An annoying trend (mobile gaming)

[Glurin]

Dungeon Keeper Mobile

*shudder*

I was really excited at the time to find out there was a new Dungeon Keeper game. Had a lot of fun with the previous iterations, even though I only got them years after they initially released. And then I saw the total abomination that was EA's new version of the game. If there was ever a prime example of pure greed and the love of money corrupting a beloved franchise, it would be Dungeon Keeper Mobile.

 

[LozHinge the Unhinged]

Analogous to not catching, and therefore still sad.

Analogous to your M0m.

 

[jmervyn]

If there was ever a prime example of pure greed and the love of money corrupting a beloved franchise, it would be Dungeon Keeper Mobile.

My son blew several hundred dollars over time on The Walking Dead mobile - he hid the amount from me (it was from relatives' Christmas & BD presents), but happily he weaned himself off of it and rues the day he fell for it.

He's got a bit of OCD, so it was understandable; these games literally prey off the B.F. Skinner button-pecking impulse.

Analogous to your M0m.

In some ways, "too soon" is applicable, given the puerile attempt. She passed only last October.

 

[LozHinge the Unhinged]

My son blew several hundred dollars over time on The Walking Dead mobile - he hid the amount from me (it was from relatives' Christmas & BD presents), but happily he weaned himself off of it and rues the day he fell for it.

He's got a bit of OCD, so it was understandable; these games literally prey off the B.F. Skinner button-pecking impulse.

In some ways, "too soon" is applicable, given the puerile attempt. She passed only last October.

My condolences, Merv.

At our age, M0m jokes rarely go well.

 

[Glurin]

A natural hazard of the yo mama joke. My condolence on your loss.

My son blew several hundred dollars over time on The Walking Dead mobile - he hid the amount from me (it was from relatives' Christmas & BD presents), but happily he weaned himself off of it and rues the day he fell for it.

That's one of several reasons I've turned against pay to play subscription models in MMOs. It becomes a little scary when you realize how much that "only $15 a month" adds up to over time. Almost as bad as microtransactions.

 

[jmervyn]

My condolences, Merv.

At our age, M0m jokes rarely go well.

Meh, done is done. She didn't even have a funeral & I hadn't seen her in nearly a decade.

That's one of several reasons I've turned against pay to play subscription models in MMOs. It becomes a little scary when you realize how much that "only $15 a month" adds up to over time. Almost as bad as microtransactions.

Yeah, the archaic Dungeons & Dragons Online is the only one I'm paying for, but even though it's a "mature audience" game there's a LOT of whining about how little subscribers get for their fees.

Of course, I haven't been paying the fees for a solid year like some ($99) and I didn't cancel my last 3-month purchase as I had intended.

 

[Glurin]

That one is free to play with a VIP type sub, correct? You pay a sub to support the devs and get some small benefits like xp boosts and such. Those aren't so bad. Well, as long as the non-sub gameplay hasn't been reduced to what can at best be described as a demo at any rate. Still gotta keep your eye on just how much you're spending though.

The ones I really don't like are the ones where you have to pay a monthly sub just to access the game you already bought.

 

[jmervyn]

That one is free to play with a VIP type sub, correct? You pay a sub to support the devs and get some small benefits like xp boosts and such. Those aren't so bad. Well, as long as the non-sub gameplay hasn't been reduced to what can at best be described as a demo at any rate. Still gotta keep your eye on just how much you're spending though.

The ones I really don't like are the ones where you have to pay a monthly sub just to access the game you already bought.

Correct; VIP is sub, "Premium" means ex-sub or past purchase, and f2p is precisely that. I suppose that's part of why DDO is still going relatively strong despite a Feb 2006 release date and at least two other D&D games since ("Neverwinter" was flashier but relied on pay-to-open loot boxes & other gimmickry).

Of course, it's FAR past product obsolescence and definitely has plenty of unresolved bugs due to code maintenance issues & multiple owners (reads like a Who's Who of old software companies). But it's still extremely playable and enjoyable.

The only downsides with DDO are power creep plus grind, which is easily found in more recent games as well and perhaps to be expected currently celebrating a 15th anniversary event. One very nice thing is how co-op centered it is; you can solo as I do but it's far more enjoyable to be in a guild if you have friends of similar schedules.

I've probably spent well over $100 on this "free" game but it's been worth far more than I'd have spent on others.

 

[Glurin]

Of course, it's FAR past product obsolescence and definitely has plenty of unresolved bugs due to code maintenance issues & multiple owners (reads like a Who's Who of old software companies). But it's still extremely playable and enjoyable.

Hey, if it's still a fun game and you can get it to run on modern machines, doesn't matter how old it is. I still enjoy the occasional playthrough of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.

Plenty of companies looking to capitalize on the idea too. Just look at all the remakes and remasters popping up lately. Command and Conquer, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Final Fantasy, Age of Empires.... There was also that one game that was recently announced where you run around fighting demons and collecting loot. Had like, seven different classes you could pick from. You know the one, right?

 

[snickersnack]

ROFLMAO! I've found myself repeatedly quoting Dr. Sowell:


In some ways, it's similar to these young gamers (particularly this "pay-to-bully" crowd) thinking that because they are able to coax a "win" from a computer game that they understand tactics & strategy. I still remember pouring over the "Advanced Squad Leader" ruleset from Avalon Hill, and playing some ancient Army-issue wargame with a German name that I can't even find on Wikipedia.

Kids these days...

That quote is (or should be) terrifying. I've noticed that people sometimes think that they *have-to-have* an opinion on everything. It's not exactly new, but maybe it's increasing.

But, some people quote Socrates as saying: “Children; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room, they contradict their parents and tyrannize their teachers. Children are now tyrants.”

I wonder what will be the character of that first generation whose elders have no complaints...

 

[jmervyn]

That quote is (or should be) terrifying. I've noticed that people sometimes think that they *have-to-have* an opinion on everything. It's not exactly new, but maybe it's increasing.

What I like about Dr. Sowell's point is that being opinionated is now treated as a virtue (as long as the opinions are those approved by the Establishment), while actually comprehending the reasons behind both the pro & con of an issue are treated as borderline boring.

Instead, screaming mindless hatred at those who dare to disagree with what has been determined by manipulative organizations to be the "popular" opinion is the norm and viewed as moral. It's not inherently a partisan problem, but there's big money in guiding what "popular" opinion will be and getting the populace to go that direction.

I just dealt with this an hour ago discussing Net Neutrality with my son. Both sides of the argument had been stuffed full of hyperbolic assertions, but only the "Pro" side were actually claiming people would die if it wasn't passed.

I've cited Remy's "People Will Die" video previously so there's no need to do so again.

 

[Glurin]

I find net neutrality particularly vexing myself. The spirit of it is absolutely something I can get behind. But enforcement is an altogether different story. Just try explaining the fundamental problem of protecting the internet from corrupt corporations by handing control of it over to a wildly corrupt organization that is basically answerable to nobody and is in bed with several of the aforementioned corporations anyway.

It's next to impossible to get the point across to people who refuse to read or understand anything longer than a hashtag.

 

[snickersnack]

What I like about Dr. Sowell's point is that being opinionated is now treated as a virtue (as long as the opinions are those approved by the Establishment), while actually comprehending the reasons behind both the pro & con of an issue are treated as borderline boring.

Instead, screaming mindless hatred at those who dare to disagree with what has been determined by manipulative organizations to be the "popular" opinion is the norm and viewed as moral. It's not inherently a partisan problem, but there's big money in guiding what "popular" opinion will be and getting the populace to go that direction.

I just dealt with this an hour ago discussing Net Neutrality with my son. Both sides of the argument had been stuffed full of hyperbolic assertions, but only the "Pro" side were actually claiming people would die if it wasn't passed.

I've cited Remy's "People Will Die" video previously so there's no need to do so again.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but understanding an issue isn't sensational. That's it, in my estimation. People are too bored/busy with life in general to also devote mental energy to side notes (adults have no time, kids have no inclination).

I find net neutrality particularly vexing myself. The spirit of it is absolutely something I can get behind. But enforcement is an altogether different story. Just try explaining the fundamental problem of protecting the internet from corrupt corporations by handing control of it over to a wildly corrupt organization that is basically answerable to nobody and is in bed with several of the aforementioned corporations anyway.

It's next to impossible to get the point across to people who refuse to read or understand anything longer than a hashtag.

Yeah, I think that net neutrality is PARAMOUNT** to the future, but you're still relying on institutions. Hmmfff.

** I had brainstormed a presentation for my local state rep, but I didn't follow through on it.

 

[Glurin]

I'm sure you've heard this before, but understanding an issue isn't sensational. That's it, in my estimation. People are too bored/busy with life in general to also devote mental energy to side notes (adults have no time, kids have no inclination).

Then they shouldn't have an opinion and thus shouldn't be advocating or voting on the issue until they are interested enough to devote mental energy to understanding it. There was a time when people at least understood that much even if they didn't always follow it. These days not only is understanding considered unnecessary, people actually take offense at the concept. It's a sad state of affairs to see the world slip back into the dark ages like this.

 

[snickersnack]

Then they shouldn't have an opinion and thus shouldn't be advocating or voting on the issue until they are interested enough to devote mental energy to understanding it. There was a time when people at least understood that much even if they didn't always follow it. These days not only is understanding considered unnecessary, people actually take offense at the concept. It's a sad state of affairs to see the world slip back into the dark ages like this.

I agree. "I don't know" is a valid response to lots of questions, but it seems like many people have been trained to avoid saying that, even thinking it. I wonder what the best way to combat that is.

 

[Glurin]

I think a good first step would be to get teachers back into the schools who will actually teach people that it's okay to admit you don't know the answer and seek out the correct one rather than instruct their students that any answer is the correct one as long as you feel it is.

 

[jmervyn]

I think a good first step would be to get teachers back into the schools who will actually teach people that it's okay to admit you don't know the answer and seek out the correct one rather than instruct their students that any answer is the correct one as long as you feel it is.

I've been discussing this very issue with my son, who believes that Ted Cruz is a monster & that "Papa" John Schnatter deserved to have been fired because he used the literal "N" word in a strategy discussion w/ his new PR firm (his case is going to trial now; it looks very much like it was a hatchet job, and he said the word in complaining that Colonel Sanders dropped it every day).

The Progressive Establishment, which includes both false poles of the uniparty, doesn't want citizens educated or understanding how their Government works. They want speech codes, cancel culture, and political correctness to be the rule, and silly things like reason, logic, and law to be unilaterally enforced.

An uninformed, low-information, emotional mob is far easier to convince that, say, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol under Trump is running death camps, but that the same organization under Pedophile Joe is chock-a-block full of Seekrit Racisss while the camps they're running are humane, fun places and not at all COVID breeding grounds used by VP Poon to profiteer off her book, "Superheroes Are Everywhere" at taxpayer expense.