MrEUser

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/33667

As Scathe, Enforcer of Hell's legions, my existence has been devoted to wading through the tortured pathways of this accursed plane, an ordeal that rings true to the suffering of the underworld. A venture I thought would parallel the glory of Doom incarnate turned to a pit of unfulfilled promise.

My genesis starts as an awkward shuffle into a sacred chamber, assigned by celestial entities to cleanse Hell's forces. This cumbersome walk is the first sign of a lack of finesse that plagues my being.

Thrust into the fray without guidance, the purpose of my existence takes time to unravel, hindered by the absence of tutelage. The ambiguous nature of this universe offers no support, causing initial encounters to be strenuous. My destiny, based on cryptic hints from the tome of Steam and a barebones encyclopedia, appears to be bound to the endless corridors of a hellish maze.

My journey requires the collection of mysterious "Hellstones", a task with no instruction. Additionally, runes lie hidden in the labyrinthine levels, their purpose equally elusive. Only later do I realize that the collection of these runes is essential for unlocking doors to demonic overlords, resulting in the acquisition of a Hellstone upon their defeat. The labyrinth teems with uninspired foes, their incessant spawning leading to monotonous combat.

While referred to as a "bullet hell," the projectiles of my adversaries lack the distinguishing features of this genre. Enemy patterns are erratic and lack complexity, devoid of the strategic avoidance seen in other games. My combat experience thus lacks the enjoyment of dodging distinctive projectiles.

Progression is particularly vexing, eschewing conventional perks and level-ups. Instead, I uncover new firearms and spells in the course of my journey. However, the labyrinth's intricate design results in missed opportunities for weapon and spell acquisitions, causing me to rely on a basic machine gun for most of my journey.

The arcane progression system hints at new weapons and spells on the map, if I manage to discover enough of the labyrinth. However, these hints are so faint that they are easy to overlook, leading to a potentially lackluster initial experience.

My weaponry leaves much to be desired. The starting firearm, while functional, lacks any extraordinary elements. The damage caused by various weapons seems consistent, and scarcity of ammo results in frequent reliance on the default weapon. Spells, although interesting, are often overlooked due to their limited utility.

Optically this universe deceives at first glance, with underlying issues revealing themselves upon closer scrutiny. I find myself confronted with my dismembered remains upon death, and enemies up-close lack aesthetic appeal. Enemies lack creativity, with many appearing to be rejects from the Doom 2016 roster. While I usually find myself amidst the orchestras of the heavens, all too often, I find myself in silence amidst my onslaught.

Despite a God having time for the creation of their universe, there are often problems with De Ja Vous. Odd visual artifacts and occurrences persist. I have discovered the balance of my weapons leaves much to be desired. It even seems the environment itself rises against me unfairly disrupting my most holy work.

The freedom to choose my path, engage enemies, and acquire weapons is a concept of merit, form a strong foundation for my quest, yet the execution is inadequate. I may find encouragement in others joining my endeavor yet it is unlikely to offset the substantial flaws of omnipotent beings. If a God themself perfected all that is around me, it would not be enough to overcome the existent complications to complete what they expect of me.

#scathe #multiplayer #hitandmiss #nonlinear #boomer_shooter

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/33667

As Scathe, Enforcer of Hell's legions, my existence has been devoted to wading through the tortured pathways of this accursed plane, an ordeal that rings true to the suffering of the underworld. A venture I thought would parallel the glory of Doom incarnate turned to a pit of unfulfilled promise.

My genesis starts as an awkward shuffle into a sacred chamber, assigned by celestial entities to cleanse Hell's forces. This cumbersome walk is the first sign of a lack of finesse that plagues my being.

Thrust into the fray without guidance, the purpose of my existence takes time to unravel, hindered by the absence of tutelage. The ambiguous nature of this universe offers no support, causing initial encounters to be strenuous. My destiny, based on cryptic hints from the tome of Steam and a barebones encyclopedia, appears to be bound to the endless corridors of a hellish maze.

My journey requires the collection of mysterious "Hellstones", a task with no instruction. Additionally, runes lie hidden in the labyrinthine levels, their purpose equally elusive. Only later do I realize that the collection of these runes is essential for unlocking doors to demonic overlords, resulting in the acquisition of a Hellstone upon their defeat. The labyrinth teems with uninspired foes, their incessant spawning leading to monotonous combat.

While referred to as a "bullet hell," the projectiles of my adversaries lack the distinguishing features of this genre. Enemy patterns are erratic and lack complexity, devoid of the strategic avoidance seen in other games. My combat experience thus lacks the enjoyment of dodging distinctive projectiles.

Progression is particularly vexing, eschewing conventional perks and level-ups. Instead, I uncover new firearms and spells in the course of my journey. However, the labyrinth's intricate design results in missed opportunities for weapon and spell acquisitions, causing me to rely on a basic machine gun for most of my journey.

The arcane progression system hints at new weapons and spells on the map, if I manage to discover enough of the labyrinth. However, these hints are so faint that they are easy to overlook, leading to a potentially lackluster initial experience.

My weaponry leaves much to be desired. The starting firearm, while functional, lacks any extraordinary elements. The damage caused by various weapons seems consistent, and scarcity of ammo results in frequent reliance on the default weapon. Spells, although interesting, are often overlooked due to their limited utility.

Optically this universe deceives at first glance, with underlying issues revealing themselves upon closer scrutiny. I find myself confronted with my dismembered remains upon death, and enemies up-close lack aesthetic appeal. Enemies lack creativity, with many appearing to be rejects from the Doom 2016 roster. While I usually find myself amidst the orchestras of the heavens, all too often, I find myself in silence amidst my onslaught.

Despite a God having time for the creation of their universe, there are often problems with De Ja Vous. Odd visual artifacts and occurrences persist. I have discovered the balance of my weapons leaves much to be desired. It even seems the environment itself rises against me unfairly disrupting my most holy work.

The freedom to choose my path, engage enemies, and acquire weapons is a concept of merit, form a strong foundation for my quest, yet the execution is inadequate. I may find encouragement in others joining my endeavor yet it is unlikely to offset the substantial flaws of omnipotent beings. If a God themself perfected all that is around me, it would not be enough to overcome the existent complications to complete what they expect of me.

#scathe #multiplayer #hitandmiss #nonlinear #boomer_shooter

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/33667

As Scathe, Enforcer of Hell's legions, my existence has been devoted to wading through the tortured pathways of this accursed plane, an ordeal that rings true to the suffering of the underworld. A venture I thought would parallel the glory of Doom incarnate turned to a pit of unfulfilled promise.

My genesis starts as an awkward shuffle into a sacred chamber, assigned by celestial entities to cleanse Hell's forces. This cumbersome walk is the first sign of a lack of finesse that plagues my being.

Thrust into the fray without guidance, the purpose of my existence takes time to unravel, hindered by the absence of tutelage. The ambiguous nature of this universe offers no support, causing initial encounters to be strenuous. My destiny, based on cryptic hints from the tome of Steam and a barebones encyclopedia, appears to be bound to the endless corridors of a hellish maze.

My journey requires the collection of mysterious "Hellstones", a task with no instruction. Additionally, runes lie hidden in the labyrinthine levels, their purpose equally elusive. Only later do I realize that the collection of these runes is essential for unlocking doors to demonic overlords, resulting in the acquisition of a Hellstone upon their defeat. The labyrinth teems with uninspired foes, their incessant spawning leading to monotonous combat.

While referred to as a "bullet hell," the projectiles of my adversaries lack the distinguishing features of this genre. Enemy patterns are erratic and lack complexity, devoid of the strategic avoidance seen in other games. My combat experience thus lacks the enjoyment of dodging distinctive projectiles.

Progression is particularly vexing, eschewing conventional perks and level-ups. Instead, I uncover new firearms and spells in the course of my journey. However, the labyrinth's intricate design results in missed opportunities for weapon and spell acquisitions, causing me to rely on a basic machine gun for most of my journey.

The arcane progression system hints at new weapons and spells on the map, if I manage to discover enough of the labyrinth. However, these hints are so faint that they are easy to overlook, leading to a potentially lackluster initial experience.

My weaponry leaves much to be desired. The starting firearm, while functional, lacks any extraordinary elements. The damage caused by various weapons seems consistent, and scarcity of ammo results in frequent reliance on the default weapon. Spells, although interesting, are often overlooked due to their limited utility.

Optically this universe deceives at first glance, with underlying issues revealing themselves upon closer scrutiny. I find myself confronted with my dismembered remains upon death, and enemies up-close lack aesthetic appeal. Enemies lack creativity, with many appearing to be rejects from the Doom 2016 roster. While I usually find myself amidst the orchestras of the heavens, all too often, I find myself in silence amidst my onslaught.

Despite a God having time for the creation of their universe, there are often problems with De Ja Vous. Odd visual artifacts and occurrences persist. I have discovered the balance of my weapons leaves much to be desired. It even seems the environment itself rises against me unfairly disrupting my most holy work.

The freedom to choose my path, engage enemies, and acquire weapons is a concept of merit, form a strong foundation for my quest, yet the execution is inadequate. I may find encouragement in others joining my endeavor yet it is unlikely to offset the substantial flaws of omnipotent beings. If a God themself perfected all that is around me, it would not be enough to overcome the existent complications to complete what they expect of me.

#scathe #multiplayer #hitandmiss #nonlinear #boomer_shooter

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/30492

Summary

We started a Lemmy instance on June 13 during the Reddit blackout. While we were configuring the site, we accumulated a few thousand bot accounts, leading some sites to defederate with us. Read on to see how we cleaned up the mess.

Introduction

Like many of you, we came to Lemmy during the Great Reddit Blackout. @MrEUser started Lemmy.ninja on the 13th, and the rest of us on the site got to work populating some initial rules and content, learning how Lemmy worked, and finding workarounds for bugs and issues in the software. Unfortunately for us, one of the challenges to getting the site up turned out to be getting the email validation to work. So, assuming we were small and beneath notice, we opened our registration for a few days until we could figure out if the problems we were experiencing were configuration related or software bugs.

In that brief time, we were discovered by malicious actors and hundreds of new bot users were being created on the site. Of course we had no idea, since Lemmy provides no user management features. We couldn't see them, and the bots didn't participate in any of our local content.

Discovering the Bots

Within a couple of days, we discovered some third-party tools that gave us the only insights we had into our user base. Lemmy Explorer and The Federation were showing us that a huge number of users had registered. It took a while, but we eventually tracked down a post that described how to output a list of users from our Lemmy database. Sure enough, there were thousands of users there. It took some investigation, but we were eventually able to see which users were actually registered at lemmy.ninja. There were thousands, just like the third-party tools told us.

Meanwhile...

While we were figuring this out, others in Lemmy had noticed a coordinated bot attack, and some were rightly taking steps to cordon off the sites with bots as they began to interact with federated content. Unfortunately for us, this news never made it to us because our site was still young, and young Lemmy servers don't automatically download all federated content right away. (In fact, despite daily efforts to connect lemmy.ninja to as many communities as possible, I didn't even learn about the lemm.ee mitigation efforts until today.)

We know now that the bots began to interact with other Mastodon and Lemmy instances at some point, because we learned (again, today) that we had been blocked by a few of them. (Again, this required third-party tools to even discover.) At the time, we were completely unaware of the attack, that we had been blocked, or that the bots were doing anything at all.

Cleaning Up

The moment we learned that the bots were in our database, we set out to eliminate them. The first step, of course, was to enable a captcha and activate email validation so that no new bots could sign up. [Note: The captcha feature was eliminated in Lemmy 0.18.0.] Then we had to delete the bot users.

Next we made a backup. Always make a backup! After that, we asked the database to output all the users so we could manually review the data. After logging into the database docker container, we executed the following command:

select
  p.name,
  p.display_name,
  a.person_id,
  a.email,
  a.email_verified,
  a.accepted_application
from
  local_user a,
  person p
where
  a.person_id = p.id;

That showed us that yes, every user after #8 or so was indeed a bot.

Next, we composed a SQL statement to wipe all the bots.

BEGIN;
CREATE TEMP TABLE temp_ids AS
SELECT person_id FROM local_user WHERE person_id > 85347;
DELETE FROM local_user WHERE person_id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DELETE FROM person WHERE id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DROP TABLE temp_ids;
COMMIT;

And to finalize the change:

UPDATE site_aggregates SET users = (SELECT count(*) FROM local_user) WHERE site_id = 1;

If you read the code, you'll see that we deleted records whose person_id was > 85347. That's the approach that worked for us. But you could just as easily delete all users who haven't passed email verification, for example. If that's the approach you want to use, try this SQL statement:

BEGIN;
CREATE TEMP TABLE temp_ids AS
SELECT person_id FROM local_user WHERE email_verified = 'f';
DELETE FROM local_user WHERE person_id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DELETE FROM person WHERE id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DROP TABLE temp_ids;
COMMIT;

And to finalize the change:

UPDATE site_aggregates SET users = (SELECT count(*) FROM local_user) WHERE site_id = 1;

Even more aggressive mods could put these commands into a nightly cron job, wiping accounts every day if they don't finish their registration process. We chose not to do that (yet). Our user count has remained stable with email verification on.

After that, the bots were gone. Third party tools reflected the change in about 12 hours. We did some testing to make sure we hadn't destroyed the site, but found that everything worked flawlessly.

Wrapping Up

We chose to write this up for the rest of the new Lemmy administrators out there who may unwittingly be hosts of bots. Hopefully having all of the details in one place will help speed their discovery and elimination. Feel free to ask questions, but understand that we aren't experts. Hopefully other, more knowledgeable people can respond to your questions in the comments here.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/30492

Summary

We started a Lemmy instance on June 13 during the Reddit blackout. While we were configuring the site, we accumulated a few thousand bot accounts, leading some sites to defederate with us. Read on to see how we cleaned up the mess.

Introduction

Like many of you, we came to Lemmy during the Great Reddit Blackout. @MrEUser started Lemmy.ninja on the 13th, and the rest of us on the site got to work populating some initial rules and content, learning how Lemmy worked, and finding workarounds for bugs and issues in the software. Unfortunately for us, one of the challenges to getting the site up turned out to be getting the email validation to work. So, assuming we were small and beneath notice, we opened our registration for a few days until we could figure out if the problems we were experiencing were configuration related or software bugs.

In that brief time, we were discovered by malicious actors and hundreds of new bot users were being created on the site. Of course we had no idea, since Lemmy provides no user management features. We couldn't see them, and the bots didn't participate in any of our local content.

Discovering the Bots

Within a couple of days, we discovered some third-party tools that gave us the only insights we had into our user base. Lemmy Explorer and The Federation were showing us that a huge number of users had registered. It took a while, but we eventually tracked down a post that described how to output a list of users from our Lemmy database. Sure enough, there were thousands of users there. It took some investigation, but we were eventually able to see which users were actually registered at lemmy.ninja. There were thousands, just like the third-party tools told us.

Meanwhile...

While we were figuring this out, others in Lemmy had noticed a coordinated bot attack, and some were rightly taking steps to cordon off the sites with bots as they began to interact with federated content. Unfortunately for us, this news never made it to us because our site was still young, and young Lemmy servers don't automatically download all federated content right away. (In fact, despite daily efforts to connect lemmy.ninja to as many communities as possible, I didn't even learn about the lemm.ee mitigation efforts until today.)

We know now that the bots began to interact with other Mastodon and Lemmy instances at some point, because we learned (again, today) that we had been blocked by a few of them. (Again, this required third-party tools to even discover.) At the time, we were completely unaware of the attack, that we had been blocked, or that the bots were doing anything at all.

Cleaning Up

The moment we learned that the bots were in our database, we set out to eliminate them. The first step, of course, was to enable a captcha and activate email validation so that no new bots could sign up. [Note: The captcha feature was eliminated in Lemmy 0.18.0.] Then we had to delete the bot users.

Next we made a backup. Always make a backup! After that, we asked the database to output all the users so we could manually review the data. After logging into the database docker container, we executed the following command:

select
  p.name,
  p.display_name,
  a.person_id,
  a.email,
  a.email_verified,
  a.accepted_application
from
  local_user a,
  person p
where
  a.person_id = p.id;

That showed us that yes, every user after #8 or so was indeed a bot.

Next, we composed a SQL statement to wipe all the bots.

BEGIN;
CREATE TEMP TABLE temp_ids AS
SELECT person_id FROM local_user WHERE person_id > 85347;
DELETE FROM local_user WHERE person_id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DELETE FROM person WHERE id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DROP TABLE temp_ids;
COMMIT;

And to finalize the change:

UPDATE site_aggregates SET users = (SELECT count(*) FROM local_user) WHERE site_id = 1;

If you read the code, you'll see that we deleted records whose person_id was > 85347. That's the approach that worked for us. But you could just as easily delete all users who haven't passed email verification, for example. If that's the approach you want to use, try this SQL statement:

BEGIN;
CREATE TEMP TABLE temp_ids AS
SELECT person_id FROM local_user WHERE email_verified = 'f';
DELETE FROM local_user WHERE person_id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DELETE FROM person WHERE id IN (SELECT person_id FROM temp_ids);
DROP TABLE temp_ids;
COMMIT;

And to finalize the change:

UPDATE site_aggregates SET users = (SELECT count(*) FROM local_user) WHERE site_id = 1;

Even more aggressive mods could put these commands into a nightly cron job, wiping accounts every day if they don't finish their registration process. We chose not to do that (yet). Our user count has remained stable with email verification on.

After that, the bots were gone. Third party tools reflected the change in about 12 hours. We did some testing to make sure we hadn't destroyed the site, but found that everything worked flawlessly.

Wrapping Up

We chose to write this up for the rest of the new Lemmy administrators out there who may unwittingly be hosts of bots. Hopefully having all of the details in one place will help speed their discovery and elimination. Feel free to ask questions, but understand that we aren't experts. Hopefully other, more knowledgeable people can respond to your questions in the comments here.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26012

Click on the image above to the see stream schedule for June 27th

Within the sacred parchment, I, the Champion, record my journey as I travel Amid Evil, a living testament of battles past. The battlefield rekindles the flames of the ancient epoch, echoing past tales of Heretic and Hexen, yet it forges a path of its own, discarding many a tradition of the combat simulations, refining the art of battle to its purest form. The gods have blessed me with immunity to the dangers of falling and crushing contraptions, leaving only the thrill of combat as my concern.

The path is not without its trials, however. Navigating the depths of water can prove treacherous, and certain landscapes designed for traversal can test even the mightiest warrior's patience. Despite the gift of fall immunity, it occasionally morphs into a bane in these intricate traversal routes. Thanks to the divine intervention of quick-saving, I can leap again without the need to retread my steps.

The designs of the sacred lands are an enigma, filled with secrets and mechanisms that alter the environment. Despite the occasional interruption of my momentum, the lure of combat draws me back into the fray. The Star of Torment, a weapon capable of crucifying enemies to the walls, proves to be a satisfying tool of divine retribution.

The struggle between adversity and triumph in this realm is praiseworthy. Wishing increased difficulty presents a formidable challenge yet remains within my grasp. The gods provide me with tools such as quick-saving and hidden sanctuaries of health to aid me in my quest. They have also blessed me with Soul Mode, a divine power that transforms my weapons into devastating conduits of destruction. However, I seldom find the need to invoke such immense power.

In spite of these minor tribulations, this realm provides a memorable battlefield, filled with exceptional armaments, intricate landscapes, and relentless foes. Its mesmerizing aesthetics and intriguing adversaries craft a world that continually beckons me towards the unknown. Whether I am banishing space serpents in the astral plane or cleaving through malevolent knights with my energy wave-releasing sword, it proves to be a fitting homage to the combat simulations of old, while providing a breath of fresh air to the genre. As the Champion, I shall continue my crusade, cleansing the sacred lands from the pervading evil.

#boomer_shooter #amid_evil #retroFPS #video_game #the_champion #journal

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26012

Click on the image above to the see stream schedule for June 27th

Within the sacred parchment, I, the Champion, record my journey as I travel Amid Evil, a living testament of battles past. The battlefield rekindles the flames of the ancient epoch, echoing past tales of Heretic and Hexen, yet it forges a path of its own, discarding many a tradition of the combat simulations, refining the art of battle to its purest form. The gods have blessed me with immunity to the dangers of falling and crushing contraptions, leaving only the thrill of combat as my concern.

The path is not without its trials, however. Navigating the depths of water can prove treacherous, and certain landscapes designed for traversal can test even the mightiest warrior's patience. Despite the gift of fall immunity, it occasionally morphs into a bane in these intricate traversal routes. Thanks to the divine intervention of quick-saving, I can leap again without the need to retread my steps.

The designs of the sacred lands are an enigma, filled with secrets and mechanisms that alter the environment. Despite the occasional interruption of my momentum, the lure of combat draws me back into the fray. The Star of Torment, a weapon capable of crucifying enemies to the walls, proves to be a satisfying tool of divine retribution.

The struggle between adversity and triumph in this realm is praiseworthy. Wishing increased difficulty presents a formidable challenge yet remains within my grasp. The gods provide me with tools such as quick-saving and hidden sanctuaries of health to aid me in my quest. They have also blessed me with Soul Mode, a divine power that transforms my weapons into devastating conduits of destruction. However, I seldom find the need to invoke such immense power.

In spite of these minor tribulations, this realm provides a memorable battlefield, filled with exceptional armaments, intricate landscapes, and relentless foes. Its mesmerizing aesthetics and intriguing adversaries craft a world that continually beckons me towards the unknown. Whether I am banishing space serpents in the astral plane or cleaving through malevolent knights with my energy wave-releasing sword, it proves to be a fitting homage to the combat simulations of old, while providing a breath of fresh air to the genre. As the Champion, I shall continue my crusade, cleansing the sacred lands from the pervading evil.

#boomer_shooter #amid_evil #retroFPS #video_game #the_champion #journal

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26012

Click on the image above to the see stream schedule for June 27th

Within the sacred parchment, I, the Champion, record my journey as I travel Amid Evil, a living testament of battles past. The battlefield rekindles the flames of the ancient epoch, echoing past tales of Heretic and Hexen, yet it forges a path of its own, discarding many a tradition of the combat simulations, refining the art of battle to its purest form. The gods have blessed me with immunity to the dangers of falling and crushing contraptions, leaving only the thrill of combat as my concern.

The path is not without its trials, however. Navigating the depths of water can prove treacherous, and certain landscapes designed for traversal can test even the mightiest warrior's patience. Despite the gift of fall immunity, it occasionally morphs into a bane in these intricate traversal routes. Thanks to the divine intervention of quick-saving, I can leap again without the need to retread my steps.

The designs of the sacred lands are an enigma, filled with secrets and mechanisms that alter the environment. Despite the occasional interruption of my momentum, the lure of combat draws me back into the fray. The Star of Torment, a weapon capable of crucifying enemies to the walls, proves to be a satisfying tool of divine retribution.

The struggle between adversity and triumph in this realm is praiseworthy. Wishing increased difficulty presents a formidable challenge yet remains within my grasp. The gods provide me with tools such as quick-saving and hidden sanctuaries of health to aid me in my quest. They have also blessed me with Soul Mode, a divine power that transforms my weapons into devastating conduits of destruction. However, I seldom find the need to invoke such immense power.

In spite of these minor tribulations, this realm provides a memorable battlefield, filled with exceptional armaments, intricate landscapes, and relentless foes. Its mesmerizing aesthetics and intriguing adversaries craft a world that continually beckons me towards the unknown. Whether I am banishing space serpents in the astral plane or cleaving through malevolent knights with my energy wave-releasing sword, it proves to be a fitting homage to the combat simulations of old, while providing a breath of fresh air to the genre. As the Champion, I shall continue my crusade, cleansing the sacred lands from the pervading evil.

#boomer_shooter #amid_evil #retroFPS #video_game #the_champion #journal

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26002

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, is a boomer shooter built on a modified version of the Quake engine, released by 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment. Developed by KillPixel Games, the game will be available on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. The game embodies the DNA of revered '90s shooters, incorporating elements of classic titles such as DOOM, QUAKE, DUKE NUKEM 3D, BLOOD, UNREAL, and HEXEN. Players, playing as Outlander, are tasked to hunt down the remaining Guardians of the Old World, in a journey filled with diverse environments, engaging combat, and captivating lore.

Players traverse through 15 interconnected levels and three hubs, using an arsenal of nine deadly weapons. Along the journey, players will encounter numerous enemies, discover hidden artifacts of great power, and uncover ancient secrets. The world of WRATH is richly detailed, created by expert Quake scene necromancers, and provides an authentic, classic FPS experience capped at 666 fps. It is also designed to be easily moddable, allowing players to create their own levels, weapons, and characters.

The game was envisioned by Jeremiah Fox, a former graphic designer turned game developer. Inspired by the original Quake, Fox quit his job, sold everything, and moved to the Florida Keys to work on his dream project. He wanted to create an FPS that encapsulates the essence of '90s shooters. He spent a significant amount of time researching the best elements from various games of that era, aiming to create an authentic and unique gaming experience.

The game's story begins with the player adrift on an ageless sea, stranded on a dying world. The Shepherd of Wayward Souls, a figure emerging from the darkness, entrusts the player with the mission of slaying the corrupt, fallen guardians of this old world. The narrative is conveyed mostly through environmental storytelling, without overly burdening the player. The gameplay is designed to be fluid, with immense, intricately designed maps, and a refresh rate locked at a devilish 666 frames.

3D Realms, the publisher of the game, found Fox's work while searching for projects built on the Quake engine. Impressed by Fox's game, they offered to support his project, build a team around him, and publish the game under the 3D Realms label. As a result, a team of modders and mappers, skilled in creating 'Quake' content, was assembled from across the globe to support the development of Wrath.

The gameplay of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is engaging, with a variety of enemies to battle and weapons to wield. One notable feature is the game's unique approach to health packs: there are none. Instead, an artifact delivers the damage dealt to an enemy back to the player as health for a limited time. Similarly, the game's save points are unique, requiring players to locate an artifact called a Soul Tether that serves as a portable, single-use checkpoint.

Other innovative aspects include the in-game physics and environmental interactions. For example, when players slice an enemy, the game replaces the model with a new one, running a separate animation to mimic the dismemberment. The game also houses an abundance of secrets that are visible to the player, but often present a puzzle to access. The focus of the game is to ensure every element, from enemies to weapons, enhances the core play experience.

The game's publisher, 3D Realms, is known for its impactful history in video games and its 90s classics like Duke Nukem Forever and Duke Nukem 3D. 3D Realms discovered Fox's work in a Quake forum and decided to support and publish his game under their label. The game delivers a complete '90s experience, from its art and animation to its gameplay mechanics, such as the unique approach to health and save points.

#boomer_shooter #quake #wrath #retrofps

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26002

EDIT:A member of this community pointed out in the comments the following accurate representation of something I forgot to mention: “this game is still in early access and it’s been in early access for three years longer than it was supposed to be. The original developers are gone and the game has been handed to a new team. Communication from that team has been poor.” It’s almost laughable how much this game resembles Quake. Quake wasn’t initially fully released. The first episode was shareware/freeware. The game suffered from development problems, so much so that most of the original dev team left. I place my edits and errors up front so that you know when I make them and what they were.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, is a boomer shooter built on a modified version of the Quake engine, released by 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment. Developed by KillPixel Games, the game will be available on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. The game embodies the DNA of revered '90s shooters, incorporating elements of classic titles such as DOOM, QUAKE, DUKE NUKEM 3D, BLOOD, UNREAL, and HEXEN. Players, playing as Outlander, are tasked to hunt down the remaining Guardians of the Old World, in a journey filled with diverse environments, engaging combat, and captivating lore.

Players traverse through 15 interconnected levels and three hubs, using an arsenal of nine deadly weapons. Along the journey, players will encounter numerous enemies, discover hidden artifacts of great power, and uncover ancient secrets. The world of WRATH is richly detailed, created by expert Quake scene necromancers, and provides an authentic, classic FPS experience capped at 666 fps. It is also designed to be easily moddable, allowing players to create their own levels, weapons, and characters.

The game was envisioned by Jeremiah Fox, a former graphic designer turned game developer. Inspired by the original Quake, Fox quit his job, sold everything, and moved to the Florida Keys to work on his dream project. He wanted to create an FPS that encapsulates the essence of '90s shooters. He spent a significant amount of time researching the best elements from various games of that era, aiming to create an authentic and unique gaming experience.

The game's story begins with the player adrift on an ageless sea, stranded on a dying world. The Shepherd of Wayward Souls, a figure emerging from the darkness, entrusts the player with the mission of slaying the corrupt, fallen guardians of this old world. The narrative is conveyed mostly through environmental storytelling, without overly burdening the player. The gameplay is designed to be fluid, with immense, intricately designed maps, and a refresh rate locked at a devilish 666 frames.

3D Realms, the publisher of the game, found Fox's work while searching for projects built on the Quake engine. Impressed by Fox's game, they offered to support his project, build a team around him, and publish the game under the 3D Realms label. As a result, a team of modders and mappers, skilled in creating 'Quake' content, was assembled from across the globe to support the development of Wrath.

The gameplay of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is engaging, with a variety of enemies to battle and weapons to wield. One notable feature is the game's unique approach to health packs: there are none. Instead, an artifact delivers the damage dealt to an enemy back to the player as health for a limited time. Similarly, the game's save points are unique, requiring players to locate an artifact called a Soul Tether that serves as a portable, single-use checkpoint.

Other innovative aspects include the in-game physics and environmental interactions. For example, when players slice an enemy, the game replaces the model with a new one, running a separate animation to mimic the dismemberment. The game also houses an abundance of secrets that are visible to the player, but often present a puzzle to access. The focus of the game is to ensure every element, from enemies to weapons, enhances the core play experience.

The game's publisher, 3D Realms, is known for its impactful history in video games and its 90s classics like Duke Nukem Forever and Duke Nukem 3D. 3D Realms discovered Fox's work in a Quake forum and decided to support and publish his game under their label. The game delivers a complete '90s experience, from its art and animation to its gameplay mechanics, such as the unique approach to health and save points.

#boomer_shooter #quake #wrath #retrofps

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/26002

EDIT: A member of the community @sh.itjust.works pointed out the following accurate representation of something I forgot to mention: “this game is still in early access and it’s been in early access for three years longer than it was supposed to be. The original developers are gone and the game has been handed to a new team. Communication from that team has been poor.” I place my edits and errors up front so that you know when I make them and what they were.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, is a boomer shooter built on a modified version of the Quake engine, released by 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment. Developed by KillPixel Games, the game will be available on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. The game embodies the DNA of revered '90s shooters, incorporating elements of classic titles such as DOOM, QUAKE, DUKE NUKEM 3D, BLOOD, UNREAL, and HEXEN. Players, playing as Outlander, are tasked to hunt down the remaining Guardians of the Old World, in a journey filled with diverse environments, engaging combat, and captivating lore.

Players traverse through 15 interconnected levels and three hubs, using an arsenal of nine deadly weapons. Along the journey, players will encounter numerous enemies, discover hidden artifacts of great power, and uncover ancient secrets. The world of WRATH is richly detailed, created by expert Quake scene necromancers, and provides an authentic, classic FPS experience capped at 666 fps. It is also designed to be easily moddable, allowing players to create their own levels, weapons, and characters.

The game was envisioned by Jeremiah Fox, a former graphic designer turned game developer. Inspired by the original Quake, Fox quit his job, sold everything, and moved to the Florida Keys to work on his dream project. He wanted to create an FPS that encapsulates the essence of '90s shooters. He spent a significant amount of time researching the best elements from various games of that era, aiming to create an authentic and unique gaming experience.

The game's story begins with the player adrift on an ageless sea, stranded on a dying world. The Shepherd of Wayward Souls, a figure emerging from the darkness, entrusts the player with the mission of slaying the corrupt, fallen guardians of this old world. The narrative is conveyed mostly through environmental storytelling, without overly burdening the player. The gameplay is designed to be fluid, with immense, intricately designed maps, and a refresh rate locked at a devilish 666 frames.

3D Realms, the publisher of the game, found Fox's work while searching for projects built on the Quake engine. Impressed by Fox's game, they offered to support his project, build a team around him, and publish the game under the 3D Realms label. As a result, a team of modders and mappers, skilled in creating 'Quake' content, was assembled from across the globe to support the development of Wrath.

The gameplay of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is engaging, with a variety of enemies to battle and weapons to wield. One notable feature is the game's unique approach to health packs: there are none. Instead, an artifact delivers the damage dealt to an enemy back to the player as health for a limited time. Similarly, the game's save points are unique, requiring players to locate an artifact called a Soul Tether that serves as a portable, single-use checkpoint.

Other innovative aspects include the in-game physics and environmental interactions. For example, when players slice an enemy, the game replaces the model with a new one, running a separate animation to mimic the dismemberment. The game also houses an abundance of secrets that are visible to the player, but often present a puzzle to access. The focus of the game is to ensure every element, from enemies to weapons, enhances the core play experience.

The game's publisher, 3D Realms, is known for its impactful history in video games and its 90s classics like Duke Nukem Forever and Duke Nukem 3D. 3D Realms discovered Fox's work in a Quake forum and decided to support and publish his game under their label. The game delivers a complete '90s experience, from its art and animation to its gameplay mechanics, such as the unique approach to health and save points.

#boomer_shooter #quake #wrath #retrofps

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/25011

In the Emperor's name, I recount my engagement within the digital battleground known as Boltgun, a visceral, rapid-fire test of might, reminiscent of the battles of the Great Crusade. It harks back to the early days of warfare simulations, replete with enemies of the Imperium and the might of our Astartes arsenal.

This simulation thrusts me, Brother Malum Caedo of the Ultramarines, into intense scenarios teeming with the heretical and the alien. This engagement spans various arenas reminiscent of our 41st Millennium, rendered in a style befitting of pict-records from a time long past. Amidst the ceaseless battle, a thunderous score echoes, adding weight to each bolter round and chainsword strike. My own battle cry, as relayed through this medium, is carried by the talented Rahul Kohli, a recent adherent of our glorious Warhammer 40,000 cause.

Boltgun honors the grim darkness of our 41st Millennium. The battlegrounds are vast, leading me through ranks of petty cultists and lesser daemons, before ushering me into grand arenas where champions of the Ruinous Powers await. These terrains are monumental, evoking both the majesty and terror of our Imperium, such as a crumbling bastion on the edge of oblivion or an endless maze of gothic arches within a warp portal.

The echoing symphony of war, paired with the visuals, conveys a sensation akin to a grand orchestra held within the Ecclesiarchy's grandest cathedrums, adding depth to the simulation. The heretical forces faced within this battle are diverse, ranging from the recognizable forms of the Traitor Marines and their Terminator elites to lesser-known adversaries like Aspiring Champions and the various daemons of the warp.

In a commendable attempt to mirror the trials of actual combat, Boltgun utilizes a system influenced by our tabletop war games. This "strength vs toughness" approach requires careful weapon selection based on enemy resilience. Although the early stages of this system were daunting, familiarity bred intuition and an instinctive grasp of each weapon's capabilities emerged, despite minor issues.

Our mighty arsenal of Boltgun and Chainsword are faithfully replicated, causing devastating damage against our foes. The Chainsword, in particular, offers a thrilling combat experience as I plunge into the enemy lines with the fury of a thunderbolt.

Though not without its limitations, Boltgun impresses with its accurate representation of our universe. The pace of the battle, the authenticity of the visuals, and the grueling industrial landscapes honor the grim darkness of our 41st Millennium. Boltgun combines intensity with faithful representation, offering an engaging respite from the actual battlefield.

Surprisingly, the simulation injects a touch of levity into our grim universe. Drawing upon the over-the-top essence of early simulations like Duke Nukem, Boltgun delivers a gory, humorous spectacle that both veterans of the 40K lore and novices would appreciate. This unexpected humor does not compromise the intensity of battle but rather introduces a rhythmic cadence of exploration, combat, and light-hearted banter. Emperor protect us, and let us triumph over our enemies.

#boltgun #warhammer40k #ultramarine #journal #boomer_shooter