I think how OOTP or FM approach achievements is a good start. I would see them fall into 5 categories:

1. Learning to play (Winning a game with a user modified game plan, using all your interviews, all units cohesion over 85, 10+ affinities, etc.)
2. Simple getting started ones (400 yards passing, winning a game calling the plays, winning a superbowl)
3. Individual season records, which would be a good way to bring the actual NFL records into the game (Sacks, INTs, rushing), Perfect season
4. Career play ones (Coaching wins, 3 superbowls in a row, career individual records)
5. Challenges (Make the playoffs with only undrafted free agents)

I agree with the comments that you should be able to earn a good chunk of them (2/3?) just playing normally. I don't play to get achievements, but some of them can make a cool moment even better, and it's neat to look back on them once and a while.

This is a great breakdown and I agree with your thoughts all around.

Yeah, I'm good with everything said there too. If there are to be achievements, what was described in that post makes sense.

Door Kickers - Buy and download on GamersGate

On sale for $10.

This is exactly how I feel about them too.

I don't mess around at all with the Steam cards. A friend of mine, who collects everything, wants them all, so anytime I get them, he immediately offers me a "trade". So, I just send them all his way.

I sell all my steam cards for (usually) 8-15 cents, because why not. It saves me a dollar during a sale on a $5 game that i'll probably never even load up, what a bargain!

This is tricky. While I like the idea of harder-to-earn achievements, I don't want to make the measurement aspects of the game, like ratings or cohesion, any more a focus than they already are. So that kind of achievement I don't think enhances the game for someone who already might be encouraged to venture on that kind of challenge on his own. If that makes sense.

Some of these (like having a player on your team reach 61,665 passing yards, which is Favre's one-team record) will be quite difficult. It's going to be hard to create meaningful achievements without making this a world where it will take a long time to get to 2/3 completed.

Another thing for Jim to consider would be utilizing the steam workshop to share gameplans, rosters, logo packs, etc. These are things that might really help immersion for the non-fofc crowd.

YES YES YES

Another thing for Jim to consider is who is going to take the punishment on the Steam forums and act as moderator.

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. You must be cautious. Leave it unmoderated and you'll drive people away from your product because the tone on the forums will be disgusting and unfriendly. Moderate too carefully (like only allowing purchasers to post or being overly strict on postings) and you'll quickly get a bad reputation that will also negatively impact sales. You could also just direct people to come here - which is both good and bad - but most consumers think that is unfriendly as well.

In short, have a plan before going live because you will have to deal with the Steam forum bullshit.

Breaking the record totals into several smaller achievements would work. A twenty thousand, thirty, forty, etc. That's the way most counting type achievements work on other games.

I'd like to see some achievements for some of the things players attempt after playing for a while-- Isle of Misfit Toys and the like.

Something strange is happening to me.. all of a sudden I'm really into Endless Space. Never did much for me, but I'm engrossed into it now. :)

Really? why? Endless Space is the only Endless game I don't have.

I'm finding it difficult to get into Endless Legend.

Need to really take the time to understand it, I guess.

The things I really love about Endless Legend are that the factions all play very differently from each other, the one city per province mechanic and the way they do the technology tree. I've put a ton of hours into it.

What I don't love is the feeling that the game bogs down and gets a bit dull around two thirds of the way through. It is also a rarity for me because I am one of those players who mostly enjoys the exploration/empire building parts of 4X and am fine with regular difficulty. Endless Legend I need to bump up to hard or it is just no challenge at all.

That's the reason why I have not bought it yet......

I don't really know.. :) maybe I've actually sat down and just played and learned. The game just started to finally open up to me now and has been fun. I'm playing the expansion, disharmony so I'm guessing it's been several patches since I last played.

What are you having a difficult time with? It's actually one of the more elegant and refined 4x games I've played in quite some time.

$2.95 will get you SLAMMED! the next Choose Your Own Adventure styled interactive fiction from Choice of Games (the people who brought you Choice of Robots). This one is based on Professional Wrestling. It should be a no-brainer.

Said this a couple of weeks ago, but no one bit. I've got a free copy of Nuclear Throne to gift to someone!

Did anyone try HOMMIII HD yet?

HOMMIII was my favorite of the series. I haven't tried it yet, but will eventually.

I heard it was really buggy.

Reviews on HOMMII HD seem to criticize the lack of expansions, and the lack of really high quality HD stuff too. Perhaps GOG instead?

Yeah, the HOMM game isn't getting a good reputation. I have the original HOMM 2 from GOG and it's fine. There's even a widescreen mod out there, though it tends to crash from time to time.

I did not realize how many horrible, shitty games there are on Steam. I've taken it upon myself to rate the games - wishlist, following or not interested - using the Steam explore feature. I'm up to about 2.750 games rated. I got some really interesting stuff recommended - a couple I had never heard of - but now I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel. Most games have negative or very negative review scores and they keep on coming! Still, I must get to the end of the queue...


As for Steam games, Darkest Dungeon comes out tomorrow (Early Access). After looking over some Let's Plays, I'm buying this...

Front Office Football Seven on Steam

Game unlocked in 2 days.

Fuck yeah.

I'm really enjoying Dungeons of the Endless, screw the other Endless games!

I bought the first four versions of FOF but not the last two(?) Not sure why. I think that I have more hours into FOF 1 than any other game except maybe for the original Civ and Railroad Tycoon. Count me in for a Feb 4 purchase.

One quick question -- is multiplayer humans only or will the AI fill out the league?

Vacant MP teams can be set to Computer controlled.

Darkest Dungeon just released on Early Access today. I've played for 105 minutes, so obviously I haven't totally locked down my impressions. I'm not generally a fan of Roguelike games. As I've gotten older, I like easier games. So this game is a bit of a stretch for me. But so far...what a tense, tight, remarkable game this is.

You take a squad of 4 (though you will have a roster of many more than that) through various side-scrolling dungeons in TBS play mode, recruit new heroes and build your town as you try to uncover a haunted keep. That sounds pretty bland, right? Well, it's not. The art style and voice overs are awesome and really help create the dark atmosphere. It's like playing a bleak comic book. There are plenty of new mechanics - light counts for a lot, there are some really INTERESTING classes, your characters are slowly driven mad over time and there are some really cool skills too. Every mission, every encounter is fraught with danger. You WILL lose battles. You WILL lose adventurers.

It's just EA, but so far it plays better than most full releases. I won't rush to judgement, but what I've seen so far is really impressive.

Blackadar I am playing Darkest Dungeon too and am pretty impressed - it's certainly a hard game, not just in terms of permadeath but in terms of your town and hero management strategies. So far I'm liking it a ton - even enough to buy it EA which I rarely do.

I'm off the rest of the week, so I bought it too. :) Pretty fun so far.

Is Darkest Dungeon by the same group that did Desktop Dungeons?

Just in case you missed this in either the FOF7 discussion or in the Steam group you are now able to convert your license to Steam:

Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - FOF7 Steam Release And Super Bowl Sale Imminent

No and these are very different types of games. :)

Some of the text, etc looked similar.

I'm going to wait for a price drop for this one, it looks hugely promising.

Thanks for the review, I was on the fence on this one. I think you sold me.

Just finished Episode 2 of the Game of Thrones Telltale game.

AWESOME.

Have you played the Walking Dead ones? Comparable? Better?

I have played first season of Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us and just finished Ep 2 last night of GoT. My rating is Got>WAU>TWD. Telltale just keeps improving in my opinion. All 3 are absolutely worth it if you like this type of game though

Had seen this shown at a couple Sony events and didn't realize it was coming to PC too, just decided to get it while buying FOF7.

My gaming the last 24 hours has been a study of contrasts. I'm playing Banished and Darkest Dungeon.

Banished - la la la this is nice and relaxing. I'll put a house here, a farm there and look at my population grow. How nice, this is fun.

Darkest Dungeon - MOTHERF$#!ER, HIT IT!!! HIT IT!!!!!! %#%, ANOTHER #%$@# CRITICAL HIT! DAMN IT! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

:)

Will have to echo this sentiment.

GoT > Tales From Borderlands > WAU > TWD.

They've gotten better with each game.

I haven't played GoT and have no interest in Tales From Borderlands. The three I have played are:

TWD1 > WAU > TWD2

I would rate TWD higher but the save game issues I've had are such a pain in the ass.

One of my favorite YouTube game reviewers/"let's play" has taken a first look at Darkest Dungeeon. I have not looked at it yet.

First Look: Darkest Dungeon - YouTube

Yeah, see the above discussion about it. I haven't really heard anyone not liking it yet.