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AC Odyssey: Ambush at Kos

July 15, 2019, 5:04 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

Lavrentios watched from a rooftop as Alexios made his way to the beach side square of Kos. He had spent some time and a good amount of drachmae organizing the welcome party for his "friend". A friend whose death would see him earn a king's bounty from the Cult of Kosmos. Apparently, Alexios has been busy hunting down and executing their members all across Greece.

Right on schedule, the three other mercenaries he hired moved out of their hiding spots. These were tier 4 warriors, and would be unlike any other Alexios had previously encountered. At the same time, marching feet signaled the arrival of the Spartan leader of Kos and all of his elite bodyguards, to seal the deal as it were.

Confident that his prey was now surrounded and doomed, Lavrentios appeared from the balcony - his long hair swaying in the sea breeze. "Sorry Alexios!" he yelled down with a shrug. "It's time to die!"

All the warriors attacked in unison: spears, maces, swords, and arrows targeting one man. Most missed or were parried but those that hit certainly knocked the wind out of the Eagle Bearer. With a burst of speed, Alexios suddenly cut through the Spartan line and ran into the narrow streets of the village.

So many mercs!

"After him!" cried Lavrentios, not realizing he was funneling the Spartans to their doom. A narrow alley negated their superior numbers and when the heavily armored mercenaries got there, all they found were corpses, including that of the leader of Kos.

Lavrentios then made his second mistake. He and the mercenaries split up to look for their prey. Using hit and run tactics, Alexios wore them all down, killing them until only Lavrentios was left.

Knees trembling and urine staining his tunic, Lavrentios didn't notice that Alexios was on the balcony above him. Without any ceremony, the Eagle bearer leaped down onto him and shoved his spear through Lavrentios' face.

Insight: Evasion is easy especially in places with lots of cover. While its best to be crouched hiding in a bush, remember that they also block line of sight, provided you are crouched behind them - even if you aren't in them yet.
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AC Odyssey: Most Wanted

July 16, 2019, 5:05 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

From atop his horse Exekias could see a ragged group of workers frantically set about repairing the Adrestia, beached upon a hidden cove. Despite the improvements that had been made on the ship, the Athenian Navy, bolstered by mercenary vessels, triumphed against it and the invading Spartans. Judging from the damage, the Adrestia barely escaped.

Dual simultaneous boarding is the best type of boarding!

A loud horn and a pillar of smoke over the hill caught the rider's attention as he kicked his horse into a trot. It was a signal flare of the nearby fort and most likely caused by the Eagle Bearer having been detected there. Sure enough, soldiers and mercs were scurrying up onto the battlements when Exekias arrived. Most just ended up falling back down as corpses. The warrior was happy enough to wait below.

When it finally stopped raining bodies, the Eagle Bearer leaped down and suddenly noticed the helmed rider quietly watching him.  While numerous mercenaries occupied the lower tiers, only one person was classified as tier 1 - Exekias the Legend, the most renowned warrior in all the land.

"Malaka," swore Alexios under his breath.

Insight: It pays to upgrade your boat, and a good way to get resources is to buy them from each blacksmith you encounter. They are available at the end of the "to buy" list.
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AC Odyssey: A Story of Theseus

July 17, 2019, 4:35 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

Volunteering to be one of the "sacrifices", Theseus approached the entrance of the Labyrinth with his sword hidden underneath his tunic. At the entrance, he tied one end of the ball of string he was carrying so that he could find his way out again and then proceeded into the maze, always going downwards. Never left or right. There in the deepest pit he found the monstrous minotaur and after an epic battle slew the beast.

Unfortunately that last part was a lie.

The labyrinth looked like just the place to hide away from his many pursuers, the latest of which was the tier 2 Agafya the Smouldering whom he had great difficulty defeating. Her flaming mace was a nice reward though, and now illuminated the dark, corpse filled tunnels. It was then that Alexios came upon the beast... the minotaur was very much alive and was ready for an epic battle against the Eagle Bearer!

Totally historical. Honest!

Through perseverance and good timing Alexios proved the victor and put an end to the monster, who turned out to be more than meets the eye.

Insight: There are a few actual monsters in this game but the minotaur has the best fight, and the best reward. The minotaur axe became my mainstay weapon for the rest of the game, mainly because of the reduced cost to perform the overpower near-unblockable attacks.
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AC Odyssey: Tier One

July 18, 2019, 5:24 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

"I see you stabbed Diona," said Exekias slowly approaching Alexios with his twin maces drawn. "I think many people have 'stabbed' Diona," retorted the Eagle Bearer as he retrieved his blade from the beautiful cultist's neck whose blood now seeped onto the stones of the Aphrodite overlook. "I'm ready for you this time Exekias!"

"I would hope so, Arena Champion," spoke Odainathos with his halberd drawn and flanking his ex-captain. "Don't look so surprised. Most cultists are cultists for life."

"Then it's time I end yours!"

With a sudden burst of speed Alexios brought the Minotaur axe down to bear on both his attackers with an overpower attack. It's unearthly might smashed through their defenses badly wounding Odainathos and half killing Exekias. They tried their best to retaliate, but missed as the Eagle Bearer just dodge rolled between them... and then swept the champions leg from under him.

Sweep the leg!

Just like that, both opponents were slain and Alexios took the mantle of Tier One.

Insight: It pays to change your skill allocations when the situation calls for it. The monetary cost is pretty low in the overall scheme of things.
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AC Odyssey: Better than the Best

July 19, 2019, 2:59 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

Monia never understood the need for The Battle of a Hundred Hands, a last man left standing event held on the Volcanic Isles, but it served to be the easiest place to track down her prey. The Cult of Kosmos had doubled the bounty on the Eagle Bearer after he recently sunk another of their fleets, but who do you send to hunt the best? Those who are better.

Past Tier One was a roster of four more "secret" ranks, and Monia being a Secret 2 traversed the battle field with ease finding Alexios right out in the open just as he finished another batch of competitors. It was only at the last second that he managed to dodge Monia's grenade, rolling right into her shoulder charge which knocked him on flat his back.

He recovered just in time to evade her blade finisher, and countered with the same moves he used to win against Exekias. It wasn't as effective on Monia as she was only slightly injured. Seeing this and running out of steam, he quickly fled with the Secret 2 merc easily keeping pace behind him. To her surprise, he ran straight into another large cluster of Hundred Hands contestants and began slaying them.

Monia joined the skirmish but suddenly found Alexios reinvigorated, parrying and dodging perfectly and worse - able to spam his Minotaur axe overpower attack. Even all her preparation couldn't withstand that so she began to back off but it was too late. She was in range. The axe came down on her... again... and again... and again... and again...

The axe is so strong is distorts reality!

Insight: Contrary to logic, you thrive in mass combat as long as most of your enemies are fodder as they feed you a lot of adrenaline per attack combo, parry and dodge to fuel your bigger attacks. For this same reason always kill wildlife in your way (this includes goats and deer), to keep your Eagle Bearer "excited". You will get penalized for harming domestic animals though. 

Using the overpower attack of the Minotaur axe makes the most use of this, though if you are hidden using rush assassination to "bounce" between a strong enemy and others (or 2 strong enemies) is a good way to deal tremendous damage.
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AC Odyssey: Guerrilla of Greece

July 20, 2019, 5:30 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

Unrelated: This is what happens when the wife learns the game has a unicorn skin.

Bleeding and singed, Matullos and his pet lion emerged from the rubble of the twin silos that had exploded on either side of him. Still in a daze, he couldn't avoid to the ruthless and relentless strikes from his attacker - the Eagle Bearer, simply tanking the damage until his adversary tired out. Finally seeing an opening, he managed to land a single punch that sent Alexios flying back, and a sliver away from death. Matullos on the other hand, still had 70% of his hit points, as to be expected from a rank Secret 3 mercenary.

He even shrugged off the razor sharp "death" arrows his opponent fired at him while he and his pet roared in anger. Hearing the call, his allied mercs arrived - forcing the Eagle Bearer to retreat into hiding. Matullos took the opportunity to let his minions hunt down the assassin while he mounted his horse and rode off to the next village to bandage his wounds.

It was mid afternoon when Alexios arrived, having killed all the others, but Matullos was already fully recovered. Knowing a fair fight would end badly for him, the Eagle Bearer opted for guerilla style sneak attacks but hiding in the farm fields was made difficult as Matullos' lion would sniff him out. Overconfident, Matullos sent his pet ahead only to see it get eviscerated by Alexios' overpowered strikes and he was too far to stop it.

Without his pet, Matullos became a slow moving pinata. Taking backstab after backstab, unable to counter in return until finally the Eagle Bearer's shoved his broken spear into his face.

Insight: Peek-a-boo tactics are fantastic (though boring) on enemies who will probably 1 hit kill you in combat. Careful of beasts though, as hiding in grass/bushes doesn't work on them and they give your position away. Hiding vertically (animals can't climb) works better for them.
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AC Odyssey: Over Achiever

July 21, 2019, 4:49 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

The list of accolades for the Eagle Bearer was long. A veteran of many battles and wars both on land and sea, verified leader of the usually female only Daughters of Artemis, and even an Olympic Champion for Sparta. None of those mattered to Keneon the Plains Walker who was now in Sparta city, along with numerous other mercenaries to protect the Spartan King that exiled the Eagle Bearer from those lands.

The Olympic quest line has some funny dialog options.

Besides the influx of mercenaries, the King was prudent enough to put all the soldiers in town on high alert too - knowing his life was in danger due to this decree and he was right. Keneon's keen eyes spotted the corpse of a soldier hidden in a nearby shrub, easily missed by someone less than rank Secret 4. The Eagle Bearer was close. Too close... right behind him!?

Though the backstab didn't do much damage, it did disarm Keneon's shield leaving him with just a sword. The Eagle Bearer then engaged him in a lengthy duel right in the street. Unfortunately for Keneon, his opponent was just too experienced now and could read all his moves flawlessly. And so, the Plains Walker died on that street. While he bled out, his last thoughts were of how he couldn't even land a single strike. The Spartan King would follow him to Hades shortly after.

Insight: Once you reach level 50 you unlock Mastery Levels which might seem more boring than the usual skills (they are just maths) but are far more useful. Only put 12/20 points in each one you want though as after that the gains are too small to be worthwhile. Whatever you choose, make sure to engrave your gear with synergistic components. For example, I focused on criticals: higher chance, higher damage. I was eventually one shotting any Secret rank 3 and below merc because the odds of me landing an insanely powered crit was so high.
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AC Odyssey: Cheated at the End

July 22, 2019, 4:36 am
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[Part of the AC Odyssey journal]

The Ghost of Kosmos, leader of the now nearly memberless cult, watched the battle from a safe distance. Like many battles before it, the blue armored Athenians clashed against the red themed Spartans but this time the cult's top enforcer, Deimos, had taken the field. On the opposing side was Alexios the Eagle Bearer, now renowned for all his previous adventures across most of the Greek world.

It was a sight to behold the two of them locked in mortal combat. Even some of the other soldiers on the field stopped fighting to watch as explosive heavenly light erupted from the ground while each champion took turns doing even more and more amazing feats of agility and strength... It was as if two demigods were fighting in their midst. Neither had the upper hand.

And then, the unthinkable happened. Two large flaming trees fell right on top of them, abruptly ending the fight in the most comical way possible. This result stunned everyone in silence with each army losing an appetite to continue the battle that day. Only the Ghost could think of something to say.

"Malaka!"

Second flaming tree incoming... in three... two...

Insight: While I'm ending this story here for now, the game certainly has more quest plots going on (and a much better ending) - most of which I avoided writing about! Speaking of Stories though, there is a capability to for players to generate their own quests for everyone to play. As expected, there are numerous XP farms (just keep replaying them without leaving the mission) if the level grind is too much for you. And yes, that totally counts as cheating!
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Neverwinter Online: Undermountain

July 23, 2019, 4:37 am
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It's a big, deep hole.

You might be wondering why my review of Undermountain is so late since the next module is just around the corner, and the short answer is simply I haven't been playing it much (have you seen my back log list? lol). In fact it took Shintar to remind me about it!

It doesn't help that there were sweeping changes to characters which pretty much killed the enthusiasm of a lot of players. Why be unique when the only way to be efficient now is to be the same as everyone else? Sigh.

Well, that aside, the Undermountain campaign itself is really good. Players find themselves delving into the realms of Halaster Blackcloak using the Yawning Portal as a forward base. The feeling of going down, down, down is well done and some of the later zones are really beautiful. It does suck to run into a level 80 mimic though.

One of the coolest parts!

The mandatory repetitive section comes in the form of expeditions which involves 3 randomly generated maps, a bunch of easter egg hunting and a variable difficulty setting. Surprisingly, these are quite fun too though I must admit I've not been hammering them daily. So content wise at least, Undermountain gets a thumbs up from me!

Insight: If you can stand on top of a chest it is fine. If you seem to always be pushed off, it is a mimic!
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Inside

July 24, 2019, 4:41 am
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A game about control.

From the makers of Limbo comes another 2.5D platformer which has better graphics, game play and story. There's also a decent Easter egg hunt throughout the this very messed up place and the ending doesn't really fill one with "achievement" but it is better that Limbo's abrupt one.

Well, that can't be hygienic...

Don't let that stop you from trying it though, as there are lots of great bits on the journey there. Scary bits. The underwater sections and blast chamber come to mind. Even if you aren't a platformer player, the puzzles here aren't too hard as your protagonist has a relatively small move set - and using them fully will get you through everything. I give it three and a half water girls out of five.

Insight: Keep an eye open for those yellow cables!
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Jessica Jones

July 25, 2019, 4:54 am
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AKA the girl that doesn't smile a lot.

The last of the Defenderswhose showis now cancelledafter three seasons, this series follows the powered Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) who works as a small time private investigator and her loads of baggage. I'll be honest, season 1 wasn't great as the protagonists were really hard to get behind, thankfully the fantastic villain (David Tennant) was enough to keep it interesting.

She does a lot of drinking in the show.

Season 2 fixes up most of the issues in season 1, and there are again clear improvements between season 2 and season 3 - enough for me to now lament that there will be no season 4. If you are a Marvel fan then it's definitely one worth watching, and even if you aren't or don't really like the whole super hero vibe, this is probably one of the easier shows to try out as Jessica's powers are downplayed significantly, unlike her compatriots who tend to get into fisticuffs half the time.
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Middle Earth: Shadow of War

July 26, 2019, 3:04 am
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Because everyone likes some orc on orc action.

Last time we saw the half-dead ranger Talion, he had just "killed" Sauron in a not so epic QTE and was on his way to Mount Doom to forge a new ring (because that's a good idea). In short: things don't go as planned and Talion has to sneak his way around Mordor once more, assassinating and recruiting orcs to fight the forces of Sauron and the Witch King.

The Nemesis system from the first game is back and really shines here, not just when you are hunting them or vice versa but also when you get to the siege parts of the game. You want to field your good orcs and not that scrub who runs away from flies, fire and caragors! Speaking of caragors, there are mounts to help you traverse the large maps and/or annihilate your enemies and Talion gets a lot of skill upgrades to keep the killing "fresh".

I love this part!

Most importantly the story is really good. I especially like fighting the Nazgul. Afterwards is a grindy epilogue for those who really like the sieges, which is quite optional. Even for just everything before that it is worth a play though, and I give it four an a half Gondorian relics out of five.

Insight: Unlock fatal counter ASAP to make fights less tedious.
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Celeste

July 27, 2019, 12:39 am
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The mountain teaches you about yourself.

At a glance, this certainly isn't the prettiest platformer with blocky sprite graphics - but the music and story are definitely top notch. In it, you play as a girl who has decided to reach the summit of Celeste mountain but is not so secretly undermining her own quest.

There are deaths a plenty (mine got to just under 1700) but the game is always encouraging, and difficulty wise the main story is far easier than Super Meatboy and IWTBTG. If you are aching for punishment though, there are plenty of secret levels that will scratch that itch.

It's a bit of a slog to reach the summit!

It also comes with an "assist mode" which can help if the game is still too tough, but if you don't like platformers, you aren't going to like this - assist mode or not. If you DO like platformers, then this one is highly recommended. I give it 3 strawberries out of 5.

Insight: Grab and jump with no direction key will let you leap directly up a wall.
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Blaugust Approaches

July 28, 2019, 4:41 am
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Prepare for the flood!

The Festival of Blogging, also known as Blaugust, is just around the corner for both blogging enthusiasts and those curious about starting up blogs of their own and usually sees an increased activity in cross blog postings and events. If you haven't already, sign up now!

This is also my main avenue of adding new links to my nav bar, so expect that to explode out again in the coming weeks. I'll be taking a back seat to it this year due to events out of my control but might steal some post ideas and chime in when I can get the time. Looking forward to seeing what it brings. :)
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Chernobyl (HBO Series)

July 30, 2019, 5:14 am
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"What is the cost of lies?"

This five episode series revisits the events of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, including the mind-boggling steps taken to rectify it as well as the equally mind-boggling decisions that led to it happening in the first place.

These guys do a great job!

While it's a bit odd that all the Russians are played by English actors (and almost everything is in English), the cinematography, sets, effects, script and acting are all fantastic with Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgard leading the way.

A great series even for those who have never heard of Chernobyl before, I highly recommend it and give it four and a half graphite blocks out of five. I'd definitely also watch the whole thing again. :)
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Today I Smiled: Scattershot Links

July 31, 2019, 5:09 am
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Been awhile since I did one of these, but I found these links to be entertaining if not informative. First up, is a story from the realm of r/MaliciousCompliance which is quickly becoming one of my favorite haunts.

As I've also been trying (and failing) to do some world building, here's a nice clip about creating fictional geography. When you are good enough at that, you might be able to make amazing D&D posters like this fellow too!

Speaking of D&D, here's a method to"win" as a sharpshooter and if that's not enough, how about a list of ways to defeat the Tarrasque, one of the most powerful creatures in the game?

Overcoming impossibility is not just in the realms of fiction though as proved by tarantulas that keep pet frogs, or Count Felix von Luckner who used an out dated three masted sailing ship to capture 16 enemy vessels in World War 1.

Usually I end these with a music clip but this time, here's the trailer for Death Stranding which looks both amazing and WTF at the same time.
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August 2019 Status

August 2, 2019, 3:05 am
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Having mostly recovered from being sick, I'm hoping to get a move on these stagnant tasks. Also, the Cursed story is going to start up again soon as well as more Baldur's Gate content is completed, which is what I'm playing at the moment while Borderlands 2 occupies the co-op game night session.

The plan is to then hit the next Neverwinter module: Uprising, then finally getting a start on Witcher 3. Speaking of the Witcher, I'm quite hopeful with that Netflix trailer!

    End 2019 with less weight (+3 kg from last month, running total: +5 kg)?
    Make board game prototype (simplified, board created)
    Complete web comic chapter 1 (world building is annoying!)
    Clean out wardrobe (no progress)
    Clean the roof (no progress)

Backlog Update:

FROM GIFTS (or freebies)
Baldur's Gate 2
Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Enderal
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear (done)
Borderlands 2
Celeste (done)
Icewind Dale
Inside (done)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
+Neverwinter Online: Uprising (0/2)

Board games:
Zombicide: Black Plague Campaign (10/11)
London Dread Campaign (1/4)
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (0/13)

As one of the game group is averse to cold (as she's 80+), Zombicide and Waterdeep are on hold. Instead we've been playing Forbidden Sky lately, and can't get enough of the victory "launch" sound.
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The Cursed: Useless Girl

August 4, 2019, 4:52 am
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[Part of the Cursed story line]

For her actions in defeating Sarevok, Catharina is hailed as a hero of Baldur's Gate and is rewarded by the cleric lord of the city the resurrection of her allies Lu Lingqi and Sir Erland (who had been shipped in from Ulgoth's Beard).

Along with Party Girl and Elisabeth, they are given rooms in the Ducal Palace and get to relax for a few weeks. Imoen comes to visit, and is soon attacked by (really weak) assassins that manage to wound her.

Assassins so weak, just like Arno from AC: Unity.

Correspondence indicates that both she and Catharina were the targets of this attack, and that the men were in service to some rebellious knight up North named Caelar Argent. Reports from refugees indicate that she had assembled a rather large army and was marching towards Baldur's Gate.

Catharina immediately volunteers to assemble a team and mount an expedition to stop said force while Imoen immediately backs out, due to her new injury. That girl is useless.

Insight: When importing your final save from the last game, all characters are revived fully leading to some surprising revivals for me. :)
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The Cursed: Friends Old and New

August 5, 2019, 4:29 am
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[Part of the Cursed story line]

Flaming Fist Captain Shael Corwin is assigned to Catharina's team to help her assemble her squad, and the first step is funding! Alas, all of the hard earned gold from the previous adventures have been lost thanks to an inept guard and desperate refugees.

Corwyn has a lot of facial scars, I imagine to represent her combat experiences.
Personally, I think it just shows that she likes to block with her face.

The guard is berated, and the thieving refugees once found explain they already shared the sizable wealth with all the other needy refugees pouring in. They don't seem to understand that the reason doesn't matter (nor does it ever when it comes to crime), so Catharina and company execute the lot of them on the spot.

By chance, both Minsc (and Boo) and Dynaheir are in this same tavern having survived their ordeals with ghouls and injuries from gnolls. Safana too, though the thief doesn't say what she and Viconia had to do to get out of those kobold tunnels. They all accept to join the campaign.

Insight: Going after the gold as hard as I did was probably a more "evil" approach, but I am very possessive.
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The Cursed: Baeloth's Shallow Pit

August 6, 2019, 5:11 am
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[Part of the Cursed story line]

Good thing Corwin has some pull with the Flaming Fist, as the captain manages to recruit a good number of them, including Skie - the runaway daughter of a prominent lord. Catharina doesn't mind, an extra sword is an extra sword.

A few random mercs also join the line up, one being Viconia who keeps conversations short and shares many awkward silences with Safana. Catharina decides this retinue is large enough and begins the march North to meet the incoming threat.

The column makes camp once it nears Caelar's territory, and gives Catharina and company an opportunity to explore the woods... finding a small animal fight pit run by... Baeloth? Turns out his "disintegration" was just another of Neera's wild magic teleports.

Fight pits still exist to this day.

The team put a stop to his sorry arena, freeing a very thankful goblin shaman named M'khiin. Both are sent back to the camps to join the campaign.

Insight: While skull trap is still very useful, the designers mitigate it somewhat by having critters running about. Nothing is quite as annoying as having your trap triggered early by a rat or a squirrel.
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