The addition of movie-style opening credits was a surprise, but gave it a slightly more professional feel.

The Combat. OMGBBQ! I can trick enemies into attacking each other!!!! It's not like in Doom, where you'd get them angry at each other, either. Once a boss gets ready to attack among a group of minions, you can maneuver so that the minions are in front of the boss. Once an animation starts, the attack can't be stopped, so the boss ends up pummeling whatever is in front of it. Also, finishing a combo with a kick sent a gnoll flying back into a comrade standing right behind it, hurting them both. This type of spatial presence is something that I've been waiting for; compared to fighting games or FPSs where (in-game) inches could win or lose a match, it always seemed odd how MMOs seemed to slack off regarding melee combat. I've never cared much for fireball-spamming as a mage, so an emphasis on hand-to-hand combat and positioning during combat feels fresh and more fun.

The Ships. Like in Guild Wars, areas outside of the town are instanced. You go to the port to 'book passage' to the area, and the interface for setting up a 'ship' works well. Immediately you're presented with a list of groups that are being set up, and the parameters for those sessions. If you create a new session, you can set how many slots are available for others (or just go alone), if it's invite-only, and additional challenges for bonus points, such as beating it with one or two players. The functionality of the whole system may not be too revolutionary, but the presentation is where it shines.

Bad:

Characters. Currently there are only three characters to choose from, with "coming soon" listed for another in the background. No biggie, but as the community grows, it might hurt immersion if eventually you look like 33% of everyone else around you.

In-Game Browser. Certain features, like the guild browser, appear to use an in-game browser. It may just be my system or internet connection, but I haven't seen the browser windows that pop up work yet.

I'll definitely be playing this more, to see if it holds up after the initial shine wears off. Sadly, Parabellum never had enough shine to start out with.