So, what're you playing?

[Sky]

I just got back from Seattle a couple of weeks ago for the first time in like 20 years. The city's changed a lot.

The farm-to-table food scene there is probably better than the Bay Area, and the wine's almost as good. Still probably couldn't live there though. The BA is a big enough slowdown from NYC already. And yes, Seattleites do just do some really weird shit for no apparent reason.

The homeless people are aggressive as fuck too.

Yeeah! Bay area would also be on my list, maybe Portland and Toronto (haven't been to TO in 25 years!).

Fuck a NYC, you cancers on this beautiful state  (But I'm totally open to any job openings you might have, hoss!  )

[Rasix]

Finished Spec Ops: The Line.  That was worth playing.  The action on its own wasn't anything special, but whole package was put together rather well.   

[jakonovski]

Finished Spec Ops: The Line.  That was worth playing.  The action on its own wasn't anything special, but whole package was put together rather well.   

Getting it really requires a second playthrough or listening to this spoilercast featuring the game's lead writer: http://www.gamespot.com/features/gamespot-gameplay-special-edition-spoilercast-spec-ops-the-line-6386587/

It's pretty cool how much was actually deliberate.

[Signe]

I'm deleting this and posting it in the useless chatter thingy where I think it's probably more appropriate.  I'm mental.

[Kail]

Well, Kalypso games are on sale this weekend, figured I'd pick up DARK, which is supposed to be kind of like a cross between Thief: The Dark Project and Vampire: the Masquerade: Bloodlines.

It's pretty bad.

Like, really bad.  It's a stealth action game, but the controls are clunky just moving around,  and madenning you if you actually try combat.  Not that you'll be able to avoid it, since trying to figure out if an enemy will spot you is basically a dice roll in itself.  To avoid having to re-do huge chunks of the level, you can save the game, but only twice (!!), otherwise you're stuck relying on the autosave at checkpoints, which are helpfully placed at long intervals right before unskippable cutscenes.  And the writing is among the most ridiculously bad I've ever seen in my life.

I do kind of like the visual style, though.  It's less gothic and more neon than Vampire: the Masquerade.

[Sky]

Someone needs to make a game development manual.

Section V Article III

Thou shalt put thy autosaves only AFTER a long cutscenes (qv Section VI Article II: Skippable Cut Scenes)

[Yegolev]

I thought Raph would be doing this but he seems to be working on more cerebral tasks rather than practical application.

[Signe]

Raph is like that though, isn't he?  He's techie, creative, an accomplished musician, witty, etc.  A Renaissance man without having to go to those silly faires.

Ok, I'm joking.  He's a bum.

[Sky]

The only division between bum and artist is talent.

[Soulflame]

I thought Raph would be doing this but he seems to be working on more cerebral tasks rather than practical application.

So, you're saying it's the same as it ever was?

[Yegolev]

I thought Raph would be doing this but he seems to be working on more cerebral tasks rather than practical application.

So, you're saying it's the same as it ever was?

Well, if he's working on a game then I'm not aware of it.

I'd suggest Sky burn some of his free time writing this out, but I'm not sure he can be trusted to take it seriously.

[Sky]

I can seriously be trusted to...what again? Listen, I've got eleven cord of wood to put up. Cuts will be made! Hoist the axes and wedge the wedges!

Maybe that was an allegory.

[Morat20]

Did anyone ever try the Port Royale games? PR3 is on sale and I was considering it...

[Phred]

Did anyone ever try the Port Royale games? PR3 is on sale and I was considering it...

I played the first one years ago. It was fun except the ship combat got silly as the game advanced. I ended up quitting after a battle that stacked like 30 enemy ships in a tiny arena against my one ship. If they fixed that flaw it could be cool.

[Yegolev]

Played some more Battleblock Theatre, which is great fun until it becomes incredibly frustrating.

Also Path of Exile, doing some Anarchy although I got a late start.

Still playing ToME a bit.  Not sure why, but it's engaged me.  Maybe because it's a roguelike but isn't a nut-crusher.

Animal Crossing: New Mortgage, aka Animal Crossing: I Missed The Fucking Bug Tournament

Leveling some pokemans in the sewers in White v2.  I'm about ready to crush my son in some multiplayer.

Started on Final Fantasy XIII-2 and having a hard time remembering exactly what went on in XIII-1.

I'm keeping Guild Wars 2 patched up, along with LotRO.

Today, it's Gnarls Barkley on Pandora.

[satael]

Skyrim Skyrim Skyrim...once again. With various mods it feels like a different game compared to the vanilla (though some of the mechanics still stay the same)

[Sky]

Don't think I'll get The Walking Dead finished before SR4 drops 

Finished up episode 3 last night. A bit weaker than the first two, but it would be hard to keep that level of  I also got a bit sloppier with a few things, forgetting you don't need to (and shouldn't) exhaust all conversation lines, a couple responses that were delivered way different than I expected from the selection brief. I kept most of them, except once when I skeered poor Clem, I'm having none of that!

[murdoc]

Back playing Guild Wars 2 with the odd Borderlands 2 run.

[Merusk]

Disney Infinities was released Sunday.  Doesn't seem aimed at this collective, so rather than start a thread for it I figure I'd toss in some info about it here.

Let me say that for those who know what "Skylanders" is you'd think this was Disney's attempt at it.  Well you're only 1/2 right.  It's got the same figurine-based collecting game that Skylanders has, but unlike Skylanders you can't mix & match the heroes in a portion of the main game.  Cars can only be on Cars playsets, Pirates on PoTC, Monsters on Monsters, INC, etc.  

However, it also isn't a big story-driven game where you're trying to save the world. (i.e. it's not Kingdom Hearts.)  It's a series of quests and missions in each fantasy world, so you can explore and dink around in them.  Like a console sandbox.

This is further illustrated by them giving you level-design tools like Little Big Planet.  These side-adventures are where you can bring-in and mix-up the different worlds.  Each figurine apparently comes with it's own Mini-Game as part of the purchase.  So, for example, there's a Paintball game on Sully from Monsters U while Mike has a pig race.

Seems interesting, though I'm not a fan of a sandbox that costs this much money to be involved in.

ed: Oh, it also has a bug on the PS3 that locks-up after the intro when trying to sync achieves.  Keep the PS3 offline or don't create a "Disney interactive" profile if you buy and play with that console.

[Thrawn]

Trying to quit DotA and going to play through the Neverwinter Nights 2 campaign with a few friends.  Never played it myself.

Also realized they might be interested in Blood Bowl and suggested we try it, so while I could never get into it much, maybe with a few people I know to play with it would be a different story.

[Rasix]

Playing Guild Wars 2 again.  Holy shit, I am horrible at this.  I was never very good, which is surprising in the realm of MMOs, but for some reason I just suck at Guild Wars (both).   Part of the reason is that I'm not used to using number keys (I usually remap).  As a result, I end up dodging a lot when I'm trying to activate abilities. Oops.  Plus, I have no idea what's good anymore (lI never did anyhow).

I think I'm going to be on a rather long MOBA break, despite some curiosity in playing DOTA2.  The desire to put up with people has completely left the building.

[K9]

I'm having way more fun watching DOTA2 VODs than actually playing the game; plus I can eat while I watch, or wander off if I get bored. It's all the fun with none of the stress, plus the people I watch are far better than I'd ever be.

[HaemishM]

So I finished Mass Effect 3 over the weekend. All along, I felt the gameplay was seriously weak compared to the first two and the story was very inconsistent. Some parts were good like the resolution to the genophage and the death of the character that caused while other parts were just WTF like the resolution to the Quarian/Geth war that left an entire race fucking dead no matter what I did. And the ending didn't generate the massive hatred in me that the Internet had led me to believe it would (though that's probably because I got the director's cut ending which fixed the teleporting characters thing and added a piece of two back). However, while it didn't induce rage, it did induce confusion - as in what the fuck just happened? The CONCEPT of the ending I didn't have a problem with so much as the slapdick way it told the ending that really gave no sense of closure whatsoever. I'd have been fine with any of the endings if it had been obvious just what the fuck happened both to the characters and the universe. But it wasn't - it was wanky confused bullshit.

And that epilogue... that was a true head scratcher because it served NO PURPOSE WHATSOEVER. Just none at all. An epilogue is supposed to explain the shit ending I just got, not add further confusion.

ME1 had the best gameplay of the series. ME2 had the best story. ME3 had neither in any great quantity and managed to backhand the characters I loved and the setting I was genuinely interested in. It gets worse the more I think about it, though not quite to the level of nerdrage. It does ensure I won't buy whatever the fuck is coming out after this in the ME universe. Fuck EA, fuck Bioware and Fuck Origin. Glad I didn't pay $60 for this shit.

[Morat20]

Actually, it was possible to resolve the Geth/Quarian war without one side killing the other. It requires an import, but basically you need a shit-ton of reputation, Legion and Tali must both be alive (survived the suicide mission) -- then you need a confluence of other factors (basically it's a point system, you need 5 or more. Preventing Tali's exile in ME2 is 2 points. Destroying the heretics is 2 points, getting Tali and Legion to kiss and make up in ME2 was a point, then another point for doing each of the Rannoch missions).

It's a bit of a PITA, and the only reason I managed it was I'm a huge completionist in ME2 -- so all my saves had everyone living, Tali not exiled, and Tali/Legion having been mediated. Which meant I just needed the other Rannoch stuff first.

[schild]

Game just came out on Steam. Full Mojo Rampage. Actually looks pretty awesome.

[schild]

Oh, also! Sir, You are Being Hunted! has early access available.

Edit: Apparently Ubisoft jumped on the early access bandwagon also with Might & Magic X. Saints Row IV is out now as well, which I'm sure half of you just purchased since I've been editing this post.

[HaemishM]

I actually did have all the points from the ME2 save import that I needed for the Quarian/Geth resolution. I think I didn't do the sentry base mission before the last Rannoch mission and that fucked me. It's not really apparent which one you have to do in which order. It also seemed like a really shitty, lazy writing decision giving me no real choice in the matter. Seemed really stupid how it played out.

[lamaros]

I'm be playing Baldur's Gate Trilogy with the Strategic mod, Fixpack, Tweakpack, and Unfinished Business 1&2.

I'm pretty impressed with the mod options and quality for BG1&2, they put PS:T to shame.

[rk47]

mods. lots of mods for skyrim.
prison overhaul sounds innocent - how to make prison life more interesting in Skyrim where you literally go in - sleep your sentence away - lose a few skills and got away with murder?

1. gag.
2. bound with ropes.
3. paraded around town to the prison.
4. strip searched, gears taken away.
5. poo/shit in a small cell. (Optional Mod)

Gee, this can't get any worse right?

8 AM next day - they put the gag back on, ropes on, the jailer drags you to the town square. you see the stockade.
Oh boy. I hope you like whips.

Mod writer said he's inspired by Crime & Punishment.
I should try reading it one day, should be quite an experience.

[Khaldun]

I'm thinking he means crimeandpunishment.bondage.com (no, I have no idea whether that's a real URL, I'm not gonna test it to see and neither should you).

Disney: Infinities really disappoints in the exclusive playset thing. That's a naked cash grab beyond the naked cash grab of the whole thing in the first place, and it goes squarely against the marketing and the docile yap-yap promotional media coverage they've been getting, where the only thing that's stressed is that you can have Sully, Jack Sparrow and Donald Duck team up, etc. I think if the word gets out that the team-up stuff is only a small side part of the game experience, it won't go very far--the ability to put in whatever they've got into any adventure is a big part of the sell of Skylanders for kids.

[Merusk]

That was my thought, too.  They'll still sell tons of the figures just because Disney + Marketing = $$$.  Hell, the reason my wife wanted it was she's a Disney freak. (To the point she said "this can be my 15th anniversary present." )

I don't see the game having long-term appeal like Skylanders has.  The son still plays it and is all jazzed about the new expansion this year.

[murdoc]

I was really interested in Disney Infinity as a gateway drug for the boys getting into gaming - but I KNOW they will never in a million years agree on what world to play in. The fact that you can't take any character in to any world is a deal breaker for me right now. I can already hear the wailing when one wants Mater and the other wants WALL-E.

Plus, they're probably still too young for it.

[MisterNoisy]

I was really interested in Disney Infinity as a gateway drug for the boys getting into gaming - but I KNOW they will never in a million years agree on what world to play in. The fact that you can't take any character in to any world is a deal breaker for me right now. I can already hear the wailing when one wants Mater and the other wants WALL-E.

Plus, they're probably still too young for it.

I'm pretty sure you can get Skylanders/Giants stuff pretty cheap right now.  Very kid-friendly button-mashy gameplay with lots of ding-gratz as your characters level.  I've seen it marked down as low as $30 for a starter set (game, portal and some figures) at my local big box stores, and a lot of places are discounting the older figures in preparation for the new game's release.

[Yegolev]

Plus, they're probably still too young for it.

How old?  I'm sure there are better alternatives than littering your house with more things to step on.

[Rasix]

Tablets.  Quite a number of games for them to play and they don't have to learn how to use an awkward controller, just their awkward fingers.   Plus, great for trips.

I guess you'd have to buy two, or prepare for the inevitable fights.