| Yeah, so about Divinity : Original Sin

It took me a few hours of play and some reading-up to get here, but I'll say... it's pretty neato.

It's your usual RPG three-quarters view style game, with dialogue choices, equipment, character builds (although not in the purely D&D structure). The combat is really brutal and unforgiving. It reminds me a bit of X-Com in that regard. You gotta REALLY play smart with your peeps, use the right skills at the right moment, or.. well.. die. lol

They use action-points that you can save up (to a max) and then spend, which makes for some interesting game play decisions. Do you try to go for one knock out punch, or pew pew pew a bunch of lesser attacks? What's really new in this relative to other D&D RPGs I've played in the past is your ability to use the environment. Literally, if some bad guys are standing in a puddle/river and you hit it with a lightning bolt, they all get fried. I've teleported barrels of oil to just in front of the enemy's advance and then hit it with a fire arrow to satisfying effect.. likewise there are some fun combinations with poison clouds, etc. And, counters for most of them as well. Bad dude setting things on fire? Use a rain spell, etc etc.

There are a few things that I think they could have done a better job with, like explaining how the skill point system works.. it isn't very clear that you will need more than one skill point to advance a particular skill, so most people probably wouldn't save it up to max out their primary skill and instead spend it on something they probably don't care a lot about (lol, charisma). The first bit of game play / development is also a bit sloooooow. You are more or less useless against anything outside of the city walls until you level up a few times grinding out boring side quests.

Haven't messed around with the multiplayer at all yet, but am excited to see what that looks like.

FYI! This is a good weekend to login to hearthstone. They've added the new expansion cards (gnomes & goblins) to the Arena, and anyone logging in this weekend gets you a free arena run! (And any arena run gets you a booster pack, so it's win/win!)

Nah, bro, not cool.

Except it would be totally awesome! Do you still have your yahoo email address? There's a whole big thread and that address is on there. If we should be using your gmail address instead, well, I guess Aeryk fucked up.

Now we just need Benji to come so we'll have our full brass section for a JP Can't Come Over reunion show.

If I promise not to be a buzz kill and watch rerun episodes of Small Wonder, can I invite myself to Cayucos as well?  What are the dates?  I'll fly in for that shit.  Round trip from Hawaii is pretty cheap right now.

And as the Drums of Cayucos grow louder, I keep getting more excited! I'm gonna make a print-and-play version of Spyfall, an upcoming social deduction game that looks like silly fun.

EDIT: Oh, the print-and-play is only the TEXT of the cards, puke. I'll find awful stock-photos to use in place of the art.

| BING-...er, EURO!

I picked up Rise of Augustus off of Amazon last night for $12 bucks from one of their lightning sales. I go nuts on Amazon for Christmas, so it just sorta ended up in my dumb shopping cart because $12. Anyways, apparently it's Roman-Bingo!

Well, can't wait to play it in Cayucos this year! I'm getting my $12 bucks worth.

So the boy and I will be bachelors from 12/7-12/13 while the ladies go a-travelling. I'm assuming you guys will be coming by to game every day and I have created the following schedule based on conjecture, consulting astrological charts, and things an oracle told me in a dream:

12/7: elzar, xander, enr0n, motorbyke: Come by at 11:00 to play Kings of War, Bolt Action, Dust Tactics
12/8: elzar, enr0n, motorbyke: Bolt Action, Dead of Winter
12/9: enr0n, motorbyke, xander: Starcraft the Board Game
12/10: enr0n, motorbyke: Warmachine/Hordes
12/11: special guest stars O-rugs and Rude to play Empire in Flames (goes until 12/13)
12/12: everyone: Shadows of Brimstone
12/13: OH SHIT THEY'LL BE HOME SOON GET THE EFF OUT OF MY HOUSE

There's no need to respond I am just assuming this is cool. Thanks everyone