For a medium long known for being "fun," some of our most interesting and challenging games can actually be quite dark in the stories they tell. From horror games to characters with inner torment to games taking on societal critique, this panel explores the appeal of dark stories in games and discuss the advantage and challenges of tackling dark subject matter. We'll also talk about how best to embody the darkness through game mechanics and difficult choices for players to make. The panel will discuss games we think have tackled dark subjects particularly well, and will ponder if it's possible to ever go too far into the darkness.
Panelists
Richard Rouse III, Emily Short, Thomas Grip and Marta Fijak
Richard Rouse III is a creative director, designer, and writer who has worked on a range of titles, including the horror franchise The Suffering, zombie survival simulator State of Decay, and his cult-set experimental narrative game The Church in the Darkness. Previously he was a Design Director/Lead at Microsoft Studios, Ubisoft Montreal, Midway and Surreal Software. Rouse wrote the popular book Game Design: Theory & Practice.
Emily Short works in interactive fiction, narrative design, and conversation modeling, and is currently the Creative Director at Failbetter Games. She has released over two dozen solo games, as well as contributing to indie games such as Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine; she also provided R&D work for Telltale Games and others. Her blog can be found at http://emshort.blog.
A biologist and computer scientist by education, a game designer by love. Tried every form of gamedev, from basement indie with ~20 players, through a BAFTA nominated game with ~1.5 million players, up to f2p with ~10 million players. Recently did society in Frostpunk and was a lead game designer on an not announced 11 bit studios project. Currently, starting a new adventure, as a creative director at Anshar studios.
The latest update to Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is live right now! Jump into the Chaos Wastes together with your friends and prepare to head out on your first expedition!
If you are looking for the patch notes for 4.3 you can read them here.
Chaos Wastes is a free update for Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Explore the unpredictable and dramatic lands of Chaos Wastes in this all-new 1-4 player co-op rogue-lite experience, expanding the Vermintide story in a new game mode.
A High Stakes Adventure
Explore the Chaos Wastes together with your fellow heroes in this new rogue-lite inspired game mode. Build your team from the ground up, decide your tactics together and prepare for the unexpected. The farther your team progresses, the greater the reward, but beware: failure to reach the expedition’s end may rob you of the fruits of your labor.
Discover 15 New Locations
Head out on expeditions and explore 15 new unique locations. The journey will take you through a diverse landscape with icy expanses, mountain ranges, and treacherous valleys, all under the control of ruinous powers. Your mission is to locate the rumored Citadel of Eternity in the search for salvation - at any cost.
Adapt and Overcome New Challenges
No two expeditions are the same. Thus, the choices you make are more important than ever and can tip the scales, from life to death. Choose carefully as you equip new weapons, boons, miracles, and more as you progress through the expeditions.
Survive Against Ruinous Powers
Throughout your journey, you may encounter areas that are cursed. When you enter a cursed area, the landscape itself is influenced by its current ruler which dramatically changes the way you need to play. So, prepare for an extra challenge as a cursed area also brings a more sinister threat.
An encounter with a resurgent outbreak turned the Plague Doctor to arcane methods of fighting pestilence. Convinced that New Orleans represents its evolution, he arrived to treat it with fire, lead, and his own array of ministrations.
The stories we tell through video games begin with the player. Although they may be written about characters, it is the player's experience of the story told through the characters that really matters. This idea of narrative projection is explored in both of indie studio The Game Band's two titles - spatial puzzle coming-of-age game, Where Cards Fall, and absurdist text-based baseball simulation, Blaseball.
Although wildly different in gameplay and aesthetic style, both Where Cards Fall and Blaseball invite narrative projection in unique ways. Join Sam Rosenthal, Stephen Bell, and Joel Clark as they reflect on the stories being told through these games.
Sam Rosenthal is the founder and creative director of The Game Band, a studio that aims to inspire hearts and minds with games that reflect the world we live in. The Game Band won an Apple Design Award for its first title, Where Cards Fall, and created the viral sensation Blaseball. The studio name was inspired by his love for bands that stay relevant by defying expectations. Prior to directing Where Cards Fall, he worked as a game designer on What Remains of Edith Finch, Skylanders, and Where’s My Water.
Joel Clark joined The Game Band in 2017 as a Platform & Tools Engineer after working for almost five years as an engineer on several projects including Emoji Blitz. He was responsible for the suite of design tools the team used to build Where Cards Fall, and created the simulation and much of the voice behind Blaseball.
Stephen Bell is a film director, writer and narrative designer who has worked on acclaimed titles including Sky: Children of the Light and 12 Minutes. He was instrumental in shaping the storyline for Where Cards Fall and is one of the key voices behind Blaseball’s absurdist humor.
The Firestarter is a ranged caster class that uses torches and heat to burn its enemies to a crisp. As you use your attacks, you will build up Heat, which will enhance some of your attacks, such as Fire Dance & Fire Breath.
SOLO & TEAM PLAY
For packs of enemies, begin by throwing Flaming Sphere. When you’ve used all three, follow up with Eruption to stun the enemies in place. Remember to keep your distance when using Flaming Sphere because it needs the space to build up power—if you’re too close, it won’t be as powerful. Finish off any surviving enemies with either Fire Dance (if surrounded) or Fire Breath (if the enemy is in front of you). In situations where you face packs of more powerful enemies, you can lay waste to the entire battlefield with Incinerating Rain, a huge meteor shower.
Bosses will be a bit trickier, but Flaming Sphere is still the go-to for initiating fights. When all spheres have been thrown, use Eruption and Incinerating Rain. Jump through Path of Flame and use all of your built up heat to burn the enemy with Fire Breath before quickly jumping back through the portal left by the ability. Use up the new Flaming Spheres gained by Path of Flame and then use Shape of Fire to restore your Flaming Spheres—but that’s not all it does! It will also heal you and even allow you to escape from CC (crowd control) effects.
ATTRIBUTES
As a DPS class, we recommend damage-enhancing stats like Main Damage, Critical Damage, and Critical Chance.
ABILITIES
Ability
Description
Flaming Sphere
Creates a flaming sphere that chases the target. The sphere deals progressively more damage – up to X damage. The sphere moves faster over time. In battle against other immortals, the sphere lasts a shorter time and its speed does not change. Using the portals of Path of Flame or Shape of Fire grants 1 Flaming Sphere charge. You can store up to 3 charges of this ability. Applies Burning to the target which deals X damage every second.
Eruption
Deals X damage to the target and all enemies within 10 yards of them. The Burning Ground talent creates a burning area that exists for 10 seconds and deals X damage every 0.5 seconds. Applies Burning to the target which deals X damage every second.
Fire Dance
Deals X damage every 0.5 seconds to all targets within 10 yards of the Firestarter. If they have enough energy, they spend it to boost the effect, dealing X damage every 0.5 seconds for 8 points of energy. Applies Burning to the target which deals X damage every second.
Fire Breath
Deals X damage every 0.2 seconds to all targets in a small cone in front of the Firestarter. The damage is progressively increased after the first second of use, up to a 125% bonus. If they have enough energy, they spend it to boost the effect, dealing X damage every 0.2 seconds for 12 points of energy. Applies Burning to the target which deals X damage every second.
Incinerating Rain
Creates an area that is bombarded with burning boulders for 10 seconds. The boulders deal X damage in a 5 yard radius. If the appropriate node in the class temple is unlocked, Cyrus’s Wrath becomes available.
Cyrus’s Wrath
Can be used against a target affected by Incinerating Rain. All burning boulders fall on the selected enemy, dealing X damage and reducing the duration of Fire Rain by 3 seconds. Deals less damage in battle against other immortals. Applies Burning to the target which deals X damage every second.
Path of Flame
Quickly covers a distance of up to 30 yards, dealing X damage to all enemies along the way. Creates portals at the starting and ending points, and can teleport between them for 7.5 seconds. Traveling between portals grants 1 Flaming Sphere charge. The first run can be stopped ahead of time. The Tame Flame talent doubles portals' lifetime. Applies the Burning effect, which deals X damage every second.
Shape of Fire
The Firestarter calls upon their fiery nature and turns into a fire Menar, removing all control effects. Movement speed in this form is increased, incoming damage is reduced by 50%. When coming in contact with the Firestarter, enemies catch fire and panic. 3 fiery portals open nearby. When the mage enters them, they recover 20% of health, 20 points of energy, and 1 Flaming Sphere charge. Their movement speed will also be increased for a short time.
We’d like to thank our community for being fantastic as usual and lending a hand with this guide.
During this event, which usually lasts 7-8 days, with daily replenishment, you will accumulate stars, for these stars in the Star Pack column you can receive bonus rewards.
Don't miss your chance to get one of the strongest units for 21 stars. also, bonus rewards will be for 3 stars and for 12
Try your luck in the Lucky Draw event, every day you get x1 free attempt to spin the wheel, and the spent gold coins are awarded to you in the form of points, which can also be used in this event.
