Blog: Video Games of November 2016

Civilization VI came out in October, but I was busy for the so I didn't manage to get to play it until November. And then I did play it, quite a bit. At this point I don't remember too much about what else I was focused on for November so I'll let the games speak for themselves.

My top five games (by play time) for November were:

1. Civilization VI - You may have noticed I spent most of 2016 waiting for Civ VI to come out. And then it did. And I was really happy. The game is really well done and is a nice expansion on Civ V, and generally, the ideas they've been developing since Civ III. The unstacked cities makes city building interesting for the first time in a very long time. The improved movement system and ability to link units also solves the problems that unstacking units caused in Civ V. Breaking the research into Science and Cultural trees also makes it much easier to tailor your civ to the style you want to play. The new politics systems is also a really fresh aspect of the game, letting you further tailor your civ to the concerns of *right now*.
   
   
   Civ VI also offers a surprisingly heavy dose of nostalgia. It feels like Civilization (the first one), it feels exciting and clean and fresh and as you play you spend a lot of time dreaming of how the future will work in a way that most of the other entries in the series don't. In Civ V, for example, you have to decide how you would like to win the game before you begin, but in Civ VI its possible to start playing and then see where your situation leads you. That and something about the scale of the world (more plains and rivers?) really touches a feeling of "home" to me.
   The game's not perfect, the AI is weak and while they've tried to spice it up by giving each ruler a "natural" and a "hidden" motive, but while these change the ruler's interactions with you, they don't really change the way they play the game. The game also feels a little bland, I like the visual style, but especially in the late game it feels a bit like everything looks the same. This also creeps into the game play, however exciting and different the early game play as the game goes on you end up trailing into the universal "Civilization Late Game" slightly slanted by the victory you're going for (and I haven't actually tried the Domination victory yet, so I may have no idea what I'm talking about). Generally the game is very good, but definitely has room for improvement and expansion (and probably mods).
   
2. Ogre Battle 64 - If you've followed this blog much you'll know that I have a long, nostalgic and slightly conflicted relationship with Ogre Battle. On the broad level, I love the game, the concept, the game play, the story, the art, the characters and the character design. On the other hand the game is both too easy and too hard (at the same time) and has so many elements that don't actually work (in detail), that as often as not when I finish playing, I end up irritated and disconnected.
   

   

   From GameFAQs user Systematic_Rpg

   The thing is, though. I love this game. It's the game I always think of come winter weather and out of all of my favourite games it's probably the game I think about playing the most often. In addition to the nostalgia it's also (provided I don't think to hard) very relaxing and just a nice stylistic experience.
   So, with the help of a little whiskey to get started, I decided to try to play this year with out thinking too hard. I haven't done as well as I might, but generally it's been a success. I've played each mission pretty much on its own and just trusted my instincts and made the best decisions I can. I might miss out on the "super important" last mission, but overall I'm getting a lot of enjoyment 2 (or 4, did I mention the missions are long?) hours at a time.
   
3. Marvel Puzzle Quest - Having a friend who keeps poking you to get better characters and having a fair amount of time on the bus makes it easy to keep picking up MPQ. The fact that it's still fun, and has a nice mix of easy-to-play and tactically-interesting is also nice.
   
   


4. Super Mario Maker - I haven't spent that much time working on developing my own levels at the moment, but I have been playing a lot of other peoples levels lately and enjoying it. I've also been rating levels for Stephen Georg's Morning Mario, which has helped get me playing interesting levels as well.
   
   


5. Super Mario 3D World - I spent a bit of time going back and forth on whether I felt more like playing Captain Toad or 3D World and ended up wanting to finish 3D World so I could play the extra levels it unlocks in Captain Toad (which I may have had unlocked already, but it was a while ago). I started with a fresh save and replayed the first three world or so. It's interesting because while it is definitely the technically best 3D Mario game I still don't like it as much as I do Galaxy. I think some of it is the refinement of the 4 stage level progression which makes the levels more internally consistent but also seems to make the levels feel disconnected from each other (also the themes of the worlds aren't carried into the levels). I think this disconnection reduces the investment I feel in the game over all, which makes me like this very good game less than I might.
   
   

Special Bonus Game:

• I decided that I'm not going to do a Games of December post (for reasons), and I've played Pikmin 3 in both November and December and I really enjoyed it.
• Pikmin 3 is a stunningly beautiful game. It also is a perfect refinement in gameplay from the first two in the series. It has a few control issues (at least with the standard controls, I had trouble wrapping my head around stylus controls, which are apparently better) but overall it's a joy to pick up and play and always interesting. I like the way puzzles and combat are mixed and I like the way you can put the three captains to work on different jobs at the same time (at least roughly). 

Here's my total play time chart for November:

And here's my total number of times played:

And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 152)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos,  we drum up some memories, hammer down some problems and then sponge up some more useless knowledge.

• First, I hope your imaginary spaceship is ready, because Dave Bulmer is really excited about Forbidden Planet and he has his iambics, his pentameters and corrugators ready. (If you're also wondering what the hell he's going on about, he explains, in this video).
• Next, Brent Black brings us Super Mario 3D World with lyrics, because it's nice to celebrate the games that can save your friendships rather than destroy them.
• Finally, John Green has some facts that you might need to know (by which of course will never *need* to know, but will still come to you when you least expect it).

Blog: Video Games of September 2016

I started by second teaching gig in September and decided to try to be more organized in how I spend my time and more intentional in what I play. I also replayed Illusion of Gaia which is a game that still leaves me feeling a bit uncomfortable so it was a good time to be conscious about what I was doing while I played.

My top five games (by play time) for September were:

1. Illusion of Gaia - This is one of the games that I really remember from being a kid. First off because was easy to play and thematically it's a really really striking game. It's also terrifying, but I'm working on a separate post about that. Either way it was fun to get back to and a good game to sit down and play when I had time in the evenings.





2. Stardew Valley - I continued my slow playing of Stardew Valley and I really enjoy how fulfilling it is to play. I may yet hit the point where it starts to feel rote, but so far it still feel's pretty dynamic and fun.





3. Halcyon 6: Starbase Command - This is an interesting game. Part turn-based combat part management game / clicker. The game play is pretty good, although I haven't returned to it much since September and I think it has a bit of an imbalance in the difficulty. It feels like the enemies are either too difficult or too easy. The game may also just have too many moving parts, and I felt a little unsure what I was supposed to be doing. I'm sure if I played a little more I'd get a better feeling, but I just haven't felt compelled. Still I think if you haven't played it it's worth a look.





4. Cursed Treasure 2 - I really like tower defense games and this is a really good one. It was also a game that was easy to play at lunch time. I like the way the game is arranged in terms of the composition of the types of critters that come to attack you and I like that you get a chance to react when one of the critters makes it past your defenses. The ability tree system is also fun and every new ability you get lets you feel like you're sticking it to the bad guys ... er, good guys. Interesting to see that IriySoft has started work on Cursed Treasure 3 recently.





5. Civilization 5 - Have I mentioned that I'm really looking forward to Civ VI? (PS: I've played it now and it's excellent.)
   
   
   

   
   

Here's my total play time chart for September:

And here's my total number of times played:

And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:

Blog: Video Games of August 2016

I didn't play that much in August and ... I don't remember why. Possibly you should blame Netflix ... Voltron is quite good. Anyway, I definitely didn't feel the need to play that much and did other things. Possibly even read a book.

My top five games (by play time) for August were:

1. Hearthstone - Since I was mostly not playing games, it's easy to end up playing Hearthstone when you're watching TV. Also the One Night in Karazhan expansion was quite a bit of fun to play.
   
   


2. Stardew Valley - I really like starting the day off when I can with a bit of Stardew Valley. Usually I just played a day (or two) per day, but I also used it as a reward when I had a lot of housework to do. Finish your work and then you can go pretend to work. (Farming is slightly more fun in game than in real life).
   
   
   
3. Civilization 5 - Civ VI is coming.
   
   
   
4. Pokemon GO - Sadly, PoGo had some tech problems in August which kept me from playing as much, still it was nice to get out sometimes and play.
   
   
   
5. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon - So this game is great. Also hard, which you might not realize given how cute it is. It's an actual rogue-like, by which I mean it's like Rogue and you wander around dungeons fighting enemies, changing jobs, restoring town's folk's memories and getting clobbered if you're not very very careful.
   
   
   

Here's my total play time chart for August:

And here's my total number of times played:

And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 151)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos, we save our bees, celebrate our lab techs and lament the passing of time.

• First, if you're feeling like you've heard too many sad, weird or creepy Greek myths lately, Dael Kingsmill is here to tell you a touching story about a guy and his bees. Well it's still weird, but what can you do?
• Next we have a moment of thanks from Periodic Videos for their awesome lab tech Neil. 
• Finally, Laura Shigihara plays her cover of Chrono Trigger's Corridor's of Time, The Fall and as usual raises all the hair on my arms with this song.

Blog: Video Games of July 2016

I spent a lot of July recovering from May and June and I definitely got a bit more time to play. I was also still quite busy for the early parts of the month. Generally I tried to play games to give me a bit more focused fun, aaaand I also played a lot of Pokemon Go.

My top five games (by play time) for July were:

1. XCOM 2 - I dunno. It just eats time without me even noticing really. I also started to accept that even when I'm not actually having a lot of success playing, getting a team out to fight a level or two is pretty fun. That also lead me to tryout some Invisible Inc (which I also quite liked).
   

   

   My first ever total party wipe.

2. Pokémon Go - So Pokémon Go has changed a lot since it first came out and I started playing it before it even officially launched in Canada. While a lot of people have said a lot about the game, it's a huge amount of fun and in the early days seeing people crowding together in groups to play. I think it really delivered on the promise of creating a Pokémon adventure in the real world.
   

   

   A Pokécrowd. 



3. Chrono Trigger - I'm pretty sure that Chrono Trigger is my favourite game of all time (top 3 for sure) and so once I was finished with my first course it was nice to be able to sit down and play it for a while (even if it wasn't all that much). I got most of the way through the main game (it's shorter than I remember) and then stopped waiting for the "perfect time" to finish the game.
   
   
   


4. Cities: Skylines - Hey have I mentioned that I really like building cities? I really like building cities. And Cities: Skylines is a great way to build cities. I didn't play all that much, but I really enjoy all of the phases of city building (although I do tend to get a little board in the later ones and keep starting over). This game is great, really well designed and well executed. It's a huge amount of fun if you want to play a city builder (and they keep adding really cool things too).
   

   

   Golden Hour



5. Civilization V - I was not ready to wait until October for Civilization VI, so I played Civ V instead. It's a lot of fun, but ... it's time to move on.
   
   
   
   

   

   I can't remember why I have a city in the middle of the bay, but I do!

Here's my total play time chart for July:

And here's my total number of times played:

And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:

Blog: Video Games of June 2016

I was very busy with my first teaching position in June and so had less time to play than I had in previous months. I also was quite stressed, so wanted to play games that would help me distract myself.

Here are my top five games (by time played) for June 2016:

1. Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor - In terms of a game that's easy to distract yourself Shows of Mordor certainly counts. It has a lot of things to do and the challenge in the game is moderate, so it's usually easy to go kill an uruk when ever you want. Unfortunately, "victory" comes very abruptly and the final boss is, ... not interesting at all. And while you can keep on playing after you defeat the final boss, the game becomes a lot less fulfilling.
   

   

   It's nice of the bad guys to let me know where they are.

   
   
2. Hearthstone - Looking back I'm not sure if this was already in the window where people were getting excited for One Night in Karazhan or not. Either way, playing in the new standard format made hearthstone more interesting again (and at least removed Dr. Boom from my list of cards I probably should have, but don't). It was also a nice thing to play when I had a half an hour to sit down and I played quite a bit while watching TV.
   

   

   It's a box ... a box of mystery and low level play.



3. XCOM 2 - I didn't play XCOM 2 that much, since it requires a little bit more thinking than I had on hand for June. Most of when I played was my continued trying to get a little traction getting better at the game.
   

   

   Nothing to worry about here...



4. Europa Universalis 4 - Certainly this is another game that allows you to distract yourself. I sort of declared that I wouldn't play again after my initial burst, but then was drawn back in some between listening to Hard Core History discuss the Persian Empire and Extra History discuss the Ottomans.
   

   

   Uh... I think I'm in trouble. 



5. Mario Golf: World Tour - I didn't play as much of this as I meant to as my lunch time game, but it's still a ton of fun.
   

   

   GameFAQs user ollist

Here's my total play time chart for June:

And here's my total number of times played:

And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 150)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos, we celebrate, get a little loopy and then scribble our way to success.

• First, we have the history of the Gaming Historian. Norman celebrates 100K subscribers with the story of how he came to be doing what he's doing.
• Next, suppose you edited and posted 25 videos in 24 hours. Do you think you might feel slightly odd. Nah, I can't say I would either. 25 from Stephen Georg's Stephenvlog.
• Finally, Mary Doodles blows our minds again by taking a few random scribbles and turning them into yet another amazing piece of art. Yaaaa! Yaaaaaaaaa!

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 149)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos, we follow Norman Caruso, the Gaming Historian as he delves deep into the history of Wolfenstein, a video game series that changed the landscape. It's certainly left me wanting to revive my Apple II so that I can see if I play the original again. As a kid, I never managed to make it out of the cell.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 148)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos,  we code, we paint, we sing and we kick ass (well people do, we watch).

• First, we have the extras to Numberphile and Computerphile's visit to Pixar. The original video was interesting, but I was especially interested in this one because it focuses on academias relation to industry, engineers (and computer scientists) relation to artists and software's relation to the real word.
• Next, Mary Doodles draws a triceratops eating lunch.  Because, of course.
• Finally, Laura Shigihara, sings "Stronger than You" from Stephen Universe and stands all the hair up on our arms (well my arms anyway). I ... should probably watch that show at some point.

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 147)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos, we touch hearts, heads and feet.

• First, if you asked, I'd tell you that Jurassic Rhythm is why Chrono Trigger is awesome... of course, I'd be willing to tell you that any part of Chrono Trigger is what makes it awesome. Also if you asked, I'd tell you that this song is why Caleb Elijah is awesome... of course, I'd be willing to tell you that any song he plays is what makes him awesome. Now if you asked me what make is guitar awesome, I'd ask what the hell is wrong with you because LOOK AT THE THING!
• Next, in case you were wondering (and I'm sure you were) it turns out that every hat you thought was different was pretty much the same, and Lindybeigh is here to fill you in.
• Finaly, not content to answer your questions about headwear, Lindybeige  is also happy to fill you in on those things you were wondering (amd I'm sure you were) about shoes.

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 146)

In this volume of my Favourite YouTube Videos,  we look at our pasts and our futures, look at computers past and then fly through space in a very unfuture kind of way.

• First, John talks about being in high school and a) how it can leave you feeling an awful lot like a failure and b) how high school is not actually destiny or even life. It's nice to remember that our then is not our now, and our now is not our future.
• Next, Hank takes apart a mechanical calculator and it's awesome!
• Finally, we get a suite of music from Super Mario Galaxy, performed by the WDR Radio Orchestra, conducted by Niklas Willén (who I'm pretty sure is dancing on his way to the party).