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The Best Skyrim Resources To Improve Your Dragon Slaying

Tim Brookes — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:31:00 +0000

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an epic role playing game, but you probably knew that already. We’ve already harped on about why it’s not to be missed, how to improve your dragon slaying using an iPhone and kept a close eye on technical issues.

Now it’s time to dig deep and see what the web has to offer the Dragonborn. The following resources will aid you in clearing dungeons, navigating the province, mastering alchemy and a whole lot more.

I was going to put a joke here, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

Reference & Walkthrough

You can’t beat a well-maintained wiki when it comes to crowdsourcing information about video games, and Skyrim isn’t short on wikis. The two I would recommend are the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP, established in 1995) and the Elder Scrolls at Wikia.

Both of these sites feature a healthy, constantly growing database of pretty much everything the game throws at you. Mission walkthroughs, character biographies, item locations – pretty much everything you need to know. Be warned though, it’s easy to spoil quests and developing storylines by spending too much time reading articles. Skyrim’s entry on GameFAQs also has a number of extremely detailed walkthroughs.

If it’s a giant annotated map you’re after then check out GameBanshee’s 9.34MB high-resolution .PNG which also comes in 9-page PDF form for easy printing as a 3×3 poster for your wall (you geek).

Alchemy & Ingredients

The simplest way of discovering an ingredient’s effect is by eating it and seeing what happens to you. If you’re not keen on poisoning yourself or would rather not waste your precious ingredients then one of the many alchemy guides is bound to suit.

There are two rather awesome tools for budding alchemists, the first being the Skyrim Alchemy Recipes Finder. Simply add a few ingredients (or all of them for the full list) and all possible potions will be revealed to you. This utility is useful for finding out what certain ingredients do without wasting anything.

You can also use Josh Blevins’ Alchemy Effects & Ingredients to reverse look-up an effect for a list of ingredients. Traditional types who like long plain text lists should take a look at Ahlyis’ Alchemy Guide on GameFAQs which has full potions, ingredients and effects lists.

Character Building

Building a character can present you with some of the toughest decisions in the game, so planning your perks is the best way to ensure your character blossoms into the dragon slaying hero you desire.

Thankfully it’s easy to do just that with the Skyrim Perk Calculator. Use it to go hog wild and build the character of your dreams then plan your path to power, save and start exploring the world. iOS and Android users can look forward to mobile apps soon.

There is also a fairly lengthy character development guide on GameFAQs as well as this more condensed version from SegmentNext.

PC Gamers & Modding

Those of you enjoying the PC version of the game are lucky enough to be able to modify it but also have the added obstacle of performance issues. If you are suffering from poor framerates or just think your game could run smoother then have a look at nVidia’s Skyrim tweak guide, it even comes with Bethesda’s approval.

As for mods then look no further than Skyrim Nexus. There really are quite a lot of mods on this site with new ones being released regularly. If you fancy modding your game but don’t know where to start then you could always take some inspiration from PC Gamer’s Top 25 Skyrim mods.

Conclusion

If you’ve not yet played Skyrim then you have a fantastic experience in store if beautiful open-world RPGs are your thing. Even if you’re a well-seasoned adventurer, hopefully some of these resources will help you out next time you decide to start a new character.

If you have any of your own recommendations, links or just an opinion then add a comment below.

Progress Quest Points Out What’s Wrong With Bad Games

Justin Pot — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:01:44 +0000

Step back. Think about what you’re doing. Then do something better. That’s the basic idea of Progress Quest, a satirical role-playing game that lambasts the worst aspects of gaming.

I love video games. They are active where other mediums are passive, requiring me to participate in order to proceed. Just sitting there and watching isn’t an option. At least, it’s not an option with good games. Not every game is good, though, and that’s where Progress Quest makes its point. It isn’t a game so much as a parody of what’s wrong with so many other games. You pick a character, including class and race, and then you sit back and watch. Your character goes on quests, levels up and grabs items. You do nothing, save for watching the advancement of progress bars.

I’m serious – that’s all you do in this game. Watching the game play itself makes a point about gaming in general, which I’ll get to later.

Setting Up

To get started, first you should download the game. Start up the program and you can pick whether your game is offline or online. There’s no difference between the two modes really, except online play lets your character “compete” with other people’s characters.

Designing your character is the most interactive part of this game. In fact, it’s the only interactive part. You’ll be able to pick a race and a class, and “roll” for stats.

You can put some thought into this, if you want – or not. Then you can start “playing.”

Watch The Futility

Behold! Here is what Progress Quest looks like when you start playing:

And here is what it looks like when you’ve played for a while.

No, seriously, that’s it. You watch and your character levels up without you.

Is this ridiculous? Yes. But that’s the point – nothing is accomplished when you play a video game. The levels and items gathered in Progress Quest mean precisely as much as levels and items gained in other games. What makes them worth something to you is the time and effort you put into getting them.

A good game, then, is one that does more than simply make your level up for the sake of it. The game should be fun in and of itself, and not simply something you do out of compulsion.

On Progress Bars

“Hey, what are you guys doing?”

It’s a question I often ask when I get to my office in downtown Boulder. The answer, more often than not, is simple, sarcastic and sadly hilarious.

“Watching blue progress bars,” they’ll tell me.

Slowly growing lines show us how far a procedure has come and how far it needs to go. So we watch them. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving files, downloading a report or sending out information. Modern work means watching progress bars from time to time. The worst video games are those that offer less challenge than compulsion.

In a recent episode of Technophilia, a podcast I host with a couple of other MakeUseOf writers, we discussed the amazing gaming experience that is Skyrim. James and Dave kept talking about the room left for discovery, and the complexity of it. It sounds like an amazing game, one I should try out soon. We also discussed Cow Clicker, a game that parodies Farmville and its tendency to be merely addictive rather than engrossing.

Our conclusion was that a good game is one that leaves room for exploration and discovery. They should be interactive and engaging, and not addictive for the sake of killing time. It’s cheesy, but you should feel like you’re learning something as you play. You should feel like you’re improving, not just your character.

And that’s what Progress Quest points out. You can’t get better at the game yourself – you can only level up. There is no skill involved. If you ever feel like this playing any other game, step back. Think about what you’re doing. Then do something better. Let us know if you feel the same way – or not – in the comments below.

3 Reasons All Gamers Need To Play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [MUO Gaming]

Dave LeClair — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:31:54 +0000

One of the most anticipated games of this holiday season was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Call of Duty and Battlefield are terrific games, but it’s delightful to see something a little different become a bestseller. I love first person shooters, but to see a game like Skyrim become a blockbuster success is a beautiful thing. Modern video games tend to hold the player’s hand and assist them a lot more than in the past. It is refreshing to see a game like Skyrim come along and sell millions of copies.

Even with all the critical accolades Skyrim is receiving, I’m sure there are gamers who are still unsure if it is for them. Maybe they are scared that a game of this scope is too much for them. Maybe some of the crazy glitches that are so prevalent in Bethesda games turn them off. If you are one of those people, I am here to ask you to reconsider. I only do this because the game is that special. It is a once in a generation game. Anyone who considers themselves a gamer needs to sit down behind a controller or a mouse and keyboard and play Skyrim. Here’s why.

The Crazy Stories

The crazy things that happen in Skyrim make the game something truly remarkable. What makes them so impressive when compared to other games is that, in many cases, they are difficult to duplicate. Every video game has outstanding things happen. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we play them. With Skyrim, it feels like all the stuff that’s happening is just for you. You can tell your friends about something silly that happened, and they will have their own stories that differ entirely from yours. Many times these differences will occur on the same quest.

I’m about 30 hours into Skyrim. I recently had a fight with a couple of bears for a quest. My character is extremely magic heavy, and I wear light armor. Bears hit terribly hard, and my magic seemed to have minimal impact on them. After trying every creative strategy in existence to eliminate these bears, I decided it was impossible.

However, I realized there was a town near the cave, so instead of fighting the bears I decided to lure them to the town. It worked – the bear chased me all the way, and when he got there, the townspeople killed him with ease. However, I shot some fire at the bear during the epic battle, and my fire hit some of the townspeople. Thus, my celebration was shortlived, as the whole town attacked and killed me as soon as the bear fell.

That is just one small example of the kinds of things that happen in Skyrim. They feel as if they happened to me and me alone; not just part of some scripted experience.

The Massive Scale

Skyrim is enormous. It would be easy to spend 100 or more hours playing this game. For me, that is an immense value proposition. I can go out and buy 4 or 5 games and perhaps still not have it match the amount of content in Skyrim. Realistically, the only games that can compete with Skyrim for the amount of time you can dedicate to them are multiplayer-heavy games like shooters and MMOs.

What makes this game so special is not just that it’s massive; it’s the fact that almost all of the content in the game is so good. So many RPGs like Skyrim end up seeing the player doing a bunch of fetch quests and other useless tasks just to make the game longer. With this game, every little quest has a story, and every new area feels fresh and new. Making a long game is not necessarily spectacular; what is impressive is making a long game that has such rich content that it feels like a new game every time you play.

Improvements From Previous Elder Scrolls Games

This last reason is more specific to people whom some of the flaws from previous Elder Scrolls games have turned off. In the previous games, there was game breaking glitches. When I say game breaking, I don’t mean turn your console off and restart. I am talking glitches that would cause you to have to start the whole game over. This was obviously devastating. I had over 60 hours in Elder Scrolls IV, and then I hit a glitch where I was stuck in a spot, and there was no way for me to overcome said spot. I had to forget the 60 hours I had already spent and restart.

Thankfully, Skyrim seems to have none of these problems. There are some glitches, but they are all small. The game also keeps your last three auto-saves, so if you are stuck, it is easy to reload back and only lose a few minutes instead of dozens of hours.

Bethesda improved the third person camera as well. In Oblivion the third person camera was completely useless, but in Skyrim the game is fully playable from a third person perspective.

They have also improved the characters during conversations. Previous games were always very uncomfortable when conversing with a non-player character. Now, the characters have a lot more life, and conversations feel much more relaxed. This is important, because you do spend a lot of time conversing in Skyrim.

They took a winning formula and added much of what they learned from their experience with the Fallout games and made close to a perfect role-playing game.

Conclusion

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Skyrim is certainly in the top five games I’ve ever played. I’m not writing a review in the traditional sense, but if I were to give Skyrim a rating I would have to give it a 10 out of 10. The bar for role-playing games is raised to an extent that I didn’t think was possible, especially in the current console generation. Please, if you fancy yourself a gamer, play Skyrim.

Let me know in the comments whether or not you agree with me, and if not, why.

Buy An Annual World Of Warcraft Subscription, Receive Diablo III Free [News]

Matt Smith — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:31:54 +0000

BlizzCon is now in full force, and there is a steady stream of news escaping the convention center. One of the most interesting tidbits for gamers on the prowl for freebies is that you’ll be able to grab Diablo III, the upcoming action RPG, for free – if you pay to play World of Warcraft.

There’s a catch. You can’t be a month-to-month subscriber. Instead, you have to sign up for the “annual pass”, a twelve month subscription that can be billed monthly at $14.99. It seems that Blizzard is taking a page from the playbook of the world’s mobile data carriers, enticing players with freebies in exchange for a long-term commitment.

Players who sign up for the annual pass will receive the standard edition of Diablo III, not a limited or special edition. However, they’re not entirely left out when it comes to extra goodies. Annual pass subscribers will receive a special flying mount called Tyrael’s Charger and instant access to the beta test of the upcoming expansion Mists of Pandaria, which was also announced at BlizzCon.

It will be interesting to see how many players sign up. At a rate of $14.99 a month, the pass represents a total commitment of $179.88. If the Diablo III standard edition retails for $59.99 (and it probably will, as that’s what Starcraft 2 cost at launch), players who go for the long-term commitment will need to play at least eight of the twelve months to break even. That might not make sense to everyone, but diehard fans will surely jump on this bandwagon.

Source: Blizzard, Rock Paper Shotgun

6 Free Space Combat, Exploration & Simulation Games [Windows, Mac OS X & Linux]

Tim Brookes — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:31:17 +0000

These days it can be hard to find a decent space sim, whether you’re into combat, exploration or the die-hard simulation experience. The genre is regarded as “dead” by many, with projects like Elite 4 never having seen the light of day.

Luckily there are hobbyists, fans and those obsessed with the genre that still produce and maintain projects for free, in their spare time. This list of 6 totally free to play space-themed time-wasters is bound to ring a few bells amongst old fans of the genre. Then again, If you’ve never enjoyed a good space sim before now might be your chance!

Freespace 2 Open [Windows, Mac OS X & Linux]

Freespace 2 is an often raved-about title that went open source in 2002. Since then a small team of dedicated fans have worked on engine updates, gameplay tweaks and a whole host of modifications that inject some new life into this aging classic.

In case you missed it first time round, the Freespace 2 space simulation game was originally released on PC in 1999 and developed by Volition Inc. Gameplay involves space combat, reconnaissance and escort missions that don’t adhere to true Newtonian physics, but instead use simplified space physics that make controlling your ship that little bit easier.

Once the source code was released, the Freespace 2 Open Source Project was founded. Downloads include the original Freespace 2 on the updated engine and total conversions that take their cues from popular TV shows such as Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica available on the mods page.

The Ur-Quan Masters [Windows, Mac OS X & Linux]

Star Control II was originally released on the PC in 1992 and later ported to the Panasonic 3DO. To this very day it still enjoys a cult following, so much so that it was remade once the source code went open in 2002 as The Ur-Quan Masters.

The game doesn’t really fit into one genre as it combines strategy-based battles, exploration of the vast galaxy, diplomacy and resource gathering. Much of the game involves meeting other species and visiting new worlds, though there is also a two player space combat mode (which has been upgraded to allow for online combat in this remake).

Oolite [Windows, Mac OS X & Linux]

It was only a matter of time before this oh-so-faithful Elite remake cropped up! Oolite is the classic Elite you knew and loved, with improved graphics and a lot of expansions.

Much like the game it was based on, Oolite is a completely open-ended space combat and trading simulation. There are no real objectives, though it can be argued that the game’s primary goal is to reach “Elite” status.

If you’ve never played Elite before (or you’ve misplaced your manual) then I’d recommend reading the Elite Wiki, which also has a section dedicated to Oolite. This should get you up to speed on the basics that you’ll need to master this notoriously in-depth space sim.

Vega Strike [Windows, Mac OS X & Linux]

Not a remake this time, though heavily inspired by Elite and Wing Commander, Vega Strike is another trade, exploration and blast ‘em up set in space. The player must undertake missions in order to earn money which can then be spent on upgrades and new vehicles (thus enabling more missions).

Once a ship has been equipped with a jump drive, the player is free to dart around different corners of the galaxy at special portal-like jump points. Missions are varied and can be received via the ship’s computer or by talking to certain individuals in bars.

Example missions include transporting cargo, rescuing escape pods from battle zones and patrol missions where the player must scan undocumented targets. Vega Strike is an incredibly rich game, and costs absolutely nothing! For a more in-depth look, check out our existing article.

Allegiance [Windows]

In March 2000, Allegiance Zone was released by Microsoft Research to the online games portal Microsoft Zone, under a subscription model. Unfortunately only 29,000 units of this 3D online multiplayer shooter were sold, and servers were switched off in 2002.

There were of course a small number of fans who weren’t best pleased, and sought other ways of playing their new favourite game. Allegiance Zone went under a shared source licence in 2004 and is now maintained entirely by volunteers.

Blending space combat and real-time strategy elements, there are 8 playable factions each with their own perks and attributes. Many find it hard to place Allegiance into a genre, as it is so unique in its approach and was undoubtedly released before its time.

Orbiter [Windows]

Less of a game and more of a simulation, Orbiter is a space flight sim that makes use of realistic physics and both real-life and fictional spacecraft. The simulator was released in 2000 after the developer felt that there were no space sims that adhered to the rules of Newtonian physics.

Players are able to launch the Space Shuttle from the Kennedy Space Centre, download additional spacecraft and tour the whole solar system before re-entering the atmosphere and attempting a landing.

If you think space flight sims are too easy then you’ve not played Orbiter.

Conclusion

This list should keep you busy even if you only have a passing interest in space flight, interplanetary trade or full-blown space battles. Don’t forget to check out NASA’s full iOS line-up if you’re space-mad!

Have you played any of these space simulation games? Any others you’d like to recommend? Is the genre dead? Or has it simply changed? Have your say in the comments below!

Intro image: Shutterstock

Kick It Old-School With Classic Free Sierra Adventure Games, Tributes & Remakes [Browser, Windows & Mac]

Tim Brookes — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:30:55 +0000

Sierra On-Line (now Sierra Entertainment) kickstarted the graphic adventure game genre way back in the 1980s with their first few releases Mystery House and Wizard and the Princess. Shortly afterwards came a full adventure game called King’s Quest, which was met with a warm reception and went on to enjoy critical acclaim and eight sequels (with a ninth allegedly in development).

Today we’re lucky enough to be able to enjoy a selection of the Sierra On-Line back catalogue without dusting off floppies or paying a penny. Not only are there some originals online for your retro-inspired pleasure, but there are also a few decent modern remakes and a series of free independent King’s Quest-inspired titles to enjoy as well.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and spice it up a bit…

Old-School Originals @ Sarien.net

Hosting a smattering of classic Sierra adventure games that you can enjoy from the comfort of your browser, Sarien is the place to begin if you’ve never played any of the original Quest series of games. There are three flavours to enjoy, starting off with King’s Quest: Quest for the Crown. In addition to the original, Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter and Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel are also present.

As this is a Sierra-themed vault of video gaming goodness, both The Black Cauldron (a Disney film given the Sierra treatment) and Gold Rush! are included too. We’re very lucky that Sarien is still serving up tasty, retro content as the website came under legal scrutiny from Activision in the past, a blip that took 2 years to resolve.

Why not spend an afternoon pretending it’s still the 80s by watching The Breakfast Club and checking out a few of the links below?

Note: Sarien have a mobile site that is optimized for the iPad, and works a treat.

King’s Quest Remakes by AGD Interactive

Anonymous Game Developers Interactive have been hard at work taking the original King’s Quest trilogy and injecting new life and compatibility into the series with their faithful remakes. Best of all the team have released them for free, and they’re all compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X machines.

Each game is accompanied by its own introduction, FAQ and hints collection, whilst at the same time keeping in-line with the originals despite the obvious changes. For an overview of the third game in the trilogy, check out Angela’s article. Another Sierra adventure game, Quest for Glory II has also been revamped and released for free by AGD Interactive.

You can download full versions of each adventure at the following links:

The Silver Lining

Originally titled King’s Quest IX: Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining, this fan-made continuation of the King’s Quest series was forced to change its name by Vivendi Games and Activision due to its completely unofficial nature (nice try guys).

There are currently three episodes available: What is Decreed Must Be, Two Households and My Only Love Sprung From My Only Hate. Two more additions to the series are planned and slated for a 2011 release, which makes for quite a lot of free entertainment.

You can grab individual episodes from the links below for the Windows operating system:

Conclusion

In many ways it’s a shame that this breed of graphical adventure is endangered. ADG Interactive are attempting to bring back the genre with its remakes and recent seperate commercial release, but 2D adventures are always going to be niche.

If you enjoy this kind of game and would like the opportunity to play more then you’ll probably want to read all about SCUMMVM, a point-and-click adventure game emulator which supports a considerable amount of the Sierra back catalogue.

Do you have any favourite Sierra games? Any favourites from this article? Love your SCUMM? Let us know in the comments!

Save The World From Droids in The FreeDroid RPG Adventure

Ryan Dube — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:40 +0000

I don’t know what it is about post-apocalyptic games, but I love them. The idea of exploring a world torn and destroyed by some violent or cataclysmic event is interesting to imagine. These are the type of games I always loved playing, like the 1997 Interplay game Fallout.

The open source game called FreeDroid is an RPG adventure based on a post-apocalyptic world where the global adoption of one computer system known as “Megasys” led to a global war, when the Droids running the OS had some sort of horrible bug that turned them all on humans. As the hero, a penguin-like species called “Linerian”, your job is to explore this terrible world and right all of the things that went wrong.

It’s rare that the worlds of Linux and Windows collide. There are cases like the 8 games mentioned by Tim which are available for multiple platforms, but in this game it goes far beyond that – the game itself has a message to tell about operating systems. This game has somewhat better graphics than the 2D ones like Justin reviewed, but it does remind me of the Linux games you’ll find at apps like PenguSpy.

Playing FreeDroid RPG

A few years ago, many reviewers were saying that FreeDroid was clearly not ready for prime time, although most agreed it was a fun game even in that early stage. The game has come a long way. I usually don’t review any free game unless the graphics are decent enough to pass for a commercially available game. That’s definitely the case with FreeDroid.

The download for Windows is a pretty good sized file, so be patient. It’s also included in most Linux distributions. It’s pretty cool that Windows users can also enjoy it, although anyone who’s a major fan of Microsoft may not want to unless you have a good sense of humor!

The controls, graphics and dialog really remind me of games like Fallout. Exploring this world is a lot of fun, and like other commercial RPG adventure games, you’re pretty much free to go wherever you want, and to accept and complete the missions that you would like. If you really want to work through the storyline, then make a point to talk to the characters and thoroughly question them about everything. That’s the only way to pick up clues and learn what you need to do next to move the plot along.

Thankfully, upon waking from your cryogenic slumber, the gear you had when you initially went to sleep is returned to you. This gear includes protective gear and a huge steel wrench, which you use as your first weapon to clobber Droids. At the start of the game, there are droids that come near you and zap you, and others that shoot from afar. Navigating through the treacherous world isn’t overly simple – you’re definitely going to have to fight a few droids and avoid the shooting droids to make it to your first safe town.

As you meet and talk to new characters (like those at the safe town), you’ll not only get clues about how you can put things right, but you’ll also come across side missions that you can complete to gain favor with certain people or groups within this world. Fighting droids and completing quests will improve your stats and help you complete the next levels of the game – so don’t be afraid to strike out and face the dangers head on.

Your character is known throughout this world as a computer hacking hero, and they are counting on you to help put an end to the tragic problems created by the monster corporation known as Megasys. Throughout the game, you’ll find computers and terminals – playing around with these systems will give you a peek into the global system and you’ll discover opportunities to “hack” it along the way.

At towns you find different services (like doctors that can heal you) and shops where you can pick up better protective gear or weapons. As the game progresses, you’ll need better gear. Keep an eye on your health and make sure to take care of yourself so all levels stay high.

The game makers state that the game, in its current state, provides about ten hours of solid game play. Additionally, when you’ve finished playing the game, the fun continues in the “Level Editor” section where you can completely edit existing game levels, or create your own levels to play. A whole library of objects are available for you to use – the possibilities are pretty much endless.

FreeDroid RPG is one of those rare free games that really is fun and interesting to play. The storyline is pretty decent, and the little jabs at “MegaSys” will really give you a chuckle every now and then throughout the game. The hardly-veiled message of the game is pretty clear within five minutes of playing. Whether you agree with the message of the game, it’s still a total blast to play.

Have you ever played FreeDroid on Windows or Linux? What do you think of the game? Share your opinions about this game in the comments section below.

Go On Space Adventures With Vega Strike

Ryan Dube — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:31:01 +0000

Do you remember those cool space exploration games from the 1990′s like Sentinel Worlds and Wing Commander? These were games that you could play for hours on end, without any set script and without anything that you had to do except whatever you wanted. You could jump through galaxies, explore distant planets, or earn money by shipping cargo or becoming a bounty hunter. The virtual universe was all yours.

Well, an open source game called Vega Strike lets you experience those space adventures all over again. The moment you install and run this game, you’ll find yourself staring at your first cargo ship – the start of your interstellar career. From this moment forward, the game is all yours, and whatever you want it to be.

Here at MUO, we love anything to do with outer space, such as my article on ExoExplorer, John’s list of cool astronomy websites, or Jorge’s view of Celestia. So, let’s take a look at the sort of things you can do in the Vega Strike universe.

Installing & Controlling Vega Strike

Unlike most other 3D virtual worlds like this that are graphic intensive, installation is very easy and the game isn’t at all very laggy. The reason for that may be the fact that even though much of the graphics are pretty impressive and larger-than-life, there are very few areas with animation. If you do have any issues, reduce some of the settings in the program configuration.

Also make sure to check out the included PDF players guide before you get started. The ship has controls like auto-pilot, speed settings, targeting and navigation, docking, communications and a lot more. The player’s guide outlines it all in this 72 page document.

When the game finally launches, you’ll find yourself at the main menu where you can load a past game, play a new campaign, or enter into multiplayer mode where you can join up with any of the hosted Vega Strike servers your friends may be running (or run your own!)

Once you get started, you’ll find yourself in the hanger of a trading station. That ship in front of you is your first cargo ship, and one that you’ll be starting your adventures with. Navigating through the game is just a matter of moving the mouse over glowing dots that represent the exits.

If you go to the main concourse just outside the hangers, you’ll see terminals where you can find work and missions to earn money. Don’t forget to go to the shipyard and spend some of your starting credits on a few jump drives and some other upgrades to your ship.

The computers at each trade center that you visit as you travel through this virtual world features a wide range of missions and jobs. You’ll never run out of things to do. Click the mission and you’ll see how much you can earn if you complete it. Once you choose and save a mission, it gets loaded to your ship computers and you’re ready to roll.

Go back to the hangar, launch your ship and you’re off. The flight controls is where you’ll spend most of your time in this game, so spend time getting use to all of the controls. As you can see here, the mission instructions are at the upper left (use pg-up or pg-dn to scroll). Ship or planetary targets (N or T) that you’ve selected are displayed at the lower right corner of the screen. If you select a target you want to travel to quickly, click A (autopilot) and your ship will take care of the rest.

Changes views (1 through 9) to view out your ship at all angles, or get a view from outside your ship. Here I am headed toward my first jump-point.

Once you’ve got the target selected and in autopilot, just enjoy the ride until you get to the jump point. When you arrive, Tab controls your thrusters so you can navigate into the point until you’re close enough. Then press J to make the jump. This is how you travel from galaxy to galaxy through this massive (and very beautiful) universe.

Once you arrive at other locations across the universe, such as other trade centers or planets – any place you can dock will feature green squares when you press “d”. You can request permission to dock by pressing zero. Once you dock, you’ll find yourself inside the facility and ready to explore. Visit the bar, search for new missions, or visit the trade center to pick up or sell goods.

While the game is nowhere near the level of commercially available space shooter games, that really isn’t the point of Vega Strike. This game is all about space exploration and creating your own experience by choosing missions that suit your tastes. If you just want to transport cargo back and forth across space – enjoying the view and building a shipping empire, that’s your choice. If you like danger and want to escort transports and fend off enemy ships – have at it. You’re in complete control of your own space adventures, and your own destiny.

So give Vega Strike a try and let us know what you think. Do you know of any other space exploration games? Share your own resources in the comments section below.

Image credit: Nino Satria

SIM Day & Night – A Free Online Role Playing Game With A Dayjob & A Nightlife

Karl L. Gechlik — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:31:58 +0000

I grew up on games like Maniac Mansion, Zack McCracken and Leisure Suit Larry. If you are old enough and remember them then you should have warm fuzzy memories of them and you are already probably reminiscing.

I try to cover a game once or twice a month. The last one was Raft Wars which you can read about here. Today I came across a silly game that reminded me of them with a new school twist. I found the free online role playing game by chance on a site called Flash-Game.

When you arrive at the game you will see this screen. You can get to know the characters, enter cheat mode or select Scenes. But that’s not fun is it? Let’s start the game by pressing Start in the bottom left hand corner.

You will get a brief synopsis of what is going down and the basics to what you will be trying to do. It’s like real life but a simulation with choices. You want to be rich, popular and smart”¦go luck!

When you are first thrown into the free online role playing game you will see the screen below. You can click on any of the buildings to attempt to go into them. You start off with one hundred dollars and can grab another ten by reading your mail at home. From trial and error you will learn that the school is off limits to you until you find a school pass. The club and the night store (24h) are closed.

You continue entering buildings until you arrive at the coffee shop. The barman tells you that a man at the corner table wants to speak with you. You click on the silhouette of the dude to chat with him. This initiates the conversation and we go to a cut screen with a dude’s picture and what he wants from your life.

Ah apparently Frank wants you to give some flowers (available at the store for 25 bucks!! Expensive!) to a girl near the school. Remember that she is NEAR the school and not in it. That killed a few minutes for me and will be the last hint you get from me!

Following Frank’s advice I went to the store and bought some flowers. Pretty plain for twenty five bucks if you ask me though!

I took them over to the girl in front of the school, clicked on her and gave her the flowers. Then, as expected she gives you the pass you need to get into the school. Travel to the school by clicking on it and now you will be allowed in.

Ah here we are at school where we can study and work out. These will bring our levels up which are all sitting at a big fat zero as of now.

I think that is all the introduction you need to become helplessly addicted to this free online role playing game until you are the cool cat at the club and have a great paying job. Good luck with that ““ in the game and your real life!

We would love to hear if you have other games for us that are free and online! Link us to them in the comments kiddies!

NeoSteam – Steampunk Victorian Fantasy MMORPG Gaming

Simon Slangen — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:30:11 +0000

In the beginning, the world was one. All races lived in peace, united under the banner of a human king. Great cities prospered under magic and technology.

When the Pom Maestros developed the NeoSteam Receiver, it became possible to harvest the NeoSteam from ancient energy stones, located throughout the world. But the discovery was met by fear. The king banished the Pom Maestros to a small island off-shore.

Here the fantasy gaming progression of NeoSteam continued. It is unknown what further advancements were made in the meantime. But even fantastic worlds are burdened by the Murphy’s Law. A meltdown of the stored NeoSteam resulted in worldwide chaos and the unleashed energy split the lands.

The three current continents have since rediscovered NeoSteam. Its very presence still a mystery, the races have now met it with joy instead of fear. Already, the nations are largely dependent on the resource. And because NeoSteam is limited the peace did not hold. It’s hard to tell who is ‘right’, but everyone is acting out of necessity. The wars for NeoSteam are needed to ensure the survival of every nation.

NeoSteam

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy gaming. It mixes elements of the victorian and technological (steam technology) with fantasy and science-fiction. Father of many wonderful Anime, and a whole design sub-culture – Google for images to get a peak at the ambience. Imagine the joy when word came out of a steampunk MMORPG fantasy game.

NeoSteam was announced in 2008, with little progression after that. Just when steampunk fans all over were losing hope, Atlus – famous for several console games – announced their purchase of the rights. In 2009, the game finally went public for the international English audience.

Gameplay

As might be expected, NeoSteam tries to blend steampunk with classic MMORPG fantasy gaming. However, due to the ever bigger roles of fantasy and magic elements, steampunk is not very much noticeable outside of certain parts of the technological continent – the Republic of Rogwel. The victorian elements are hardly present. I’d like to see a real steampunk game someday. Nevertheless, even though the steampunk elements could do with an upgrade, NeoSteam is an amazing game.

Like most MMORPG’s, NeoSteam comes packed with those most basic features. Leveling, looting, Player vs Monster, Player vs Player, different races, and a ton of quests. NeoSteam distinguishes itself in one major feat – the game’s division into different nation.

At character creation, you’re prompted to select one of two nations: the Republic of Rogwel and Elerd Kindom – all housing a number of races, and several occupation classes. The interesting parts lies in the inability of members of opposing races to communicate. All throughout the game, NeoSteam really plays the patriotism card.

Graphically, NeoSteam isn’t a work of art – the eyecandy is mediocre, and not the reason you should be playing this game. However, as an MMORPG, NeoSteam does not fail to entertain. The quests are many, and the story is decent. Living up to your class, training a pet animal, and learning your way in the (vast!) ingame world is a quest on itself.

We would’ve liked a little more steampunk, but NeoSteam was incredibly fun to play.

	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows XP, Vista (32 bit only)	Windows XP, Vista (32 bit only)
Processor (CPU)	Pentium 4 – 1,6 GHz	Pentium 4 – 2,0 GHz
Memory (RAM)	512 MB	1 GB
Hard Drive Space	3 GB	3 GB
Graphics Card	nVidia GeForce MX	nVidia GeForce Ti
DirectX	DirectX 9.0c	DirectX 9.0c