Diecast 344: Are We Having Fun Yet?
Channel: Paul Spooner
Date: 2021-05-24

Listen to all the Diecast episodes with Shamus Young in here: https://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?cat=287

Show Notes
00:00 Apex Legends does not want players
12:00 Day(9) Plays Returnal
21:48 Mailbag: Timed "Online Events"
29:48 Mailbag: Most Played Games on Steam
41:15 Mailbag: AoE 2: Definitive Edition
50:11 Mailbag: Daggerfall
53:57 Mailbag: Fantasy Goes Mainstream
1:03:30 Wrapping Up
1:04:12 Outro Music


Timed "Online Events"
Dear Diecast!
 
I am a long time fan of the Hitman series (with an obvious exception) and an early backer of the "new" Hitman, the start of the most recent trilogy. Despite it raking in very positive niche reviews (like Super bunnyhop - who, btw, I'd like to hear on the show again some time), I bounced hard off of it. Upon reflecting why, it wasn't the gameplay or level design, but the timed "elusive" targets. Not to delve too deep into that feature, it's just a relatively small piece of content that requires the game being played at a certain time, and after that it is gone forever.
 
Now, I am neither a compulsive "100% game completioner", nor am I particularly against games-as-service online integration. But that feeling of having missed out for good, robbing me of the potential to "fully" experience the game at my own pace put me off so much that ever since it was introduced, I never even started up the game.
 
What's your thoughts on that? Do you feel the same as me? Or do you think it entices you to play the game even more?
 
Also, I'd really love to read one of those huge epic plot and mechanics deconstructions of the new hitman games by you.
 
Kind regards
Norbert "ColeusRattus" Lickl


Most Played Games on Steam
Dear diecast,

Have you checked the most played games list on steam lately?
https://steamdb.info/graph/

I find it quite the interesting list. Apparently some games stay fun
forever (GTA V still in the top 10) and others are hardly played anymore despite being very good (Metro 2033 Redux). I think the replayability factor is what keeps games on the list. Interestingly, despite Shamus claiming that nobody wants to play Left 4 Dead anymore L4D2 is on place 23 with 17,554 concurrent players at this very moment. Also I find it hilarious that Cyberpunk 2077, the most anticipated game of 2020 is now already been overtaken by Age of Empires 2, a game that launched in 1999.

Are there any thoughts that you want to share on this list?

Best regards,

Pseudonym


Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
Dear Diecast,

Since December I have been playing Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. As of this moment, the game is ranked 50th on the most played games on steam list https://steamdb.info/graph/. I wonder what you think of this game, it has some properties that I think you might find interesting:

- First and foremost: it comes with a random map generator that can generate a wide variety of map types and has a 32-bit integer random seed. The maps are well balanced and are used in competitive play. It is also fun for playing single player. I wonder what you think of this, as both of you love procedural generation.

- The AI does not cheat. While the old AoE2 AI did cheat, the new
Definitive Edition AI is smart enough to play the same game as you. It is very good at it too. The hardest difficulty levels are extremely challenging.

- The art style makes it so that heavy graphics cards are not at all
needed. (This was true even when the old game launched in 1999, the game was mostly CPU-limited). This can be played on a very low end PC.

Additionally it comes with 151 single-player scenario's which all have voice acting. The multiplayer scene is alive and kicking. The excellent map generator provides endless replayability for both single player and multiplayer. I am curious what you think.

Best regards,

Pseudonym


Daggerfall
Hi!
 
I wish Shamus good health! May the «But what do they eat?» live long and prosper!
 
Now to the question itself. Considering that your blog has one of the prominent topics of procgen and that you are familiar with the Elder Scrolls series, is it not weird, that you don’t talk or mention Daggerfall or Arena? What’s your opinion of them and have you ever played them?
 
Best regards, DeadlyDark


Fantasy Goes Mainstream
Dear Diecast

I know Game of Thrones wasn't Shamus' cup of tea but with its end and popularity has come the advent of numerous high-budget fantasy shows being put into the production from multiple studios and companies, HBO has a multitude of GOT related prequels coming up starting with House of the Dragon, Wheel of Time is finally getting a show and so is Percy Jackson, and Amazon is developing their own show set in Tolkien's Legendarium with a ludicrous budget of $400 million on just the first or two seasons. Was wondering how Shamus and Paul is feeling about this.

Sincerely, Donkey