I saw a tiny bit and they seem legit, they gave content creators early access to the DLC and now there's a lot of gameplay, bosses, and story being spoiled on social media. Be careful out there.

Welcome to the Free Talk Tuesday Discussion!

What are you up to this week? Want to discuss gaming news? Or maybe share your progress in a game. Any non-gaming related posts are also allowed in this thread to be shared with like-minded people here.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.mods4ever.com/post/301

> Download from here: https://Mods4Ever.com/

Two examples of this are :

Penny's big breakaway and DUSK from the top of my head.

I'm not sure about you but I think the rise of indie games going with the PS1 aesthetic and other low gfx easy to run games is that the past, despite its flaws, was much better.

I also think there's a charm with low polygon games and spritework ones, it's your imagination that fills in the gaps.

And lastly, I think of the simpler times when you play modern indie "retro" games, no bullshit, you pay the devs, you get your game, everyone is happy.

What are your thoughts on indie games going for that nostalgia feel? Any examples to cite?

Article text

Newly-restructured Swedish conglomerate, Embracer Group, will leverage AI models to bolster game production.

As noted in Embracer's annual report, the company has adopted a new AI policy package it claims has the capability to "massively enhance" its production process by "increasing resource efficiency, adding intelligent behaviors, personalization, and optimization to gameplay experiences."

Embracer says that, by leveraging AI, it will be able to create more engaging and immersive experiences that provide each player with a "unique, dynamic, and personalised experience."

"We also see great opportunities for AI in game development speed, logistics and planning. Embracer Group also understands the potential risks associated with the use of AI," adds the company, noting that "AI can also be used within areas such as logistics or HR to improve planning, decision-making, support talent acquisition and enhance employee experiences or retention."

Embracer, which laid off over 1,500 employees and cancelled 80 projects during the past year, suggests that not using AI for "relevant tasks" will lead to it being "outrun by our competitors."

The company concedes that adopting AI models isn't without risk, but claims the policy will "empower" workers to help the create "more powerful experiences in the same amount of time."

"Companies within Embracer Group that utilize AI within their operations are subject to general as well as specific laws and requirements that impact the development and use of AI. These requirements are, due to the nature of AI applications, comprehensive and require, among others, documentation, risk assessments as well as continuous updates," reads the company's risk assessment.

"AI may also produce unethical, biased, discriminatory or completely wrong results if it has not been properly trained, instructed or used for purposes it was not designed. Additionally, AI generated material is not patentable or copyrightable meaning we must understand how material is produced, especially by third parties, since such material may produce serious copyright or intellectual property issues with the final product." Embracer says AI models won't supplant human workers

Embracer states it doesn't want to replace people with AI and is taking a "human-centric approach" to the technology–going so far as to claim it could open the door for new hires.

"It's not just that AI enables our developers to do even more, and to become more efficient on certain tasks, it will also open up coding to a broader group of developers. Entry into the industry might be easier for individuals with disabilities who, for instance, cannot use a keyboard as easily as others," said Embracer's head of privacy and AI governance, Tomas Hedman.

Hedman says the company's "risk-aware approach" means being cognizant of the pitfalls associated with AI models. That's why, he says, Embracer must "act consciously."

"AI is trained on historical data, which tilts in a certain direction. As a result, you can end up with imbalanced automated decision-making. Let’s say you’re building a village. If you use AI for this, depending on how it’s trained and the decisions it takes, you may end up with a village with a demography that displays some sort of imbalance," says Hedman.

"As AI models become more powerful, we can leverage their capacity also in the creative process, for example, by identifying inconsistencies in scripts and storytelling. There will be tremendous benefits for our creative teams regarding scriptwriting, image creation, idea generation, quality control, and more. And, as models become more human-like, the interaction between players and AI-supported functions will be much more dynamic. If in a game scenario you bargain, AI can remember this the next time. That makes the whole gaming experience much more interesting and lifelike."

Embracer isn't the first company to espouse the potential of AI. Earlier this year, EA boss Andrew Wilson claimed 60 percent of the publisher's development processes could soon be impacted by generative AI. Others including Sony, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and more have also begun tinkering with the tech.

Alternative Invidious Link

They nerfed blasphemous blade's ability. It's so over.

On the other hand they buffed seals all around, which is fantastic for faith users. Waiting to see how big these changes are.

Also, you can now use Torrent in the final boss of the game. Absolutely massive.

> I cannot share specific numbers, but I can say that we had an internal metric we were aiming for that had been approved, and that we exceeded that number by a significant portion. We also got a thumbs up a few weeks before launch.

SmashManiac originally ran the site but recently converted it into an open source project. Here's the announcement

You can view the new open source version of the site here

It's still early in the transition but I've converted it into a Jekyll build based on yaml data. Unfortunately I've been mostly working alone, we'd love some more contributors! If you know any of: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Jekyll, or Liquid templates then check out the Github and maybe submit some pull requests to help us out

We'd like to keep the project simple, but here's our issues list for ideas

Very surprising. The game looked like it had a lot of potential and could've been the most popular sims alternative, but it's suddenly been cancelled.

Oh this one I'm excited for, especially MVC2 since it's been in legal la la land for a while until now.

Are you guys going to purchase the collection? The only thing that sucks about is the lack of crossplay which could keep long term playerbase up outside of those who play MVC games on Fightcade.

Game Information --------------------

Game Title: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Platforms:

• PC (Jun 21, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 21, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 21, 2024)
• Xbox One (Jun 21, 2024)
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 21, 2024)

Trailer:

• ELDEN RING SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE ゲームプレイトレーラー【2024.02】

Developer: FromSoftware

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 92 average - 97% recommended - 34 reviews

Critic Reviews -------------

COGconnected - COGconnected - 97 / 100

>It’s a continuation of what made the Elden Ring fantastic in the first place. An epic adventure!

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Cerealkillerz - Gabriel Bogdan - German - 9.3 / 10

>Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree exceeds all expectations and overshadows every other expansion out there. With around 20-30 hours of new challenging content and areas, designed for veteran players, is the label "expansion" a bit of an understatement. Considering the sheer amount of new elements, including some of the most spectular boss fights of the series, smaller shortcomings such as reused enemy types that could've used a bigger facelift, or that upgrades only give you a generic boost for two values, carry no weight in the full picture.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Omi Koulas - 10 / 10

>Shadow of the Erdtree not only expands upon Elden Ring's lore and gameplay mechanics but also enriches the experience with its atmospheric storytelling and intricate world design. It beckons players to embrace the daunting journey through the Shadow Realm, promising a gripping adventure that resonates with the hallmark blend of challenge and discovery. What's on offer is one of the best FromSoftware experiences to date, capturing everything that made Elden Ring special and more.

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Destructoid - Chris Carter, Steven Mills - 9.5 / 10

>I think that’s the biggest point here, is that even though my expectations were high, Shadow of the Erdtree still managed to exceed them. From Software probably could have just added more Elden Ring and that would have been solid enough, but instead, Shadow of the Erdtree is yet another innovative iteration of the genre.

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Dexerto - Sam Smith - 5 / 5

>Shadow of the Erdtree is a fitting tribute to Elden Ring and a stunning finale that manages to surprise and shock us all over again. Those who enjoyed the base game will find much more to get their teeth into. This signs off the Elden Ring chapter of FromSoftware’s journey so conclusively and impressively, that it invokes questions about how they will ever top it again.

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Digital Trends - George Yang - 4.5 / 5

>Shadow of the Erdtree is so packed with new content that it almost feels like a sequel to Elden Ring.

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Eurogamer - Alexis Ong - 3 / 5

>Much of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is more of the same gruelling beauty - but a shift to explict storytelling and signposting means its essence as a living, evolving shared text is lost.

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GamingTrend - Henry Viola - 85 / 100

>I'm both happy and sad that Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and last expansion for Elden Ring. On one hand, it's a masterfully woven experience that expands on the contents of the base game, whereas on the other it leaves much more to be desired with its disappointing final boss. That being said, it's still very much worth your time if you're craving some more Elden Ring.

-------------

IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 10 / 10

>Like the base game did before it, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player DLC expansions. It takes everything that made the base game such a landmark RPG, condenses it into a relatively compact 20-25 hour campaign, and provides fantastic new challenges for heavily invested fans to chew on.

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INVEN - Korean - 9 / 10

>An already near-perfect game gets a 30-hour expansion with this DLC. Adding a wealth of new stories within its mysterious world, 'Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree' will also challenge you with its formidable difficulty. The newly added equipment further enhances the enjoyment of the base game.

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Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 70 / 100

>Elden Ring's big expansion just adds more beautiful brutality and action RPGing carnage to its already-tough base. Shadow of the Erdtree is meant to test the mettle of the game's hardcore audience and isn't going to let up soon. This isn't going to change your mind about From Software's approach to its dungeon crawlers: it's either "get good" or go home and it intends to keep the messaging that way with its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. > >The expansion's new offerings and updates, as well as epic boss fights, are still as grand and challenging as ever to the point that you may see optional boss Malenia (both versions) from the base game as a "walk in the park".

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Kotaku - Unscored

>FromSoftware’s highly anticipated DLC could be a standalone game, it's just that good

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Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10

>Exactly as engrossing and meticulously designed as you'd expect of FromSoftware but even by their standards this is an enthralling slice of DLC that underlines and enhances the achievements of the original.

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PC Gamer - Tyler Colp - 95 / 100

>A masterfully designed expansion to one of the best action RPGs of the last decade that not only complements the base game but expands its thematic and systemic scope even further.

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PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 90 / 100

>Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the biggest and most ambitious expansion ever developed by FromSoftware. However, it could have been flawless if it weren't for the over-the-top recycling of enemies. Even so, the challenging boss fights and the great sense of exploration with the addition of new layouts on the maps make Shadow of the Erdtree an excellent conclusion to the Elden Ring journey.

-------------

Polygon - Michael McWhertor - Unscored

>Even 40-plus hours in, I’m still figuring out how to tackle a particularly nasty dragon. And despite cursing all the bosses I’ve felled so far, as they’ve beaten me into submission dozens of times, I’m looking forward to going back and starting it all over at some point, ready to take on the challenge again.

-------------

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored

>A knotty, dense expansion that's home to some of the best moments in Elden Ring, but also some of its most frustrating.

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SECTOR.sk - Oto Schultz - Slovak - 9.5 / 10

>Expansion as complex as Shadow of the Erdtree has no real right to be labeled as a traditional DLC. Two-year long development cycle has spawned another story rich soulslike adventure across the Lands Between, or rather its shadowy counterpart. It is a world truly deprived of grace that alas suffers from a few technical issues too, but it never fails to just simply awe. Prepare to face the hardest From Software bosses to date, explore the most vertically varied biodiverse world and get ready to feel through the sounds and designs of the Shadow Realm.

-------------

Slant Magazine - Justin Clark - 4.5 / 5

>It’s an extended encore and a haunting final bow for Miyazaki Hidetaka’s magnum opus.

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TechRaptor - William Worrall - 9 / 10

>Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the lore and gameplay continuation that we all needed. The new challenges and a feeling of nostalgia help propel this DLC into the stratosphere.

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The Outerhaven Productions - 4.5 / 5

>Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree was worth the wait and then some. While I said this was FromSoftware’s most ambitious DLC yet, and that’s not hyperbole. If you enjoyed Elden Ring, you’ll love everything about this DLC. Savor it since Hidetaka Miyazaki has said there won’t be more content after this.

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TrueGaming - خالد العيسى - Arabic - 9 / 10

>Shadow of the Erdtree represents what we liked with the original content but with more meticulous designs to the map and a great variety of new weapons. A befitting comeback to this masterpiece.

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Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 9.1 / 10

>Even with its slight shortcomings, ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree is the best expansion that I've ever played thanks to its unique-feeling world that behaves more like a 1.5 sequel than a mere extension of what players have come to expect. 💍

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VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 10 / 10

>Shadow of the Erdtree is a sensational companion to the base game that feels remarkably fresh and a subtly progressive evolution of the Elden Ring formula.

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Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 9.5 / 10

>Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is everything one could want from an Elden Ring DLC: a huge new area to explore, new bosses to fight, new weapons to try, and new lore to unravel. It is a genuine joy to play and easily one of my favorite DLCs of all time. Its quality is high enough to even justify the $40 price tag. If you like Elden Ring, then Shadow of the Erdtree will give you everything you could want. If you're a newcomer, it's probably best to play through the game first before taking on the DLC. After all, Mohg, Lord of Blood is only the beginning.

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XGN.nl - Ralph Beentjes - Dutch - 9.5 / 10

>Beware a big bump in difficulty, but Shadow of the Erdtree is a must-play for Elden Ring-fans. It improves on the base game in every way. The new Lands of Shadow are beautiful and a joy to explore, there are a lot of exciting new weapons and spells to find, and the new boss fights are absolutely epic.

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Just in case you missed and needed a TL;DW summary jingle.