Couchpotato's Random RPG News

Originally Posted by JDR13
I never got the unbridled fascination with Skyrim. It's a better-than-average game, but I didn't find anything particularly special about it. If it wasn't for the mods, people would have stopped talking about it a long time ago.

Skyrim is tremendously average. It has average combat, an average setting, average character advancement, average writing. It doesn't excel in much of anything across the board.

And yet I've put 600 hours into it, 200 of those hours before I used any mods. To date, nobody has else has really made the kind of games they do, with the open ended freedom they offer and the scale they have. I wish someone would and do some of those things better. Maybe Avowed, though I'm not holding my breath.

Sorry Couch I didn't know where else to put this.

It's a video of Elden Ring modded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FK…l=ToastedShoes

Originally Posted by JDR13
I never got the unbridled fascination with Skyrim. It's a better-than-average game, but I didn't find anything particularly special about it. If it wasn't for the mods, people would have stopped talking about it a long time ago.

Can you mod the PS4 and Xbox 360 versions of the game? Pretty sure Skyrim sold millions of copies on devices that aren't mod capable, but I don't think that necessarily counters your opinion. Mods are what makes it tick today for sure.

I'll agree with Farrell too though. I played it hundreds of hours unmodded because modding Skyrim is a bit of a pain. Mods definitely make it better, but it was still a fun game before that. I can play it today with only graphical mods; keeping the gameplay vanilla, though not without SkyUI.

Luminous Productions showcases Forspoken at GDC 2022

The Technologies of FORSPOKEN is a video introducing the implementation of FORSPOKEN incorporating the latest technologies from AMD and Microsoft announced at GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2022.

Turn-based strategy RPG Lords of Ravage Announced - Steam

It is said that only in the darkest of times, true heroes are forged. But others may be lured by this darkness on a much easier path. Some follow this path out of selfish greed and lust for power, while others - out of a corrupted sense of duty, stopping at nothing to achieve their higher goals. Some of the most powerful ones have the dubious honor of being proclaimed Lords of Ravage. You'll take on the role of one of these Lords on the brink of their defeat. Search for a great artifact that can change the fate of this world. Deal with any heroes brave or foolish enough to interfere with your plans. Hunt for the forgotten artifacts, forge dark alliances and make daring raids to take by force everything your heart desires.

Mechajammer: The Refracted Update releases on March 24 - Steam

Announced during The MIX 10th Anniversary Showcase, Mechajammer: The Refracted Update will be released on March 24th 2022 , bringing a host of new content and improvements to the game free to all existing players.

Weird West How It Accounts for Emergent Gameplay - Game Developer

At GDC 2022, Weird West narrative designer Lucas Loredo discussed this particular problem, and offered some useful techniques for immersive sim developers to manage the multiple narrative ends that can emerge in this game genre.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I'll agree with Farrell too though. I played it hundreds of hours unmodded because modding Skyrim is a bit of a pain. Mods definitely make it better, but it was still a fun game before that. I can play it today with only graphical mods; keeping the gameplay vanilla, though not without SkyUI.

I remember Skyrim being quite easy to mod just like any other Bethesda game. Not sure if that's changed. It's been years since I played it.

Personally, I don't know how anyone could play their games without mods, but that's just me.

Flintlock Developer Diary - Future Games Show

The Future Games Show presents an exclusive look behind the scenes at A44, the creators of Ashen, who are hard at work on their next game. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is headed to PlayStation, Xbox and PC in 2022.

Vampire The Masquarade: Swansong RPG Trailer - Future Games Show

Cover those jugulars as The Future Games Show checks in with the developers behind Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong. Vampire The Masquerade Swansong is swooping onto PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch on May 19th, 2022.

Songs of Conquest Developer Presentation - Future Games Show

The Future Games Show presents a developer presentation from LavaPotion about their upcoming strategy game Songs of Conquest. Songs of Conquest is launching via Steam Early Access

Demeo PC Edition gameplay trailer - Future Games Show

The Future Games Show revealed an exclusive look at gameplay from Demeo: PC Edition, a co-op tabletop adventure game with VR cross-play functionality. Demeo: PC Edition is coming to Steam on April 7th.

Wartales: Harag's Marshlands Trailer & Roadmap Update

Following the release of Harag's Marshlands earlier this week, we have shifted our focus once again to what's to come.

So as production begins on the next few waves of content and updates, we have updated our roadmap to reflect what's planned for the next community update, content update and more, giving you all a glimpse into what to expect over the next few months (which includes one VERY popular community request).

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Official Launch Trailer

Check out the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands launch trailer. Prepare to embark on an adventure brimming with broadswords, bullets, and magic. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION Music Tracks Trailer

Introducing the new and arranged songs from CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION! CHRONO CROSS is an RPG that transcends time and space, unfolding across two interlinked parallel worlds. With over 40 party members to meet, people and dimensions will intertwine in this epic drama about the planet itself.

Fextralife's Top RPG News of Mar 27, 2022

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you've been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we've got you covered! Here's a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Road to Weird West: Episode 5

The final video in the Road to Weird West series explores how player actions affect each character's relationship with locations and other characters. The Weird West never forgets.

Alterborn is a New Dark Souls Inspired Looter Shooter

Iron Lung has announced a new game that is inspired by Dark Souls, called Alterborn. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team also released an in-engine trailer that you can find below.

Alterborn is a third-person survival action shooter filled with dark humor. The game draws inspiration from multiple genres such as soulslike, roguelite, looter shooter, and more.

The game will be coming to PC in Q3 2023. Below you can also find its key features.

Diablo IV Art Update - Blizzard

Hello and welcome to the first Diablo IV Quarterly Update of 2022. We hope you enjoyed last quarter's update on systems, itemization, and visual effects. That blog and our previous updates are available if you missed out.

Vampire: The Masquerade Swansong Preview Roundup

• ScreenRant
• IGN
• WCCFTech
• Rock Paper Shotgun
• GameSpot

Quick article on Black Isle's history at PC Gamer:
https://www.pcgamer.com/how-black-isle-became-a-legend/

Starfield In-house Interview Meet Emil - Bethesda

Having worked here for 19 years, he's worked to create lasting memories and share incredible stories spanning from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to Fallout 76. Now he's getting some space as the Lead Designer and Writer on Starfield.

Master of Magic Remake - March 2022 Developer Diary

Before we move on to the actual dev diary, we would like to make an announcement that might be very interesting for quite a few players: the start of the beta isn't far now, and we're looking for willing beta testers!

If you would like to give us a hand and give honest feedback on the current version of the game, look no further and click here.

Scott Bennie writer of Interplay's Fallout has died - PCGamer

Scott Bennie, writer, producer, and designer of multiple videogames and tabletop roleplaying games, has died at the age 61 due to pneumonia complications, as confirmed on his Facebook page.

While you may not recognize Scott Bennie by name, you likely know some of his work. At Interplay in the 1990s he served as producer and designer on both volumes of its adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, as well as the strategy sims Castles and Castles: The Northern Campaign. His other Interplay credits, primarily as a writer, include the Star Trek games Starfleet Academy, Judgment Rites, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Starfleet Command, and Starfleet Command 2, as well as Castles 2: Siege and Conquest, and the original Fallout.

In Defense of Ubisoft's Open-World Formula - GameRant

In recent years, the AAA space has seen an influx of games that utilize an open-world for players to explore. Side quests, scenery decorations, and interesting NPC interactions litter the lands of many new releases, and with franchises building their stories around a larger space, it means there's more likelihood that two unrelated titles present a similar feel. Paris-based developer Ubisoft has made a name for itself thanks to its modern approach to open-ended level design, becoming synonymous with the idea.

A litany of quest markers, seemingly endless side content, and points of interest covering the landscape can be overwhelming for players wanting to take in the sights at a leisurely pace. To others, it's a host of interesting activities in a fleshed-out virtual checklist. In many Ubisoft franchises from Assassin's Creed to Watch_Dogs, players are never short of things to do. Though many of the franchises that fall under the company's banner have comparable design, it's a philosophy that has revolutionized open-world games for the better, both for Ubisoft and other developers, too.

E3 2022 Cancelled - IGN

Update: The ESA has shared an official statement with IGN confirming E3 2022's cancellation and announcing that E3 will return in 2023 with "a reinvigorated showcase."

"We will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience.

"We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023."

The ESA adds that the 2022 showcase has been cancelled so the organization can "focus its resources" on the 2023 show.

Weird West Reviews

• Destructoid
• Digital Trends
• Eurogamer
• Game Informer
• GamesRadar
• GameRant
• GameSpot
• IGN
• PC Gamer
• PC Invasion
• PCGamesN
• Polygon
• Rock Paper Shotgun

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Review - Better Than Borderlands?

Will Tiny Tina's Wonderlands stand above the rest of the Borderlands games, or is it more of the same looter shooter formula we know? Join Game Informer for our official Tiny Tina review, where we let you know if this Gearbox spinoff is an adventure worth taking.

Exclusive New Forspoken Gameplay

Join us for our exclusive New Gameplay Today where we take one last 4K look at Forpoken and let you know why Square Enix's latest RPG shows a lot of promise ahead of its October release date.

New Vampire: The Masquerade Swansong Gameplay

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is an upcoming narrative RPG set within the cult tabletop universe and looks to be one of the more promising game releases in 2022. In this episode of New Gameplay Today, join Alex Van Aken alongside Kimberly Wallace and Wesley LeBlanc as they react to some of the wildest vampire mind control they've seen.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
[/B]E3 2022 Cancelled - IGN

That's quite a blow. Not even virtual then?
Bethesda will have to find another way to give us real info about Starfield.

"We will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer." - I suppose it's a slip of the tongue and they mean summer next year.

Neverwinter Nights: The Blades of Netheril - Doom of Icewind Dale Trailer

Check out the official trailer for Doom of Icewind Dale - the first chapter in an epic, 60+ hour sequel to the NWN original campaign! Doom of Icewind Dale is scheduled for a summer 2022 release and features 10-15 hours of gameplay, new art and music, and a stunning world map to explore.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut Anniversary Update - Steam

Disco Elysium - The Final Cut has its first anniversary today so we're celebrating with a huge discount. Get the full game right now with all its bell bottoms and whistle blowers with a whopping 65% off until April 4. Tell all your friends.

An anniversary like this is as good a time as any for a party. And what do you need at a party? Games! So let's play one: Can you remember everything we added to Disco Elysium with The Final Cut?

Monomyth State of the Game: Current progress - Kickstarter

Hi, dungeon-crawling fans!

Another month has passed and it is time for yet another update on the project! A lot has happened in terms of gameplay implementation, characters, and level design. So let's get to it!

NPCs were among the most important things I tried to improve during March. The essential motivation here was to iron out some issues with their controlling logic and how they interacted with one another depending on their individual factions. All of this work was based on a perception system I implemented during the code refactoring I mentioned in previous updates. The perception system itself remained largely untouched during these improvements, which gives me confidence that, for now, it is in a good state. As a result of the work, NPCs can now actively fight each other without any big hiccups in terms of background logic. They properly recognize enemies (both player and non-player), orderly cycle back into their peace state after combat, and correctly perform subsequent actions. Especially the latter has been a constant source of headaches in the old codebase, which had an ad-hoc structure that was replaced by a more robust state machine architecture (see December update).

Shargad: First Blood - Mesopotamian Mythology Turn Based RPG - Steam

He drew the first blood. Winter is named after him, carrying its perishing winds to the very essence of his legacy. Enten, son of Adapa, killed his brother, staining the honour of his unborn descendants and leaving them a burden to carry for ages.

New in-game screenshots leaked from Starfield's 2018 build - Reddit

It appears that a new set of in-game screenshots have been leaked from Starfield's 2018 build. These screenshots showcase some of its assets. However, and since this is a really old WIP build, they do not represent the quality of the final product. Still, they can give you a glimpse at what Bethesda aims to create.

BioWare's Aaryn Flynn Witcher 3 'was better' Inquisition - USAToday

During a recent interview, GLHF got the chance to talk to him about his new game (it sounds great, and we have an article on it in the works), but we couldn't resist a little look back. Flynn was kind enough to accommodate, talking to us about career highs and career lows, both of which are mostly tied to a single game Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Witcher 3 'was better' Inquisition - USAToday

Not too hard to admit that one.

Sovereign Syndicate Updated Trailer

Keep an eye on our steam page over the next few days for a playtest of our upcoming playable demo.

Superfuse Superheroes Meet Diablo ARPG - Steam

An alien threat looms in a new comicbook inspired Action RPG! Take on waves of grotesque minions and bosses with up to 4 friends in co-op, or go it alone and uncover a vast conspiracy that endangers all of humanity. Become a hero in a world where superpowers are controlled by society'S elite!

Action RPG Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness Trailer

The story begins with Riko and Reg's meeting in the first episode of season one. This marks the start of their great adventure, and together they travel to Seeker Camp in the second layer of the Abyss. Experience the awesome power of the Curse of the Abyss, as well as the astonishing, legendary entities known as primeval creatures. Prepare to glimpse the world of Riko and her friends.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Physical Rewards Update - Kickstarter

Hey there people! We've just received some more news from our shipping partners, so we're sharing them with you.

Non-EU / UK backers

For folks outside EU & UK, your physical goodies should now be arriving in their warehouse in the US. Quartermaster Logistics let us know that around April 15th, they will be sending a final mail so you can verify your address before they start shipping around April 22nd, one week later.

If for some reason you changed both your email address AND your physical address, make sure you send us a mail at contact@tactical-adventures.com as soon as possible with your pledge level, your previous email address, your current email address, your previous physical address and your current physical address so we can inform our shipping partner.

For UK backers

We're currently working with ShipQuest to get your rewards shipped to your door! They haven't given us an estimate as of yet, but hopefully things should move fairly quickly in the coming weeks!

Narrative RPG Citizen Sleeper Releases on May 5th - Steam

Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 Early Access Release - Steam

Not all heroes are born, many are forged by the finest Hero School – yours. Take command of the faculty, nurture a unique and ever-growing roster of students, and earn your place among the most prestigious schools in the world of Valthiria.

Starfield: Meet Vasco

Get to know your favorite new companion, Vasco – Constellation’s expeditionary robot you’ll explore with throughout your travels in Starfield.

Larian Studios presents: OnlyFangs

Uploaded by popular demand, a very special April 1st announcement from everyone's favourite vampire spawn.

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II -CRIMSON SiN- Teaser Trailer

The details introduce characters Van Arkride, Agnes Claudel, and Elaine Auclair, as well as the game's story synopsis.

THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2022 set for August 12

The showcase will feature several brand-new games, expanding the company's portfolio into new genres with both licensed and original gaming experiences. THQ Nordic promises everything from intense, dark and gritty to light, colorful, and just plain fun.� And in addition to new announcements, updates on previously announced titles such as Outcast 2: A New Beginning and Jagged Alliance 3 are also planned.

Dragon Age 2 remains the boldest of BioWare's RPGs - PCGamer

I love Dragon Age 2. I'm an old school CRPG boy and naturally dug how Origins harkened back to those classic isometric days, but the story was typical fantasy fare, with a narrative structure that we've seen in nearly every RPG over the last few decades. The sequel was bolder and weirder and, yes, very rough around the edges. It remains a tragedy that BioWare didn't continue down this path, because there's a spark there that simply hasn't been present in any of its games since.

Cyberpunk 2077 Is Transcending Into Something Else Through Mods - Forbes

There is an entire community out there dedicated to chronicling the existing beauty of Nighty City, or adding to it with their own creations. While some of this is possible in the base game, most of this is what I'm seeing through mods. Graphical improvements to make characters really pop in a way they wouldn't normally in photo mode. And then of course a hefty suite of mods to add new character options in terms of facial features, hairstyles, clothing and a whole lot more.

Skyrim Turns Into a City-Building RTS Thanks to This Mod - Dualshockers

Over the last ten years, you have surely seen many weird and creative mods for Skyrim. A city-building RTS mod is something that you might have heard of previously, it wasn't working anymore since the Skyrim Special Edition's release. Hopefully, a modder has recently ported this great mod into Special Edition, and now you can enjoy building your own village in Skyrim!

So, Will AAA Developers Take The Lessons Of 'Elden Ring' To Heart? - Forbes

What I'm wondering now is with the breakout, mainstream success of Elden Ring is how it might influence the entire landscape of gaming in future projects, and what lessons major developers might learn from it. I think there are a few key takeaways.

Thanks Couch! What a strange collection in some ways.

DA2 - Seemed to be one of the least popular of the DA, with traditional fans preferring DAO and modern fans liking DAI. DA2 was stuck in the middle somewhat. I liked and it and played a few times but considered it worse than DAO and DAI as far as reused assets, enemies popping in, and the usual issues. I did like it but because it was a cool idea with the city and the growth of the character. SO maybe it was bold even if it also lacked IMO.

C2077 - I dunno about this myself. I have been modding since Skyrim. Got about 300 mods in LE, 200 or so in SE, and 275 in FO4. I switch them around a lot. So I also follow C2077 mods that come out each day. Yet really haven't see anything that makes the game transcend or look a whole lot better … and that is because the game already looks gorgeous and rich as it is. The atmosphere can't be beat. The only mod I have is for some character skin. There are some mods to make the game harder, some nice outfits, and the some things for cars and few others textures but nothing like other modded games. Not super mod friendly either. I mean some nice stuff but transcending? Not at this point.

Skyrim - Heh don't play Skyrim to build but considering settlement building in FO I suppose it's no surprise people would want to in Skyrim and there is Hearthfire.

As for the last … been staying out of that hot topic