Sometimes I need to check out those weaker experiences to reaffirm RL's greatness.

Considering Zarx is new Avatar I can only say go team Yen

I miss Zarx.
JEMC probably misses him the most though. Haha

****

Also just got real internet back again.
Switched to the NBN FTTN (VDSL2) from ADSL 2+ and there was a line fault.

Went without internet for a good 3 days, relying on 3G via my phone (About 1.2Mbps).
Got sick of waiting, demanded my internet provider reset my VDSL port just incase it was a locked VDSL port... And whaddya' know? It all came online.
Enjoying 91/40Mbps up from 5/1Mbps.

Finally my goal of downloading and installing 600~ Steam games is going to become a reality. Just need to order a few more 4 Terabyte drives first! Haha

Only from Monday to Friday

And congrats for getting back your internet. Now don't go crazy with it.

Sanic Mania on PC is using Denuvo

https://support.codefusion.technology/SonicMania_8ahn2e/

Welp, luckly I got it on the switch I guess.

We knew about this coming, I got it for the switch though.

Wednesday news:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Get 9 games for super cheap in the Indie Legends bundle
http://www.pcgamer.com/get-9-games-for-super-cheap-in-the-indie-legends-bundle/
For the next seven days over on Bundle Stars you can grab the Indie Legends 6 Bundle. While not all of the 9 games in the bundle could actually be considered "indie legends," there are some recognizable names in there, and many that are worth your time and money.

But that's not the only sale going on. There's a new Humble Jumbo Bundle, with games like The Flame in the Flood, Verdun and American Truck Simulator. Check it out here: https://www.humblebundle.com/jumbo-bundle-9

Lastly, there's the Steam Midweek Madness sales, with:

• Little Nightmares, that is 40% off: http://store.steampowered.com/app/424840/Little_Nightmares/
• And the The Witcher franchise is on sale (again), from 50 to 85% off: http://store.steampowered.com/sale/the-witcher/

SOFTWARE

-empty-

MODS/EMULATORS

Soulshammer 40,000 mod brings Space Marines to Dark Souls
http://www.pcgamer.com/soulshammer-40000-mod-brings-space-marines-to-dark-souls/
Since its launch last year, the Total War: Warhammer series has seen Games Workshop's fantasy universe paired with Creative Assembly's turn-based tactical battle series to great effect. Abject's Soulshammer 40,000 mod now unofficially brings Space Marines to Lordran.

>>There's a video in the article that shows the mod, a mod that can be downloaded from here.

GAMING NEWS

New Releases – Warriors: All-Stars, Sonic Mania, Absolver & ARK: Survival Evolved are now available on the PC
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-releases-warriors-all-stars-sonic-mania-absolver-ark-survival-evolved-are-now-available-on-the-pc/
PC gamers, get ready for some new releases. KOEI Tecmo, SEGA, Devolver Digital and Studio Wildcard announced that Warriors: All-Stars, Sonic Mania, Absolver and ARK: Survival Evolved are now available on the PC.

Destiny 2’s PC open beta phase is a go
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/destiny-2s-pc-open-beta-phase-is-a-go/
And the moment a lot of PC gamers have been waiting for has finally come. The PC open beta phase of Destiny 2 is a go and PC gamers can go ahead, download, and start playing it.

Dawn of War III – Latest patch adds modding tools and campaign autosave
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/dawn-of-war-iii-latest-patch-adds-modding-tools-and-campaign-autosave/
Relic will released a new patch for Dawn of War 3 tomorrow and has revealed its complete changelog. According to the release notes, this new patch for Dawn of War 3 will add modding tools and Steam Workshop support, will add autosave functionalities for the game’s campaign mode, and will bring various balance tweaks.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Marauder Tribe Sneak Peak
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-marauder-tribe-sneak-peak/
Warner Bros. Interavctive Entertainment have released a video today showing a very quick sneak peak of the Marauder Tribe, a faction of Orcs who enjoy the smalls things in life, such as feasting on whatever they choose.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 announced – First details, screenshots & preliminary PC requirements
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/warhammer-vermintide-2-announced-first-details-screenshots-preliminary-pc-requirements/
Fatshark has just announced Warhammer: Vermintide 2; the sequel to the critically acclaimed Vermintide. Like its predecessor, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 will offer a first-person co-op experience with intense world class melee action.

World of Tanks – Latest update allows 30 vs 30 battles
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/world-of-tanks-latest-update-allows-30-vs-30-battles/
Wargaming has released a new major update for World of Tanks. Update 9.20 adds Grand Battles 30-vs-30 mode, allowing 60 players (in two teams) to battle on a huge new map, Nebelburg, measuring 1.4 km by 1.4 km. This exciting new mode is the domain of Tier X tanks only, which means the spoils of war that come with the territory increases. It’s also where players can earn Bonds, a new in-game currency that can be spent on Directives or Improved Equipment to supercharge their experience.

Sea of Thieves will support cross-play between Xbox One and PC, will offer 520p & 15fps lock options
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/sea-of-thieves-will-support-cross-play-between-xbox-one-and-pc-will-offer-520p-15fps-lock-options/
At this year’s Gamescom event, Rare and Microsoft revealed that Sea of Thieves will support cross-play between Xbox One and the PC. And while the game will support 4K resolutions and 60fps, it appears that the developers have gone the extra mile in order to make their game playable on really dated PC configurations.

>>That's odd.

First gameplay trailer released for Square Enix’s LOST SPHEAR
http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-released-for-square-enixs-lost-sphear/
Square Enix has released the first gameplay trailer for its upcoming JRPG, LOST SPHEAR. LOST SPHEAR is the follow up to I AM SETSUNA, and will feature an enhanced gameplay system with a revamped ATB (Active Time Battle) system offering more freedom in combat, seamless environments, and various locations to explore.

Part two of the news:

The Fallout 4 Creation Club goes live with $3 'Horse Armor'
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-fallout-4-creation-club-goes-live-with-3-horse-armor/
Bethesda announced the Creation Club for Skyrim and Fallout 4 earlier this summer as a compromise response to the furious backlash against the paid mods scheme that Valve (very briefly) attempted to roll out in 2015. The idea is that "mods will remain a free and open system," but Creation Club content will require "credits," which must be purchased with "money," making the whole thing basically a matter of semantics: When is a paid mod not a paid mod? When it's in the Creation Club, apparently.

>>There's a pic of the armor in the article, so you can facepalm yourself.

Akira Yamaoka would 'love' to see Silent Hill revived, is open to Team Silent reunion
http://www.pcgamer.com/akira-yamaoka-would-love-to-see-silent-hill-revived-is-open-to-team-silent-reformation/
Speaking at Gamescom, (...), series composer and integral member of Team Silent Akira Yamaoka said he would "love" to see the series revived, and that while he's currently very happy working alongside Suda 51 at Grasshopper Manufacture, he's "not against" a Team Silent reformation.

Overwatch deathmatch modes are now open to everyone
http://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-deathmatch-modes-are-now-open-to-everyone/
Earlier this month, Blizzard rolled out new "Free-For-All" and "Team Deathmatch" game modes on the Overwatch PTR, where they could be put through their paces before being released to the world at large. Today the studio announced that those paces have been put, and that both modes are now open to everyone on the Overwatch Arcade.

The new Overwatch map Junkertown is now playable on the PTR
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-new-overwatch-map-junkertown-is-now-playable-on-the-ptr/
Do you ever get the feeling that you've got to make a move to a town that's right for you? A town that will keep you moving, and even grooving, with some energy? Well don't just talk about it—get a move on! Because it's time to take yourself down to Junkertown, which is now playable on the Overwatch PTR.

GTA Online gets a PUBG-style Battle Royale mode in the Smuggler's Run update
http://www.pcgamer.com/gta-online-gets-a-pubg-style-battle-royale-mode-in-the-smugglers-run-update/
The Smuggler's Run update to GTA Online that was announced last week rolled out today, and it brought with it an unexpected surprise: A new and very familiar-sounding Adversary Mode called Motor Wars that Rockstar described as a "tense battle for survival" in which players scrounge for weapons and do battle inside an ever-shrinking "kill box."

Valve reinstates standard Steam refund restrictions for Ark: Survival Evolved (Updated)
http://www.pcgamer.com/ark-players-are-getting-steam-refunds-no-matter-how-long-ago-they-bought-the-game/
A post on Reddit today claimed that Steam was allowing players to receive refunds for Ark: Survival Evolved—and that those refund requests were being honored no matter how long ago they bought the game or how long they had played it.
Update: We reported a few minutes ago that Ark refunds were being allowed on Steam regardless of how long players had owned the game, or how many hours they had played. That was true for a while today, but Valve has fixed the issue, and the standard refund rules appear to be back in effect. Well, that's what I get for taking the time to test it out myself and attempting to obtain comments from the developers and Valve. I was late to the party with this story. Sorry, everyone!

Sega: 'The Sonic Mania offline play bug has now been patched' [Updated]
http://www.pcgamer.com/sonic-mania-on-steam-requires-an-internet-connection-to-play/
Users are reporting that the Steam version of Sonic Mania needs an internet connection in order to boot. Those trying to access the game while offline are prompted to connect by a pop up box – though once the game's open, a connection is no longer needed.
Update: After assuring players it was hard at work repairing "a problem within the game code" that meant Sonic Mania could only be played online via Steam, Sega has now confirmed an update has fixed the problem.

>>Maybe it has something to do with the game using Denuvo, like Yuri said.

Two tidbits that may be of interest:

Hot Chips 2017: We'll See PCIe 4.0 This Year, PCIe 5.0 In 2019
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/pcie-4.0-5.0-pci-sig-specfication,35325.html
The industry needs PCIe 4.0 to land soon, and PCI-SIG assures us it will ratify the new specification by the end of 2017. The sluggish ratification process hasn't hampered adoption entirely, though. Several IP vendors already offer 16GT/s controllers, and many vendors have already implemented PCIe 4.0 PHYs into their next-generation products. These companies are plowing ahead with the 0.9 revision of the specification, whereas the final ratified spec debuts at 1.0.

PCI-SIG says it is accelerating the development and feedback processes, along with simplifying early specification revisions, in a bid to reduce time to market for future specifications.

PCI-SIG indicates that PCIe 4.0 will be a short-lived specification because the organization has fast-tracked PCIe 5.0 for final release in 2019.

PCIe bandwidth is not that important anymore for graphic cards, but it will mean faster storage solutions.

AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 gets faster with Vega 64 BIOS
https://videocardz.com/72299/amd-radeon-rx-vega-56-gets-faster-with-vega-64-bios
(also reported at Guru3D and TechPowerUp)
A member of Chiphell forums has finally tested whether RX Vega 56 can be unlocked into full-fat RX Vega 64. Well, it can’t (at least according to GPU-Z), but this mod brings some interesting results.

Although it was expected, the sample used by KDtree did not unlock to full 4096-core Vega. This means that flashing 64 BIOS into 56 will not give you any extra boost thanks to more cores. However, the BIOS will change clock speeds which apparently have a much greater effect on the performance.

The RX Vega 64 BIOS has 1545 MHz boost clock and 945 MHz HBM2 clock. The RX Vega 56 is slower with boost clock at 1471 MHz and memory clock at 800 MHz. The BIOS mod gives you the same clocks on your 56, which practically improves performance.

By increasing the frequency by 75 MHz the modder noticed that the card was only 2% slower than reference RX Vega 64.

Furthermore, it was proven that overclocked RX Vega 56 at 1650 MHz (core) 2200 MHz (memory) actually surpasses 64 at default clocks.

If those results are correct then RX Vega 56 may become even more popular thanks to this simple mod. Of course, such modifications will void your warranty, but since the RX Vega series have two BIOSes, this mod is almost fool-proof.

No word about power cunsumption or temps, tho.