So, what're you playing?

[Sheepherder]

Does the MGE do the models or just everything else?

It generates the models it uses for the distant LOD, if that's what you were asking.  It might take some work getting a result you're happy with though, because it generates the LOD based on the size of individual meshes and/or a list you supply to the utility.  If you get too ambitious with the settings you can see every goddamn peg stuck in the ground from the other side of Vvardenfell.

[Ingmar]

I should have been more clear - I mean are the NPC/monster models overhauled or will it be like Minecraft creepers wandering through super awesome terrain?

[Jeff Kelly]

I just wasted most of my holiday playing the different incarnations of Fallout.

It started out as me standing in the store and thinking to myself "Fallout New Vegas? Sounds interesting". Merely three weeks later I've played through New Vegas and Fallout 1,2 and 3, respectively.

gog.com has a great deal on the classic Fallouts. $5 each, which is half the price of the steam version, it's the US versions (so no censorship) and DRM free. If you get over the control scheme (which is really annoying in retrospect) they still hold up really well.

Maybe not graphic-wise but I cannot name many CRPGs except Fallout 1 and 2, that manage to tell an adult story without exclusively resulting to blood and gore, that actually leave room for playing an evil character (or even better a diplomatic one that has to resolve conflicts without using violence) and manage to capture the flair of their setting in a way that it just feels right.

There are even fan-made patches for both Fallouts that fix most (if not all) of the remaining bugs and even add higher resolution graphics.

If I'd have to rank them I'd actually place New Vegas between 1 and 2 with 3 being last. 1 for me has the most compelling story and really tight writing with some side quests but everything at least was coupled to the main story (even if it's just 'I'll help you if you agree to do X'). In 2 they played it faster and looser and deviated quite a bit from the original premise placing more weight on the pop culture aspect (which is most prominent in New Reno and with in your face pop culture references like the whole 'Hubologist' thing in San Francisco). You can actually skip quite a lot of quests that have nothing to do with the story whatsoever or which are just call backs to movie themes (gold rush and frontier western themed Redding and Broken Hills, mob themed New Reno, martial arts themed San Franscico or the celebrity backed religion fads).

New Vegas has even more side quests but isn't that heavy on the pop culture stuff (the 'song titles as quest names' thing doesn't count) and in my opinion it captures the flair of the original Fallout exceptionally well (even better than Fallout 2 did in my opinion) even though the main story could have been better. While the quest writing isn't consistently brilliant they managed to create a few gems with individual quests.

Fallout 3 on the other hand - and I mentioned it previously in other threads - kind of misses the target on all counts. In my opinion it fails to capture the essence of Fallout (that particular mix of silly pulp science fiction and wide eyed fifties naive optimism and belief in science and technology, paired with the paranoia of cold war America) and combines it with a not very well written story line. I especially disliked the whole 'concrete jungle' aspect of downtown Washington with the constant subway tunnel crawls and surprisingly insurmountable heaps of magic rubble.

If you aren't turned off by the retro aspect I'd recommend the original Fallouts which managed to keep me occupied enough to not start God of War 3 and Red Dead Redemption.

[Ruvaldt]

If you don't mind going retro you might also try Wasteland.  When Fallout was released many considered it the spiritual successor to Wasteland.  There are a considerable number of references to it even in Fallout 3 and New Vegas.  Fabulous game.  It was the first CRPG I played to completion; my favorite for many years.  Shame its intended sequel was never finished.

[Jeff Kelly]

So I've heard. Is there a legal way to get my hands on a copy of Wasteland?

[Ruvaldt]

The last bundle of software that I bought which contained Wasteland was The Ultimate RPG Archives.  It is long out of print though, I imagine.  You might be able to find it on ebay. 

It appears that Interplay's 10 Year Anthology Classic Collection also had it, and can be bought used from Amazon Marketplace for $7.

Not sure if there are other means to buy it right now.

[Sheepherder]

I should have been more clear - I mean are the NPC/monster models overhauled or will it be like Minecraft creepers wandering through super awesome terrain?

Better Bodies / Better Clothes
Better Heads

The first comes with a nice .exe installer last time I tried it.

MGE isn't a texture replacer.  It's actually a config utility that works through dxd9.dll to stick new HLSL shaders into the render pipeline, like one that draws distant LOD, HDR, Bloom, new water shaders, and what have you.

And no, I don't know why the people who make these mods don't create one massive overhaul package.

[Lucas]

In an abandonware fit, I'm now playing Dragon Wars...Yes, the 1989 Interplay's Dragon Wars. Back when it was released I barely touched it, was quite burnt out by the fantastic Bard's Tale saga and I moved on to other RPGs. Boy, it's so deliciously hard 

[ghost]

So just barely into the Witcher.  I absolutely love the way that he shoves people as he runs by them.  More games should have that. 

And I'm also thinking very seriously about abandoning all MMOs for a good long while.  We'll see how that goes. 

[Tebonas]

Oh yes, Dragon Wars. The game were I never found a weapon better than barehanded fighting! 

I always wanted to play that with characters from both Ultima and Bards Tale imported, just for giggles.

[Yegolev]

Just Cause 2, PS3.  After losing two months of nightly play due to PS3 crapitude, I'm finally back in it and copying my save files to an external drive.  Dropping from 50% completion to 20% is a serious blow.

Dwarf Fortress.  It's about as assy as last time I played (with a few changes throwing my planning off, like channeling leaving ramps behind now), and I don't know how to do some things despite wiki reading, but I'm not terribly concerned about what happens to those seven jackoffs.  Dwarf Therapist is pretty much the only reason I have made it to summer this time.  I'd like to see something similar for managing everything else, especially building things.

[Nebu]

Started playing Football Manager 2011 after being a fan of Championship Manager for years.  I think I've found my game for the next few months.  My god this game is deep.  The fact that they added a TV view has me swooning.   

[Minvaren]

Tried out STO after a recent sale - the intro mission was pretty fun, but I'm not really feeling at after that.  Think it was the guild recruitment spam outside Starbase that got me.  Will jot some notes in the STO thread on it soon.

Am ranked in RB3 on all 3 Siouxsie and the Banshees songs (Cities in Dust released last week).  Am not sure if this makes me old, emo, or both - leaning towards both with the 4-0 coming this weekend.

WoW is dragging on me at this point.  1-60 and 80-85 all feel like they're a bit soulless and on rails now.  Grinding some rep and soloing old content on my main to mix it up a bit for a change.

[HaemishM]

Started playing Football Manager 2011 after being a fan of Championship Manager for years.  I think I've found my game for the next few months.  My god this game is deep.  The fact that they added a TV view has me swooning.   

I haven't tried 2011, but Championship Manager 2010 was shallow relative to Football Manager. They used to be the same dev team but they split off years ago and FM got the better end of the stick.

[Lantyssa]

Am ranked in RB3 on all 3 Siouxsie and the Banshees songs (Cities in Dust released last week).  Am not sure if this makes me old, emo, or both - leaning towards both with the 4-0 coming this weekend.

It makes you awesome*.


* Some bias due to them being one of my favorite bands is possible.

[Nebu]

I haven't tried 2011, but Championship Manager 2010 was shallow relative to Football Manager. They used to be the same dev team but they split off years ago and FM got the better end of the stick.

When I said Championship Manager, I meant the old Sports Interactive stuff (2004 and earlier).  The post 2005 Eidos Champ Manager games are crap.   

[ezrast]

Am ranked in RB3 on all 3 Siouxsie and the Banshees songs (Cities in Dust released last week).  Am not sure if this makes me old, emo, or both - leaning towards both with the 4-0 coming this weekend.

It makes you awesome*.

My thoughts word-for-word.

[ghost]

I'm completely underwhelmed by the Witcher at this point.  I hope it improves because I'm determined to finish it so I can head on to Dragon Age.  I have so many fucking Steam games to play that I may never get through them all.

[Rasix]

It's not for everyone, especially if you're a stickler for interesting combat. 

Still doing Alpha Protocol and WoW, while debating if I can actually play a non thief character in Morrowind.  For some reason, I always gravitate to an assassin like character, even though they are somewhat non-optimal.  I suppose it might be fun to play some sort of tank.

Alpha Protocol has an interesting quirk for me.  I can't play Michael with anything other than the ridiculous (in cutscenes) looking full beard.  If I go to anything less, his lack of chin just kills it for me. 

[Minvaren]

Am ranked in RB3 on all 3 Siouxsie and the Banshees songs (Cities in Dust released last week).  Am not sure if this makes me old, emo, or both - leaning towards both with the 4-0 coming this weekend.

It makes you awesome*.

My thoughts word-for-word.

Thanks to you both.  Bit overcontemplative this week.    

[ghost]

Alpha Protocol has an interesting quirk for me.  I can't play Michael with anything other than the ridiculous (in cutscenes) looking full beard.  If I go to anything less, his lack of chin just kills it for me. 

I just bought this.  Do you rate it as interesting, or shelf it for a bit?

[Sheepherder]

Still doing Alpha Protocol and WoW, while debating if I can actually play a non thief character in Morrowind.  For some reason, I always gravitate to an assassin like character, even though they are somewhat non-optimal.  I suppose it might be fun to play some sort of tank.

Stealth characters in Morrowind are pretty godawful.  On the other hand, the Morag Tong is just about the coolest guild in the game.

Foresters Guild.  Heh.

[Rasix]

Alpha Protocol has an interesting quirk for me.  I can't play Michael with anything other than the ridiculous (in cutscenes) looking full beard.  If I go to anything less, his lack of chin just kills it for me.  

I just bought this.  Do you rate it as interesting, or shelf it for a bit?

It's exactly what you'd expect from Obsidian given they weren't shitting out a sequel to another company's game.  

It's interesting.  Like other's have said, it's more Jack Bauer than James Bond.  The stealth mechanics seem to be pretty terrible and the levels don't necessarily lend themselves well to them. The gadgets are somewhat pointless most of the times and the combat is pretty terribly balanced (HINT: use assault rifles).  The plot is pretty good and the decisions you make  through your conversations seem to have actual impact on the way the story flows and progresses.  I'm sure that's just perception on my part, as I'm guessing there's just a lot of branching that can easily replace x with y if you did a certain action.

It's like the strange, retarded baby of Splinter Cell and <insert any modern Bioware game>.  It's worth firing up at least and playing the first mission or two past the introduction.  The amateur hour execution of it all may drive you away, especially the GUI.  If you bought it for the PC, the BiiF forum has some settings you should really set through the game's various ini files.

Still doing Alpha Protocol and WoW, while debating if I can actually play a non thief character in Morrowind.  For some reason, I always gravitate to an assassin like character, even though they are somewhat non-optimal.  I suppose it might be fun to play some sort of tank.

Stealth characters in Morrowind are pretty godawful.  On the other hand, the Morag Tong is just about the coolest guild in the game.

Foresters Guild.  Heh.

Do the Morag Tong quests in Morrowind require stealth?  I know in each, your invitation is given if you merely murdered someone.  In Oblivion I joined the Morag Tong with my hulking she-beast.  It did make some of the quests a bit difficult to pull off gracefully, but a dead target can be achieved through an axe in the face rather easily.

[Sheepherder]

Oblivion is Dark Brotherhood.  Morrowind is Morag Tong.  The two are not on friendly terms.

Yeah, you can pretty much just walk up to a guy with an axe and split their face open.  Strangely, there's a book lying around somewhere in-game called The Axe Man that's the origin story of a Morag Tong assassin.

The guild isn't awesome for stealth reasons.  It's awesome because the lore is fucking insane.  You're a legal executioner for hire, carrying out official, government sanctioned Writs of Execution on the behalf of individuals and Great Houses in order to keep such disputes from spilling into the streets, which you may present to any guard to clear your name.  Sure, you gain twice the faction disposition increase if you do the deed without incurring a bounty, but then you miss out on the chance to tell guards to move along, just a murder, nothing to see here.

[Minvaren]

Really need to get a Guitar Hero guitar if I'm going to play Expert regularly.  The strum bar on the RB guitar is laughable.

[Yegolev]

I had similar thoughts regarding GT5 and a racing wheel.  Fortunately, the fever seems to have passed.

[Minvaren]

Fortunately, neither game is playable with (more) cowbell.   

[schild]

Really need to get a Guitar Hero guitar if I'm going to play Expert regularly.  The strum bar on the RB guitar is laughable.

What's it like to post from 2007?

[Jeff Kelly]

Since the game recommendation thing stopped in 2009 I'll ask here.

I need a little pick-me-up type of game. Something fun and funny without too much dark or gory elements for PS3 or XBOX 360. I've played through Uncharted 2, MGS 4, Fallout 1, 2, 3 and New Vegas and God of War over my three week holiday (yeah, a real gaming bender) and that's enough of that kind of heavy and gory gameplay.

I'm not that focused on a certain game type or genre I'm looking more for something that's a blast for lack of a better term.

I actually considered buying a Wii for Super Mario Galaxy or Kirby's epic yarn (when it get's released) but that would be overkill.

Maybe I just play Portal which I never got around to doing yet (I know).

[Lucas]

Since the game recommendation thing stopped in 2009 I'll ask here.

I need a little pick-me-up type of game. Something fun and funny without too much dark or gory elements for PS3 or XBOX 360. I've played through Uncharted 2, MGS 4, Fallout 1, 2, 3 and New Vegas and God of War over my three week holiday (yeah, a real gaming bender) and that's enough of that kind of heavy and gory gameplay.

I'm not that focused on a certain game type or genre I'm looking more for something that's a blast for lack of a better term.

I actually considered buying a Wii for Super Mario Galaxy or Kirby's epic yarn (when it get's released) but that would be overkill.

Maybe I just play Portal which I never got around to doing yet (I know).

Hmm, what about Deathspank?

http://www.deathspank.com/home-original

[Hawkbit]

LittleBigPlanet 2 comes out, what, next week?

[Rasix]

Since the game recommendation thing stopped in 2009 I'll ask here.

I need a little pick-me-up type of game. Something fun and funny without too much dark or gory elements for PS3 or XBOX 360. I've played through Uncharted 2, MGS 4, Fallout 1, 2, 3 and New Vegas and God of War over my three week holiday (yeah, a real gaming bender) and that's enough of that kind of heavy and gory gameplay.

I'm not that focused on a certain game type or genre I'm looking more for something that's a blast for lack of a better term.

I actually considered buying a Wii for Super Mario Galaxy or Kirby's epic yarn (when it get's released) but that would be overkill.

Maybe I just play Portal which I never got around to doing yet (I know).

Portal would be god fun.   As would DeathSpank as mentioned.

Some other recommendations:  3D Dot Heroes (PS3) or any Katamari game (there's been some for both platforms).  I'm not sure if the new Monkey Island episodic game is on either system, but that would be good for a laugh as well.

Ugg, LBP.  Platforming from hell. Charming, but I just couldn't stand how it handled.  I've probably said that enough by now. 

[Minvaren]

Really need to get a Guitar Hero guitar if I'm going to play Expert regularly.  The strum bar on the RB guitar is laughable.

What's it like to post from 2007?

...are you trying to jam your thumb in my butthole?  o_O

[jakonovski]

Divinity 2 Ego Draconis gold edition or what have you. It turned out to be pretty frickin' awesome. It scratches the MMO/Diablo itch and also gives you a silly fantasy plot. But most important it plays really well. It gives me joy.

[Murgos]

Lamenting the 12000 souls I lost when I died due to stupid at the 3-1 Boss and then got careless working my way back and one of those Mind Flayers ate my brain :-(

Oh, and then I gave my Hard Demon Soul to Freke and got a shitty fireball spell when I could have had a really Kick Ass bow.