What are you currently playing?

[laggyteabag]

Finished The Ascent. Wasn't thrilled with it.

I really enjoyed the Ascent, but it really did feel like it wanted to be an RPG, not just a twin stick shooter. Its got this interesting world with so many npcs and such, but its just a shooter... Really felt like it wanted to have more complicated systems, maybe still action combat but like moral choices, rpg stats, etc etc.

I definitely agree with this sentiment. It feels like something critical was missing from its gameplay loop.

 

[meiam]

I have decided to return to Skyrim. After getting all the achievements, I thought there was nothing left to do. I played as archsage, a goodie-two-shoes chivalrous knight, a cunning thieft, spellblade, ranger, and even as a npc-turned-mc wearing nothing but regular clothing.

And this was after installing 200+ mods. You are probably wondering what is there left to return for?

Well, somehow i never bothered to install any combat overhaul mods. The vanilla combat is pretty bad, and it’s probably why stealth archer is so famous and memed to death, because facing enemies head on is pain especially on legendary difficulty. To that end, I’ve installed Valhalla combat mod. Hopefully this will bring some life back to this game.

I am also trying out alternate start mod, because goddamn i am so sick of that meme intro

Dunno if you tried it but enderel was pretty decent as far as overhaul, if you want more skyrim but not the same. It also made leveling far more interesting imo.

 

[Dalisclock]

Yeah I haven't played the Pathfinder Games, but D&D games have notoriously had the problem of there being utterly OP magic effects, and random saving throws, where you're basically a dice roll away from a dozen or more varities of instadeath (petrify and death spells) or death on a slight delay while you have no control (fear, confusion).


Bonus points to Neverwinter Nights Shadows of Undetide which added petrification enemies to the game, including a whole dungeon full of group spawns of them.... and never added the level spell or any item that could block the effect..... so you either modded the campaign (thankfully quite easy in NWN) or you basically had to save scum every single fight and get lucky on 20 odd rolls or so in a row.

I've heard Pathfinder described as "Protestant D&D" because it was basically created by people who were dissatisfied with the direction D&D was going after 3rd Edition and made their own not-D&D system. From what I understand it's similar in a lot of ways but I always played CRPG D&D so my knowledge of the mechanics of either is limited.

Anyway, apparently the devs kinda listened to the complaints about the final dungeon because they placed a merchant at the entrance who sells one time use magic scrolls for pretty much everything(and by this point you should be flush with cash) as well as the NPC who allows you to respec and hire new characters(who you can customize). So you do have the option to basically rebuild your party, though you really shouldn't have to for the final dungeon. It's a band aid on a problem that really needed a redesign/rebalance. "Redo the characters that got you through the entire game so far" shouldn't be the answer to "Dungeon is a massive difficulty spike above the rest of the game".

Not joking, on Normal difficulty I was pretty much steamrolling most encounters for the past 130+ hours and suddenly every battle becomes painful as hell. I haven't struggled this much since the early hours of the game.

 

[sXeth]

I've heard Pathfinder described as "Protestant D&D" because it was basically created by people who were dissatisfied with the direction D&D was going after 3rd Edition and made their own not-D&D system. From what I understand it's similar in a lot of ways but I always played CRPG D&D so my knowledge of the mechanics of either is limited.

Anyway, apparently the devs kinda listened to the complaints about the final dungeon because they placed a merchant at the entrance who sells one time use magic scrolls for pretty much everything(and by this point you should be flush with cash) as well as the NPC who allows you to respec and hire new characters(who you can customize). So you do have the option to basically rebuild your party, though you really shouldn't have to for the final dungeon. It's a band aid on a problem that really needed a redesign/rebalance. "Redo the characters that got you through the entire game so far" shouldn't be the answer to "Dungeon is a massive difficulty spike above the rest of the game".

Not joking, on Normal difficulty I was pretty much steamrolling most encounters for the past 130+ hours and suddenly every battle becomes painful as hell. I haven't struggled this much since the early hours of the game.

Yeah the problem with the D&D via video games is that D&D features a live human DM who can manage things (and may even fudge some rolls to avoid utter BS) and also generally a lot less combat and enemies. Whether its D&D, PAthfinder, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, World of Darkness, or whatever.

Video games can't handle freeform creativity and certainly don't have an overseer to keep the mechanics in line if needed. So you see a lot more combat and enemy spam. Which if they take the enemies 1:1 from the source system, you end up in a fight with entire groups that all have these "I win" buttons.

Typically this is addressed by vastly overpowering characters (most videogame versions are decked out with levels approaching actual gods and gear that would be considered legedndary artifacts in every slot). But they can often leave obvious gaps or overlook a class entirely.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Played a few rounds of that Warhammer 40K Speed Freak game. It has...potential. I think it needs some light autoaim assist and/or gyro controls for aiming at speed though.

Also playing through the Elemental Survivors demo. It's a cute take on the Vampire Survivors style game. Heavier RPG-esc elements, what with typed damage and party members. It's cute, y'all should give it a try

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Played a few rounds of that Warhammer 40K Speed Freak game. It has...potential. I think it needs some light autoaim assist and/or gyro controls for aiming at speed though.

Nah, wot iz you? Some kinda panzee?!? Just need more dakka! More bullits meanz more dead gitz. Stands ter reason dunnit!

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Nah, wot iz you? Some kinda panzee?!? Just need more dakka! More bullits meanz more dead gitz. Stands ter reason dunnit!

Da point of da bomb squid iz that theyz run up TA the otha gitz. Da rocket boyz figured out da mizzils following da other boyz, but my boyz can'tz do that wiff the dakkas?

 

[Ag3ma]

I've just played Dredge, which is a short but excellent little game where you sail around, catch fish, and explore a Lovecraftian mystery, with magic and sea monsters and all. Just before that I played Shardpunk:Verminfall which is a pretty neat (and cheap) squad-based strategy game, and I'm now trying not to be too crap after many years of disuse on 1st person shooters with Warhammer 40k: Boltgun.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

and I'm now trying not to be too crap after many years of disuse on 1st person shooters with Warhammer 40k: Boltgun.

I'm really out of practive, in fact was never really in practice to begin with and I'm considering turning up the difficulty, it's really pretty easy on lower difficulties.

Da point of da bomb squid iz that theyz run up TA the otha gitz. Da rocket boyz figured out da mizzils following da other boyz, but my boyz can'tz do that wiff the dakkas?

Maybe wotz you need iz da stabilizashun of da gunz. Stick it on a grotz ead, an if e dunt keep it still, whack im until e duz.

 

[Ag3ma]

I'm really out of practive, in fact was never really in practice to begin with and I'm considering turning up the difficulty, it's really pretty easy on lower difficulties.

Yeah, medium's not particualrly taxing.

I was a pretty handy CS:S player back in the day and regularly played most decent FPSs, but since ~2010 I've barely played any - a spot of Wolfenstein and maybe Fallout (which is semi-FPS due to the VATS system). Actually, I suppose World Of Tanks is a FPS, but it's hardly twitch reaction territory. And let's face it, I'm no spring chicken and age does not do great things for your speed and accuracy.

 

[BrawlMan]

RE4R - I just found out there's a DLC code for people that pre-ordered through GameStop. I have one on my receipt and gives you a handgun ammo charm and the golden attaché case (you get more money drops). There is no other means to get this DLC, unless Capcom decides to added to the digital stores. I wish devs would stop doing this. Capcom did a similar thing with RE3R with Jill's classic costume, but that did eventually get put on digital stores. Here's hoping they do the same.

 

[Worgen]

RE4R - I just found out there's a DLC code for people that pre-ordered through GameStop. I have one on my receipt and gives you a handgun ammo charm and the golden attaché case (you get more money drops). There is no other means to get this DLC, unless Capcom decides to added to the digital stores. I wish devs would stop doing this. Capcom did a similar thing with RE3R with Jill's classic costume, but that did eventually get put on digital stores. Here's hoping they do the same.

I got those from preordering on steam. Or was this in the original release?

 

[BrawlMan]

I got those from preordering on steam.

Which one, RE4R, RE3R, or both? I don't know which pre-order bonuses I listed you're referring towards.

Or was this in the original release?

Like I said before, the handgun ammo charm and golden case are pre-order bonuses from GameStop. If you got the bonuses on Steam, then they're still tied to a pre-order, as they're not available (yet) regularly on the RE4R digital stores.

 

[Chimpzy]

There we go. All times sub platinum, about forty percent red and, most importantly, better than my buddy's.

 

[Worgen]

Which one, RE4R, RE3R, or both? I don't know which pre-order bonuses I listed you're referring towards.


Like I said before, the handgun ammo charm and golden case are pre-order bonuses from GameStop. If you got the bonuses on Steam, then they're still tied to a pre-order, as they're not available (yet) regularly on the RE4R digital stores.

RE4.

 

[BrawlMan]

RE4.

Okay then.

 

[laggyteabag]

I got the Jack the Ripper DLC for Assassin's Creed Syndicate a few months ago, and I have finally decided to play it.

But, I haven't played the original game more or less since the game launched, so I decided to try and replay it. After about an hour, I ditched it, and went straight into the DLC.

The game is just so painfully easy. The franchise at this point is supposed to be more geared around stealth, and there are a decent amount of mechanics in the game to support that, but because combat in this game is just so easy, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage (mostly in the interest of time) by choosing to be stealthy. And its not even like when you get caught, it presents any/many consequences; by this point in the franchise, being discovered in a stealth mission is no longer a failure state, and once again, its not like enemies pose enough of a challenge to encourage avoiding them.

As it stands, it is in your best interests to just run into headfirst into combat, and beat down on enemies like you are the Doomslayer, rather than engage with the very mechanics that this franchise was built on.

So im pretty interested to see how Mirage handles this, seeing as it is the first game going back to this style of AC game since Syndicate.

As for the DLC itself, I haven't really experienced much of it, but I am so far enjoying the tone. More on this one, later.

 

[Absent]

The game is just so painfully easy.

I classify all these open world games à la FarCry/Assassin's Creed (but also Saints Row or Just Cause) as full-fledged Casual Games. I don't think it's necessarily a flaw. They are relaxing, contemplative games, even as you absent-mindedly hack your way through enemy armies. The stealth choice is aesthetic and roleplayey (and even more casual).

 

[BrawlMan]

(but also Saints Row or Just Cause) as full-fledged Casual Games.

At least Saints Row (1-3) and Just Cause (mainly 2) have some actual challenge.

I found a copy of Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Switch). This is the SFII games with re-drawn HD graphics and is the ultimate port based off the 360 version. It's add tons of new bonus modes, a lot of fighting games lack today, and even brings back dramatic battle (2 players vs. CPU, or the reverse as an option with SFA3).

 

[laggyteabag]

I got the Jack the Ripper DLC for Assassin's Creed Syndicate a few months ago, and I have finally decided to play it.

But, I haven't played the original game more or less since the game launched, so I decided to try and replay it. After about an hour, I ditched it, and went straight into the DLC.

The game is just so painfully easy. The franchise at this point is supposed to be more geared around stealth, and there are a decent amount of mechanics in the game to support that, but because combat in this game is just so easy, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage (mostly in the interest of time) by choosing to be stealthy. And its not even like when you get caught, it presents any/many consequences; by this point in the franchise, being discovered in a stealth mission is no longer a failure state, and once again, its not like enemies pose enough of a challenge to encourage avoiding them.

As it stands, it is in your best interests to just run into headfirst into combat, and beat down on enemies like you are the Doomslayer, rather than engage with the very mechanics that this franchise was built on.

So im pretty interested to see how Mirage handles this, seeing as it is the first game going back to this style of AC game since Syndicate.

As for the DLC itself, I haven't really experienced much of it, but I am so far enjoying the tone. More on this one, later.

Completed the DLC, at least it was fairly short. Didn't bother with any of the side content though, because why would you, in an Ubisoft game?

Anyway, the tone was good, and I liked Jack as a villain (can you really call a real-life serial killer in a videogame "a villain"?), and his Assassin's Creed-ified backstory was pretty well done. As for the gameplay, yeah, it is more of the same as the base game - obviously not unexpected - but with a few extra abilities which makes things even easier, and allows you to cause all of your enemies to just mass flee upon using a couple of abilities. Wholly unnecessary, but very effective. Though the 30-second long QTE ability for a "brutal" takedown got old pretty quick.

Playing as Jack occasionally was a nice touch, even if the implications of it were a little morbid.

Overall, a decent return to a meh game. Not really much of a recommendation though.

I classify all these open world games à la FarCry/Assassin's Creed (but also Saints Row or Just Cause) as full-fledged Casual Games. I don't think it's necessarily a flaw. They are relaxing, contemplative games, even as you absent-mindedly hack your way through enemy armies. The stealth choice is aesthetic and roleplayey (and even more casual).

I don't disagree, but some games at least do this a lot flashier/more interesting. Middle Earth: Shadow of War immediately comes to mind.