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Kotaku has a follow-up to the news that
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey is involved in the Nimble America social media
campaign supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump. They report that some
developers are cancelling Oculus Rift support, and others are reconsidering
their interest in supporting the headsets. Online statements from
SUPERHYPERCUBE and
Scruta Games
and email contacts with a couple of other developers use terms like racism
and hate speech as reasons for changes of heart about the platform.
The article also speculates that other developers may be tempted to follow suit,
but are reliant on Oculus support to continue development.
Ars Technica covers the same topic, noting that Fez developer Polytron has
also chimed in. Ars points out that "there's no sign yet that
developers are turning away from their association with Oculus en masse," and also note that not all of the games involved in this discussion were actually
suited to VR in the first place. They also touch on Twitter buzz
from consumers threatening boycotts. Update: A
Facebook update by Palmer Luckey (thanks
Kotaku) says he contributed $10,000 to Nimble America, but he is not the
author of the "NimbleRichMan" posts, and that as a libertarian, he plans on
voting for Gary Johnson.
A new
announcement on Steam has system requirements for Sid Meier's
Civilization VI. The strategy sequel is highly anticipated for release next
month, and here's word on what sort of hardware it will require: We’re
happy to report that we’ve just locked down our system requirements for
Civilization VI. Thank you for your patience while we tested a variety of
systems to ensure Civilization VI is as optimized as it can be.
Minimum
OS: Windows 7 64bit / 8.1 64bit / 10 64bit
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i3 2.5 Ghz or AMD Phenom II 2.6 Ghz or greater
MEMORY: 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 12 GB or more
DVD-ROM: Required for disc-based installation
VIDEO CARD: 1 GB DirectX 11 Video Card (AMD 5570 or nVidia 450)
Recommended
OS: Windows 7 64bit / 8.1 64bit / 10 64bit
PROCESSOR: Fourth generation Intel Core i5 2.5 Ghz or AMD FX8350 4.0 Ghz or
greater
MEMORY: 8 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 12 GB or more
DVD-ROM: Required for disc-based installation
VIDEO CARD: 2 GB DirectX 11 Video Card (AMD 7970 or nVidia 770 or greater)
Other Requirements
Initial installation requires one-time Internet connection for Steam
authentication; software installations required (included with the game) include
Steam Client, Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 and 2015 Runtime Libraries, and
Microsoft DirectX. Internet connection and acceptance of Steam™ Subscriber
Agreement required for activation. See
www.steampowered.com/agreement
for details.
Free update 3 is now available for DOOM, id Software's first-person
shooter. This adds the recently promised
deathmatch support. The news is being celebrated with a Double XP weekend that
runs all the way into Monday. The
release notes have the
details: DOOM's Free Update 3 is now available! Free Update 3 includes new
multiplayer features like Deathmatch and Private Matches, as well as
improvements and fixes. See below for the full release notes:
Multiplayer
New Features
- Deathmatch – New Deathmatch free-for-all
multiplayer mode
- Private Matches – Players can create their
own private matches in multiplayer. When setting up your matches, you can
determine the modes, maps, length of play time, and other match settings.
Campaign
Fixes and Optimizations
- Fixed an issue where exiting a Classic Map would
cause the user to freeze on the Main Menu
- Fixed a progression blocking issue when reloading
checkpoint in Titan’s Realm while picking up yellow skull in crusher room.
- Fixed the Summoner and Pinky models not being
visible under the Collectibles menu.
- Fixed a crash which occurred when reloading
Security Switches checkpoint with DOOM Classic Weapon Pose enabled in the
VEGA Central Processing
- Fixed cases of the Combat Shotgun Pop Rocket mod
not tracking progress towards mastery.
- Fixed an issue where dying at the map transition
and restarting the map in next level would put your character in a broken
state
- Fixed an issue where turning on the Classic Weapon
Pose during a weapon examination cut scene would cause a broken state
- Fixed Remote Detonation mastery not incrementing
if the player first uses Stun Bomb on enemy targets.
- Fixed an animation issue where the Talisman
Guards' legs would not move.
- Fixed an issue where Mission Select does not
accurately reflect the in game status of Dead Man Stalking Challenge in
Kadingir Sanctum.
- Various instability issues addressed.
SnapMap
Continue here to read the full story.
This video from
Watch Dogs 2 lists 10 ways the sequel will improve upon the original. On
that topic, another new trailer
takes a look at the story in the upcoming snoopy, hacking sequel. The
UbiBlog has details on what we're seeing here: So far, we’ve learned
a few key things about Marcus Holloway, protagonist of Watch Dogs 2 and member
of hacker collective DedSec. We know he and his buddies are idealistic
activists, dead-set against the use of technology as a method of corporate
surveillance and control. But who, exactly, is grabbing for that control? In the
new story trailer, we’re introduced to Blume CTO Dusan Nemec, an ambitious yoga
enthusiast who views DedSec as a serious threat. We also get our first real look
at DedSec members Horatio and Josh, and a confirmed appearance by someone very
familiar to fans of the first Watch Dogs.
Continue here to read the full story.
Steam now offers the
release of Warhammer 40,000 - Eternal Crusade, an MMO third-person
shooter based on the Games Workshop series. BANDAI NAMCO offers
this trailer to
celebrate the launch. Here's a bit on the game: Based on the highly
popular Warhammer 40,000 universe, WARHAMMER 40,000: ETERNAL CRUSADE will
immerse players in vicious battles between four factions: Eldar, Chaos Space
Marines, Space Marines, and Orks. Whether taking on PvP (Player versus Player)
or PvE (Player versus Environment) modes, players will have to play cohesively
while engaging in massive battles in order to destroy enemy factions. Players
can also create their perfect warriors by selecting a character model from 20
different sub-factions as-well-as unlock hundreds of different weapons,
customization options, and accessories drawn from over 29 years of Warhammer
40,000 lore.
Continue here to read the full story.
A third
World of New Bordeaux trailer shows off the arsenal of Mafia III. Word is:
"With an entire stockpile of military-grade weapons at your disposal you can
pick the right tool for the job. Find out more about all the different weapons
Lincoln Clay will use to bring down the Italian Mob." The open world crime
sequel is due on October 7th, and this page
outlines bonuses for preordering. Continue here to read the full story.
There's a new
article on the Dawn of War website about Dawn of War III, the
upcoming RTS sequel. This takes a look at the Eldar, who return to the series as
a playable race. Here's a bit: "The Eldar are the last of an ancient
civilization that once ruled the Galaxy. With fearsome psychic powers,
sophisticated technology, and Battle Focus shielding, the Eldar are fighting for
their ongoing survival as they use hit-and-run tactics to strike the enemy with
speed and fury, before falling back to regenerate for the next calculated
assault."
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on
Steam. Save 75%.
There's
a lengthy article on Kotaku UK called "Inside the Troubled Development of
Star Citizen." This is the latest look at development of Cloud Imperium's
space game, famed for its record-setting crowdfunding efforts. The article
tracks down former developers from the project and discusses the pressing
questions of what's taking so long and what are they doing with all that money.
One of the answers that keeps coming up is feature creep, and for a bit of equal
time,
PCGamesN has several quotes from project lead Chris Roberts responding to
the points raised. The intro lays out the issues: Star Citizen’s
development has been high-profile enough, expensive enough and, yes, troubled
enough to spawn a whole ecosystem of theories as to what’s going on at Cloud
Imperium Games, from theorising about the project’s technical challenges to wild
accusations about what’s happening to the money. Various community scandals have
added yet more fuel to the fire, turning Star Citizen into a lightning rod for
controversy. The questions I wanted answers to were: what exactly has been
happening over the past five years? What are the reasons behind Star Citizen’s
various delays, and what specific development problems has it encountered? Have
things been mismanaged? And, as many Star Citizen backers are now beginning to
wonder, can it ever actually be finished?
Chasing this information has not been easy. There’s a reason that many of the
sources in articles like this are usually anonymous: people fear both legal and
professional repercussions for speaking out. In the course of contacting over
100 different people while researching Star Citizen’s development, I was told by
multiple sources that they were worried about legal repercussions if they spoke
to the press. Speaking out publicly about a previous employer carries
professional peril, too; prospective future employers may see you as a risky
hire. Nonetheless, over the course of the year we found that many of the people
who had worked on Star Citizen were willing to talk about their experiences,
which painted a picture of a development process riven by technical challenges,
unrealistic expectations and internal strife.
The Titanfall website
has minimum, recommended, and ultra system specifications for the PC edition of
Titanfall 2 along with more details on the multiplayer mech sequel. The
post takes on the disappointment in the absence of a Windows demo for the game
with a further discussion of the game's PC support. Here's Word:
Titanfall 2 PC System Requirements
Minimum
OS - Win 7/8/8.1/10 64bit
CPU - Intel Core i3-3600t or equivalent
RAM - 8GB
HDD Free Space - 45GB
GPU - NVIDIA Geforce GTX 660 2GB, AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
DirectX - 11
Internet Connection - 512Kbps or faster
Recommended
OS - Win 7/8/8.1/10 64bit
CPU - Intel Core i5-6600 or equivalent
RAM - 16GB
HDD Free Space - 45GB
GPU - NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 6GB, AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB
DirectX - 11
Internet Connection - 512Kbps or faster
Ultra 4K60
OS - Win 7/8/8.1/10 64bit
CPU - Intel Core i7-6700k or equivalent
RAM - 16GB
HDD Free Space - 45GB
GPU - NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080 8GB
DirectX - 11
Internet Connection - 512Kbps or faster
So, what does it mean when we say "minimum" or "recommended"? Since this is a
variable standard across the entire industry I think it is important for me to
detail the kind of experience you can hope to expect. In the past minimum specs
were literally the minimum bar to launch the game - your experience once in the
game was probably not going to be ideal. Our goal for minimum PC specs on
Titanfall 2 is that you can play at a 1600x900 resolution with most details
turned on and average around 60fps. We strongly believe that if you at least
match the posted requirements you should have an excellent visual and gameplay
experience playing the game, so don’t be alarmed if you boot it up and don’t
need to turn all the settings to Low for playable framerates – our artists would
actually like if you could see their work! Because of this you will probably be
able to actually run the game on a lower-than-minimum spec PC, but the quality
and performance won’t quite be ideal. For recommended PC specs we're aiming for
details nearly maxed out, 1920x1080 resolution (2560x1440 is also very
playable), and again an average of 60fps or higher. We chose the minimum specs
with 60fps in mind for the pure gameplay benefits you get once at 60fps (and
beyond!).
New System Rift DLC is now available
on Steam for
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
for Windows. This bolsters the RPG sequel with additional content, and requires
a base copy of Mankind Divided. This is also out for consoles, and
the PlayStation.Blog features
a launch trailer with
cinematics setting up the story (thanks nin). Here's word on the story, which is
more authentic if you read it with your Clint Eastwood voice: Re-unite
with Frank Pritchard, Adam’s friend and former colleague at Sarif Industries,
and assist him in hunting down information on the mysterious Santeau Group.
Desperate to get more information, Pritchard targets one of the most secure data
banks ever created – the Palisade Blade. In agreeing to help, Adam may also be
able to uncover hints as to who the Illuminati really are.
Continue here to read the full story.
Steam now offers early
access to Battlerite, a team arena brawler featuring two-versus-two and
three-versus-three battles. In just a couple of days this has received
"overwhelmingly positive" reviews, and the game currently sits atop Valve's
current list of Steam top sellers. This
video shows off the game's combat, and here's word on the release and its
immediate success: Stunlock Studios, an enthusiastic team of indie
developers working out of Skövde, Sweden, launched its new online team arena
brawler, Battlerite, into Early Access on Steam this week. The team and
co-investor, Coffee Stain Studios, are incredibly excited to share that
Battlerite immediately soared to the top of the Steam Top Seller list. Initial
reactions among players have been overwhelmingly positive and Battlerite
currently holds an astounding 96% positive ratings on Steam as of the time of
this writing.
“As a small indie development team trying to do our own thing in a genre
dominated by some of the biggest games on the planet, seeing these first
reactions from players is really amazing. It’s also incredibly humbling, and
we’re all keenly aware of the responsibility we have to see the game through
Early Access and into full launch and truly make it the best game it can
possibly be.” says Peter Ilves, Game Director at Stunlock Studios.
Battlerite is the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Bloodline
Champions, the 2011 PC game also developed by Stunlock Studios. In Battlerite
you engage in quick and intense online action by taking control of one of
several unique champions. The game is played out in adrenaline-fueled 2v2 and
3v3 battles, and while it can certainly be easy to get into, Battlerite is a
game that is challenging yet very rewarding to master.
Continue here to read the full story.
Void Destroyer 2 is now available in early access for Windows
on Steam, paving the way
for a 2017 release. This space combat game includes space combat action as well
as real-time strategy in a sandbox environment with distinctive cel shaded
graphics.
This post has details on the early access period and the
early access trailer
offers a look at what to expect. Here's word: Set in a desolate asteroid
field, Void Destroyer 2 emphasizes combat, tactics and strategy -- with battles
ranging from one on one to fleets versus fleets. The game contains a simple,
manageable yet engaging economy and offers loads of freedom to the player on how
to play and who to play as. These are dangerous times with many opportunities
for the intrepid, the cunning, and the ruthless.
Continue here to read the full story.
Maximum Games offers a
new trailer from Road Rage, showing off their upcoming motorcycle racing
game. The video shows off the game's setting of Ashen, a massive city where the
player will fight to control various neighborhoods. The game is due on November
15th for Windows and consoles, and in the meantime you can keep up with details
on the Road Rage website.
Here's word on the video and the game: The outward beauty of Ashen belies
the dangerous underbelly of the motorcycle gangs that rule its streets. From the
city of Chitaly, to the suburbs of Ruscago, to the outer reaches of its
Farmlands, players will need to explore, race, and battle for control of the
expansive neighborhoods of Ashen if they want to survive and advance within
their gang.
Maximum Games’ new video takes a closer look at the Story, Environments and
Missions in Road Rage, giving players an overall taste of the mayhem they’ll
encounter in the game. From all-out gang brawls to timed races, you’ll get a
preview of the types of missions you’ll have to complete within each district on
your way to becoming Club President.
Road Rage boasts heavy melee-based combat racing that promises an
adrenaline-pumping motorcycle ride for all. Featuring 42 story-based missions
and over 50 side missions, players must take the helm as Reef Jackson, the
newest member of the outlaw motorcycle club controlling underground crime in the
city of Ashen. There are absolutely no limits in Road Rage: ride through a vast
open-world environment, play as a range of distinct characters, explore unique
neighborhoods, customize bikes and weapons, and battle your way to become ruler
of the road!
Continue here to read the full story.
- Morning Men on
RPGWatch. Thanks Acleacius.
I just dealt with the front door lock here at the BlueTower. This had grown
finicky, with keys becoming harder to turn over time, and lately it becoming
harder just to get them in and out of the keyhole. Remembering how these things
were handled in my youth, I picked up a tube of powdered graphite to lube things
up. I got this stuff specifically to fix the lock, but I am still shocked at how
well it worked. After getting some inside the keyhole and the mechanism I worked
the lock a few times and it went from squeaky and resistant to smooth and quiet
in a matter of seconds. I couldn't have expected better results if I had
replaced the entire lock mechanism with a new one made of Teflon marketed for
its smoothness. The funny thing is the graphite came in a tube about 100x larger
than the little ones I remembered, holding well over an ounce. Based on the
minute quantity required to fix my lock, I think I have enough left over to lube
every lock in the county.
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