The Legend of John Royce , a Mount & Blade: Warband story.

“Ser, they’re at the gates!”

John Royce sighed. He strode past the anxious defenders, noting their shifty eyes and uneasy expressions. One of the guardsmen was in silent prayer, his mouth forming silent words that were only for his comfort. Others have taken the habit of sharpening their swords or axes, furiously scraping the sharp edges in hopes of getting their minds out of the upcoming battle.

“We’re too few,” John Royce thought, “There’s no way we can stand against an entire Khergit army.”

He still remembered the breeze that entered when the soaked messenger stepped into the inn, handing him a sealed letter from the castellan.  It took him half a day to assemble what men he could lay his hands on, and immediately set forth for Segunda Castle.

It was a close shave once they reached their destination. The enemy was sighted almost immediately when the gates closed behind his men, sparing no respite for John Royce and his weary troops. At least he could take comfort that he was on the right side of the walls.

He made his ascent up the stairs leading to the battlements, trying to stay focused on the current situation. Perhaps they could repel the invaders long enough for Swadian reinforcements to arrive. Segunda Castle, however, was secluded from the friendly capital cities, and John Royce could only place his hopes that one of the lords would pass by during a patrol.

“Ser, they built a siege tower over the night. I think they mean to attack soon.” Jeremus said, peering out of the distance. He was one of Royce’s retinue, bodyguards and advisors, and had a keen eye for mechanical structures. John Royce looked out at the direction, and true to his word, he saw a tall pillar amidst the fog. It was growing larger in every second he stared.

“With all due respect, ser, they outnumber us three to one. Is there hope in fighting such a battle?” Jeremus questioned. He pointed at the dark mass of Khergit troops in the distance.

“I can see experienced knights, trophies hanging from their armor… the banners of multiple Khergit houses wave in the midnight air. Ser, can you not see this is suicide?”

“What would you have me do, then?” Royce shot back. “Surrender the castle? They would not let us leave peacefully. We’ve slain far too many Khergit men and women to simply settle this on a compromise.”

It was true. The Swadian-Khergit conflict left countless dead, and a great number of villages looted and pillaged. There was too much hatred between both armies for such matters to be resolved by diplomacy, the moment was long gone. Jeremus opened his mouth, but closed it the next second, clearly out of words to say. He swallowed, and slowly nodded.

“Best get ready, Jeremus.” Royce put on his steel horned helmet. “Tell the troops to make ready. If they seek to claim Segunda with their men, they’ll have to pay a very high price for it.”

P.S: Just a lil' sample from Mount & Blade: Warband. It's a must-get if you get a hard-on for medieval times. Manage your own army! Serve a kingdom or strive to take over it! So many things! It's like Game of Thrones, but you're the spotlight! Get it now!

-Airalien 

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Any last words? YES DAMMIT.

You know those times when you're casually playing a friendly game of Counter-Strike (or any other game for that matter) with your buddies, when suddenly some young competitive punks who think they're MLG material drop by to rain on your parade? Turning that fun-filled match into a swear-filled, sweat-producing and rage-inducing tournament?

WHERE'S THE REST OF THE TEAM CAN'T LET THOSE KIDS BEAT ME ARGHGHGHGHH!!!11!!!!11

Well, if you're a victim of that, fret not! Watch this video and shed manly tears that these wrong-doers have at least been served justice! (Or just watch the video and laugh your heart out, your call. Still shed manly tears, though.)

-Airalien

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Who needs the Dragonborn?

So I was bored one day and decided to head back to Skyrim. The beauty of having endless user-generated mods is always a pleasure to try out. Especially this one:



It allows you to control almost ANY NPC's in the game. I figured I don't exactly have to be the Dragonborn to exact revenge against them bandits.

Here's the link if anyone's interested: http://www.skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/36047/

Be warned, it's still early in development, but it's performing fine for me.

-Airalien

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Seeking Sanctum from extraterrestials.

You, especially those who frequent on Steam, may have heard of Sanctum. The prequel was generally well-received by those who played it when it came out in 2011. Unfortunately, it didn’t garner as much popularity among the community. My guess would be that many were probably unwilling to try out an intricate formula. The thought of playing first person in a tower defense game would probably put off most casual players.

I bought Sanctum during 2011 winter’s Steam Sale because it was dirt cheap (then again, every game is dirt cheap on a Steam Sale). However, I’ve not touched it till today for some reason. Every time I get around to playing it, something more important usually slaps me across the face and I forget about it.

So, when Sanctum 2 was released, I was definitely keen on playing it. Bought it immediately on Day 1 and began installing it the very next second.

I must say, I really enjoyed myself, even when I was playing solo. It really is a refresher from “serious” first person shooter games, and much simpler. Granted that they don’t possess the in-depth character personalities that Team Fortress 2 has for its classes, or a huge array of weapons like in the Modern Warfare series, Sanctum 2 comes with its own charm that has got me head over heels.

It’s definitely more fun when played with other people. Coordinating your efforts, sharing resources and the occasional “trying to kill your buddy with the falling building placement” is what keeps you from growing tired of this game. Especially in the last waves, where strong, durable enemies come out to obliterate your core (the thing you’re supposed to protect); holding that last stand with your teammates brings out certain camaraderie amongst strangers.

Definitely try out Sanctum 2 if you’re in need of a different recipe for a first person shooter from the others out there currently. If you have friends in the same position, I would strongly advise you grab them now and blast some aliens away.

-Airalien

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