The Last Of Us

Currently competing for my painting time, ive been playing 'The Last Of Us' for the PS3.  Its a really good game which is getting max scores from several video game sites.  Not sure I see it as a 'max score' game, but it definitely changes the zombie/apocalypse game genre, and has been enjoyable so far for sure.

The Last Of Us is set 20 or so years after an apocalyptic event.  You are never really told exactly what happened, other than many people started to become infected and turn into zombies (frankly, I dont guess it really matters what the actual event was).  There are small groups of survivors around, and this is where the main character, Joel and his Ellen Page lookalike Ellie come into play.  Ellie has become infected, but the disease has been really slow to spread in her.  Joel is tasked with taking her 'somewhere' (I dont know yet) because she is seen as a possible solution to the infection.

Resources are limited (read: bullets), and as you move through the maps, you find different items you can use to craft new items.  Alcohol, bandages, etc can be used to create health packs, shivs, and molotov cocktails.  TLOU uses a 'listen' function where you can hear where enemies are, and you are encouraged to sneak through maps, and stealthily kill enemies where necessary.

According to my saves, I think Im about 30-35% complete.


Early on, Joel's daughter dies.  Pretty sure Ellie represents the daughter figure

I think in this case, Joel is toast.  'Zombies' (or infected) are pretty tough to bring down on their own, but a pack of them like this is bad news.  In the back is a 'clicker' - they move using echolocation, and once alerted, you are pretty much dead. 

Everything is overgrown, and really looks like something terrible happened where most humans no longer exist.  Not sure, but this is probably actual gameplay footage.

So far, Id give it 8 Raptor's Claws out of 10!  (although, supposedly, its an 'emotional' story - maybe Ill become attached to Ellen Page and not want her to die???)

DCS Black Shark

I recently had to buy a new computer, and I was looking for a new game with nice graphics that my old PC couldnt run.  Enter Digital Combat Simulator - DCS for short - and their combat flight sim games.

I read the reviews of Black Shark (built around the Kamov KA-50 single seat attack chopper) and, although it received high scores everywhere I looked, it always got 'steep learning curve' applied to it.  Its a video game dammit - how hard can it be?

Hard.

As it turns out, Black Shark is a true helicopter simulator.  Built with the help of Kamov themselves, everything about flying this remarkable helicopter appears to be in the game.  I downloaded the manual, which as it turns out is nearly a 600 page pdf file.  Although it explains in depth the science behind flying a helicopter and details what every single switch in the cockpit does, it does very little in explaining how you fly it.

Just last night, after about 5 hours, I was finally able to start the engines by memory (about a 30 step process of flipping switches and checking all gauges), taxi out to the runway, and take off.  On occasion, I was able to fly around a bit, but every time, I managed to crash in a blaze of fiery glory.

On my last attempt of the evening, not only did I manage to take off, but also attempted to land back at the airport.  I bounced off the runway and flew into a building....hey, at least I got a controlled crash right????

So, anyway, here are some pics from the first 5 hours:

On approach to the Admiral Kuznetsov (no picture, but I crashed into the island shortly thereafter)

Engine started, taxied to the runway!

Cockpit view, and shortly after takeoff

A typical ending

A couple more cockpit shots.  95% of the switches, levers, and buttons have a function.

Finally, a couple beauty shots

March 2012 Totals and Mass Effect 3

March was a pretty slim month for painting.  I got involved in Mass Effect 3 (which I just finished - more on that in a sec), and my last save was about 25 hours (all in the month of March).  Normally, that time would be closer to 10-12 hours for a video game, so that really took a chunk.  I finished off a zombie, a few Old West characters, and several 6mm tanks.

If you have been a follower of the Mass Effect series, you must get Mass Effect 3 and run it through.  It is a great 'space opera' with a great story, great gameplay, and really nice looking cutscenes.  Throw in Commander Sheppard getting a little bouncy bouncy from some fluzie reporter and Yvonne Strahovski's cyber character, who can go wrong???

I know who - this guy angry elf

Maybe you have read about the controversy of the ending?  I wont spoil it on my blog, and there is a decent article here about it.  Honestly, the last 10 minutes suck some pretty big donkey.  It does kinda stink that someone has put 75ish hours into the game series only to have a the ending be pretty much worthless.  No closure, no happy ending - hell, there really isnt an unhappy ending!  Like I said, I wont ruin it just in case you are going to play/not finished yet, but Id be interested to know what you think.  And again, the 24 hours and 50 minutes you will play getting to the end are more than worth it - just turn your machine off before you have to make the final decisions!!!

Completed, for March, 2012:

28mm infantry completed: 5
1 Zombies (Victory Force Miniatures)
4 Old West (Black Scorpion Miniatures)

1/285 armor completed:  10
5 T72 (GHQ)
5 BMP2 (GHQ)

In progress, March/April, 2012:
1/285 armor in progress: 10
5 M1A1 Abrams (GHQ)
5 M2 Bradley (GHQ)

15mm Infantry in progress:18
18 ACW (Old Glory and Blue Moon Manufacturing)

Ive been dinking around with the ACW figures the last two weeks.  Im nearly finished with them - I need to get my ass in gear and finish them off.  They have been sitting on my table too long.  The main reason I wanted to paint up the Old Glory and Blue Moon was to get a decent sense of their figures as compared to Peter Pig.  I know lots and lots of people LOVE OG and the Blue Moon stuff, and totally hate the Piggy, but without being totally completed yet, I have to say that the Pig is definitely my 15mm figure of choice.

Im also working on (well, primed and have half a base coat down) some 1/285 US stuff for Desert Storm.  I really love the tiny tanks!

2012 Completed Totals:

25-28mm infantry completed: 23
15mm infantry completed: 15
15mm cavalry completed: 10
20mm infantry completed: 8
1/285 Infantry completed:  8
1/285 Armor completed:  10

Purchases in March, 2012:

Another $0 month!  April will be a different story - I have already pre-ordered quite a bit!!!

Total Purchases, 2012

$77

Playing too much Call of Duty?

I was sitting in my chair watching TV yesterday afternoon.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bird circling in front of my house.  My first though was to pull out my anti air rocket, and shoot down the spy plane...