12 Sneaky Ways To Cheat At Slots - Casino.org Blog
12 Sneaky Ways To Cheat At Slots - Casino.org Blog
Winning Slot Machine Secrets - What Casinos Don't Want You ...
Is their really a secret to winning at slot machines ...
Are There Any Secrets to Winning on a Slot Machine ...
15 Slot Machine Tricks That Really Work CoolCat Casino
Top 10 secrets casinos don’t want you to know Fox News
Is There a Secret to Slot Machines? – Top Casino Slot ...
What's the secret to winning at slot machines? 2021 ...
Are There Secrets to Improve Your Chances to Win on Slot ...
How to win at slots? Try these 10 slot secrets tips that ...
is there a secret to slot machines
is there a secret to slot machines - win
This Week At Bungie 1/28/2021
Source: https://www.bungie.net/en/News/Article/50040 This week at Bungie, we introduce Seasonal Challenges. Welcome to the second-to-last TWAB of Season of the Hunt. Many of you have been navigating the secrets of the Harbinger mission, uncovering randomly rolled Hawkmoons and earning the Radiant Accipiter Exotic ship. Content-wise, we’re coming to a close for the Season, and we’re incredibly excited for what’s to come in just a few short weeks. We’ve been covering some upcoming quality of life changes to Destiny 2, like the return of Umbral Engrams, but it’s almost time to take a peek at fresh content. Season of the [REDACTED] trailer goes live on February 2, 2021. Before we get there, we have a new feature to cover, Seasonal Challenges, and a round of weapon-focused sandbox changes to walk through. As a warning, this is a pretty large amount of information in a small space. We've joked about "meaty" TWAB's before, but this one may feel a bit overwhelming if you rush through it. Let's take it slow, step by step, and get through it together in one piece.
Introducing: Seasonal Challenges
Over the last year, we’ve been looking at ways in which we can reduce the amount of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in Destiny 2. We’ve recently made some changes to Seasons and how Seasonal content is available throughout a given year of Destiny 2. This week, we’re looking to bounties and Bright Dust, introducing a new system not only to remove FOMO, but give fresh ways to earn XP and alternate rewards. To walk us through the ins and outs of Seasonal Challenges, we pass the mic to the Development team.
Dev team: During production of Beyond Light, we started looking at the problems of bounty fatigue and FOMO, as well as Seasonal legibility (i.e., “What is in a Season?” and “How to I engage with it when I log in?”). We created a few goals which we believe will improve the experience:
Provide a guide to new, returning, and veteran players for what to do today/this week.
Guide the player through the Seasonal content, week-over-week.
Encourage players to engage with complexities and nuances of the Seasonal activity and rituals.
Reduce the penalties on XP and Bright Dust for missing a given week.
To solve these goals, we are introducing a new pursuit type for players – Seasonal Challenges. The Seasonal Challenges live on their own page, are accessed through the Quest Log or Season Pass, and are separated by week. Image Linkimgur Here’s a quick breakdown of how this feature works:
Every week, for the first 10 weeks of a Season, between 3 and 10 new Challenges appear automatically for players.
Some of the Challenges deal with the Seasonal content.
Others push players to complete strikes, Gambit, and the Crucible, or to focus on non-activity focused Destiny rituals, like gaining Power, unlocking Seasonal Artifact mods, or improving guns and armor.
These Challenges can only be completed once per account, but once they become available, these Challenges can be completed at any time before the end of the Season, and do not need to be started or picked up from a vendor.
As an example, if a player doesn’t play for weeks 2 through 4, they can return on week 5 and have all of those Challenges waiting for them!
Completing each Challenge awards XP, contributing to your Season Pass ranks.
Other rewards could be Bright Dust, Seasonal currency, or other interesting items!
In moving away from weekly bounties, which were restricted to broad objectives tied to ritual activities, we have taken more leeway with creating some interesting or more difficult Challenges. These may be things you are already doing, or things that test your ability. Some examples include:
Defeating Primeval Envoys in Gambit
Defeating enemies in Nightfall: The Ordeal with Seasonal weapons
Gaining Infamy or Valor ranks
Acquiring the ritual weapon and its cosmetic ornaments
Winning rounds in Trials of Osiris
Completing a Grandmaster Nightfall
Not all the Challenges will require that level of accomplishment, but the harder or longer the Challenge is, the more experience it rewards. Challenges that focus on the Seasonal activity and ritual mostly need the Season Pass to complete, but most of the ritual focused Challenges can be completed without the Season Pass. Overall, roughly 60% of the Seasonal Challenges do not require the Season Pass. With the changes above, we are removing weekly bounties from the three ritual vendors (Zavala, Shaxx, and Drifter), Banshee-44, and the Seasonal vendor. These vendors will still have daily bounties which reward XP, and the three ritual vendors will still have repeatable bounties for those of you who want to pursue additional XP and Bright Dust. Lastly – most of the Challenges disappear after the Season they were introduced, and anything that isn’t claimed will be lost. We don’t add any new Challenges after Week 10 – which should give everyone a few weeks to clean up any Challenges they didn’t finish. Any Challenge that rewards unique or Seasonal items (currencies, lore books, Seasonal weapons, etc.) – can be completed as long as the Seasonal activity is in the game, but XP awarded for completing the challenge will only be available during the season it was introduced. Let’s Talk Bright Dust Back before Beyond Light launched, we discussed some of the goals around the changes to Bright Dust. As a refresher, we wanted to change the way you earn Bright Dust and move more towards account-specific paths to give players with only one character significantly more Bright Dust than they've been earning over the last year. In Season 13, we’ll be continuing to move toward these goals by adding Bright Dust onto Seasonal Challenges. Since you no longer have to purchase weekly ritual bounties, each of the strike, Crucible, and Gambit Seasonal Challenges will award between 75 and 300 Bright Dust. We are also introducing an end-of-Season Bright Dust bonus – if you complete (nearly) all of the Seasonal Challenges, we are awarding a single 4,000 Bright Dust pile. Additionally, each ritual vendor challenge (“Complete 8 bounties”) awards 120 Bright Dust for each character who completes it each week. And because this is prompted by the removal of weekly bounties, the only Seasonal Challenges that will be awarding Bright Dust are the ones that both Season Pass owners and free players can complete. Here’s a quick breakdown of how much Bright Dust you should expect to earn over the course of Season 13.
120 Bright Dust per ritual vendor, per character, per week
14,040 total if completing all required weekly Challenges over the course of Season 13
Additionally, we still plan to offer weekly and repeatable Bright Dust bounties for Seasonal events, giving you a bit more Bright Dust towards desired rewards. As a final note, please be sure to claim all Seasonal Challenges that award Bright Dust prior to the end of a Season. Once a Season ends, associated Challenges and their Bright Dust rewards will expire and can no longer be claimed.
It’s always exciting when we bring a new feature online for Destiny 2. We hope that the changes detailed above make it easier to create goals to complete each week. As always, we’re eager to hear your feedback once you start finishing your first Seasonal Challenges, so please sound off with your thoughts!
Back to the Sandbox
Image Linkimgur Every Season, we have a collection of changes to the Destiny 2 sandbox to spice things up a bit. This Season, we’re making some targeted changes to weapon archetypes that need some love as well as beginning some preparations for crossplay.
Dev team: In preparation for crossplay, coming later this year, we’re making some changes to the Recoil stat. Currently, several weapon archetypes have their Recoil reduced by around 40% (dependent on archetype) when using mouse and keyboard. This results in an issue where players on mouse and keyboard are able to largely ignore the stability weapon stat, creating unintended discrepancies in weapon performance between controllers and mouse and keyboard. The following weapon archetypes will have their mouse and keyboard Recoil adjusted closer to controller (reduced the difference from ~40% to ~20%).
Auto Rifle
Scout Rifle
Pulse Rifle
Submachine Gun
Hand Cannon
Machine Gun
In the case of Pulse Rifle, Submachine Gun, and Machine Gun, we will also be introducing some buffs. In some cases, these weapons will have less Recoil across both Controller and mouse and keyboard input methods compared to what’s in the game today.
Submachine Guns are largely outclassed by Auto Rifles at medium range, and by Sidearms at short range, with player feedback often mentioning how hard they are to control. To address this feedback, we’re introducing the following change:
Reduced camera movement from firing a Submachine Gun by 24%.
Pulse Rifles with the mouse and keyboard changes were kicking a little too much.
Reduced camera movement from firing a Pulse Rifle by 7%.
Machine Guns with the mouse and keyboard changes were kicking a little too much.
Reduced camera movement from firing a Machine Gun by 9.5%.
We will pay close attention to how these changes play out when they go live, and plan to revisit individual archetypes in a future update as needed. Outside of Recoil adjustments, we will also be tuning a few weapon archetypes in Season 13. Looking through backend data and community feedback, we landed on the following: Buffs
Rocket Launchers have fallen behind other Heavy weapons in most measures of effectiveness, we’re pushing them more into a burst damage role.
Increased Rocket Launcher damage by 30%.
Exotic Rocket Launchers have been adjusted individually and are affected by this change to different degrees.
Paired with the buffs to reserves from last Season, we’re hoping you’ll explode many more things in Season 13!
Fusion Rifle usage is very low, and they feel like an unreliable choice in Crucible compared to Shotguns.
Increased Fusion Rifle damage falloff start distance based on Range stat. (6% with 0 Range, 16% with 100 Range)
Reduced camera movement from firing a Fusion Rifle by 9.5%.
Breech Grenade Launcher usage is very low (outside of Mountaintop). We believe part of the reason is that the loop of "hold the trigger to arm, then release to detonate” is challenging to execute, particularly since projectiles can bounce off targets if the trigger is held
Breech Grenade Launcher projectiles will now detonate on impact with a character, even if holding the trigger.
Nerfs
While Sniper Rifle usage has dropped in Crucible, we’ve observed that it’s hard to challenge someone with a Sniper Rifle – even if you get the first shot on an enemy, they can often respond and win the fight.
Increased ADS flinch to Snipers when taking damage from other players
Swords are extremely dominant in PvE. At this time, 65% of players are using Swords for the majority of gameplay encounters in Destiny 2. While we are introducing a buff to Rocket Launchers to make them a bit more enticing, we feel that Swords do too much damage compared to other options.
Reduced Sword damage by 15%.
Exotic Changes and Bug Fixes
Some Exotic weapons lose their buffs when you switch weapons, which is intended. They would also lose their buffs when pulling out your Ghost Shell, which is not intended. Fixed that issue on these weapons:
Ace of Spades
Tarrabah
Hawkmoon
Borealis and Hard Light now have a custom (quite short) animation for switching damage type.
Duality
Increased damage falloff distance by 1.25m (while both firing from the hip and aiming down sights).
Reduced maximum buff stacks from 7 to 5, each stack now grants more of a damage bonus, extended buff duration slightly.
Sturm will once again reload any equipped Special slot weapon on kill provided the Special weapon's clip isn't full already and there's available reserve ammo.
Fixed an issue that was preventing Merciless from increasing its charge rate on non-lethal hits.
Ah, and before we go – we are planning to take a quick tuning pass on Arbalest. This won’t be ready in time for February 9, but we are expecting to have this touched later in Season 13!
Now, we know it can be difficult to understand the scale of buffs and nerfs without having these changes in your hands. Not to mention, there will be some new perks for you to hunt as you start navigating content in Season of the [REDACTED]. As always, we’re excited to see these changes out in the wild on February 9, and will be eager to hear your feedback.
Crimson Days
Each year, we look to February as a time to celebrate bonds of friendship throughout the community. Guardians have come to know this celebration as Crimson Days. It was one of our first “Seasonal” events in Destiny 1, a tradition that we carried to Destiny 2. While there was great enjoyment of Crimson Days, we feel that it’s been missing the mark in terms of quality over the last few years. As such, we have made the decision to discontinue Crimson Days moving forward. While we’ll miss the event, this move will allow us to maintain focus for alternate Seasonal offerings, ranging from quests to activities and more. We have quite a bit planned for Season of the [REDACTED] and our hope is that we’ve maintained, or even improved, the quality you’ve come to expect from this upcoming release. Some of you may be asking about the fate of Crimson Doubles, our once-a-year Crimson Days playlist. This mode is currently being shifted to the Destiny Content Vault but may return in the future. Many thanks to every Guardian who has joined us over the years for this event. Crimson decorations may not be hung in the Tower, but we have no doubts that you’ll continue to form Crimson Bonds over the years to come.
BugTrax
Image Linkimgur For those who may be new to the TWAB, welcome to the Player Support Report. This section is dedicated to known issues, active investigations, and pending updates for Destiny 2. Our Player Support team navigates the Help forum daily, collecting info on new issues and dishing out help articles. This is their report on the most frequently reported issues of the last week.
CRUCIBLE TOKENS AND FRAGMENT QUESTS Due to the updates to the vendor progression system, Crucible Tokens and Crucible Token Gifts are no longer needed and will be deprecated into Junk that will delete as a full stack starting in Season 13. Additionally, current Stasis Fragment Quests will be deprecated at the end of Season of the Hunt. Players are advised to turn in all Crucible Tokens and Crucible Token Gifts and finish all available Stasis Fragment Quests before Season 13 starts. KNOWN ISSUES While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help forum:
Stasis abilities can be difficult to distinguish between enemy and friendly for colorblind players.
The Double Trouble Triumph is unobtainable.
In the Deep Stone Crypt raid, the augment lockout timer occasionally resets during the final encounter against Taniks.
During the final fight against the Sanctified Mind in the Garden of Salvation raid, sometimes a shielded tether box can become tethered instead of the correct glowing tether box.
Hunter legs clip through the Ten-Grasp Sword Sparrow.
In the Last Wish raid, the Shuro Chi puzzle room plates don't work if a Titan bubble or Warlock well are placed on them.
The Titan Phenotype Plasticity Helm eye clusters no longer glow red.
Weekly and daily elemental kill bounties have stopped rotating off of Void.
When overcharging grenades while using the Voidwalker top tree subclass as a Warlock, Super energy stops charging.
For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article. Players who observe other issues should report them to our #Help forum.
[Bird Noises Intensify]
Image Linkimgur It’s been fun watching Hawkmoon clips and montages throughout the Season. With recently introduced random rolls, players have been pushing the limits of this Exotic, taking on 1v1 encounters in the Crucible that they may have otherwise avoided. This week, our top pick not only got a sweet roll on perks, but a killer roll on audio, too! Movie of the Week: Ting Ting Ting Ting Video Link Movie of the Week: Deep Stone Lullaby Violin/Piano Cover Video Link Movie of the Week: …That’s a lot of Hawkmoon Video Link As always, if you'd like to submit your creation to be featured in a future TWAB, make sure to create a post on the Community Creations portal of Bungie.net.
Credit Where It’s Due
Image Linkimgur Every day, we take a moment to scroll through various social media apps to take a look at community artwork. We’re always awestruck by the talents that many of you possess, and eager to share your works with a wider audience. Here’s a quick roundup of some sweet art, and direct links to their authors. Give them a follow if you want to see more of their stuff! Art of the Week: Art Sharing
Cheers, and make sure to tag your content with some form of #Destiny2Art so we can find you easily! That’s it for this week, folks. Season of the [REDACTED] is almost here. We’ll have some patch previews to cover in the TWAB next week, so stop by if you’re interested!
If this gets 7 likes we'll add a new LZ on Europa next Season. — Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) January 27, 2021
We’ll see you again next week, bright and early on Tuesday morning. Cheers, dmg04
For every dollar that is made here, two dollars are lost
This sub is incredible. There are incredible ideas and ideas that are so dumb that a monkey throwing darts would pick better stocks (oops). Fortunately, or unfortunately, it seems both types of ideas can make you money. To the people buying travel stock during a global pandemic when airliners are flying at 20% capacity (or less) or Hertz... it’s gambling. I support people doing what they want with their money, but following blind idiots who are maxing a credit card for a trade is fucking moronic. At times, it’s like watching a retiree throw away hundreds of dollars a day at a slot machine. I believe for every dollar made here, two dollars are lost. Seeing someone, such as DFV, make $11m off $50k is the greatest advertisement ever. Many will see it and ask, how did he do it? They will “learn,” aka have no fucking idea, what an option is and proceed to lose thousands with the hope of making millions and quitting their job all while simultaneously getting revenge on their wife’s boyfriend. Again, there is great advice here and truly smart people. There are also addicts who will say anything about a stock because they own $100 in an option. I’ve messaged with people who didn’t know the difference between a put and a call while holding 5+ figures of contracts and making less than $20 an hour. My message? Please throw amounts of money at ideas that you’re willing to walk away from. Do not jeopardize your retirement, wife’s boyfriend’s new boat, or your children’s education on a DD from some 16 year old who has $50 in Victoria secret because boobs are getting bigger. On the other side of these trades there are likely people with drones monitoring Victoria secret factories and how many kids walk in and out of the manufacturing plant a day.
[Streetwear] The brick that broke the speculator's back: How a single gag accessory may have permanently altered all perception of New York's premier street fashion brand.
Friends, the story I bring to you today is not a fallout, but a crescendo. How years of grassroots promotion and online influencer endorsements led to a once underground fashion brand's rise to power and entry into the hallowed halls of internet ridicule. Or, the time Supreme sold a brick for thirty dollars. (this post contains a lot of context for what Supreme is and how it works, so if you only wanna know how and why they sold a brick, skip to the brick section) What is Supreme? Supreme is a skateboard and lifestyle brand founded by British-American fashion mogul James Jebbia. In an era where skate fashion was known for its eccentricity and garish presentation, Supreme stood out. It's iconic logo is made with stock typeface over a red box, which pushed the brand to the 2-billion dollar empire it is today. While the Box Logo (or the Bogo, as it's known among fans) has seen its share of ridicule (a lawsuit involving the logo could be its own entry) the brand's diehard fanbase, as well as myself, would argue the stripped-back, downright esoteric nature of Supremes' branding is exactly what pushed it to its heights. But it's taken a long time getting here. Unless you lived in New York, you probably only heard of Supreme in the last couple of years. All in all, there are four stores in the continental United States, two on each coast. Two releases happen per year, spring/summer and fall/winter. Rather than release all merchandise at once, Supreme releases (Drops) happen one week at a time, slowly working through its seasonal inventory. This release model not only maintains interest in new releases all throughout it's season, it perpetuates interest in what will drop next, since not everything coming out is revealed at once, either. It's common to hear about cross-brand and artist collaborations mere days before they release. All in all, everything Supreme does as a brand is on a need-to-know basis, meaning they've effectively mastered the art of FOMO. This means a diehard fanbase of skaters and fashion collectors. Half the reason a piece of Supreme clothing so cool to own is because only you and a couple hundred people (maybe a couple thousand, Supreme doesn't disclose inventory metrics either) have one. Naturally, a fandom would form. How Supreme makes a fan. On drop day, items generally cost what any other brand would charge, maybe a little more. Pieces are only available in store or online, both opening at 11am EST. What follows is a mad dash only Nike can claim to share. The online store operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the physical stores do the same, ala lining up for a game console. On a good day, you have maybe three minutes to cart your item and check out. The site does not save your cart so if you take too long, the piece you just added to your shopping cart might already be sold out by the time your payment is processed. If you've spent the past three months trying to buy a PS5, welcome to our world. We do this forty weeks a year. You lose a lot (take an L). Seventy-percent of the things you want you will fail to get. But when you do finally check out and get your purchase at your door (take a W, a dub, recklessly spend money) the feeling is euphoric. You are now a part of a secret club because, guess what, that was the initiation process. Some people buy one item and never try again. They're few and far between. The majority of Supreme customers have been buying (copping) for years, amassing massive collections. Sooner or later, Supreme would release an item specifically for fans and nobody else. The problem is when they did. Okay, that's cool, but why the **** did Supreme sell a thirty-dollar brick. Good question. The best part is that there's several answers. Along with clothing and skateboard decks, Supreme sells a wide, constantly-circulating pools of accessories. These have been a mini bike, a Super Soaker, a pinball machine, a crowbar that at least one guy really wanted, and coming soon, apparently, a bob...sled? Supremes' accessory choice is as baffling as everything else they do. A common riff on the brand is that they could "put their logo on literally anything and it would sell out." These people are not wrong, but I'd argue their accessory choice is more nuanced than this. Their logo alone could sell all kinds of things, but its the things they do sell that begin to send a message. For example, a Supreme baseball bat is nothing profound, but next to a Supreme ski mask, a Supreme crowbar, a Supreme money gun, and a Supreme... brick, the street-smart, underground roots of the brand begin to take root. There's always been an underlying, illicit message to Supremes' aesthetics, coated in a minimalist exterior. This subtext what splits the speculators and the mega-fans. Those mega-fans bring to life a second answer for why, in Fall 2016, supreme released a thirty-dollar clay brick with their logo etched in: one piece of Hypebeast lingo I've omitted until now is when an item Bricks. This is when any particular item either in-store or online sits in stock, with nobody buying it. No true-blue Supreme diehard would ever wear something anyone else could feasibly get for retail price or, god willing, below retail price. Bricks are poison to many an avid fan, which is why the brand might have thought it funny to sell to them an actual, literal brick. For thirty dollars. You get one brick. it sold out in seconds. But where's the drama? At the exact same time the brick was released to fans, two separate parties were growing aware of this once niche fashion label. Online influencers, and everyone else. Supreme was a mainstay among outsider artists, mainly underground New York hip-hop. The start of the 2010s saw the rise of Odd Future, whose alumni such as Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, The Creator were outspoken fans of the brand. While endorsements like these got the word out somewhat, the boom began in late 2016. Online influencers, mainly YouTubers and Instagram stars whose follower counts ballooned as lifestyle vlogs took over online content, were growing quite interested in this exclusive and expensive brand so deeply tied to underground Hip-hop, skateboarding, and having something expensive that everyone else will be totally jealous of. Notably, YouTuber RiceGum, a man with a tendency to flaunt his spending, took an acute interest to the brand around this time, making videos between 2016-2018 where he went on massive Hypebeast spending sprees. Such content includes buying a Supreme hoodie that just dropped and wearing it while walking past people currently in line to buy their own, buying mystery boxes online that just happened to have Supreme in them every time, and giving bootleg Supreme merchandise to his friends. You'll have to forgive the lack of hyperlinks here. I do not have the stomach to watch his videos. This behavior of course spawned similar in his contemporaries. This is why you started hearing the word Flex in regards to flaunting clothes and accessories around second-graders. Influencers from all spheres, who happened to all start taking off in late 2016, were wearing Supreme. this in turn led hundreds of thousands to trying their luck at the raffle. what followed was season upon season of the online stores crashing on drop day and lines outside the store snaking for miles taking an entire day to clear (this led to a new in-store ticketing system where you pre-register and are given a random slot in line, to mixed results). Who was mad here? Speculators who couldn't get in on the clothes their favorite LA influencer-person wears, longtime fans who now had to grapple with this unmanageable influx of new customers, and the people who had no interest in these expensive hoodies and shirts or whatever who were free to clown on this stupid, stupid brand. ThEy SolD a BrICk??? Once the unimpressed got wind of this stupid hype brand selling their customers a thirty-dollar brick, there was no going back. The image of a fashion titan so confident in their ability to sell their mindless followers a clay slab with no utility or value was irreversible for some. One Reddit user calculated the cost of building an entire house out of these bricks, othersmadememes, and while a lot of these were tongue-and-cheek jokes among fans, the derision online and in-person was inescapable. The image of a Supreme wearer being an in-the-know fashion trailblazer became one of a bandwagon-following consumerist idiot. After all, they bought a brick. Suckers, right? So what's it like now? Well, the site still sucks. Crashes are common, especially on days a bogo drops. Lines in-person are still a sweaty, multi-hour nightmare (though, morbidly, Covid restrictions made lines this season a little more manageable) and wearing Supreme isn't impressive to anyone anymore. Maybe a sign you'd spend two-hundred dollars on a hoodie, but nothing interesting to talk about. On my first day of college, my first roommate saw my Supreme tee and the first words he spoke to me were "did you buy the f\**ing brick?"* Is the brick solely responsible for the attitude shift towards Supreme as a brand? Well, more of a framer for a larger shift in the zeitgeist. Is it a major symptom? Major might be a strong word. Is it funny? It's hilarious. Even the fandom of today laughs about the episode in hindsight. They may be crazy, they may thoughtlessly spend thousands of dollars a month on clothes, they may consider their own worth adjacent to the net worth of their closet, but they are the ones who bought a brick for thirty dollars. This sort of power is something to be commended. Ridiculed, scorned, and commended.
[Excerpt: Dark Imperium]: Primaris Marines clash with Iron Warriors.
Context: As the Imperium slowly begins to push back against the onslaught of Chaos in the aftermath of Guilliman's return, a small force of Primaris Space Marines are dispatched to a world that's been overrun by traitor Astartes, including veterans from the IVth Legion, the infamous Iron Warriors. The fight does not go well for the heretics. Yeah, I know, I know, the Primaris have received more than their fair share of criticism, and a lot of it is probably warranted. But dammit, it's just awesome to see them in action.
The Rudense was a small ship of a class designed specifically for the Indomitus Crusade. Its Adeptus Astartes complement was set at fifty – not even a full company. But the warriors aboard had an important role, one never seen in the armies of the Space Marines before the Ultima Founding. Slender as a dart, seven hundred metres long and as fast as its shape suggested, the Rudense was heavily armed for its size class, and strengthened to withstand brushes with planetary atmospheres. It was a rapid insertion craft, intended to fight its way through the maelstrom of close-range orbital combat and deliver its payload to the surface directly from the edge of a planet’s atmosphere. It only had small hangars and no drop pod tubes. The Rudense was something new, and it had taken the enemy by surprise many times. Explosions burst around the Rudense, and Justinian’s helm lenses darkened against the dazzle. Lasbeams stabbed from the ship’s side out to infinity. The wide rays of defence lasers slammed up from the planet below, but the Rudense was artful at deception, and it was never where the lasers fired. A massive explosion ahead sent shivers along the ship. The Space Marines swung below their drop arms. Flaming debris span past, wreathed in dying sparks and glittering ices. An escort of interdiction fighters accelerated and fell in alongside the Rudense, weaving through the turmoil and then off ahead, guns blazing. Justinian’s view of the battle was limited by the projecting shields sheltering the Primaris Space Marines from the deadly impacts of micro shrapnel and direct attack. Behind, the ship’s iron immensity blocked off everything. Somewhere beyond that great metal cliff, larger ships would be fighting. For all the fury of the anti-ship fire streaking up from the surface, beneath Justinian’s feet the world floated peacefully by, its ochre surface hazed by the blue of a thin atmosphere mottled with clouds and their shadows. He had seen many worlds from this vantage point. He had thought he would grow jaded at the sight eventually, but he never had. Every world was different, and when viewed from this height, every world – whether hell or paradise – had been beautiful in its own way. ‘The calm before the storm, brother,’ said Solus, as if reading his thoughts. ‘These places we fight for,’ said Kalael, his armour the green of the Dark Angels. ‘How small they are. We hold that to ourselves as a secret truth. From space, every world is but a fragile glass ornament against the infinite black.’ ‘Ten seconds. Nine seconds. Eight seconds...’ The machine counted down. Justinian kept his eyes on the planet. Flashes of light burst further along its curve, drawing closer as the ship raced towards the battle site. Ground combat from orbit looked deceptively celebratory, a display of multi-hued explosions and storms of light that appeared too artful to be destructive. Shock waves burst clouds apart, and he spied Titans lumbering away from their coffin ships. Beneath the sheath of air, the giant war machines were like aquatic insects that had never learnt how to swim, doomed to laboriously plod along the pond floor. ‘Battleground two hundred and fifty kilometres and closing!’ said Sarkis, his excitement revealing itself as a slight rise in his voice. ‘Prepare for drop! Emperor preserve us in our flight and grant might to our fists!’ ‘Four seconds. Mark,’ said the machine voice. ‘Three, two, one. Drop. Unit 10-5011/32A away.’ The drop arm disengaged from Sarkis’ back. The claw that held him dangling over the planet’s sky opened silently. A disposable thruster burned on top of his drop pack, shooting him towards the target zone, and the black-clad son of Ferrus Manus fell away. The booster exhausted its fuel supply quickly and detached. Sarkis fell without a word, plummeting towards the world as surely as a cogitator-guided munition. There was a flaring burst of jets as he corrected his course, and he was gone. Half a second later, the machine intoned Bjarni’s Primaris number. The wolf’s son fell with a whoop, a grey streak, his squad going one, two after him, swift as heartbeats, their impeller jets burning and detaching. Then it was Justinian’s turn. ‘Unit 13-10889/189E away,’ said the machine, and let him fall. The claw’s release was gentle as a kiss, the firing of the impeller hard as a punch. It ceased after a second’s burn. Justinian felt it come away from his jump pack, a bump in his otherwise smooth flight. Justinian plummeted. The long, slender shape of the Rudense vanished overhead, becoming a blade of light in the sky surrounded by the starbursts of orbital combat. The ship drew away, trailing a wake of false lightning through the world’s magnetosphere and chased by the stabbing beams of enemy lances. Enemy fighters sped after it, drawing their own lines in the sky. Naval interceptors approached obliquely. They made marvellous patterns about the cruiser. Justinian fixed the sight in his memory, and ordered his armour to capture a series of images at fifty millisecond intervals. Maybe if he survived this, he would paint the war in space. Justinian liked to paint. The pelorus’ nested reticles shifted slightly, and he looked down. The circles tilted within one another, providing him with a false horizon and a vertical gauge to set his descent by. Cordus and Aldred were bright orange teardrops drifting across the circles, the members of the other squads yellow dots spread above and below. A blue line rose up the display towards him. The atmosphere of 108/Beta-Kalapus-9.2 was thin. It would take him twenty minutes to fall to the ground. For minutes he fell in silence. The surface was so far away he appeared to be making no progress. There is no sharp delineation between a world’s air envelope and the void, but instead a region of increasing attenuation where, atom by atom, air gives way to vacuum. But there does exist a point where the air becomes thick enough to support atmospheric flight – the Kármán line – and there, air becomes thick enough to feel. Justinian hit it with a jolt. Heat followed almost immediately as friction, imperceptible only moments before, quickly built around his armour. A plasma-torch roar filled his ears. The coming moments were critical. Gaining a good angle of descent at this stage would ensure mission success – a colourless statement that meant only that he would not die before the enemy got a chance to shoot at him. An alarm sounded in his ear. Cordus’ signifier flashed. ‘Cordus, correct course two points vertical, you are drifting,’ said Justinian. ‘Yes, brother sergeant,’ Cordus responded. His signifier dot and its accompanying rune moved across Justinian’s display, and the graphic ceased blinking. The others spread out into a wide dispersion pattern. Three targets awaited the demi-company’s attention: a series of closely bunched bastions, each one bristling with ordnance. A bright corona of heat streamed around Justinian, most intense about the reinforced ceramite of his boots. It became uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Provided there was no breach in his Inceptor battleplate, he would be safe. Soon after, he reached terminal velocity and stopped accelerating. The curve of the world grew quickly, filling his vision with the ground. As the minutes passed, space retreated to the periphery of his vision and vanished. When the last of the black was gone, he finally felt like he was falling. Individual surface features resolved themselves, details popping into sharp definition, though all were flattened by his relative height, so that mountains appeared as painted flourishes upon a round canvas. Below him, fighting raged upon a plain bordered by a range of hills pierced by a wide valley. Across the valley mouth was a great wall, and a strong fortress not far behind. Two battle lines became visible. Their exchanges of fire were startling weaves of light. A vast phalanx of Astra Militarum tanks, supported by Adeptus Mechanicus cyborg troops and war machines, advanced on the wall from the drop zone. The wall looked like a ribbon, but in truth it was almost one hundred metres tall, and forty wide. The Titans of the Legio Metalica swelled, their carapace insignia taking on form. They were now the size of men, and the warriors milling about their feet had become the insects. The scene grew before Justinian’s eyes, unfolding like a fractal tapestry. Aircraft sped below, swift as avians, duelling with draconic daemon engines for control of the sky. ‘Demi-company split,’ ordered Sarkis. ‘Squads to target designated mission objectives in three, two, one. Fire jets. Formation disperse.’ ‘Fire jets!’ ordered Justinian. A smaller reticle ignited in the centre of his pelorus and settled over his own squad’s landing zone: the middle tower of the wall. The tallest one. His jets roared furiously against the drag of the planet. Justinian slowed only a little, but his course altered, and he was sent hurtling laterally towards the tower. They avoided firing their jets until the last second of a drop. When the Inceptors had first been deployed, the enemy had mistaken their squads for falling debris or stray munitions. In the chaos of battle, they had been paid little attention until it was too late. Lately, the foes of the Imperium had become wise to Inceptor drop tactics. The sky filled with a storm of flak moments after their jets finished burning. Justinian fell through a wash of fire. Shrapnel pinged off his armour. The thunder of atmosphere lessened. The demi-company’s attack spread widened, the dots that denoted each warrior perfectly positioned in three clusters, one for each defence tower. The target went from a child’s toy to a towering edifice in a matter of seconds. ‘Fire jets, prolonged burst,’ he ordered. ‘Decelerate to engagement speed. Rouse the spirits of your weapons.’ He hefted his own guns, eager to unleash them upon the enemy. His jets ignited again, and this time they stayed burning. The fuel gauge in his display rapidly fell from full to a third as he braked. He was no longer falling but flying, and that ate up his fuel quickly. In a graceful arc, he and his squad thundered towards the upper battlements of the tower. The bastion was ludicrously embellished with screaming daemonic faces, its crenellations tall and fashioned into unnecessary spikes, but it was well armoured, and four quad flak cannons squatted in heavy turrets at each corner, banging off shots at the attacking Space Marines. Heretic Astartes opened fire as the Inceptors approached, and their fire was more worrisome than the flak cannons. A bolt round spanked off the cowling of Justinian’s left jet nozzle, staggering his flight. More bolts came, then a flurry of them. Cordus’ ident signifier blinked to red and fell away from Justinian’s display. Justinian risked a glance back. Smoke and explosions hid Cordus’ fate, and he did not see his comrade die. Another bolt smacked into his breastplate, cracking the outer casing and fracturing the power cabling beneath. Smoke blew from the crack and his jump pack engines coughed. A lurching drop made his stomach flip. Icons blinked, alarms squealed. Justinian prepared to fall to his death while he sought a solution to his power failure. At his urging, the cogitator in his suit rerouted power. The jets roared again, and he surged on with renewed speed. Sealant foam bubbled up to plug the breach in his armour. The enemy would have to try harder to stop him than that. Justinian dropped down then burst upward and over the battlements, Aldred beside him. Half a dozen members of the Iron Warriors lined the parapet. Boltguns flashed, revealing horned helms and faceplates cast with daemonic visages. They were terrifying foes, made Adeptus Astartes by the Emperor and granted greater vigour by their Dark Gods. Once, they were the mightiest warriors in the galaxy. They were the mightiest no longer. ‘Your death has been too long coming!’ Justinian roared, his voxed shout blasting from his helm as he descended on pillars of fiery smoke. ‘Prepare yourselves for the Emperor’s judgement!’ He came down with a bone-jarring thump hard enough to crack the ferrocrete of the tower, guns already blazing fire. Assault bolters were powerful weapons, but if used unwisely they would run through their ammunition stores in seconds. Justinian checked his fury. The resupply pods had yet to land. Even utilised with care, the assault bolters fired at a terrifying rate. Flames blazed from the weapons’ exhaust slots. Explosions smashed the Iron Warriors from their feet, hurling them backwards with a force that a standard bolter could not hope to emulate. Bjarni came over the side, howling joyously, his warriors following him. Then came Sergeant Rusticus’ squad, of which Solus was a part. The Primaris Space Marines looked almost as daemonic as their foes, with their varicoloured liveries scorched and smoking from the heat of their descent. Caught between the murderous crossfire of eight Primaris Inceptors, the Iron Warriors were cut to pieces. One of them came at Justinian through the fire storm, a chain axe raised. Justinian leapt back from him with a controlled burst of his jets, retargeting one of his guns on the warrior as he flew. He could not let the enemy get close. The Inceptor load-out’s only real weakness was a lack of melee weaponry. The guns he held in his gauntlets, however, meant it wasn’t much of a weakness at all. Justinian’s bolts hit the traitor square in the chest. The Iron Warrior’s antique armour burst apart, spraying his ancient innards in a red slick across the ramparts, and his chain axe fell to the ground. Its teeth bit on the ferrocrete, and it span madly before the motor cut out with a muted growl. ‘For the Emperor! For Guilliman! For mankind!’ Justinian shouted, stamping across the bastion’s roof. He was taller than the Heretic Astartes. Shock-absorbent calipers around the lower part of his legs and feet granted him more height, and he fired over the heads of his enemy as they dropped dead. The last of the traitors fell. They had not been caught by surprise; they had seen the Inceptors coming. It did not matter. None could stand before the Primaris Space Marines, the new sons of the Emperor. Sergeant Rusticus’ warriors went to the flak cannons, raised their assault bolters and riddled the firing mechanisms. Bolts exploded inside the guns, setting off their shells. The cannon barrels fell away from popping detonations, clanging from the ornate tower sides and falling down to the wall ramparts far elow. Soon all four cannons were smoking ruins. ‘Primary objective achieved. Anti-air guns are silent,’ voxed Justinian, his feed going to Lieutenant Sarkis and the command cadre of his Primaris Chapter simultaneously. ‘Pursuing secondary objective.’ With Aldred’s garish Imperial Fists yellow at his side, Justinian stormed down the stairs into the lower levels. His guns banged out death to everything he encountered. There were an insignificant number of Traitor Space Marines within. That had been the pattern these last few years. The armies of Chaos were legion and everywhere, but it was arguable that they were losing their best to Guilliman’s relentless crusading. Most of the tower’s defenders were born thralls, or deluded mortals from conquered worlds who had thrown in their lot with evil for the chance at a few more weeks’ life. They came at him in hordes, dirty faces branded and tattooed, twisted into desperate snarls. Justinian cut them down without mercy. ‘Death to the traitor, who in weakness denies the supremacy of the Emperor,’ he said emotionlessly.
Thoughts/review on Cyberpunk 2077 after 400 hours gameplay.
Firstly, just wanted to say that the 400 hours is me restarting the game...four times over? I've also not been following this game, I knew it was coming out but I put at the back of my mind, never gave into the hype and only bought the game when a guy from work was talking about it. Gameplay TL;DR: Game is broken. By level 50, enemies either did 1 damage or buffed me to do more damage. Some of the guns are insanely fun but break the game. It's fun, but if you want a challenging experience wait till some good addons come out. Story TL;DR Main story is quite short, it's not effected by any side quests you just get different endings that you can choose, one ending feels more finalised but open to a sequel/DLC the others either just end (which is intented) or just end on a "To be continued." Romance quests are very good but the romance is just do quest, sleep with them, end of romance, apart from one character. Some of the side quests are VERY VERY good however and the overall theme of Cyberpunk is in my opinion, excellent, it's just let down by the main plot. Bugs/Glitches TL;DR: No crash to desktop, main problems were only for those strange people like myself who play non lethal but some of the endings are bugged, one of the end cut-scenes is bugged. Overall TL;DR: I think if you really really want to play this game, play it. I had a lot of fun and got my moneys worth, though I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm not dissapointed with the end product. If you're on the fence and you're reading this to see if it's worth £40-50 then I would say don't get the game, wait till next year when the modding scene has expanded more and all the DLC has come out, get it on a sale. When the ending cutscene is bugged and after what...3-4 patches and the lead dev has said how proud he is of the PC version, I would say that it's best to hold off. Gameplay: I played purely on Very Hard and tried a no kill playthrough which...I couldn't do all the way due to certain sections of the game but for majority of the game I didn't kill anyone. What I liked about the game is that it didn't say "Oh well, you best get used to the taser weapon or the stun gun, because that's all you get!" like so many other FPS RPGs that offer that, I was using shotguns, sniperrifles, assault rifles, SMGs...anything, really. That's good! My build: https://nukesdragons.com/cyberpunk-2077/character?v=1&a=if4ig&s=iiifff44iigg&p=h42h83hd1hg2hh1u11u41ua3uh1b13b32b42b72b83b93bc1bd2be2bf2a01a41a62a81a91ab3ah1ai2aj1ak1al2w01w11w31w63w72wa3wb2wc2n01n21n43n73n82na1nc2nf1nh2s51sc1sk1c01c11c42c61c72c82c93ca2cb1cc1cf2r32e62eb2eh2ei1 If/When I replay, it will either be: https://nukesdragons.com/cyberpunk-2077/character?v=1&a=a9kck&s=111999kkcckk&p=p02p11p21p32p42p51p61p72p81p91pj1pa1pb1pc2pd2pe2pf2pg2ph1pi1q01q12q23q41q51q63q71q81q93qa3qb3qd2qe1qf3qi1aa1ab3af3s31sa1sb1se2sf1si2sj1c01c11c32c51c61c82c93cb1cc1cf2cg2ch1ci1eh2 I did make my gear and I put all epic armour increasing mods into the slots, then with my weapons all epic crit chance or if they had 100% crit by default, Crit damage. I used Qiant Sandevistan which would slow down time and lowered the CD on it so I could use it every 19 seconds. To put this into perspective of how this was at level 50, the most damage done to me was the end boss and it was about...20-30 damage, other than that, everything was 1 damage. With Katana and Cold Blood I had about 14-15k armour, with just the Katana it was about 6k and with any other gun it was 5k armour. I got this by upgrading everything to as far as the game would allow which when you hit 50 is just one extra upgrade. My health thanks to the consumable perk and health perk was about 850 to 1k with all consumables. My Cyberware made me immune to bleeding, my perk made me immune to poision, if I took shock damage my armour would increase by 10% and I would take no damage and fire would increase my damage by 10%. So...I took 1 damage with a 800+ health pool, I could kill everything very easily dealing about 24k damage on some enemies and I could slow down time and kill everything before they could even react. This is on VERY HARD. "Why complain about it being broken if you broke it?" Because I was told that the secret ending was very difficult and I was also told, by the game, that in very hard, you have to use EVERYTHING to survive. The problem is the game devs...for some reason...lets you out level all the mobs in the game, at level 50 the only "yellow" enemies were two mechs on the secret ending and the end boss, all of which died super quick anyway because the damage is broken. The other problems I had and the other reason I hit 50 was I was told "Do the sidequests, they effect the ending." and with the Cyberpsycho being all about keeping them alive, I thought "There's gotta be a moment where she comes in and helps me or someone out." But...nope, you don't get anything other than money. Nothing happened when I did all the police side quests, nothing happened when I did all the races, the only quests that did matter were two side quest chains, Panam and Johnny...maybe the boxing ones. "But you get tons of cash!" If you go down the hacker route, it's kinda pointless because you get all your hacks via crafting or random drops from terminals. "Ah! But you went guns blazing, all guns, must've cost a ton to get all your armour up, weapons and ammo!" Afraid not. Once you get the epic grenade blueprints you can make your set for a lot of your upgrades, you just buy cans of soda from vending machines and take them apart which doesn't cost that much anyway. The legendaries are a bit difficult, granted and that's why I said the boxing quest chain is actually very useful if you want to play a non hacker route. Outside of upgrades once you get any weapon mod and the perk that grants a 20% chance to get an extra item when you make gear, you're set as they all use the materials you get from soda cans or random junk items. General view I suppose when it's all said and done, I can't say I didn't enjoy the gameplay. I played 400 hours of it. It is to easy and if I wanted to do a "All guns blazing" build again, maybe just stick to epic gear. If we get a new game plus or some difficulty mods that would be perfect, something like enemies using tech weapons more to shoot through walls, more smart weapons hitting you behind cover, more netrunners hacking you all the time and having them stun/blind you or something, just anything other than setting you on fire...a cyberware mod makes them buff you for crying out loud. One of the main reasons I went the gunner route was because I saw so many great guns I thought, at the time, I couldn't use so...I will say that with my build, all the guns I had, it was a lot of fun, I really really enjoyed it...it's just far far to easy, I wanted something to say "Ok, you think you got this, let's put it to the test!" Story: I didn't really know all that much about Cyberpunk coming in, I love Bladerunner and Ghost in the shell, distopian stories where it has a message and hopefully a nice ending. Cyberpunks story was good, there are some side quests that I will remember, I won't say which ones but I will say that if you like story, it's good to pick them up. There aren't that many of them, a lot of side quest will be just "Kill the dude. Steal the thing. Hack the thing." with a text being sent to you on why you should care, most of the time I didn't really care all that much but those that did offer something a bit more, did make me pause and think about it, even think about them as I walked away from the game on what was the "best" option. The romances are...ok. There is certainly more effort in Panam than the others, who, do have their own quest lines and they're the best quest lines in the game but Panam, as a romance story line does seem more fleshed out. The others are sadly very much a "Do my quests, then do me, ok see you at the end of the game!" Panam fights alongside you, you both go on a big character journey together and the fact she joins you in one of the best endings says a lot. A bit dissapointing for me, as I liked Judy and one of her endings was very nice but when I saw what Panam got...argh, was frustrating. The main plot itself is unfinished. If you can be bothered (like I was) do all the side quests, everything, then do the main plot. Not only will you find that during your time the main plot is very short only about...10-15 quests? Of which none of the side quests you can do effect them, at all, no dialogue options that I could see, none of them alter the story a bit...nothing. The endings aren't effected by sidequests either, you get extra endings, two if you do two side quests but that's it. I won't spoil what the endings contain, but I will say, for the sake of saving your time if you're reading this before doing them, that the secret ending is pointless and lazy. It's basically one of the endings but they removed the NPC's from the ending and just spawn some mechs, then after that you get the same boss fight you would get regardless of the ending and then you get a rehashed ending of another ending and an epilogue from another ending. Basically they just took apart the endings and stuck them together to get the "Secret" ending, you get about...a few bits of dialogue from a character but...it's not that great honestly. The biggest problem is this is a "The ending will be in the DLC!" kinda game, where, even the main character points out how pointless the whole thing was. I HATE these kind of endings, the only saving grace is that...I HOPE, this is going to be in the free DLC they're doing this year. Glitches and Bugs: At this point in time, I came across TONS of bugs. Nothing that crashed me to desktop par once (which is a deal breaker for me if it happens to many times) the only issue I did come across was playing non lethal, where, if you grab a enemy and drop them during stealth...for some reason, they are more prone to glitching and exploding in a bloody mess. If you stand and drop them, make sure the ground is as flat as it can be, you might, MIGHT be ok. The other thing to do is enemies would show the death animation (no breathing) BUT if you pick them up, drop them, turn around, sometimes the animation will change to show they're still alive. If you hit them whilst they're on the ground, even if it's a stungrenade touching them, yes, touching, not exploding, you throw a grenade at them and it bounces off of them, they die. Cars would smash into concrete, textures would take ages to load, sound would be to loud from time to time, some dialogue had the tech distorted effect some didn't, Tech guns randomly not charging up to shoot...all of which I could ignore as they either didn't effect me to much, I could fix by saving the game and reloading or were just funny. When the endings are bugged, that to me is very different and that's what made me go from "This is one of the best games I've played!" to "They just stop caring." So during the "Bad" ending, dialogue wouldn't play I just saw text, I had to reload a save to make it work. On the "Good" ending, during a quest I was told to drive a vehicle and then park it in a tent, the only problem is I couldn't do it because an invisible wall was blocking it and I would just flip over, I couldn't get out to continue the quest or fail it, but luckily you can skip it. Then on the "Good" ending, on the very last cutscene I drove into the sunset...literally into the sunset as the Vehicle was driving on the skybox. When you haven't even tested the ending, worse, you say "We're proud of our PC version!" it's such a slap in the face, yes, I'm sure these will be fixed...I hope, but I don't want games in the future to be like this, I want a finished game, certainly if you're asking £40 for it. The free DLC better be something decent and not "Paint your car!" but either way, the damage has been done and it's a real real shame. This game deserved to be polished, it has so much potential and there's so much to like here it's just sad to see it be this...messy and uncared for. Overall: 400 hours of gameplay, do I regret it? ...No? I mean, I've come away disappointed because of how bad some of the flaws are, more so with the lead dev saying how proud he is of the PC version but...I would be lying if I didn't say that if they brought out new game plus, there was some mods that made the game a lot harder...I wouldn't go back. I will play Male V romancing Panam as I have a very strong feeling that's the "intended" storyline and though my choices won't matter in the end, there would be some things I would do differently. I did enjoy my playthrough, I like Judy as a character I just wished I could do more, like...something as simple as hang out on her couch and watch TV with her would've been fine, doesn't have to be grand and epic, just simple character interactions...which you get through quests with Panam. Could I recommend this game to others though? Not really...If the glitches and bugs was just the odd here and there, ok, fine, it's an open world game with amazing graphics, sure, you will get some problems..but when your endings are bugged? Nah, it's not acceptable. Maybe some people can look past it, I would like to but I just feel...like a chump. Here's hoping it gets better, they did say they were working on it more and didn't find it acceptable but...not sure if that's just console, we'll see.
Old Austin Tales: Forgotten Video Arcades of The 1970s & 80s
In the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a young teen growing up in far North Austin, it was a popular custom for many boys in the neighborhood to assemble at the local Stop-N-Go after school on a regular basis for some Grand Champion level tournaments in Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat. The collective insistence of our mothers and fathers to get out of the house, get some exercise, and refrain from playing NES or Sega on the television only led us to seek out more video games at the convenience store down the road. Much allowance and lunch money was spent as well as hours that should have been devoted to homework among the 8 or 9 regular boys in attendance, often challenging each other to 'Best of 5' matches. I myself played Dhalsim and SubZero, and not very well, so I rarely ever made it to the 5th match. The store workers frequently kicked us out for the day only to have us return when they weren't working the counter anymore if not the next day. There is something about that which has been lost in the present day. While people can today download the latest games on Steam or PSN or in the app store on your smartphone, you can't just find arcade games in stores and restaurants like you used to be able to. And so the fun of a spontaneous 8 or 10 person multiplayer video game tournament has been confined to places like bars, pool halls, Pinballz or Dave&Busters. But in truth it was that ubiquity of arcade video games, how you could find them in any old 7-11 or Laundromat, which is what killed the original arcades of the early 1980s before the Great Crash of 1983 when home video game consoles started to catch up to what you saw in the arcade. I was born in the mid 1970s so I missed out on Pong. I was kindergarten age when the Golden Age of Arcade Games took place in the early 1980s. There used to be a place called Skateworld on Anderson Mill Road that was primarily for roller skating but had a respectable arcade in its own right. It was there that I honed my skills on the original Tron, Pac Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Defender, and so many others. In the 1980s I remember visiting all the same mall arcades as others in my age group. There was Aladdin's Castle in Barton Creek Mall, The Gold Mine in Highland, and another Gold Mine in Northcross which was eventually renamed Tilt. Westgate Mall also had an arcade but being a north austin kid I never went there until later in the mid 1990s. There were also places like Malibu Grand Prix and Showbiz Pizza and Chuck-E-Cheeze, all of which had fairly large arcades for kids which were the secondary attraction. If you're of a certain age you will remember Einsteins and LeFun on the Drag. They were there for a few decades going back way before the Slacker era. Lesser known is that the UT Student Union basement used to have an arcade that was comparable to either or both of those places. Back in the pre-9/11 days it was much easier to sneak in if you even vaguely looked like you could be a UT student. But there was another place I was too young to have experienced called Smitty's up further north on 183 at Lake Creek in the early 1980s. I never got to go there but I always heard about it from older kids at the time. It was supposed to have been two stories of wall to wall games with a small snack bar. I guess at the time it served a mostly older teen crowd from Westwood High School and for that reason younger kids my age weren't having birthday parties there. It wasn't around very long, just a few years during the Golden Age of Arcades. It is with almost-forgotten early arcades like that in mind that I wanted to share with y'all some examples of places from The Golden Age of the Video Arcade in Austin using some old Statesman articles I've found. Maybe someone of a certain age on here will remember them. I was curious what they were like, having missed out by being slightly too young to have experienced most of them first hand. I also wanted to see the original reaction to them in the press. I had a feeling there was some pushback from school/parent/civic groups on these facilities showing up in neighborhood strip malls or next to schools, and I was right to suspect. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let's list off some places of interest. Be sure to speak up if you remember going to any of these, even if it was just for some other kid's birthday party. Unfortunately some of the only mentions about a place are reports of a crime being committed there, such as our first few examples. Forgotten Arcade #1 Fun House/Play Time Arcade - 2820 Guadalupe June 15, 1975
ARCADE ENTHUSIASM A gang fight involving 20 30 people erupted early Saturday morning in front of an arcade on Guadalupe Street. The owner of the Fun House Arcade at 282J Guadalupe told police pool cues, lug wrenches, fists and a shotgun were displayed during the flurry. Police are unsure what started the fisticuffs, but one witness at the scene said it pitted Chicanos against Anglos. During the fight the owner of the arcade said a green car stopped at the side of the arcade and witnesses reported the barrel of a shotgun sticking out. The crowd wisely scattered and only a 23-year-old man was left lying on the ground. He told police he doesn't know what happened.
ARCADE ROBBED A former employee of Play Time Arcade, 2820 Guadalupe, was charged Tuesday in connection with the Tuesday afternoon robbery of his former business. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Ronnie Magee, 22, of 1009 Aggie Lane, Apt. 306. Arcade attendant Sam Garner said he had played pool with the suspect an hour before the robbery. He told police the man had been fired from the business two weeks earlier. Police said a man walked in the arcade about 2:45 p m. with a blue steel pistol and took $180. Magee is charged with first degree aggravated robbery. Bond was set on the charge at $15,000.
First it was called Fun House and then renamed Play Time a year later. I'm not sure what kind of arcade games beyond Pong and maybe Asteroids they could have had at this place. The peak of the Pinball craze was supposed to be around 1979, so they might have had a few pinball machines as well. A quick search of youtube will show you a few examples of 1976 video games like Death Race. The location is next to Ken's Donuts where PokeBowl is today where the old Baskin Robbins location was for many years. Forgotten Arcade #2 Green Goth - 1121 Springdale Road May 15, 1984
A 23-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to a January 1983 murder in East Austin and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jim Crowell Jr. of Austin admitted shooting 17-year-old Anthony Rodriguez in the chest with a shotgun after the two argued outside the Green Goth, a games arcade at 1121 Springdale Road, on Jan. 23, 1983. Crowell had argued with Rodriguez and a friend of Rodriguez at the arcade, police said. Crowell then went to his house, got a shotgun and returned to the arcade, witnesses said. When the two friends left the arcade, Rodriguez was shot Several weeks ago Crowell had reached a plea bargain with prosecutors for an eight-year prison term, but District Judge Bob Perkins would not accept the sentence, saying it was shorter than sentences in similar cases. After further plea bargaining, Crowell accepted the 15-year prison sentence.
I can't find anything else on Green Goth except reports about this incident with a murder there. There is at least one other report from 1983 around the time of Crowell's arrest that also refer to it as an arcade but reports the manager said the argument started over a game of pool. It's possible this place might have been more known for pool. Forgotten Arcades #3 & #4 Games, Etc. - 1302 S. First St Muther's Arcade - 2532 Guadalupe St August 23, 1983
Losing the magic touch - Video Arcades have trouble winning the money game It was going to be so easy for Lawrence Villegas, a video game junkie who thought he could make a fast buck by opening up an arcade where kids could plunk down an endless supply of quarters to play Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Asteroids. Villegas got together with a few friends, purchased about 30 video games and opened Games, Etc. at 1302 S. First St in 1980. .,--.... For a while, things, went great Kids waited in line to spend their money to drive race cars, slay dragons and save the universe. AT THE BEGINNING of 1982, however, the bottom fell out, and Villegas' revenues fell from $400 a week to $25. Today, Games, Etc. is vacant Villegas, 30, who is now working for his parents at Tony's Tortilla Factory, hasn't decided what he'll do with the building. "I was hooked on Asteroids, and I opened the business to get other people hooked, too," Villegas said. "But people started getting bored, and it wasn't worth keeping the place open. In the end, I sold some machines for so little it made me sick." VILLEGAS ISNT the only video game operator to experience hard times, video game manufacturers and distributors 'It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100 . Pac-Man's a lost cause. Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Ronnie Roark says. In the past year, business has dropped 25 percent to 65 percent throughout the country, they say. Most predict business will get even worse before the market stabilizes. Video game manufacturers and operators say there are several reasons for the sharp and rapid decline: Many video games can now be played at home on television, so there's no reason to go to an arcade. The novelty of video games has worn off. It has been more than a decade since the first ones hit the market The decline can be traced directly to oversaturation or the market arcade owners say. The number of games in Austin has quadrupled since 1981, and it's not uncommon to see them in coin-operated laundries, convenience stores and restaurants. WITH SO MANY games to choose from, local operators say, Austinites be came bored. Arcades still take in thousands of dollars each week, but managers and owners say most of the money is going to a select group of newer games, while dozens of others sit idle. "After awhile, they all seem the same," said Dan Moyed, 22, as he relaxed at Muther's Arcade at 2532 Guadalupe St "You get to know what the game is going to do before it does. You can play without even thinking about it" Arcade owners say that that, in a nutshell, is why the market is stagnating. IN THE PAST 18 months, Ronnie Roark, owner of the Back Room at 2015 E. Riverside Drive, said his video business has dropped 65 to 75 percent Roark, . who supplied about 160 video games to several Austin bars and arcades, said the instant success of the games is what led to their demise. "The technology is not keeping up with people's demand for change," said Roark, who bought his first video game in 1972. "The average game is popular for two or three months. We're sending back games that are less than five months old." Roark said the market began dropping in March 1982 and has been declining steadily ever since. "The drop started before University of Texas students left for the summer in 1982," Roark said. "We expected a 25 percent drop in business, and we got that, and more. It's never really picked up since then. - "It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100. 1 was shocked when I looked over my books and saw how much things had dropped." TO COMBAT THE slump, Roark said, he and some arcade owners last year cut the price of playing. Even that didn't help, he said. Old favorites, such as Pac-Man, which once took in hundreds of dollars each week, he said, now make less than $3 each. "Pac-Man's a lost cause," he said. "Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Hardest hit by the slump are the owners of the machines, who pay $3,500 to $5,000 for new products and split the proceeds with the businesses that house them. SALEM JOSEPH, owner of Austin Amusement and Vending Co., said his business is off 40 percent in the past year. Worse yet, some of his customers began returning their machines, and he's having a hard time putting them back in service. "Two years ago, a machine would generate enough money to pay for itself in six months,' said Joseph, who supplies about 250 games to arcades. "Now that same machine takes 18 months to pay for itself." As a result, Joseph said, he'll buy fewer than 15 new machines this year, down from the 30 to 50 he used to buy. And about 50 machines are sitting idle in his warehouse. "I get calls every day from people who want to sell me their machines," Joseph said. "But I can't buy them. The manufacturers won't buy them from me." ARCADE OWNERS and game manufacturers hope the advent of laser disc video games will buoy the market Don Osborne, vice president of marketing for Atari, one of the largest manufacturers of video games, said he expects laser disc games to bring a 25 percent increase in revenues next year. The new games are programmed to give players choices that may affect the outcome of the game, Os borne said. "Like the record and movie industries, the video game industry is dependent on products that stimulate the imagination," Osborne said "One of the reasons we're in a valley is that we weren't coming up with those kinds of products." THE FIRST of the laser dis games, Dragonslayer and Star Wan hit the market about two months ago. Noel Kerns, assistant manager of The Gold Mine Arcade in Northcross Mall, says the new games are responsible for a $l,000-a-week increase in revenues. Still, Kerns said, the Gold Mine' total sales are down 20 percent iron last summer. However, he remain optimistic about the future of the video game industry. "Where else can you come out of the rain and drive a Formula One race car or save the universe?" hi asked. Others aren't so optimistic. Roark predicted the slump will force half of all operators out of business and will last two more years. "Right now, we've got a great sup ply and almost no demand," Roark said. "That's going to have to change before things get- significantly better."
Well there is a lot to take from that long article, among other things, that the author confused "Dragonslayer" with "Dragon's Lair". I lol'd. Anyone who has been to Emo's East, formerly known as The Back Room, knows they have arcade games and pool, but it's mostly closed when there isn't a show. That shouldn't count as an arcade, even though the former owner Ronnie Roark was apparently one of the top suppliers of cabinet games to the area during the Golden Era. Any pool hall probably had a few arcade games at the time, too, but that's not the same as being an arcade. We also learn from the same article of two forgotten arcades: Muthers at 2522 Guadalupe where today there is a Mediterranean food restaurant, and another called Games, Etc. at 1302 S.First that today is the site of an El Mercado restaurant. But the article is mostly about showing us how bad the effects were from the crash at the end of the Golden Era. It was very hard for the early arcades to survive with increasing competition from home game consoles and personal computers, and the proliferation of the games into stores and restaurants. Forgotten Arcades #5 #6 & #7 Computer Madness - 2414 S. Lamar Blvd. Electronic Encounters - 1701 W Ben White Blvd (Southwood Mall) The Outer Limits Amusements Center - 1409 W. Oltorf March 4, 1982
'Quartermania' stalks South Austin School officials, parents worried about effects of video games A fear Is haunting the video game business. "We call it 'quartermania.' That's fear of running out of quarters," said Steve Stackable, co-owner of Computer Madness, a video game and foosball arcade at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd. The "quartermania" fear extends to South Austin households and schools, as well. There it's a fear of students running out of lunch money and classes to play the games. Local school officials and Austin police are monitoring the craze. They're concerned that computer hotspots could become undesirable "hangouts" for students, or that truancy could increase because students (high-school age and younger) will skip school to defend their galaxies against The Tempest. So far police fears have not been substantiated. Department spokesmen say that although more than half the burglaries in the city are committed by juveniles during the daytime, they know of no connection between the break-ins and kids trying to feed their video habit But school and parental worries about misspent time and money continue. The public outcry in September 1980 against proposals to put electronic game arcades near two South Austin schools helped persuade city officials to reject the applications. One proposed location was near Barton Hills Elementary School. The other was South Ridge Plaza at William Cannon Drive and South First Street across from Bedlchek Junior High School. Bedichek principal B.G. Henry said he spoke against the arcade because "of the potential attraction it had for our kids. I personally feel kids are so drawn to these things, that It might encourage them to leave the school building and play hookey. Those things have so much compulsion, kids are drawn to them like a magnet Kids can get addicted to them and throw away money, maybe their lunch money. I'm not against the video games. They may be beneficial with eye-hand coordination or even with mathematics, but when you mix the video games during school hours and near school buildings, you might be asking for problems you don't need." A contingent from nearby Pleasant Hill Elementary School joined Bedichek in the fight back in 1980, although principal Kay Beyer said she received her first formal call about the games last Week from a mother complaining that her child was spending lunch money on them. Beyer added that no truancy problems have been related to video game-playing at a nearby 7-11 store. Allen Poehl, amusement game coordinator for Austin's 7-11 stores, said company policy rules out any game-playing by school-age youth during school hours. Fulmore Junior High principal Bill Armentrout said he is working closely with operators of a nearby 7-1 1 store to make sure their policy is enforced. The convenience store itself, and not necessarily the video games, is a drawing card for older students and drop-outs, Armentrout said. Porter Junior High principal Marjorie Ball said that while video games aren't a big cause of truancy, "the money (spent on the games) is a big factor." Ball said she has made arrangements with nearby businesses to call the school it students are playing the games during school hours. "My concern is that kids are basically unsupervised, especially at the 24-hour grocery stores. That's a late hour for kids to be out. I would like to see them (games) unplugged at 10 p.m.," adds Joslin Elementary principal Wayne Rider. Several proprietors of video game hot-spots say they sympathize with the concerns of parents and school officials. No one under 18 is admitted without a parent to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre at 4211 S. Lamar. That rule, says night manager David Dunagan, "keeps it from being a high school hangout. This is a family place." Jerry Zollar, owner of J.J. Subs in West Wood Shopping Center on Bee Cave Road, rewards the A's on the report cards of Eanes school district students with free video games. "It's kind of a community thing we do in a different way. I've heard from both teachers and parents . . . they thought this was a good idea," said Zollar. Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall last year was renovated into a brightly lit arcade. "We're trying to get away from the dark, barroom-type place. We want this to be a place for family entertainment We won't let kids stay here during school hours without a written note from their parents, and we're pretty strict about that," said manager Kelly Roberts. Joyce Houston, who manages The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf St. along with her husband, said, "I wouldn't let my children go into some of the arcades I've visited. I'm a concerned parent, too. We wanted a place where the whole family could come and enjoy themselves."
Well you can see which way the tone of all these articles is going. There were some crimes committed at some arcades but all of them tended to have a negative reputation for various reasons. Parents and teachers were very skeptical of the arcades being in the neighborhoods to the point of petitioning the City Government to restrict them. Three arcades are mentioned besides Chuck-E-Cheese. Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall, The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf, and Computer Madness, a "video game and foosball arcade" at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd. Forgotten Arcade #8 Smitty's Galaxy of Games - Lake Creek Parkway February 25, 1982
Arcades fighting negative image Video games have swept across America, and Williamson and Travis counties have not been immune. In a two-part series, Neighbor examines the effects the coin-operated machines have had on suburban and small-town life. Cities have outlawed them, religious leaders have denounced them and distraught mothers have lost countless children to their voracious appetites. And still they march on, stronger and more numerous than before. A new disease? Maybe. A wave of invading aliens from outer space? On occasion. A new type of addiction? Certainly. The culprit? Video games. Although the electronic game explosion has been mushrooming throughout the nation's urban areas for the past few years, its rippling effects have just recently been felt in the suburban fringes of North Austin and Williamson County. In the past year, at least seven arcades armed with dozens of neon quarter-snatchers have sprung up to lure teens with thundering noises and thousands of flashing seek-and-destroy commands. Critics say arcades are dens of iniquity where children fall prey to the evils of gambling. But arcade owners say something entirely different. "Everybody fights them (arcades), they think they are a haven for drug addicts. It's just not true," said Larry Grant of Austin, who opened Eagle's Nest Fun and Games on North Austin Avenue in Georgetown last September. "These kids are great" Grant said the gameroom "gives teenagers a place to come. Some only play the games and some only talk. In Georgetown, if you're from the high school, this is it." He said he's had very few disturbances, and asks "undesirables" to leave. "We've had a couple of rowdies. That's why I don't have any pool tables they tend to attract that type of crowd," Grant said. Providing a place for teens to congregate was also the reason behind Ron and Carol Smith's decision to open Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway at the entrance to Anderson Mill. "We have three teenage sons, and as soon as the oldest could drive, it became immediately apparent that there was no place to go around here," said Ron, an IBM employee who lives in Spicewood at Balcones. "This prompted us to want to open something." The business, which opened in August, has been a huge success with both parents and youngsters. "Hundreds of parents have come to check out our establishment before allowing their children to come, and what they see is a clean, safe environment managed by adults and parents," Ron said. "We've developed an outstanding rapport with the community." Video arcades "have a reputation that we have to fight," said Carol. Kathy McCoy of Georgetown, who last October opened Krazy Korner on Willis Street in Leander, agrees. "We've got a real good group of kids," she said. "There's no violence, no nothing. Parents can always find their kids at Krazy Korner." While all the arcade owners contacted reported that business is healthy, if not necessarily lucrative, it's not as easy for video entrepreneurs to turn a profit as one might imagine. A sizeable investment is required. Ron Smith paid between $2,800 and $5,000 for each of the 30 electronic diversions at his gameroom. Grant said his average video game grosses about $50 a week, and his "absolute worst" game, Armor Attack, only $20 a week. The top machines (Defender and Pac-Man) can suck in an easy $125 a week. That's a lot of quarters, 500 to be exact but the Eagle's Nest and Krazy Korner pass half of them on to Neelley Vending Company of Austin which rents them their machines. "At 25 cents a shot, it takes an awful lot of people to pay the bills," said Tom Hatfield, district manager for Neelley. He added that an owner's personality and the arcade's location can make or break the venture. The game parlor must be run "by an understanding person, someone with patience," Hatfield said. "They cannot be too demanding on the kids, yet they can't let them run all over them." And they must be located in a spot "with lots of foot traffic," such as a shopping center or near a good restaurant, he said. "And being close to a school really helps." "Video games are going to be here permanently, but we're going to see some operations not going because of the competition," which includes machines in virtually every convenience store and supermarket, Hatfield said.
This article talks about three arcades. One in Georgetown called Eagles Nest, another in Leander called Krazy Korner, and a third called Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway "on the fringes of North Austin". This is the one I remember the older kids talking about when I was a little kid. There was once a movie theater across the street from the Westwood High School football stadium and behind that was Smitty's. Today I think the building was bulldozed long ago and the space is part of the expanded onramp to 183 today. Eventually another unrelated arcade was built next to the theater that became Alamo Lakeline. It was another site of some unrecorded epic Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat tournaments in the 90s. But the article written before the end of the Golden Era tell us much about the pushback I was talking about earlier. Early arcades were seen as "dirty" places in some circles, and the owners of the arcades in Williamson County had to stress how "clean" their establishments were. This other article from a couple of weeks later tells of how area school officials weren't worried about video games and tells us more arcades in Round Rock and Cedar Park. Apparently the end of the golden age lasted a bit longer than usual in this area. At some point in the next few years the bubble burst, and places like Smitty's were gone by the late 80s. But the distributors quoted earlier were right that arcade games weren't going completely away. In the mid 1980s LeFun opened up next in the Scientology building at 2200 Guadalupe on the drag. Down a few doors past what used be a coffee shop and a CVS was Einsteins Arcade. Both of those survived into the 21st century. I remember the last time I was at Einsteins I got my ass beat in Tekken by a kid half my age. heheh That's all for today. There were no Bonus Pics in the UT archive of arcades (other than the classical architectural definition). I wanted to pass on some Bonus newspaper articles (remember to click and zoom in with the buttons on the right to read) about Austin arcades anyway but first a small story. I mentioned earlier the secret of the UT Student Union. I have no idea what it looks like now but in the 90s there was a sizable arcade in with the bowling alley in the basement. Back in 1994 when I used to sneak in, they featured this bizarre early attempt at virtual reality games. I found an old Michael Barnes Statesman article about it dated February 11, 1994. Some highlights:
Hundreds of students and curiosity-seekers lined up at the University of Texas Union to play three to five minutes of Dactyl Nightmare, Flying Aces or V-Tol, three-dimensional games from Kramer Entertainment. Nasty weather delayed the unloading of four huge trunks containing the machines, which resemble low pulpits. Still, players waited intently for a chance to shoot down a fighter jet, operate a tilt-wing Harrier or tangle with a pterodactyl. Today, tickets will go on sale in the Texas Union lobby at 11:30 a.m. for playing slots between noon and 6 p.m. Players, fitted with full helmets, throttles and power packs, stood on shiny gray and yellow platforms surrounded by a circular guard rail. Seen behind the helmet's goggles were computer simulated landscapes, not unlike the most sophisticated video games, with controls and enemies viewed in deep space. "You're on a platform waiting to fight a human figure," said Jeff Vaughn, 19, of Dactyl Nightmare. "A pterodactyl swoops down and tries to pick you up. You have to fight it off. You are in the space and can see your own body and all around you. But if you try to walk, you have to use that joy stick to get around." "I let the pterodactyl carry me away so I could look down and scan the board," said Tom Bowen of the same game. "That was the way I found out where the other player was." "Yeah, it's cool just to stand there and not do anything," Vaughn said. The mostly young, mostly male crowd included the usual gaming fanatics, looking haggard and tense behind glasses and beards. A smattering of women and children also pressed forward in a line that snaked past the lobby and into the Union's retail shops. "I don't know why more women don't play. Maybe because the games are so violent," said Jennifer Webb, 24, a psychology major whose poor eyesight kept her from becoming a fighter pilot in real life. "If the Air Force won't take me, virtual reality will." "They use stereo optics moving at something like 60 frames a second," said computer science major Alex Aquila, 19. "The images are still pretty blocky. But once you play it, you'll want to play it again and again." With such demand for virtual reality, some gamesters wondered why an Austin video arcade has not invested in at least one machine.
The gameplay looked like this. Bonus Article #1 - "Video fans play for own reasons" (Malibu Grand Prix) - March 11, 1982 Bonus Article #2 - "Pac-Man Cartridge Piques Interest" - April 13, 1982 Bonus Article #3 - "Video Games Fail Consumer" - January 29, 1984 Bonus Article #4 - "Nintendoholics/Modems Unite" - January 25, 1989 Bonus Article #5 and pt 2 "Two girls missing for a night found at arcade" (truly dedicated young gamers) - August 7, 2003
With so many games releasing nowadays, I think it's easy for the good ones to get lost in the shuffle. I'm going to list 20 highly anticipated Indie/AA games. I'm sure there's many great ones I'll probably miss (like I said, there's so many it's hard to keep track sometimes), so please let me know what other ones I should look out for. I’m going to order them by release date. If the game does not have a tangible release date, I’ll place it in the list based on what I think is more likely to come out first, based on marketing material and release date delays. 1. Cyber Shadow
Description: This game looks like a cyberpunk Ninja Gaiden. It's very fast paced and has some huge enemies to fight. The player character looks to have a very versatile moveset which looks to complement both the platforming and the combat. This is apparently the work of one guy, making it all that much more impressive.
Description: TOHU has you exploring a variety of fish planets, solving puzzles and unraveling mysteries behind the protagonist’s mechanical alter-ego, Cubus. The musical score is composed by Christopher Larking, the same guy behind Hollow Knight’s soundtrack.
Description: Little Nightmares was a big indie success back in 2017, and the sequel looks to lean heavier into its horror elements. The game will feature two characters this time around - Six and Mono - as they brave the horrors in this larger than life world to discover the dark secrets of The Signal Tower.
Description: Crazy Taxi hasn’t had a new console/PC entry since 2002 (however there were two for handhelds in the mid to late 2000s and two for mobile phones in the 2010s). Taxi Chaos mirrors the formula of picking up customers and dropping them off in a race against the clock. Sega, the developer behind 1999’s original Crazy Taxi, gave developer Team6 Studios their blessing and are actually set to publish the game in Japan and other Asian regions.
Description: This is a vertical SHMUP with four different characters, online leaderboards, and large enemy encounters. Characters will have their own unique ships, weapons, bombs, and story endings. A demo for the game was introduced back in September, and the developer has rolled out steady updates detailing the development of the game.
Description: It Takes Two follows a clashing couple who have been turned into dolls. This is the second game to come from Hazelight Studios, creators of A Way Out. Like that game, this one is built around the co-op experience and is both online and local co-op. If you play online, only the host needs to own a copy of the game.
Description: This comes from the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams. It's a 3D platformer with a dreamlike carnival theme. You'll wear a number of different costumes (80+ according to the game description) that grant different abilities. The game also has a Chao Garden-like feature for Sonic Adventure fans. The adorable little creatures in this game are called “Tims.”
Description: Garlic tells a less than romantic tale of an onion boy climbing the Sacred Tower to seduce the Cyber Goddess. This is a “1 bit platformer” with a monochrome aesthetic and an emphasis on one screen levels with lots of wall jumping and strange but catchy tunes to accompany the action.
Description: The original King’s Bounty released all the way back in 1990, which also spawned a board game in 1991. It wouldn’t receive a follow-up until 2008 when King’s Bounty: The Legend released. Four expansions would be released between 2009 and 2014. Progress and features of the game are continually updated on the Steam page of the game.
Description: This game has been in development for 10 years now and is clearly inspired by Banjo Kazooie. The game follows a tag team duo – a rabbit and a monkey – through 11 different worlds in a collectathon-style platformer. The two characters like act as one unit to perform certain moves, just as it was in Banjo Kazooie.
Description: After being evicted from his home, Turnip Boy sets out on a quest to topple a corrupt vegetable government. You’ll explore dungeons, solve puzzles, fight enemies and bosses, and find treasure along the way.
Multiplayer: 8 Player Competitive Local & Online Multiplayer
Description: The original Knight Squad first released in 2014. It was an arena fighter that took heavy inspiration from Bomberman, with eight player battles and a ton of different game modes. Knight Squad 2 will introduce even more game modes, better graphics, and more customization options.
Description: Hell Pie reminds me of Conker’s Bad Fur Day with its cutesy aesthetic contrasted with adult humor and lewd scenes. Hell Pie follows a demon named Nate through both open and linear levels, tethered to a plump angel called Nugget, who can be used as a weapon, a grappling hook, and a guide.
Description: Iron Meat is a retro inspired grindhouse game made by one guy, Ivan Suvorov. There is a demo on Steam with two of the levels currently, with eight total announced for the full release, and three difficulty settings to choose between.
Description: The game looks as bleak as the title suggests, with gorgeous pixel art and great enemy design. Big, epic bosses seem to have prominent presence here judging from the trailer, and combat animations look slick and smooth.
Description: 30XX is the sequel to 2014’s 20XX. This is a Mega Man X inspired roguelike with both local and online co-op. There were eight characters with different abilities to play as in 20XX, and it looks like a similar approach is kept for the sequel. Despite taking place 1000 years after the original, Ace and Nina at least, are still present in 30XX.
Description: Inspired by the works of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, Scorn is an atmospheric blend of horror and a first person shooter. You play as a skinless humanoid in a nightmarish world. The studio behind the game, Ebb Software, was founded in 2013 and first showed the game off in 2014. The game was announced for a 2021 release date in Microsoft’s Xbox Series X showcase in 2020 and will be coming to PC as well.
Multiplayer: 4 Player Competitive Local & Online Multiplayer
Description: Windjammers is a fast paced blend between pong and frisbee that originally came out in 1994. An updated version of the game was released for Steam and modern consoles with online play, and Windjammers 2 will be a new sequel 27 years after the original release. Players can choose between a multitude of characters with different stats, with a few mini games to boot.
Description: 2017’s Hollow Knight is one of the biggest indie games of all time, in both its popularity and scale of the game. Silksong was originally just meant to be a DLC for the original game, but the project expanded into a full-scale sequel. The original is probably the single most popular indie Metroidvania out there, so there’s a lot of hype for the sequel.
Description: This has been a very long time coming, but with all the gameplay footage and marketing material coming out for the game, it seems Psychonauts 2 will finally release in 2021. The first game released in 2005 – three PlayStations ago – and was a cult classic. The director of the first game, Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, Broken Age, etc.) is also directing the sequel, so there is a lot of hope from the fanbase.
Description: Coromon dons a similar pixel art aesthetic that defined the fourth and fifth generation Pokemon games. When a Coromon gains experience points, you will be able to distribute the stat points as you see fit. Trainers are customizable, and there are also multiple save slots. There is a demo available on Steam.
Description: This comes from the same developer as Hyper Light Drifter. Solar Ash Kingdom has a lot of the same stylized aesthetics as Hyper Light Drifter, but this is a fully 3D over the shoulder adventure. You’ll engage with massive enemies, traverse the world at high speeds, and meet many characters throughout the adventure.
Description: No Place for Bravery boasts a low fantasy setting with Sekiro-esque combat and stories based on real life. The game follows Thorn, who – with his disabled foster son, Phid – seeks to find answers to his daughter’s disappearance from long ago. There is a demo available on Steam.
Description: Bushiden has you taking control of a cybernectic ninja in a futuristic world, on a quest to find his sister who has vanished. There are a number of unlockable traversal and combat abilities, as well as purchasable upgrades.
Description: This is an adventure following a young engineer on an island in the flying city of Gideon. The game boasts exploration, a heavy story, and the ability to build and repair “incredible flying machines.”
Description: This is a steampunk side scroller with narrative choices and a fast paced combat system. There are side quests, skills to level up, and secrets to uncover. Originally planned for 2020, the developers regularly post tweets on Twitter to keep fans updated with the project.
Description: Set in a cyberfunk universe (real word is getting the post removed by the automoderator), Jack Move follows a hacker who seeks to rescue her father from the evil mega corporation, Monomind. The combat system will allow for a number of customizable options both in and out of combat.
Description: Heavenly Bodies follows two cosmonauts in the 1970s who must work together through a series of physics-based challenges. While the game is built around the co-op experience, the game can still be played in single player. While this is only local co-op at the moment, the Steam page seems to suggest that the developer is looking into options for online play.
Description: This is technically a DLC, but given the wait for it, I think it’s fair to expect a fairly sizeable one. This DLC will introduce a new playable character, Ms. Chalice, who will have a double jump and possibly other differentiating moves. This DLC was originally supposed to release in 2019, but it’s been delayed a number of times. For reference, the original game released in 2017 and took seven years to make (though the two brothers responsible for the game had day jobs and a much smaller team up until 2014).
Description: This comes from Kayin, the creator of I Wanna Be the Guy. This is an NES Castlevania inspired game with three playable characters that have unique paths and differing abilities. The game will also feature cutscenes and over a dozen different levels. The game has been in development for years now and is near completion.
Description:Hazelnut Bastille actually has a 2-3 hour demo with a full dungeon included, which I didn't know about until just now as I was making this list! Heavily inspired by top down Zelda games, these games have some really beautiful looking art. Development for Hazelnut Bastille began back in April 2016. Dawnthorn, a prequel to Hazelnut Bastille, will also be releasing around the same time in 2021. Dawnthorn will emulate the look of an NES game, while Hazelnut Bastille will look more like an SNES game.
Description: The original Freedom Planet was initially conceived as a Sonic fangame before the the creator, Stephen DiDuro, reconceptualized it as his own IP. The sequel was announced back in 2015, a year after the original’s release, and will introduce new mechanics and make changes based on feedback from the first game.
Description: This game comes from the creators of Crawl and Regular Human Basketball, two highly acclaimed competitive local multiplayer games. Unlike their previous work, this looks to be a campaign/adventure game, but it also has a demonic narrator just like Crawl. They're also making The Drifter right now.
Description: From the creators of Lenna's Inception, Bytten Studio, which released on Steam in January of this year – a randomly generated Zelda inspired local co-op action adventure game with two art styles to switch between. The two guys behind the game have also worked on Starbound, Stardew Valley, and Wargroove, so they have quite a pedigree of games. Cassette Beasts in heavily inspired by Pokemon and includes 120 beasts that can be combined for a total of 14,400 fusions.
Description: Developer Dead Mage has won me over with both Shadow Blade: Reload and Children of Morta. Their new game, Tale of Ronin, focuses on the “human side of the Samurai,” and will feature a dynamic world to explore and allow for you to make story-based choices that impact the storyline.
Multiplayer: 6 Player Local & Online Competitive Multiplayer
Description: This is the spiritual successor to Stikbold. It’s a dodgeball game with wacky antics and multiple game modes. Players can do free for all or team based matches, and if it’s anything like Stikbold, it will also have a two player local co-op campaign with a few boss fights.
Description: Spark 3 will be the second 3D platformer in the Spark series. It’s no mystery where Spark takes its inspiration, but it does it well and mixes action sequences into the mix while removing a lot of the bloat found in most 3D Sonic games. Spark 2 is well regarded by the Sonic community, and the third game looks to up the ante with even more mechanics, like wall running.
Multiplayer: 2 Player Local Co-op/4 Player Competitive Local Multiplayer
Description: Samurai Gunn 2 is the sequel to the 2013 PC exclusive. The game is designed by Beau Blyth, the co-creator behind Hyper Light Drifter. The game plays similarly to TowerFall, in that you platform around a fixed screen and try to shoot the other players. The sequel will launch exclusively on Switch first, with a release for other platforms in the future. The story mode will allow for up to two players in local co-op, while the competitive mode will allow up to four.
Description: This comes from the creators of Wargroove. Witchbrook will allow you to experience high school as a wizard. A website for the game was launched back in September, so it seems progress on the game is coming along. The website seems to suggest you’ll be able to develop relationships based on your choices in the game.
Description: This comes from the same developer as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Astronauts, but instead of just walking, you'll be walking and shooting demonic creatures. If this game reminds you of Painkiller from 2004, it's because director Adrian Chmielarz actually worked on that game. The game has been worked on for five years now by a team of nine full members and three contributors, so hopefully we'll see it soon.
What are some other upcoming indie/AA games you’re looking forward to? If you’re looking for more indie games to play, see my post here:
Hello all! It's no secret that Destiny 2 has objectively never been more accessible to the average user, what with the game going Free to Play on all platforms and with crossplay coming later this year, it's safe to say we're more inundated with new guardians than ever. While the PvE scene is filled with helpful guides as always on what general guns are good to watch out for, what activities to grind in order to obtain your basic work horse weapons, the average kinderguardian will be walking into the Crucible playlist right now and have little to no clue what to utilise in order to keep up with today's weapon meta. To counteract this issue, this is a guide that will consist of how to obtain relevant guns for PvP success split up into 3 segments! The 3 sections of this guide will consist of: Tier 1: World/Playlist Drop Weapons These are weapons that can drop through Strikes, Crucible or Gambit, and are available to all players regardless of whether they are solo or in a clan! If you aren't sure what you're looking for having just started out or if you've always written off PvP and just now want to get into it due to that slick looking Trials armor, this section will set you up with simple to obtain weapons that will treat you well. Tier 2: Targeted Sources (Mid-Game) These weapons' sources will come from specific matchmade activities (Altars of Sorrow, Iron Banner, etc.) While you will not run into these naturally and will have to go out of your way to do these activities, the weapons that drop from them will reward your investment. While these activities will be easier with a group, they still have solo paths to farming weapons. Tier 3: Targeted Sources (End-Game) In this tier, the weapons will either come from end-game PvE activities (Secret Missions, Raids) or end-game PvP activites (Trials of Osiris). Up until this section no weapons have required DLCs, however Tier 3 will assume you have access to all 3 DLCs and the ability to LFG for a group. If you are not used to end-game activities wherein you are forced to go out of your way to find a fireteam, being a solo player or new to the game, there are various ways to do so. Destiny 2 on PC has various LFG Discords and, though I am not an Xbox player myself, I've been told there is an in-game LFG system for those platforms. A final note before we begin the guide: regardless of perk pools and stats, weapons are very personal! If you find a gun you feel works for you & you can slay out crucible matches with it then use it, regardless of whether it's the crustiest blue hand cannon you've ever seen. In addition, these tiers do not denote a gun's worth or effectiveness, only the ease through which you may obtain it: some Tier 1 guns may feel "better" than Tier 3 guns, it's all up to you.
Tier 1
Bottom Dollar: Void Hand Cannon, 120 RPM (Source: Gambit match completions) Bottom Dollar is a potential drop from every Gambit match completion, win or loss. Its perk pool is gargantuan, with 12 potential perks in each main perk slot, however this works in the guns favour in that it has many potential usable rolls. Feeding Frenzy + Rampage, Quickdraw + Opening Shot, Rangefinder + Opening Shot, Outlaw + Multikill Clip or any combination of all these perks will provide you with a slow but reliable PvP Hand Cannon attainable relatively simply. Simply, however, does not mean easily, as the drop rate from the end-of-playlist-activity weapons is rather low & diluted with other world drop weapons at the moment. Frozen Orbit: Void Sniper, 72 RPM (Source: Crucible match completions) Frozen Orbit drops in the same way as Bottom Dollar, however instead may drop from any Crucible match completion. 72 RPM snipers usually have low handling, and so either Quickdraw or Snapshot Sights is considered essential by the majority of the community. If you land a Frozen Orbit with either of these perks it will do well as a high power-cap reliable PvP sniper, though as you will see, Aggressive Frame snipers can feel sluggish and heavy in comparison to some of the other snipers on this list. Retrofuturist: Void Shotgun, 80 RPM (Source: World drops/Gunsmith Engrams) Retrofuturist has the potential to drop through any legendary engram, and though it may appear bland, do not overlook this as a strong & reliable gateway into shotgunning. As a lightweight frame its handling is intrinsically higher, however Quickdraw is still an S-tier perk on any Retrofuturist. For your second perk column you can pair anything with Quickdraw, however for PvP either Snapshot Sights or Swashbuckler will most likely provide you with the best neutral-game benefits. For your barrel & magazine options, either Rifled Barrel or Full Choke are your best options for any shotgun, & Accurized Rounds for your magazine perk, though magazines do not massively affect shotgun consistency in PvP. True Prophecy: Kinetic Hand Cannon, 120 RPM (Source: World drops/Gunsmith Engrams) True Prophecy sports an impressive perk pool full of desirable traits, however is marred by its power cap. The gun sunsets at the end of this season, a phrase that will crop up multiple times, and means that its power will be capped at a certain amount for the rest of Destiny 2 unless it is reissued in a different form. While this does not affect regular playlist activities, anything power enabled will chew through sunset weapons, & it is heavily advised not to use them in any competitive scenario. If you do manage to land a True Prophecy you will be looking for any roll with Opening Shot or Rangefinder to pair with Rampage, Explsoive rounds or Timed Payload. Any roll will perform well, however these will provide the most consistent success. Stars in Shadow: Solar Pulse Rifle, 340 RPM (Source: Crucible match completions) Though it may not look like much, Stars in Shadow will eat alive anyone who underestimates it, and has carried me to the Lighthouse with its strengths. Another weapon with a deep perk pool Stars in Shadow has the potential for some incredible consistency, such as Firmly Planted + Headseeker, Killing Wind + Moving Target, Surplus + Demolitionist, and the incredible Outlaw + Kill Clip. If you see a Stars in Shadow drop, do not overlook it, as the time-to-kill of High-Impact Pulse Rifles is not at all to be overlooked, and Stars in Shadow will likely be the easiest attainable one for the foreseeable future. Xenoclast IV: Arc Shotgun, 80 RPM (Source: Strike completions) Xenoclast is an oddity in that despite it not rolling with Quickdraw it still presents a strong option in its diverse perk pool and Lightweight Frame for any aspiring shotgunners. Interesting perks include Slideshot/Slideways + Killing Wind, Surplus + Demolitionist or any Auto-Loading Holster roll. While Xenoclast will not stretch to the lengths that other PvP shotguns will, nor will it provide the best results, it is a solid Lightweight Frame shotgun that will get the job done while you search for something better. Honorary Mention: Felwinter's Lie: Solar Shotgun, 55 RPM (Source: Monument to Lost Lights Exotic Archive) No list of PvP weapons would be complete without mentioning Felwinter's Lie, however it may not hold its oppressive dominance over competitive Crucible for long enough to be considered an option worth recommending for numerous reasons. First of all, the shotgun sunsets at the end of the current season, and so you will get at most 3 more months of mileage out of it in Trials of Osiris & Iron Banner before the gun becomes unworthy of your energy slot. Second, its source of the Exotic Archive makes it a guaranteed drop, however for the hefty price of an Ascendant Shard it may not be the most accessible for a player first starting out. Its rolls of Quickdraw + Opening Shot cannot be beat, and the Shot Package perk providing it with a fixed spread mean that it is among the most consistent shotguns in the history of Destiny 2, but as far as competitive options go you would be better off not getting used to having this for too long.
Tier 2
The Palindrome: Void Hand Cannon, 140 RPM (Source, Nightfall: The Ordeal Completions *May require DLC depending on the week) The Palindrome is a returning classic from Destiny 1, and while it may no longer be present in the Kinetic slot, it still packs some killer perk options. Outlaw + Rampage, Killing Wind + Rangefinder, Quickdraw + Rangefinder, even Overflow + Rampage if you want to get especially frisky. Its drop source is its biggest obstacle, in that it will only drop when it is the rotated weapon in Nightfall: The Ordeal, and depending on the week it may be a strike that requires DLC to own. If you own everything however, Palindrome will be a consistent and powerful option, its Adept version even moreso if you eventually brave a Grandmaster Ordeal. Blasphemer: Kinetic Slug Shotgun, 65 RPM (Source: Altars of Sorrow Moon Event/Pit of Heresy Dungeon) While there are technically two versions of the Blasphemer, one with exclusive perks dropping only from the Shadowkeep Dungeon and one with general perks, for the purposes of PvP you need only worry about one roll: Quickdraw + Opening Shot. This roll can be acquired through completion of the Altars of Sorrow public event in Sorrow's Harbour on the Moon when the boss that day is dropping the shotgun, or at any point if you find a group for the Dungeon, but either will award you with your new Slug Shotgun. While these are not as easy to utilise as pellet shotguns, their ranges can stretch farther and being in the Kinetic slot, there are many weapons you can pair with Blasphemer. As a bonus, as far as I am aware, Altars of Sorrow and their associated weapon drops are free to all players, and so even without access to Pit of Heresy you can still obtain this weapon regardless. Bite of the Fox: Kinetic Sniper Rifle, 72 RPM (Source: Iron Banner match completions/Token turn-ins) Bite of the Fox is the first Iron Banner weapon on the list and it presents a unique opportunity in a Kinetic PvP sniper. Snapshot + Opening Shot will be a roll to prioritise, however the gun's ability to roll Snapshot + Moving Target may appeal to the more mobile Sniper Rifle players. The only other current Kinetic Aggressive Frame Sniper is locked behind Beyond Light's Deep Stone Crypt raid, and while it certainly does make for a good PvP Sniper, Bite of the Fox is far more attainable for the average player. Adored: Arc Sniper Rifle, 90 RPM (Source: Forging Your Own Path quest) Adored, while not the most unique of options, may be the only sniper some players use until it is sunset. Not only is it based on the fan favourite Sniper Rifle Beloved, it plays like it; with Snapshot Sights and Killing Wind Adored is a consistent, if potentially grind-gated option. Though the quest isn't necessarily complicated, if you choose the Crucible path to gaining Adored you will want some sniping expertise beforehand, however your efforts will be rewarded with the perfect pairing to any kinetic weapon for those longer ranges. The Steady Hand: Kinetic Hand Cannon, 120 RPM (Source: Iron Banner match completions/Token turn-ins) The Steady Hand provides a reliable, if slightly less powerful alternative to True Prophecy upon its eventual sunset at the end of this season. While Steady Hand's perk selection is lacking in comparison to its competition, an Outlaw + Swashbuckler roll presents some brutality, or my personal pocket pick; Quickdraw + Wellspring. There are merits to Quickdraw + Snapshot Sights too, however Steady Hand's main niche is simply being a reliable 120 RPM Kinetic Hand Cannon. It has a niche, and it fulfills it to great effect. Extraordinary Rendition: Kinetic Submachine Gun, 750 RPM (Source: Battlegrounds Playlist/Chosen-Focused Umbral Engrams *Requires Season Ownership) Extraordinary Rendition appears as the first PvP-oriented Submachine Gun on the list, and for good reason. Until recently, console/controller viability for Submachine Guns was next to none due to barely controllable recoil, however with recent changes the archetype is usable for short-mid range gunfights for a powerful pocket tool. Extraordinary Rendition lives up to its name with some extraordinary rolls, such as Zen Moment + Tap the Trigger, Overflow + Multikill Clip/Rampage, and a strong newcomer perk, Frenzy. Though definitely not viable on every map, SMGs are not to be overlooked, and Extraordinary Rendition makes a strong case for itself. The Guiding Sight: Kinetic Scout Rifle, 150 RPM (Source: Iron Banner match completions/Token turn-ins) The Guiding Sight presents a unique opportunity for a relatively easily obtainable yet incredibly deadly Scout Rifle option, with the right roll. Due to sitting just outside of the meta for many years, a good portion of the playerbase has written off Scout Rifles completely, however due to way in which The Guiding Sight interacts with the perk Iron Gaze, its stickiness will not let you down. For clarification, Iron Gaze is a perk which massively increases weapon target acquisition (which translates to aim assist in non-Bungie lingo) for the cost of range, however due to its intrinsic extreme range as a Scout Rifle, Guiding Sight reaps all the benefits with barely any of the drawbacks, as Bungie have removed all of the extreme range maps which would have utilised the lost range. If in your grind for Iron Banner weapons a Guiding Sight drops into your lap, give it a try, as it may surprise you. Waking Vigil: Arc Hand Cannon, 140 RPM (Source: Dreaming City Activities/Shattered Throne Dungeon) A tried and true yet incredibly deadly option, Waking Vigil has returned in updated power cap form to us this season, and it remains a high-tier Hand Cannon option for those so inclined. While the perk pool separation from Dungeon to other activities is not entirely clear, the rolls you will be chasing will be any combination of Outlaw/Rapid Hit + Opening Shot/Kill Clip depending on your playstyle. Rapid Hit + Opening Shot will present far more consistency, where as Outlaw + Kill Clip will provide lethality. As one of the only Hand Cannons left with Outlaw + Kill Clip, Waking Vigil presents a strong argument for why to go after it, plus both this and the next weapon should both be available to all players due to being drops from the Dreaming City! Retold Tale: Void Shotgun, 65 RPM (Source: Dreaming City Activities/Shattered Throne Dungeon) Returning along with Waking Vigil, Retold Tale's drop sources and perks are similar in both their effectiveness and lethality. Even in its updated form, the Shotgun can roll with Full Choke/Rifled Barrel, Accurized Rounds, Quickdraw and any number of perks in the in the second column, however a good combo to watch for is Quickdraw + Killing Wind for the extra bump to range. As far as energy Shotgun options go, Retold Tale will most likely be the go-to option for any serious shotgunners in end-game PvP. Honorary Mention: Sturm: Kinetic Hand Cannon, 120 RPM (Source: Monument to Lost Lights Exotic Archive) Sturm goes under honorary mentions due to requiring the grinding for an Exotic Cipher in order to be purchased from the Exotic Kiosk, however the grind is well worth it (plus it's available to all players!) While Sturm is an exotic it earns its place in the arsenal of any aspiring guardian with its monster set of stats, which are improved even further by its exotic catalyst. It may not be as flashy as Ace of Spades or Thorn, however neither of those can reach past 40 metres in the ways that Sturm can. For a non-sunset 120 RPM Hand Cannon option, look no further.
Tier 3
Hawkmoon: Kinetic Hand Cannon, 140 RPM (Source: Let Loose Thy Talons quest/Harbinger Mission *Season of the Hunt Content - Requires Beyond Light: Deluxe Edition) Hawkmoon shares its strengths in much the same places Sturm does, with a couple of extra bonuses. First, the base stats of the gun itself are incredibly high and make for a consistent option to pair with almost anything. These can be improved even further by grinding for randomly rolled Hawkmoons in the Harbinger mission, though this is best attempted with a group of 3 people. Second, the Paracausal Shot perk both forces its user to pace their shots in order to make the most of it, effectively creating the perfect training tool for headshots. A well-rolled Hawkmoon will never sunset, and that immediately puts it at the top of many peoples' lists, meaning if you own the requisite DLCs to do the mission or you bought last season and never made the most of it, go grab yourself a Hawkmoon. The Supremacy: Kinetic Sniper Rifle, 140 RPM (Source: Last Wish Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Forsaken) Supremacy is a tried-and-true sniper rifle choice for many people. Having been in the game for many years and receiving continually increased power caps all the way to 1410, combined with an incredibly small perk pool, it is likely for a Supremacy to be both a reliable & effective choice for the Kinetic slot. Snapshot is a given, and most second column perks will be good, though some interesting things can be done with Kill Clip or Rampage. Premonition: Void Pulse Rifle, 340 RPM (Source: Pit of Heresy Dungeon *Requires Destiny 2: Shadowkeep) Premonition, having recently returned to us with an updated power cap, presents a far-reaching High-Impact Pulse Rifle option with solid rolls. Feeding Frenzy + HeadseekeRampage, Moving Target + Headseeker, Zen Moment + Headseeker are all solid options, and being in the energy slot means the Kinetic slot is freed up for a special weapon or Exotic. An all-around consistent choice for a primary weapon, Premonition remains one of my personal favourites. Heritage: Kinetic Slug Shotgun, 65 RPM (Source: Deep Stone Crypt Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Beyond Light) On top of looking absolutely stunning, Heritage's consistency and feel make up for its somewhat difficult acquisition path. Though it cannot roll with Quickdraw, a Snapshot Sights/Reconstruction roll will ensure that in much the same situations you would be whipping out that Felwinter's, a Heritage will do so before the enemy even gets within spitting distance, and it will keep them that way due to the extra range Slug Shotguns provide. Succession: Kinetic Sniper Rifle, 72 RPM (Source: Deep Stone Crypt Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Beyond Light) Sluggish but powerful, Succession manages to both look good and offer a Kinetic 72 RPM Sniper option with unique perks. Snapshot Sights in the second column means that the first column has room for perks like Moving Target and Slideways, or even Killing Wind for the increase in target acquisition. Though it may be unwieldy, Succession will put down anyone you throw it at with ease, provided you hit your shots. Trustee: Solar Scout Rifle, 260 RPM (Source: Deep Stone Crypt Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Beyond Light) A surprisingly powerful option, Trustee makes up for a slower time-to-kiil by being both incredibly forgiving and consistent. Perk combinations are limitless, with Surplus + Wellspring, Reconstruction + Redirection, Reconstruction + Opening Shot, Zen Moment + Opening Shot, or even Zen Moment + High-Impact Reserves. As a faster firing Scout Rifle it has intrinsic Full Auto, letting you lay down on the trigger for as long as you want. Any time a bounty calls on Scout Rifle Kills in PvP, expect to see quite a few of these. Sacred Provenance: Kinetic Pulse Rifle, 450 RPM (Source, Garden of Salvation Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Shadowkeep) Aggressive Frame Pulse Rifles are notorious for hitting like a truck, and Sacred Provenance is no different. With a small perk pool and deadly perks combined with a great gunfeel, the only reason the gun isn't a no-brainer for Pulse Rifle users is its drop source. The greatest perk combination to look out for would be Rapid Hit + Kill Clip, though any combination would serve just fine when the time-to-kill is so relaxed. If you have one, make use of its extended range and give it a whirl! Omniscient Eye: Solar Sniper Rifle, 140 RPM (Source, Garden of Salvation Raid *Requires Destiny 2: Shadowkeep) Though nothing special, Omniscient Eye deserves a mention for its small perk pool & equally good feel. While energy 140 RPM snipers litter drop sources, Omniscient Eye brings a unique shooting experience different to most Veist Sniper Rifles that populate the 140 RPM archetype, and with snapshot it is impossible to go wrong. Where sniping is mainly based on feel for many people, Omniscient Eye may turn out to be your new slaying machine. Igneous Hammer: Solar Hand Cannon, 120 RPM (Source: Trials of Osiris) The first of two Trials of Osiris weapons on the list, Igneous Hammer represents the end-goal for many PvP players. A 120 RPM Hand Cannon with good range, a larger magazine and a superbly small perk pool populated by reliable combinations that complement the archetype means that Igneous Hammer is the obvious choice for a 120. Such combinations include Rapid Hit + Rampage, Outlaw + Rampage, Rapid Hit + One for All, or even Killing Wind + Moving Target. If you somehow manage to land yourself an Adept version enjoy the extra stats that come with masterworking, as this will be your first choice for an Aggressive Frame Hand Cannon for the next year to come in PvP. The Messenger: Kinetic Pulse Rifle, 340 RPM (Source: Trials of Osiris) A High-Impact Pulse Rifle in the Kinetic slot immediately put Messenger at the top of many aspiring eyes' lists, however the reasons for its desirability only increase when wandering to perks. While the second column contains various good options such as Kill Clip and Headseeker, the premiere perk is Desperado; a perk that increases rate of fire after reloading post-precision kill. While I could describe the perk myself, it's better to let this clip describe it to you. (Credit to TattooedFox) Outlaw + Desperado or Rapid Hit + Desperado is absolutely the way to go with Messenger, and if you decide to try your hand at Trials this weekend, you'll be delighted to find out that Saint-14's bounty is currently offering the Messenger as its reward, so go get one while you can! Footnote: Where are all the heavy weapons? Answer: Simple! Pick up whatever Machine Gun, Grenade Launcher or Rocket Launcher works for you and use it! Some people prefer specific heavies, such as The Wardcliff Coil or The Colony, however I find that the best heavy is absolutely the one that works best for you. Trying to force yourself to use something just because someone has said it's good would go against the whole point of this guide, and it's best for you to find one that gets you kills.
Closing Notes
Well, that was a lot of information! Feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry, the guide was designed with taking the tiers system into mind: once you feel you've got a handle of Tier 1's weapons, you can move up to attaining Tier 2's weapons, etc. Though this was moreso designed with newer players in mind, this can apply to anyone, and even better if you get some use out of it. If the reception is positive I may design one for PvE, but for now enjoy reading!
For this article, I’ve poured through the seemingly endless slot machine tips and tricks out there, done a bit of experimenting myself, and come up with a list of the simplest, most effective ways how to win at slots. Slot machine tips that really work! Effective slots strategy means giving yourself the advantage. That leads us to tip number 1. Slot machines are some of the most lucrative games on the casino floor for both the players, the house and cheaters. Even though they’re electronic, slots easily attract as many cheaters as ... Slot machines are completely random and there's no strategy involved. With table games, there's more strategy and thus you're more likely to win. If you must play slots, go for the older ones with the mechanical wheels. They're more random than the newer video machines. When I played slots, it seemed like I hit more often on those ones. Betting slot machine tricks “Bet Max” is what a regular gambler hears all the time when playing on slot machines. There is a common misconception that if you do not bet the maximum bet every time you will always lose to the casino in the long haul. However, that’s not quite how it works. There is no system, strategy, or secret to win at slots every time you play. Even books like "Strategy System: How to Win at Slot Machines" by Greg Elder and "Learning to Win: How to Make a Profit at Slot Machine Gambling" by Dr. Jon Hiram Friedl Jr indicate that there is no surefire strategy or secrets to winning on slot machines every time. Some may even say they’ve removed the lever so people don’t refer to slot machines as one-armed bandits anymore, but that may just be here-say. 12. Games are designed to be played as fast as possible. As we touched on in the previous secret, casinos want you to play whatever game you’re on as quickly as possible. Tips and Tricks for Playing on Slot Machines. Every slot game has slightly different volatility and that can greatly impact your wins. Slots are designed to pay a certain percentage back to players in winnings, while still retaining some funds to cover the ‘house edge’. That brings us to our first secret about slots. Therefore, is there a strategy for playing slot machines? SLOT TIP 4: ALWAYS PLAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND BE WILLING TO LOWER YOUR BET OR STOP PLAYING IF YOU HIT A LIMIT. Most sessions on slot machines will result in losing money, and there's nothing you can do to chance that. Sometimes you'll win at slots, and even win big.Enjoy those times when they come. Sure, it’s no secret that in a casino, the game is rigged, numerically, at least. “The longer you’re there, the more the numbers are going to take over and the casino’s going to make money ... No, there is no secret to guaranteeing that you will win every time you play slot machines. There are loads of tipsters that suggest that they can hack slot machines to produce winning combinations. Granted, there have been slot machine tricks and cheats that players have used to win that has been successful.
Slot Machines - How to Win and How They Work - YouTube
💰 Winning Secrets for Slot Machines An Interview with Steve Bourie Answers to YOUR Questions!Watch Steve's video here: https://youtu.be/o53NvDhrEb8I pro... Click on the link below to learn the most valuable skill in Internet Marketing! http://bit.ly/2D2WflGHey in the video I want to talk about how to trick a slo... I found this helpful trick to make money.. GO TO www.sevenstepstoslotmachinesucess.com How to win at slots. We all know the slot machines are set by the casinos to make them money, But what if you kn... DON’T FORGET TO SHARE AND LIKE THE VIDEO EVERYONE!Kazzy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/kazzyofficial?lang=enKazzy's Snapchat: KAZZYOFFICIALKazzy's Instagram:... Slot machine video from casino expert Steve Bourie that teaches you the insider secrets to winning at slot machines and how a slot machine really works. Also... Have you seen this? Wins money?... LINK: https://swiy.io/1Bwd I'm told it's a way to actually win money but I don't know. So, if what the slot machine mech... Steve and Matt Bourie, from the American Casino Guide, interview professional slots player, Peter Liston. Peter is the author of "Million Dollar Slots" and h... 10 Secrets Casinos Don't Want You to Know. Subscribe for more amazing videos! http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Richest Casinos are multi-million dollar business...