If you like RPGs, you'll love the best one ever made

 The best RPG ever made is Skyrim, which Legend has been playing on the hardest possible difficulty, but you should not do that until after you have played through the game once. 

Skyrim's developers devoted more productive time to it than any other RPG I know. Every space in this beautiful, cold, northern world runs well, and has cover and other features that both tell a story and make for combat that's a little different each time.

You'll learn to be an archer, sneaking around. Don't forget to poison your bow with readily available spider poison picked up in the wild. 

You'll cast spells and save the world for the Magician's Guild.

I would avoid the Fighter's Guild until late in the game, but if you do not -- don't complain that I did not warn you.

I would join the thieves' guild early on, as Legend did.

I would refuse to join the Assassin's guild -- but of course that's up to you.

You will meet the Daedra, powerful god-like beings most of whom have petty agendas (some have glorious agendas that you will be delighted to play a role in).  If you are playing as a good character, Azura and Meridia are appropriate for you. If you are evil, anything goes...

If you enjoy this game, try the older games, Oblivion and Morrowind (you'll need a game guide for Morrowind and perhaps for Oblivion).

In all of these games, I recommend working your way up the Guild hierarchies before tackling the main quest, although this is less important in Skyrim than in the previous two games.

I recommend Wizardry 8

 Wizardry 8 is an RPG that has a lot of grinding but is relaxing and peaceful, with slow turn-based combat, based on an HP / AC spell system that will be familiar to any RPG player.

I recommend it because:

1. The voice actors are very good. Make sure to choose the voices of your characters carefully. The NPCs are excellent.
2. It is sufficiently complex that I keep learning new things about it every time I play it.
3. The story is about saving the world, but is not gloomy (like Diablo) or cruel (like Warhammer and Warhammer 40K -- both of which I like)

If you choose to play Wizardry 8, you will need guides, especially if you choose what I think is an optimal outcome (which I cannot reveal without spoilers -- just google "alliance wizardry 8" although there is more than one alliance in the game.

In a game such as this one, the combat has to be interesting because it's most of what you are doing. It consistently gives you interesting choices, and also makes you think about how the effectiveness of alternative groups of character skills in different party arrangements.

The graphics are _old_ but generally are very good. Some locations will require you to look up a map. Don't play this game in a rush to the end. Play it to experience the variety of enemies and enemy abilities, to find the various secrets, and to explore every map in order to learn as much as you can about the story.

Do not, however, play this game if you are religious. Even though the end of the game recognizes Judeo-Christian gods, you will be offended by the middle-to-late game.

Alternative AI cheats

 Legend of TotalWar complains of anti-player bias in his lengthy Total War streams. And other streamers, such as Dame Offensive (who plays at Very Hard) have taken up the call. Myself, I play at Easy, and even I experience anti-player bias.

Nations walk around their own historical  enemies in order to attack you. Their troops don't rout when yours would (at those difficulty levels) 

My suggestion: give the AI some lore-friendly cheats.

Settra should have 90% physical resistance when wearing his scarab.

Queek Headtaker should have a sprint ability that gives him +100% speed and the dodge ability (if he does not already have it) as in the book Headtaker (which I strongly recommend). However, the skaven don't need buffs.

The vampires should reappear in Sylvania whenever order there is below 50, and perhaps in the other vampire locations, such as the Necrarch, Strigoi and Silver Pinnacle locations. And of course any location that carries Nagash's name should be able to resurrect Arkhan's faction.

Teclis should have a much more powerful spell buff -- perhaps half cost for all spells -- but far fewer HP than other heroes.

Tyrion should have double his normal melee defense.

Alith Anar should reappear in any Naggaroth ruin. 

The dwarves should be able to regain to full stamina after a forced march, and their major settlements should have traps, like Eltharion's.

Norsca could have a waagh-like mechanic when they capture key settlements, such as Couronne, but that is not related to the lore.

Note: I get my lore from the websites and streamers cited above and from books such as Headtaker, but not from the miniatures rules because those rule books are out of print and therefore not available to me.

Nagash Belongs in Warhammer II

 

Nagash Belongs in Warhammer II

Why do people expect Nagash to appear in Warhammer III when he lived in the world of Warhammer II (Mortal Empires map).

I’m working from the novels, the Warhammer Chronicles. When some talk about the lore of Warhammer, they are talking about the tabletop boardgame rulebooks, but I don’t have them. I have read book 1 (The Legend of Sigmar), book 3 (The Rise of Nagash) and several others (the Skaven are the most fun -- particularly the story of Headtaker in Warlords of Karak Eight Peaks. 

Who was Nagash

Nearly 2000 years before the coronation of Sigmar, which year zero in the Imperial Calendar, Nagash lived in the desert lands of Nekehara. He was the most immortal, the human who came closest to being a god, and destroyed his land in pursuit of immortality. Born the first son of the king, dedicated to the priesthood in a land where the second sons inherited, Nagash studied death, seized the throne, and built and lost an empire of the undead. 

He is the favorite of many, including Wargamer Dad. 

Lost in the desert, he then learned the secrets of Skaven magic, the warpstone that resembles nuclear pollution more than anything else.

 After the collapse of Nagash’s empire, Arkhan travelled to Lamia where he created the first vampires including Vashanesh, who you know as Vlad von Carstein.

Where Nagash was

Nagash’s principal monument, of course, is the Black Pyramid, which is guarded by Sentinels. Everyone hates them. Why? Perhaps because they want to bring back Nagash. People also hate the Followers of Nagash led by Arkhan the Black, a former vizier of Nagash. Arkhan wants to reclaim the Tower of Arkhan, which lies to the southwest of the Black Pyramid.

Several other places on the map have Nagash’s name. Nagashizzar means the greatness of Nagash. It features in the book The Rise of Nagash. Nagash fought the Skaven there. It is currently occupied by the Silver Host whose corpse cart appears to use a Skaven bell. Near it is the Desolation of Nagash.

And there’s the Brass Keep, which features in the Legend of Sigmar.

The Silver Pinnacle features in the history of Neferata but I do not know all of her story except for what appear in Books 2 and 3. 

But keep in mind that the minor factions vampires are where they are for a reason. The Strigos have a story too.

The Empire of Undeath Eternal

Nagash could appear at any of these places. He would be best implemented as a disaster on the level of the Chaos Invasion. He could show up in any of several places.

He is immortal and forever. As long as there is a speck of burnt dust containing his flesh, as long as his artifacts exist, he has influene (see also Book 3: Vampire Wars (The Von Carstein Trilogy). His artifacts may have the power to transform all but a legendary lord into Nagash himself.

Nagash can be delayed, but as long as the Black Pyramid exists, he cannot be destroyed.

Arkhan’s faction would be much more fun if he could bring back Nagash and become the Nagash faction as long as he holds his tower, the Black Pyramid, and perhaps all of the Books. Since only Arkhan has the Ninth Book, he is the only Tomb King faction that could Raise Nagash, were all nine books required.

Several factions in Warhammer II are brutally difficult. Those that have to migrate (Skarsnik, Belegar, and Arkhan) have a slow start. Permitting Arkhan to raise Nagash would be a nice touch to a weak faction. CA recently boosted Lohkir who is now much more fun to play.

Of course, everyone in the world would declare war on Nagash on sight, except perhaps the Tomb Kings, Vampires, and maybe Vampire Coast. Greenskins, Druchii, and Skaven might sign peace treaties but prepare for war. So even if you could become Nagash (as Arkhan), your power would be nicely balanced by the enmity of all living things.

What the Book The Rise of Nagash Taught Me About Total War Warhammer II -- and Maybe III

Warhammer II 

 The Rise of Nagash by Mike Lee is a brilliantly plotted book that I found all the more compelling because I knew the desert in which it occurs: the Desert of Nekehara, from playing Total War Warhammer II.  The book tells the story of the centuries of ambition of the greatest necromancer of that land, Nagash. 

I learned that the Black Pyramid was indeed built by Nagash. I learned about the Tower of Arkhan -- Arkhan was a lieutenant of Nagash who we first meet as a drunk, carousing noble with limited prospects. 

I learned why a dark abandoned backwater is called Nagashizzar (I learned that it means the greatness or majesty of Nagash). 

Warhammer III

I learned that the nations of the Warhammer II maps use bronze, and later iron, but not steel. Yet, the Warhammer III Cinematic Trailer featuring Kislev has a map that shows a Gunpowder Road and Lands of Stone and Steel. You say there is already gunpowder in Warhammer, but the Cathay faction has guns that are shoulder-held and fire steel balls, like late medieval bazookas. As for steel, I think it may already be in Warhammer but, if not, the Cathay may have superior swords.

The map also shows a Warpstone Desert -- I have no insight but see this Steam discussion.

A Few Changes I'd Like to See in Warhammer III

I am a fan of Total War: Warhammer II. The best in-depth introduction, I think, is the videos of the self-proclaimed (and well deserved) Legend of Total War.

Those who are already fans are thinking of what they'd like to see in the upcoming Total War: Warhammer III.

I'd like to see:

• Campaign customization options as detailed as XCOM: Long War or Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. 
• Siege options: I imagine a minigame during each siege turn when units or wizards battle each other as the two armies stand motionless and ready. Skaven would be good siege attackers and poor siege defenders.
• The ability to get two parties to make peace with each other if they are at war and are both your friends.
• Better visualization on the map of the settlements that contain unique buildings.
• More terrifying superbeasts or superspells only available to the PC (but make them fair).
• The ability to create a chaos tide as well as an order tide. Perhaps the chaos tide responds more to money and the order tide responds less.
• The chaos invasion should be preceded by agents spreading chaos and harm.

There are changes I'd like to see in Warhammer II as well -- this could be a mod -- if different victory results for different factions in the Vortex campaign (and some benefit from completing the short and long campaigns on the Mortal Empires map):

• Skaven win: 
• bonus to relations with _all_ undead including Vampire Coast 
• Lower malus from dark elves
• Unrelenting war with the main high elf faction
• Unrelenting war with any Lizardman faction that's in the top 1/3 of all factions by faction, but a tendency to sign non-aggression pacts if in the lowest 1/3
• Unwillingness to declare war from Wood Elves
• High Elves win:
• bonus to relations with high elves and Lizardmen factions
• Unrelenting war with the main dark elf faction
• Ability to confederate wood elves
• Skaven will be craven
• Vampire Coast likely to declare war
• Lizardmen win:
• Can confederate Skaven
• Unrelenting war with main high elf faction and main dark elf faction
• Vampire Coast win:
• +10 relations with any faction that has at least one port.
• What about Grom and Yvresse? No suggestions

Subnautica is a Paradigm Change

Subnautica is a game about exploring a beautiful alien world without guns. The best way to deal with threats is to run away. Later, you will be able to use your knife on some things. But the sea is full of things that are bigger than you are. They move fast to (but you may be able to dodge). It is dedicated to the survivors of Newtown. It is “one vote towards a world with less guns.” It is gorgeous, the sound design is fantastic, and the building mechanism is quite interesting. The world is not procedurally generated. It is intricate and well designed. There is some glitching on my system, but nothing awful after recent updates. And anyway, if you die, you just respawn. It is a beautiful and peaceful game with moments of tension, expectation, and discovery. It is relatively short, but I think that's a good thing do. Play through in a week or a month instead of a year. Enjoy! Take a look at images from the game.