So, what're you playing?

[Margalis]

Bioware can't make faces.

[stray]

They can make decent faces, I suppose.. I'll give them some credit. In Dragon Age, they did. They just can't make decent tools for their players. They have something different on hand for their NPC's. Duncan, Morrigan, Alistair, King Cailan.. they all look like decent and have some personality. However, you can't get close to some of the "templates" they based them on it seems. The Cailan and Alistair model are very similar, for example, but it can't really be done within the game itself. I pay attention to this shit too much, but you can tell especially not just because of their general look, but also that they have barely visible goatees, as well as slight crow's feet around the eyes. It makes them look more real, and those features aren't in the creator. If you want wrinkles, you end up looking really "worried", and like you have a bad case of leprosy. And if you want a youthful look, you look like a mannequin.

[edit] Mass Effect is similar.. The default Shepherd model can't be approximated with the tools. He's not great looking, but it's better than what they "allow" you to create. They don't even let you adjust head width. I find it odd that these games are supposed to be about personalization, but for some reason, they've allowed the same asshole over at Bioware to make tools that only enable players to looking fucking stupid.

[Velorath]

Finally ponied up for a 360 and bought Mass Effect. It was bundled with Pure and Lego Batman but I'm not sure I'll play them (not anytime soon at least).

Thus, I begin the ritual of sitting for hours trying to make a decent looking face for an RPG.. Everyone looks like ass. The default Shepherd is OK, so I might just do that and be done with it. I really hate just about every "western" designer's take on faces, I think. They are not more "real" looking. They look like fucking ass. I'd take a stylized faggot emo ladyboy with turquoise hair any day (and proudly). The games are good though....

Anyways.

I was able to make a few good faces pretty easily in Mass Effect.  They only trouble I had was when I made a female character the face I'd given her just didn't seem to go along with the voice.  On subsequent playthroughs, I've had to keep their voices in mind when creating my characters.

[stray]

All of my characters keep coming out looking like Juan Fernandez (and believe me, it took awhile to find his name.. I didn't know off the bat)..






Best known for his scintillating role as the coke dealer's right hand man in Crocodile Dundee II. Not exactly the guy I want as the hero captain of a starship.

[Velorath]

I don't know, seems like he'd make a good captain if you're planning on playing through as a complete bastard (which is pretty fun to do in Mass Effect).  If he had blond hair, he almost looks like he could pay Zevran in a Dragon Age movie.

[stray]

I guess. Still though, there are problems with the custom models besides looking like some B grade actor from a Dundee sequel. Look at the default Shepherd skin tone, textures, facial hair pattern, thinner jawline.. even the hairline scar.. these are all impossible to approximate in the custom mode. He's got more realistic looking features, while the custom models look a little "wax-like". It's like the subtleties of Alistair/Cailan models. I don't know why they do this, but it's bullshit. Don't put in a custom modeler if you're going to be halfassed about it.

[rk47]

Is what my jerk Shepard looks like. 

[jakonovski]

You can make a fairly convincing Terry O'Quinn with Mass Effect's editor.

[Yegolev]

I'd take a stylized faggot emo ladyboy with turquoise hair any day (and proudly).

Anyways.

Indeed.

[stray]

I might say "anyways", but it's not a non-issue. I just don't see the point of "realism" when you can't even do it right. What does that accomplish? It's not "real" and it's not "art". It's just stupid looking.

And if you're in the business of RPG's, storytelling, etc.. and your faces look worse than the ones I see in Madden and Tiger Woods, then there's a problem.

[WayAbvPar]

I can't quit playing FIFA 10, mostly Pro Ranked Matches. Quality of teammates and/or opponents vary wildly, but losing big doesn't piss me off 1/10 as much as it does in NHL 10. Probably because losing doesn't fuck your character over like it does in NHL 10 (before you have a legend card).

[Ingmar]

I made a guy who looks so much like a dude I know that I do a double take every time I see him on the load screen. I don't get what your problem is.

Also Lego Batman is actually pretty awesome. Not challenging in the least unless you have the platforming skills of a thumbless senior citizen (aka you're me) but pretty entertaining anyway. I know nothing about Pure though.

[Yegolev]

Lego Batman is indeed great.  I'm considering the Lego Indiana Jones 2: Moneygrab, but I'd like to think they "fixed" that part where you have to jump between rotating cylinders in the initial game.

[Yegolev]

Played Dreamkiller from Steam.  Meh.  FPS in a dreamworld with magic powers and one-liners which probably were supposed to be witty.

[stray]

I made a guy who looks so much like a dude I know that I do a double take every time I see him on the load screen. I don't get what your problem is.

I made one dude who looks decent (depending on the lighting, I guess), but it took forever.. So it's not impossible. It's generally bad though. And God forbid even trying to make a black dude in DA. Those templates are atrocious. They all look like Skeksis. You're better off creating a white dude and giving him black skin  

I guess I'll keep Lego Batman around for a rainy day.

[stray]

Taking a break from Mass Effect, and replaying Jade Empire. Really underrated game. Bioware seems spread very thin for a remake, but I hope they surprise us.

[MisterNoisy]

Lots of painting cars in FM3:

[Azazel]

You're a fucking monster. Makes me want to buy Forza 3 despite knowing I'd hate it just to get copies of your car skins.

I've been playing Wolverine on PS3. The fighting is button-mashing-tastic fun, the platfrming not so much. I should have waited and gotten this on 360 for less money, with achievements instead of trophies. I might have 100%ed this one with the achievements, but trophies are just meaningless. Well, even more meaningless than achievements.   

[Riggswolfe]

Taking a break from Mass Effect, and replaying Jade Empire. Really underrated game. Bioware seems spread very thin for a remake, but I hope they surprise us.

Is there a rumor they might remake Jade Empire?

[Velorath]

Just ordered Fight Night 4 for $15 on bestbuy.com.  Apparently it's their video game deal of the day (only available online).  Both 360, and PS3 versions are on sale.

[schild]

I've been playing Wolverine on PS3. The fighting is button-mashing-tastic fun, the platfrming not so much. I should have waited and gotten this on 360 for less money, with achievements instead of trophies. I might have 100%ed this one with the achievements, but trophies are just meaningless. Well, even more meaningless than achievements.   

It blows my fucking mind that you can make posts like this:


And then be in here playing fucking Wolverine. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

[Rasix]

Remember dude, rhythm gamer. Madden/Halotards can actually look down at a subset of the gaming community now.

edit.  Ohh god, the spoiler.   

[fuser]

  PixelJunk Shooter  

Fallout3:GOTY PS3 when I'm sick of getting clears on stages.

[voodoolily]

  LoZ Spirit Tracks!  (DS) 

[Azazel]

It blows my fucking mind that you can make posts like this:


And then be in here playing fucking Wolverine. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

Blame rk47 for the BiiF, and bhodi for the seconding that it's fun. Also, the bargain bin. But hey, it is mindless fun, as both of those guys have stated. When I buy something for cheap, my expectations are a little lower than if I buy something for full price. Even though I haven't played it for 2 months, I almost finished it yesterday after playing it a bit both Sat and Sun, and if I can be bothered gaming when I get home from work today I'll try to get it done.

[jakonovski]

I must have terminally bad taste, since I've already played through the Avatar PC demo twice and I've now just ordered the game. It's just so unbelievably fucking gorgeous, and the gameplay is a fun blend of shooter and mmo mechanics. Plus the Na'vi are hella cool.

[bhodi]

X3: terran conflict. I've been waiting until it got patched up since the games are notoriously buggy on launch. Plus removal of the horrible copy protection. Plus the price - $20 on steam.

I had been itching for a space sim and so this weekend I dumped I don't even know how many hours into this game. At least 30. It's awesome. Brings me back to my freelancer days.

[Yegolev]

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, Challenge Mode after beating Red-Suit Vorselon.  Still have a level 4 RYNO somehow, maybe because it's not really that great universally, just in specific situations.  Like when my target or targeted area is large enough that at least 80% of the rounds hit.  Works great on those things, not so much on small bosses.

LotRO.

[Ard]

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, Challenge Mode after beating Red-Suit Vorselon.  Still have a level 4 RYNO somehow, maybe because it's not really that great universally, just in specific situations.  Like when my target or targeted area is large enough that at least 80% of the rounds hit.  Works great on those things, not so much on small bosses.

The RYNO is actually how I ended up beating Vorselon, oddly enough.  If you're standing right next to him when you fire it, pretty much every single round hits him.  He goes down faster than.... well... insert your favorite hooker or mom metaphor.  I should note that this wasn't in challenge mode though.

Beat Resistance 2, still like coop more than the single player.
Beat Uncharted 2.  I don't think I really have to comment on this.
Started back up on Valkyria Chronicles.  The fight with the giant tank and the valkyria chick is such a bag of random bullshit.  Probably end up beating that stage tonight, but bleh.
Still working on Majesty 2, think I only have one advanced mission left to go before the experts.  Still trying to not buy Majesty Gold.

[Ingmar]

Finished episode 5 of the new Monkey Island stuff last night. (They're all out now, for those of you who were waiting for them all to come out before you bought them.)

[Yegolev]

Green-suit Vorselon is a pussy.  I beat him with tesla spikes. Getting close to Red-suit Vorselon means you get the shit smacked out of you while he goes all 2D-sidescroller on your ass by filling the screen with ordnance.  It's a exercise in strafe-flipping while firing.  Autonomous weaponry helps: Zurkon, tesla spikes, Fred.

[Ard]

You're talking the version you unlock at the end of the game for having all the Zonis, right?  If so, yeah, dropped the last half of his life with the Ryno every time he popped out of stealth.  I was just more shocked at how well it worked.  The first attempt or two I tried to use it and it didn't seem to dent him at all from distance, then I just ran up next to him and circle strafed around him and he just dropped.  Again, not on challenge mode though.  I don't play this series for added difficulty.  I just like blowing stuff up.

[Yegolev]

Ah, OK, see after that first part I just stayed the hell away from him.

[Azazel]

So instead of grinding away at the final part of the final battle in Wolverine (when fun turns to shitty frustration) I loaded up Conan (360) and found my old savegame was still there. I originally bought it.. I dunno.. a year ago? Fro
 EB but decided within the week that it wasn't worth au$70 or 50
or whatever and took it back after getting to the point where conan the mighty barbarian could only defeat his foes by permablocking and occasionally countering. Picked it up out of play-Asias bargain bin 6 or so months ago so I figure I may as well finsh the damn thing along with wolverine in the next week when I finish work so then I can go onto god of war collection or batman or something.

[Sky]

Wasn't really feeling like Dragon Age last night, booted up FFH2 for a bit. Man, I love that mod. Just went for a random game and it set me up as Clan of Embers. Been a while, so I forgot some of the nuances. Had Sheaim on one side, so I'm building up warriors like crazy...then Orthus spawns on the other side of my civ, so I load up that side with warriors, forgetting he's allied with me at the start. So I'm building roads over to Sheaim, hoping Orthus piles on him, I'll grab the axe from a weakened unit after following his path of devastation snatching cities.

But my favorite touch was one of my goblin hordes barely defeating some wolves...and the survivors promoted to wolf riders.