Heroica: The Minecraft Saga, Part 1

Minecraft has been an on-again off-again pastime for lunarskye and myself.  As of right now however, ITS ON!

When we first started the world, it was pretty simple due to the fact that we were playing the Alpha version. Since then of course, with recurring Beta updates, things like biomes and cave structures have become much more varied and complex.

We took on our first projects with the help of our friend Xemo. We made a pretty sweet network of forts connected by a wire controlled rail system and mined like crazy into this one mountain. We built a cool fort with automated iron doors and connected everything underground so you never have to put yourself in danger trekking over the surface at night.

It took awhile for the portals to start working on multiplayer servers, so we were forced to continue our epic journey on foot, mainly in search of our first snow/tundra biome. Along the way, we began construction of a canal system by which we would travel to and from our snow castle. It was incredibly time consuming and difficult, and sadly now that the portals actually work, we have absolutely no use for the canal or any of the paths cleared.

Most recently, I took a long journey in to the Nether to build a new portal. I ended up creating a log cabin, a cliff fortress, and discovered my first “abandoned mine” and NPC (no spawned NPCs however) village. The mine was scary, and I actually like the little village, which I’m adding onto.

Check out some screenshots from our adventures after the jump. Read more »

The Humble Indie Bundle #2 Passes 1 Million in Contributions

The Humble Indie Bundle #2, hosted once again by Wolfire Games, has pushed past the 1 million dollar benchmark, and with 2 days left, it looks to likely surpass the $$1,273,613 raised over the first Humble Indie Bundle.

The format is the same:  pay what you want and divvy up the contribution how you want between the games, EFF, Child’s Play, and a newly added tip for the Humble Bundle team to continue their project.

Funny enough, the spread between Windows/Mac/Linux users is the same as last time as well, with Linux users well in the lead in average contributions.

Don’t forget to go contribute yourself! There’s plenty of time left, and they’re great games for great causes.

Check after the jump for the list of included games, which are DRM free and now redeemable on Steam and Desura. Read more »

Last Day for The Humble Indie Bundle!

Don’t you just <3 indie game devs? So nice of them to give us the option to pay what we want AND give to charitable causes?!?!

If you have some funds to giveth and don’t mind getting 6 quality games in return, hurry up and hit up The Humble Indie Bundle hosted by indie devs Wolfire Games. The hours are ticking down…

As you can see in the top image, the following games are included in the package:

• World of Goo
• Aquaria
• Gish
• Lugaru HD
• Penumbra: Overture
• Samrost 2

You can also opt to donate all or some of your monies to two charities:

• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) – proponents for digital rights
• Child’s Play – collects and donates video games, toys, and other entertainment for needy children in hosipitals across the country and beyond.

It’s a win win any way you slice it. I really think it’s a slick idea as well as a slick implementation in terms of the actual site. It’s also fun to see real time stats, which currently show Linux users are comfortably in the lead when it comes to average contributions, with Mac in 2nd, and PC in last (come on PC users! we’re not that cheap… right? ).

Star Trek Online: Pay Up Suckas!

So, I’ve been playing the Star Trek Online Open Beta for a few days, and it’s actually a lot more engaging than I initially anticipated. Anyway, I’ll get in to more of my impressions of the game after the beta ends January 26th.

For now, I just wanted to break down the “Limited Time Promotions” Cryptic has extended to those who are ready to sign up and commit some cashola to continue, or begin, their voyage when the game ships February 2nd.

Note: In order to qualify for the promotional subscriptions, you’re going to have to pre-order/pre-purchase the actual game first = $49.99 Regular Edition, $59.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, $79.99 Collector’s Edition.

Ok, now let’s weigh the options shall we:

Option 1: Lifetime – $239.99

The Math: Equates to paying for 16 months of the game at standard $14.99/month subscription

Perks:

• Play forever and ever and ever until you want to quit or the game dies, whichever happens first.
• Access to create a liberated Borg character
• 2 extra character slots

Option 2: 12-month Discounted Annual – $119.99/year

The Math: Equates to a savings of $59.89/year, compared to if you subscribed at the standard $14.99/month subscription (which adds up to $179.88/year)

Perks:

• Locked in discount annual price
• 2 extra character slots

Now, I appreciate the money saving options presented, but on the flip-side, you have to be willing and gung-ho to commit a large sum of monies upfront for an experience you may or may not follow through with for the extent you signed up for. Obviously, this is great for Cryptic, who gets your money whether you play or not.

I’m not necessarily trying to rain on the parade. If you know you love the game and you can afford it, by all means go for it! However, personally, though I am enjoying the beta, I’m not willing to lock in yet. If I choose to continue, looks like regular subscription for me.

Gaming Retrospect: Mixed-Up Mother Goose

I really don’t remember much about my ‘firsts’ growing up. I don’t remember my first steps, words, or plane trip. I know my first friend was Stephen, whom I have known since I was two. I think my second friend was named Iosh, or Yoshi, or something. Maybe it was Spanish, and I just made it up from what I thought I heard his name was, but I don’t know him anymore obviously. Anyway, those things are not important… ok, friends are more important, but what is important is this: what was my first gaming experience?

Well, I can tell you with 75% accuracy that my very first PC game was Sierra’s 1987 release Mixed-Up Mother Goose. Even today, I remember that old man and his crooked sixpence. I also remember flying on a goose. I must have played that game many times to remember that much considering how very young I was. Oh, and my avatar had my complexion and a blue shirt… I think.

The game was basically you walking around trying to find important parts of the particular nursery rhymes: find Jack’s candle, Mary’s lamb etc. You were supposed to pick a character that looked like you and put in your own name, so I wonder if it can really be called a role playing game despite the ‘quests’ I was on. Hopefully I can get a version for my kids when I have them.

World of Warcraft: Official Magazine Preview

Always looking to entice and renew the fan base, it looks like Blizzard is throwing out another line with the World of Warcraft: Official Magazine, which they have teamed up with magazine publisher Future PLC to create. The magazine, which is subscription based only (sorry you won’t be able to pick it up in stores), is scheduled to hit… well, right about now.

For those who, like me, may be a bit skeptical, or just aren’t ready to commit and plop down $39.95 for a one-year  or $69.95 for a two-year subscription to the quarterly magazine, there is good news for you as you can get a sneak peek via a generous 40-page preview clipped from the 148-page debut Winter 2009 issue.

Looking through the preview, the attractive ad-free layout prominently features quality artwork, and the content seems to feature behind the scenes, retrospectives, advice and tips on playing your class, as well as community based articles. This magazine surely won’t and isn’t meant to supplement online guides and news articles, but what it does look to provide is a quality archival volume for WoW enthusiasts.

[via WoW.com]