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2018

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Star Citizen is a game that still kindly asks you for your money for some reason unbeknownst to anyone. Chris Roberts himself at this point likely is included in that list, although we’re past half a billion in funding now and Star Marine still is dead. I wrote in early 2016 that Star Marine was canceled which was, looking at the last decade, quite right. It languishes today not as a separate FPS game but a broken buggy module within Star Citizen with three maps and no players and soon to disappear altogether as a separate mode. Much like someone who is trying to convince you that their AI product, coded by ChatGPT is going to be the one, Star Citizen continues to languish as a cult around a product made of dreams and sunk cost fallacy. At this point even just removing Star Marine would probably be good for…

Lore and worldbuilding have the power to ignite passion in players and fuel an immersive experience. At their best, lore-driven games create a sense of mystery and discovery that motivate players to explore each part of the world. However, some recent games have exploited lore and ambiguity primarily as a marketing tactic, rather than using it to enhance gameplay or build meaning. This phenomenon highlights the need for more balanced, player-centered design. When developers commit to transparency and ethical practices, lore can be used to strengthen community trust and craft impactful stories. But that depends on valuing immersion and artistry over profits alone. We’ll dive into the history of lore focused games, what happened and where to go from here. This is all inclusive of the entire indie scene, even if there’s a heavy emphasis on mascot horror. It makes the best example and we’ll avoid referencing mascot horror to…

Hi-Rez Studios, known for SMITE, released Paladins in 2018, a free-to-play shooter with a dedicated fanbase. The tier list ranks playable champions from S to D, with major changes in winter 2023. S-tier champions like Azaan and Khan excel, while D-tier champions like Skye are less effective.

The Cult of Star Citizen is the bellowing flame enclosed within the massive furnace that is the cult of personality around Chris Roberts. Although the furnace is made of paper mâché and false promises, it still bellows. The flames roar mightily across the Internet, defending the cult from nefarious non-believers, tithing their income to the venerable Chris Roberts and making videos of how great a very limited buggy tech demo is. If you went back twenty years and told me that this nonsense existed, back in the sweet innocent year of 1999 when the Internet was the proverbial paradise of ideas, collaboration and communication – I wouldn’t believe you and point you to Slashdot to read about how blogs are going to save society. See, back then the belief was around the idea that everyone online could report the news and that no longer would mega-corporations control the news. Now,…