Community Showcase Submissions - March 2018

On the easy allies website- it shows the community showcase as today April 5th?

Colton Berry

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Parasitepaladin

Hopefully I got this in on time, I was scrambling a bit to finish it in the eleventh hour. The release of Sea of Thieves didn't exactly live up to everyone's expectations, but the art of the game is still pretty inspiring. If there's one thing I know about pirates, it's that they could stand to treat each other with a little more Love &amp; Respect. <a href="https://soundcloud.com/walkerhopemusic/lr-pirate-theme" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/walkerhopemusic/lr-pirate-theme</a> See you on the high seas. Walker Hope aka Captain Hampton

Walker Hope

In a little late this month. Spread myself a little thin in March and couldn't quite get any of the new music I'd been working on done (I wanted to try and get the opportunity to show off my Korg Minologue skills to Ian, but alas, it wasn't to be) so it's going to be another Sherbet Flies song this month. This at least affords me the opportunity to double down on my correction from last month where in the January community showcase Brandon had pronounced the band name Sherbet Files (F-I-L-E-S) instead of Sherbet Flies (F-L-I-E-S, as in the bug) as is correct. This lead to Brandon in the February showcase having to read out the relevant correction that I'd sent in, however, Mr. Jones read the correction out as "the band name is Sherbet Files, not Sherbet Files". I'm not quite sure if that was a bit. If it was, well played Mr. Jones. Anyways, this song is called 'Nothing New' and it is by my band Sherbet Flies. I play guitar and sing on it. A break from the transgender related themes of the previous two months, the song is vaguely about anxiety and a lack of direction in life. Hope y'all dig it. L&amp;R <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5asE8dd_ag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5asE8dd_ag</a> Note: pronouns are they/them

Elle

I didn't have much to put this month, but I can say that March was a great month for video games for myself. I was able to finally beat Xenoblade Chronicles 2 which I enjoyed a lot, l and Ni No Kuni 2 which I also enjoyed a lot. Plus getting the Dragon Quest XI game release date was great, and if Fire Emblem doesn't come out, I am pretty sure my goat is going to be Ni No Kuni 2 or DQXI. Here is hoping the rest of the year, and many games that surprise people with their awesomeness.

Mr.V

The game works the following way: For each of my brothers I pick a game that they have to play for 4 hours. It has to be a game that they have not played before (or only a little bit). They do the same for me (and each other)

To make sure it remains visible

Desquick

My original post got deleted, but luckily I caught it before the showcase. I didn’t save it anywhere so here’s a summation of what I originally had. For the past 9-ish years I’ve been working on a story. I spend pretty much every unoccupied moment of my day working on materials for it or brainstorming how I can improve different aspects of it. I’ve probably written around 750 pages of scripts and supplementary materials. At this point, it’s fair to say that it has become a significant part of who I am. Towards the end of highschool I realized that the story was better suited as a game rather than a book, so I abandoned my lifelong dream of becoming a fashion designer and decided to major in game dev. It’s a weird jump to make, I know. Anyways, this March I finally started making that game. I’m just a student and I have a lot to learn, but I figure this thing is going to take years to make, especially if I’m working alone, so I have time to pick up the skills I need. I’m using RPG Maker MV because it’s pretty much all that I can afford, and because it’s supposed to be a good tool for beginners. Programming has been a bit of an issue so far. MV uses Javascript, which I do not know and is not being taught in any of my classes. The game mechanics I want to work in will require a LOT of new code, which will prove troublesome.The universe couldn’t let me use something easy like Java or Python, it just had to give a new challenge. At least it will be another programming language under my belt. On the art front things are going better. Since I spent most of my life thinking I was going to pursue fashion as a career, making character portraits is pretty much second nature to me at this point. Sprites and animations were tough initially, but now I can make something that at least moves like it’s supposed to. Tilesets are fun as well, if a bit tedious. The game has multiple playable characters, so setting up unique dialogue and events for each is pretty time consuming. That’s basically where I’m at. Hopefully I’ll have enough stuff done to show pictures of my progress next month. P.S. Does Ian have any recommendations of music software for beginners?

Michelle Jackson

Hello Brandon and Ian! No art or anything to show this month, I just wanted to thank you for doing the Lego stream at a time I was able to watch. It was great to be involved in chat and is probably one of the most surreal experiences I've ever had! Love &amp; Respect Dave Cleland

"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind."

Trung Nguyen

Hi Brandon and Ian. 2nd Anniversary was amazing. Seeing Ian and Noah performing a bunch of songs live and Pukei Pukei song were great. Music quiz made me gringe a bunch of times because I knew almost each of them but it was enjoyable in the end. Biggest but not the last surprise was you performing "Melodies of Life" and I really didn't see that coming. Currently Monster Hunter World is mostly playing limited hunts so I haven't just reached 200 hours(199) on it yet, but soon there will be Spring Event followed by Megaman skin for Palico and Dante skin from Devil May Cry, I'll be sure to put some serious time in it again. Coming home from a trip I was ready to pick my Ni no Kuni 2 - King's Edition from the store and begin my journey and played 24 hours straight and put another 13 hour the next day which wasn't wise since I slept 3 hours before I had to go to work but I just couldn't stop. So much for that 30 hourish gameplay since I'm at 42 hours currently and will probably finish it since I got a 5 day break. Love and respect Tearju Engi BTW. Kulu Ya-Ku was supposed to have a speed lines because Huber said Deviljho threw it at him but I forgot it in a hurry. My hunter: <a href="https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/981788632280387584" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/981788632280387584</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/981788087608119296" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/tearjuengi/status/981788087608119296</a>

Trung Nguyen

Patreon Eat Protection Post or P.E.P.P.

XWF Outlaw

Hey Jones and Ian! When From teased their next game at The Game Awards in December, everybody at my viewing party all exclaimed, "Bloodborne 2!" I was the odd duck out when I jumped up and yelled, "Shadow Tower is back!" So for this month, I want to talk about my favorite From franchise that nobody could properly experience in the West thanks to Sony's intervention. For those who don't know, Shadow Tower is a spin-off of From's King's Field franchise. It's a cruel first-person RPG where players dive deep into an inverted tower deep underground that's split into a variety of ecosystems like poison, fire and water. It's an incredible game, but not one I would recommend. I would, however, recommend its Japan-only sequel Shadow Tower Abyss. The big change from all first-person From games before it is that it has proper dual analog support which makes it far more playable. While other King's Field games and even the first Shadow Tower just plopped the player into the world, Abyss sets the game up with an uncomfortably long boat ride with a grotesque monster that leads players to the tower. This tower once again is split up into multiple ecosystems that twist and turn in on themselves. Boss fights are also super interesting in that many are more puzzles than combat encounters that require players to find their weakness hidden deep within a labyrinth like Seath the Scaless if his crystal was in a dungeon far separated from him. Finally, the game is set in the 1940s so players have access to older weapons they pick up in the tower, but also modern weaponry like guns dropped from soldiers who lost their way. Unfortunately, we never got to play it because Sony, the game's publisher in Japan, blocked the US publisher Agetec from publishing it here despite them publishing all the previous From games because they didn't think it would sell. Fortunately, there is a fan translation patch out there and I would highly recommend anybody with the means to check out this forgotten masterpiece. Love and respect

Phazonmasher

Hi Jones and Ian! As teased last month, my battle against the backlog brought me to Nier: Automata and I have to say, this is the first game I’ve played from last year that challenges my Persona 5 GOTY claim. This was my first Platinum game and I walked away from it absolutely astonished. The story was beautiful, engaging, thought provoking, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. Initially, when EZA gave it the Best Soundtrack award, I was salty, but after playing through it I can’t say I’m mad about it. But more than anything, I wanted to highlight something I haven’t seen talked about regarding Nier. I will be totally honest, I’m not very good at games. Most of the time I’m just playing for the story, so I play on Easy so I can actually get through it. Nier presents one of the most fascinating Easy modes I’ve ever come into contact with, as it allows you to customize your play experience with the use of Auto-Chips. Through the inventory, you can switch chips on or off that control attacking, evading, shooting, and healing, which lets you curate your experience completely. For me, I am terrible at evasion and shooting, so I had those both on, along with auto healing to ensure I wouldn’t die. I just controlled attacking and movement and I had an absolutely wonderful experience with it. This made going through the game multiple times to get the different endings fun without frustration, and I think more games should provide more player customization to choose exactly how they like to play games. I finished up with endings A, B, C, D, E, K, and O, but I am planning to start over and get all 26 endings in my pursuit for my first ever Platinum Trophy. Next month, I’ll be talking about two incredibly different RPGs from last year that I’m playing right now, Mass Effect Andromeda and South Park: The Fractured But Whole. As always, Love and Respect. GOTYlocks in the Twitch Chat.

Kate Bishop

My post may have disappeared but here it is! Hello Ian and Brandon. I put together a video of expectation subversion from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I would love your thoughts on it and keep up the good work: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7wZP5uhgA&amp;lc=z231wh3ott3kcz4seacdp435xe2hir31gtqme3cl0hdw03c010c" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7wZP5uhgA&amp;lc=z231wh3ott3kcz4seacdp435xe2hir31gtqme3cl0hdw03c010c</a>

Greetings Brandon and Ian! I put together a video on expectation subversion from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Hope you like it and keep up the good work! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7wZP5uhgA&amp;lc=z231wh3ott3kcz4seacdp435xe2hir31gtqme3cl0hdw03c010c" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7wZP5uhgA&amp;lc=z231wh3ott3kcz4seacdp435xe2hir31gtqme3cl0hdw03c010c</a>

Saving the comment. (It seems to keep disappearing, even with a reply like this) Edit: I discovered something new about the comment system. In my original comment I ended my sentence with "TLoZ:BoTW." to keep it under 400 words, and it kept disappearing. I tried it like 10 times, even with a reply comment, yet it disappeared instantly. But for some reason when I write it out like "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." it does not disappear. I suspect this is because "TLoZ:BoTW" is not recognized by the grammar check as a real word, whereas "Wild" is. So it seems some kind of security measure for spam is active on Patreon, where it checks if the last word is a real word in the English language.

Henk Groenendijk

[My comment disappeared. Luckily I saved it on my computer. My original post was between Brandon K Gann and Randy Verschueren's post.] Hello Brandon and Ian! Happy 2-year anniversary and congratulations on the beautiful musical performances during the concert! Special shout-out to Ian’s lyrics: They are truly wonderful and definitely reach me. Let me share a story with you about something that recently happened. A new gaming memory that will stick with me for the rest of my life, of something I’m really, really proud of. To understand the significance let me take you back to my childhood. My brother and I grew up in a gaming household. Our parents owned a Commodore64 and shortly after a Nintendo. Up until this point gaming was mostly casual recreation. But with the Super Nintendo the games were bigger, bolder (yet familiar), and things went up a notch. Gaming got a more prominent place in our lives. Our parents were interested in Adventure games and RPGs, specifically Secret of Mana, Lufia, and above all: Zelda. However after the Super Nintendo gaming changed. The arrival of 3D-graphics and 360-degrees freedom meant that games became more complex, and controls less intuitive. Games became bigger and bolder once again, yet this time more unfamiliar. Whatever the reasons were, when the era of polygons began, the gaming era of my parents came to an end. On top of that, my brother and I grew up. We became less dependent on our parents for games and thus gaming itself was removed from their lives… Until, there was the Switch with a new Zelda. My dad was immediately excited! So my mom, brother and I came together and discussed: Should we do it? Is it worth the risk after all those years? We decided it was and on Father’s Day we gave my dad a Switch with Zelda. It didn’t take long for them to be fully emerged in the game: My dad with the controller fighting enemies, my mom giving him tips and watching his health/hearths. They discussed strategies on how to solve puzzles. Even when they were not playing, they discussed where to go next or how to defeat an enemy. And then there was that moment. I received a message from my mother. It was a photo of my father… fighting Ganon… It has been well over 20-years since gaming had a prominent place in their lives and they experienced a game like this together. With almost 500 hours under their belt, I am proud to say: My parents beat The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Henk Groenendijk

Keeping my comment alive

Hi Brandon and Ian. This month I was having a really difficult time deciding on what I should talk about. I recently began playing through the early games in the Dragon Quest series, should I talk about if these 30 year old games hold up? Maybe I could talk about Monster Hunter World. Nothing was really standing out to me, and then I played Celeste. Without giving too much away, Celeste is a story about dealing with depression framed within a Super Meat Boy esque platformer. I’ll start by saying that I have dealt with issues of self-doubt and anxiety for most of my life, and something I really appreciated about Celeste was in small moments involving the main character, Madeline. There is one near the beginning where she meets a fellow hiker who wants to celebrate their meeting with a picture, something Madeline is hesitant about because she thinks she looks bad in pictures. I had to stop playing for a bit because I was shocked, realizing it was word for word something I have said more than once. There were several other of these small moments highlighting some insecurity or doubt of Madeline’s that would hit me pretty hard just because of how real and personal it felt. I was able to empathize with her in a way don’t think I ever have with any other character in a story, video game or otherwise. Another detail I love about Celeste is the loading screens displaying words of encouragement. These include statements about how you shouldn’t worry about getting every collectable or to be proud of your death count because it means you’re learning. This helps to create a feeling of being challenging but also encouraging. Celeste will put you through some very difficult moments both mechanically and emotionally, but at the same time it wants you to overcome these challenges. Playing through Celeste motivated me to begin moving forward with aspects of my own life that I had been avoiding. I hope that we see more games like Celeste that can create meaningful discussions about mental illness and maybe even inspire someone who is struggling to seek out help and support. Since my post was kind of heavy I’ll leave with this. Before a hunt in Monster Hunter World, you can have a team of cat chefs make you a giant meal, it’s fantastic.

First, a short update: I ultimately failed the “gaming challenge” of my brothers. [@Brandon: I included the rules at the bottom, if Ian is interested]. I had no problem playing Borderlands 2 and Cave Story+. I finished neither of them, but I only had to play 4 hours, which was certainly okay. However, I just could not force myself to play Eldritch for more than two hours. I do not want to trash too hard on the game - let’s just say that hardcore roguelikes are definitely not my cup of tea. I am now waiting for my punishment - which means that I have to complete a game of my brothers choosing (with some restrictions. They cannot simply pick Skyrim for me) On a more positive note: I cleared a game from my backlog that I specifically saved up for the birthday month of Easy Allies. The first game you ever reviewed: Quantum Break. I simply expected a good shooter with a decent story – but I was surprised in multiple facets. On the negative side the shooting itself is a bit odd – especially if you play on PC. The aiming is not 100% precise and if you stand too close to an enemy, hitting him is not as easy as it should be. The included TV show that puts other characters of the game in the spotlight sounds good on paper, but it ultimately messes up the pacing of the game. On the positive side, the story is amazing. The game is one of the few instances in media that gets time travel right (to the best of my knowledge). Much more importantly, the way the story unravels is well paced and even after finishing the game, I thought about the whole story arc for a few days. In addition, the “time powers” you gain are diverse and change the way you play the game if you master them. This is needed, because the enemies are more clever than in other shooters. I am not sure why Remedy went off my personal “gaming radar” after Alan Wake. If you look at the great games they released in their history (Max Payne 1 &amp; 2, Alan Wake and Quantum Break), then their story telling is up to par with games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. I am really looking forward to what they do next.

***non comment remover***

Prototype Jay

27 hours 54 minutes and 37 seconds i've spent on a game this month and got the platinum trophy for. It's been quite a while since i've played a game where i naturally just went with the flow and enjoyed every second of game play, discovering things along the way organically and just having fun blowing stuff up. Far Cry 5's AI buddies are terrible, the story is bland and there might be a glitch or 2. BUT, all of that is forgiven for just the sheer joy and big ole smile i had on my face going crazy in this world. The freedom, no towers, no mini map and no skinning for upgrades was a warm welcome and definitely improved the overall experience. And don't forget about the music. What I like most about Far Cry 5's music is it plays into the story. Songs like Rifle by your side, Help me faith and Oh John are sung by the cultists and are very catchy. They're used as motivation for the cultists and to lure new believers in. And even though it's a shame about the Co-Op progress not being shared, there's still fun to be had. Please enjoy this video of me and my friend punching a Bison. <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtoJayN7/status/980562560616460288" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/ProtoJayN7/status/980562560616460288</a> Proof of my platinum trophy <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtoJayN7/status/980804601472536578" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/ProtoJayN7/status/980804601472536578</a> Does the game have flaws? yes. Is the story a bit too serious for it's own good? in my opinion most likely. Will you have a great time in Hope County? you bet your sweet ass you will!. PJ.

Prototype Jay

So my comment doesn't disappear

Karl Williams

I'm real glad that Ghibli Fest is back in theaters for 2018. Not only will I get to re-watch some of my faves like Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke, but I'll get to watch both The Cat Returns and Grave of the Fireflies for the first time. Already, I got to re-watch Ponyo, which was great. Saw it years ago on video so seeing it at a theater twice (subbed and dubbed) was quite the treat. This time around, I feel I was able to give full appreciation to the movie as opposed to seeing it just once and thinking "man, that was a pretty good Miyazaki movie." The movie was charming from start to finish and the humor was so innocent you couldn't help but laugh. And of course both the music and the animation are amazing. Even some of the animation where it feels like it was art made by a child was a pretty clever use. After re-watching Ponyo, I think I can safely say it deserves a spot in my Top 5 favorite Miyazaki films. As to where in my Top 5...well, that is definitely a trick question. Secret best Miyazaki film perhaps? ;) In any case, I look forward to heading back to the theaters the next couple of months for some Ghibli goodness. P.S. There really needs to a Ghibli episode of Reaction Shots. Just sayin'

Karl Williams

I deleted my previous comment, it was a little sloppy i think

mikkel hervel nemmøe

Hey Brand-Ian Easy Allies means the world to me. I'm 19, i suffer from depression and heavy anxiety, so much that i can't attend school, I can't even dream of getting a job right now, public places are challenging, and I can't socialize with anyone that I'm not intimately familiar with. The only thing really going on is my treatment. Right now, my life consists of 80% video games and Easy Allies. You 9 people bring me so much joy EVERY SINGLE DAY. Every single crappy day for the past 2 years of my life, through the grind of therapy, you guys have been there for me. I have had a lot of days where i didn't feel like living anymore, but then a 7-hour podcast about video games from you guys would emerge, and i would feel better about life. Right now i don't have a lot to look forward to in my life, but waiting for and getting hyped for E3 with you guys gives me something to cling onto, which is as important to me as therapy. Ian, you personally got me to play The Witness, The Talos Principle, Symphony Of The Night, Bound and Dragons Dogma, all games that i love, all games that provided me with an escape from this nightmare realm of horror that we live in. Not only that, your not-giving-a-damn attitude about what others think reminds me how pointless my anxiety is (which is a very good thing!), and gives me fighting spirit. Brandon, you got me to play RE4, Red Dead and Witcher 3, some of my very favourite of all time. You are also, along with Kyle, extremely good for me when i have long-lasting anxiety that i can't get rid of. You also got me into The Beatles, which has helped me immensely during anxiety attacks. It takes a lot out of me to write and post this, but it's worth it just to get to say thank you, I sincerely believe i would be in a much worse place today, had it not been for you 9 superstars. I truly LOVE you guys, keep being the best group of people on the planet! Ps. I'm sorry for writing kind of a downer comment, but i wanted to thank you two personally for being one of my only sources of pure, joy and happiness in my life. L&amp;R

mikkel hervel nemmøe

After "Mortal Kombat XL" introduced a second season pass that I needed to buy, I decided to wait until the all inclusive re-release of "Injustice 2" came out before purchasing it. This month was finally my time as the 'Legendary Edition' has come out. And I'm glad I waited as "Injustice 2" had three Fighter Packs come out after release. I'm glad to get everything in one edition of the game. Surprisingly, I never got around to watching the story on YouTube, which IGN posted at the game's release. I'm currently enjoying making my way through that. I have to add that Netherrealm has really come a long way with their Story Modes between "Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe" and "Injustice 2". I hope they continue to raise the bar for themselves with each game they put out.

Robert I.

Hi Brandon and Ian! First off, I just wanna say how much of a delight it was to meet you and the other allies in person finally at the anniversary meet-up. Not to mention how amazing everyone’s performances were at the concert! I had a blast and shared some unforgettable times with the extremely close group of friends that I wouldn’t even know were it not for EZA. This community means the world to me and I can’t wait to see everybody again at Year 3! As for my submission this month, I wanted to share some of the designs I’ve made as Easy Allies fan merch. All of them were made in fun and in my spare time. Hope you enjoy! <a href="https://stephenct.threadless.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://stephenct.threadless.com/</a>

Esther Devil

Just because I always want to submit something to the showcase but never actually get around to actually doing it (I will when the time is right, I promise) I just want to get something of my chest. I love EZA and I love the community. Being part of it all for the two years has been such a great time. When I feel sad, down or just lonely, I can always put on a random EZA video or pop into the chat for a while. I have been part of many communities through the years, but this is the first that are really keeping me around and always makes me feel so welcome. From the bottom of my heart, thank YOU for being part of it, no matter how big or small. Also since Ian is there, thank you for being super cool and your endless film tips/discussions have led me into a whole bunch of gems I otherwise would of missed! Love and Respect, Lotias

Sebastian Hall

It was great meeting both of you at the concert. I was tempted to share another Hotline Miami music mashup but I'm having self-doubts about its quality and use of synths, so instead I'd like to briefly talk about what I believe makes a good villain. From what I've heard and read from countless others, it sounds like the consensus is that the best villains are those with complicated motivations; flawed individuals that are misunderstood, or themselves misunderstand the world, and try to do what they believe is the right thing, regardless of their means. While I certainly appreciate characters with shades of grey, I don't find most sympathetic villains to be threatening. To me, nothing is more intimidating and horrifying than a villain that can put on a perfect face and pretend to be good, because that means they clearly know the difference between right and wrong, but they just straight up choose to be selfish and evil. They know how to exploit the good in people, and once their true nature is revealed, the heroes cannot attempt to communicate to their rationality or humanity. My favorite example of this type of villain from a videogame is [incoming Bioshock spoilers…] Fontaine. Fontaine’s persona, Atlas, isn't just a good person, he's flawed, and so very realistic, which makes it all the more disturbing that he's the concoction of a monster. A monster that knows what a good human being should be, and he just chooses to do the complete opposite. My favorite example of this from a movie is probably from Get Out. My head and heart still hurt whenever I rewatch that movie and observe the behavior and language of the villains when they’re acting all too realistically like good human beings. Perhaps movies like Zodiac are the most disturbing, because that villain was a real person that had the capacity to act helpful and even rational, but their only intent was to cause pain and fear. It’s been said that a story is only as good as its villain. Suffice to say, I love Bioshock and Get Out very much, and movies like Zodiac are the only ones that keep me up at night. On a lighter note, the release that I’ve been most anticipating all year has arrived and it actually wasn’t a videogame, but rather the 4K Blu-rays of BBC Nature’s Blue Planet II.

Joseph Caruso

I gotta come up with something soon!!

Alex Castellanos

Congratulations again on 2 years, Brandon, Ian, and the other allies. This month, a beautiful thing happened. A JRPG gripped me like one hasn't since Final Fantasy X, even down to the not minding replaying hours of content due to a frustrating game over out of nowhere. The art style of this game captured me immediately right from the intro cutscene, to its fun battle setup and transitions, to even just walking around the city. Most of the musical score hit just the right beats. I enjoyed it so much, I ended up adding several songs to my driving playlist. And the story, phew. Tackling some real life potentially relatable and dark issues in a compelling way. All in all, my month long (literally, March 1st to March 30th) roughly 116 hour long play through was worth the slightly less of a life, and multiple accidental 3 a.m. sessions. Persona 5 Phantom Thieves, you have stolen my heart!

Jordan Kirk

I ended up passing on Sea of Thieves. I've always been a fan of anything pirate related. Gasparilla is one of my favorite times of the year. Unfortunately, everything I saw just never seemed that enticing. Please correct me if wrong, but it seemed like a lot of doing this, do that. Bring this from point A to point B. Go here. Directions, directions, directions. Being a pirate is about freedom, adventure and having a good time. That just seems to be non-existent. I also played Rime. What utter rubbish that game is. Eventually, a trophy popped called "Unbearable." I thought, yea, that is an appropriate word for it. Then wondered why I hadn't fully given up on it yet. Laziness? Hope? It was then that I shut it off. Maybe I'll go back to it. I tend to not let first impressions sway me. If I did, I would have never given Monster Hunter: World a second chance. I went from completely disliking that game, to seeing potential, to having fun and even getting the Platinum for it. I'm still playing it as well. Crown events and a good group of people to play with made crown hunting fun. There is also that feeling of progression. Even if you don't get that small or large crown; you still get parts to make weapons and/or armor, level up, etc. I also played some games with more of my non-gamer friends. First up was That's You! Everyone had a lot of fun with it. We enjoy the mocking and ridiculing of each other aspect of it as we know it is all in good fun. Next, I popped their VR cherry. For my friend who likes puzzles, I let them have a go at Statik. I figured that was a good one because it is all about discovering what buttons do to solve a puzzle as they weren't familiar with the controller. For my friends who seemed like they would scare easy, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. Why? Because Snapchat demands it, dammit. The results did not disappoint. I also treated them to Moss after because that game is adorable and the environments are just incredible to look at in VR. We also tried a few rounds of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. After the consumption of many fermented beverages, our success rate wouldn't surprise anyone. Everyone had a blast!

Jason A. Sackel

<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/TimBashen/status/980444986423508992" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://mobile.twitter.com/TimBashen/status/980444986423508992</a> Finally it’s Ians turn. Waited for him to show this picture. Creating a beautiful rainbow and I always have to think of rainy day Ian when I see this picture 😄 the photo was taken in New Zealand, Whitianga (pronounced Phitianga.. don’t know why...). New Zealand was actually my first stop on my journey. After that mostly Asia as you might’ve noticed😁

Tim Bechen

Greetings Jones and Ian! Zephyr Moon here! Here's a simple little thing that I did a little while ago and I think we can all agree, Rosalina is best girl. <a href="https://twitter.com/ZephyrMoon2/status/972571917646516224" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/ZephyrMoon2/status/972571917646516224</a>

Sara Knite

Sorry Ian for sharp opinions on your favorite games: this was written back in January way before I knew it will be you.

Alexander Zyryanov

This is a second part of my experiment about trying to play acclaimed games that I think I will not like. Last month I’ve explained what bothers me in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. Now I’ve finished both games, and here are my impressions. This is my first Zelda game and I didn’t enjoy playing it. Combat isn’t fun especially after Horizon Zero Dawn. The world feels empty because foliage is sparse, details are few, and there are no activity icons on the map. Traveling is painful, since climbing is slow, there is no telling if you can cross the river without drowning, and you can’t summon your horse after fast-travel. And fast-travel animations take 10 seconds of your time for no apparent reason. Moving through this world was so boring and slow for me that I’ve quickly decided to abandon any explorations and just do the main quest and nearby shrines. Turns out, you can’t simply play the main quest, because game doesn’t tell you essential stuff like how to survive in hot weather. I guess you can learn that during exploration, but since I had no desire to explore, I had to spent hours doing google research. This is not how I want to play games, because it breaks my immersion and prevents me from caring. This game puts all chips on player’s desire to live in Hyrule, and if you don’t have it, everything fall apart. Next one is Mario, which is an interesting case. I wasn’t tired of playing the same level to gather required amount of moons, so my biggest fear didn’t come true. But none of the worlds stood out for me: I even had trouble remembering their theme on the next day. Possessing different creatures should be special, but it felt like just another game mechanics. Story isn’t bad, but nothing to remember. I liked the ending song through. In the end, I barely had any emotions with this game. I’ve enjoyed very similar games (for example, Tearaway), and I have no real arguments against this one. Maybe Mario is simply not my thing. My little experiment proved to me that my own feelings towards the game are way more important than hype, praises and even personal recommendations. Video game is an art, so no matter how great it is, some players still will not be moved.

Alexander Zyryanov

Not for Showcase. FOR COMMUNITY. *I have a metric for scoring games quickly I don't think it is perfect yet if anyone knows what to add please tell me.* 8-9 point rubric (N/A if game doesn't have - *Tetris would use 4 criteria*) 1. Cast 2. Activities 3. Gameplay 4. Immersion 5. Graphics 6. Economy 7. Music 8. Story 9. X-factor I really think it needs a 10th criteria. All are scored out of 10 then averaged. So far using this the best scores I have given are Persona 5 and Breath of the Wild, both with 9.0.

Steven Beaumont

Quick recap of my March. Appointed store manager. Games Bought: new Kirby. Happy. Megaman collection 1+2. I suck. Delete. Read Harry Potter 1 to my son, Bought ps1 game. Terrible lol. Jak and Daxter. Spite Platinum. Doom on switch. I am bad at shooters. Now for the main discussion. Metroidvania and the art of Progression. This contains spoilers for Axiom Verge and Owlboy. The thing that draws me most to the Metroidvania genre is the exploration and the feeling of growth as you go on your adventure and you become more powerful. Secrets and new weapons abound in the brilliant versions of these games so you can imagine my joy at finally picking up Axiom Verge on Switch and finding all this and more waiting for me. This game has it all. Gorgeous pixel art, a slew of weapons, varied boss fights, precise controls and oh so many secrets. My favourite thing about this game was finishing it, looking up online if I missed anything and finding out their was a secret glitch language hiding a heap of secrets, and that you should glitch gun everything. Final score 8. High from that experience I raced to Owlboy. Pixel art to die for pretty cool paper mario-esque buddy system but then... nothing. I feel like this game lacks meaningful progression. You save coins to buy SMALL health upgrades followed by a hat, rinse repeat. After 3 or 4 boss fights I the only upgrades are new buddies, however the controls are quite complex for a metroidvania and don't feel very natural. I reached a locked room with a bunch of tiny flies and that is where Owlboy remains. Their was no clear way to escape the room. Current score 7.4 Lastly I have journeyed back to Caer Morhen in search of answers. I played about 150 hours of The Witcher 3 a couple years ago and while I like it I was burnt out by the meaningless question marks and how the game doles out progression. I didnt have a history with the series and I found myself skipping all the cutscenes, hoping for some meaty gameplay. Fastforward to EZA and I find out that the game is all about story so I am giving it a second chance on a new save taking it slow and not skipping cut scenes. I have also started to read 'The Last Wish' the 'first' Witcher Book. until next time.

Steven Beaumont

noise

César Villa

Hello Allies! Now that I have beat Odyssey I wanted to make a long review-like post talking about everything good of the game, but after realizing that there is nothing I can say that haven't been said already, I'll just say “Go play it, it's great”. And now, the main topic of this post: The concert. Wow, what a ride. As usual, I was not able to attend or even watch the stream live, but I watched it in the Youtube archive and man; what a fun an surprising show it was. It is no secret that Box Peek was the most anticipated part of the event; and I have to say it got me really invested, since I didn't even realized you guys (Ian &amp; Brandon) were part of the episode until I watched the credits. Good job, you two. While I found every bit of the show very entertaining, and I was very surprised of Noah's voice in your music segment, I got to say, the thing that pleased me and surprised me the most was “The Busted Trifecta” by a one Don Casanova. Back in January, I remembered how February 2017 was Don's month, with a new episode of Discount gaming at the end of every group stream and a final Don's design lab; and I was wondering if this year we would get a similar treatment from him. February came and went with no Don news, so I just thought that he just didn't have the time this year; and let go of the idea of a new Don show for the year. The trifecta had this “Don magic” that is hard to explain but easy to grasp. I loved that he involved all of you guys in different parts, and while I have absolutely no idea of how horse racing works or what the heck a furlong is (other than the protagonist of Terminator 2); I couldn't be more hyped for May to come. Love &amp; Respect, Allies; and Happy 2nd anniversary. César.

César Villa

Hey

Mikehook1

Hi allies what a wild 2 years it’s been. Time sure flies and I have never made use of community showcase. So here goes. Thank you allies my now over $1000 investment has paid off as enjoyment shares are up 241%. Ian is a wonderful soul that Rules. Jones is 5 star talent. Blood is as sleek as a F1. Brad is so cool he freezes water. Huber is warp speed Hype. Don is the godfather! You mess with the allies and you wake up with a plastic arcade horse head in your bed. Bens hotakes are so hot I blame him for global warming. Kyle needs too be chained up and make the worlds first 20/10 video game. Box Peak! The Video Game. And finally all hail the salad Troll King. Evil wins again

Matthew Palling

Hello, Allies! Not much was happening for me in March, as my financial situation prevented me from getting any new games, not that there was a lot of new stuff I was interested in, to begin with. As such, I'll be spending this showcase talking about some of the stuff I've been looking forward to over the past month, starting with something that dropped right at the end of last month's showcase: The Nintendo Direct. Looking past the madness that was Solaire amiibos and the announcement of a new Smash game, I am just bursting with excitement over all of the Splatoon 2 content! A massive free update with tons of gear, big changes to ranked and who knows what more, topped off with a big, story-focused singleplayer expansion that will finally allow us to play as Octolings, after three years of waiting? Nintendo couldn't have made me happier if they tried. Moving on, if you recall the last showcase, I touched upon Hiveswap: Act 2, and the way the developers had been teasing the fans by gradually revealing characters that were going to appear in the upcoming second part of their interstellar point-and-click adventure. As of March 14th, the so-called "Troll Call" officially ended, with the last characters filling in the two remaining silhouette on their site. From the handsome Lanque Bombyx to the eccentric Vikare Ratite to the downright terrifying Chahut Maenad, it's looking like we'll be meeting quite the diverse cast on the teenage wasteland of a planet that is Alternia. That said, my favourite of the bunch has to be Cirava Hermod, the nonbinary vaporwave enthusiast. Despite the Troll Call ending, there was no release date announcement, which makes me look towards the 13th of April, the ninth anniversary of the webcomic that Hiveswap is based on. Lastly, on March 27 it had been a year since the release of the Solstice update, a story expansion that took a game that I already adored, OneShot, and made it my all-time favourite video game. As such, I've been trying to find the time to replay the game together with my mom. Considering that she is not very video game savvy, I'm excited to see how she'll wrap her head around the twists and turns that this game pulls in its story. Love and Respect, Small Leviathan

Small Leviathan

.

German Efficiency

Hello Allies! I'd like to submit a two minute long video that hopefully recaptures a little of the magic from the past EZA concert. While some of you have already seen and shared it, I hope the rest of you get to enjoy it as much as I did creating it. To me EZA and its community is a truly special place, and I am excited for things to come. So without further ado, I present to you: EZA in concert backstage year two Link: <a href="https://youtu.be/rqBKb81CSdU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/rqBKb81CSdU</a>

German Efficiency

Normally I use this time to go over every game I have played and leave it there. For this post I want to focus on something different. That is the amazing feature in Super Mario Odyssey that is Assist Mode. My son is 4, almost 5 years old. I thought Mario would be a bit too tricky for him on his own. Assist Mode changed that though. It adds an arrow above your head so you know where the objective is, also a trail of arrows on the ground to follow. It ups the 3 hearts to 6. Also if you stop moving for a bit, then you recover any lost health. Falling off an edge will put a bubble around you and pull you back up. With all these features, he is able to play and enjoy the game. He has needed help with boss battles, but for the most part, has played through by himself. He has got as far as unlocking Dark Side of the Moon (around 250 moons). He has since started a new profile to play again and is defeating bosses that caused him trouble at first. I have tried both NES and SNES games with him before, but all of them seemed too hard. This is the first big game that he has just clicked into playing. Assist mode has a lot to do with that and is something I could see benefiting more games that are ages appropriate for kids. Final notes, Ian and Noah rocked at the concert. A true highlight. Also, yesterday I had a song stuck in my head and when I worked out what it was, it was Jones singing the song from Persona 5. I haven't played Persona 5, so that was unexpected. BeardedScotsman86 (Formally Kornfan2007)

BeardedScotsman86

Hi everyone. This video is 17 months in the making. Enjoy. <a href="https://youtu.be/q0n96wSMqX8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/q0n96wSMqX8</a> (NOTE FOR JONES: Backing track is the theme to Civilization 6, so we should be good on Twitch copyright.)

DaleBastion

Good afternoon again Jones, Ian, and chat. Unfortunately I don't have a big update on games this week due to work and a joyous week hanging with the allies so I will be brief. Super Mario Odyssey: Now at a 640 Moon Count. Monster Hunter World: Still have not touch it since last Month but I have interest from allies I met at the Concert that will get me back into it. Yakuza 0: Starting Chapter 6: 55hrs in. (I don't know if Concert stuff will be admitted but if it is this is my entry) This year I made a commitment to myself that after the Year 1 Concert my goal was not going to be just an idling wallflower and get over my starstruckness and anxiety of engaging in conversation with crowds. Chatting with Damiani about our first-time interpritations of the LaBrea tar pits via the movies we watched (Me: Volcano, Him: Last Action Hero) to sharing my first-time experience with Tsujita with Ben to making connections with many of the wonderful Community members such as Noah Rayne, Spencer, Steven C.T., Kit Snow, Tokyo Slim, Tristen, Sofia Hariz, Even, Addison, and Mango, (apologies for the names I have to pick up off the ground) to finally getting to pet Sophie, and last of all: getting the impromptu idea to purchase faux roses for the audience to throw on stage to congratulate Kyle for Box Peek. I am glad to report that the goal was a complete success. The Concert was a blast and meeting every one of the Allies again was so grand (Jones, Ian and Noah Rayne killed it on stage). So thanks to every one of you for the memories and new friends I will forever cherish. P.S.: When Year 3 comes I will make sure to not break all the rides at Disneyland for Jones and to make sure to tell Ian not to schedual the post-meetup luncheon anywhere not named Fatburger. Jk, you rock Ian. P.P.S.: this got a laugh from Jones last month so I shall elaberat: HIPPED: (adj. slang) The state of knowing what something means before you're even given this information. Person 1: Aye did you know Huber reviewed Yakuza 6 already? Person 2: I'm already hipped.

XWF Outlaw

Greetings Allies, I, like my fellow Allies, was totally blown away by the performances and presentations at this year's anniversary show.  Highlights for me were Jones' musical number, Don's brilliant and stylistic "Busted Trifecta" and of course the debut of Box Peek.  The single greatest moment for me however was the incredible musical medley of songs from EZUP performed by Ian Hinck and the talented Noah Rayne.  I was simply blown away by their performance and it moved me more than I have been moved by a musical performance in a very long time. Despite being a Patron for a long time this is the first submission I have made to Community Showcase.  I do so on behalf of a friend and fellow Ally on Twitter who has perfectly captured my favorite moment from Easy Allies in Concert: Revengance.  Lyn Redder is a talented painter specializing in portraits that displays beautiful creations on twitter and has been featured on group streams with renditions of Ben's cats and the adorable Sophie-Pup. I felt like this piece belonged in the showcase this month so here it is: <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYx7vB7W4AARSxZ.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYx7vB7W4AARSxZ.jpg</a> Lyn has a Patreon established to help pay for the cost of these works of art and I'm certain even a few bucks a month would be appreciated and help tremendously. I will link to it here for anyone who would like to contribute: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/LynRedder">https://www.patreon.com/LynRedder</a> Lyn can also be found on twitter at @LynRedder so show some love and give a follow! Thank you all for everything that you do.  Love and Respect always, ~Brad Russell (aka Toukz on chat/twitter)

Brad Russell [Toukz]

This is my first community comments post because I recently got a job in my field and decided to up my pledge. That said, all the allies content have gotten me through a lot these past two years and I'm glad to be able to support more. Thanks for all you guys do. Super pumped for God of War in April. I've gotten through most of my backlog, but have stopped myself from playing anything new so that I don't feel bad when God of War comes out. For those curious my backlog consists of Dishonored 2 The Death of the Outsider dlc and The Witcher 3 blood and wine dlc. This month I played dishonored 2 and Shadow of the Colossus for tthe first time and wow were both of those games amazing. Hope everyone else had a great March!

Anthony Russo

Hiiiiii

Ibrahim Sozer

Fix

Randy Verschueren

Hi Ian, Hi Brandon. For the past two months I have been playing a little known game called, "Monster Hunter World". I absolutely love it, my 200 hours with it should be prove enough. At some point into my adventure, I decided I was going to focus on obtaining as many trophies as I can and maybe one day I will score that Platinum. I am a bit of a trophy and achievement hunter. Once I find a game I like, I try to nab all the trophies. I'm currently at 16 platinums and 21 xbox games at 1000 gamerscore. I rarely ever feel as alive as I do right before obtaining that final trophy or achievement. So, I'm playing Monster Hunter one night and I'm farming for Nergigante Horns to level up my dual blades. Knowing I was about to obtain the, "Power is Everything" trophy for obtaining five highly rare weapons, I was feeling the rush of excitement when I obtained the final horn I needed to get my dual blades to "Rarity 8". I ran down to the smithy and updated my dual blades. Waited the three seconds for the trophy to unlock.....but sadly it did not. I looked at my inventory, saw I had 5 different weapons at rarity 8. I immediately went back to a previous save and tried again. And again, It did not unlock. I then went into full research mode, searched every corner of the internet, never to find an answer. Not a single person out there has seemed to have this problem other than me. No trophy glitches at all. I feel defeated and depressed by this. My days with Monster Hunter have felt a bit shallow and empty. I have now obtained 8 different weapons at rarity 8 and no trophy. My trophy percentage is at 61% for this game with only 8 trophies left to unlock. To most, trophies may not be a big deal but to me, it is important. My platinums and 1000 achievements tell a story of who I am and the games that represent me most. I am not a 61% Monster Hunter, I am a 62% Monster Hunter and the world should know.

Mikehook1

Reserved yo!

PART VI If this is my personal hell, then it's off to a good start, because if there is anything I hate, it's walking. And walking is what i'm doing. Through the soft sand of the beach, struggling and feeling the sand running into my shoes, my favorite shoes, I never take them outside, 500$ shoes, full of beach sand, that's just great... As I start to get farther away from the water, the beach ends and a great green patch of grass leads straight into a forest with trees as big as skyscrapers. I've never seen woods like these, where the hell am I ? ... I look left, where I can see the forrest going to a massive mountain with a snowy top, to the right all I see is more trees going on forever and ever. Alaska, i must be in Alaska, the thought had not yet left my mind when I started hearing something getting closer, running in my direction from the forest, I hear twigs breaking and panting. Bears ! "There are big fucking bears in Alaska" But I couldn't move, I froze like a summer Popsicle on a stick. I hear it getting closer, panting getting louder, I start seeing the bushes and trees moving, it's almost here. Dead by bear, how typically not typical of me. There it is, jumping trough the bushes, running as fast as its legs could carry it. It's big and quite fast for its size, weaving brown hair, about 5 feet tall running on its back legs, wearing farmers clothes... This is a person, a scared person, a very scared person ! He doesn't pay me much attention and runs past me as fast as he can. "This can't be good", even more afraid than before I slowly turn my face back to the forest where the guy just came out. I can still hear something getting closer, but now it's not just twigs breaking. Now I can hear and see those big, skyscraper trees breaking and bending like twigs. Whatever this thing is, it's big and strong. I start seeing a shadow getting bigger and bigger, and I still can't move. it feels like the sand in my shoes has become concrete.

Randy Verschueren

With the next three Showcases already planned out, all concerning E3, this month was a little difficult to think of something to say. So, I decided to share what I’m currently anticipating; five groups ranked from least to most anticipated. Lowest priority are Detroit: Become Human and Beyond Good &amp; Evil 2. While the former was something I was going to pass on, each trailer that drops makes me more interested. As for the latter, I need a lot more information before I ultimately decide if it’s for me, although it helps it’ll be a prequel. Low priority belongs to Death Stranding and CyberPunk 2077, but my curiosity is too strong in finding out just what these games are. In the case of Cyberpunk, the more I’m hearing, the more I’m liking. Three games are at medium priority: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro: Exodus, and Anthem. The previous two Tomb Raiders were quite enjoyable, so that alone is why I’m excited for Shadow. Because of the E3 trailer during Microsoft’s conference, Metro: Exodus made me want to try the series for the first time. While the previous two games have some issues, there’s enough there to keep it on my list. Anthem is in danger of being the game to be dropped from my list entirely because of two words: Electronic. Arts. I’ve really soured on EA over the last calendar year, and their business practices of microtransactions, always online focus, and closing studios for not reaching THEIR too high expectations, terrify me. High priority games are God of War, Days Gone, and Ori and Will of the Wisps. I recently concluded a full series playthrough of God of War to prep for April 20, and I’m really happy to hear the glowing praise for the upcoming release. Sometimes, I feel like I’m the only person who seems to be excited for Days Gone. A lot of lukewarm reception has been present since its unveiling and while I’m fine with it being pushed to 2019, I hope the final game will be worth the wait. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is my most anticipated Xbox game. There isn’t a more beautiful game to me. And finally, my three MOST anticipated games: The Last of Us Part II, Kingdom Hearts III, and Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Will we get the latter two? At this point, who knows.

Brandon K Gann

Effortless Confederates: Lunarvalen Academy Stories Post 1 As Breanten entered the school with his fellow recruits he couldn’t help glancing at all his eyes could see with a great sense of aww. They were lead to the Hall of Paths at the center of the main wing. Here was a grand circular room with pathways leading out in all directions. Statues stood at the foot of every passage to signify which of the Paths it would lead to. Breanten saw the statue of a king a scepter in one hand and a scroll in the other. He would walk the Path of Lords and would study politics to lead his Party to prosperity. As he began moving down the hall weapon racks lined the walkway. Somewhere along the way a rack of various ranged instruments caught the eye of the young man. He smiled as he saw the long bow and slung it over his shoulder. Picking up two short swords before reach the end of the hall, he had chosen his class. Ranger. Upon reaching the end of the hall the lad discovered that the halls would lead to their dorms. A woman awaited his arrival to show him to his quarters. As fresh recruits into the academy the youngsters would have to to stay here. Once they’ve formed a party, and gained enough fame and fortune, they would be allowed to apply for seperate quarters where the party could live together. Not many parties gain this privilege. But it wouldn't stop Breanten from dreaming of it. As he reached his room he places his beginner’s weapons on the rack by the door and slung his bag onto the desk. Throwing himself onto the bed he quickly fell asleep thinking of the adventures that awaited him in the morn. End Post 1 Hey gents, Cisco aka Ace here. Since Jonesy is on every one of these decided to start out with him. Hope you liked it. As for Ian well he wasn't on the Q&amp;A so gonna need you to pick a path and class so I can come up with your character. The options for path are Shadow, War, Divine, Arcane, Lords, Economy, and Arts. As for class it's really anything you want to be. I imagined you as a Bard walking the path of Arts. The path of arts is for those who want to support their party but with designs of their own. A freedom to practice in ways that are different than traditional training. But it's up to you Ian. Much love and respect. Cisco aka Ace. Also sorry for going over the word limit.

Desquick