FortNite Patch 1.5! 'Survive The Storm'

Patch 1.5, the Survive the Storm patch, goes live after the 7 PM EST maintenance period!  Get an overview of the patch before it's live here!  Link to full notes below!

https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/survive-the-storm---release-notes

FortNite Survive the Storm Patch News!

Extra! Extra!  Listen all about it!  Epic Games drops news about Survive the Storm Patch!  

One Small Step for a Man...

One Giant (Hopeful) Leap into the Future!

Hi everyone!  Another quick update!  I recently created a Facebook page specifically for my content!  I've been thinking about doing so for a while but it always seemed daunting and for people who actually were succeeding financially with their content.  Well, no more!  The page is up and I even dropped a little cash to promote my new page across Facebook.  I'm very excited to be moving forward with my 'career' as a content creator.  Thanks for reading!

Click here to check out the Facebook page!  Give it a like and follow me to get updates when I post links back here and from my Youtube Channel.

FortNite - Rocket's Red Glare! (Launch the Rocket Mission)

Quick Update! - What I've been doing lately!

Lots of Summer Fun!

Howdy folks!  It's been a while since I did a proper post.  That's because I've been focusing on making YouTube videos of myself playing some fun games I've gotten over the summer.  So I wanted to update people on what I have planned for future content on my blog AND my YouTube Channel (which you can find HERE!) All plans subject to change.  "The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry." - Robert Burns, 'To a Mouse'

So my plans moving forward are:

• A return to a weekly blog post.  
• I have plenty of things going on so I should be able to write about most of them
• One of them is a 'survivor's log' that will go along with a game I'm playing.
• Game reviews?  All kinds, not just video games.  Send suggestions of things I should play!
• Weekly/Bi-Weekly Livestream on my YouTube Channel.
• I have two survival-type games I really like streaming right now, 'Subnuatica' and 'FortNite.'  Subnautica my wife enjoys, so I want to do Wednesday evening 'Wive Streams' where I play and my wife comments.  FortNite is a more arcade style 3rd person shooter with zombie-survival elements that is just fun.  FortNite Fridays may become a thing.
• At least 1 recorded video a week.
• I have Diablo III, FortNite, a Subnautica 'Survivor's Log', and even a Kerbal video series I want to continue, so I hope to post at least one of these videos a week.
• Also game reviews.  I keep buying Early Access to games I intend to review.  I should review them!
• Write more book!
• I'm Draconic Author for a reason, right?  Write?  WRITE!
• Catch up on the backlog of blog posts I wanted to right, started, but never finished.
• Of mice and men, folks...  Am I right?

Also, serious question for readers I'd love you to answer in comments:

What else should I write about/video blog about?  Never done a video blog, but that would be fun.  It would be super awkward at first since I don't have a good camera, and since I've never done video blogging before.  But I'd love feedback/suggestions.  

So I hope I'm back!  Need to keep this creative inertia!  Thanks for reading!

**Edit: Forgot to add some of my plans to the list

Movie Review! "Spider-Man: Homecoming!"

Spider-Man: Homecoming!

They got it right this time!

As someone who has been growing up and living with superhero movies and has seen five, yes, FIVE other web-slinger movies come and go, this was the best one by far.

Yes, Spidey.  Yes, it was.

Now before I get into why I loved this movie, I want to admit something to you.  I don't read comic books.

"But Shane, how can you be taken seriously as a critic of the movie if-"

Look, voice-in-my-head-that-I-personify-on-my-blog-for-comedic-effect, I may not have the most comprehensive knowledge base on Spidey and his history and incarnations, but I grew up with "The Amazing Spider-Man" cartoon and watched FIVE other Spidey films peter out and vanish so listen, punk,

I will sic Tim Burton's Batman, Michael Keaton, on you!
(Wow, Batman & Vulture.  Nice resume, Dude.)

With that out of the way, to my review!  I instantly knew I would like this movie when a version of the classic Spider-Man theme was used over the Marvel Cinematic Universe Opener, so whoever made that decision: Kudos.  We start with scenes of the aftermath of "The Avengers" movie, with the Chitauri Leviathan corpse lying in a wrecked New York City building.  A 'clean-up' crew is salvaging all the materials left over from the battle when some government types show up to tell Adrian Toomes, the owner/boss/foreman, that he's out of a job and a lot of money, which he was planning to make back along with a profit for cleaning up the battlefield.  We then learn that Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, is behind the Department of Damage Control, the people who took Toomes' contract.  Then comes "A film by Peter Parker," the Smartphone movies of Peter's "Captain America: Civil War" involvement was cute and it helped us drop into Peter's world as the phone was noticed by Tony Stark, changing the perspective from the phone to Peter.  And before I move on, so glad to see Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan again.  Also, no Uncle Ben dying or pro-wrestling silliness.  So yay, no origin story!  We've seen it twice already...

Oh, I almost forgot.

It's only been out for a week so...

Life seems to have gone on for Peter, as we're told eight months have passed since Peter stole Cap's shield and fought in the Avengers' Civil War.  We see Peter impatiently waiting to ditch school so he can don his suit and swing around Queens to help old ladies and stop bike thieves, and then sneaking home before Aunt May finds out.  He ditches his school bag by sticking it to a dumpster beforehand, and when he returns after making a phone call to Happy Hogan (his Stark/Avengers point man) to retrieve it, it's gone.  This leads the wall-crawler to come across some thugs wearing Avengers costume masks robbing an ATM with some decidedly alien tech, which starts our main story arc: Spidey wants to find who's selling these weapons to protect his hometown of Queens.

The movie continues with Peter's life as a teenager burdened by crazy powers, a desire to do more, and Spanish quizzes.  And that is what makes this Spider-Man movie one of, if not the, best of them all.  The other movies tried to cast young men and shoehorn them into looking, acting, and living like high school seniors, then quickly pushed them into the adult realm.  Marvel's team, led by Kevin Feige, cast Tom Holland perfectly as Peter.  An actual teenager is much more believable as Peter Parker, who's wise cracks and adolescent charm is what makes Spidey a fan favorite.  So watching this version of the Webbed Wonder crack wise about each 'Avenger as he fights the masked thugs is perfect.

His fight with the masked men isn't all laughs though, as they pull out insanely powerful weapons seemingly made from the salvage Toomes managed to keep.  This ends up blowing a hole in the side of the bank housing the ATM, but also blows up a deli Parker frequents that happened to be across the street.  Parker races over to rescue the owner and his cat and leaves Parker wondering where their weapons came from.

Later, Parker starts to find out.  With Spider-Man being hailed a hero on the local news, (and because his best friend Ned found out it's Peter when he caught Peter sneaking back home that night), Ned blurts out that Peter knows Spider-Man when they overhear Liz has a crush on Spidey in an attempt to help his friend.  This prompts Flash, a schoolmate, and bully, to tease Peter about inviting Spider-Man to Liz's party.

Peter begrudgingly goes (with Ned in tow) for the chance to be around Liz, planning to swoop in as Spider-Man to impress her and claim the two selves are friends, but just as he's about to do this, a strange blue explosion is seen and heard, and Spider-Man runs to investigate.  What follows is an amateur attempt to foil a weapons sale, but not without some heroics ("If you want to shoot someone, shoot me,") and some hijinks that result in several shots fired by the weapons merchants, Peter being dragged through the suburbs of Manhattan, and the friendly, neighborhood, Spider-Man crashing through several backyards.  This lands Peter a lead on the weapons when he finds a piece of their salvaged tech that some thugs come looking for.  And a montage later, we know they're somewhere in Maryland.

This leads to Peter going with his High School's Academic Decathlon team to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national tournament in order to track down Toomes' associates, only to miss the competition after his attempt ends him a night's stay in Stark's high-security Damage Control Bunker with some tech Toomes tried to steal with his flying Vulture suit.  (He manages to unlock some crazy extras from his suits code in the process).  He then has to save his friends when some of the tech Parker found while investigating the weapons goes off while they are atop the Washington Monument.  Spider-Man is considered a hero and Peter blends back into his high school life in preparation for the third act.

Switch gears briefly, I want to talk about Michael Keaton's performance and role in this movie.  He plays Adrian Toomes, and the film shows pieces of the life of Toomes, the blue collar salvage laborer turned hi-tech weapon seller to whoever has the cash.  We see and hear what Spider-Man's interference is doing to Toomes' low-profile, high-profit weapon business.  We are shown that he resents what Tony Stark did to his salvage business at the beginning of the movie, and justifies his actions in the last act of the movie by pointing out to Peter that Stark was a weapon monger once, as well, and is the only reason he has the wealth that he does.  But not before the best bombshell of the film.  Now I'm saving that for a moment to talk about Keaton's performance because it's part of (if not entirely) why the movie is so good.  We see a man provide for his family using the one thing he and his crew of salvage experts know how to do: turn broken stuff into profit.  And we understand his dilemma.  Unlike other Spider-Man movies which have given us villains that just seem to want to kill Peter for fun, Toomes only wants him to leave what he's doing alone so he can keep his family taken care of.  This conflicts with what Peter sees this business doing: giving anyone with cash incredibly dangerous weapons that threaten people in his hometown.  Toomes/Vulture is not just some random villain with some good tech.  He's a person with real motivations we can relate to, even if the means he uses are questionable.

In the third act, Peter loses the advanced Spidey-suit Tony Stark made him for Civil War after an attempt to catch Toomes' Vulture selling more weapons nearly turns the Staten Island Ferry into scrap, not to mention dozens of cars lost in the Hudson River and almost killing the Ferries passangers.  Iron Man had to come and save it, and Stark tells Parker to hand over the suit.  Peter's plea to keep it, claiming that he is "nothing without the suit," earns the rebuke, "If you're nothing without the suit then you shouldn't have it."  This is an interesting response for Stark.  In earlier Iron Man films, Tony's self worth becomes tied directly to what he can do in the suit.  It's not until the third film when Tony realizes he, not the suit, is what makes the difference.

 

Nice Video, MCUExchange!

Tony needs Peter to learn the same lesson he had to learn.  Bereft of the super suit, he goes back to being a teenager, no longer expecting to be swooped up to help the Avengers at a moment's notice.  Now free of the "great power" and the "great responsibility" of the hi-tech suit, Peter opens up to people he's neglected to engage with earlier in the film, like his crush Liz, and ends up asking her to the Homecoming Dance.  He asks his Aunt for help preparing, and then she drops him off at his date's house for the big night.  Knocking on the door with a corsage in hand, Peter is greeted by Adrian Toomes who has no idea who Peter is, but Peter knows.  He turns out to be Liz's father, and the anxiety and tension in the scenes that follow are intense.

We watch Peter, struck dumb and anxious as a rat in a trap, awkwardly disregard the girl he's been head over heels for the whole movie.  And the best part is that we know.  We know Peter knows.  And we both fear he will be discovered.  So what happens?  After Adrian innocently insists on driving his daughter and her date to the dance, Liz gives up that Peter 'knows' Spider-Man just as Adrian starts to realize Peter sounds like someone he's met.  (By the way, one of the few times I've seen a hero get recognized by his voice when he's normally masked.  Superman, those glasses fool no one but your comic-book neighbors.)  Arriving at the school, Adrian tells his daughter to head inside so he and Peter can have the 'daddy-date' talk, and as soon as she's inside, we see Adrian grab a handgun, and without even pointing it at Peter or revealing it to him, outs that he knows Peter's secret and offers him a chance to move on.  "Forget everything, or I'll kill you and everyone you love," is the gist of it.  Having no choice but to agree, Peter leaves the car and goes into the dance.

And immediately ditches his date after telling her she doesn't deserve this, grabs his old suit from under a WALL of lockers he uses as a stash (he just lifts the lockers off their foundation) and hijacks Flash's ride (his father's BMW)  With the help of Ned, Peter arrives to confront Toomes at an old warehouse, which the Vulture drops on Peter's head.  Trapped under the rubble that is crushing him, Peter digs deep, inspired by Tony Stark's message regarding his suit, and manages to intercept the Vulture just as he begins hijacking one of Stark's Avenger planes loaded with all kinds of tech Toomes intends to steal and sell (including at least one suit and several mini-ARC reactors).  Sabotaging the 'vacuum seal' the Vulture's wingsuit somehow formed over the place Toomes infiltrated the plane, Peter has to fight off the Vulture and try to keep the plane from crashing into Cooney Island (he BARELY made it to the beach) where a damaged Vulture beats Peter almost to death, only to be saved by the web-slinger when his wingsuit explodes.  Peter rounds up all the tech, and webs Toomes to a crate of loot, with a message saying, "Sorry about the plane."

The rest of the film is icing on the cake.  Stark invites Peter to join the Avengers (and offers him a SWEET Spidey-themed power armor suit) only to be turned down by the young man, who's figured out that he's not ready to be an Avenger.  We also see that Tony, despite playing off his invite as a test for the young hero, actually expected him to join, and Pepper Potts, played by the gorgeous Gweneth Paltrow, comes out wondering where he is!  With a room full of reports behind the door, Hogan gives Tony an engagement ring he's had in his pocket "since 2008."  (The first movie of the MCU was "Iron Man (2008)," suggesting Hogan has been expecting Tony to propose to Pepper the entire time).  Hogan leaves to drive Peter home as Potts and Stark walk into the news conference all smiles.  At home, Peter finds the Civil War suit on his bed, and as Peter relishes putting it back on, we see Aunt May behind him scream "What the f-" as credits roll to the Ramones.

Phew.  I didn't expect to write a whole plot overview, but it's what came out.  The movie was great, and it stayed focused on what it needed to: Peter's attempts to balance his high school/civilian life with having super-powers and a desire to be more, and Vulture's humanity clashing with his desire to take care of his family but also get back at Tony Stark.  And as the credit extra scene rolls, we see that Toomes, given the chance in prison by another inmate to out Parker and cause him endless trouble, says instead, "If I knew who Spider-Man was, he'd be dead."  Toomes' humanity survived, meaning he remains an interesting and worthwhile villain in a genre where villains are like the popcorn you eat at the theater.  You enjoy it for one movie and when it's gone, you don't think about it.  But Toomes remains memorable because we get to understand him as a person, not just as a cinematic punching bag for our webbed hero.

Thanks for reading my 'review' of Spider-Man homecoming.  If you enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog or my Youtube Channel, and feel free to follow me on other social media platforms.  I'm glad I got to write this for you, and look forward to the next awesome movie I see and get inspired to review.

Check out my Youtube Channel!  

https://www.youtube.com/user/ShinobiShane

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TABZ - It's Quiet... Too Quiet

Totally Accurate Battle Zombielator.  I thought I was alone...  Until I learned something about Zombielators....  They are attracted to loud noises.



AK's are NOT quiet.



Neither are Shotguns.



First vid in a while.  Life's been busy and had to focus on some other things.  Planning to get back soon with something ELSE zombie related in about two weeks.  See you in a fortnight.  ;)

Diablo III : Necromancer - Leoric's Crown

Continuing my Diablo III Beta Test.  More Story Mode for the time being.  Adventure Mode and Challenge Rift Videos will come too.  



Diablo III (C) of Blizzard Entertainment.

Thanks for watching!  Please subscribe if you liked what you saw and feel free to comment and leave suggestions! 

More LEGO Building Fun!

Unity RPG Q&A with Project Director Anson!

Q&A with the man behind the Unity Tabletop RPG

As you might know, last October I backed a Kickstarter to fund the development of a new tabletop role-playing game system called Unity being created by Zensara Studios.  As a writer and lover of high fantasy worlds, I asked the head of the project, Anson Tran, if he would like to answer some questions.  The following is the Q&A that follow, which was conducted via email.

Unity:  Four Factions.  One Destiny

Draconic Author:  So tell me about yourself. Who is Anson and what inspired you to create your own tabletop role-playing game?
Anson Tran: These questions are always hard. I’m a working professional in the IT industry who’s always had a love for stories and games. I was introduced to tabletop gaming a little over 13 years ago and I fell head over heels in love with it as a hobby because it combined my two favorite things when it comes to entertainment. Before tabletop gaming, I had been an avid fan of video games since I was a child. I was blown away by the freedom and openness that tabletop roleplaying afforded me while still giving me the same feelings I get as I sink my teeth into a good video game. Growing up, I always had this burning desire to create my own game but it was very daunting when the only medium I was familiar with were video games. I would ruminate a lot on game design ideas and it was a nice escape for me from the real world. This was done with the caution and understanding that I’ll probably never get to design a video game. Stepping into the tabletop gaming world blew the doors wide open on what was possible and made design and creation a very real thing – I feel the very act of GMing games acts like an educational institution for design.  Certain unfortunate life events (that might have been a blessing in disguise) coupled with my burning desire to create something and fulfill a dream I’ve had since I was a kid pushed me over that edge of “this would be a cool idea” to “oh my god I’m doing it!” I was afforded a small reprieve from work and I started creating Unity and testing it with my local groups of players. The feedback was positive and it spurred me to continue down the path that I am currently on.

DA:  That's a great feeling to have, and anytime I share my own work with people it encourages me work on it even more.  Now. I’ve been a fan of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and role-playing games (RPGs) since I first got Baldur’s Gate on the computer almost 16 years ago. Things have changed a lot since then, especially how people play. What was important for you to make part of your game that you enjoyed over years of gaming?
AT: Baldur’s Gate! Many, many a good hours were lost over that game and its sequel for me.  I think for me, gaming and how we game may have evolved significantly over the years but the feelings remain the same. It was important for me to understand those feelings and really drill down to get to the heart of them and what were the triggers that made them possible. I believe it’s subjective so I can only speak from my own experiences, but some of the best gaming moments I’ve had were shared with friends. There are some amazing single player experiences out there and I’m a huge fan of the single player experience, but for me, working together with a buddy or two to accomplish goals and sharing in the adventure as we reach those goals was paramount and the reason that I kept playing. When designing Unity, I focused a lot on teamwork, synergy, and gently prodding players into a dialogue with each other and rewarding them for it. Those were the most fulfilling moments for me when playing games over the years, video or tabletop. Something that ties in with this was also remembering the frustrating moments in my gaming career where there were barriers or obstacles that made it difficult to achieve those fulfilling moments I previously mentioned. It helps to keep me cognizant of designing rules that might impede the central concept of Unity.

DA: You mention in your Kickstarter Project video that your professional career makes you a good candidate to trust with completing your goals for Unity. What exactly do you do and how does it make your project one that Backers can take comfort knowing their money will be used as they intend: to complete the project and provide them with a product?
AT:  As mentioned earlier, I work within the IT industry and have held roles as a project manager and analyst. The stakes are higher in my industry as it’s focused on healthcare IT but the general challenges are the same when it comes to the majority of project work. Doing the Kickstarter and entering a new industry (tabletop gaming) has been an incredible learning experience and part of that has been translating the skills and knowledge from previous IT projects and finding a way to fit them to some of the more specific/unique challenges that have cropped up with designing a tabletop RPG.
Planning is so critical to project work and even more so when you are dealing with systems that save lives. Being immersed in the industry for 5+ years really drills this into your head and I’ve done my best to let this rigor spill over into everything I do for Unity. As it’s a new industry for me with its own unique challenges, I tried to install as many safety nets as possible to provide my backers with confidence that completion and delivery are inevitable conclusions. One of these would be the fact that I invested a large portion of the money, time, and effort upfront to have something substantial to show the world that I was dead serious about delivering a quality product. Another would be having contingencies – backup printers, backup artists, back up fulfillment etc.

DA:  If you could have included something into Unity that didn’t make the cut and wasn’t revealed as a stretch goal, what might it be?
AT:  I would have loved to include an additional bestiary, a separate supplement just filled with monsters and foes to fight.

DA:  You released your Kickstarter under Zensara Studios. Where does the name come from and who makes up the studio besides yourself?
AT:  I’ve always been a pretty spiritual person and that’s reflected in the name. Zensara came from Zen and the “sara” is from Samsara (which alludes to the infinite cycle of life and death). Zensara Studios is largely myself with my contractors for artwork and things that will take me far too long to learn (like animating videos). I have a business partner who is hands-off creatively but helped me get the company going initially. As the Core Rulebook nears completion, we’ll be looking to expand the company a bit by bringing in additional writers to help with the stretch goals.

DA:  How far do you see this project going? Dreams of a phone call from Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast? Paizo Publishing? How high is the ceiling for Zensara Studios?
AT:  Honestly Shane, if people are enjoying Unity and want more then I’d love to deliver more. One thing I’ve learned from this whole experience is that it can be a balancing act to make sure you don’t burn out on the thing that you love and you don’t slowly turn the thing that you love into a chore. Because I own all the creative aspects of my game, I’ve found the balancing act achievable and it sometimes makes me wonder if I could maintain this level of passion if I was making someone else’s game. Because of this, I haven’t really been spending my daydreaming hours thinking about a call from the big dogs.  Thought it would be better spent trying to see how I could fit more lizardmen into Unity because I know that makes certain people giddy.

Giddy is an understatement.  Have you seen my page banner?  

DA:  Just from your Kickstarter page, any veteran D&D player would recognize the page style used in your samples, but your book looks to be much more colorful than the standard D&D handbook. What considerations did you put into your design style? Do you think the benefit of having a full-color book outweighs the added costs of production?
AT:  Unity has been a passion project since the beginning. I knew I would probably lose money but I’ve been enamoured with the idea of a little guy like myself releasing a high quality product, not just content wise but production values as well. When you ask if I think the benefit of a full-colour book outweighs the added costs of production, the answer would be that it depends on the creator’s goals. My goal as mentioned just now, is just to have the kind of game book that I would be salivating for myself, that I would feel really good to hold in my hands and flip through, that I would be super excited to bring and show my friends and try to rope them into trying the game with me. In that sense, yeah it’s worth it.

DA:  I’m a huge fan of what Wizards/Hasbro did with the Fourth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, especially coming from 3.5. Before 4th, melee characters were limited in most combat situations to just swinging their weapon, even with the horde of supplementary content, both official and home-brewed, while the casters had a plethora of effects and options. 4th gave everyone a ‘spell book’ of sorts to choose from, each with effects that could help allies and hinder enemies while adding flavor and appeal to combat.What was it about the Power Card system that you liked so much, and in what ways do you think you improved it?
AT:  The Power Card system gave me that video game feel and as an avid gamer all my life, it was incredibly comforting tucking into that when 4th first came out. It also spoke to video gamer sensibilities about ‘balance’ in that you didn’t have caster types having all the fun, and martial types had variety and depth beyond “I swing my sword.” as well. I’ve always been a huge proponent of every type of class having depth and variety. I felt pigeonholed into playing a caster in earlier editions of D&D and some other tabletop RPGs because they actually had a bunch of different things they could do (fun!) even though sometimes I really wanted to play a warrior type.
One thing that became apparent as we played 4th more that didn’t jive too well with my groups was that there were a lot of fiddly bits and coupled with an individual turn/initiative system for all units on the battlefield, combat began to feel incredibly long and tedious. I understand a lot of folks don’t mind this and embrace the long combats inherent to 4th but it wasn’t our cup of tea even though we loved the variety of powers and the tactical nuance that was afforded by them. I’m always loathe to say “we tried to make X better by…” because tabletop gaming is so largely subjective to individual tastes but for us streamlining the powers on top of a system that supported simultaneous turns made combat feel smoother and faster while still remaining a fulfilling and thrilling experience that rewarded smart and creative thinking.

DA:  We had our problems with combat taking forever too.  Fourth Edition also made role-playing feel secondary to combat. With so many combat choices, role-playing (in my experience playing) could feel stunted by confusing skill categories and ‘Skill Challenges’ which made the game more about ‘roll playing’ than role playing. That said, a good Game Master/Dungeon Master (GM/DM) can make any system better with effort. Did you have similar experiences? Was and is making role playing a key foundation in Unity as important as making players feel powerful?
AT:  Absolutely. Unity is this abomination child (said with all the love a father can muster) that has both parts roleplaying and gaming tweaked to the tastes of myself and the groups I play with. You have the combat and the powers that are rigidly defined with rules and conditions, and then you have something like Core Paths which are open, free-flowing, and a bit nebulous. I tried to make the game in a way where I could have my cake and eat it too. Roleplaying is hugely important to me and speaks to that side that loves hearing and telling stories. I like being taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and I’m always trying to find ways for players to buy tickets to that very ride. Things like Core Paths, Spark Points, and Failing Forward are my way of saying this isn’t just a game but also a story that you’re all writing together.

DA:  While reading through the Early Access Packet I saw an interesting side-bar titled “Shades of Grey” describing Unity as a game of heroes and cooperation. The most important aspect of an RPG is the role playing. While I always play some form of Good Sword-Wielder, I know people who love to play the villain who is out for himself and more than willing to leave the ‘meat shields’ behind. What made you point this out in your game? Why did you feel it necessary to tell players that the game isn’t meant to be played as an evil character? Could you have worded that differently?
AT:  I pointed it out specifically because I wanted to inform the reader in a nice way that I did not put a single thought into making the game support evil campaigns. In fact the name of the game itself is about cooperation and working together. I actually am unsure how Unity would play if someone decided to make an evil character. Could be a fun experiment. I also might have something tucked away in the corner of my mind about another game where you are encouraged to make evil characters.

DA:  Okay, last question for now.  The idea of Synergistic Combat Solutions (to paraphrase my favorite nonsensical Cards Against Humanity card) is one of the reasons I Backed this project. The scene in The Avengers when Captain America deflects Iron Man’s repulsor blasts around a corner is visually appealing, and to be able to create combos between players is a first in my tabletop experience. Sure, casting Magic Weapon on an ally's weapon is a neat buff, but throwing the barbarian over a wall so his ground slam attack inflicts more damage is usually something done at the DM’s discretion, not built into the rules. What gave you this idea, and what sort of crazy combos did you build into the game? Do you expect players to find new ways to synergize powers that may be ‘broken’ or overpowered? What (if any) is one that you didn’t add that sounded like a good idea in theory but didn’t work out when the rules were applied?
AT:  What you describe about throwing the barbarian over the wall so he can land with grand aplomb and send his foes scattering through the air while possibly caving in some ogre’s skull with his hammer from the force of his landing is pretty much what gave me the idea for this “Synergistic Combat Solutions” :P We found over the years, we were doing a lot of these GM discretion moments when we gamed and almost every time, it would be AWESOME. It made us look voraciously around for a game that had this built into the rules and supported it but we came up pretty short of what we envisioned.
There are a lot of combos that come to mind and many more still to be discovered. One thing that surprised me in a session was watching my players utilize a 3 person combo to land some significant damage on a monster. The Primalist class has an ability called Aspect of the Rhino that encourages the Primalist to move before they attack as every range band they cover adds a chunk of damage on top of their normal attack damage. The 3 players tried to create and cover as much distance as possible between the monster and the Primalist. The Dreadnought in the group used a power to swat the monster back a range band further and the Sentinel crouched down low with her shield braced to launch the Primalist another 2 extra range bands, who was charging across the battlefield with Aspect of the Rhino up. The resulting hit was massive and instantly killed the monster. Having players discover these combos is an incredible feeling.
I absolutely expect folks to discover some broken combos out there. The nature of this type of system creates many different possibilities. As you add more powers or more classes etc, things begin to multiply. But now that the Early Access Packet (EAP) is out and folks are playing, we’re getting a lot of good feedback and will hopefully catch some of these overpowered combos. With regards to your question about something that I wanted to add but didn’t, to be honest, I didn’t have this struggle BUT you might notice the Overdrive power Prismatic Shard for the Primalist in the Early Access Packet. It’s an idea that I’m fond of but I’m unsure if its execution and rule set are easily understood by the player/GM. I deliberately left it in there to see how folks with fresh eyes will utilize it (if they can) and I’m watching the feedback on that power closely. I’m hoping it makes sense and people see what I’m trying to do there but it could very well end up removed/replaced and that would be my answer to your question.

Thank you, Anson, for your time and for answering these questions for me.  I look forward to more meaty updates to test and possibly another -more punctually delivered- round of questions with you.  For those who want to learn more about the Unity RPG, please visit the links below.

• Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/215931791/unity-tabletop-rpg/description
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ZensaraStudios/
• Website: http://www.unity-rpg.com/

Kerbal Space Center - To Boldy Go! Part 1

Shane, the Draconic Author, takes command of the Kerbal Space Program.  Some one get this man a pilot's license.  Suggest scenarios and mods in comments!



Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector 15

Kerbal Space Program Copyright © 2011-2017 Squad. All Rights Reserved.

NEW BANNER ART!

Thank you, Graey Erb!

In case you haven't noticed, I have new banner art for YouTube and my Blogspot page!

YouTube Banner!

Blog Banner!

My artistic friend Graey Erb, found on his website, worked on these for me recently!  He did all the artwork used, as I've mentioned before on this blog.  If you need an artist for fantasy/steampunk/sci-fi art, call on him.  He'll illustrate my book, someday.  Also, he has a DeviantArt page and a Tumblr and an Instagram!  Go like him!  This is so much fun to watch come together.  Gets me juiced to write!  I love seeing my ideas become reality, and I love having found someone who 'gets' what I'm looking for.  

NERDOWRITO - Creating at NerdCon: Nerdfighteria

How Deadlines Help You Work

And also gain premature gray hair

While I was at NerdCon: Nerdfighteria at the end of February, I got the chance to participate in a session of accelerated writing in the vein of NaNoWriMo, the period of writing in November where the Nation Novel Writing Month group encourages writers to attempt a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.  Hosted by Christina Horner, the event was called NERDOWRITO which involved forty-five minutes of writing.  We were all given a quote for someone in the story to say, a character to use, and an adjective to describe something, each of which had to be used in the story somehow.

My Prompts included a quote, a character, and
an adjective, all to be used in the story

Now, I've tried to do NaNoWriMo before, and have not gotten through the 50,000-words, but I recognize the importance of deadlines as a motivational tool.  In my attempts to participate in NaNoWriMo, I try to write one thousand words a day.  At the NerdCon event, I managed about 375 in forty-five minutes.  That means It might have taken me a little over two hours to write the one thousand words needed for NaNoWriMo.  Having three bits to work from helped, as it helped formulate a story as soon as I read them.

In general, the popular opinion is that deadlines help people work faster and more intelligently, however, it's been a mixed bag for me.  Because the work I set deadlines for (like this blog) carries little consequence for not meeting them I have a hard time finishing things when I'd like to, usually because other more important things (and even unimportant things) either come up or distract me.  In the past, I've asked friends for somewhat unpleasant consequences to get me to finish something, such as posting a picture of myself in pig-tails on social media.  That's worked a total of once since even that consequence did not impact me enough.  However, I know that I react strongly when consequences will affect my wallet (like paying bills on time) or health (making sure I go to appointments).  The stress involved is most likely what motivates me, as getting sick, paying a late fee, or the general shame I feel if I forget something important are things I hope to avoid.  Why I don't feel the same shame when I don't finish a blog post or a book chapter, I cannot say.

That said, the forty-five minutes of writing at NerdCon netted me the very short story below.  I have left it unedited and unfinished for now, just to show the raw outcome of the experience.  I hope to polish it up and give it an ending some day.  For now, enjoy a short sample of raw, time limit motivated writing.

*          *          *

It's was a mess.  Or perhaps, it was just her.  Swan Lake may be a classic, but the cast sure wasn't.  It was the only thing that resembled a professional on stage was the set pieces, standing still just like they were supposed to.  Instead, the cast moved about like a flock of wounded goslings, unable to hold poses and unwilling to follow instructions.  She could at least take solace in the knowledge they had months to practice.

Samantha stared at her reflection as makeup continued to run in her tiny mirror in the cast dressing room, a luxury she enjoyed because of her role: the black swan.  Toddlers auburn framed a face where mascara was forming lines down her cheek, and the eye shadow had been smudged by numerous back-of-the-hand tear wiping attempts, making the skin around her hazel eyes appear bruised.  She had spent the past year studying her part and the realization she was surrounded by a cast that hadn't had ruined the experience.

“We'll get there,” Mike said, offering comfort.  Her boyfriend was not a dancer, but his willingness to tolerate waiting for her to finish practice made him invaluable.  “It's not like we have a booked house tonight.”

“We'll be lucky to be ready by next year!” Samantha lamented.  “Who selected this cast?”  

The director happened to walk by at that moment, avoiding eye contact with the diva.

“Look at it this way,” Mike said, picking up the micro camp site he had erected outside the stage door, “in a few months they’re bound to improve or get fired.  Have you ever been in a bad production?”

“I can't even think about our first dress rehearsal.  That's too far away.  I'm worried how I'm going to get through these practices!  I've never seen such lacking discipline among dancers!”

The ride home was a blur, lost amidst raging thoughts about her career.  Thoughts of whether it had been a waste to come so far to be met with what she could only be called monumental incompetence.  Or had she asked for this.  “Why did I agree to work in this production, again?” she asked, but left no chance for a response.  “Since when has ‘giving back’ been a requirement for success on Broadway?”

*          *          *

Thanks for reading!  This week, the Internet Creators Guild (ICG) is having a #CreateICG Week on YouTube and other places!  Search #createICG on Twitter to find other creators who are sharing all manner of things related to CREATEing!  

NerdCon: Nerfighteria! Recapping and Musing

Good Morning Nerdfighters!

A Recap of my Weekend in Boston at NerdCon: Nerdfighteria!

 The Convention Schedule Cover

Not long ago on February 25th & 26th, at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, was NerdCon.  Only the second convention I have ever been to (the first was ConnectiCon last July) and it was AWESOME!

I became a Nerdfighter sometime between 2013 and 2014.  It's hazy because I didn't realize what I had stumbled into until at least 2014, but I know I was watching Vlogbrothers for at least a year before that.  And to be honest, saying I only became a Nerdfighter then is a lie, because those of us who relate to the Nerdfighter community have always been Nerdfighters.  We just didn't know it, yet.  I knew I found something I liked when I first saw a video of John discussing literature in one of my Education classes when I was studying to become a teacher after I had already graduated from Rutgers University.  I made a point to remember the channel and well, the rest, as they say, is history.

I'm very glad I went to NerdCon.  I wasn't sure what to expect and the fact that there was so much going on that I couldn't choose which panel or activity to go to was both awesome and frustrating because I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS!  That said, what I went to I enjoyed, even the somewhat awkward moment when I realized I was in the wrong room (which I had entered a half an hour earlier) and the right room was full.  It freed me up to do something else I wanted to do.  

I got to attend a few panels I enjoyed.  The first was a Q&A with Laci Green & Dr. Lindsey Doe (moderated by Matthew Gaydos) about their sexual education channels.  The audience had many questions to ask in the 45 minutes we had with Laci and Lindsey, ranging from how to reduce stigma about getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STDs/STIs) to what healthy sexual discrimination looks like (how a person chooses a partner) to how they deal with negative people online.  They put time into each response, even when that response was to refer to a lengthy video either of them had already done.  At first, I felt bad for the one asking to receive an answer that meant they had to look elsewhere, but since the two have covered so many topics (and let's face it, we all had YouTube pocket edition with us) it was the best way to answer some questions.  Afterward, they spent a few minutes talking to anyone who stayed at the end of the panel.

Having a Job While YouTubing Panel

Another panel I attended was about Having a Job While YouTubing, featuring Craig "Wheezy Waiter" Benzine as moderator with Dr. Aaron Carroll, Ahsante Bean, Kristina Horner, Emma Mills, and Nathan Zed.  Here we had an interesting range of experiences balancing careers and YouTube.  Dr. Carroll has the privilege of having a career in medical research where what he does for his career relates directly to his work on Healthcare Triage, meaning he has almost no conflict.  Others on the panel work for corporations like Microsoft and PBS Digital Studios, and only got started in their careers after creating a portfolio on YouTube.  Their chief bit of advice was to make time.  Even if just a little, and to avoid thinking you need to produce an entire video in one go.  They suggested taking some time to edit, to write scripts, research, and record on different days when short on time.

My Prompts for NERDOWRITO!

One of the events I went to was NERDOWRITO, an idea created by Kristina Horner.  A writer herself and a participant of NaNoWriMo, she wanted to have a super condensed writing session with all willing attendees of the convention, so I made sure to be there.  The exercise was to write as much of a story as possible in 45 minutes.  To get us started, we were given three cards with the parts of a prompt on it: a character; an adjective; and something to be said in dialogue.  Mine are pictured above.  Those in attendance then had the rest of the session (about 45 minutes) to write.  I will be sharing my polished short story on the blog in the future.  I had a good time writing my story.

The other event I attended was a show featuring John and Hank Green, the two vloggers who started Nerdfighteria and Vlogbrothers.  It was a recording for their Podcast "Dear Hank and John."  We were all handed name tags with "Ryan" written on them, the best name in the world (accord to John and Hank).  It was a humorous hour of dubious advice, news from Mars, and plenty of inside jokes.

The rest of the Con I spent in the expo hall looking at different vendors that were there, including DFTBA Records, and few different causes who came to spread awareness such as NaNoWriMo, This Star Won't Go Out, To Write Love On Her Arms, and Partners In Health.  There was also The Giant Pizza to Decrease World Suck.  If you donated to any of the charities present at the convention, you would get a 'topping' to put onto the Pizza.  On the same display, were several places where con-goers could write and draw things related to Nerdfighteria, DFTBA, bridges, and why the day was awesome.

While I don't expect this convention to happen again, due to it being an anniversary celebration, I had a great time.  I hope anyone who went had a great time as well.  I'll leave you with a video I made from a humorous portion of the convention.  As they say, Don't Forget To Be Awesome!

Hank's Punishment Smoothie - NerdCon: Nerdfighteria

Hank punished himself at NerdCon for all to see! It was humorous and a little hard to watch. Hank, hope you feel okay. I want to thank my wife for doing the filming, a certain Purple Dragon for doing my editing, and Emma Brown for sharing some of her photos with me.
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe if you liked what you saw and feel free to comment and leave suggestions!

Relevant videos about the Rules:
https://youtu.be/TBJamfZFisU?t=1m57s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4eJZ...

Emma's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/emmalynnebrown

Twitchy Purple Dragon:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClE8...

New YouTube Channel & Other Updates

Making Videos for Fun!

Hello again!  It's been a while since I posted last and before you ask, yes, I know I have a half a dozen other posts to finish.  My attention is so scattered I'm proud of myself just for finishing this one.  That said, I've got all kinds of news!

First off, I've finally started making YouTube videos.  I got my computer to cooperate and have posted around 6 videos where I play either Fractured Space, a space MOBA with big ships and lots of explosions, or Crypt of the NecroDancer, a fun and addictive Rhythm/Rogue-Like where you move to the beat to slay monsters and advance the simple but compelling story, rescuing people!  Check out one of my runs below, using the character of Bard who doesn't have to move to the music.

Seriously, what?  Not like there are monsters down h-

Secondly, yes, I'm still finishing the "Story in Parts."  That was largely derailed by January being hectic and then my 'taking a break' through most of February.  It has not been forgotten or stopped, simply delayed.  That said, many other delayed and pending pages are still being worked on.  Motivation and focus have been premiums and I spent them on YouTube most of this month because I wanted to incorporate video into my blog.  Now that the ground work for that has been laid, I will try to share my creative impulses between both mediums.

Thirdly, this weekend is NerdCon: Nerdfighteria!  I will be attending and plan to record as much as I can, take pictures, and post blogs day of from my hotel room.  Wish me luck!  If you happen to be going to please comment!  Would love to say hi!

Lastly, what I plan to do in the near future,  A Review of a recently opened Early Access (Alpha) game Conan Exiles will be coming soon.  Exiles is a survival game similar to Ark in a lot of ways (though I haven't played it) minus dinosaurs.  It's based on Robert E. Howard's many short stories about Conan, a barbarian adventurer he wrote about in the late 1920's and early '30s which have subsequently made into three movies (two of which star Arnold Schwarzenegger and the third Jason Momoa) and a few earlier video games.  More on that in the full review.  I'm also planning to review the LEGO Batman movie, and if I can, John Wick: Chapter 2.

Until all this stuff happens: Best Wishes and Don't Forget To Be Awesome!

Happy New Year!

Another Year of Blogging begins!

Hello, readers!  I hope you're feeling well and are already making headway on whatever resolutions or goals or plans you have made for this brand new year.  As a newly married man, I have some things I hope to accomplish this year, namely finding a house to make a home and get out of the cramped apartment I share with my wife.  I also plan to continue making progress with my novel, as well as work on this blog!  With a great year ahead for movies, t.v.,  and video games, I should have plenty to write about when not writing my book!  With some luck, this year will be a good one for my writing career, and I hope it brings opportunities to you, my readers, as well.  I also have a few posts still in the works to share soon.  If anyone has anything they would like to me to review or read or watch, please leave a comment!  I would love to broaden my horizons and talk about things I wouldn't normally expose myself to.  Best wishes for the new year!

New Year's Day Video Game Review! Two Science Fiction Titles that couldn't be more different

Starting the New Year off Right!

Happy New Year Everyone!  Starting off with a review of two games I got after Christmas, Astroneer and Project Genom, both in their Alpha stages and both fun as they are so far.

Astroneer: Space Minecraft without the blocks

Astroneer is a survival-lite planetary exploration game.  So far, the premise is you are an astronaut who is sent down to a vibrantly colored world to explore the planet, expand your base of operations, exploit the resources around you, and exterminate the threats that you can.  "But Shane, this isn't like Masters of Orion or Sins of a Solar Empire, right?"  Right!  This is not a classic 4X strategy game, and (so far) there are no hostile aliens roaming around coming to kill you.  After landing, you are left with your capsule (called a habitat) and your own ingenuity to survive the new world.  Your astroneer (Astro-pioneer?) is equipped with a backpack that serves as your most basic battery and oxygen supply.  These two resources are key to getting anything done, as you expend oxygen by moving around away from things you can tether to like your base.  Tethering is automatic with proximity and allows for refilling oxygen as well as power if your base has one of many types of generators running.  Away from tethers, you can find supplies of raw oxygen and power buried or embedded in the various minable surfaces of the planet (meaning the entire planet).

Let me take a moment to explain how the game plays.  The only other thing your astroneer starts with is a multi-tool which doubles as both a vacuum mining device, sucking up both land and resources, and an extruder, spewing out 'land' to build bridges and walls, and also fill in holes and smooth out the terrain.  Doing so uses power, which must be managed as your backpack recharges slowly.

Now, the game has many resources for you to collect in order to improve your situation.  Very quickly, you will find the first two which are Compound and Resin, which will help you build the beginnings of your base, which is usually a Research system and a Smelter.  The first turns Research pods you find into either new tech to build or a random resource, while the smelter allows you to refine certain materials into metals needed for construction of more advanced tech, like vehicles, generators, and additional base systems.  The first you will end up building is likely a tiny solar dish and a wind turbine to power your backpack, and then your base.

From the ten hours I've put into it (the first 5 all in one sitting) I've managed to build a giant segmented truck covered in storage containers and power plants that allows me to go on huge mining trips and collect as much as possible.  I also have a lunar lander style vehicle that I can use to hop from one area to another, though I have not explored the possibilities with the lander because I don't have enough hydrazine to fuel it.

So instead I take my solar- and wind-powered truck across the surface and down into caves to get hopelessly stuck and then have to tunnel my way back out.

The developers have created an interesting feature where the terrain is all voxels and polygons, and when you use your tool, you can bore straight through any surface you come across.  This allows your to make tunnels through mountains, or if you find yourself stuck in a pit, to make a ramp to get where you want to go.  You can also build up the terrain to make bridges over chasms, or up to areas that are currently inaccessible.  I have not done much building, and have concentrated on digging in my current playthrough.  But digging can get dangerous!  You never know if you'll dig into a huge void and suddenly have to change direction to avoid falling to your death!

Speaking of death, I did mention this is a survival game, correct?  Well, death in this game is annoying, as anything you were carrying when you died is lost and left at your corpse, while your 'respawn' back at base.  You get to keep any generators stuck to the sides of your backpack (which has a limit of 2) but if you just hit a jackpot of titanium, or had exited a vehicle, you have to hoof it back to recover whatever you lost.  The game kindly leaves a marker to help you find your corpse, though, as well as vehicles, bases, or beacons you leave near points of interest.  

Beyond that, the game offers multiplayer for cooperative exploration.  My truck currently has three seats, but I lack any friends to ride with, currently.  The game is addictively fun, though, so I hope to attract some fellow astroneers when the game gets further into development.  I'll make updates about any features I find especially noteworthy.  As it is, the game is fun and provides constant reasons to play just 5 more minutes with the promise of achieving some goal or finding that one mineral deposit you needed to finish building your giant drilling rig!  It is currently available on Steam Early Access and is totally worth the $19.99 USD.  If you pick it up, I'm CDR Shiff D on Steam.  Come play with me!

Project Genom: A Russian Sci-Fi MMO highlighting customization and crafting

You wake from cryosleep, trapped your stasis pod.  In a panic, you fumble for the emergency release and feel relieved as the hiss of the hydraulics releasing fills your ears.  You push up the lid, still shivering from the cryo-stasis gel, and step out into a dimly lit hall in nothing but the boxers they froze you in.  You immediately realize something isn't right.  Electrical wires snap and spark above you.  Parts of the ceiling struts have crashed into a neighboring pod.  Numerous other pods sit empty, but a trail of blood leads you to one of your former cohorts.  He lies slumped against a wall, his hands covered in luminescent blue goo, a strange red shrimp-like creature at his feet.  The puddle of red upon which he sits indicates he at least killed his killer.  You thank him without words, else the creature may have claimed you as well.  Looking around, you find some pants you recognize as basic security leggings.  The tough fabric will keep your legs warm, and hopefully, repel the claws of any more critters that may be around.

Your attention is suddenly drawn to a camera fixated above the door to your cryo-storage vault.  "Hey!  You're alive!  We had to seal the vault when the Diggers broke in, and then you all started thawing!  Some managed to escape but you are the only one left that isn't still a block of ice.  There should be a laser cutter in a box nearby.  Use it to get out!  You're lucky this door isn't the main bulkhead.  Cut the locking clamps and you should be free.  But be careful, the diggers are everywhere!  If you make it to the elevator, I can turn them on to get you out.  Good luck!"  

The snap of the electrical connection being cut makes this one way call a short one.  You search for the laser cutter and tune it to sever the clamps, and after a few moments, you slice through the steel and the door automatically opens.  Stepping cautiously into the waiting chamber, you see all manner of scientific equipment scattered around.  Vials of strange liquid, barrels leaking other fluids, hypo-injectors, surgical equipment, and you realize that in the panic of the last few moments, you don't remember why you were in that cryo-pod.  It matters little when you see the red carapace of a Digger crawl around a corner and stop.  It looks at you as you level your weapon, and then emits a screech, answered by the clatter of a dozen more bug-legs.  You unload your charges at the bugs, and the last falls dead at your feet a minute later as it tried to lunge for you.  Shaken by the encounter you grab as many extra power packs as you find in the crate and stuff the into the waist strap of your leggings, and continue on.

Project Genom Trailer (Note: Some features not yet implemented)

This is your introduction to Project Genom.  Feels like Fallout 4, right?  Well, that's where the similarities end, as you work your way through to the Ark, the remains of a colony ship sent to a far off world called Avalon.  As you poke around and get your bearings in this game which lacks a clear path at first, considering it's Pre-Alpha in development.  You eventually catch wind of what's been going on, and that your rude awakening is the result of these Diggers chewing their way into your cryo-unit and waking you all up before the colony was ready for you.  Exploration will reveal a series of scavenger hunt styled quests which will earn you some context as well as some starting equipment, though make sure you explored enough in the tutorial to find a better starting gun.  Eventually, you leave the colony to explore the planet and the game quickly becomes your normal questing and killing and searching MMO style of gameplay.

Where PG sets itself apart is the systems in place for advancing your character, only some of which are active.  The main one is how you advance your skills.  So far, the only two sets of skills I've noticed online are the armor and weapon skills, with the weapon skills limited to using pistols and automatic rifles.  The game has 6 classes of armor (Only three are available currently: Tactical, Saboteur/Commando, and Assault) and 6 classes of weapons (Pistols, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, Automatic Rifles, Blades, and Glaives).  So far, advancing these skills involves using the associated weapon or armor, which involves either killing appropriate level enemies or getting him by them.  Each subsection of skill has various bonuses that can be unlocked like extra ammo, damage, critical hit chance, or special actions like hitting your enemy with the butt of the rifle.  Some of these things have not been implemented yet, such as mech suits, flying wing-gliders, pets and placeables like turrets and shield, and once you choose to unlock a skill or new tier of item level, you can not (as of yet) undo you choices or redistribute them.  Whether this will carry over to the final product is as of yet undetermined, and with none of the other advancement systems unlocked as of yet, we will have to see where this all ends up.  So far, though, it's fun to run around killing bugs and realizing you have a bunch of points to spend unlocking new tiers of gear.  I did not know what I was doing at first, however, so now I have points spent in things I'd rather not use.  But such is the life of a Pre-Alpha game tester.

Project Genom is also available on Steam Early Access for $13.99 USD, currently 30% off (Normally $19.99).  You can also buy some DLC packs to help further fund the game which will provide you with some bonus stuff once the game systems come online.  They are slightly less exclusive versions of crowdfunding packages they offered several months ago (I can't find the specifics currently).  Are they worth it?  Not presently, since you won't get anything out of them.  Is the $13.99 worth it?  So far, yes.  It's fun and has interesting features and could be quite entertaining if the team can accomplish the goals they have set for it.  Right now, it's an unfinished game with enough polish and content to keep you entertained, and with enough options that starting over once you hit the content wall is worthwhile.  I will definitely keep people posted on any interesting developments.  If you want to check out their website, click here!