The Community Spotlight 2021.03.20

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community offerings from the previous week. There were a number of big moments this week worth reviewing. First, a huge thank you to all of the users that have wished Vinny a speedy recovery after his surgery. If you have yet to wish him the best, feel free to use the first link in the housekeeping section. Second, many thanks to those that have reached out to Jan about how to help the influx of violence directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Below you will find a resource guide they recommend everyone check out.

Finally, last week marked the official "start" of the Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run! For those that do not know, the GBCER is the community-run charity event and you can read all about how to join the fun or donate. For reference, I am a member of the GBCER, and if you have enjoyed this Spotlight feature over the many years I have done it, please consider donating to my charity page. Small donations are more than welcomed if you can't spare a lot right now.

• Vinnie Speedy Recovery Well-Wish Storage Tank. As the title suggests, this is the thread where you can wish Vinny a very speedy recovery to their surgery!
• Jan has been asked by a handful of users how to help with the surge in violence directed at Asian Americans and they are directing people to check out this handy Anti-Asian Violence Resource Card.
• Mr. Rorie was on @thatpinguino's "Deep Listens" podcast which discussed the Project Triangle Strategy demo. If you want to listen to his thoughts about how that game is shaping up, give it a listen.
• As mentioned last week, Giant Bomb is working to re-print old t-shirt designs. Due to current limitations of this effort, orders on reprints are only available to those who live in the USA. The site is trying its best to get overseas and Canada options up and running and they are obviously looking into new designs to reprint. USA users can review the shirts that are available over here.
• Print-On-Demand requests can be sent here. Even if you suspect it might not be possible for your shirt to be reprinted, give it a try using this thread! Mr. Rorie has been pretty good at informing users if their requests are not possible.

Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run

Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run XI Announcement Thread (By: @thatpinguino)

Giant Bomb Team Donation Page

It's that time of the year again! It is time to get excited about the Giant Bomb spring-time community charity effort, the Giant Bomb Community Endurance Run! This year, the event is returning to its previous charity, Pencils of Promise! Pencils of Promise is an educational charity that works to promote literacy and access to clean water in Ghana, Guatemala, Laos and Nicaragua. You can read more about the event and how you can join or donate using the link above!

Tweets

Activities

Giant Bomb Community Low-Stakes Magic Arena Tournament (By: @rorie)

Mr. Rorie is trying to organize a community tournament for Magic: The Gathering Arena! It's a low-stakes tournament that welcomes all comers and skill levels! Get the details on how to join the fun using the link above!

Blogs

I've Started Getting Into Twitch And It's A Crazy Place (By: @humanity)

Humanity is getting more and more of their entertainment from content creators on Twitch, but they still can't get over how wild and fast the communities surrounding some of these content creators can be.

Long Dark Winter: The Division and US Policing (By: @gamer_152)

Tom Clancy's The Division was one of the most prominent modern military games from the last few years. However, Gamer_152 argues it is also a title in love with the violent militarized policing that has scarred the US.

Battling The Backlog: PS3's Lair With SIXAXIS Motion Controls Only (By: @daavpuke)

Daavpuke decide to play some of the PS3 exclusive titles on their backlog. First up was Lair, the much maligned Sixaxis-based title that "killed" Factor 5. Read why they could not help but respect the game's ambition and creativity!

How Much Of The Complete Rock Band Tracklist Has Been Drummed On We Be Drummin'?, An Investigation (By: @franzlska)

This week marked the one year anniversary of Alex playing the drums on stream. As a result, FRANZlSKA wanted to know how long it would take for Alex to play every song in every Rock Band game ever made. The answer will likely (not) shock you.

What's the Greatest Video Game: Katamari Damacy (By: @imunbeatable80)

imunbeatable80 played the first Katamari Damacy game and shares if they think the game and its zany sense of surrealist art has stood the test of time! Read what they think using the link above.

Indie Game of the Week 211: Unravel +

The Outer Limits of the Outer Wilds (By: @mento)

As I like to joke every week, you can always count on Mento publishing more than one blog. This week, Mento has a new episode of their "Indie Game of the Week" and this time they looked at Unravel! Read why they couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the game. Likewise, Mento took the time to look at Mobius's Outer Wilds and has attempted to list every phobia the game uses or exploits. Give their write-up a read and feel free to share any omissions!

How Should Every Faction Change For Warhammer III? Part 2 (Tomb Kings, Empire, Dwarfs, Greenskins, and Vampire Counts) (By: @zombiepie)

Calling the Total War: Warhammer II fans in the Giant Bomb community! Moderator ZombiePie has a new episode of their series looking at what they think needs to be done to make the current factions more fun! Also, they called Dwarfs "boring," but what are your thoughts?

Discussion Threads

Which EA Is Better? (By: @bitbat)

The title really says it all, which is better: Electronic Arts or Early Access? Which two deserve to be the holder of the EA acronym in modern times? Here are the results thus far but don't forget to join the fun as well!

Have You Ever Duplicate Game Purchases For Multi-Platforms? (By: @gtxforza)

Here's a discussion thread I think we can all relate to: when was the last time you bought a duplicate of a third-party game on a different platform? Has the Switch made this more or less common?

The Eternal Cylinder Plot Guesswork (By: @unlivedphalanx)

To everyone who has been playing The Eternal Cylinder, what do you think is "up" with the game's story? What do you think it is leading up to? Share your theories with the rest of the community!

Red Candles Games's Devotion Is Back (For Real This Time) (By: @clagnaught)

Red Candles Games's works are available on their own storefront DRM free! Do you plan on picking up any of their titles for the first time or to support the dev team?

Outriders Confirmed As Coming To Game Pass On Launch Day (By: @bigsocrates)

Outriders will be available on Game Pass on the day it launches! Are you surprised by the news? Is this a portent of things to come? Is there any point in buying a copy of the game if you have Game Pass?

Tower Defense Games That Do Something Different (By: @laughingman)

Tower defense games were everywhere in the mobile and indie game sphere a few years ago, but what are your favorite examples of the genre? Which tower defense games do something different?

Been Working From Home And Need A Good Drafting Chair. Help. (By: @development)

Are there users out there with a good drafting chair? What are the best brands or stores to find one that wont break the bank? Share your tips and suggestions using the link!

Your Expectations For The Next-Gen Gaming Era? (9th Gen) (By: @gtxforza)

Moving forward, what are your expectations for the current slate of video game consoles? What are your big predictions about the industry as countries and industries start to approach "normal" capacity?

Haven Discussion Thread (By: @humanity)

Are there users that have played Haven from developer The Game Bakers? If any of you have experience with the action RPG and its love story, use the link above to join the community discussion!

Racing Master Discussion Thread (By: @gtxforza)

The latest racing game to come out of Codemasters is Racing Master! Are there any users that are interested in trying it out? Does it being a mobile game hurt your excitement?

Lists

Ranking of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Villagers (By: @splitterguy)

Splitterguy ranked all of the Animal Crossing New Horizons villagers they have encounters from best to worst! See where your personal favorites ranked and here's a hint of what to expect on their list.

User Reviews

• @yyninja finally got around to playing XCOM 2 and uses their review to share why they think it provides an amazing strategy experience if you can tolerate the technical issues.
• @moonlightmoth uses their review of The Medium on the site to discuss why they think the game's premise and visuals are let down by a storytelling and cast of characters.

Appreciate the drumming stats and summary. Nice job!

The recent Katamari Damacy remaster is pretty great on the Switch. I'd really like We Love Katamari on too, because while it isn't as good as the original, it plays around with the central conceit in a fun way.

Crazy to think it's been a year of drumming.

Thank you for indulging my silly Lair thing.