Is this all we get? After several quite frenetic give-aways, it's
feels odd to only to make this single announcement this week.Well, I'm
sure Epic won't let us down...

This week's offerings:

* Murder By Numbers
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/murder-by-numbers
An Indie puzzle-based adventure game. The puzzles are Picross-style
logic puzzles; the adventure is a modern day murder mystery; solving
the puzzles gets you clues that let you ask the right questions in the
adventure part of the game. The puzzles themselves get a bit tiresome
with their repetitiveness, and the story and art style isn't really my
style, but it looks fairly well done for what it is. The game might
not have mass appeal but if you like it, you'll probably love it.

* Elder Scrolls Online
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-elder-scrolls-online
Huh. And here I thought this game had gone the free-to-play route
years ago, but no, it's still being sold for cash on Steam and
elsewhere. Except not on Epic, at least for a single week. As an
MMORPG, ESO is okay; it really doesn't tread any new ground, but it
lacks the vivacity of its bigger competitors. As an Elder Scrolls
game, it's drab and uninteresting. If you enjoy MMOs, sure, maybe give
it a look because it's free and why not; it'll kill a few hours.
Otherwise, it's really hard to recommend. (Not any free DLC to go with
the offer either)

So has Epic disappointed us? Well, it's hard to truly fault them when
they give us free games... I just wish they were GOOD free games.

7 days to claim, as usual.

On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:14:22 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>* Elder Scrolls Online
>https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-elder-scrolls-online
>Huh. And here I thought this game had gone the free-to-play route
>years ago, but no, it's still being sold for cash on Steam and
>elsewhere.

I thought it was completely free to download and start playing right
away as well. Very strange. Mandela Effect?

On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:25:50 -0400, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:14:22 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>* Elder Scrolls Online
>>https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-elder-scrolls-online
>>Huh. And here I thought this game had gone the free-to-play route
>>years ago, but no, it's still being sold for cash on Steam and
>>elsewhere.
>
>I thought it was completely free to download and start playing right
>away as well. Very strange. Mandela Effect?

Searching "Elder Scrolls Online free to play" indicates that the
service has run FTP events in the past - a couple weeks here, a few
weeks there - so perhaps that is why the idea has lodged itself in our
brains. Of course, after the two weeks you'd have to pay the entry fee
to keep playing (which makes those events different from Epic's
giveaway; get it now, and keep it 'forever'*)

Or perhaps it is just because so many MMOs start with a "free-to-play"
premise that gets subsidised by selling expansions and quality-of-life
MTX upgrades. Charging an entry fee AND then going after the players
for more cash feels so archaic that we can't believe anyone still does
it. But I guess Bethesda feels that the "Elder Scrolls" IP has enough
value that they can double-dip in that way.

I myself can't imagine that I ever /paid/ for an MMO, but there it is
in my Steam library, so obviously I did. I even played it for a while.
Maybe it was included in a bundle at some point; even as appealing as
the main Elder Scrolls games are, it seems out of character for me to
buy an MMO.

---------------
* "forever" by Bethesda defined as "however long we allow it"

Got 'em! Thanks Spalls!

rms

On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:22:08 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>Searching "Elder Scrolls Online free to play" indicates that the
>service has run FTP events in the past - a couple weeks here, a few
>weeks there - so perhaps that is why the idea has lodged itself in our
>brains.

I think this is it. I have played this game but I have no memory of
ever paying for it. I think it was one of those free events you
mentioned here.

On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 21:47:46 -0400, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:
>On Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:22:08 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>>Searching "Elder Scrolls Online free to play" indicates that the
>>service has run FTP events in the past - a couple weeks here, a few
>>weeks there - so perhaps that is why the idea has lodged itself in our
>>brains.

>I think this is it. I have played this game but I have no memory of
>ever paying for it. I think it was one of those free events you
>mentioned here.

Well, it's free-for-real now. Don't let a game you've no interest in
playing again slip you by.

Remember, The Number must grow! ;-)

On Fri, 21 Jul 2023 08:41:36 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>Well, it's free-for-real now. Don't let a game you've no interest in
>playing again slip you by.

I never do that. You always have me at free.

>Remember, The Number must grow! ;-)

Between you and Ant, I assure you, The Number is growing.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Is this all we get? After several quite frenetic give-aways, it's
> feels odd to only to make this single announcement this week.Well, I'm
> sure Epic won't let us down...

> This week's offerings:

> * Murder By Numbers
> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/murder-by-numbers
> An Indie puzzle-based adventure game. The puzzles are Picross-style
> logic puzzles; the adventure is a modern day murder mystery; solving
> the puzzles gets you clues that let you ask the right questions in the
> adventure part of the game. The puzzles themselves get a bit tiresome
> with their repetitiveness, and the story and art style isn't really my
> style, but it looks fairly well done for what it is. The game might
> not have mass appeal but if you like it, you'll probably love it.

I took it even though I doubt I will ever play it.

> * Elder Scrolls Online
> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-elder-scrolls-online
> Huh. And here I thought this game had gone the free-to-play route
> years ago, but no, it's still being sold for cash on Steam and
> elsewhere. Except not on Epic, at least for a single week. As an
> MMORPG, ESO is okay; it really doesn't tread any new ground, but it
> lacks the vivacity of its bigger competitors. As an Elder Scrolls
> game, it's drab and uninteresting. If you enjoy MMOs, sure, maybe give
> it a look because it's free and why not; it'll kill a few hours.
> Otherwise, it's really hard to recommend. (Not any free DLC to go with
> the offer either)

I played its free weekend. It's not bad. Lots of grindings. I took it. :)

> So has Epic disappointed us? Well, it's hard to truly fault them when
> they give us free games... I just wish they were GOOD free games.

They weren't that bad.
--
"[The Lord, the everlasting God,] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." --Isaiah 40:29. BUSY very warmy outty worky Friday.
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