Thursday 1 January 2015

Happy New Year! Whats on your table for 2015?

Happy New Year from the team here at SONS!

Its been a long time since I posted, quite possibly not posted at all in  2104, so I do plan to make a change to that in 2015. 2014 seemed to mark a move away from 40K for a lot of the SONS, 6th and 7th may well have left some players a bit burnt out.

But with that said, what are peoples gaming plans for 2015? What are you looking forward to? New releases, new games, new models?!

For me 2015 is going to bring hopefully still plenty of gaming, I recently quit World of Warcraft (again) after feeling like I've completed it (I finished off my PVP achievements, namely the Rated Battle Ground ones that I never had a chance to play due to quitting the game for a while). This just frees up so much time - though I have to say, unlike 2009 where I just didnt know where to look after having spent 10 to 12 hours a day on WoW, this time around I have a better idea.

While I was happy to quit the game, I was sad to leave behind (though I still talk to them regularly) the team that I found/made in the past year. It was in no small part thanks to them that I got to complete all the goals I had set out, and more than anything it was fun with them. In 2009 I felt like I left on top, but with a bitter taste in my mouth from the community and what "team mates" could be like, this time around, I leave happy that I could achieve somethings, but no where near the level of success as before, but somewhat disappointed that I do leave behind some great team mates that still want me to play.


TABLE TOP GAMES

Christmas saw my brother pick up X-Wing for me, so that will be my table top game of choice for this year. I'll be hitting up Atreides for sure to give me a crash course in competitive play, since I am unable to play any game without playing it "properly" (yes, to win, sue me!).

I've heard great things about this game. Whats great is for the first time my brother is actually quite hyped about a game as well. While like I say I might look at having more competitive tilted games with someone like Atreides, my bro has been looking at the collecting side of it, and having more casual based games with him is still very appealing.

As for building up to tournaments? I can't see this happening unfortunately, my "free time" is now completely gone, and I basically never have weekends to give up. More on this at the bottom! 

COMPUTER GAMES: ONLINE

While I quit WoW, and that would seem like I might be giving up online games, I just can't do it fully. A part of me needs to have some competitive online outlet. WoW is arguably going to be the game I'll be best at, but also with that comes larger expectations and I also know how much time it takes up. New games offer different challenges, and also mean I wont be so attached. Theres always going to be that itch for me, so this is what will scratch it for now:

Smash 4: Wii U -
I am adoring this game right now. I've had a thing for Smash Melee for a while now, but the new Smash game is more my street. Its a bit slower, its new so the learning curve is more reasonable (I.E less catch up).

I still have the 3DS Smash which I also enjoy.


Incidentally, one of the best documentaries on gaming/a game/players is this 8 part series on Smash Melee - its long, but so worth the watch. Melee has had a lot of drama around it with getting back on track, and this documentry had a huge part in the recent resurgence, and I'd argue it had a big factor in the reason why Smash 4 has been so successful. Melee is super fast paced and has a lot of mechanical skills which are hard to pick up, Smash 4 is a bit more accessible, a bit like Brawl was, but has been released with a lot of spot light on the Smash scene. Major teams have picked up Smash players in the past year, and this exposure has maybe had some influence as well.

I'll be hitting up Mario Kart soon on the Wii U (likely today) so if anyone here has them and fancies a hack around, just shout me here and we can sort out some games!

Counter Strike:GO
A small part of me wish I had played this more on its inception. I didn't like Source, and my first GS GO games felt a bit like that, but GO has a lot of features I really like with a better competitive method for "casual" players - with the ladder and reward system.

Its still as chock full with cheaters as it was in the original CS, but given I've been playing CS since 98 or so, its great fun to go back to something that is so deep rooted in my blood.

If they did a HD remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein - oh lord my real life would be over.

COMPUTER GAMES: OFFLINE
One thing I've been getting better at in the past few months is single player games. From playing through the single player modes of Smash 4, to getting back into Final Fantasy. I've knocked up a bucket list of games I want to work through, both next gen and retro, and here are a few of them.


Old Games
  •  Final Fantasy VI
  • Final Fantasy VIII 
  • Final Fantasy X + X2
  • Chrono Trigger
  • Zelda: Twilight Princess
  • Zelda: Ocarina and Windwaker HD remakes (3DS and Wii U)
New(er) Games:
Bayonetta I and II
Xenoblade Chronicles X (when it comes out)

There is a fair few others, but those are the main focus right now.

Since Nintendo just targeted emulators and roms really hard, I get the feeling that the Wii U / Nintendo store is going to see some big name ports and remakes in the next year. Mario ports and remakes are likely going to be 3DS because its just free money (DS versions of Mario games are still clocking in at 30 quid). Nintendo just seem to know that the throw back market is there, given how their two popular games right now are Smash and Mario, both games with a long history.


Happy New Year, and whats everyones gaming plans for 2015?

8 comments:

  1. I think you'll enjoy X-Wing. Simple to pick up, but decent tactical depth, plus, you know, "pew! pew!".

    FMB

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    1. Getting the first game in tonight. I could see much amazon purchases after that!

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  2. Awesome mate. Any time you're free I'm hapay to get some games in. I play several times a week anyway.

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    1. Sweet, where are you playing? Is there an active store/club?

      I coach a lot these days, so only get a bit of time, but we'll make it work somehow.

      You still throwing down on some 40K or packed it in?

      Delete
  3. Haha 40k has been dead to me for years. I play at dark Sphere. There are more than 20 of us who play regularly. It is the best gaming community I've yet found actually.

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    1. Is that in Lambeth?

      Looking at their games they got some stuff I'd be interested other than XWing which is pretty cool.

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  4. Thanks for posting! I have a hard time investing energy into 40k when the community isnt vibrant, so contributing to the net presence by posting again is appreciated! I've put aside all major hobbies (including fishing) until july, but I plan on re-starting my tau army in the fall. Hopefully the game will have regained some ground by then!

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  5. Sometimes just taking a break from a game can help reinvigorate it.

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