Diecast – Twenty Sided

I think things are slowly getting back to normal around here. I should probably do a little write-up for those that are following my health, but the short version is that dialysis is helping a lot and I’m doing ok.

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01:35 Blizzard Sylph

I can’t believe I haven’t heard about Sylph until now. I’ll keep my eye out for one of those glossy mailers.

04:13 Sleep Transitions

I used to wake up sluggish, but in the last couple of months the transition between sleeping and waking is much more gentle. It’s so gentle that sometimes I can’t tell if I slept without looking at the clock. Weird.

Related: This now-ancient post from 2006 where I talk about being a warm starter vs. cold starter.

08:48 V Rising
I spent so much time complaining about the lack of pause that I forgot to mention the combat, which is the strongest aspect of the game. This isn’t another Diablo-esque clickfest. You get a dodge move and your foes get interesting abilities that punish careless button-mashing. The whole thing feels pretty good.

22:10 File Extensions

Microsoft Word is the Internet Explorer of word processors.

29:41 Deus Ex: Pandora’s Gun

I know it’s been a while since I posted anything meaningful. This Friday I’ll start the new series. I hope you like it.

31:55 Mailbag: Save Systems

Dear Diecast,

How important do you think save systems are in a video game?

Obviously, this will vary depending on the length of the video game. For instance, arcade games are so short that they seem like a redundant feature there. Whereas in RPGs, they’re generally considered a basic necessity. (I’d be interested to know if you can name one where it isn’t.)

Are there any other factors and examples you can think of that would inform/justify the decision to omit a save system, or include a particular kind of save system (e.g. checkpoints, limited anytime, unlimited anytime)?

And were there any games you played and thought, “Why does this NOT have a save system!?” or “Why is the save system like this!?”

Kind regards,
Andrew

43:16 Mailbag: Blogging

Dear Diecast,

Do you have any advice for those of us just starting out blogging (via WordPress)? Whether traction-wise, or to do with hosting options and precautions, and whatever else you think are important things to do and consider, I’d be interested to know what wisdom you have to share on the subject.

Kind regards,
Andrew

I did think of some advice once the show was over: I have generally avoided using the built-in WordPress system for uploading images. WordPress ends up storing the images in its own file structure. I dislike this because I want to KNOW where stuff is and how to find it. When I make backups, I want to be able to confirm I’ve got everything. I’ll often upload a dozen images in a week when the site is going strong, and if you multiply that by 52 weeks a year, and you’ll quickly have way more files than the WordPress media browser was designed to handle. For the curious, this morning I just uploaded the 9998th image to the site. It would be horrendous if I had to scroll through that ocean of images every time I wanted to add a screenshot to a post.

The WordPress tool is good if you’re the sort of person who likes to pretend that files exist in the ether and can be summoned by whimsey. But if you’re the sort who knows how to use an FTP client, then I suggest managing your own images.

46:26 Mailbag: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

Dear Diecast

Considering it just had its digital release last week, has become A24’s highest grossing film, is already a contender for movie of the year, and has become an all time favorite for a lot of people, have you guys seen “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” and if you have, what are your thoughts on it?

Love Pumpkin

47:43 Mailbag: Boycotts

Dear Diecast,

I just realized that, with Microsoft having acquired Zenimax, I can purchase Bethesda/Zenimax games again! My boycotts:
Ubisoft and EA – single player games. Always-online DRM. Proprietary launchers.
Zenimax – Backstabbed and then tried to acquire a weakened Human Head Studios during production of Prey 2.
Diablo 3 – always online DRM for single player.
Do you guys practice boycotts that you want to talk about? Have you ever given up on a boycott? I’m beginning to feel that I’d have to boycott almost the entire gaming industry with my stance against always-online requirements vs. Google Stadia and Microsoft Xcloud. Might have to bend on that one eventually.

Curiously,
Chris P.