So, I asked ChatGPT to write me a poem about free games from Epic.
Here's what it came up with:

In a digital realm where dreams ignite,
There shines a beacon, streaming pure delight,
Epic Games, the name, a portal it holds,
Where gamers journey to explore and unfold.

Deep within its chambers, a treasure awaits,
Perched upon a launcher, that vibrantly vibrates,
Free games aplenty, like enchanting spells,
Gifted to thee, the tales it surely tells.

With each dawn’s awakening, a new surprise,
A myriad of adventures before your eyes,
From classics reborn to hidden gems untold,
Epic Games bestows, a storyteller bold.

Behold! The worlds of fantasy and lore,
Unfurling like magic, through untamed door,
With each quest embarked and battles fought,
Boundless realms await, in every thought.

From floating fortresses, high in the sky,
To darkened caverns, where secrets lie,
Roam vast landscapes, the imagination wide,
Where heroes rise and villains collide.

The pulsating heartbeats of pixels and sound,
Take you to heights unimagined, unbound,
Whispers of freedom through stellar artistry,
In Epic Games’ realm, explore infinity.

From ancient kingdoms to futures unknown,
In every download, a journey to be shown,
Gather your courage, embark on the fray,
Free games from Epic, leading the way.

So gamers, unite! Let your spirits soar,
For Epic Games' offerings, a boundless store,
Where dreams are crafted, into captivating play,
Free games abundant, lighting up your day.

For Epic Games, the guardian of a virtual land,
Fosters a community, built hand in hand,
With codes of passion, creators in design,
Free video games that make your heart align.

So, dear gamers, let us celebrate this grace,
Epic Games' gift, an eternal embrace,
Immersed in the worlds of wonder, wide and vast,
Free video games, forever meant to last.

(Yeah, a lot longer than I expected too. Who knew ChatGPT is as
long-winded as me? ;-)

Anyway, the free game:

* SpellDrifter
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/spelldrifter
The Steam store-page says about this game: "Spelldrifter combines the
puzzle-like positional tactics of a turn-based RPG with the
customizability and replayability of a collectible card game. The
result: a hybrid, wherein players must juggle the resources at their
disposal using both time and space." Can you guess the part where I
immediately lost interest?

Free is free, though... so what to do, what to do? Help me decide
before the seven day time limit is up!

On Thu, 07 Sep 2023 11:12:08 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>
>So, I asked ChatGPT to write me a poem about free games from Epic.
>Here's what it came up with:
>
>
>
>In a digital realm where dreams ignite,
> There shines a beacon, streaming pure delight,
> Epic Games, the name, a portal it holds,
> Where gamers journey to explore and unfold.
>
> Deep within its chambers, a treasure awaits,
> Perched upon a launcher, that vibrantly vibrates,
> Free games aplenty, like enchanting spells,
> Gifted to thee, the tales it surely tells.
>
> With each dawn’s awakening, a new surprise,
> A myriad of adventures before your eyes,
> From classics reborn to hidden gems untold,
> Epic Games bestows, a storyteller bold.
>
> Behold! The worlds of fantasy and lore,
> Unfurling like magic, through untamed door,
> With each quest embarked and battles fought,
> Boundless realms await, in every thought.
>
> From floating fortresses, high in the sky,
> To darkened caverns, where secrets lie,
> Roam vast landscapes, the imagination wide,
> Where heroes rise and villains collide.
>
> The pulsating heartbeats of pixels and sound,
> Take you to heights unimagined, unbound,
> Whispers of freedom through stellar artistry,
> In Epic Games’ realm, explore infinity.
>
> From ancient kingdoms to futures unknown,
> In every download, a journey to be shown,
> Gather your courage, embark on the fray,
> Free games from Epic, leading the way.
>
> So gamers, unite! Let your spirits soar,
> For Epic Games' offerings, a boundless store,
> Where dreams are crafted, into captivating play,
> Free games abundant, lighting up your day.
>
> For Epic Games, the guardian of a virtual land,
> Fosters a community, built hand in hand,
> With codes of passion, creators in design,
> Free video games that make your heart align.
>
> So, dear gamers, let us celebrate this grace,
> Epic Games' gift, an eternal embrace,
> Immersed in the worlds of wonder, wide and vast,
> Free video games, forever meant to last.
>
That is oddly prurient. Is ChatGPT thirsty and wanting to reproduce?

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On Thu, 07 Sep 2023 11:12:08 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>Can you guess the part where I
>immediately lost interest?

The title?

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On Thu, 7 Sep 2023 11:47:28 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 8:42:39?AM UTC-7, Zaghadka wrote:
>> On Thu, 07 Sep 2023 11:12:08 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
>> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >So, I asked ChatGPT to write me a poem about free games from Epic.
>> >Here's what it came up with:
>
>> > Deep within its chambers, a treasure awaits,
>> > Perched upon a launcher, that vibrantly vibrates,
>^^^^
>
>> That is oddly prurient. Is ChatGPT thirsty and wanting to reproduce?
>>
>
>You beat me to the punch. My eyebrow was raised when I got to the 2nd
>verse (clipped others above.)
>
>Normally it avoids anything like that so that was rather surprising.
>
>Spalls, are you posting your poetic dreck and shifting the blame to
>ChatGPT? *wink*
>
>> >Can you guess the part where I
>> >immediately lost interest?
>
>> The title?
>
>Cards.

Ding-ding-ding! Justisaur wins the Kewpie doll!

>It's funny how close some games come to using cards, but they
>don't call them cards. That's something more games should do.
>I assume there's people who prefer cards for some reason?
>Actually calling them cards is immersion breaking.

While I can't speak specifically for SpellDrifter, often "cards" in
games like these are just power-ups or buffs, cosmetically altered to
look like, well, a card. But functionally they often are not too
different from a "potion of healing" or a "scroll of Strength +2"; a
bit of loot you pick up and use to advantage you in battle. Change how
they are presented and these power-ups wouldn't be as offensive to me.

But as I've often said before, my distates for the mechanic isn't
rational. Even knowing that functionally the mechanics are the same as
in games I /do/ enjoy, still I refuse to play any that call them
'cards'. It's something I could work through... but given how many
games are available, I see no need to put in the effort. Anyway, it's
fun to bitch about 'card'-themed games. ;-)