It’s good to be bad! Hit tower-defense __game Cursed Treasure 2 is now free on Android for even more mayhem.
Do you know why nice guys finish last? It’s because they get incinerated in an unholy magical fire for not keeping their greedy mitts to themselves! Cursed Treasure 2 by IriySoft has been one of our most popular tower-defense games for years. You’ve been able to get Cursed Treasure 2 on iTunes for some time now… and now (finally) you can get Cursed Treasure 2 free on Android as well!
Get Cursed Treasure 2 on iTunes
Get Cursed Treasure 2 on Google Play
Cursed Treasure 2 on Armor Games Studios
Cursed Treasure 2 press kit
In Cursed Treasure 2, you command the forces of darkness by building towers of orcs, demons, and the undead to destroy the forces of (ugh) light who will try to reach and carry off your magical gems. There are a variety of heroes to contend with, from ninjas that can turn invisible to paladins packed in armor, but thankfully your towers can be upgraded to do everything from spread fear to turn the very ground into a fiery pit… not to mention your own devastating magical spells to unleash. There are 24 levels, and for an added challenge you can play in Night Mode, where you can only see as far as the light from your towers allows.
The original Cursed Treasure 2 will always be free to play here on Armor Games. We hope you’ll help us spread the news about Cursed Treasure 2 on Android, and also help vote for Cursed Treasure 2 on Steam Greenlight. It’ll be your chance to play the __game in glorious HD on your desktop, and support the developer!
For more about Cursed Treasure 2, visit the official website and visit Cursed Treasure 2 press kit. Follow Armor Games on Facebook and Twitter.
Mod Mark talks Achievements, the Documentary, and great scaly beasts. Read on!
Gemstone Dragons
Let's start by talking about dragons!
Following in the scaly footsteps of the rune and adamant dragons, this April we're launching a brand-new type of fire breathing foe � the gemstone dragon.
Initially there will be 3 new sorts of gem dragons hitting the shores of RuneScape �dragonstone, onyx and hydrix dragons. Each has a fearsome special attack themed after their associated gem, and they are all designed to be very high level Slayer targets, with the Hydrix requiring level 101 Slayer to fight.
Obviously, this is the first significant launch on the way to the proper level 120 Slayer launch later in the year, but for now you'll need to use the new wilder pie to boost your Slayer level, which requires crushed Dragonstone, an uncooked wild pie and level 90 Cooking to make. CRUNCHY!
These reptilian reprobates will be dropping pieces of the new gemstone armour, which should be of particular interest to any hybrid fighters out there. Coming in at level 80, it can be attuned to one of the enchanted effects from the dragonstone, onyx or hydrix bolts.
Achievements
April also sees the first launch of our new-look Achievements system � a super convenient way of looking at all the tasks, feats, diaries and other similar things in the game. It's a great way to see what you've got left to do and what you're close to completing, and it can recommend activities that'll help you meet the requirements for important bits of content, such as boss fighting and the elf city. It's also a great tool to use when you're bank standing and looking for something quick to fill a spare chunk of time.
This is just the first stage of the new Achievements system. There are plenty of new tasks and upgrades to the system planned for the future (including Menaphos!) and we'll be waiting to hear your feedback on how it might be improved once you start using it. Check out the dev diaries on the Achievement system for more info.
Events
Look out for the return of Guthixian butterflies in April, a great way to grab some XP for your lowest skills as we pay tribute to Guthix, and there'll be some secret Easter shenanigans... but the main event over Easter is the Spring Fayre � a 4-week event that takes place in the lush new Lumbridge Crater. There are carnival rides like a helter skelter, an agility course, dances, booths� and a bunch of prizes to win too!
Work continues on the huge Menaphos and Shattered Worlds updates planned later in the year, with another team of play testers from the community coming into the office this month to check them out and give us even more feedback, and to hear more about some of the updates were already planning for later in the year.
Documentary
Finally, we're also releasing the RuneScape Documentary, celebrating the 15 year anniversary last year. It's an incredibly honest account of the amazing journey we've all taken, with interviews from fans, founders, old faces and new, looking into the great times, key moments and the challenging times�and why we have the most amazing community in games.
Find out about our humble beginnings, the birth of RuneFest and Old School, Wilderness woes, and even hear from the most famous player of all time.
We'll be launching the Documentary on Sunday, April 9th from 6.30pm UK Time (That's 17:30 __game Time) � do make sure you tune into our Twitch channel for a special live stream that accompanies the launch!
Have fun, and have a great Easter break.
Wooters out!
Mod Mark
What is a Behind the Scenes article?
Behind the Scenes is a sneak peek at the planned __game updates that we hope to launch in the coming month.
This, however, is only a plan - not a promise - that a particular update will be released in a particular way or at a particular time. To get you the highest quality updates as quickly as possible, we usually keep on tweaking and testing right up until the moment before release, so sometimes things change or take a bit longer than expected. We aren't afraid to change our plan if necessary, as we will never launch an update before it is ready.
Here's a new twist on Treasure Hunter to wet your whistle: Bonus Boosters.
From 00:00 UTC on 30th March until 23:59 UTC on 3rd April, enhance your Treasure Hunting enjoyment with four effects, activated via the new buttons on the interface.
You can activate these once each, after which a cooldown period is applied. You can only have one booster active at a time.
Bonus Booster
What does it do?
Uses per activation
Lucky Purple Booster
Ensures that your next prize is from the purple category.*
1
Multiplier Booster
Randomly boost the number of prizes you receive, up to 5x.
5
Extrasensory Booster
Look inside the displayed chests for rarity before you choose.
5
Prismatic Booster
Any lamps and stars that you receive become prismatic.
5
*Note that this booster can also grant access to a number of older, discontinued items:
Lucky dragon full helm
Lucky dragon chainbody
Lucky dragon platebody
Lucky spectral spirit shield
Lucky arcane spirit shield
Lucky elysian spirit shield
Lucky divine spirit shield
Lucky Bandos boots
Lucky abyssal whip
Lucky dragon claws
Lucky dragon 2h sword
Enjoy!
Have fun, and let us know what you think of this new way to play Treasure Hunter.
The RuneScape Team
What is Treasure Hunter?
Treasure Hunter is playable from within RuneScape, allowing players to use Keys to claim in-game items as prizes. These range from useful resources to rare weapons and exclusive gear.
Playing Treasure Hunter is simple - click the treasure chest icon that pops up when you log in. If you've not played before, just follow the on-screen guide.
Everyone gets at least one Key per day, and RuneScape members get two. You can earn more Keys while playing the game, or stock up by redeeming Bonds.
If you'd like more, you can also buy Keys on the website, or by clicking 'Buy Keys' within the Treasure Hunter interface in-game.
Sentry Knight Tactics is on sale, Gemini Strike is on Android, and more in this big update from Armor Games.
It’s been a busy few months here at Armor Games! So busy we had to compile it all in a huge update post to cover it all. You want sales? We got that. You want games on Android? Son, we got that too! You want Sonny on Steam? We got that, but to be determined at a later date as we focus on testing and bug smashing, which I know is a statement that you guys are just gonna find, like, super satisfying, but it’s what I got for ya. So without further ado, let’s get to that sweet, sweet newsage.
Sentry Knight Tactics is Half Off on Steam! Do you need tiny, adorable heroes violently murdering tiny, adorable monsters? Of course you do. Luckily, from now until April 3rd, Sentry Knight Tactics is just $4.99 on Steam. That’s colourful, challenging real-time indie strategy action for a bargain price. Help us spread the news, and maybe consider picking it up to support the developers and indulge in a little cartoon carnage. Aw yeah.
Don’t Escape: 4 Days in a Wasteland Greenlit! It happened so fast we almost missed it. scriptwelder’s Don’t Escape: 4 Days in a Wasteland was Greenlit on Steam in just a week! What! The upcoming __game will feature hours of content, far bigger than any of the short, free Don’t Escape Flash games, and replayability in the form of variable obstacles and endings. To learn more and follow the development, check out the official website.
Cursed Treasure 2 on Steam Greenlight! If you’ve always wanted to play Cursed Treasure 2 in glorious HD and show some support to the developers, Cursed Treasure 2 will be your opportunity to do so. The Flash version will always remain free to play here, but the Steam version will contain all the sharp shininess of the iOS version. If you’d give us a vote on Greenlight and spread the news it would be appreciated! Look for Cursed Treasure 2 on Android very, very soon. *kisses fingers*So soon. Speaking of which…
Gemini Strike is on Google Play! EYOOOOOO! That’s right. Krin’s addictive classic arcade scrolling space shooter Gemini Strike is finally available free on Android as we continue our quest to bring the most oft-requested iOS titles to the platform. (Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean other more current releases are far off.) We hope you’ll check it out and help us spread the news.
Armatar Contest: Pixels! Feeling artsy? Why not take some time to enter our contest to design an Armatar (that’s an ArmorGames.com Avatar for you newcomers) and show off your talents? From now until 4/22, you can create and enter unique designs under the theme of pixels. Aw yeah, kickin’ it old school! Full details are available on the forums. Accounts are free, so why not sign up and say hello if you haven’t already?
Armor Games Studios official site launched! It’s no secret that Armor Games has been sponsoring indie creators for years. The official launch of our publishing website was a long time coming, but now that it’s live, you can use it to keep up to date on our premium titles… or, hey, even pitch us your __game for publishing!
ArmorGames.com updates coming! So what’s happening under the hood here, you ask? Quite a bit! The first is an upcoming substantial overhaul of the way profile pages look and work, to allow you to better keep in contact with the people you like, share the games you love, and more. Keep an eye out for a preview soon!
I got to pet a really fluffy cat today! That’s not official studio news, technically. It’s just something that happened, and I thought y’all should know.
—-
Writer: Dora Breckinridge. Gamer. Artisan. Cat enthusiast.
In just a few days, Sliske's Endgame will arrive, and the malicious Mahjarrat's deadly challenge will come to a spectacular close.
Who will stand, and who will fall? Who will claim the Stone of Jas and command its world-shattering power? Only one thing is certain � Gielinor will never be the same again.
Note: be sure to hand in any Sliskelion pieces you've been holding onto � they're being removed with Monday's update.
Get chasing those last few quest requirements, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest and greatest official RuneScape videos.
Sliske's Labyrinth | Win Premier Club Membership
Mod Raven presides over an epic video-based choose your own adventure game: Sliske's Labyrinth. If you haven't already, complete the adventure for your chance to win Premier Club membership.
Full details of the competition were announced earlier this week.
This week, we've overhauled one of RuneScape's most venerable systems � luck.
Where there were once but a few ways of manipulating your combat and skilling fortunes, now there are more � tailored for various phases of your RuneScape adventure.
Since the __game Jam, Mod Timbo's worked tirelessly to gather your feedback and put together the rework released today. Read on for full details.
How Does Luck Work?
Luck is a hidden stat that affects your chance of benefiting from:
Rare drops from Slayer
Unique drops from bosses
Clue-specific rewards from clue scrolls
Favourable skilling procs (see below)
Accessing the rare drop table (now granting an additional drop, not a replacement)
Luck-enhancing items now fall on one of four tiers. Tiers 1-3 affect content specific to certain level ranges. Tier 4 affects content of all levels, along with some extra benefits of its own.
What Content Does Luck Affect?
Tier 1
Level 1-50 Slayer monsters
Easy clues
Bosses:
KBD
Giant Mole
Increased chance to access the rare drop table
Tier 2
Level 51-80 Slayer monsters
Skilling:
Mining Gems
Jewelled statuettes and tradeable Sceptre from Pyramid Plunder
Opening Shade chests
Flash Powder Factory rubble searching
Medium clues
Bosses:
Chaos Elemental
Kalphite Queen
Exiled Kalphite Queen
God Wars Dungeon 1 (not Nex)
Barrows
Dagannoth Kings
Increased chance to access the rare drop table, and to receive better loot from it
Tier 3
Level 81-99 Slayer monsters
High-level skilling:
Rare drops from Elf City pickpocketing
Increased chance of Black Ibis outfit
Improved loot from kingly implings
Improved chance of Sceptre of the Gods
Hard clues
Bosses:
Queen Black Dragon
Nex
God Wars Dungeon 2 (not Telos)
Kalphite King
Corporeal Beast
Further chance to access the rare drop table, and to receive better loot from it
Tier 4
All Slayer monsters
All skilling
Elite clues, and lower
Bosses:
Angel of Death
Telos
Raids
Rise of the Six
Vorago
Araxxor/Araxxi
All lower-tier bosses
Yet further increased chance to access the rare drop table, to receive better loot from it, and to receive certain unique drops.
Luck-Enhancing Items
Ring of Luck
Stats:
Level 15 ring stats (+3 to all styles, no armour)
Tier 1 luck enhancement
To craft:
11 Crafting, 7 Magic
Silver bar, cut lapis lazuli, ring mould, water rune, cosmic rune
Other Info:
Note that while this item is only craftable by members, it can be bought and used by free players.
Ring of Wealth
Stats:
Level 40 ring stats (+10 to all styles, no armour)
Tier 2 luck enhancement
To craft:
55 Crafting, 68 Magic
Gold bar, cut dragonstone, ring mould, 15 water runes, 15 earth runes, cosmic rune
Other Info:
This is the existing ring of wealth, with new stats and its luck effects updated to the new Tier 2 set.
Ring of Fortune
Stats:
Level 50 ring stats (+13 to all styles, no armour)
Tier 3 luck enhancement
To craft:
72 Crafting, 87 Magic
Gold bar, cut onyx, ring mould, 20 earth runes, 20 fire runes, cosmic rune
Other Info:
Takes the place of the Ring of Stone in the Crafting skill.
The existing ring of stone is unchanged, but is now a drop from TzHaar and TokHaar.
The requirement to cut onyx and make an onyx ring is now 72 Crafting.
Luck of the Dwarves
Stats:
Level 60 ring stats (+17 to all styles, no armour)
Tier 4 luck enhancement
To craft:
91 Crafting, 87 Magic, 107 Invention
Gold bar, cut alchemical onyx, 20 earth runes, 20 fire runes, cosmic rune
Other Info:
This new item requires a new material � alchemical onyx � created via the Invention skill.
Existing Luck Items
Collector's Insignia
When uncharged, the collector's insignia imparts tier 2 luck benefits.
When charged, it imparts tier 3 luck benefits, with charges that deplete with every kill, skilling action or clue.
It continues to grant its other benefits, such as increased Agility XP.
Luck Potion
The existing potion now imparts tier 2 luck benefits.
At 77 Herblore, it can be combined with 6 onyx bolt tips to make an enhanced luck potion, which imparts tier 3 luck benefits.
Leprechaun Hat
Works as a tier 2 luck item.
Lucky rabbits foot
Works as a tier 1 luck item.
Vecna skull
Continues to be dropped from the rare drop table, but now requires tier 4 luck to obtain.
Good luck!
Here's hoping for all the loot you could wish for with these luck-enhancing beauties. Give us your feedback - it's important to us
The RuneScape Team
In Other News
We've released all the details for the remaining name releases. If you've got your eye on a particular name, check here when it'll be released.
Mod Stu has made improvements to a number of older quests:
Imp Catcher has been rewritten, and is now based around performing a task for each of four imps in exchange for their beads.
Heroes' Quest no longer requires a second player to complete.
See the patch notes for further details of today's updates.
Live Streams this Week
Each week we live stream Q&As, in-game events and more. Watch our streams and find a full streaming schedule over on our Twitch channel.
Check our YouTube channel, too, for all of our previous streams, including all our Patch Notes videos, and Dev Diaries.
Tomorrow's stream is all about what you can expect for April � are you ready?
Tuesday, March 28th| 16:00 Game Time | April: the Month Ahead
April is set to be an exciting month in Gielinor.
Tune into the Q&A on Tuesday to find out more about what we've got planned!
Want your question asked? Use the #RSQA hashtag on Twitter, head to our forums, or to Reddit to post it.
Watch from 16:00 Game Time to check it out!
Friday, March 31st | 20:00 Game Time | Community time with Mod Shauny
Mod Shauny will be back and showcasing some of the updates you've got to look forward to next week.
Sunday April 2nd | 18:00 Game Time | PvM with Mod Lee
Get your weekly dose of PvM goodness with Mod Lee � don't miss it!
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host this week. If there is one major takeaway, I pulled from this week it is you all want to talk about Mass Effect: Andromeda. Never have I seen a __game so thoroughly trounce all the other releases on the Giant Bomb forums like Mass Effect: Andromeda. Whether it be a strong indictment against the game's facial animations or a passionate defense of the game's beautiful worlds; Andromeda is forcing many of you out of the woodworks. Here are the other notable takeaways you should be aware of:
The engineers submitted a new version of the Roku beta app recently. Make sure your channels are up to date.
@lionheart377 had the pleasure of interviewing Vinny for the purposes of a podcast! Give it a listen and learn all about how he ended up in Giant Bomb.
Speaking of podcasts, MakoTitan had tons of fun interviewing Drew! Learn what the two have been playing by giving it a listen.
@chaser324 published an update for the LiveBomb Chrome extension this week. Let him know if it breaks anything.
Clips Of The Week
Best of Film & 40s for 2 Fast 2 Furious (By: @mendelson9)
Mendelson9 compiled the best and most hilarious moments from Film & 40s commentary track for 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Giant Bomb - F&40s - Vinny Loves to Hate 2F2F (By: Method Fighting)
And here's a compilation video of Vinny slowly losing his sanity while watching 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Best Of Blogs
Believable romances in a JRPG? Say it ain't so!
Exploring The Trope-heavy Relationships In Tales Games (By: @generic_username)
Using Tales of Hearts R as a jumping point, Generic_username discusses how anime and trope heavy relationship arcs can work in video games.
Lemme Tell You A Story: Magic the Gathering (By: @launch)
User Launch extrapolates why he thinks the Magic: The Gathering franchise doesn't receive enough credit for crafting a story from art.
Immersion By Familiarity- A Look At Kamurocho In The Yakuza Series (By: @marzz4967)
marzz4967 uses the Yakuza franchise as a case study on how video __game worlds can create immersion from familiar locations near and dear to our hearts.
Is the world of Yakuza immersive? marzz4967 sure thinks so!
Revisiting Mass Effect: Part 6 (By: @meteora3255)
Andromeda might be getting all the attention now, but meteora3255 continues his series on the first Mass Effect. This week he re-examines the game's cinematic concluding moments.
Breath Of The Wild Influences Are Far-Reaching (By: @phoenix654)
Phoenix654 deconstructs the games he suspects may have influenced the development of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on his latest blog.
Detached: The Design of Inside (By: @gamer_152)
Fellow moderator Gamer_152 uses Inside to discuss how games can cut lines of communication with the player for the benefit of their narrative.
A game Not To Play: Rainbow Six Siege (By: @themist997)
TheMist997 recently spent some time with Rainbow Six Siege and shares why his impressions of it are entirely negative.
Check out Phoenix654's blog on why he thinks there's a relationship between Minecraft and Breath of the Wild.
In this Q1 special, Mento summarizes the game releases we can expect to see from April, May and June as well as providing his final thoughts on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. New entries for The Top Shelf and Indie Game of the Week (which was Blue Isle Studio's 2016 game Valley) are also available for your perusal.
Games With An Active Development Life Cycle; Good or Bad? (By: @devise22)
Using Hitman and Destiny as examples, devise22 questions the positives and negatives of an active development cycle.
Two Weeks In The Switch Is A Delightful Throwback (By: @bigsocrates)
BigSocrates has owned his Nintendo Switch for two weeks and shares why he believes it to be a "delightful throwback" you should consider owning.
Join The Discussion
I heard this game had glitches.
Good Game For A Five-Year-Old? (By: @guthwulf)
guthwulf wants to introduce his five-year-old to video games and is asking for YOUR HELP on where to start! Help a duder out in raising a future video game player!
What Is The Quickest You've Ever Returned/Resold A Game? (By: @meetthepyro)
Inspired by the recent outcry against Mass Effect: Andromeda, feel free to join this community exercise in discussing how quickly you sought a refund for a game you purchased.
Favorite Ability Combinations in Mass Effect: Andromeda? (By: @junkerman)
And weird facial animations. It's a double whammy!
Have you discovered some interesting ability combinations in Mass Effect: Andromeda? Share them and discuss how effective they are in combat.
How Does Mass Effect: Andromeda Compare To Your Expectations? [Poll] (By: @spaceinsomniac)
Did Mass Effect: Andromeda exceed, meet, or fail your expectations? Vote for and extrapolate your stance after playing what you have of the game.
Post Your Mass Effect: Andromeda Ryder (By: @alistercat)
Did you create a custom character in Mass Effect: Andromeda? Post pictures of your version of "Ryder," even if it is an abomination, over here.
Mass Effect: Andromeda Bug Sharing Thread (By: @alistercat)
But at least we can all agree to enjoy fast cars and Vinny's incredulity.
Feel free to complain and gripe about the smattering of glitches you have encountered while playing Mass Effect: Andromeda on this thread.
Fast And Furious Discussion Thread - Funderwear (By: @csl316)
Thanks in large part to Film and 40s, we now have a "ranking thread" for the Fast and Furious movie franchise. Just remember to not vote for Tokyo Drift. Despite what Jeff says, that movie is a trash fire of epic proportions.
Recommended Chips/Weapons/Pods? (By: @bbalpert)
Attention NieR: Automata players! What are your recommended chips/weapons/pods for newcomers? Share your tips and tricks for everyone to enjoy.
Everything Discussion Thread (By: @glots)
David O'Reilly's Everything has been released and you can join our community discussion about it. Can you help others better understand what the game is about?
Lovable Lists
Games of My Years (By: @audiobusting)
audioBusting annotates his favorite game from every year since his birth on this highly informational user list. Check it out and think about which games would grace your list.
Useful User Reviews
@jedo shares his formative impressions of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands on his mostly positive review of the game.
@dinoracha's review of Killing Floor 2 praises its addicting gameplay while criticizing its wasted potential.
P.S. Giant Bomb East "singing" during test streams is quickly becoming my new favorite thing on this site.
Snare yourself some hydra lamps from 00:00 UTC on 23rd March until 23:59 UTC on 27th March.
Hydra lamps work very much like smouldering lamps, giving you regular XP in a skill and immediately awarding up to the same amount of your stored Bonus XP. But there's one difference.
They award XP and (where applicable) Bonus XP in two skills rather than one. Each skill will receive 60% of the total XP it'd earn from a smouldering lamp � that's 120% in total!
Enjoy!
Have fun broadening your skills set with the all-new hydra lamps. See you in game!
The RuneScape Team
What is Treasure Hunter?
Treasure Hunter is playable from within RuneScape, allowing players to use Keys to claim in-game items as prizes. These range from useful resources to rare weapons and exclusive gear.
Playing Treasure Hunter is simple - click the treasure chest icon that pops up when you log in. If you've not played before, just follow the on-screen guide.
Everyone gets at least one Key per day, and RuneScape members get two. You can earn more Keys while playing the game, or stock up by redeeming Bonds.
If you'd like more, you can also buy Keys on the website, or by clicking 'Buy Keys' within the Treasure Hunter interface in-game.
Following a lengthy, health-related absence, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die and Deadly Premonition designer Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro is returning to __game development.
Yesterday, SWERY announced his newest gaming venture, an independent studio called White Owls Inc. Based in SWERY's native city of Osaka, Japan, the new studio is aiming to create games that follow in the strange, fantastical footsteps of the designer's previous works.
This follows more than a year away from __game development, as SWERY worked on managing his reactive hypoglycemia. During that period, SWERY officially retired from his previous studio, Access Games. And though he stayed away from development, he spent time working on other pursuits, including work on his forthcoming first novel, and becoming a licensed Buddhist monk.
We had the chance to ask SWERY a few questions about his health and his new studio, and though he wasn't able to give us too many details on what's to come from White Owls, the answers seemed to indicate a renewed excitement and passion for video game development.
Giant Bomb: First off, I know you took an extended leave from development to focus on getting healthy. How are you feeling these days?
SWERY: Thank you so much for your concern.
As of now, I've completely gotten over my condition, and my doctor gave me permission to return to work. I also have no more limitations in terms of drinking beer or eating hamburgers or cakes. My palpitations are long gone, and my hands and legs don't shake anymore.
Incidentally, I intend to keep a low carb diet in order to maintain my health from here on out.
GB: What brought you to the point where you decided you wanted to form your own company?
S: This may sound very rude, but it all started once I tasted freedom for the very first time. During my period of medical treatment, I met a lot of people, went to many different towns and countries, watched a lot of films and TV shows, read books, listened to music, and slept a lot. Strangely enough, these actions filled me with more creativity than ever, and I was able to draw pictures that I hadn't been able to draw before, play musical instruments, and even go out to take pictures. I also made silly games with a game maker and then finally started writing a novel.
In the end, I realized that going to the same office every day at the same time, whether or not I actually had work to do, taking a lunch break at the same time whether or not I was actually hungry, and acting like I was awake even when I was sleepy was not the way to go about creating truly amazing work.
But it's very difficult to put that truth into action within a Japanese company (they're infamous around the world for being very "special", right?) So I decided to make my own ideal company.
Of course, in order to do that, I needed some advice from a lot of creators in the West. What I really needed was true friends!
GB: What is the personal significance of the name White Owls Inc.?
S: Owls watch over the darkness of the night. In Ancient Greece, they deified them as symbols of wisdom. I think that the Greek people looked at the darkness of the night as a metaphor for death. And since owls can see through the darkness, they were seen as sacred beings similar to elderly wisemen.
In that same vein, I've gotten older, and I've gained a bit more wisdom than before. So I decided that the owl was the perfect creature for this new stage of mine.
GB: What's the vision for this studio? What kinds of games are you looking to create?
S: White Owls is a completely independent studio without any capital. Therefore, we can freely create as we wish. We want to make games for all the people who are cheering us on. This means they'll be bizarre, horrific, and filled with laughter, tears, and SWERISMs.
Our slogan is "From Osaka to the World!" I hope you're all excited. Just like the owls that fly through the darkness of the night, the games we make here in Osaka, the city I grew up in, are going to soar out over the entire world.
GB: Can you speak at all on the talent you're bringing together for this studio? Can you talk about where some of the other developers came from, what other games they may have worked on?
S: Since the villains are always trying to figure out the Justice League's secrets, I can't tell you any details. (LOL)
...But the one thing I can say is that there are still a lot of creators in Japan who want to do something on a worldwide level. I'm teaming up with them and creating a secret base.
In order to make this into a reality, I signed a contract with Blake Rochkind from UTA. In other words, I'm seriously working to make the entire world my playing field.
GB: You also have a novel coming this year. Can you talk a little bit about what inspired you to try your hand at novel writing, and what we can expect from this first book?
S: Currently, I'm working with a Japanese publisher and writing a book for commercial publication. I got feedback from my first draft, and just started working on my second draft. It's been a very stimulating experience. A while back, I said on Twitter that it'd be a combination of a rural town + murder + cat + mustache + nuts. It'll have the weirdness that can only happen in a small town, similar to Deadly Premonition, but I also used the same writing method that I employed to write D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die. I can't say any more than this, but if you're interested in hearing more news on it, please check my Twitter. I may tweet some hints every now and then.
GB: Is there anything else you'd like to say about your return to game development?
S: I can't thank my family enough. They supported me with food and other health support during my period of recuperation. Thank you so much. I also want to thank all my fans who've cheered me on through the internet. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now that I'm back in action, I hope you're all looking forward to more SWERY creations!
How much time, would you say, is too much time trying to perfectly place a fence in Fallout 4? A minute? Maybe five minutes? Maybe 10? I think I’ve spent at least an hour just trying to place fences in Fallout 4.
This is, admittedly, not a problem most people will have. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and in Fallout 4, I found myself getting strangely invested in the state of the settlements. This meant that whenever the __game asked me to engage in its base-building subgame to progress some quest, I felt compelled to stop what I was doing and make sure the settlement was functional and attractive.
For instance, I spent a whole 30 minutes of my life making sure the radioactive pit in the middle of a parking lot was properly fenced out. Granted, being this invested in it was my fault. But, if we’re being honest, it was also the game’s fault that it took me this long.
The only tall fence available in Fallout 4, the “junk fence,” doesn’t snap-fit together like some of the game’s other base-building objects. Rather, you place it freely in space by pointing somewhere. Free object placement doesn’t really work as a mechanic; it’s almost a user interface cop-out. Between Fallout 4 and Planet Coaster, I’ve seen pretty clearly that it’s the wrong way to implement building mechanics in a game. Planet Coaster goes even further and gives you tools to place props in 3D space that are really more like level design tools than like a __game mechanic, down to handles for translation and rotation in space.
Building stuff is inherently playful, and it has been explored mechanically in countless games. Yet it’s so easy to get wrong, and it illustrates very well how adding complexity is usually not the solution.
Before 3D engines were commonplace and flexible enough to allow this sort of thing, most games that let you build things (usually games entirely about building--tycoon games, sims) used a tiled map where you would place down objects like blocks. This is the most noticeable change from Rollercoaster Tycoon to Planet Coaster: You are no longer constrained by the square grid of the older games. Removing this restriction turns out to make the game worse.
In the shift from the discrete world of tiles and blocks, to the analog world of points in space, possibilities multiply and the ability to judge correctness dwindles. Planet Coaster does include some amount of grid-based handholding, but it’s clear (from the pre-made buildings included with the game if nothing else) that you’re not really supposed to rely entirely on it. Besides, Planet Coaster’s grids are all relative, individual to each particular building. This makes it painful to integrate one building with another, say if you want them to be connected by paths or ride tracks. Without the global tile grid that Rollercoaster Tycoon was built on, fitting things together often fails.
Please stay away from the deadly radioactive hole you decided to have a village around for some reason.
In Fallout 4, the fact that you’re building using jagged objects made of cobbled-together junk really highlights this; as a rule, the colliders are somewhat oversized, meaning that things don’t fit together neatly unless they snap together; they always leave a gap. And while the structural parts of the building set do snap together like legos, they don’t do so predictably or reliably; you can’t tell from looking at two pieces whether they’ll connect, and when they do connect, whether the connection will make sense visually as well. Things often fail to connect because of unseen object collisions; in one case, I found that the game would let me do something that clearly should have been possible, but only if I placed the pieces in a specific order. Go into Fallout 4, and pick up the set of wire fences that the game provides. They snap together, but I dare you to fence off a square area with them without leaving gaps. Surprise: They don’t actually all fit in the same grid, and there’s no interface indication of this when you’re placing them.
If these seem like nitpicks, they are. The whole endeavor is nitpicky. Planet Coaster expects you to build a custom building around ride tracks to serve as the ride station, for example, but there are no affordances to make sure the height of the tracks conforms to the height of the standard building blocks. The footpaths that guests use to get around in the park can’t be saved along with building blueprints, meaning that buildings that integrate with paths (say, a castle that guests can walk up on the parapets of) is dicey. I find that Planet Coaster is really good at breaking up the creative flow of building something--something doesn’t fit together, something doesn’t work, and suddenly the magic is gone and I feel silly for spending my time this way.
Compare that to how The Sims does it: Newer iterations of the franchise have never gotten away from its tile-based system for building houses. A Sims home is inevitably built on a grid. This means that there are some architectural features that can’t be achieved at all--you can never have a round room like a McMansion turret, for instance. But what you lose there isn’t much compared to what you gain: Building houses in The Sims is a joy, and for many players it’s the best part of the game. You can’t make a hallway that is three and a half tiles wide or build on multiple split levels, but there is just enough there to make it satisfying. It’s still possible to build architectural trainwrecks, but it doesn’t take hours of fiddling to get something that looks good.
Granted, Planet Coaster’s problem isn’t really a problem at all for the people who enjoy the niche activity of designing content for that game. It curtails the game’s audience in some ways, but there is no sin in being niche. Players have definitely built very impressive creations using the in-game tools; but while they don’t lack power, they’re a missed opportunity because they don’t scale. Well-designed building games, like The Sims and Minecraft, have a scaling quality to them; there’s not much of a barrier to creating something satisfying. Minecraft achieves this smartly by using the limited resolution of its blocks. To make something detailed and complex, you have to make it huge. Small creations are inherently going to be simpler and easier to put together. Like on The Sims, the buildings that come with the game are created using the same tools that players use, they’re achievable.
In Planet Coaster, the example content is seemingly the product of hours of mystifying tinkering. It’s an all-or-nothing proposition; the interface, the tools, and the preexisting content seem to suggest: do it right, or not at all. It’s like a model kit, in contrast to the Lego ethos of there is no wrong way to do it. And many people have built impressive things with Planet Coaster, perhaps more impressive than what you can build with tools geared less towards such invested players. But model kits are a niche hobby, while Legos are the best-selling toy line of all time. It feels like a missed opportunity when Planet Coaster’s predecessor, Rollercoaster Tycoon, was so much more accessible without sacrificing the complexity that made that series special.
Fallout 4, however, definitely has problems: the tools are nowhere refined or powerful enough to be like level editing tools, but they still suffer from fiddliness. If Planet Coaster saddens me even though I know it makes a lot of players very happy, I can’t imagine anyone really loves the base-building subgame in Fallout 4. Even using the snap-fit objects is an unpleasant experience: In a miserable design decision, you are expected to choose which specific variation of a garbage shack wall you’re going to use in each place, instead of simply putting down interchangeable pieces that look different each time. This makes the building menus about as lengthy and time-consuming to navigate as the actual mesh catalog in a level editor, except that to actually place them, you roughly look in some direction and the game tries to guess where you mean to place them. Usually, it guesses wrong, forcing the player to reposition things until they snap into place.
The broader problem is losing sight of why a given game’s built environment fascinates in the first place. Rollercoaster Tycoon was built around the premise that your park guests are an active and opinionated audience, and you are building rides to please their tastes. In Planet Coaster, a lot of attention is given to building tools that don’t really matter; the quality of the buildings you’re making is in no way judged. Guests, at most, react only to the sheer volume of scenery around them. This isn’t to say simulating some kind of aesthetic AI that would judge how good buildings are would be easy; it would be nigh impossible. That’s a reason not to make the building features too detailed, right there. My Planet Coaster creations will never really be appreciated by anyone unless I make them good enough (and thus, time-consuming enough) to be interesting to other human players. At the same time, the process of building them is lengthy and unpleasant enough that I don’t even get individual satisfaction out of it.
In Fallout 4, the idea of cobbling things together from available materials and building on top of the ruins of the pre-war past is right there for the taking, but the actual mechanics totally bypass it. Early in the game, you might encounter a farmhouse built around the structure of an old transmission tower. You can never do anything like that yourself. I spent several minutes trying to place blocks so it would look like I had added a wooden lean-to onto the steel skeleton of a pre-war suburban home, and failed.
Compare this to a game that has a similar 3D environment but does base-building better: Subnautica. In that game, all structural base parts connect together smoothly like legos, with results that are both visually and mechanically appealing. When you place them, the game generates struts to connect the building to the terrain in ways that make sense, helping integrate your base to the surrounding ground. It’s hard to overstate how important that small visual detail is: your bases look like they belong where they are. Because bases are always lifted on stilts, they don’t have to deal with the uneven terrain. You never get a weirdly floating, seemingly unsupported chunk of building that spoils the illusion.
You versus the chicken shack she told you not to worry about.
And tinkering is its own form of fun, but it requires malleability. What really breaks flow in any building game is having to backtrack something I did previously to support something I’m doing next. In Sims games, every step of construction is discrete, and minimal planning is necessary. You don’t have to think about where the windows will go when you’re placing walls. So an easy workflow emerges where you place each thing one at a time, with little backtracking or revision of previous steps. This isn’t very representative of what an actual design process is like, but in the same fun way that DOOM isn’t representative of what being a soldier is like. It’s fun in the way Planet Coaster isn’t, for me: the core experience of Planet Coaster is launching the game, opening up a park, starting work on building something, hitting an unpleasant hitch that would make me backtrack a bunch, and deciding to quit the game instead.
Building mechanics walk this tightrope: Building things is inherently interesting, inherently fun. But it’s very easy to break the spell; it rests less on the question of how to make the mechanics fun, and more on how to refine them to sustain the play value of the thing. And, as often seems to be the case, more complexity and more options doesn’t improve the experience. Legos are by far the most popular toy in history, much more enduring than other building toys, precisely because they fit together in such limited and constrained ways. There’s no wrong way to fit two Lego blocks together, and that lack of judgment is essential to joy.
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! As is always the case, I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host this week. Right off the bat, I want to mention this will be the last edition of the Community Spotlight to have a dedicated section for 2016 GOTY user-created content. We have to move on at some point, and two weeks into January feels like the appropriate amount of time. Beyond this, the community was practically buzzing about the Nintendo Switch and cancellation of Scalebound. Feel free to find the appropriate blogs and discussion thread if you would like join in on the fun. With this all in mind, let's get on with the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight!
Giant Bomb user @lionheart377 had the pleasure of interviewing FOO VR's, and perpetual friend of the site, Will Smith for a podcast of his.
Speaking of podcasts, moderator @thatpinguino recently published one pertaining to Jade Empire and its cyclical highs and lows.
Ghosthouse's Game of the Year 2016 Awards (By: @ghosthouse)
My Top 10 Games Of 2016 (By: @joe423)
My 2016 List Of Games I Managed To Play (By: @lanerobertlane)
Game of the Year 2016: Has There Ever Been a Better Time to Play Video Games? The Answer May Surprise You! (By: @dricas)
2016: A Review Askew! (By: @xenturik)
Nightriff’s 2016 Game of the Year Blog (By: @nightriff)
JasonMasters' Belated Top 10 Games of 2016 (By: @jasonmasters)
2016's Top 10 Games For The Sad and the Old (By: @mathey)
Lists
Game of the Year! 2016! (By: @l33t_haxor)
Flynn's GOTY 2016 (By: @flynnneary)
My Favorite Games I Played In 2016 (By: @falco_eagle)
GOTY 2016 (By: @jthomeslice)
Best of 2016 (By: @godzilla_sushi)
Clips of the Week
The Worst of Giant Bomb 2017 (By: Jeffrey Grubb)
Over on YouTube Jeffrey Grubb lightly animated Dan's "Worst thing I've ever drunk," story from last week's Mega Man 2 stream.
Giant Bomb Galleria
Banner - Will and Drew Bombcast Sketches (By: @morehandclaps)
morehandclaps is back to her usual artistic tricks this week with two sketches related to last week's Bombcast. This time she had fun drawing Drew and Will Smith.
I Made Some Shirts (By: @combustion_man)
Wonder what the GB logo would look like if you mashed it with the Much Music logo, or canned coffee? Giant Bomb user combustion_man has you covered.
Best of Blogs
Are you ready for some star trekking?
What is Astroneer? (By: @beardslyman)
beardslyman endeavors to answer questions on what Astroneer is, and the audience it appeals to most. Check it out and see if the __game is for you.
The Sum: Reviewing Every Quest in the Witcher 3 -- Wandering in the Dark (By: @cabelhigh)
cabelhigh began a new blog series where he reviews every mission in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Check out the first episode as he assesses "Wandering in the Dark."
Overwatch And Positive Reinforcement (By: @drekly)
Drekly highlights why he thinks Overwatch seriously lacks "positive reinforcement" when it comes to its online community.
What is "positive reinforcement" in Overwatch look like? Check out Drekly's blog for an idea
The Backlogbook - Week One (By: @danielkempster)
danielkempster intends to make the most of 2017 by tackling major games on his backlog. Discover his first targets on his latest blog.
The Future Of The Xbox (By: @colonel_pockets)
In light of recent events, Colonel_Pockets shares his thoughts on the current state, as well as the future, of the Xbox console.
The History Of Nintendo And All Of Video Games (More Or Less) (By: @darkbeatdk)
Using Nintendo as a case study, DarkbeatDK examines some of the most important moments in video game history.
Feel free to join Colonel_Pocket's conversation on the future of Micorosoft's Xbox division.
Preview of 2017; It's Looking Great (By: @zevvion)
Zevvion asks you join him in discussing the video game heavy hitters set to release during Q1 2017, and why this quarter looks stronger than Q1 2016.
In his round-up of his weekly content, Mento shares the indie game he toyed around with this week, Refunct, and why it is a fun if ephemeral exercise in simplicity. Likewise, Mento attempted to excise a number of "niche" PS2 games from his video game shelf this week. He also has a lot of words to say about Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Clearing the Backlog Week of January 8th: Owlboy, Glittermitten Grove, and Obduction (By: @cav829)
Ranging from Owlboy, Glittermitten Grove, and Obduction; Cav829 discusses the games he just struck from his backlog.
Check out DarkbeatDK's highly educational write-up on the history of video games.
Thoughts on the Nintendo Switch Presentation (By: @sam_lfcfan)
Sam_lfcfan shares his extensive impressions of the Nintendo Switch presentation and welcomes you to join him here.
Anime Overload 2016: The Number of Anime I've Watched Can't Be This Many (By: @hamst3r)
Rather than look back on the video games he has played in the previous year, Hamst3r decided to highlight the many anime shows and films he enjoyed in 2016.
Join the Discussion
It's the talking point of the week to say the least.
Will You Buy A Nintendo Switch Poll & Discussion Thread (By: @ntm)
The title really says it all. Whether you were impressed by Nintendo's presentation or not, feel free to vote and discuss the betting odds of you purchasing a Nintendo Switch anytime during its release window.
Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Discussion Thread (By: @isomeri)
If you have any comments or opinions pertaining to how Nintendo presented their new console last week then feel free to share them on our official thread for the press conference.
Let's Discuss The Nintendo Switch Online Service (By: @visnes)
What is your gut reaction to the Nintendo Switch online service? Share your hopes and concerns with the rest of the community.
Have You Ever Replayed An Old Game And Realized Your Memory Is Really Bad? (By: @liquiddragon)
Have you ever replayed an old game and realized your memory is really bad? Share the last time this situation has happened.
Another game for the "what could have been" book of video games.
What's The Earliest Game You Remember Playing? (By: @taylorraglin)
What's the first game from your childhood you remember playing? Share and discuss your initial impressions with video gaming, and which games they were.
Are You Bummed That Scalebound Was Cancelled? [Poll] (By: @numbawhan)
Do you have any "gut reactions" to the cancellation of Scalebound? Feel free to vote and share your opinion over here.
Do You Drink The Leftover Milk From Your Cereal? (By: @humanity)
I voted for justice.
Over 600 have voted, and 76% disagree with Dan's anti-cereal milk stance! Pick a side if you haven't already done so!
Lovable Lists
Help LCom with more examples of games which use this type of combat system!
Games I Finished in 2016 (By: @wumbo3000)
Games Beated In The Year Two Thousand And Sixteen (By: @sgtsphynx)
Why limit yourself to just a single GOTY list of ten games when you could list every game you have played in 2016 like wumbo3000 and SgtSphynx!
LOCK-ON COMBAT (By: @lcom)
LCom is working to create a list of every single game which utilizes "lock-on combat!" See if you can help him out coming up with more examples.
A demonic in-game event, new benefits from your Runespan training and some awesome additions to the Arc � it's a feast of RuneScape joy in this week's update.
Agents of Fury
The Avernic general Nymora has sent two vengeful envoys to Gielinor's surface. Help them gather trophies of fallen foes and reap the rewards.
Speak to Miithrius or Zymanthria on Daemonheim Peninsula to get started.
From now until 23:59 UTC on 2nd April, you can collect Zamorakian emblems through regular skilling and combat training activities.
Hand in up to 1000 emblems per day to unlock rewards, including the Furies Agent outfit, complete with devilishly fetching horns and wings.
If you fancy speeding things up, or if you miss out a few days and need to catch up, you can increase your daily cap on emblems by spending RuneCoins in the reward shop.
Runespan Rewards
A new apprentice wizard has arrived outside the Runespan, with a reward store of his very own. In exchange for your hard-won Runespan points, he can offer the following:
Portal redirect � One time purchase. Allows the apprentice to redirect the portal between the mid and high floors.
Runesphere teleport tablet � Teleports you directly to the runesphere when it's active, even across floors. You must be in the Runespan to use this.
Yellow wizard teleport tablet � Teleports you directly to a yellow wizard when they want your attention. You must be in the Runespan to use this.
Unstable essence � Stackable essence that can be used on an altar to gain XP but no runes. Used 10 at a time, at a fast rate.
Master runecrafter's robes � Now available from the Runespan!
Altar teleport tablets � Consumable items that take you to specific altars.
Arc Improvements
We've also brought you a bunch of improvements to the Arc, fresh from the __game Jam we held over the last Double XP Weekend.
The High Armour of Hanto, Winds of Waiko, Thalassia's Revenge and Rage of Hyu-Ji can now be obtained with chimes and taijitu.
Any Alaea crablets that you start mining will be renamed �Relaxed Alaea Crablet' and a timer bar will appear.
Tortle traps now have even fewer restrictions on where they can be placed.
The Arc Journal now keeps track of rare resources on your claimed island.
There is now Quick Chat and a prestige count for the Aminishi Slayer creatures.
The Uncharted Islands system has been updated to ensure that all things that should spawn do so, and no longer spawn on each other.
Enjoy!
Have an excellent week exploring this week's new content. See you in game!
The RuneScape Team
In Other News
See the patch notes for further details of today�s updates.
Live Streams this Week
View our live streams over on Twitch. You can find a full streaming schedule on the channel, too.
Friday 24th March | 21:00 Game Time | Community update with Mod Shauny
Join Mod Shauny for a sneak-peek of some of next Monday�s updates.
Sunday 26th March | 19:00 Game Time | PvM with Mod Lee
Get your weekly dose of PvM goodness with Mod Lee � don�t miss it!
