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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A night with Liero

What happens when you have too many games on steam and don't know what to play?

Well, we played something that's entirely NOT in Steam........

I personally used to play the original Liero way back when I was a kid. It was pretty fun back then. I used to play split screen with my cousin.

Really glad that the game's still alive through this open source version, the amount of mods is really crazy and awesome. Fun game to play when you really don't feel like thinking too much.Mindless fun.

 

-Lettuce

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Taking the late train to Metro 2033... (Part 2)

In case you missed the previous post, click here!

So we left off our hero, Artyom at Rigo Station. His heroic actions during the ill-fated cart ride has gained recognition around town, bringing him to the attention of a mysterious stranger...

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Taking the late train to Metro 2033…

Well, as most of you with Steam accounts are probably aware that Metro: The Last Light, the sequel to Metro 2033, is now available. For those who probably figured this was some kind of morbid train simulator produced by Tim Burton, I’ll try to correct that real quick. 

The Metro series basically throws you back to a post-apocalyptic Moscow, after Russia was bombarded to kingdom come due to a nuclear war. The country is now severely radiated, making survival almost impossible on the surface and forcing the remaining citizens to seek refuge underground in the metro stations.

Meanwhile, those stranded outside, animal and human alike, have mutated into vicious creatures or what the locals have taken to calling “Dark Ones”. Those lucky enough to avoid such a fate now face a daily battle for survival, scavenging essential food and supplies while avoiding certain death by radiation, bandits or mutant claws.

Personally, I had Metro 2033 long before the sequel came out. But one thing about me, I have this big phobia for playing horror games. Ever since F.E.A.R (a very, very scary game for you paranormal weirdos), I didn’t dare playing even Left 4 Dead for a while!

I’ve, however, heard good things about the Metro series, and I’ll be damned if I let a little girl in a red dress prevent me from experiencing it first-hand for myself.

So I booted Metro 2033, and decided to see what the fuss was all about…

In this game, you play Artyom, a 20-year-old male survivor who has lived underground his entire life. You start off in a prologue, where you accompany Miller, another survivor, for an apparent mission…

The story then rewinds back 8 days ago. The story begins when Artyom and his stepfather cross paths with an old friend, Hunter, who is an elite Ranger and mutant hunter. Their brief reunion is cut short when the mutants find a way to break into the heart of the metro…

The 20-year-old eventually leaves the sanctuary of his home after promising Hunter to seek aid from Polis, another station, to counter the growing mutant threat.  He signs up as a caravan guard for a push cart, which would take him north towards Rigo Station…

So our hero makes it to Rigo Station without any problems… but his journey is far from over. Will he press on, despite knowing what danger lurks in the dark, abandoned tunnels? And what were those visions he encountered? Were they an omen for things to come, or simply hallucinations due to the radiation?

Stay tuned to find out more…

-Airalien

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