ZeroAnd09

  I used an old pinup as a reference. I'm not super happy with the hair or proportions.

 My full article at The Nerd Stash can be read HERE .

  My full article can be read at The Nerd Stash HERE .

  Read my full article over at The Nerd Stash HERE .

 

While the new Phasmophobia update has added a lot to the game with remodeled equipment and updated ghost behaviors, it hasn't been without issues. The biggest issue our team of ghost hunters has encountered has been with the reworked video camera not operating properly. It's awesome to see the Kinetic Games identify and address the issue so quickly. Overall the new update has made the game feel new and scary again, so it's exciting to come back and play with the ghosts. Changes The ghost will now move through the DOTS Projector at different speeds each time Fixes Fixed a bug where video cameras would turn off in your hand if the CCTV monitor changed camera Fixed a bug where the CCTV monitor would freeze if you walked out of the truck with a tripod Fixed a bug where the DOTS Projector interaction would only work if the host placed it Fixed an issue where the DOTS Projector interaction was happening twice as often if you placed two down Fixed a spot where you could get stuck ...

My full article can be read at The Nerd Stash HERE .  

  FFXIV continues to explode in popularity due to streamers, a massively successful demo, and other MMORPGs failing to live up to standards. But, it would appear the servers are suffering from this success and many of the data centers are "at capacity". What does this mean for new players?  In a blog post released on Monday, Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida addressed the data center congestion and laid out plans for moving forward. He explains that as of late, the number of simultaneous logins on the NA and EU data centers has continually hit the upper threshold. On August 24th with the 5.58 patch, a change was made to the OS settings for the server configuration of the EU data centers with the plan to increase the login cap once they have confirmed stability in the post-maintenance. An equipment replacement is scheduled for late September with the goal of increasing the cap even further. Along with the patch 5.58 hotfix maintenance, all the Worlds on the Aether data cente...

  Popular ghost hunting game Phasmophobia is set to release its August update today at 1pm CST. There are a number of additions, changes, and fixes. There are two new ghosts, a new equipment type, and the equipment overall has received a visual upgrade. Sprinting Sprinting has received a much-needed overhaul. The default walking speed is now what the old sprint speed was. Players can now sprint for 3 seconds with a five second recharge. VR will have teleporting now to mimic PC sprinting. An inner and outer UI circle represents the teleport range for walking and sprinting that adjust in size depending on how far the player chooses to teleport. Ghosts now have increased acceleration during a hunt when they see a player and their hunt movement delay has decreased from 5 to 3 seconds. What's New Two new ghost types have been added: the Goryo and Myling.  Goryo are vengeful ghosts from Japanese aristocratic classes that have typically been martyred. Belief in the spirits arose duri...

Today Bungie held its 2021 Destiny 2 Showcase. It offered players a look into what's in store with the new season, Season of the Lost , and upcoming expansion, The Witch Queen . Before getting into the meat of the presentation, it was revealed that since going independent two years ago, Destiny 2 has gained 20 million players. Overall, there is a lot of content to dive into and to keep things short, I'm super excited for the future of Destiny. Season of the Lost Season of the Lost  is launching today and will run from August 24, 2021 until the launch of The Witch Queen  on February 2, 2022. Mara Sov has returned to the Dreaming City to find much has changed. Her brother Uldren now fights with the Guardians he so despised. Xivu Arath, sister of Oryx and Savathun, goes to make war with her formidable fleet. Due to Savathun's meddling in an unspeakable number of affairs, Mara Sov seeks an audience with the Witch Queen. A new seasonal activity takes shape in the form of Astra...

  The Rising is making a return to Eorzea. It celebrates the game's 8th anniversary. It is scheduled to run from August 27 - September 9. To begin this year's quest, players will need to speak to Kipih Jakkya in Ul'dah (X:10, Y8.7). Players must be at least level 15 to accept the quest. There are two advertised rewards for the quest, the Red Moon Parasol and Nymeia Potpourri. The potpourri is a fireworks type effect item, so much like the actual fireworks from Moonfire Faire, it will most likely be available to purchase in stacks. Once the event kicks off, make sure to check the Lodestone for past Rising event items to go on sale: LODESTONE

Much to my son's delight, Tripwire Interactive has revealed DLC for the hit "ShaRkPG" Maneater . Truth Quest  is set to release on August 31, 2021 and follows our favorite shark and narrator (Chris Parnell) to the mysterious Plover Island Military Complex. Since the end of the last game, our narrator has been given a name, Trip Westhaven, and relegated to the online video streaming platform "ViewTube". Plover Island is the source of many a conspiracy theory, particularly those involving the naval base nicknamed "Site P" which played host to the US Marine Wildlife Program. From the Tripwire release: "Fight new evolved creatures – Battle fierce wildlife including new evolved apex predators as you battle your way up the food chain to regain your regional dominance. Add new evolutions to your arsenal – Feed on military personnel and evolved wildlife to grow your shark further, and find new evolutions to gain more powerful abilities." The traile...

 

 

  Ahead of the Witch Queen  reveal scheduled for tomorrow, Bungie released a teaser trailer finally showing off Destiny's next big bad, Savathun. Up until this point, there has been a lot of speculation regarding her appearance, so to finally see her crowned, winged form emerge is truly something spectacular. The teaser is only 15 seconds long and our lady says one thing. "Truth...is a funny thing." There is already a lot of speculation about what that could mean, where she is, and what the husk-like forms in the waters are. While it's fun to discuss and play the guessing game, we only have to wait less than a day now to have it all finally revealed to us.

As initially reported by Variety this morning, Netflix has released the first set of photos from the live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop . Cowboy Bebop  was a sci-fi western with a heavy emphasis on style and music initially released in 1998. Created by Hajime Yatate, featuring the musical talent of Yoko Kanno, and directed by the legendary Shinichirō Watanabe, Cowboy Bebop quickly gained critical and commercial success. Bebop  is highly praised for its treatment of story, characters, art direction, and music. It is no understatement to say that its impact helped usher in anime to Western audiences in the early 2000s thanks to a lengthy run on Cartoon Network's Toonami and  Adult Swim . See You, Space Cowboy... Ever since seeing it, Bebop became, and has remained, my favorite anime of all time. It has had such a large impact that it wasn't shocking to think that someone would eventually make a live-action version. So, when Netflix announced in 2018 they would be doing jus...

 

 This morning, Sledgehamer Games and Activision released the first look at the upcoming Call of Duty title: Call of Duty: Vanguard.   Vanguard is set to release on November 5th and preordering will give players early access to the open beta. At this time, there is no word on when this open beta will take place or for how long past the minimum duration of two days. The platforms listed are PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC on battle.net. It appears that four fronts from WWII will form the core of the story in Vanguard: Eastern Front, North Africa, Western Front, and the Pacific. The only clue, aside from the WWII setting, regarding the story is that players will see the origins of Special Forces with the birth of Task Force One. Each campaign section looks like it will follow a different character:  Sergeant Arthur Kingsley, 9th Parachute Battalion, British Army Lieutenant Polina Petrova, 138th Rifle Division, Red Army Captain Wade Jackson, Scouting Squa...

  Voidtrain is a survival game set during WWII where a team of engineers has devised a way to escape Nazis through the use of an interdimensional train. Voidtrain  is currently in early access and appears to be an Epic store timed exclusive. It comes from NEARGA, a developer/publisher out of Russia. Their previous game was Desolate  in 2019. Voidtrain was released in early access on August 12, 2021 and has a TBA release date for Steam. Currently, it is on sale for $29.99. Voidtrain  has been on my radar for some time, ever since the crew at Neebs Gaming  mentioned it. I'm not typically one for survival games, but the truly unique concept caught my interest and I made it a point to download. A full review will be coming, but I wanted to share some impressions after an hour with the game. Like any early access game, bugs are to be expected. Bugs can be reported via the official Discord server, and NEARGA promises that they are aware of most bugs and working on fi...

There are a few games that stick with me. Games, that no matter how many years have passed, really seem to stay lodged in the old noggin. One of those was Zone of the Enders The 2nd Runner . Released in 2003, ZOE was a Konami title and follow-up to the successful 2001 title Zone of the Enders . I never owned the game, but remember a single glorious night of binging it and working with friends to beat it in a single sitting. I would eventually go rent the first game and beat that, but it didn't have the same magic as the sequel. I suppose the biggest reason I loved the game (and series) was because it so perfectly captured the combat and style of Gundam  in a way that Gundam  games and others like Armored Core  never could. It was the perfect blend of anime styling, cel-shading, and hyper mech combat. It was a thing of beauty to play. So, when I saw there was an HD remake available on Steam, I decided to relive my youth a bit and bought it. Less than an hour later I had re...

If I'm going to get better, I need to start really practicing and incorporating techniques I admire in my favorite artists. This is a light box copy of a Joe Mad sketch. 

  I wasn't a fan of how yesterday's drawing came out. Even being a robot, it lacked life. I'm much happier with this version.

  After a year-long exclusivity deal with Epic Games, Mortal Shell  has finally become available on Steam. Mortal Shell is very much in the genre of Soulsborne as it is a dark medieval action RPG that can be brutally difficult. The twist is, that in Mortal Shell  the player possesses the bodies of enemies to gain their abilities and fight as they would. When released, the game received praise both critically and from consumers. Through August 25, Mortal Shell is on sale for $26.99 and comes bundled with the Virtuous Cycle  DLC. The DLC normally sells for $7.99 and adds a rogue-like experience to the game.

  Features Added a new Killer - The Cenobite Match Results - When players leave a Trial with a Limited Item (Example: The Nemesis's Vaccine) they will now be notified that they do not get to keep it. It has been consumed by The Entity. Large Text Settings - The players can enable this option to enlarge all texts in the HUD, increasing readability. Content The Nemesis Update: Movement speed while charging Tentacle Strike Tier 3 increased to 4.0m/s (was 3.8m/s) Shattered S.T.A.R.S. Badge effect duration increased to 60 seconds (was 30 seconds) Iridescent Umbrella Badge effect duration increased to 30 seconds (was 15 seconds, but was erroneously displayed as 12 seconds) Ritual of The Nemesis reduced to reaching maximum Mutation Rate one time (was 4) Dev note: The Nemesis came out in a good state, but has been underperforming slightly in higher skill brackets. These players tend to hit Mutation Rate 3 more often, so a buff here should give him a slight boost at that level of play. Addi...

  I'm getting back into D&D. I've decided to go with a warforged fighter. As such, I had to draw my boy.

 After weeks of speculation, dreams have finally become reality. Pinhead, from the acclaimed horror series Hellraiser  is coming to Dead by Daylight as "The Cenobite". Who is this imposing and crafty figure and what does he bring to the realm of the Entity? The Cenobite goes by many names, Hell Priest, The Engineer, Cold Man, and The Pope of Hell. But when those names won't do, most will refer to him simply as Pinhead. In life, his name was Elliott Spencer. As a captain of the British Expeditionary Force during WWI, Spencer suffered from PTSD and survivor's guilt. During the battle of Passchendaele he lost all faith in God and humanity. In the following years he found himself wandering the globe until eventually arriving in British India where he discovered the Lament Configuration. It was then that the powerful Cenobites were summoned and after some time, he joined their ranks before rising up as a leader. The Cenobite comes with a unique skill and three perks, as i...

  Today marks what might be the final weekly reset before the next season rolls around. I wasn't expecting much this week as I thought we had seen the grand finale last week. After playing the content for this week, that may still hold true as this feels more like an epilogue than anything else. It's short, somber, and a touching way to send off Season of the Splicer.  Without spoiling things too much, upon logging in, you'll receive a quest to talk to the servitor in the H.E.L.M. Head that way and follow the quick quest chain to nab a few goodies, including a new Eliksni themed ship.

  Skill Based Matchmaking is coming back to Dead by Daylight . There is currently a trial being tested on live servers that is expected to run through August 16. However, Behavior notes the trial may be cut short if any issues arise. Rather than calculate a player's skill via the monthly ranking and pitting players against one another depending on rank, they instead will be matched via SBMM based on each player. So, in cases of players trying new killers, they will be ranked differently than if they were playing their main. If executed properly, this would be amazing for those trying to learn new killers or those just trying to complete daily challenges. This test is a bit different than the last one. Behavior is now using several months of data to calculate ratings rather than a few weeks. Changes have been made to how a rating is calculated when playing a killer for the first time. Some bugs have been fixed within the system (Hillbilly is noted here). As for ranks, nothing will h...

  Announced earlier today, Stranger Things  content within Dead by Daylight  will no longer be purchasable after November 17, 2021. From now until then, all content including characters and costumes will be 50% off. After that point, any player that had purchased the bundle will still be able to play with the characters. However, no new purchases will be available and the Hawkins National Laboratory map will be going away. This is a first for Dead by Daylight. It's not content vaulting like Disney or Destiny 2 , but does raise the question of exclusivity and timed deals. Stranger Things recently came to MOBA Smite on July 16, 2021, so there is some overlap between the two properties. From Behavior's FAQ : "As with all live-service games, frequent updates, additions, and the occasional change are to be expected. With Stranger Things, our focus continues to be ensuring the legacy of these characters within our game for fans who have purchased them or plan to do so by Novemb...

Lake is an upcoming slice-of-life story game from Gamious and Whitethorn Games. It is set to launch on September 1 for Xbox Series X/S and Steam. Set in 1986, Meredith Weiss is called back to her hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon to help her father, the local mail carrier. For two weeks she will step away from her career at a software company across the country. For these two weeks, the player will guide her in the day-to-day of delivering mail, interacting with folks both old and new, and ultimately deciding where her future may lie. To be honest, the plot screams of a Hallmark movie special. "Watch as a middle-aged woman leaves her big-time job in a busy company to go to a backwoods town. Along the way, she'll learn a lesson about life and love." It seems to be a bit generic in that regard.  But, I won't deny that there is an appeal to driving around the Pacific Northwest and experiencing a slower-paced story. Lake  looks gorgeous with a unique look. Expect more...

  Twelve Minutes is an upcoming interactive thriller from Luis Antonio and Annapurna Interactive. It is set to release on August 19th on Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Willem Dafoe, James McAvoy, and Daisey Ridley live out a traumatic evening as a couple (Ridley, McAvoy) is besieged by an intruder (Dafoe). As if this weren't bad enough, "the man" (McAvoy) is stuck in a time loop of 12 minutes. Here, he must relive the horror over and over again, unless the player can gather information about the situation and change the outcome. It's an interesting concept backed by an all-star cast. The game is presented in a top-down fashion, giving it a heightened cinematic sense. As someone that values story above most other things in a game, I will say that I'm quite excited by this. It is implied there are numerous outcomes and ways to navigate the game, so replayability would likely be high. At $25, the price point is enticing enough. Expect more cov...

 

This week's TWAB is right on the heels of last week's in terms of meaty content. We got a preview of the champion mods for next season. Overload - Bow Barrier - Auto Rifle Unstoppable - Liner and Fusion Rifles, Scout Rifle, Sidearm Controller sensitivity and traction are being reworked. The Traction mod is being removed and instead, a sprint turn speed scalar is being added with a range of 0.3 to 0.8. Additionally, there are more sensitivity options with 1-10 being the same and an 11-20 being added. We're also getting an ADS sensitivity modifier (THANK YOU) with values from 0.5 to 1.5. As someone who prefers a controller to keyboard and mouse for Destiny 2, this is huge. While it won't make me a PVP god, it should help with the curb-stomping I deal with on the regular. However, the bulk of the content for this week is focused on exotics and tuning. To start, we're seeing some changes to the exotics based around super regeneration. From Bungie: Shards of Galanor: In...