Yay, this post has purpose! Since so many of you admit you AREN'T
regularly checking Epic Games, I might as well keep up the habit of
letting you all know what the next freebie is. My life has meaning
again! ;-)

Today on Epic, let us present:

LOOP HERO
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/loop-hero

Look, I'm sure this is a great game. It checks all the requisite
tick-boxes to become a critic's favorite. It's an Indie title. It has
retro graphics. It's a rogue-lite game. You place cards/tiles to
progress. There's a time-travel mechanic. You know, all the classics.
But I don't care. This isn't a game I can get excited about. None of
the above features are anything I enjoy (or, at least, that I see as
major advantages). I like my visual spectacles. I'm bored by
rogue-likes. And waaaay too many games use time-travel, especially
when it is used to toss the player into repetitive time loops.

I took the game, of course. It's free. But that doesn't mean I'm going
to play it.

Anyway, here's what Epic says about the game:

"The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and
plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding
deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along
each unique expedition loop for the brave hero. Recover and equip
powerful loot for each class of hero for their battles and expand the
survivors' camp to reinforce each adventure through the loop. Unlock
new classes, new cards, and devious guardians on your quest to shatter
the endless cycle of despair.

"Select from unlockable character classes and deck cards
before setting out on each expedition along a randomly generated loop
path. No expedition is ever the same as the ones before it.
Strategically place building, terrain, and enemy cards along each loop
to create your own dangerous path. Find balance between the cards to
increase your chances of survival while recovering valuable loot and
resources for

"Strike down menacing creatures, recover stronger loot to
equip on the fly and unlock new perks along the way. Turn hard-earned
resources into campsite upgrades and gain valuable reinforcements with
each completed loop along the expedition path. Overcome a series of
unholy guardian bosses over a grand saga to save the world and break
the time loop of the Lich!"

If that sounds enjoyable to you, it's free for the next 24 hours or
so. Grab it before it's gone. Or don't.

On Mon, 20 Dec 2021 11:59:31 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>I took the game, of course. It's free. But that doesn't mean I'm going
>to play it.

Despite being really into RPGs, especially RPGs that focus more on
combat and less on ones that tell a story, I have never actually
played a Rogue style RPG before. I am guessing that Diablo does not
count?

Maybe I will try this one soon. Thank you for the Epic freebie
reminder. You would think that them posting a new game each day is all
the reminder I would need but....nope.

On Monday, December 20, 2021 at 10:01:11 AM UTC-8, Mike S. wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Dec 2021 11:59:31 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
> <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >I took the game, of course. It's free. But that doesn't mean I'm going
> >to play it.
> Despite being really into RPGs, especially RPGs that focus more on
> combat and less on ones that tell a story, I have never actually
> played a Rogue style RPG before. I am guessing that Diablo does not
> count?
>
> Maybe I will try this one soon. Thank you for the Epic freebie
> reminder. You would think that them posting a new game each day is all
> the reminder I would need but....nope.

What rogue-like is a bit up in the air. What it usually means these days is
that it's very hard, and you can unlock things for your next try that are
persistent or options that weren't available initially after you die, but you
have to start the game over. Rogue Legacy, Risk of Rain, Immortal
Redneck and Cosmochoria are my favorites. Most of the rest I've played
are pretty garbage though.

Oddly this has nothing to do with the game Rogue, and the term can be
as little as a buzz-word developers or reviewers can attach to a game
description.

What it originally meant was a game that's like Rogue - Nethack is probably
the most famous, though there's others that are far more accessible.
I posted about a semi D&D based one I really liked a few months ago,
Zorbus that's very accessible and I was able to finish within about a month
of play.

Anyway I picked it up and I'm sure I'll give it a try at some point since those
few gems I've played are worth all the garbage I've sifted through. Even
giving a possible try is more than I can say about 9/10ths of the free games
I've gotten on Epic.

Thanks for the reminder again Spalls, as these all seem to be one day deals,
which funnily enough is more bringing me here to check than to Epic.

- Justisaur

I took it too even though not crazy about card games. I might like it?

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yay, this post has purpose! Since so many of you admit you AREN'T
> regularly checking Epic Games, I might as well keep up the habit of
> letting you all know what the next freebie is. My life has meaning
> again! ;-)

> Today on Epic, let us present:

> LOOP HERO
> https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/loop-hero

> Look, I'm sure this is a great game. It checks all the requisite
> tick-boxes to become a critic's favorite. It's an Indie title. It has
> retro graphics. It's a rogue-lite game. You place cards/tiles to
> progress. There's a time-travel mechanic. You know, all the classics.
> But I don't care. This isn't a game I can get excited about. None of
> the above features are anything I enjoy (or, at least, that I see as
> major advantages). I like my visual spectacles. I'm bored by
> rogue-likes. And waaaay too many games use time-travel, especially
> when it is used to toss the player into repetitive time loops.

> I took the game, of course. It's free. But that doesn't mean I'm going
> to play it.

> Anyway, here's what Epic says about the game:

> "The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and
> plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding
> deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along
> each unique expedition loop for the brave hero. Recover and equip
> powerful loot for each class of hero for their battles and expand the
> survivors' camp to reinforce each adventure through the loop. Unlock
> new classes, new cards, and devious guardians on your quest to shatter
> the endless cycle of despair.

> "Select from unlockable character classes and deck cards
> before setting out on each expedition along a randomly generated loop
> path. No expedition is ever the same as the ones before it.
> Strategically place building, terrain, and enemy cards along each loop
> to create your own dangerous path. Find balance between the cards to
> increase your chances of survival while recovering valuable loot and
> resources for

> "Strike down menacing creatures, recover stronger loot to
> equip on the fly and unlock new perks along the way. Turn hard-earned
> resources into campsite upgrades and gain valuable reinforcements with
> each completed loop along the expedition path. Overcome a series of
> unholy guardian bosses over a grand saga to save the world and break
> the time loop of the Lich!"

> If that sounds enjoyable to you, it's free for the next 24 hours or
> so. Grab it before it's gone. Or don't.

--
Dang coldness, colony, works, z, strikes, software upgrades, free games, spams, (scam/fraud)s, greeds, inflations, body, life, craziness, BUSYness, etc. again. :( Happy Holidays / Season's Greetings / Merry Christmas / etc. though. :D
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Mon, 20 Dec 2021 13:01:09 -0500, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com>
wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Dec 2021 11:59:31 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I took the game, of course. It's free. But that doesn't mean I'm going
>>to play it.
>
>Despite being really into RPGs, especially RPGs that focus more on
>combat and less on ones that tell a story, I have never actually
>played a Rogue style RPG before. I am guessing that Diablo does not
>count?

Rogue-like games are generally defined by procedurally-generated
levels, and the game ends when the character dies (usually meaning
there are no 'resurrection' abilities, and no way to restore to an
earlier save). Typically, these games also feature a good deal of
exploration and have some sort of system for upgrading the character.
Some insist it isn't a Rogue-like if it isn't turn-based with a
grid-based world created out of ASCII-characters, but most people are
more expansive in their definition.

As such, "Diablo" fits the definition. While not as varied as some
games, its maps are procedurally created, and when your character dies
you can't restore to an earlier save ("permadeath"). It is decidedly
easier than some Rogue-likes, which could kill the player's character
dead by the third or fourth move; it takes effort to die that quickly
in "Diablo" (and even on the later levels the game throws so much
treasure and healing potions at you that keeping alive isn't that
difficult). For this reason, some people dispute "Diablo's"
Rogue-status, but they are mostly ignored.

These days, a lot of games pick-n-choose from the Rogue-like feature
set, so deciding if a game is "Rogue-like" or not can be difficult.
"FarCry 6", for instance, has upgradable characters, lots of wandering
and exploration and - on its hardest levels - an "Iron Man mode" where
you get one save and no resurrections. The only thing it doesn't have
is a procedurally generated map. Is it a rogue-like? Some say yes,
others say no (myself, I'd say it's not: procedurally generated levels
are key to the definition as far as I'm concerned. But opinions vary).

Useless factoid: There was a commercial release of "Rogue" on PC back
in 1984 by Epyx, Inc. Despite being born in the era of CGA, because
it was a text-mode game, it used more than the usual 4 bilious colors
we normally associate with CGA.

Loop Hero got Best Design in this months "Games of the Year" edition
of PC Gamer.

Looks interesting. I will have to see how much it costs.

-pw

On Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:33:22 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
>
>These days, a lot of games pick-n-choose from the Rogue-like feature
>set, so deciding if a game is "Rogue-like" or not can be difficult.
>"FarCry 6", for instance, has upgradable characters, lots of wandering
>and exploration and - on its hardest levels - an "Iron Man mode" where
>you get one save and no resurrections. The only thing it doesn't have
>is a procedurally generated map. Is it a rogue-like? Some say yes,
>others say no (myself, I'd say it's not: procedurally generated levels
>are key to the definition as far as I'm concerned. But opinions vary).
>
>Useless factoid: There was a commercial release of "Rogue" on PC back
>in 1984 by Epyx, Inc. Despite being born in the era of CGA, because
>it was a text-mode game, it used more than the usual 4 bilious colors
>we normally associate with CGA.
>

*--

There was one I bought from Steam a couple months ago in Early Access.
It got rave reviews. I forget the name of it. It was supposed to be
sort of like X-COM. I found the interface lousy and graphis lousy too
but it got praises from some for it's graphics.

I got a refund from Steam.

-pw

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:41:21 -0700, PW
<iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:33:22 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
>>
>>These days, a lot of games pick-n-choose from the Rogue-like feature
>>set, so deciding if a game is "Rogue-like" or not can be difficult.
>>"FarCry 6", for instance, has upgradable characters, lots of wandering
>>and exploration and - on its hardest levels - an "Iron Man mode" where
>>you get one save and no resurrections. The only thing it doesn't have
>>is a procedurally generated map. Is it a rogue-like? Some say yes,
>>others say no (myself, I'd say it's not: procedurally generated levels
>>are key to the definition as far as I'm concerned. But opinions vary).
>>
>>Useless factoid: There was a commercial release of "Rogue" on PC back
>>in 1984 by Epyx, Inc. Despite being born in the era of CGA, because
>>it was a text-mode game, it used more than the usual 4 bilious colors
>>we normally associate with CGA.
>>
>
>*--
>
>There was one I bought from Steam a couple months ago in Early Access.
>It got rave reviews. I forget the name of it. It was supposed to be
>sort of like X-COM. I found the interface lousy and graphis lousy too
>but it got praises from some for it's graphics.
>
>I got a refund from Steam.
>
>-pw

*--

It had no save games or checkpoints whatsoever. Isn't that a
requirement for Rogue games?

I can think of a few other I have purchased and didn't like such as
Spellunky, Super Meatboy, and a couple others that didn't take me long
to get frustrated.

-pw

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:46:23 -0700, PW
<iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:41:21 -0700, PW
><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:33:22 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
>>>
>>>These days, a lot of games pick-n-choose from the Rogue-like feature
>>>set, so deciding if a game is "Rogue-like" or not can be difficult.
>>>"FarCry 6", for instance, has upgradable characters, lots of wandering
>>>and exploration and - on its hardest levels - an "Iron Man mode" where
>>>you get one save and no resurrections. The only thing it doesn't have
>>>is a procedurally generated map. Is it a rogue-like? Some say yes,
>>>others say no (myself, I'd say it's not: procedurally generated levels
>>>are key to the definition as far as I'm concerned. But opinions vary).
>>>
>>>Useless factoid: There was a commercial release of "Rogue" on PC back
>>>in 1984 by Epyx, Inc. Despite being born in the era of CGA, because
>>>it was a text-mode game, it used more than the usual 4 bilious colors
>>>we normally associate with CGA.
>>>
>>
>>*--
>>
>>There was one I bought from Steam a couple months ago in Early Access.
>>It got rave reviews. I forget the name of it. It was supposed to be
>>sort of like X-COM. I found the interface lousy and graphis lousy too
>>but it got praises from some for it's graphics.
>>
>>I got a refund from Steam.
>>
>>-pw
>
>*--
>
>It had no save games or checkpoints whatsoever. Isn't that a
>requirement for Rogue games?

Typically, Rogues have save-games; it's just that you get the one per
character, and it's controlled by the game, so if you die or otherwise
mess up, you can't go back and try another option.

Without a savegame, you'd have to finish the entire dungeon in one
sitting, and even Rogue developers aren't /that/ evil.

(Well, okay, they are that evil, but they recognized that forcing
everyone to play games for dozens of hours nonstop wouldn't bring them
much success, so they were more subtle in their methods. ;-)

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 12:30:50 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:46:23 -0700, PW
><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:41:21 -0700, PW
>><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:33:22 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
>>>>
>>>>These days, a lot of games pick-n-choose from the Rogue-like feature
>>>>set, so deciding if a game is "Rogue-like" or not can be difficult.
>>>>"FarCry 6", for instance, has upgradable characters, lots of wandering
>>>>and exploration and - on its hardest levels - an "Iron Man mode" where
>>>>you get one save and no resurrections. The only thing it doesn't have
>>>>is a procedurally generated map. Is it a rogue-like? Some say yes,
>>>>others say no (myself, I'd say it's not: procedurally generated levels
>>>>are key to the definition as far as I'm concerned. But opinions vary).
>>>>
>>>>Useless factoid: There was a commercial release of "Rogue" on PC back
>>>>in 1984 by Epyx, Inc. Despite being born in the era of CGA, because
>>>>it was a text-mode game, it used more than the usual 4 bilious colors
>>>>we normally associate with CGA.
>>>>
>>>
>>>*--
>>>
>>>There was one I bought from Steam a couple months ago in Early Access.
>>>It got rave reviews. I forget the name of it. It was supposed to be
>>>sort of like X-COM. I found the interface lousy and graphis lousy too
>>>but it got praises from some for it's graphics.
>>>
>>>I got a refund from Steam.
>>>
>>>-pw
>>
>>*--
>>
>>It had no save games or checkpoints whatsoever. Isn't that a
>>requirement for Rogue games?
>
>Typically, Rogues have save-games; it's just that you get the one per
>character, and it's controlled by the game, so if you die or otherwise
>mess up, you can't go back and try another option.

That is right! But I don't think I ever saw one in Super Meatboy.
Can't remember that sort of knock-off of XCOM that I got refunded.

>
>Without a savegame, you'd have to finish the entire dungeon in one
>sitting, and even Rogue developers aren't /that/ evil.
>
>(Well, okay, they are that evil, but they recognized that forcing
>everyone to play games for dozens of hours nonstop wouldn't bring them
>much success, so they were more subtle in their methods. ;-)
>
>

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 21:37:55 -0700, PW
<iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 12:30:50 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:46:23 -0700, PW
>><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

>>>It had no save games or checkpoints whatsoever. Isn't that a
>>>requirement for Rogue games?

>>Typically, Rogues have save-games; it's just that you get the one per
>>character, and it's controlled by the game, so if you die or otherwise
>>mess up, you can't go back and try another option.

>That is right! But I don't think I ever saw one in Super Meatboy.
>Can't remember that sort of knock-off of XCOM that I got refunded.

I'm not sure I'd qualify "Super MeatBoy" as a Rogue-like; a lack of
saves doesn't make it automatically a Rogue-like. It's just a
super-tough action/platformer. Its lack of any sort of save doesn't
make it unique; most platformers from the early days (and indeed, most
games at the start) lacked any sort of save. "Super MeatBoy" is a
throwback to those sorts of games

Although I seem to recall - it's been a while, so tell me if I'm wrong
- that there /were/ save points in Super Meatboy. You couldn't restore
back to them but if you fucked up you restarted from that point so you
didn't have to go back all the way to the beginning.

On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 15:45:31 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 21:37:55 -0700, PW
><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 12:30:50 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson
>><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:46:23 -0700, PW
>>><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>
>>>>It had no save games or checkpoints whatsoever. Isn't that a
>>>>requirement for Rogue games?
>
>>>Typically, Rogues have save-games; it's just that you get the one per
>>>character, and it's controlled by the game, so if you die or otherwise
>>>mess up, you can't go back and try another option.
>
>>That is right! But I don't think I ever saw one in Super Meatboy.
>>Can't remember that sort of knock-off of XCOM that I got refunded.
>
>I'm not sure I'd qualify "Super MeatBoy" as a Rogue-like; a lack of
>saves doesn't make it automatically a Rogue-like. It's just a
>super-tough action/platformer. Its lack of any sort of save doesn't
>make it unique; most platformers from the early days (and indeed, most
>games at the start) lacked any sort of save. "Super MeatBoy" is a
>throwback to those sorts of games
>
>Although I seem to recall - it's been a while, so tell me if I'm wrong
>- that there /were/ save points in Super Meatboy. You couldn't restore
>back to them but if you fucked up you restarted from that point so you
>didn't have to go back all the way to the beginning.
>
>

*--

I don't remember. I don't feel like downloading it again. I saw on
Epic that there is a new version coming out.