Banner Of The Maid Brings Bodice-Busting Tactical Action To Switch Next Month
Tactical role-playing title Banner of the Maid finally has a confirmed release date: August 12th, 2020. It will cost $16.99 in North America.
Set during the French Revolution and starring Pauline Bonaparte, sibling of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte, the game mixes real-life characters and events with fantasy trappings.
Pauline is a newly-graduated member of an illustrious military academy who, like her brother, dreams of bettering herself and becoming part of France’s upper class. She is dragged into the revolutionary war and must use her tactical smarts to overcome a series of skirmishes, each more challenging than the last.
Banner of the Maid was developed by Chinese firm CE-Asia, which is also handling publishing duties.
Review: Rock Of Ages 3: Make & Break – Between A Rock And A Hard Place
Some games just aren’t a good fit for the Switch. It’s a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. Rock Of Ages 3: Make & Break falls into that category, we’re sorry to say. The most egregious problem to be found in this Nintendo Switch incarnation is, quite simply, a lack of suitability to the handheld format.
It’s the text. There’s plenty of it here, and it’s all entirely too small. We found it almost unreadable even in docked mode, but undocked? Eyestrain city. Forget it. We checked the menus to see if it could be increased in size, but as far as we could tell, there’s no such option (unless it’s there but written even smaller, invisible to the naked eye).
That’s just the HUD, tutorials and objectives, of course. You could muddle through without them, if the actual game were fun enough to make that an appealing proposition. Sadly, it isn’t, and – again – a large part of that is down to the ill-fitting nature of the thing. What do you do in Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break? Ultimately, it’s a bizarre combination of Super Monkey Ball-esque obstacle courses with a relatively rudimentary tower defence component, and neither element is satisfactory.
Let’s talk about the presentation; in a word, it’s exhausting. It’s got a Terry Gilliam-style Monty Python cut-out kind of vibe that’s certainly unique, but ultimately compounded our frustration with the game by being a little charmless. The cutscenes in the “Break” mode (effectively its campaign – we’ll talk about “Make” a little later) might have been pleasant if we knew they would be followed by a solid video game, but as it stands they’re just wearying reminders that not only are we still playing Rock of Ages 3, but we’re not even really interacting with it.
The rock-rolling sections of the game run well enough, but aren’t particularly fun. Weaving around the courses in order to cross the finish line first requires speed, but even the earliest stages have deceptive corners and feel designed to trick you into careening your rock over a cliff, effectively removing any chance of your finishing the stage in time.
It’s tricky to balance your speed with your manoeuvrability, and sure – that’s the game. But it’s more frustrating than anything, with hazards all over the tracks feeling arbitrarily placed and designed to irritate. There are plenty of variants and modes (time trials, for example) in this campaign, but none of them really solve the game’s problems. It can occasionally be momentarily exhilarating when you successfully navigate a particularly fraught path, but it’s just leading to more of the same.
The tower defence component feels like an odd match, but here it is. It’s often a pretty rudimentary take on the genre, with you building your indeterminate-looking defences to prevent enemy rocks from reaching your castle, then challenging the enemy’s course in the more standard rolling mode. We found it a very awkward slice of gameplay indeed, with it being pretty unclear how to even get started.
There’s a tutorial, sure, but it’s not very extensive. Eventually, we figured it out through trial and error, and we’re disappointed to report that this didn’t make the proceedings any more enjoyable. The graphics here are so muddy, it’s a challenge just to figure out what’s going on. Fussy controls make putting together your defences a chore at almost all times, too. Again, there are different variations on the basic tower defence theme, but not one of them is without these same frustrations.
It’s not just “Break”, of course, there’s also “Make”; effectively, a powerful and relatively easy-to-use level editor that lets you share your creations with other players online. It serves its purpose but said purpose is creating new stages for a game that isn’t very much fun. We don’t think it’s going to set the world on fire, exactly, but credit where it’s due; the editor is surprisingly versatile and friendly. You can jump into your levels and test them quickly and easily, but – again – we’re not sure why you’d want to. Still, if you find yourself enjoying Rock of Ages 3, this at least guarantees a way to access a theoretically unlimited reservoir of stages – as long as the servers stay up.
Graphically we found the game samey, unimpressive, and often blurry. The visual design – while not to our personal taste – deserves praise for delivering something different, but it’s all just so self-consciously “quirky” that we couldn’t help but find it irritating. The music is rather good, with strong arrangements of classic music. One of the said arrangements is a version of Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca, which just made us wonder if we’d ever be seeing Lemmings on the Switch.
Conclusion
Rock of Ages 3 failed to impress us on almost any level. It’s definitely a game with character, and it could feasibly work its charms on you, but in its drive to be different and unusual it seems to have neglected to be fun. Still, it certainly has an audience; broadly speaking, you don’t get to a second sequel without your game mattering to someone. If you can muscle through the frustrations, you might be able to roll with Rock of Ages 3, but with so many other worthy titles on Switch, we can’t say we’d recommend it.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-02-2020, 03:17 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Get The Lord Of The Rings Extended Editions In Digital HD For $7 Each Today
With another weekend of pandemic lockdown ahead of us, you might be wondering what games or movies you'll distract and entertain yourself with this time. Let me introduce you to your weekend plans: The Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy is discounted to a great price right now on Amazon Prime Video, which is available for all Prime members. Normally $17 each, you can currently own each LOTR film in digital HD for just $7 each. Considering the Blu-ray extended edition box set is currently selling for $55 on Amazon, this is an excellent deal if you've been in the mood for a rewatch.
It's not clear how long this deal will be available, so it's worth taking advantage of ASAP. You can see the discounts on The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King on Prime Video below and add the movies to your Prime Video account now.
Nintendo Dropped Every LEGO Mario Prototype 6,000 Times To Ensure Its Quality
Nintendo is a brand known for its quality assurance, especially when it comes to new hardware – you know about the Game Boy that survived being bombed, right? – and it has once again proved its commitment to releasing only the very best with the new LEGO Mario range.
The project’s lead designer, Jonathan Bennink, has revealed that Nintendo made sure to drop every Mario figure prototype 6,000 times in a bid to ensure its quality. That’s an impressive level of commitment to the cause – and a lot of scratched up plastic, we imagine.
“We never had a partner challenge us in safety and quality, and this was the first time! Every time we shipped a Mario to them, they dropped it 6,000 times. That is Nintendo quality – that was new for us!”
Bennink’s words come from an interview we shared earlier today. It’s an interesting read if we do say so ourselves, with Bennink talking to us about how the collaboration project first started, how it’s evolved over time during development, and more.
Hideo Kojima Got Chased By Bees And Fell Out Of A Tree At His First Job
If you're a fan of Hideo Kojima's work--from the famed Metal Gear Solid series to the divisive Death Stranding--you likely know that he's had an interesting career path over the years, particularly when he parted ways with his longtime employer Konami in 2015. However, what you probably don't know is that he held several interesting jobs as a student prior to joining Konami in 1986.
— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) July 30, 2020
According to a recent tweet from Kojima Productions, Kojima worked as a wedding photographer while in university, as well as a live-in gardener during holidays. Kojima says this gig in particular was quite hazardous, as he once got stung by "at least" 10 bees at once, and he came down with a case of lacquer poisoning due to his work there.
When he worked as a gardener, Kojima's boss instructed him never to decline any offer of food or drink from a client, because it would be rude. In one case, Kojima fell from a tree after drinking beer that he was offered, and another time he had to throw away his packed lunch when the client insisted on serving him lunch. Kojima concludes the interview by saying that these student jobs helped him learn the Japanese spirit of hospitality, known as "omotenashi"--which involves prioritizing a guest's needs above your own in every possible situation--which in turn prepared him for his career in games.
Problem: How to return from a Python function or method in single line?
Example: Consider the following “goal” statement:
def f(x): return None if x == 0
However, this leads to a Syntax error:
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to write the return statement with an if expression in a single line of Python code. You can get an overview of the three methods in the interactive code shell:
Exercise: The code has no output. Print the results of all three function executions for a given x. Is it always the same?
Let’s dive into the three methods.
Method 1: As a Multi-Liner
The following method is the standard and most Pythonic way to accomplish this but using multiple lines:
def f(x): if x==0: return None
But how to write this as a one-liner?
Method 2: Direct One-Liner If
Nothing simpler than that—just write it into a single line!
def f(x): if x==0: return None
I should note that PEP 8 is actually fine with writing if block statements into a single line. Nevertheless, the default return value of a function is None so the code does really nothing.
In this case, you also have to define a return value for the value 42. You should read the statement like this:
return (None if x == 0 else 42)
The statement inside the parentheses returns either None or 42—depending on the condition x == 0. If it is True, the value None is returned. If it is False, the value 42 is returned.
Where to Go From Here?
Enough theory, let’s get some practice!
To become successful in coding, you need to get out there and solve real problems for real people. That’s how you can become a six-figure earner easily. And that’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?
Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!
Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?
Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.
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It’s not often that you get to meet the mind behind a meme, but today, we’re getting to know the mind behind too many to count. These things don’t just grow by themselves, you know. We may think that we’re funny from time to time, but compared to this account? They’ve beaten us at our own game far too many times to let them evade the Community Focus spotlight.
Enter: DestinyTheMeme.
Ah, DestinyTheMeme. We meet at last. Who are you? No seriously… Tell us about yourself, outside of the memes!
DTM: As the email address that I used to respond to you suggests, my name is Moira, I’m an undergrad at NYU Tisch Film & TV. Outside of memes I work on animation and screenwriting; go to the cafeteria with my classmates; participate in Smash tournaments, although I have no idea what to do (I tried to pop a super as Kirby); spend quality time with my dog, as well as work on art and write my (soon to be) novel. Some fun facts: I speak three-and-a-half languages and like to collect little things.
What got you into Destiny? And to take it a step further, how did you get to your Legendary Meme status?
DTM: [LEGENDARY FLASHBACK]
I had a crush a few years ago, and this crush liked Halo, but I didn’t know what it was. Growing up in a place where video games are 99% times painted as a negative factor was not fun, especially when your grandma doesn’t even think that girls should watch sci-fi movies. Anyways, I moved across the world, and one day while wandering in the library browsing sci-fi, I found a Halo book and went hey, isn’t this my crush’s profile photo? I read the book out of curiosity, and ended up really enjoying it. Googled it and found out that [it was] a game, so I looked for a chance to play it.
Unfortunately I didn’t know anyone who had an Xbox, but I did make a family friend who had a PlayStation 4. Using my amazing baking skills, I bribed them with tiramisu to try it out. The family friend knew I liked Halo, so they told me: “Hey, we have a game from the same devs. Would you like to try it out?”
And that’s how I met Destiny. (I played a Titan!) Ended up getting an Xbox and picked Destiny as my first game. This is December 20, 2016. And I chose… Warlock.
Meeting the game changed a lot of things. I always loved art, loved 3D modeling, loved writing, but until then I never considered them as a career. I realized I could combine everything I loved into entertainment. So I worked for it. Got into Tisch, and I’m now building my portfolio and my experience. Although I’m working on my own book and want to make it a movie in the future, I would love to work at Bungie as a screenwriter. This game changed my world and I want to be that inspiration to someone else.
Fast forward to Forsaken. E3 trailer dropped, Cayde died. I was really, really sad. I made a meme the second day and realized I was actually pretty good at memeing. Three months later, I set up Destiny the Meme (DTM), and brilliant-me decided that an upside down Destiny logo was the best way to go. Hey, it stayed.
I didn’t expect to get where I am today, and a part of me is still not really prepared, but I’m always grateful for everyone who supports me and my somewhat cursed humor. In return I made promises, answering DMs being one of them. Then it’s LFG service and relaying Twitter info to Instagram. I want to be a bridge that connects people, gets news across, little things like that. Although it isn’t really what I was asked to do, we all want to see a good community, and I’m proud to be one of the many many players who build it.
To answer the question, I didn’t become the meme alone. There are 150,000 Guardians with me.
150,000 Guardians and growing*. It must be pretty hectic keeping that community satiated. Memes can come and go in a flash. How do you keep up?
DTM: I get the “How do you come up with three memes a day?” question a lot. Truth is, I have no idea. I like to have fun and to be lighthearted. And like I said in the last question, there are others with me. Sometimes I chat with people and memes just come from these conversations. People send in ideas sometimes, and when I see a gold comment I reach out. Collab memes are fun!
During the Almighty live event, I got the entire server together so we can take a picture for a meme. The community is powerful.
I guess the other way to ask that question is “How did you get so funny, and how dare you be funnier than me?” Ah well, I’ll give credit where credit is due. The community is powerful, and it’s awesome to see content like yours in the feed. Speaking of, we’ve seen you rally for Titans quite a few times on social media. How are things going with that? Have you dabbled with Hunters and their skinny jeans lately? How about Warlocks and their floofs?
DTM: I play all three classes. I was a self-rezzing Sunsinger back in Destiny 1, changed to Hunter during Forsaken (Cayde cape!), and although I said I’d never play Titan at one point, I finally made a Titan after watching Broman’s Citan’s Ramparts video…
I still don’t have Citan’s. I don’t have Shadowkeep just yet, but I can’t wait till I get back on my console.
Now I’m a helicopter Warlock once again. I’ll eventually rotate back to Hunter. I’ve learnt to enjoy all three classes – and make memes for all of them.
>:)
Glad to see another Guardian who embraces each class. While I main Hunter, I definitely love to punch things on my Titan or read books on my Warlock (while raining down fire from the skies above). Tell us a bit about your usual loadout. Is it meme tier, or do you have some favorite weapons/Exotics that you gravitate towards?
DTM: I do not have a meme loadout. Very disappointing, I know.
I enjoy heavier guns. I don’t know how to describe this, but Graviton Lance weighs a lot more than Outbreak and I enjoy that heavy recoil a lot. Stable, heavy-hitting, long range. Stability is always the primary factor so Pulses are my favored category. Then I have a panic weapon–Shotguns and Fusions–to blast anything else in my way.
I’m a PvE player, and I’m known to drop 200 kills in Strikes. Monte Carlo Sunbracers FTW! Gravlance and Trinity are babies! Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
I see you have good taste with Graviton being at the front of your mind. So, let’s talk content. Drop us some links. What are the best places to see your memes, art, and more?
DTM: destiny_thememe Instagram and Twitter. Also, theeverdrift is my art account. I’m working on a legit website for my portfolio too, but that probably won’t be a thing until I finish college…
Do you have any words of wisdom for the Destiny community before you go?
DTM: Oh sparrow of the lake, what is your wisdom?
Enjoy things! Have fun! NAME YOUR GUARDIANS AND GHOSTS, THEY’RE PRECIOUS BEANS.
Let everyone enjoy the modes/classes/loadouts that they enjoy.
(Whispers) guardians need beards.
Final question: Cats or Bread?
DTM: Baguette. I’m a dog person (although my neighbor’s cat loves me).
Drifter Pog,
Moira
Wait, what? Drifter… pog? Ok. That’s a new one.
Many thanks to Moria for spending some time with us this week. Do you have any suggestions for future Community Focus articles? Feel free to let me or Cozmo know! We’re are always eager to get to know the stories behind this amazing community.
Character TDs at Insomniac are responsible for working with the talented team to design, implement and maintain the animation and rigging pipeline. This role creates character setups, Python tools and basic animations as needed, and works with other departments to solve art related production needs, creates production systems and methods to attain production goals. Go teamwork! Read on if this sounds interesting-
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:
Creates high quality animation rigs, systems, setups and workflows that help to define the standard for the industry
Designs, develops and continuously improves character set-up process and systems, including facial setups and animation transfer tools, as it relates to the animation pipeline
Rigs characters in preparation for animation in Maya. This includes creating skeletons, smooth-binding character models, rigging character faces for lip-synch and facial performances, writing Python tools, and creating custom rigs as needed
Writes Python scripts that expedite character setup and animation processes
Works with the Core Dept on improving engine and tools features to advance the state of character performances
Works with the Art Department on modeling practices to facilitate the set-up process and to advance the visual fidelity of the character performances
Acts as an intermediary between the animation and programming teams to elucidate the workflows, needs, and terminologies of each team
Understands (and assist when technical needs arise) the entire process of creating cinematics including set construction, camera setup, character blocking, character animation, animation troubleshooting, and help ensure that scenes run properly on the real-time game engine
Maintains an expert understanding of skeletons, facial animation methodologies, constraints and other Maya tools and systems used for character animation
Maintains expert understanding of the Facial Action Coding System and corresponding facial anatomy
Possesses strong shape-sculpting abilities for both facial rigging and corrective shapes
Maintains strong understanding of skeletal and muscular anatomy
Maintains awareness of industry leading performance capture and solving techniques, including machine-learning based approaches
Assists Leads with supervising/mentoring with more junior level Character TD’s
Other duties may be assigned
Education/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from a four-year college or university; or five to seven years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
One to four years of experience in character setup, Python scripting, a familiarity with MEL and a comprehensive understanding of all technical aspects of Maya animation
One to two years of animation training covering all basic animation principals
Extensive knowledge of Maya
Other Skills: The ability to articulate thoughts and ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
If this sound like the opportunity that you have been looking for- we want to hear from you. Please use the link and apply directly to the role. Also remember to attach your reel. Thanks!
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
