Battle Plan 29 February 2024 (Patreon)

There's no video today! Everybody panic! 

As much as I hadn't got a definite video planned for today, had it not been a leap year you'd have scored either Farming Simulator or Satisfactory (both of the March videos for these are done and good to go) but I can't start playing it fast and loose with these things or we'd have anarchy. I do have another one and done lined up for you, but I want to play a load of it before unleashing it upon you and I suspect quite strongly it'll be a belter.

Those who are part of the Saturday Social Club will already know that the Bongos Saga has reached its conclusion. It was a tremendous run, and an awful lot of fun, so the quest is to find the Next Big Thing. I've already considered a few dozen games without reaching a conclusion, but I have something new and (I hope) interesting for this week. I'll be taking it on completely cold, but it may end up being rather like Planet Crafter last year, where we spent a happy month tinkering around with it and having a jolly time.

Manor Lords will be our feature game when it releases, but I have to work on the assumption that it might not be quite as long-lasting as Bannerlord has been, so anticipate some changes over time. The heady mix of named characters, errors in judgement, civilisation building, and a dab of action here and there isn't the easiest criteria to fill. I may end up doing The Sims. Who knows?

Those who are in the Vuvu Boys fanclub will have spotted that The End Is Nigh. There really aren't many episodes to go now after which the current B-Series, Let's School, will take its Monday/Wednesday/Friday slot until I feel like the story has been told. The one certainty right now, is that I am absolutely loving the game - not because the game itself is solid (even though it is) more that it makes ludicrous situations and commentary a delight to stumble upon.

There is, as many of you have spotted, a great difference between playing a game and playing a game for video entertainment. Take something like City of Gangsters, which I ran as a short series a couple of years ago. Very enjoyable game to play, but dreadful for making viewing entertainment from. On the flipside you can take any one of dozens of janky "simulators" that are a long way from being good games, but boy oh boy do they make for fun videos to make. Those who've been around for a while know that when I'm having fun, the video tends to be a whole lot more entertaining to watch.

To reiterate a point I make regularly, this channel is at its best when you ignore the game and instead focus on the story and how it's being told. The game is almost completely irrelevant. They're merely vehicles from which I try to carve adventure, narrative, and the occasional laugh.

So, what's taking the B-series slot? Railroader. That'll be a once-per-week thrilltime until I either yeet it or want to play much more. What's the B-series after that? Tentatively, Cities Skylines 2, however I'm currently considering adding it to the monthly update list as I've found myself a concept for it.

And what, pray tell, of Electrosports? Will baseball get another season following the absolute delight that is the Sunday Sports Stream? Well, first things first, yes. There will be another season, but it may be the last. Much depends on the strength of the dynasty gameplay in Mutant Football League 2 (currently slated for early access release in April, but I'm anticipating either a slip, or that its features won't be sufficient). I'll be playing it day 1, so we'll just have to see; it'll only get a full season if the team editor is up to scratch. I'll grumpily settle for being able to edit just my own team, but I'd far sooner we also had the likes of the Beekeepers, Bumson Medics, and Stardozer Human Resources in the mix.

Finally, there's a new backer's series coming really soon. Maybe as soon as in the next week. My aim is to run increasing amounts of backer-exclusive series in the future, as well as... well that'd be a spoiler, but suffice to say, "a lot more".

That's it. No TL; DR schedule for you this week. If it's too much for you to absorb all at once, skipping to the end won't save you. Get on my power level.

CF