Kris DeMeza

That is infuriating, and too common. I count my lucky stars I'm gainfully employed at the moment, but the state of the industry is so wild that I don't dare speak up or look at the field. Jobs continue to vanish because number isn't going up as fast as money people want.

A person dressed as Charon from Hades 2: a tattered black robe; leather bracers around their wrists; a fabricated, exaggerated silver gorget around their neck; and a silver rope draped over their shoulders with silver moon medallions hanging on it. The face is a dark painted skull with purple LEDs for eyes. A wavy grey wig extends down past the shoulders. There is a wide-brimmed black hat with silver medallions for a hat band.

Stay safe out there this Halloween, all you lost shades.

Core memory right there

Congrats! Welcome to the real game~

Oh hey, it's the decrepit version of the Mr. Peanut outfit I bore upon my shoulders as a teen during a grocery store opening.

I think this might be a sign of impending doom.

A screenshot of Baldur's Gate 3 with a blood-covered, white-bearded, bard duergar front and center squatting and doing jazz hands. Behind and to the left stands Astarion the elven vampire rogue coquettishly looking at the camera from over his shoulder. Minthara the drow paladin stands behind in the center, one fist up, staring off into the middle distance. To the right, Shadowheart the half-elf cleric, her face corrupted with black veins around her eyes, strikes a dramatic pose with one hand in the air and another out to the side. They stand in the Temple of Bhaal, flanked by braziers.

Okay. Baldur's Gate 3's photo mode slaps.

Yep, it's one of my favorite traditions, too, and I'm so glad they continue to knock it out of the park.

I was a violist but the conductor's son played cello so the violas got the eight notes instead.

I know your pain. Deeply.

Great thread about playtesting that's completely accurate to my experience. Learning to observe behaviors large and small as you watch, and getting any ego the hell out of the room, is how you learn where to improve your game.

Picture of Hayao Miyazaki smoking with (fake) caption text "To infuriate you."

my new answer to any question re: why i made something a certain way in one of my games that you don't like

I've been in dev for a hojillion years and there's still a li'l part of me that is taken by that magic whenever I enter water sideways, or swim through a magically suspended bit of water and fall out the bottom. My brain can't fully let go of "but water shouldn't DO that! It's magic!"

One of my favorite game mechanics that FEELS fancy but isn't is "swimming where water shouldn't be." Mechanically, swimming is just a traversal method in a defined volume with a camera effect - it doesn't have to obey gravity. But there's still a li'l magic when you swim in a suspended bubble.

I adore it. Can't wait!

You've got this, Jordon! I can't wait to watch the chaos unfold.

Heck yes. Gothic 2's a good entry point, I agree. Richer, with lessons learned from the first.

But I adore Gothic in all its eurojank purity. Risen was fun (Risen 2 could not be saved by Jaffar), but nothing quite compares to the original Gothic vibe.

I once, over a decade ago, had a team I was on split up because there were "too many vaginas on it." (There were three femme-presenting folk on it out of five. Oh no, not a majority!)

This stuff still happens. Call it out when you see it. ESPECIALLY if you're a cishet dude. Help folk. Please.

That's what I guessed! I can't tell you how many dev conversations I've had about gosh and golly it sure would be great to get something like what I used on Rift in this project. It wasn't perfect, but what we did well, we did REALLY well.

A pic of baked goods on a red plate in front of a li'l fiber-optic Christmas tree. Included is a round of pull-apart milk bread, gingerbread cookies styled like the Adventure Zone characters as well as a gingerbread cat butt, double chocolate crinkle cookies, and peppermint bark.

Am I done baking? No! My Swedish coffee bread dough is still rising. But I'm doing an okay spread regardless:

It's not Christmas if I'm not overcommitting on baking!

(Gingerbread and chocolate cookie doughs are in the fridge, peppermint bark is broken apart and done. Tomorrow is the day of YEAST where I make japanese milk bread and swedish coffee bread.)

This was a playable movie (complimentary) in stark contrast to cutscene-laden playable movies (derogatory). Captured the spirit perfectly.

Also pitch-perfect score, lighting, and camera work, damn.

Finished Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

What a rollicking good time that was. If I'd cared less about collectibles I would have had a better time, I think - the game is at its best when you're rolling with story and not looking to complete your stone dildo collection.

As someone who's played the game, yes, the word is used correctly. Context is important. You don't have to be "that guy" if you don't happen to have it. 😉

Play the game, it's great!

I think the end walk prior to the choice helps sell that hope, too. That last moment where humanity, dignity, and respect is on display as you take Zulf through enemy forces you were fighting moments prior. Maybe things can/will be okay. Maybe there's a bright path forward.

Every so often I am reminded of my time as an unpaid volunteer on EverQuest, where if I'd desired it, I could have not only killed just about anyone with my god-tier characters, but turned any player into an NPC-flagged entity that was killable and a little lootable.

Early MMO days were buckwild.

I did a huge writeup about various fishing minigames for work a while back. For me, it's Sea of Thieves. I think it gets the FEEL right without having you play a UI or feel guaranteed. There's skill involved, but you'll get it if you pay attention.

Plus fishing in a storm is wild.

Just had a convo today with a colleague about how Beginner's Guide missed for him. If you go into it hoping it'll be another Stanley Parable (or even, really, a traditional "game") I can see being disappointed.

For me it was a wonderful meditation on art and parasocial relationships. Top tier.

Well, Dan, what are you waiting for? You can go play it RIGHT NOW!

(Yes, after several sales, it is still live. Somehow.)

istaria.com

I have such rose-colored glasses for Drakan. I know in my withered dev heart it was so very jank, but the dragonrider fantasy can forgive many sins.

(Not the PvP mode, though. That was beyond the pale.)

The lack of player definition and choices that help define that person means Rook is just a vague hero with friends who are all chill with their decisions. It's feel-good in its way, but it all adds up to a lack of strong connection, in the end.

But because none of your actual companions are that way, your choices don't matter. You also never really get a sense of who Rook is - even less defined than the Inquisitor, really. Why is Rook doing what they're doing? Well, because Varric picked them for the team, and they're here now, I guess.