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  2. Jack Gardner
    Cuphead captured the hearts of gamers around the world when it released during the tail end of 2017. The distinctive, early animation art style in particular caught the attention of artists and fans, which has lead to an incredible partnership between the game's developer, Studio MDHR, and the incredible illustrator Uki Hayashi. With the help of Bottleneck Gallery, a number of illustrated prints have been made for sale that meld the game's wonderful aesthetic with Hayashi's unmistakably Japanese stylings. The print collection has been put togehter to pay homage to the Japanese titles that inspired Cuphead, the indelible classics that many continue to hold up today as gold standards for gameplay and aesthetic. Cuphead took the finely balanced side-scrolling shooting from games like Contra and combined it with jaw-dropping visuals, garnering almost universal acclaim. Three unique prints have been made by Uki Hayashi and been made available through Bottleneck Gallery. Each Giclee print sells for either $40 or $50 and, though there are three basic designs, each one has a color variant that plays with and changes the use of white in each design. You can view the full collection on Bottleneck Gallery's site. Bottleneck Gallery hosts a variety of contemporary art and artists. It makes an effort to provide space to both new and well-known artists for events intended to build up the local community and benefit charity. It also focuses on bringing unique and interesting pieces of pop culture art to the masses with works ranging from Bob's Burgers enamel pins to incredible artistic renderings of iconic moments in cartoons, blockbuster movies, and more. Some mainstream critics maintain that Cuphead was one of if not the hardest games they have ever played. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Cuphead received some of the highest awards and scores outlets could bestow on a game, helping to propel the indie game's success around the world. Now, Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch tomorrow, April 18. Maybe it's a good time to pick up a cool art print while buying the game for the first, second, or third time? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  3. Jack Gardner
    Cuphead captured the hearts of gamers around the world when it released during the tail end of 2017. The distinctive, early animation art style in particular caught the attention of artists and fans, which has lead to an incredible partnership between the game's developer, Studio MDHR, and the incredible illustrator Uki Hayashi. With the help of Bottleneck Gallery, a number of illustrated prints have been made for sale that meld the game's wonderful aesthetic with Hayashi's unmistakably Japanese stylings. The print collection has been put togehter to pay homage to the Japanese titles that inspired Cuphead, the indelible classics that many continue to hold up today as gold standards for gameplay and aesthetic. Cuphead took the finely balanced side-scrolling shooting from games like Contra and combined it with jaw-dropping visuals, garnering almost universal acclaim. Three unique prints have been made by Uki Hayashi and been made available through Bottleneck Gallery. Each Giclee print sells for either $40 or $50 and, though there are three basic designs, each one has a color variant that plays with and changes the use of white in each design. You can view the full collection on Bottleneck Gallery's site. Bottleneck Gallery hosts a variety of contemporary art and artists. It makes an effort to provide space to both new and well-known artists for events intended to build up the local community and benefit charity. It also focuses on bringing unique and interesting pieces of pop culture art to the masses with works ranging from Bob's Burgers enamel pins to incredible artistic renderings of iconic moments in cartoons, blockbuster movies, and more. Some mainstream critics maintain that Cuphead was one of if not the hardest games they have ever played. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Cuphead received some of the highest awards and scores outlets could bestow on a game, helping to propel the indie game's success around the world. Now, Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch tomorrow, April 18. Maybe it's a good time to pick up a cool art print while buying the game for the first, second, or third time? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  4. MedievalMelody started following Guild Meeting Notes April 2019
  5. MedievalMelody
    This seems like the best place to still house these, so this is where they will go! Extra Life Kansas City Guild Kickoff Meeting Notes April 10 Game Day is November 2nd Join our team here: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.team&teamID=44644 Guild Information: 1) We increase funds and awareness for KU Medical Center Pediatrics 2) Together we Save kids' lives through rallying and connecting local organizations together! 3) Purpose of the Guild is to Register, Fundraise, and Get Social! MEETING NOTES: 1) The meeting started off by a welcome from Jill, our hospital contact at KU Medical Center. New leaders are Brie Clemens as President and Lora Williams as Vice President. 2018 Recap: Over $80,000 raised and around 450 people registered. 2) Then, we had presentations from a local family and a Guild member about their experiences at KU and how money from Extra Life helps kids and families. 3) 40 people in 4 minutes activity: meeting attendees were asked to find 40 people who they could ask to donate to them or recruit for their team. 4) Future Expectations Meetings will continue to be the second Wednesday of every month In addition to recapping events and signing up for new events, each month will feature a workshop May's Workshop: What tools are available to you from Extra Life? June's Workshop: Perfecting your "Pitch" Future workshop topics: Streaming, how to fight the FB algorithm, and a Pitch-Off Contest with prizes! VOLUNTEER EVENTS: PLAZA POPCON Extra Life Organizer: Brie Location and times: April 27th 12pm to 5:30pm @ Plaza Library Notes: We should have enough volunteers! LIGHT SABER BATTLE Extra Life Organizer: Brie Location and times: May 4th 3pm to 11pm (finalizing times we would need to be there) @ Berkley Riverfront Notes: We should have enough volunteers, but we are finalizing details! Please share the public event: https://www.facebook.com/events/298267234219848/ MAKER FAIRE Extra Life Organizer: Brie Location and times: June 22 and 23 @ Union Station How to Sign Up: Sign up at the May meeting! Next meeting Date:Next meeting is Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30PM at Local Legends Gaming Workshop: Your Extra Life Tool bag
  6. Jack Gardner
    The console that will replace the PlayStation 4 has officially been glimpsed on the horizon. While none of the next-gen consoles have been officially announced, a number of details have come out regarding what they might be capable of achieving and what the gaming landscape will look like in the next few years. Now, tantalizing new information has been revealed about what Sony has been working on courtesy of Mark Cerny, the device's lead systems architect. In an interview with Wired, Cerny revealed a treasure trove of new information and even displayed the capabilities of one of the early development kit units that have been sent out to a number of developers currently working on titles for the next-gen system. Perhaps coming as a surprise to many, the name of the new console was not confirmed to be the PlayStation 5, though perhaps Sony's track record with their console naming convention would make that a safe assumption. The new machine won't be releasing this year and it might even be a 2021 release, but even so, what we know about it so far seems fantastic. Standing in stark contrast to the move away from physical media in Google's Stadia, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft's continuing inclination toward phasing out of discs, PlayStation's next console will play discs. In fact, due to its foundations resting in the design of the PlayStation 4, it will be backwards-compatible with physical PlayStation 4 titles. Also, the next console will support PlayStation's current iteration of PSVR, even if a new version of that hardware releases at a future date. On top of that, the PlayStation 5 will possess the things people most expect from a new console: Improved GPU, an enhanced CPU, more memory, and a greatly increased storage capacity. These improvements will make the device able to support ray tracing, the hot new technique in game development that helps light to reflect more realistically in-game. Cerny expects that ray tracing will have wider applications as more developers make use of it, allowing an increase to audio quality, too. However, the biggest feature the new console will bring to the table is a solid-state hard drive enhanced with proprietary software that makes it perform faster than anything available for PCs. Cerny demonstrated the "low-speed" development kit of the PlayStation 5 for Wired; the dev unit performed 19 times faster than the PS4 Pro. It reduced load times on the same game from 15 seconds to 0.8 and was able to render the same files in a fraction of the time it took the current hardware. That improvement is largely due to the improved ability of the hard drive to pull data efficiently, aided by the specialized software. Though the current unit was connected to a 4K television, it will be able to output up to 8K resolutions. Though no new software or cloud gaming strategies were revealed during the interview, Cerny hinted that Sony has plans to compete with Microsoft and Google on that front. Perhaps PlayStation Now might merely be a test run for what the gaming giant has in store for the next generation of hardware? What features would you like to see included in the PlayStation 5 (or whatever it winds up being called)? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  7. Jack Gardner
    The console that will replace the PlayStation 4 has officially been glimpsed on the horizon. While none of the next-gen consoles have been officially announced, a number of details have come out regarding what they might be capable of achieving and what the gaming landscape will look like in the next few years. Now, tantalizing new information has been revealed about what Sony has been working on courtesy of Mark Cerny, the device's lead systems architect. In an interview with Wired, Cerny revealed a treasure trove of new information and even displayed the capabilities of one of the early development kit units that have been sent out to a number of developers currently working on titles for the next-gen system. Perhaps coming as a surprise to many, the name of the new console was not confirmed to be the PlayStation 5, though perhaps Sony's track record with their console naming convention would make that a safe assumption. The new machine won't be releasing this year and it might even be a 2021 release, but even so, what we know about it so far seems fantastic. Standing in stark contrast to the move away from physical media in Google's Stadia, Apple Arcade, and Microsoft's continuing inclination toward phasing out of discs, PlayStation's next console will play discs. In fact, due to its foundations resting in the design of the PlayStation 4, it will be backwards-compatible with physical PlayStation 4 titles. Also, the next console will support PlayStation's current iteration of PSVR, even if a new version of that hardware releases at a future date. On top of that, the PlayStation 5 will possess the things people most expect from a new console: Improved GPU, an enhanced CPU, more memory, and a greatly increased storage capacity. These improvements will make the device able to support ray tracing, the hot new technique in game development that helps light to reflect more realistically in-game. Cerny expects that ray tracing will have wider applications as more developers make use of it, allowing an increase to audio quality, too. However, the biggest feature the new console will bring to the table is a solid-state hard drive enhanced with proprietary software that makes it perform faster than anything available for PCs. Cerny demonstrated the "low-speed" development kit of the PlayStation 5 for Wired; the dev unit performed 19 times faster than the PS4 Pro. It reduced load times on the same game from 15 seconds to 0.8 and was able to render the same files in a fraction of the time it took the current hardware. That improvement is largely due to the improved ability of the hard drive to pull data efficiently, aided by the specialized software. Though the current unit was connected to a 4K television, it will be able to output up to 8K resolutions. Though no new software or cloud gaming strategies were revealed during the interview, Cerny hinted that Sony has plans to compete with Microsoft and Google on that front. Perhaps PlayStation Now might merely be a test run for what the gaming giant has in store for the next generation of hardware? What features would you like to see included in the PlayStation 5 (or whatever it winds up being called)? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  8. RikaxNipah RikaxNipah changed their profile photo
  9. RikaxNipah RikaxNipah joined the community
  10. Jack Gardner
    Back in August of 2018, I put together a short campaign with Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition called Dragonguard as a part of Extra Life Tabletop Appreciation Weekend. For Game Day 2018, we released a second set of episodes and followed it up with a third set continuing the adventure. The last series of episodes ended on something of a cliffhanger, and while the full fourth set isn't quite done, at least one more episode is ready for listening! Join Naomi Lugo (Nomsooni the druid), Marcus Stewart (Scratch Mangy the ranger), and Kyle Gaddo (Barphus the bard) as they don the armor of the illustrious Dragonguard, sworn to defend and protect the realm of Alterra from the dragons at its doorstep. Jack Gardner serves as the Dungeon Master, guiding our heroes through their journey. Dispatched to the small town of Verne, the party began investigating rumors of draconic activity in the area. Learning of a kobold encampment deep within the Morrithil Wastes, they made their way into the vast swampland only to find a largely abandoned village built in the shadow of an ominous dragon skeleton. Encountering a number of old and infirm kobolds in the heart of the town, our heroes learned of an impending attack led by the vengeful dragon, Fallowfell. In an effort to convince Sir Rothurt, Verne's leader, to take the threat seriously, the party made an attempt to rescue his recently kidnapped son, Charles. Risking life and limb, they were able to save Charles only to be met with the awful revelation that Fallowfell had allies in the town itself. Now, Nomsooni, Barphus, and Scratch attempt to consolidate their power in the areas outside of Verne only to find themselves in ever-deepening danger from draconic evils, cunning opportunists, mystical threats, and (of course) themselves. If you want to get a sense of how great a time tabletop roleplaying can be, you're invited to enjoy the adventure along with us. Here's to the amazing things the gaming community accomplished in 2018 and to the even greater things we will all do together in the years to come! You can listen to the new episodes below or start at the beginning with this handy SoundCloud playlist. Intro and Outro music: "Furious Freak" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available as well. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  11. Jack Gardner
    Back in August of 2018, I put together a short campaign with Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition called Dragonguard as a part of Extra Life Tabletop Appreciation Weekend. For Game Day 2018, we released a second set of episodes and followed it up with a third set continuing the adventure. The last series of episodes ended on something of a cliffhanger, and while the full fourth set isn't quite done, at least one more episode is ready for listening! Join Naomi Lugo (Nomsooni the druid), Marcus Stewart (Scratch Mangy the ranger), and Kyle Gaddo (Barphus the bard) as they don the armor of the illustrious Dragonguard, sworn to defend and protect the realm of Alterra from the dragons at its doorstep. Jack Gardner serves as the Dungeon Master, guiding our heroes through their journey. Dispatched to the small town of Verne, the party began investigating rumors of draconic activity in the area. Learning of a kobold encampment deep within the Morrithil Wastes, they made their way into the vast swampland only to find a largely abandoned village built in the shadow of an ominous dragon skeleton. Encountering a number of old and infirm kobolds in the heart of the town, our heroes learned of an impending attack led by the vengeful dragon, Fallowfell. In an effort to convince Sir Rothurt, Verne's leader, to take the threat seriously, the party made an attempt to rescue his recently kidnapped son, Charles. Risking life and limb, they were able to save Charles only to be met with the awful revelation that Fallowfell had allies in the town itself. Now, Nomsooni, Barphus, and Scratch attempt to consolidate their power in the areas outside of Verne only to find themselves in ever-deepening danger from draconic evils, cunning opportunists, mystical threats, and (of course) themselves. If you want to get a sense of how great a time tabletop roleplaying can be, you're invited to enjoy the adventure along with us. Here's to the amazing things the gaming community accomplished in 2018 and to the even greater things we will all do together in the years to come! You can listen to the new episodes below or start at the beginning with this handy SoundCloud playlist. Intro and Outro music: "Furious Freak" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available as well. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  12. Amy L Amy L joined the community
  13. WHS Wizards eSports WHS Wizards eSports joined the community
  14. WHS Wizards eSports
    until
    Join Washingtonville High School's big-hearted gamers as we gather to raise money for those in need. Students and their families are welcome to attend an evening party of video games, board games and more. You may even get a chance to square off with our Varsity eSports teams! Tournaments and prizes, dozens of games, and snacks ... did I say snacks? That's right. Snacks. Friday, May 3rd from 6-9 pm at Washingtonville High School! Press Start!
  15. PmanHock PmanHock joined the community
  16. PrankInvaderMemes PrankInvaderMemes joined the community
  17. Akuheikumori Akuheikumori changed their profile photo
  18. Akuheikumori started following April 2019 Meeting Minutes
  19. Akuheikumori
    Meeting Minutes from April 6 2019 Upcoming Events: April 12th - 13th Cecil Con April 26th-28th Awesomecon May 4th Free Comic Book Day Members in Attendance: 17 New Topics: We have new buttons guys they are awesome if you haven't seen them yet have a look here: Signup Pin Donate Pin Silver Pin Let us know if you like them! Mike is building us a new wheel (Yay Mike!) in the meantime we do have a new rainbow wheel so this means in the future we will have two wheels to work with when planning events! There will be a new form on Timecounts for equipment sign out, Artem our amazing quartermaster will be checking this. If you want to have something for a local event you will use this form to request/sign-out whatever you need here. You will need to place address in so Artem may bring equipment to you - please remember this is first come first serve and convention events get first dibs During this meeting we discussed the importance of Table setup and having a good Pitch. When setting up your table first thing you will do is place table cloth down (at the end of the day most items can be stored under the table the table cloth will help conceal these things) try and center the logo when placing the cloth down it should fit well on most 6 to 8 foot tables Unpack the 3 large and 2 Medium clear baskets and place them in the center of the table, placing the wheel and a display case on either side of the baskets. These items will help draw in people, the wheel especially! Front baskets get candy and the back baskets get bracelets and pins. Setup the Extra life Banner next to the table placement is key so make sure you still have a view of the room and people still have a view of you. (This banner as of right now has a bit of misinformation that can scare people off "Stream for 24 hours" that 24 hour part can scare people so do not forget in your pitch to include that it can be done in any time frame!) Please remember for the wheel one spin only! Take any prizes/swag we are giving away and place them in the display case (Please note not every convention will have raffles/giveaways) do try to tailor items in box for the event this will help gain more interest! Place the donation jar on the table within reach and in a place you may keep an eye on in please remember that not all conventions will allow donations at the table. If the convention does allow donations at the start of the day slip a few bills/change into the jar this will encourage people to donate. If you are at a event where we are not allowed to take donations at the table and someone wishes to give cash there, take the money and safely tuck it away into the lock-box. (this should be kept under the table in the blue bin) or open your extra life page and have them donate electronically there! Tablets are used for sign up make sure these are charged during the event! (Remember to lock these up at night.) Keep track of signups! Using not only a paper tally of sign ups but the clicker as well! (the clicker is fun seriously! give it a try!) If you have room on your table depending on the size place out the pamphlet stands! We have two types of pamphlets one that goes over Participation and Volunteering! Make sure to place out the Participation one! (They look really similar.) They Grey stand includes all items you may need during the event promotional materials, markers, raffle tickets, guild information Tips for Pitching: Greet everyone when they pass by some people will say hello, smile and keep walking, some will have ignored you, some people will be off in their own world. It is important to keep a smile on your face no matter how many grumpy gusses ignore your friendly hello. When someone does show interest (usually in the wheel) ask if they know about extra life - explain if they seem interested! Remember try not to say it is 24 hour stream, that length of time can scare people away. A good example would be "One day a year where gamers of all kinds, video, table top, board games, sports, you name it, stream, play, record for a cause. Some people go that entire 24 hours but me myself and a few friends break it down to 4 hours. The fundraising doesn't even have to be all in one day, anyone can donate to your extra life page at any time throughout the year." Best tip of all: wear comfortable shoes we do not always have enough chairs for everyone to sit, so make sure your shoes are comfortable for standing for long periods, as well as a pitch tends to go better and feel more comfortable when you are at eye level with the person/persons you are speaking with. Hope to see all of you May 11th at CrabTowne 1500 Crain Hwy S, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 12pm to 3pm for our next ExtraLife meeting!
  20. danaefae

    GrandCon

    danaefae added images to a gallery album in Grand Rapids, MI Guild

  21. danaefae

    Monthly Game Nights

    danaefae added images to a gallery album in Grand Rapids, MI Guild

    Shots of our various game nights
  22. danaefae

    24hr Marathon

    danaefae added images to a gallery album in Grand Rapids, MI Guild

    Pics from our yearly 24hr marathons! 😀
  23. danaefae

    Tabletop Day

    danaefae added images to a gallery album in Grand Rapids, MI Guild

    Pics from our TableTop day events
  24. danaefae started following Guild Meeting Agenda/ Minutes - April 2019
  25. danaefae
    Extra Life Meeting Agenda/ Minutes: Location: Butterworth Hospital; Rm 1710D Date: 3/22/19 Time: 6:30pm Members attending: Jen, Erik, Phil, Bryan, Michael, Ashley, Lisa, Brandon, Rugrats Agenda topics & details: 1) Guild Status i) Leadership Changes (1) Interim officers – Jen/ President (2) Elections ii) New hospital Liaison – Amy Larson At the February guild meeting, Phil announced that he was most likely stepping down and taking some time off. We announced that this had officially taken place and that Jen had stepped in as interim president until the role could be filled. Erik nominated Jen for the position, and it was seconded by Bryan and Mike. She accepted with the understanding that due to other obligations, she would need assistance planning any events. Erik will keep his position as vice president, and Bryan and Lisa will step in to handle secretary duties as needed. It was also announced that due to restructuring within the Spectrum Health foundation, Jim would no longer be our liaison, and we would instead be working with Amy Larson. Jen will reach out to her and schedule a meeting to touch base. 2) Guild Goals i) Fundraising ii) Events iii) Meetings iv) Game Nights The guild discussed which events they would like to have on this year’s schedule. Our initial list includes Potter in the Park, Coast Guard Festival, GrandCon, GR ComicCon, and Game day. Further discussion needs to take place once we get a better idea of individual availability and fundraising opportunities. Due to scheduling conflicts, Jen suggested that we move the game nights to the same night as our guild meeting, and that the location change from the hospital to The Comic Signal. Attending members agreed that this would be more convenient. 3) Volunteering i) Training revisited ii) Benefits of volunteering This topic has been tabled until we have a better idea of our 2019 event schedule 4) Open Discussion Several marketing ideas were tossed around, including doing “Why We Extra Life” videos and ways to improvement our reach with Facebook Next meeting – April 19th at 6pm at The Comic Signal
  26. danaefae
    until
    Interested in being more involved with Extra Life? Come on out to our monthly guild meeting! Our meetings are open to everyone. Meeting will start between 6:00 - 6:15pm and usually last about an hour. After the meeting is over, we play games! If you just want to play games, you're welcome to come out too! We usually start games around 7:00 - 7:15pm and play as long as we like (until the store closes, anyway). We pick three featured titles each month, and The Comic Signal has been kind enough to offer players a 15% discount should they decide to take one of them home. It's a great way to learn new games and meet new gamers!
  27. danaefae started following Grand Rapids Guild Meeting and Game Night and Grand Rapids Guild Meeting and Game Night
  28. danaefae
    until
    Interested in being more involved with Extra Life? Come on out to our monthly guild meeting! Our meetings are open to everyone. Meeting will start between 6:00 - 6:15pm and usually last about an hour. After the meeting is over, we play games! If you just want to play games, you're welcome to come out too! We usually start games around 7:00 - 7:15pm and play as long as we like (until the store closes, anyway). We pick three featured titles each month, and The Comic Signal has been kind enough to offer players a 15% discount should they decide to take one of them home. It's a great way to learn new games and meet new gamers!
  29. danaefae
    until
    Interested in being more involved with Extra Life? Come on out to our monthly guild meeting! Our meetings are open to everyone. Meeting will start between 6:00 - 6:15pm and usually last about an hour. After the meeting is over, we play games! If you just want to play games, you're welcome to come out too! We usually start games around 7:00 - 7:15pm and play as long as we like (until the store closes, anyway). We pick three featured titles each month, and The Comic Signal has been kind enough to offer players a 15% discount should they decide to take one of them home. It's a great way to learn new games and meet new gamers!
  30. Jack Gardner
    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice exists as a fundamentally different beast than what many players might expect from the developers who brought them Dark Souls and Bloodborne. FromSoftware manages to infuse the stealth-action game with a lot of the same trimmings and style as their previous action-RPGs, but take Sekiro in an almost entirely different direction. Diverging from their incredibly successful formula to try something new represented a substantial risk. However, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team pulled off the impossible and created an experience that will surely stick with players for years to come - provided they can adapt to Sekiro's punishing gameplay mechanics. Sekiro tells the story of an honorable (or perhaps dishonorable, depending on your choices) shinobi, a ninja in service to a young boy named Lord Kuro. Of course, a FromSoftware game these days needs an element of the mystic and Lord Kuro also happens to be the Divine Heir, someone blessed with blood that prevents him from ever dying. Of course, that blood makes him the target of every power-hungry figure who yearns for immortality. The lands of Ashina in feudal Japan find themselves overrun with hostile forces and Lord Kuro captured shortly after the game begins. Our titular hero, Sekiro, must use all of his cunning and swordsmanship to rescue his master and follow the Iron Code of the shinobi. In his quest to secure Lord Kuro and follow the boy's orders, Sekiro contends with far more than human adversaries. Ghosts, gods, demons, and creatures straight out of Japanese folklore rise to stop him and spread chaos throughout the land. Learning how to deal with all of these threats, both mundane and supernatural, as just one man armed with a sword and a handful of shinobi tools would be quite the challenge under a Dark Souls-like system of death. You will die. That's an inescapable fact about Sekiro. However, Lord Kuro gave his loyal shinobi the gift of his blood, bestowing the ability to resurrect from the point of death to give another chance at emerging victorious from battle. And what battles you will have to endure and survive. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice focuses on the back and forth of clashing swords. You won't be able to dodge roll around most attacks or play it safe. Instead the highly lethal combat encourages players to stand toe to toe with adversaries, timing blocks and counters to overcome enemies in a way that would feel right at home in the life or death struggles that play such an important role in Akira Kurosawa's films. In this way, combat becomes more of a dance, blades singing through the air as they strike against flesh and steel. Players who can pick up on the pattern of attacks, the pacing of the dance, will find that Sekiro takes on an almost rhythm game-like feel. Sekiro rewards players for timing blocks and dodges right by turning them into deflections or counters, moves that help open enemies up for attacks. This makes the ability to time moves properly incredibly important. It also often means that running around and avoiding attacks while waiting for an opening is just not enough to make much progress. In fact, most of the boss encounters early on are specifically designed to crush that approach to combat out of players. Clever use of shinobi tools, knowing when to disengage, and recognizing when the time has come to stand your ground and fight head-on all prove integral to standing in triumph over foes. Always remember that Sekiro was built with more verticality in mind than Dark Souls or Bloodborne, so keep an eye out for grappling locations, especially in boss fights. They could open the door for a quick escape or a devastating counterattack. Of course, mastering the basic combat only prepares players for the unexpected challenges that are to come. The world of Sekiro is one where a human with a sharp mind and skilled with a blade can fight on equal terms with gods and demons. The mechanics introduced in the early game apply when fighting colossal beasts and otherworldly threats, though adapting to those animations and rhythms can prove to be a true challenge. Contending with magic and restless undead might seem to put Sekiro on uneven footing, but as players progress, they can use skill points to unlock new combos and techniques to help them compete against even immortal adversaries. Beyond combat, Sekiro has much to offer in terms of narrative. For the past several games, FromSoftware has told stories heavy on lore and world-building without much of a focus on the main protagonist outside of the role they fill within that detailed world. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice takes a different approach, opting to have a named protagonist with clearly articulated wants and desires, and supporting characters who all relate to him. This, more than anything else, helps Sekiro to feel more grounded than any of Hidetaka Miyazaki's other projects over the last several years. The grounded experience is further reinforced by the fact that the setting is one in which humans not only survive but thrive. Some of the most interesting enemies and encounters aren't big in scope, just two highly competent humans fighting one another in a life or death struggle. Since the narrative frames those human struggles in a more intimate and personal way, the player gets pulled into that fight, too. It simply feels more "real." We are continually reminded throughout the game that dragons, gods, demons, and ghosts are all aberrations; creatures and creations that pervert the natural cycle of the world - or exist outside of it. That brings us to one of the more interesting elements of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: Religion. Whereas Dark Souls had bonfires and Bloodborne had lanterns, Sekiro has carvings of Buddha. In fact, Buddha and Buddhist imagery appear numerous times throughout Sekiro and understanding Buddhist philosophy can deepen the understanding of the narrative. For example, a major part of the central conflict raging at the heart of most FromSoftware games has been that holding onto something that will inevitably be lost can only cause suffering; it cannot actually satisfy. In Dark Souls, that something is Gwyn's Age of Fire and the curse placed upon humanity to force them into continuing the cycle over and over again. In Sekiro, the human pursuit of immortality represents a complete abandonment of the natural cycle of death and reincarnation. Sekiro's ability to die and resurrect is shown as useful but also something that spreads disease and suffering onto others. Those who have allowed themselves to become infested with immortal worms become undying and monstrous. The mission to create a god who could bestow eternal life sacrifices untold numbers of children to form one imperfect idol. In Buddhist terms, the dissatisfaction that these characters feel with their impending deaths are part of what is known as dukkha, the suffering and unsatisfying nature of a temporary existence. The way that they deal with that, however, is to wander far in search of an escape, a way to make their temporary state permanent rather than to pursue the eight-fold path and exit the cycle of reincarnation. Sekiro depicts the folly of such a wrong-headed approach to dealing with dukkha and the pain that can be inflicted on others by such an attempt. What interests me the most about Sekiro's depiction of Buddhism comes down to how its included so boldly in the game itself. Not many games are willing to show anything more than a fictional religion for fear that it might alienate some of the consumer base. In Sekiro, however, players pray at Buddha statues to fast-travel, level up, and more. The imagery is carved into the environments. Characters talk about Buddha, too. In fact, one of the main characters can't seem to stop carving Buddhas. One of the most important items players collect over their time spent in Sekiro are Buddhist prayer beads. There are even several cutscenes depicting the earnest prayers of our protagonist. That's bold and fascinating. How often have you seen a Muslim in prayer in a video game? Or a Christian? I honestly don't know that I have ever seen a protagonist in a video game pray in relation to a religion that exists in the real world. Video games are art and religion seems to be one of those areas that video games haven't yet gone in-depth, so this could be a sign of things to come. Conclusion: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice stands apart from the Soulsborne games. The highly lethal approach to combat seems suited for the mechanics and message the developers were going for. Encounters with enemies feel fair, with tight controls responding well to the rhythm of battle; even normal enemies sometimes achieve the satisfying back-and-forth trading of blows often reserved for mini-bosses. The world doesn't stop surprising right up until the end, especially if you aren't familiar with Japanese folklore. The main complaint about Sekiro's gameplay would be the functional but shoddy stealth system. A sequel seems almost inevitable at this point and further refinements to sneaking and related abilities would go a long way toward making it feel more robust. Perhaps sneaking through an enemy city and avoiding the non-violent civilians? Experiencing Sekiro's visuals feels like a treat for the eyes. The lighting and level design often lead to moments that feel cinematic and the day-night cycle that progresses as main story objectives are achieved lends each location a new experience when you begin backtracking looking for secrets (something you should definitely do). The music in Sekiro failed to live up to the standards of the visuals, but it doesn't actively detract from the game in any major way. It just doesn't stand out. However, the sound design almost completely makes up for the lackluster score. Blades clashing, otherworldly howls, the melancholy notes of ethereal instruments floating through the air, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice knows how to characterize its enemies and struggles by sound alone. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice should absolutely be on your gaming wishlist if you have any love for FromSoftware titles or action games in general. It doesn't get much better than this. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was reviewed on PC and is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  31. Jack Gardner
    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice exists as a fundamentally different beast than what many players might expect from the developers who brought them Dark Souls and Bloodborne. FromSoftware manages to infuse the stealth-action game with a lot of the same trimmings and style as their previous action-RPGs, but take Sekiro in an almost entirely different direction. Diverging from their incredibly successful formula to try something new represented a substantial risk. However, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team pulled off the impossible and created an experience that will surely stick with players for years to come - provided they can adapt to Sekiro's punishing gameplay mechanics. Sekiro tells the story of an honorable (or perhaps dishonorable, depending on your choices) shinobi, a ninja in service to a young boy named Lord Kuro. Of course, a FromSoftware game these days needs an element of the mystic and Lord Kuro also happens to be the Divine Heir, someone blessed with blood that prevents him from ever dying. Of course, that blood makes him the target of every power-hungry figure who yearns for immortality. The lands of Ashina in feudal Japan find themselves overrun with hostile forces and Lord Kuro captured shortly after the game begins. Our titular hero, Sekiro, must use all of his cunning and swordsmanship to rescue his master and follow the Iron Code of the shinobi. In his quest to secure Lord Kuro and follow the boy's orders, Sekiro contends with far more than human adversaries. Ghosts, gods, demons, and creatures straight out of Japanese folklore rise to stop him and spread chaos throughout the land. Learning how to deal with all of these threats, both mundane and supernatural, as just one man armed with a sword and a handful of shinobi tools would be quite the challenge under a Dark Souls-like system of death. You will die. That's an inescapable fact about Sekiro. However, Lord Kuro gave his loyal shinobi the gift of his blood, bestowing the ability to resurrect from the point of death to give another chance at emerging victorious from battle. And what battles you will have to endure and survive. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice focuses on the back and forth of clashing swords. You won't be able to dodge roll around most attacks or play it safe. Instead the highly lethal combat encourages players to stand toe to toe with adversaries, timing blocks and counters to overcome enemies in a way that would feel right at home in the life or death struggles that play such an important role in Akira Kurosawa's films. In this way, combat becomes more of a dance, blades singing through the air as they strike against flesh and steel. Players who can pick up on the pattern of attacks, the pacing of the dance, will find that Sekiro takes on an almost rhythm game-like feel. Sekiro rewards players for timing blocks and dodges right by turning them into deflections or counters, moves that help open enemies up for attacks. This makes the ability to time moves properly incredibly important. It also often means that running around and avoiding attacks while waiting for an opening is just not enough to make much progress. In fact, most of the boss encounters early on are specifically designed to crush that approach to combat out of players. Clever use of shinobi tools, knowing when to disengage, and recognizing when the time has come to stand your ground and fight head-on all prove integral to standing in triumph over foes. Always remember that Sekiro was built with more verticality in mind than Dark Souls or Bloodborne, so keep an eye out for grappling locations, especially in boss fights. They could open the door for a quick escape or a devastating counterattack. Of course, mastering the basic combat only prepares players for the unexpected challenges that are to come. The world of Sekiro is one where a human with a sharp mind and skilled with a blade can fight on equal terms with gods and demons. The mechanics introduced in the early game apply when fighting colossal beasts and otherworldly threats, though adapting to those animations and rhythms can prove to be a true challenge. Contending with magic and restless undead might seem to put Sekiro on uneven footing, but as players progress, they can use skill points to unlock new combos and techniques to help them compete against even immortal adversaries. Beyond combat, Sekiro has much to offer in terms of narrative. For the past several games, FromSoftware has told stories heavy on lore and world-building without much of a focus on the main protagonist outside of the role they fill within that detailed world. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice takes a different approach, opting to have a named protagonist with clearly articulated wants and desires, and supporting characters who all relate to him. This, more than anything else, helps Sekiro to feel more grounded than any of Hidetaka Miyazaki's other projects over the last several years. The grounded experience is further reinforced by the fact that the setting is one in which humans not only survive but thrive. Some of the most interesting enemies and encounters aren't big in scope, just two highly competent humans fighting one another in a life or death struggle. Since the narrative frames those human struggles in a more intimate and personal way, the player gets pulled into that fight, too. It simply feels more "real." We are continually reminded throughout the game that dragons, gods, demons, and ghosts are all aberrations; creatures and creations that pervert the natural cycle of the world - or exist outside of it. That brings us to one of the more interesting elements of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: Religion. Whereas Dark Souls had bonfires and Bloodborne had lanterns, Sekiro has carvings of Buddha. In fact, Buddha and Buddhist imagery appear numerous times throughout Sekiro and understanding Buddhist philosophy can deepen the understanding of the narrative. For example, a major part of the central conflict raging at the heart of most FromSoftware games has been that holding onto something that will inevitably be lost can only cause suffering; it cannot actually satisfy. In Dark Souls, that something is Gwyn's Age of Fire and the curse placed upon humanity to force them into continuing the cycle over and over again. In Sekiro, the human pursuit of immortality represents a complete abandonment of the natural cycle of death and reincarnation. Sekiro's ability to die and resurrect is shown as useful but also something that spreads disease and suffering onto others. Those who have allowed themselves to become infested with immortal worms become undying and monstrous. The mission to create a god who could bestow eternal life sacrifices untold numbers of children to form one imperfect idol. In Buddhist terms, the dissatisfaction that these characters feel with their impending deaths are part of what is known as dukkha, the suffering and unsatisfying nature of a temporary existence. The way that they deal with that, however, is to wander far in search of an escape, a way to make their temporary state permanent rather than to pursue the eight-fold path and exit the cycle of reincarnation. Sekiro depicts the folly of such a wrong-headed approach to dealing with dukkha and the pain that can be inflicted on others by such an attempt. What interests me the most about Sekiro's depiction of Buddhism comes down to how its included so boldly in the game itself. Not many games are willing to show anything more than a fictional religion for fear that it might alienate some of the consumer base. In Sekiro, however, players pray at Buddha statues to fast-travel, level up, and more. The imagery is carved into the environments. Characters talk about Buddha, too. In fact, one of the main characters can't seem to stop carving Buddhas. One of the most important items players collect over their time spent in Sekiro are Buddhist prayer beads. There are even several cutscenes depicting the earnest prayers of our protagonist. That's bold and fascinating. How often have you seen a Muslim in prayer in a video game? Or a Christian? I honestly don't know that I have ever seen a protagonist in a video game pray in relation to a religion that exists in the real world. Video games are art and religion seems to be one of those areas that video games haven't yet gone in-depth, so this could be a sign of things to come. Conclusion: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice stands apart from the Soulsborne games. The highly lethal approach to combat seems suited for the mechanics and message the developers were going for. Encounters with enemies feel fair, with tight controls responding well to the rhythm of battle; even normal enemies sometimes achieve the satisfying back-and-forth trading of blows often reserved for mini-bosses. The world doesn't stop surprising right up until the end, especially if you aren't familiar with Japanese folklore. The main complaint about Sekiro's gameplay would be the functional but shoddy stealth system. A sequel seems almost inevitable at this point and further refinements to sneaking and related abilities would go a long way toward making it feel more robust. Perhaps sneaking through an enemy city and avoiding the non-violent civilians? Experiencing Sekiro's visuals feels like a treat for the eyes. The lighting and level design often lead to moments that feel cinematic and the day-night cycle that progresses as main story objectives are achieved lends each location a new experience when you begin backtracking looking for secrets (something you should definitely do). The music in Sekiro failed to live up to the standards of the visuals, but it doesn't actively detract from the game in any major way. It just doesn't stand out. However, the sound design almost completely makes up for the lackluster score. Blades clashing, otherworldly howls, the melancholy notes of ethereal instruments floating through the air, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice knows how to characterize its enemies and struggles by sound alone. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice should absolutely be on your gaming wishlist if you have any love for FromSoftware titles or action games in general. It doesn't get much better than this. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was reviewed on PC and is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  32. nvh77947 nvh77947 joined the community
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  34. rpglover1980 rpglover1980 joined the community
  35. Jack Gardner
    Star Wars Celebration has a long history of revealing major upcoming games set in the Star Wars universe. That makes sense; after all, it's the largest gathering of Star Wars fans which makes them the group most likely to be interested in a Star Wars video game. In recent years, EA has used the event as a springboard for launching the hype machines for its line of Star Wars Battlefront titles - and now it appears that it will be doing the same for the upcoming game developed by Respawn: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In the lead up to Star Wars Celebration 2019, it was revealed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be make its more detailed debut this Saturday at 11:30am PT. However, a now defunct Amazon t-shirt listing leaked the poster design a day early, giving us one of the first looks at what we should be expecting from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Spotted by the eagle eyes of Twitter user Wario64, the listing read, "This official Jedi Fallen Order teaser poster has just been revealed at Star Wars Celebration Chicago and the tee shirt is now available, hot off the press, right here on Amazon!" You can view the entire image below: The image doesn't give us much to go on. We see what is presumably the protagonist holding a blue lightsaber while standing dramatically next to what appears to be a tiny Metal Gear with either a lightsaber of its own or (more likely) firing a small laser. The pair stand on a rocky planet with running water separating them from a massive crashed frigate. Their crashed vessel or perhaps a spaceship looms in the background while up in the sky a formation of TIE fighters close in on the scene. This does seem to confirm that the game will take place during the modern Star Wars timeline rather than the prequel series or the universe fleshed out in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not much is currently known about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order other than the ongoing debate about where the colon in the title should be. The game was announced almost during what might best be described as a throwaway moment during EA's E3 presentation last year. During a cutaway to Respawn's co-founder (and co-creator of Call of Duty) Vince Zampella, a couple facts about the game were confirmed. Zampella stated that players will be able to use a lightsaber - confirmed by the leaked image. The release window for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been set for this coming holiday season. Thus far, no platforms have been confirmed, so we will have to wait for the full reveal on Saturday at 11:30am PT for those details and perhaps a more specific release date. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  36. Jack Gardner
    Star Wars Celebration has a long history of revealing major upcoming games set in the Star Wars universe. That makes sense; after all, it's the largest gathering of Star Wars fans which makes them the group most likely to be interested in a Star Wars video game. In recent years, EA has used the event as a springboard for launching the hype machines for its line of Star Wars Battlefront titles - and now it appears that it will be doing the same for the upcoming game developed by Respawn: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In the lead up to Star Wars Celebration 2019, it was revealed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be make its more detailed debut this Saturday at 11:30am PT. However, a now defunct Amazon t-shirt listing leaked the poster design a day early, giving us one of the first looks at what we should be expecting from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Spotted by the eagle eyes of Twitter user Wario64, the listing read, "This official Jedi Fallen Order teaser poster has just been revealed at Star Wars Celebration Chicago and the tee shirt is now available, hot off the press, right here on Amazon!" You can view the entire image below: The image doesn't give us much to go on. We see what is presumably the protagonist holding a blue lightsaber while standing dramatically next to what appears to be a tiny Metal Gear with either a lightsaber of its own or (more likely) firing a small laser. The pair stand on a rocky planet with running water separating them from a massive crashed frigate. Their crashed vessel or perhaps a spaceship looms in the background while up in the sky a formation of TIE fighters close in on the scene. This does seem to confirm that the game will take place during the modern Star Wars timeline rather than the prequel series or the universe fleshed out in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not much is currently known about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order other than the ongoing debate about where the colon in the title should be. The game was announced almost during what might best be described as a throwaway moment during EA's E3 presentation last year. During a cutaway to Respawn's co-founder (and co-creator of Call of Duty) Vince Zampella, a couple facts about the game were confirmed. Zampella stated that players will be able to use a lightsaber - confirmed by the leaked image. The release window for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been set for this coming holiday season. Thus far, no platforms have been confirmed, so we will have to wait for the full reveal on Saturday at 11:30am PT for those details and perhaps a more specific release date. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  37. Durham College Durham College joined the community
  38. AncientRedDragon
    Are there any other local Extra Lifers that play D&D for Extra Life? I'd love to join in or maybe host a game. Email: ancientreddragon@criticalfun.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CriticalFun Particpant Link: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=347706 Discord: AncientRedDragon#0553 Top Games: D&D Overwatch Final Fantasy XIV
  39. Jack Gardner
    Covered in the viscera of extradimensional beings, our heroes trudge back to Dub-Lin to receive their just rewards from the enigmatic Auntie Darling. We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory. "Tenebrous Brothers Carnival - Mermaid" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show! New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
  40. Jack Gardner
    Covered in the viscera of extradimensional beings, our heroes trudge back to Dub-Lin to receive their just rewards from the enigmatic Auntie Darling. We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory. "Tenebrous Brothers Carnival - Mermaid" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show! New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
  41. sean wagner sean wagner joined the community
  42. Jack Gardner
    The solo indie developer that goes by bcubedlabs has returned. After an impressive showing with The Onus Helm's Kickstarter demo early last year failed to gain crowdfunding traction, bcubedlabs hit the drawing board. They have finally returned with their next project, an action-oriented boss rush game titled Far Blade. Unlike The Onus Helm, Far Blade has launched on itch.io for $5.99, allowing players to support the developer while the project finishes and reaches full retail readiness. Admittedly, bcubedlabs makes it clear that a considerable amount of work still needs to be done, like completing the design of all seven hand-crafted boss encounters. The current build possesses finalized mechanics and camera control, so while much of it remains to be completed, the basics are all in place. It seems like the intent with Far Blade is to see it through to the end without relying on crowdfunding; meaning that the finished project will actually see the light of day. Far Blade tells the story of a lone adventurer who must fight seven huge creatures while exploring an unknown corner of the world. The story has been left deliberately vague to serve as the central mystery of the title. As players explore and conquer their foes, bits of the story will come together to form a larger whole. It seems like this might take a bit of conjecture, but many people have excelled at parsing that sort of storytelling in recent years. It should be easy to recognize several different influences at work in the basic mechanics and ideas behind Far Blade like The Legend of Zelda, Shadow of the Colossus, Dark Souls, and more modern pixel action-adventure games like Hyper Light Drifter. While the boss design and environments undergo polishing, the striking aesthetic has been drawing many eyes to Far Blade. Bcubedlabs has been working on the project alone and developed a new technique that creates 3D models in a pixelated style, making camera movement possible without remaking the art for all the different angles shown. It manages to somehow look a bit like a beautiful version of an N64 game, straddling the line between two very different retro aesthetics in a way that few titles can. At the moment, Far Blade makes use of royalty free music, but depending on how well the game does in these early development days, bcubedlabs intends to hire a composer for a personalized soundtrack. So far only PC platforms (Windows, Mac, and Linux) have been confirmed for the final version of the game. However, Far Blade includes built-in support for Xbox controllers, meaning that a console port could very well be a possibility in the future. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
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