8 Elements of the Nerd's Perfect Video Game

In this post, I'm going to attempt to distill my favorite features of video games and break them down to components I would love to see make up a single game that would, for The Nerd, be the end all of video games.

Until the sequel comes out, with improved graphics and smell-o-vision.

1. Turn-Based Strategy

This is a must for me. Real-Time Strategy games require too much in regards to practice and memorization. I don't argue that they are fun, but my method of thinking is more analytically, given to examining a situation to make the best decision, without feeling rushed. The strategy aspect highlights this as well -- sure, a turn-based RPG is acceptable, but adding unit location and map variation to conflict scenarios really draws out the strategy-enthusiest in me. And it also highlights the ability to solve a scenario via multiple methods (direct approach, bait and switch, opposed strength/weakness, etc...). I have seen games that use turn-based strategy for an overworld and then something more action-oriented to resolve conflicts... I'd be ok with that as well.

X-COM: Enemy Unknown's Turn-Based, Strategic Combat.

Examples: X-COM: Enemy Unknown had a beautiful system with varied maps, and the fog of war was a nice touch. Banner Saga was another great looking example, which focused on each unit being different, while the maps were not so exciting. A classic example would be Final Fantasy Tactics, though that system is a bit dated and runs too slow compared to recent ventures.

2. Team Building

Being able to grow your team by collecting and grooming new units adds another reason to play the game, aside from the story and combat/conflict. However, these units should be unique or extremely varied, should have different strengths and weakness, and must have different recruitment methods and rarity.

Yeah, 108 characters will work, Suikoden 3.

Examples: The Suikoden series has a roster of 108 characters, which are different across all the games. I've only finished the 3rd game in the series, but it was awesome recruiting such a large cast of characters that had individual stories, unique appearances, and different ways to get them on your team. Pokemon is a better known series that features a collectible, team-building style, and it worked as well. Shin Megami Tensei games have one of the most interest versions of this, with large cast of recruitable monsters, many of which can only be acquired through fusing others... Collectible card games are also appealing in this manner.

3. 'Town' Building

Building a town or location up as you advance in the game is an easy way to make a player invested. It can be a negligible aspect of the game that provides non-mandatory benefits for those who like the simulation-like aspect. Visiting a location you've help 'build' from the ground up is refreshing. Even better if you have to defend it or interact with it during missions. It can also offer an avenue of interacting with the large cast you've recruited above, if they end up relocating to this new location.

One method of "town" building, with X-COM's base screen.

Examples: Suikoden, again, uses this pretty heavily, and it was my absolute favorite part of the third game. I cared less about the main story and more about gathering the "108 Stars of Destiny" in Thomas' castle... XCOM: Enemy Unknown also features a base-building aspect that, while a touch bland, did introduce a puzzle-like aspect and some additional strategy to the overall game. A classic example would be Dragon Quest/Warrior III, which had a town that grew as your progressed the story.

4. Character Evolution

Characters should change throughout the game. Most commonly, this will occur via the story, but that's not the only way to do it. Characters that can unlock abilities that alter the game to a decent degree would work, or characters that undergo a physical change after a certain threshold is met allow the player to set goals based on their characters. Stagnant characters can kill a game fairly easily.

Pokemon Conquest's monsters and 'trainers' could evolve.

Examples: X-COM: Enemy Unknown had your soldiers gaining game-changing abilities as time went on, and their physical appearance changed drastically based on their equipment (and, after the expansion, certain abilities). Pokemon is an obvious choice here, with almost every monster being able to evolve. A less obvious example would be the main character of Knights of the Old Republic, who has a major revelation that is surprising and changes the way the player looks at the character. Similar again to the protagonist in the first Bioshock.

5. The Antagonist's Story

This one is probably the easiest to dispute from this list, but it is absolutely a requirement to be the perfect game for me. Having an opportunity to see the antagonist's story is a minimum. Even better if you can, in some fashion, play through their story. Either as post-game content, or recruiting them to your team, or maybe just given control of them for a couple of sequences.

Magneto was clutch in the final battle of X-Men 2: Clone Wars.

Examples: Chrono Trigger allows you to recruit on of the villains on your team. I'm fairly certain you could play as the antagonists in Suikoden 3, after finishing the main game, but I don't recall. Fallout: New Vegas allowed you to be a villain, and never required you to "save the world" or "fight the bigger evil." Golden Sun: The Lost Ages actually gives you control of some of the main antagonists from the first game, which was awesome. A classic example would be X-Men 2: Clone Wars, where Magneto became a powerful player character after you defeat him in a later level of the game.

6. Variety of Game 'Modes'

Cutscenes separating similar combat scenarios/styles gets boring, eventually. Sure, some games can come to a close before this happens, but I personally love longer titles. My favorite way to break this up is to work in an 'large battle' system or an 'territory conquest view.' These would have different gameplay elements that still required strategy.

Budokai 2 had a board game campaign within a fighting game!

Examples: Suikoden, again, featured this, in the form of large scale battles that gave you control of larger forces that followed different rules when being controlled. X-COM: Enemy Unknown's base building and global management definitely broke up the monotony of repeated turn-based battles. A classic example would be Ogre Battle 64, which had to methods of play - a map view, where you moved your forces around, and a combat mode that played like a typical RPG. The Devil Survivor series also mixed turn-based strategy with traditional RPG elements. Even Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 had a "campaign mode" that worked in a boardgame element. When pieces on the gameboard met, the combat would take place via traditional fighting game combat -- the losing player lost their piece.

7. An In-Depth, Variable Story

Several of the strategy games I play don't bother with a continuous, in-depth story. And the story should present you with options or opportunities that change the way the game plays, so that there is still a motivation to replay the game.

Mass Effect's Decision Tree. Notice how 3 goes off on its own...

Examples: On the negative side, neither Pokemon Conquest nor X-COM: Enemy Unknown have in-depth, persistent stories. They focus on generic or minor stories, with a focus on replayability. This works for them, but I'd prefer something continuous, and with a variety of meaningful choices. The Fallout games have always featured this. Something like the Mass Effect or Dragon Age series, however, where the choices made persist through multiple games, would be even better. Though Mass Effect specifically missed many good opportunities...

8. Appealing Setting/Theme

For me, an appealing setting or theme could pull from an existing universe (Marvel, Star Wars, etc...) or feature elements I enjoy (post-apocalypse, space travel, etc...). Generic fantasy would be hard to feel original, though it could be done. I'd love to see something in this format that includes giant mechs...

A turn-based RPG that uses Gundams? Oh, yes please, MS Saga: A New Dawn

Examples: The Front Mission series features giant mechs, which I love. Fallout has the post-apocalyptic angle covered, and Knights of the Old Republic was awesome for its innovative storytelling AND the fact that it was set in the Star Wars universe.

Games that blur the lines.

There have been some titles that have blurred the lines and mixed some of my favorite elements, though I know of none to get them all:

Pokemon Conquest - Combines Team Building, Variety of Game Modes, Character Growth, Variety of Game Modes, Appealing Setting/Theme. Technically it also hits The Antagonist's Story, though that's because there isn't a true antagonist. I love how it mixes Pokemon with Nobunaga's Ambition for the setting/theme. The strategy aspect is a bit too basic and easy, and there is no 'true' consecutive story, but this game comes pretty damn close.

Suikoden Series - Team Building, Town Building, The Antagonist's Story, Variety of Game Modes. And there are two titles in the series that feature Turn-Based Strategy. These games are pretty awesome, though each suffers from a variety of issues. I would love to see a new, next-gen entry into the series.

Fallout Series - Turn-Based Strategy (in 1, 2, and Tactics), Team Building, Town Building, Character Evolution, An In-Depth, Variable Story, Appealing Setting/Theme. The post-apocalyptic setting gets me every time...

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Conquest Mode) - Turn-Based Strategy (via galactic map), Team Building (you had to unlock different units as time progressed), Town Building (you collected planets as you won battles), The Antagonists Story (you could be the Empire!), Multiple Game Modes (board game-like galactic map and then combat as a 3rd Person Shooter), Appealing Setting/Theme (Star Wars!). This game had a lot to love. With some polished combat and maybe a story-driven conquest mode, it could have been damn near perfect for me!


If you have any games that hit multiple points here, let me know in the comments! Also, if there are different elements you'd need for your perfect game, I'd love to read about them! Right now I'm playing MS Saga: A New Dawn and... Well, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, which doesn't mix any of my favorite elements, really, but is still pretty damn awesome!

The Nerd's Agenda

Howdy folks. Haven't had too much to write about, so haven't written!

My comic book backlog is fairly long right now. I've only bothered to keep current with Saga and Hawkeye, everything else is in a "to read" pile. I've been focusing more on my gaming than comics, however.

I have been reading The Erevis Cale Trilogy, which is a very decent Forgotten Realms set of novels about an interesting group of characters (the title character is interesting for the number of changes he goes through, which is reflective of how often players change their characters over the course of a campaign, by either adding templates or changing classes, etc..). I also picked up Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett, and a collection of short stories known as Wild Cards, edited by George R. R. Martin. I'm pretty excited to start reading those, especially the Pratchett novel -- my experience with Discworld has been focused on Going Postal and Making Money, the former being on of my all-time favorite novels.

On the gaming front, I've still been trying to beat Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, but have gotten side tracked with Dragon Age: Origins, which I've played before but never on PC and never with all the DLC. I picked it up during the Steam Summer Sale, along with Mount and Blade: Warband (never played but am very excited to), Endless Space (a decent 4x, but I've not played enough to know how I'd rate it), and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (because I'm almost done with the first).

Just taking over the universe, don't mind me...

Beyond that, I've been working on a new project that will hopefully be unveiled soon. You can actually watch us streaming it Mondays at 8:00pm here, but I'm hoping to also eventually turn it into an edited podcast... More on that soon.

For movies and TV, I've been watching Bones with the wife and really enjoying it, and I'm rewatching Season 1 of Arrow, hoping season 2 will magically be on there when I'm done (it won't be, I've only got two episodes left). I'm eagerly anticipating Guardians of the Galaxy, but may have to put that on hold because I'm expected a daughter two days before it comes out! Gah!

Keep busy without getting much done, that's my motto!

What is dead my never die...

Not sure why, exactly, I went with a Game of Thrones title on this one, but I like it. Feels very Lovecraftian, and I do love my Elder Gods. Which is a bit of an odd statement for an atheist, but I'm sticking to it!

I've been a bit slow with the normal updates. I've been to the movies a lot this past month (which has been a rarity), but that'll stop now -- the next one on my list is Guardians of the Galaxy, I believe, and that's if The Oncoming Storm doesn't prevent me -- both a Doctor Who reference and what I'm calling my daughter before she arrives (due date is 7/28!).

For comics, I've been reading a bit here and there:

Love this cover, going on my wall!

Amazing Spider-Man - It's back. I'm not loving it, though I'm glad Peter's back with it. I probably won't enjoy it until they get through with Peter having to deal with all the things Otto did in his name. I've always disliked those kind of stories. In this instance, I feel they've changed Black Cat's character for the worse, and, in the end, it feels like wasted time. Let's do something new! Ah well. The Spider-Event coming up sounds good. And I'll cross my fingers for yet-another-chance at a Ben Reilly revival...

Saga - Started up again. Current issue is a time jump ahead, and Hazel is a toddler instead of an infant. The last page makes me very, very sad and I'm really, really hoping it's a trick. But Saga has been happy to go Game of Thrones style on my heart lately, so I'm not holding out too much hope...

The Wake - I've only read the first two issues, but I'm really loving the split current and post-apocalyptic future settings, and both sides of the story are very interesting (even if the future isn't very fleshed out by issue 2). Some more Lovecraftian themes here.

Thunderbolts - I managed to finally complete my collection of every "Thunderbolts" issue, and I've been busy reading that. I still need the "Dark Avengers" issues, when the title actually changed, and then the Marvel NOW! stuff, but I'm not too excited by that due to the deplorable art.


For gaming, I've really not done too much on the video game front. I'm playing through Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and am really enjoying it. I've never beaten the original, but I seem to be in the mood lately... I'm really looking forward to FINALLY finishing and then importing a character into the second game, which is universally considered superior, yet I've never played -- as always, I HATE starting things anywhere but at the beginning. Thanks George Lucas for really screwing that one up, huh?

It's a bit dated, but I'm still loving it. D&D 2nd edition, too...

Possibly because I've been playing a lot of D&D (Dungeons and Dragons, for the odd folks who read this blog but don't know what D&D is...) lately. I started one campaign as DM (Dungeon Master. Seriously, just good these things, you're a terrible nerd) playing with 3.5 Edition rules, and am planning on starting another one using either Pathfinder or 4th Edition rules. I'm also considering doing that one remotely and trying to record it as a podcast, though we'll see how that goes. For now, I'm happy creating stories for the campaigns and am itching to play more so the Players can experience all the awesome events I'm planning and they're going to ruin in some way...

Now accepting donations of all unwanted D&D materials! Please?

But yeah. That's what I'm up to now, and I've not been particularly motivated to do an entire write up about any of it. I'm considering posting something from our next D&D session this weekend, but we'll see how that goes.

Titanfall Drops at Midnight

If I haven't been writing much or seem distracted, it's because I've been waiting for Titanfall.

If I fall asleep at work tomorrow, it's because I decided playing at launch was more important than sleep.

I've pre-ordered and pre-loaded and will be playing on PC (Origin ID is Silt44, add me!).

There are a lot of components of this game that interest me, including giant mechs, insane maneuverability, an interesting array of pilot abilities, and hopefully more I'm completely unaware of.

One component that I initially thought I wouldn't like was the inclusion of Burn Cards, one-off ability modifiers that you use before re-spawning and last for the rest of that life. Initially, I imagined they'd be like special pokeballs in Pokemon; I'd horde but not use them for fear of wasting them. Fortunately, I watched some gameplay highlighting amped weapon cards AND the Titanfall website just posted an explanation of Burn Cards that has me feeling more excited for the addition. I'm sure I'll complain by being crushed by overpowered weapons, but the other, ability-based cards seem like they'll be a lot of fun and add a decent amount of strategy to a fast-paced title.

Can't wait to see what else they've got up their sleeves.

I'll be posting a first impression tomorrow morning (assuming I've made it to work and not fallen asleep on the train, destined to ride forever. I almost wish I had a way of recording videos, I'm feeling pretty confidant about my chances in this game.

I'll also be using a PS4 controller initially, only because I've never played a PC FPS at launch... We'll see how long that lasts.

This Week... (Now Playing and a Request)

Hi All!

This week I'm going to be crammed under a ton of work and don't think I'll find time to blog anything substantial. That being said, I've got a Now Playing update and a request:

Now Playing

PS3: Dead Space 3 (Early impressions/series review next week)
3DS: Fire Emblem: Awakening (Review incoming, GET THIS GAME)
PC: Jagged Alliance 2 (Well, haven't started this, a bit distracted)
Netflix: Sherlock (for the third time)
Amazon Prime: Downton Abbey (almost through season 2, this show is awesome)
Hulu: Seven Samurai (finally watching this masterpiece as research for my YA novel)

My other consoles/shows are being neglected due to the work load and titles listed above.

The (Re)quest

The Wife and I are taking a mini-road trip from the NYC area to Washington, DC this weekend. The focus of the trip is to hit any interesting comic book stores we find along the way; if you know of any, leave their name/town and why we should stop there in the comment section.

Alright, that's all, expect to see a bit more of my next week!

Hunting Game(s): Upcoming and Now Playing

I know I posted a bit about the Vita yesterday, but that was more of a random update that I found interesting. This week's rendition of "Hunting Game(s)" (which I'm thinking of re-branding. At first it was pun-ny, not I'm not enjoying it) is about upcoming items and what I've been playing.

Titles on my Radar
X-COM: Enemy Unknown


Yes, that is an hour of game play footage. And yes, it is awesome.

Pros: It looks like the perfect game for me. Literally, when I think of a dream game, it is apparently X-COM (which I've never played anything related to before). It is a gorgeous, interesting, story-oriented strategy game with SO. MANY. OPTIONS! I'm really looking forward to this title, which drops October 9th.
Cons: I'm torn between getting it for 360 or PC, and I've NEVER had that issue before...

Dishonored


Shorter video this time, but still awesome.

Pros: This looks like a mix between Bioshock and Assassin's Creed, and I love the idea. It has several different approaches to each mission, interesting abilities, potential for a good story, and is set in a steampunk world. It drops... on October 9th.
Cons: It comes out the same day as X-COM! I've cut back my gaming expenses in light of other things, and only one of these games will make the cut, the other will be something I avidly await a price drop for. I'm tempted to choose this one SIMPLY for the fact that the pre-order bonus is an actual set of Tarot Cards...

Maybe I'll play the lottery this month...

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

I'm not posting a video, check back to last week's post for a good one!

Pros:The release date is November 13th, which means it won't have any other competition (that I can think of) for a November purchase. I'm looking forward to the changes and it will be nice playing a game that I know most of my friends (who all live far away) will purchase as well.
Cons: As a series itself, I only like CoD for the multiplayer, and usually only when I'm playing with friends. I'm concerned that, for all its changes, it will just be more of the same old show we've seen before.

Now Playing
360: CoD: Modern Warare 2. I've been picking this up and playing it to scratch the FPS/multiplayer itch and it's one of the only games I have in common with my brothers (for now). As good as I remembered (knifing especially), though often frustrating due to NoobTubes and Campers.
Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Picked it up on super sale from Amazon awhile back with the intention of selling it. Apparently everyone and there mother bought it at the same time and wouldn't buy my copy. So now I'm replaying it to test out some of the new things release via HeroHQ (costumes and arena) while getting achievements (I played the PS3 version last time).

PS3: Nothing! My brothers (a couple states away) have it for now. Which is unfortunate, because I need to to download Final Fantasy VII to my Vita. CURSES!

PC: Nothing serious, atm. Interested that The Old Republic is going free to play -- I'll feel less guilty about not making much time for it -- I'm waiting for the next big expansion, then I'll try to navigate the new server I got moved to.

3DS: Picked up Devil Survivor 2 again, playing it here and there. Still not as good as the first one, but I was able to get past the level that was irking me. Will eventually finish it.

Vita: Still picking up and playing Mortal Kombat. Not too often, but I'm glad I have it for the next time I get a fighting game urge.

PS2: Speaking of fighting games, I've been thinking of playing through Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World again. Haven't started yet, but it's somewhere on my to-do list.

That's it for now, no clue what next week will bring!

Now Playing

X-Box 360:


I'm finally doing a playthrough with all the DLC for New Vegas. I've played all the DLC already, but this is a complete playthrough of the game and DLC worked into the story. I've made my character based on a "Cowboy" style and made story choices to match this. Being dynamic instead of trying to get the best endings/achievements has been really liberating. The DLC has made the game too easy, however; even playing on Hard/Hardcore mode, the extra content oversimplifies things. Perks, special healing items, weapons, and excess amounts of gold make it difficult to be difficult.

DLC Opinions (In order played with this character):

Honest Hearts: A decent add-on, though the main quest line is much too short. It is interesting for character lore and isn't too difficult at any point.

Old World Blues: This is my favorite DLC, made even more interesting by running a techno-phobe cowboy through it. It is perfect, campy, sci-fi humor. Main quest line is still fairly short, but there are a lot of additional questions/locations to explore directly on the way. Enemies are fairly difficult, pop up often, and several legendary enemies are introduced (I was personally one-shot-ed by the Legendary Bloatfly...). This DLC unbalances the game a lot though -- you'll never run out of credits/things to sell and you are given the perfect base (The Sink).

Dead Money: This is my least favorite DLC, though I still enjoy it. It plays like a survival horror game during a casino heist movie. It's difficult, but the characters are interesting and it has a lot of story elements that relate to Old World Blues. Overpowered weapons are introduced here (though not as bad as Old World Blues, I think), as well as a source of wealth that, if utilized, ruins the in-game economy (such as it is).

Lonesome Road: The penultimate DLC that falls a little flat, in my opinion. It is a decent extension of the game, decently difficult, but the story is a bit of a let down, being the culmination of events tied through the main game and all the preceding DLCs. Still, I enjoyed it, and I don't think there were too many game-breaking additions. I haven't done it with this character yet -- if something interesting pops up that I forgot, I'll edit this.

Courier's Stash: This is just several starting loudout sets, but makes any early game scavenging MUCH less important. That being said, I appreciate it more for that! It makes subsequent playthroughs a little easier at the start.

Gun Runners' Arsenal: Another mini add-on focusing on weapons. I don't think it was all that needed, but there are several interesting additions (katana being my favorite). It also adds a new series of challenges which are interesting (if excessively hard) that helps prolong the game some more. Good stuff.

Alright, that was longer than I thought and NOT what I wanted to focus on.

3ds:


YES! It finally came out! After some issue with the release date (silly Nintendo and their Mondays!), I have to say that I am really enjoying it. It is on the simple side for a SRPG, but it does well in combining the genre with Pokemon.

To wrap up this post, because these are the only two games I've been playing lately, I'll give a short list of Pros and Cons for Conquest.

Pros: Intuitive battle system, easily accessible, a lot of different options, mild kingdom management, amazing art, deep-enough gameplay with the focus on Pokemon strengths/weaknesses, decent selection of Pokemon and warlords, heavy coverage over at Serebii.net.

Cons: Not for the hardcore SRPG player, yet there can be a lot going on for someone unfamiliar with the genre, obscure rules regarding Pokemon/warlord capturing/evolution, basic plot, episode format (post game), doesn't include complete Pokemon roster (not an issue for me, but certainly for others).

I'm loving the game. As I play more, I'll make any pertinent updates here.


Coming up next time: Pull List post! Almost done reading my current batch.

Now Playing (Literally [Well, Almost])

Just a quick post:

I've decided to start up Bulletstorm tonight and see if it is worth playing through. If not, it will be sacrificed to the GameStop gods to summon Pokemon Conquest in a couple weeks.

Also, I've been playing Civ V a lot more. For any Civ 5 fans out there, what are some decent mods? I've tried NiGHTS; it's too much like learning a new game. I'm sure I'll come back to it, but I was just getting the hang of vanilla (ok, not vanilla. I really couldn't pass up the chance to play as Cthulhu and conquering Faerun...). Would love some smaller-yet-still-interesting mods, though.

Next post I'll let you know how Bulletstorm went!

Lies!

Apparently, I have already finished the evil inFamous 1 playthrough, so I'll be skipping to 2, then go back and make both games my first platinum! I won't replay the evil story because I don't particularly enjoy it, I think Cole makes a much better hero.

Also, I changed the blog layout (finally). I don't love it, but it is Spider-Man and will do for now until I finish some custom images and can go on from there.

So, next time, comics. Seriously.

Now Playing, Opinions Included

Here's my now playing list as it stands:

360
Ghost Recon Future Soldier: I've never really been a fan of third person shooters, but with the advent of Starhawk and, now, Ghost Recon, I'm finding them to actually be enjoyable. I've only just started, but the mutliplayer can be tense and exciting (with a good team) or frustration (with no team communication). The game modes are lacking in my opinion, but I think I just want to see something different from shooters these days. The short time I spent in the campaign has me interested, which almost NEVER happens.

Deadly Premonition: Picked this up when I heard it was similar to Twin Peaks. Only played for an hour or so, but I can see this will be a game I enjoy. I think I might shelve it until I've finished Twin Peaks, though. The stories aren't related, I just don't want to over-saturate myself in the genre, that always burns me out.

Mortal Kombat: Played this for a couple days and was pleasantly surprised. I don't care for the online, but the story mode is easily the best story mode I've ever seen in a fighting game. DBZ games should take notes!

PS3
inFamous 1 (then 2): This is my favorite PS3 series. I actually haven't started playing them again yet, but I will. I got rid of Starhawk -- I enjoyed it, just don't enjoy PSN community and prefer single player games on PS3. inFamous 1 is my preference out of these 2, but I enjoy both of them and look forward to finally completing evil characters. Also, I wonder if 2 has gotten any interesting user created content...

3DS
Lent it to my brother who came to NY to help us move to our temporary apartment while ours is renovated. Was playing Chrono Trigger, but feel I need to focus more on that game than I am willing to at the moment.

Vita
Final Fantasy Tactics: Started again. God, I love this game. Strategy RPGs are my favorite genre, hands down, and this one holds a special place in my heart.

I also am considering picking up Mortal Kombat if I find it cheap. I enjoyed it enough on 360 and would like to finally own a Vita game...

PC
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Haven't been playing much. I enjoy it but, after guild drama, became guild leader. This caused undue stress when I wasn't looking for it. Mainly, it's an issue because we are on an unpopulated server with no room for growth, and playing with new/interesting people really fuels this game. There simply isn't enough varied content to keep me coming back without a decent crowd. For now this is on the back burner, though I will continue to play here and there.

Disciples 2: Enjoying this, but it is difficult and I find my time is spread a touch too thin to devote myself to it.

Board Game
Risk: I love Risk. I need to find people to play with around be, but don't have friends here in NY. In my senior year of college, I played almost every night with my MA friends. I also won every night but one, though that was due to Brandon back stabbing me and breaking our treaty. I'll never forget, Brandon! Main reason I want to play now is because I've picked up a Risk: Legacy board and it is an amazing concept but benefits most from a repeat group of players. The board is actively customized after each playthrough and that excited me more than I can say.



Next update will probably be comic oriented -- planning on picking up my Pull List this weekend. These updates tend to be far and few between due to my Comic Book store being in Jersey (shout out to Joker's Child), which is a bit far (have to go over the Tap and pay the toll...) to visit often/regularly. That being said, next comic post will focus on:

What's on my pull list and why.
What collections I have/am working on.
Why my favorite characters are my favorites.

Until then!

A Dustin Update

I should probably explain a couple of my techniques I plan to use in the blog.

When writing about characters that have a varient (or more than one), I will put the specific version I'm talking about in parantheses before the character's name.

This was seen last post when I spoke about (Ultimate) Spider-Man and (616) Spider-Man. Or when I spoke about (Ben Reilly) Scarlet Spider vs (Kaine) Scarlet Spider.

If the paranthetical text doesn't mean anything to you, a quick google/wiki search should catch you up to speed. I won't expect readers to be experts at anything I'm talking about (especially since I plan on covering a wide variet of topics), but I also will avoid hand-holding more than I have to.

I explained last post how I'll do things I consider potential spoilers. I'll separare them like:
________________________________
this. This is where the spoilers live. I don't know if Blogger supports a spoiler tag, and I don't much care to find out.
________________________________

When I started this blog, I was an undergraduate student. I'm now employed full time and am taking classes to get my MA in Writing. Also, I managed to get married somewhere in between there, not too sure how.

As I'm inspired by new methods/techniques to use here or plan on broaching brand new subjects, I'll try to do a "Dustin Update" each time. That way, a new reader can find all my methods with one easy to use label.

I think I had something else I wanted to write here but I've already forgotten, which is going to be a reoccuring theme with me, if you hadn't already noticed.

Oh, I suppose, since I plan on including video games into my blog, I'll end posts with a "Now Playing" list whenever that happens to change. That way, even if I'm not talking about the games, I can still show interest in talking about them. This will also get its own label.

Now Playing (in order of time devoted):
PS3: Starhawk
PC: Star Wars: The Old Republic/Disciples 2
360: The Force Unleashed (again)/Enslaved, Oddysey to the West
3DS: Chrono Trigger (Every now and then)
Vita: Tactics Ogre (PSP Title, slowed down now that I'm at the end)
PS2: Persona 4/Nocturne (I plan on eventually getting back to these)
X-box Original: Nothing atm, most recently Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1+2