So, what're you playing?

[Yegolev]

Is Minecraft worth the, what, 20 bucks? I futzed around with the browser version of it and wasn't terribly enthused.

$10 for Terraria is also nice.

Another irritating* thing about Minecraft is how the game changes over time as Notch + Pals think up new shit.

*ymmv

[Sjofn]

Been playing WoW for some reason, plus Blood Bowl. When I get back from Jersey I will begin playing LotRO again with Ingmar. I have like 8000 Turbine points, I should probably spend some.  

[Khaldun]

Finally got into Assassin's Creed 2. Don't know why I sidelined it way back when but it's just been sitting there. I like it a lot, wish I'd gone hard at it earlier. Actually, the one thing I don't really like are the chasing sequences. Might be why I gave it up on first try, the chase with your brother is really annoying for something in the first few minutes of the game.

[Minvaren]

Knocked out a little bit of GH:WOR over the last few days.  I have to say they've done better than previous releases, minus the graphics (where I clearly prefer Rock Band).  The gimmicks keep you guessing and coming back.

"Steam
 has finished downloading
 The Witcher 2"

Fuck.  Yes.

[Ard]

So two nights in a row, with two different new games, I've had "oh shit, it's 2am" moments.  Both Terraria and the Witcher 2 are pretty outstanding, at least in my book.

[Tebonas]

Since I'm obviously a dumbass and misplaced my Witcher savegame I can't play Witcher 2 before replaying that again. So I took the cowards way out and play the new Fallout Vegas DLC instead.

[Sky]

"oh shit, it's 2am" moments.... Terraria

Yeah. Good game for that "just one more turn" Sid maxim. "Let me just dig out this one last chamber." Holy shit gottagotobed. "Oh look, some iron. I really need some iron!"

[Mrbloodworth]

"oh shit, it's 2am" moments.... Terraria

Yeah. Good game for that "just one more turn" Sid maxim. "Let me just dig out this one last chamber." Holy shit gottagotobed. "Oh look, some iron. I really need some iron!"

Like Minecraft does. 

[Sky]

Minecraft is so 2010.

 

[ghost]

Been playing WoW for some reason, plus Blood Bowl. When I get back from Jersey I will begin playing LotRO again with Ingmar. I have like 8000 Turbine points, I should probably spend some.  

I logged on the other day to do just that, and couldn't really find much that I wanted. Maybe I should just suck it up and trick my guy out as much as I can. 

[Malakili]

Terraria, but its been unstable for us in multiplayer (server crashing).  Its fun and my friend likes it more than Minecraft because there is more game to it (I like it a bit less, for more or less the same reason).  Its very good either way, but I suspect it won't have the longevity for me that minecraft does.

Also, lots o' Brink. I've specced my guy out with some operative abilities and switched to the light body type, going to see how much I can get out of the Parkour (I've been playing pretty straight up medic most of the time, with some switches out for objective completion as needed).

[Yegolev]

Terraria, Pokemon.  Future of gaming, right here.

[jakonovski]

It's been Brink, Capsized and Hydrophobia lately.

[jakonovski]

Terraria, Pokemon.  Future of gaming, right here.

The future is the past?

[Yegolev]

Terraria, Pokemon.  Future of gaming, right here.

The future is the past?

YES.

[jakonovski]

Terraria, Pokemon.  Future of gaming, right here.

The future is the past?

YES.

You might have a point.

[Morat20]

It'll suck. Why? Because I want it to be good so badly.

[cironian]

So, to get a good X-Com remake all we have to do is ruin Morats taste in games? Because that's an acceptable price to me.

[Morat20]

So, to get a good X-Com remake all we have to do is ruin Morats taste in games? Because that's an acceptable price to me.

You know what? I can STILL fly a blasterbomb across the map, through the hole I made in an alien battleship by shooting it's ass down, through the ship corridors, up the lift, and into the control room while the whole inside is still covered in fog of war.

I was going to work that into a threat, but I sorta forgot where I was going.

[Yegolev]

Of course I have a point.  Multimillion-dollar budget games are moving to consoles where they payoff is better, DRM is stronger, etc.  Meanwhile the next big things are coming, as usual, from small teams on PC.  Mount & Blade, Minecraft, Terraria.  And now, possibly a good X-COM remake... although I'm not banking on it.

[Quinton]

Tactics Ogre PSP - getting my SRPG fix.  The undead are obnoxious in this game.

[Zetor]

PSP version of the SNES game, eh? This is relevant to my interests... do you still need to do silly stuff like having your healers throw rocks at your own group just so they get enough xp to be within ~1 level of the group average? (someone outleveling the group by 2-3 was a death sentence in the original game, since all enemies scaled to the level of your highest character)

[Quinton]

There are a number of tweaks to the original to make it a bit less painful, including:
- XP is split between all the classes present on a map, so leveling healers, etc is not horrible pain
- SP are likewise split
- all characters of the same class share a level -- once a single warrior reaches level N, all your warriors (even as-yet-unhired-ones) are level N

[Zetor]

Eeenteresting, thanks.


... I may need to get a PSP now 

[Quinton]

This SA thread has a bunch of information on the PSP version, including this *partial* list of changes from the original:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3385365&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

• Battles are now in a true 3D field, but you can't rotate the camera. You can only change views between isometric and top down.
  
• More classes to choose from and whole class system is revamped/rebalanced.
  
• CHARIOT (Combat History And Refined Implementation Of Tactics) and WORLD (Ways Of Reordering Life's Destiny) system is now available.
  
• The CHARIOT system allows you to rewind up to 50 turns in battle without having to restart the entire battle over. The game keeps track of how many battles you win without
• using CHARIOT, but I'm not sure if there is a penalty for abusing CHARIOT too much.
  
• The WORLD system: After beating the game, you can go backwards to certain Anchor Points in the storyline. This allows you to witness different story paths without having to replay the entire game.
  
• Training Mode is gone.
  
• Characters no longer have specific elements.
  
• Leveling is per class, not per character. Even at the same level, old characters that you've been leveling will be stronger than a newly joined character.
  
• There are no more alignment and gender restrictions on class changing.
  
• Demi-human and some monsters now have the option to class change too.
  
• Class changes now require license cards, which are used up during the process, but there are no other requirements for a class change.
  
• Each class no longer has a best weapon.
  
• The Magic system has been revamped. Some new spells were added.
  
• Movement has been reduced. Normally you can move 4 steps, slow units can only move 3 steps.
  
• New characters were added, but some characters will no longer join.
  
• There are some named generics that will be mentioned in the Warren Report. They don't have a special portait, but they do have better stats than a normal generic.
  
• A certain character now joins in the Lawful route as well. They won't leave even if you choose the Neutral route, but their loyalty will be lowered.
  
• What you can recruit from the shop is now limited to Human only. Demi-humans and monsters are only can be recruited on the battle field. You need specific recruit skills for specific demi-humans and monsters.
  
• You can inherit dead character's spell and skills, but you need to have Silver Coins.
  
• A skill system has been added.
  
• Each weapon now has new unique Finishing Blows.
  
• You can now equip up to 5 pieces of equipment (4 if you're using a two-handed weapon)
  
• A crafting system has been added and can be accessed in the shop. You can customize equipment or create new items from Chapter 2 onwards if you have the necessary Recipies.
  
• Equipment now have class and level restrictions.
  
• The gun has been weakened a lot and like the crossbow, they can't shoot beyond a certain range.
  
• Some accessories like the Warp Ring only last for a short time when used in battle. They won't break by using it, but the number of uses are limited per battle.
  
• Characters can now memorize a limitless number of spells. Just use a scroll, which will lost when used, to learn more.
  
• You now need to equip spell specific skills in order to be able to cast them.
  
• There are now 8 elements (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Ice, Thunder, Light, Dark) instead of 6.
  
• Magic range and area are now affected by INT and MND (MEN in the old versions). Weather doesn't affect the range.
  
• Projection magic can't hit targets standing directly next to caster unless you aim somewhere behind the target then you may hit a target that's right next to the caster.
  
• Undead now need to be knocked out before Exorcism takes effect.
  
• Some spells no longer affect the whole map.
  
• Certain spells now require Catalysts to cast.
  
• Healing now damages the Undead.
  
• Except for basic items, you need to learn a skill to use higher grade items.
  
• A Tarot Card you picked up can be used later through the Items interface.
  
• Items no longer needed to be equipped. Just choose command to bring up list.
  
• Some items are no longer automatically used in battle (Warp/Teleport Stone etc.)
  
• Orbs no longer affect whole map.
  
• Even if you can't cast spells, you can just use a similar scroll for same effect. Ex: A Berserker can cast Exorcism, but you need to stock up scrolls to do it. Using scrolls does not need MP or Catalysts. This might be a cheap and quick way to cast magic depending on the situation.
  
• When characters are knocked out in battle, they must be revived within 3 turns. If you fail to revive a character, they will be removed from the battle and lose one life.
  
• Each character now have 3 lives. Lose all 3 and they will be dead forever.
  
• You can bring up to 12 units to battle instead of the original 10. L-size units now count as 1 unit.
  
• You can now save during battle.
  
• If it is not story battle, you can retreat at any time. You don't lose recruited characters and treasure by retreating.
  
• You need to learn different recruit skills to recruit specific units.
  
• Petrify is now timed. It doesn't last for the entire whole battle now.
  
• Treasure drops are now randomized.
  
• Tree, Rock and Barrels etc.. on the map can be destroyed.
  
• Items that you can pick up in battle are limited to consumables only, but these can be picked up every battle. The odds can be improved with some skills. Luck has nothing to do with it now.
  
• Elemental Affinities are no longer attached to a character. They can be learned and assigned through skills.
  
• Character alignments no longer influence the availability of job classes.
  
• The number of characters you can bring into battle is now 12 instead of 10.
  
• Classes are no longer gender locked. For example, male Valkyries are named Rune Fencers.
  
• Class levels are no longer tied to each individual character. As a result, you can assign a fresh recruit to a leveled class without having to level that specific character. Individual characters gain skillpoints instead, which are used to learn class skills.
  
• All the classes have been rebalanced. Some classes that weren't very useful in the original game have been improved. Some classes were renamed or removed for a more balanced class.
  
• Non-human races now have their own unique class trees. Stat growths are still dependent on that character's class at level up, which occur after a battle is over.
  
• All story battles are at fixed levels until you beat the game. If your party is unreasonably higher in level than a particular story battle's level cap, the enemy participants of that battle will scale to your highest level member. After you beat the game, all story battles will scale in New Game+.
  
• Random encounters have been added to the World Map. All random battles scale with to your party's level, but they can be skipped.

[Strazos]

Interesting...

[Sheepherder]

It's too bad I don't have a PSP.

[Sand]

Terraria (I was up till 3am this morning mining)
and just started Torchlight after reading about it in the Diablo thread.

[Malakili]

Terraria (I was up till 3am this morning mining)
and just started Torchlight after reading about it in the Diablo thread.

Yeah, I was up until 1am with Terraria (which is late for me), that game eats hours for lunch.

[Yegolev]

L. A. Noire accused me of being very bad at reading people's faces.  I got angry and told it to get lost, but then it pulled out lots of evidence.

Also some LotRO today, having the first Sunday in a long time with nothing responsible to do.

[jakonovski]

007 Blood Stone is actually a really enjoyable game. Wouldn't buy it, but it's a perfect game for a weekend.

[Sky]

Yeah, I was up until 1am with Terraria (which is late for me), that game eats hours for lunch.

And lunch hours.

Seriously, be careful if you go home and pick it up on lunch. I juuust made it back at the stroke of 2.

[Azazel]

007 Blood Stone is actually a really enjoyable game. Wouldn't buy it, but it's a perfect game for a weekend.

Is that the one that killed Bizarre Creations? Or the Wii one?

[Margalis]

I'm almost to the end of Tactics Ogre. I feel like a lot of the changes that were made are actually negative.

IMO the original game was GREAT except for the basically mandatory training and the fact that even minor level differences made you completely ineffective. The new version fixes that problem but has it's own problems, I kind of wish they had just fixed what was broken and left the rest alone.

[jakonovski]

007 Blood Stone is actually a really enjoyable game. Wouldn't buy it, but it's a perfect game for a weekend.

Is that the one that killed Bizarre Creations? Or the Wii one?

Yeah, this is the one.