It’s been a few months since we talked about how we want to approach shipping games with controversial content. In that blog post we talked about some of the tools we felt we needed to build and we thought it would be good to give you an update on where we are. We’ve done a number of things since that post, some which may seem unrelated, but if we are going to maintain an open view of what gets onto the Store, then you’ll need good tools to find the games you want, as well as avoid the things you don’t.
The first set of our changes focused on improving how you can find new games. We’ve added Developer & Publisher homepages so you can easily get from a game you love to others made by the same creators, or follow them if you want to be notified whenever they say or make something. We significantly reworked how our Upcoming Games Lists functioned, so they’re much better at showing you upcoming games that you might be interested in, or upcoming extra content for a game you’ve been playing a bunch.
A second set of changes was focused on improving how you can ignore things you’re not interested in. In the past you’ve been able to ignore individual games or product types (like VR, or Early Access) you didn’t want to see again. But now we’ve added ways for you to also easily ignore individual developers, publishers, and curators.
We’ve also improved the game tag filters on your account preferences. Previously, it was a list of 3 game tags that you wanted to see less of. We’ve now increased the number of tags you can list to 10, and made them into a harder filter – in short, the Store now assumes you want to ignore all the games that feature any of those tags in their most popular tags, instead of just using them as suggestions to our recommendation engine.
We did our best to ensure you can safely ignore swaths of games in the store, but still find them if you look directly via the search tool. If the game that we think you’re searching for is hidden due to your mature content settings, we identify that and let you know in a safe way. For example, if you have your preferences set to hide mature games with violence, but you search for The Witcher 3, you’ll see this:
If there are games that your search should contain that you’re ignoring for other reasons (due to its developer, or game tags, for instance), we’ll still include it in the list, but we’ll blur it out and when you hover over it you can see why it is darkened. For example, if you’ve chosen to ignore games by Valve, and then search for Left 4 Dead, you’ll see this:
A third set of changes focused on allowing you to have better control over the kinds of mature content you see. So far, the Store has allowed you to filter out games that feature Frequent Violence/Gore or Nudity/Sexual Content. After looking at the mature content in submissions we’re receiving, and at some games that are already in the Store, we’ve added two more options. The first is a general Mature Content filter. We often see developers who tell us their game contains mature content, but not sex or violence, and you can now filter those games out if you wish. The second is an Adults Only filter, which allows you to filter out games that feature explicit sexual content.
We’re also now requiring developers of games with violent or sexual content to describe the content of their game, and we’re using that information to help you decide whether a game is something you’re comfortable with. We think the context of how content is presented is important and giving a developer a place to describe and explain what’s in their game gives you even more information when browsing and considering a purchase. When you’re looking at the store page of a game with mature content, we’ll display that developer-written description to you. We’re also displaying it on the interstitial page we show you if you ever follow a direct link from outside steam to a game that should be filtered for you:
Finally, we’ve continued our efforts in removing bad actors from the Store. Last year we made changes to Trading Cards to address the ways a small set of developers were producing ‘games’ that generated revenue without anyone actually buying and playing them. Recently we made more changes to address other ways these bad actors were continuing to do it. We’ve also permanently banned several developers of games that we felt fit the “straight up trolling” description of games we’re not going to allow onto the Store. There’s actually a surprisingly small number of individuals behind almost all of these games, and their bans have been a straightforward series of decisions, thus far. You can read more about the shorthand of “straight up trolling,” and the process of making those decisions in the Q&A below.
With these sets of changes, we hope you have a better sense of how we’re approaching building a store that works for all developers and players. There’s still plenty of work to do. In our previous post we identified a range of things, from parental controls to tools for developers to manage their communities. In addition, some of the changes described in this post will require more options when we see new kinds of content in game submissions. Going forward, we aim to continue this strategy of shipping features as they’re finished, and posting periodic updates as to the nuts and bolts and the thinking behind their development.
Q&A
Q: What about games that are already in the store that include mature content?
A: Every developer will be encouraged to update their game with the customer-facing descriptions outlined above but in most cases Valve moderators will going back through the catalog and making sure games are complying with the new requirements.
Q: What do you mean, in practice, when you say you won’t ship games that are “outright trolling?” That seems vague.
A: It is vague and we’ll tell you why. You’re a denizen of the internet so you know that trolls come in all forms. On Steam, some are simply trying to rile people up with something we call “a game shaped object” (ie: a crudely made piece of software that technically and just barely passes our bar as a functioning video game but isn’t what 99.9% of folks would say is “good”). Some trolls are trying to scam folks out of their Steam inventory items, others are looking for a way to generate a small amount of money off Steam through a series of schemes that revolve around how we let developers use Steam keys. Others are just trying to incite and sow discord. Trolls are figuring out new ways to be loathsome as we write this. But the thing these folks have in common is that they aren’t actually interested in good faith efforts to make and sell games to you or anyone. When a developer’s motives aren’t that, they’re probably a troll.
Our review of something that may be “a troll game” is a deep assessment that actually begins with the developer. We investigate who this developer is, what they’ve done in the past, their behavior on Steam as a developer, as a customer, their banking information, developers they associate with, and more. All of this is done to answer the question “who are we partnering with and why do they want to sell this game?” We get as much context around the creation and creator of the game and then make an assessment. A trend we’re seeing is that we often ban these people from Steam altogether instead of cherry-picking through their individual game submissions. In the words of someone here in the office: “it really does seem like bad games are made by bad people.”
This doesn’t mean there aren’t some crude or lower quality games on Steam, but it does mean we believe the developers behind them aren’t out to do anything more than sell a game they hope some folks will want to play.
Q: Sometimes I see blurred out games on my Store front page. Why is that?
A: There are a number of sections on the front page that we fill with games, and to ensure the servers behind it don’t melt down as everyone tries to use it, we do a lot of data caching. This works great for data sets that we can easily pre-compute – so if there’s a game you shouldn’t see due to your mature content filters, you’ll never see it on the front page. But if you’ve chosen to do some more personal filtering of particular developers, or specific games, we can’t do that pre-computation as easily. As a result, it’s possible you’ll see a blurred out game on the front page because your personal filters should cause it to be hidden. In practice, though, this will only happen if you’ve filtered out so many games that it can’t find enough to fill a section of the front page, and again, like the search results, we’ll blur that game out and tell you why.
Q: Why do you KEEP asking my damn age throughout the store?
A: We’re with you on this. Unfortunately, many rating agencies have rules that stipulate that we cannot save your age for longer than a single browsing session. It’s frustrating, but know we’re filling out those age gates too.
This week at Bungie, we prepare for our Last Wish.
We’re deep into week two of Forsaken. Many of you have finished your hunt and served justice to Uldren. That was just the beginning. The bravest Guardians have already visited the Dreaming City and begun to uncover its secrets. Tomorrow, fireteams will make their first attempts at defeating our latest raid, Last Wish.
As with every raid, we will be watching the streams and cheering you on. The completion of the raid is not even the endcap of what the Dreaming City has to offer. There are many more mysteries to uncover once the final boss has been slain.
Raid Rewards
Last week, we showed you a preview of the new raid World First title belts. For more details, see our official rules. That’s not the only thing we have lined up for the most hardcore raiders to immortalize their accomplishment—the World First team is also guaranteed to all receive the One Thousand Voices Exotic, which is a rare drop from the final encounter.
If you think you may have finished first, make sure you loot the final chest after defeating the final encounter to ensure both your rewards. After that, return to Orbit to finish the activity.
In addition to the extra rewards for the World First team, any player who beats the raid within the first 24 hours will receive the “Wish Ascended” emblem.
That’s not all! Any player who beats the Last Wish before 10 AM PDT on Tuesday September 18, 2018 will have access to a personalized Last Wish raid jacket available for purchase through the Bungie Rewards program. Players who would like to participate in this offer need to make sure they complete the raid, claim the in-game Triumph, and then claim the code on the Bungie Rewards page BEFORE the weekly reset. You will have until September 30 to use the code to make the purchase.
There are many more secrets to uncover in the raid and ways to showcase your accomplishments to other Guardians in Destiny 2. We’re excited for the race to begin and can’t wait to see who comes out on top.
Pumping Iron
Not into raiding? That’s OK. Lord Saladin returns next week to challenge you in the ways of Iron Banner! Things may feel a bit different for Guardians returning to the fray. For the first time in Destiny 2 multiplayer, your Power will matter. You are now in an arms race with the Guardians you face off against, so make sure to equip your most powerful gear.
Game Mode: Control
Begins: Tuesday, September 18
Ends: Tuesday, September 25
Enabling Power advantages is not the only change coming to Iron Banner. Lord Saladin will present seven weekly bounties for you to complete. Each bounty rewards you with an Iron Banner-themed reward, and two of these bounties in particular grant powerful rewards. There are no exceptions: All Iron Banner-themed weapons and armor have the chance to be rewarded when bounties are completed.
The original Iron Lord will also be offering armor for direct purchase, as well as two weapons with unique rolls per event. You can gain access to purchase these items by completing their associated bounties.
If you have tokens left over from Season 3, these may be redeemed in Season 4 for reputation packages. As with bounties, all Iron Banner-themed weapons and armor may be earned through reputation packages from Lord Saladin.
To wrap up rewards, post-match drops are also returning to Iron Banner. Both Crucible and Iron Banner rewards will drop at match completion.
Coming with Iron Banner at 10 AM PDT on 9/18, a reprised Crucible map will also become available. This map will be instantly available in Crucible playlists for all Destiny 2 players. Owners of Forsaken will also gain access to this map in private matches. We will reveal the map on Monday, so stay tuned to all of our social channels for a preview.
Beautiful Things
At Bungie, we strive to build beautiful worlds, and Forsaken is no exception. From the Tangled Shore to the Dreaming City, the weapons, armor, and characters are all meticulously crafted by our talented artists. We have a few of their favorites to share here, and each link below will take you to their portfolios, which offer more of their inspiring creations.
If you enjoyed this art gallery, check back next week. We will be featuring artists from our partner High Moon Studios.
Bounty Hunters
It’s about time for another Bungie Bounty. Instead of just doing one, we thought we would place several bounties on players from all around the globe. We are going to run several bounties on different players each week. They will span across all three platforms and feature players from regions around the world. Some will be playing Crucible, others will be playing Gambit.
The rules are the same. Find the targets during the two-hour blocks their bounty is active, and defeat them. If you win, you will be rewarded the “Sign of Mutual Combat” emblem.
We plan on running bounties from September 17 through October 21, 2018. We will keep you updated with weekly schedules. Here is who is up next week.
Euro Gamers
It’s time for another outbound journey. For the second year in a row, we have an away team prepping to attend EGX in Birmingham, UK. We can’t wait to have another chance to meet Guardians from Europe!
Destiny 2: Forsaken will have a stand on site with a chance to play Gambit or the Warden of Nothing Strike. The loot for all players will be a code to earn our event attendance emblem – you know, the ones you see available for auction online.
Here’s when you can expect to find us:
We hope to see you there.
Patch Note Preview
Next week, we will be deploying Hotfix 2.0.3. Here is a short preview of some of the issues being addressed.
Fixing an issue that impacted weapon recoil on PC
Fixing an issue where the Traveler’s Chosen sidearm had no dismantle or vault functionality
The Traveler’s Chosen will appear as the damaged version in character inventory once this change is live
Fixing an issue where daily clan bounties were not rotating properly each day
Players may be given the option to reconnect to Competitive matches when encountering errors that remove them to the login screen
Make sure to follow @BungieHelp for details on when our next deployment becomes available.
Optimal Prime
Destiny 2 Hotfixes 2.0.2 and 2.0.2.1
This week, we deployed Hotfixes 2.0.2 and 2.0.2.1 to players in Destiny 2. Cumulatively, these updates resolved a number of issues discovered post-launch with the sandbox and economy of Destiny 2: Forsaken, as well as provided rewards to players who completed challenges after the erroneous weekly reset on Saturday, September 8.
To see the full patch notes for these releases, players should follow the links below:
Additionally, following today’s Hotfix 2.0.2.1, some players may observe bizarre behavior in their Director screen. Affected players are encouraged to close their Destiny 2 application and relaunch. Players who continue to be affected should try clearing their console cache.
Destiny 2 Update 2.0.3
Next Tuesday, September 18, Destiny 2 Update 2.0.3 will be deployed to players. Following Hotfixes 2.0.2 and 2.0.2.1, Update 2.0.3 will continue to resolve issues that directly affect the game experience.
Prime and Powerful
Over the past week, we have observed confusion from players regarding the differences between powerful gear and Prime Engrams. Listed below is information that we expect will define these loot sources more clearly.
Powerful Gear
Awarded to players directly for completing eligible activities, challenges, bounties, etc. These will list “Powerful Gear” as the reward in their tooltip and can be pursued deterministically.
Provides gear as soon as it drops; does not need to be decrypted by a Cryptarch.
Provides a boost based on the player’s current best Power level.
Prime Engrams
Require the Prime Attunement buff that players receive from achieving character level 50 and speaking to Master Rahool in the Tower.
Can be earned randomly by defeating challenging enemies or by completing Crucible matches.
Prime Attunement will enter a cooldown when a Prime Engram is awarded. This cooldown will reset over time, and players may then earn another Prime Engram.
Appear in the player’s engram inventory when they are obtained; they must be decrypted by a Cryptarch.
Provide a boost based on the player’s current best Power level.
Also regarding Prime Engrams: Since the launch of Destiny 2: Forsaken, we have become aware of an exploit that negatively impacts a player’s ability to earn Prime Engrams over time. After monitoring player concerns, we would like to once again state that players earning Prime Engrams under normal gameplay conditions should not expect to see the negative effects of this exploit. Happy hunting.
Gambit Suspensions and Disconnects
Since the launch of Destiny 2: Forsaken, we have become aware of issues causing exceptional load times and disconnects in the Gambit playlist. To mitigate erroneous restrictions due to these issues, quitter penalties in the Gambit playlist have been temporarily disabled.
For information on the resolution of this issue when it is available, please stay tuned to our News page.
Destiny 2: Forsaken Known Issues
In addition to the items listed above, Destiny Player Support is tracking the latest issues reported by players on the #Help forum. Provided below is a brief overview of the latest known issues in Destiny 2: Forsaken.
Offering to the Oracle: We are investigating issues retaining the Offering to the Oracle in inventories. To avoid this, players should log into all characters in Destiny 2, or log into the Destiny Companion app, before acquiring the item. Players should also make sure their consumable inventory is not full.
WANTED: Combustor Valus Bounty: We are investigating an issue where some players in a fireteam don’t receive credit for killing the Combustor Valus and then can’t replay the adventure.
Various Trophies/Achievements: We are investigating issues with some trophies and achievements not unlocking for new players.
Crucible Kill Feed: We are investigating an issue where players can’t see their Crucible kill feed. Players may want to clear the console cache for a possible workaround.
HDR Issues: We are monitoring reports where players who use HDR are having issues.
Crucible Drops: We are investigating an issue where some players do not receive any loot drops for completing Crucible matches.
Hawthorne Clan Bounties: We are investigating an issue where Hawthorne doesn’t update her daily clan bounties.
Traveler’s Chosen Sidearm and Other Starting Weapons: We are investigating an issue where the Traveler’s Chosen Sidearm and other starting weapons cannot be dismantled or stored in the vault. Players are encouraged to not retrieve the Sidearm, as it will remain in their Kinetic weapon slot until a fix is deployed. Additionally, new players should reach the Farm before using a character boost so their weapons don’t remain in their inventory.
Popcorn.gif
It’s movie time. If your movie gets chosen, we will give you a special emblem in Destiny 2. To enter, just send your movie to the Creations page. Here are this week’s favorites.
Movie of the Week: Drewsky & Baken’s Dualtage
Honorable Mention: Anti-Air Missile
We’re glad to hear that you’re enjoying Forsaken. I know, as I am writing this, that I am planning out which powerful rewards I am going for tonight when I get home. Maybe I will see you in the Crucible, or in a strike. Tomorrow is going to be a ton of fun. Remember, the completion of the raid is only the beginning.
As we gear up the for the first ever Open Networking Summit Europe event, Amsterdam, September 25-27, it’s becoming clear to me just how far we’ve come this year since the formation of LF Networking. With new major operators joining, like Deutsche Telekom, and others requiring open source project automation tools in their RFPs, like Orange, it’s inspiring to witness just how much the networking industry is rallying around open source and incorporating it as a key element of their business strategies.
…For those who can’t make it to Amsterdam this time, I wanted to share the good news that the next three Open Source Networking Days (OSN Days) tours will be coming this fall to China, APAC, and North America. Here are confirmed cities and dates so far. Click on the links to learn more and register. Check back soon to main OSN Days website for updates on the others.
You are a living weapon. Unwillingly unchained by the Warden, the player's skills are put to the test, given only the instruction that they must stop the end of the world. With a story the player must piece together themselves, the central character sets off with no memory of their past.
Other characters in the game may shed light on the situation, but the reality is not always clear, as characters are always operating on their own agendas. Use your diverse arsenal of ranged and melee weapons to clear your path as you explore dark sci-fi interconnected worlds in your quest for truth and salvation.
Play on outdoor rinks and journey from the ponds to the pros in new game modes. Compete with and against 200 of the greatest hockey legends to ever hit the ice, highlighted by Wayne Gretzky. Powered by cutting-edge new gameplay technology, experience explosive-edge skating that delivers more acceleration, speed and responsiveness.
Warframe, which is one of the most popular free-to-play games on PC, is coming to Nintendo Switch on November 20, it was announced today. The game is already immensely popular, with 38 million players worldwide, and it'll grow bigger still when it comes to Switch.
The space-ninja action game Warframe launched back in 2013 on PC to middling reviews, and has since been released for PS4 and Xbox One. The game has been something of a comeback story, as developer Digital Extremes has continued to improve and expand on the game. This has helped the game create a passionate and dedicated playerbase.
The Switch edition was worked on Panic Button, a studio that also brought Wolfenstein 2, Doom, and Rocket League to Nintendo's hybrid console.
The release date announced for Warframe on Switch came as part of the Nintendo Direct. You can catch up on all the big news here in GameSpot's roundup.
Freespire Linux: A Great Desktop for the Open Source Purist
Quick. Click on your Linux desktop menu and scan through the list of installed software. How much of that software is strictly open source? To make matters a bit more complicated, have you installed closed source media codecs (to play the likes of MP3 files perhaps)? Is everything fully open, or do you have a mixture of open and closed source tools?
If you’re a purist, you probably strive to only use open source tools on your desktop. But how do you know, for certain, that your distribution only includes open source software? Fortunately, a few distributions go out of their way to only include applications that are 100% open. One such distro is Freespire.
Does that name sound familiar? It should, as it is closely related to Linspire. Now we’re talking familiarity. Remember back in the early 2000s, when Walmart sold Linux desktop computers? Those computers were powered by the Linspire operating system. Linspire went above and beyond to create an experience that would be similar to that of Windows—even including the tools to install Windows apps on Linux. That experiment failed, mostly because consumers thought they were getting a Windows desktop machine for a dirt cheap price. After that debacle, Linspire went away for a while. It’s now back, thanks to PC/OpenSystems LLC. Their goal isn’t to recreate the past but to offer two different flavors of Linux:
Linspire—a commercial distribution of Linux that includes proprietary software and does have an associated cost ($39.99 USD for a single license).
Freespire—a non-commercial distribution of Linux that only includes open source software and is free to download.
We’re here to discuss Freespire and why it is an outstanding addition to the Linux community, especially those who strive to use only free and open source software. This version of Freespire (4.0) was released on August 20, 2018, so it’s fresh and ready to go.
Let’s dig into the operating system and see what makes this a viable candidate for open source fans.
Installation
In keeping with my usual approach, there’s very little reason to even mention the installation of Freespire Linux. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. Download the ISO image, burn it to a USB Drive (or CD/DVD if you’re dealing with older hardware), boot the drive, click the Install icon, answer a few simple questions, and wait for the installation to prompt for a reboot. That’s how far we’ve come with Linux installations… they are simple, and rarely will you have a single issue with the process. In the end, you’ll be presented with a simple (modified) Mate desktop (Figure 1) that makes it easy for any user (of any skill level) to feel right at home.
Software Titles
Once you’ve logged into the desktop, you’ll find a main menu where you can view all of the installed applications. That list of software includes:
Geary
Chromium Browser
Abiword
Gnumeric
Calendar
Audacious
Totem Video Player
Software Center
Synaptic
G-Debi
Also rolled into the system is support for both Flatpak and Snap applications, so you shouldn’t miss out on any software you need, which brings me to the part when purists might want to look away.
Just because Freespire is marketed as a purely open source distribution, it doesn’t mean users are locked down to only open source software. In fact, if you open the Software Center, you can do a quick search for Spotify (a closed source application with an available Linux desktop client) and there it is! (Figure 2).
Fortunately, for those productive-minded folks, the likes of LibreOffice (which is not installed by default) is open source and can be installed easily from the Software Center. That doesn’t mean you must install other software, but those who need to do serious business-centric work (such as collaborating on documents), will likely want/need to install a more powerful office suite (as Abiword won’t cut it as a business-level word processor).
For those who tend to work long hours on the Linux desktop and want to protect their eyes from extended strain, Freespire does include a nightlight tool that can adjust the color temperature of the interface. To open this tool, click on the main desktop menu and type night in the Search bar (Figure 3).
Once opened, Night Light will automatically adjust the color temperature, based on the time of day. From the notification tray, you can click the icon to suspend Night Light, set it to autostart, and close the service (Figure 4).
Beyond the Mate Desktop
As is, Mate fans might not exactly recognize the Freespire desktop. The developers have clearly given Mate a significant set of tweaks to make it slightly resemble the Mac OS desktop. It’s not quite as elegant as, say, Elementary OS, but this is certainly an outstanding take on the Linux desktop. Whether you’re a fan of Mate or Mac OS, you should feel immediately at home on the desktop. On the top bar, the developers have included an appmenu that changes, based on what application you have open. Start any app and you’ll find that app’s menu appears in the top bar. This active menu makes the desktop quite efficient.
Are you ready for Freespire?
Every piece of the Freespire puzzle is equally as user-friendly as it is intuitive. The developers of Freespire have gone to great lengths to make this pure open source distribution a treat to use. Even if a 100% open source desktop isn’t your thing, Freespire is still a worthy contender in the world of desktop Linux. It’s clean and stable (as it’s based on Ubuntu 18.04) and able to help you be efficient and productive on the desktop.
Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.
When it comes to real-time strategy, the mobile marketplace has big shoes to fill. From Age of Empires to Command and Conquer and Starcraft, the frantic blend of actions-per-minute with grand strategy, the macro- and micro-management required to play this genre at peak performance has inspired many a gamer.
It also presents something of a design challenge – the concept of APM needs to be carefully applied to a touch interface so that players don’t get overwhelmed. Even on-the-go offerings need to provide that similar thrill, with various settings, mechanics, play-modes and distinct pacing.
Here are the best RTS games for android, iPhone & iPad.
Autumn Dynasty has campaign progression and a bare-bones story to push the action forward with some serviceable if dull reasoning, but what really makes it shine are the battles. Unit types include simple categories like cavalry, pikemen, archers and catapults but this simplicity is complicated by the rock-paper-scissors relationship between them.
In the heat of battle, single moments of positioning and command become crucial, and this constant feeling of decisive command is what makes Autumn Dynasty such a fulfilling RTS title. Its sequel, Autumn Dynasty: Warlords lost some of the pure force and tension of the original in favor of adding map objectives and 4X elements, but the first game is still the best. This one is for all intents and purposes an Android-exclusive, for the developer’s whole portfolio was wiped out with iOS 11 Appocalypse. It works, but only selectively on older Apple hardware.
Developer: War Drum Studios Platforms: iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)
Auralux is generally brilliant and wickedly simple. Glowing orbs skip across the void of space to do battle over planets, which in turn spawn more orbs for the controlling player. Gestures are dead simple, tapping to select and dragging to assign. There is only one type of ‘unit’ and one objective: take over the entire map. From these givens, Auralux has some intense, hair-pulling and nail-biting levels where the odds are almost ludicrously stacked against the little player that could.
The ‘constellations’ in the title are simply clustered series of levels, each with a gimmick mechanic which must be understood and utilized to power through said levels. The game shows its age a bit, but it also demonstrates how a simple idea with excellent execution can stand the test of time. Another bonus is the variable speed setting, which makes the action go from hyper to sedate, depending on playstyle. Local multiplayer is a nice plus, but the game’s primary draw is solo play.
Mushroom Wars 2 has sent its spores far and wide and proliferated grandly for its efforts. (The series has successfully spawned a sequel and premium versions for the PC and Switch, that is). The soldiers in this battle hail from the kingdom ‘Fungi’ and are constantly churned out by villages as players send them out to capture new turf or perhaps take on a boss. The original’s formula was much the same, but this one adds heroes who function as commanders with special abilities to give some tactical oomph to the feel of play.
The art and story are merely perfunctory, but this is ultimately unimportant, because the game itself has fair, crisp actions and a robust ranked multiplayer mode. Those here just for the single-player campaign will find a challenge but also a fair bit of repetition, so be warned that while solo play will season you in battle, multiplayer is where it’s at.
Dominations
Developer: Nexon M Platforms: iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)
Dominations deserves to be loved and known for the quality of play it provides and its relatively tasteful monetization, but unfortunately the quickest way to worm its way into your heart and home screen are comparisons, so let’s get those over with. It’s Civilization meets Clash of Clans, with empires spanning the Iron Age to Space Age, wonders to build, raids to conduct, and all the usual trappings.
So, yes, there is a certain likeness to established powerhouses, but the devil is in the details, and Dominations gets those spot-on. Playing it to a satisfying endgame without shelling out serious dinero will take patience, but Dominations’ emulation of all of recorded human history and conflict is pretty satisfying to stretch out and play in pieces. Of course, human history never before ran on a timer…
The Iron Marines are a space-trotting, world-saving team of elite squads tasked with putting out fires and defeating hostiles wherever needed. The elevator pitch for the game would be Starcraft…in space. There is a home-base which usually has to be fortified and defended, additional refineries to secure more resources, and just a handful of units.
From these simple, intuitive elements, the game ekes out a good sense of micromanagement and delectable real-time tension. Its enemies have unusual abilities and synergies, and its difficulty is no joke, especially on the higher levels. Yet the game also retains Ironclad Studios sense of long-term planning and strategy present in its tower defense titles. Its next update will introduce a brand-new world, the icy Borealis, on September 27th, but this is just an extra check in its favor.
Subterfuge is exactly as advertised: a subtle, long-term game of expedient alliances and stone-cold betrayals, filled with the irrefutable logic of hard numbers and the soft uncertainty of fog of war. A turn just means giving subs and bases a command which will take hours to fulfil, so while it is real-time like warfare is real-time, in Subterfuge the theatre of war sees its stage advance slowly.
Its scale is just grand enough to be deeply satisfying but be warned that it does take some time investment to get a game fired up. The leaders provide asymmetrical player powers, but even these super-units can be captured and bartered. Barring these modifies and special cases, the bases and subs are more or less identical. The game is simply a question of position, resources and force, but these factors are always shifting because of the partial information and precarious alliances.
Developer: Grapefrukt Games Platforms: iOS, Android Price: $3.99
Rymdkapsel is about space-base-building and defense, mostly, but also includes some spatial puzzling a la Tetris and ‘exploration’. Its minimalism is more than just stylistic, going instead to the core of every action, options and goal. Perhaps the most satisfying bit is the constant packing problem for expanding the base.
New buildings can be any type and go any spot the player chooses, but also must have predefined dimensions. (all four unit polyominoes) A tightly knit base might come across as more defensible but reaching and researching the far-flung monoliths gives permanent global passive bonuses. The game is a logistics and timing puzzle with a really keen sense of efficiency and management for all its stripped-down design.
Tropical Stormfront
Developer: Noble Master Games Platforms:iOS, Android Price: $3.99
Island-hopping Tropical Stormfront pits the United Democratic Alliance against Order, Discipline and Obedience in a faux-historical struggle across the archipelago. The graphics are deliberately dated and the unit mixture, contrary to every other item on the list, is realistic and accurate. Missions scenarios range from the typical conquest to capture the flag and survival mode.
It’s like a real-time Advance Wars with pretty much no hand-holding, just sink-or-swim gameplay. The touch controls mean a bigger screen is practically a must, for while missing a swipe or tap in another genre would be merely inconvenient, in a game like this it is quite the setback. Still, Tropical Stormfront is a smartly realized real-time-strategy game with staying power.
Anomaly 2
Developer: 11 bit studios Platforms:iOS, Android Price: $3.99, $4.99
‘Reverse tower defense’ just means normal protect-and-escort missions, but the moniker is an apt way of conveying the claustrophobic battles and quick wits required to succeed. The ‘morph’ mechanic lets players adjust squad composition on the fly. Variable tools and an expanded suite of power and abilities go hand-in-hand with vexing and varied level design. The game’s five years old but made waves on release for its unusual level of visual pizazz, which has aged gracefully. Most compelling of all is the asymmetrical multiplayer, scored on a point system shared between the attackers and defenders. This series set the standard a half-decade ago, and it still shines today.
You’re a disaster waiting to happen, a plague carefully evolved to swallow the whole globe in the embrace of black-winged death. Starting life as just a twinkle of a mass pandemic, in an undeserving corner of the world, players pick traits and use evolution points to increase their plague’s rate of infection and severity of symptoms. From the beginning, players must balance virulence against lethality. While the ultimate goal is always to make the earth a human-free zone, this usually requires a skosh of subtlety.
Once the plague is detected and rated a danger to humanity, the globe will mobilize research efforts towards a cure. So the game has a doomsday clock within a doomsday clock. Plagues must spread well enough to get a reserve of points and eventually flip the kill switch. The many varieties of plague types and scenarios give the game massive replayability, and the pacing is surprisingly sedate given the stakes. Still a tense and intense pleasure and the number-one way to strike fear into the hearts of the WHO.
What would your list of the best RTS games on mobile look like? Let us know!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-14-2018, 01:30 AM - Forum: Lounge
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iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Pre-Order Date And Release Guide (Apple Keynote 2018)
Apple has officially unveiled its new lineup of iPhones for 2018. But before you whip out your wallet to throw money at the trillion-dollar company, you'll want to know a few things first. This is GameSpot's iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR pre-order guide, complete with release dates, pre-order dates, and other information you'll need to pre-order these gorgeous phones that launch soon.
Pre-Order iPhone XS
As is common for "S" years for iPhones, this year's evolution of the iPhone X model doesn't shake things up in terms of design. It still has the gorgeous 5.8-inch OLED display that takes up nearly the entire front of the phone, plus stereo speakers, dual-cameras, and the True Tone display found in last year's model.
The processor and GPU will get their standard annual boosts, and Apple says the battery will last about 30 minutes longer than last year's model (hooray?). Despite the similarities to last year's model, this is a slick-looking device, and you're not going to find a more powerful iPhone for the next 12 months.
You can pre-order an iPhone XS starting at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) September 14, and it will ship on September 21. Here's how the pricing breaks down.
iPhone XS Pricing
64 GB - $999 ($49.91 per month with Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program)
256 GB - $1,149 ($56.16 per month)
512 GB - $1,349 ($64.50 per month)
Once pre-orders go live, here's the link you'll need to buy it directly from Apple:
If you'd prefer to get yours from your cell carrier, check their website to see if their iPhone XS page is live yet.
Pre-Order iPhone XS Max
The iPhone XS Max is a larger version of the XS, with a sizable 6.5-inch OLED display. Aside from that, it has the same features available in the XS. You can pre-order an iPhone XS Max at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) on September 14, and it will ship on September 21. Here's how the pricing breaks down.
iPhone XS Max Price
64 GB - $1,099 ($54.08 per month with iPhone Upgrade Program)
256 GB - $1,249 ($60.33 per month)
512 GB - $1,449 ($68.66 per month)
Once pre-orders open up, here's the Apple link you'll need to lock in your purchase:
If you'd prefer to pre-order yours from your carrier, check their website to see if their iPhone XS Max listing is available yet.
Pre-Order iPhone XR
If you want a brightly colored iPhone, the XR is the model for you. The iPhone XR is a more affordable version of the XS, with lower-end versions of some of the components. Its screen is an LCD instead of an OLED, and it only has one camera on the back instead of two. It comes in smaller storage capacities than its more expensive siblings, but it's available in a wide selection of colors. In terms of size, it lands right between the XS and XS Max, with its 6.1-inch display. The iPhone XR launches October 26, but you can pre-order one starting at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) on October 19. Here's the pricing for this model.
iPhone XR Price
64 GB - $749 ($37.41 per month with iPhone Upgrade Program)
128 GB - $799 ($39.50 per month)
256 GB - $899 ($43.66 per month)
Once pre-orders go live on October 19, here's the Apple link you you can use to secure one for yourself:
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-14-2018, 01:30 AM - Forum: Windows
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How PhotoDNA for Video is being used to fight online child exploitation
PhotoDNA has also enabled content providers to remove millions of illegal photographs from the internet; helped convict child sexual predators; and, in some cases, helped law enforcement rescue potential victims before they were physically harmed.
In the meantime, though, the volume of child sexual exploitation material being shared in videos instead of still images has ballooned. The number of suspected videos reported to the CyberTipline managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States increased tenfold from 312,000 in 2015 to 3.5 million in 2017. As required by federal law, Microsoft reports all instances of known child sexual abuse material to NCMEC.
Microsoft has long been committed to protecting its customers from illegal content on its products and services, and applying technology the company already created to combating this growth in illegal videos was a logical next step.
“Child exploitation video content is a crime scene. After exploring the development of new technology and testing other tools, we determined that the existing, widely used PhotoDNA technology could also be used to effectively address video,” says Courtney Gregoire, Assistant General Counsel with Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit. “We don’t want this illegal content shared on our products and services. And we want to put the PhotoDNA tool in as many hands as possible to help stop the re-victimization of children that occurs every time a video appears again online.”
A recent survey of survivors of child sexual abuse from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection found that the online sharing of images and videos documenting crimes committed against them intensified feelings of shame, humiliation, vulnerability and powerlessness. As one survivor was quoted in the report: “The abuse stops and at some point also the fear for abuse; the fear for the material never ends.”
The original PhotoDNA helps put a stop to this online recirculation by creating a “hash” or digital signature of an image: converting it into a black-and-white format, dividing it into squares and quantifying that shading. It does not employ facial recognition technology, nor can it identify a person or object in the image. It compares an image’s hash against a database of images that watchdog organizations and companies have already identified as illegal. IWF, which has been compiling a reference database of PhotoDNA signatures, now has 300,000 hashes of known child sexual exploitation materials.
PhotoDNA for Video breaks down a video into key frames and essentially creates hashes for those screenshots. In the same way that PhotoDNA can match an image that has been altered to avoid detection, PhotoDNA for Video can find child sexual exploitation content that’s been edited or spliced into a video that might otherwise appear harmless.
“When people embed illegal videos in other videos or try to hide them in other ways, PhotoDNA for Video can still find it. It only takes a hash from a single frame to create a match,” says Katrina Lyon-Smith, senior technical program manager who has implemented the use of PhotoDNA for Video on Microsoft’s own services.
