Borderlands 2

[Rendakor]

Is that out yet?

Fake edit: Releases tomorrow!?  Guess I know what I'm playing this weekend.

[Ragnoros]

This pleases me.

[Teleku]

Holy fuck that looks hilarious!  Guess thats more money I need to blow...

[Bunk]

I'm really worried that I'm going to come in to work tomorrow wanting to scream things like "Kill all the Babies!"

[Rasix]

OK.  Time to try and give this game another chance I think.  I just haven't found a class I really like yet.  Gunzerker, Siren, Assassin.  Nothing really clicked with me.

[Yegolev]

Three more on the table, hoss.

[Miasma]

I found most of the class trees lousy and unexciting.  The commando seems strongest with a good mix of defensive and offensive perks.  You need to like assault rifles though since many of the best bonuses are specific to it.

I was only able to stand playing the game because I found a still working cheat for basically unlimited golden keys and got lucky with how it worked.  Even then the vast majority of gear is utter garbage.  Half the enemies I hated with a passion because they were so annoying.

I did like the tiny tina character though, was funny and dark at the same time, good writing.  Really good voice actor too.  The reveal in a later mission about what happened to her parents was disturbing.

[Bunk]

Played a couple hours last night once Steam unborked enough to download it. All the main characters are in it. Essentially you are listening to Tiny Tiny DM while Lilith, Mordecai, and Brock play the game. The player is essentially one of those guys' "characters".

Its quite funny so far, plenty of jokes clearly written for the pen and paper crowd, while others are targeted at computer rpg players. Love the chests that you roll a d20 to determine loot quality on, and give you the option of spending one eridium to roll twice.

I was suprised at some of the darker, serious tones to the story.
Spoiler regarding the main game if anyone hasn't actually finished it.

[Yegolev]

I've been sent screenshots of Dark Souls jokes.  "Amazing loot ahead!"

[Yegolev]

Played the Tina DLC yesterday for seven hours straight, coop TVH.  It's fantastic.  Easily worth the price of the entire Season Pass, all by itself.

[schild]

I thought it didn't come with the Season Pass.

[Trippy]

It does. It's the last content pack for Season Pass holders.

I'm playing again on a Mechromancer after giving up on my Siren. Mechromancer is definitely easy mode compared to Siren. I played the first 15 levels (16 now) with just my robot and one point in health regen. Hopefully I can get past Wilheim now without dying over and over.

[schild]

Huh, guess I'll be playing Borderlands 2 a bit later.

[Yegolev]

I don't know how far you got, but the Tina DLC is far funnier and more entertaining if you complete the main game.  Also it's spoiler-filled, if you are into that.

[schild]

The main story blew ass so I don't really care.

[Fabricated]

I avoided the DLC since honestly Borderlands 2 got kinda boring real fast, and the first two seemed to be there to provide the "unkillable superboss" stuff I didn't care for. This one buck that trend?

[Lantyssa]

What do you need to do to unlock Tina?  I didn't see a waypoint like the other DLC, and my Mechromancer is still pretty early in the story.

[Miasma]

Waypoint should be on the bottom left of the world map just beside the arid nexus island, it/they are purple instead of yellow.  I don't know if you have to get past a certain amount of story to unlock it.  I had a level 40 boss thrown at me as a level 35 in one area but the rest seem to scale to my level.

[Trippy]

I think you do. It should show up as a Fast Travel Waypoint but I don't see it yet in my replay through.

[Teleku]

The main story blew ass so I don't really care.

Err, really?  I absolutely loved the story, humor, and style of Borderlands 2 greatly.  First half of the game I was really starting to get tired of it because the game play wasn't so great, but getting more of the story and hearing the verbal exchanges is what drove me on to the end.  There are very few games out there (at least in the last decade) that have done that to me.  It also helped that the game started to finally throw decent/fun guns at me half way through, making it more enjoyable. 

But still (and I should no better than to ask this), what didn't you like about it?

[Fabricated]

The story bugged me really with it's ridiculously inconsistent tone. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be serious or silly, and didn't try to carefully mix the two either.

[KallDrexx]

Is it worth playing BL1 before BL2?

[Rasix]

I think Borderlands 1 was more fun.  So, maybe?  The playable characters from 1 are referenced and make an appearance in 2.  So, there's some flavor there to be had as well.

[01101010]

I think Borderlands 1 was more fun.  So, maybe?  The playable characters from 1 are referenced and make an appearance in 2.  So, there's some flavor there to be had as well.

This. Personally, I'd go for 1 before playing 2 because it does follow an unfolding timeline. Not that you have to, but the story is not bad.

[KallDrexx]

Works for me, I have both in my steam account but I have yet had the chance to play them.

[schild]

The main story blew ass so I don't really care.

Err, really?  I absolutely loved the story, humor, and style of Borderlands 2 greatly.  First half of the game I was really starting to get tired of it because the game play wasn't so great, but getting more of the story and hearing the verbal exchanges is what drove me on to the end.  There are very few games out there (at least in the last decade) that have done that to me.  It also helped that the game started to finally throw decent/fun guns at me half way through, making it more enjoyable. 

But still (and I should no better than to ask this), what didn't you like about it?

I should make it perfectly clear since this isn't really a game that I'd want to have an intelligent conversation about that "dialogue being very, very good" and "story blowing ass" can exist at the same time in the same game.

[Ingmar]

Does it ever take less than 3000 bullets to kill a random mook? Because that was my big problem.

[Trippy]

Yes, if you can critical consistently

For me the big discovery on this play through is that the Tediore weapons that are thrown on reload do a fuckton of damage and they seem to ignore a lot of defenses. I have this low level blue Tediore SMG that's also Incendiary and it'll kill trash mobs in one throw (quick burst then reload throw). It'll kill tougher mobs in the early game like the guys that carry shields in 2 or 3 throws. Badasses are much easier now too. A few sniper shots from range and then a few throws will take them down (assuming I'm not being lazy and letting Deathtrap kill it on its own). This does use up a lot of ammo, though, but hey that's what the Ammo vending machines are for!

[schild]

Yes, explode on reload is unreal.

[Trippy]

Yeah I didn't realize the damage was based on the remaining ammo in the clip that is thrown.

[Rendakor]

Has anyone played the Psychobandit character? I'm itching to fire this up again, but I'm not sure if I want to use my 50 Sniper or roll a new guy.

[Pennilenko]

One of my big issues with this game is having to so carefully manage my ammo. I really don't like fighting the ammo mini-game while trying to enjoy the main game.

[Trippy]

Yes the entire inventory management system is fucking annoying, constantly having to backtrack to sell off stuff or fill up ammo, especially with the fucking console UI. This time around I gave myself a bunch of Eridium so I could max out my ammo and inventory slots from the (near) beginning. It's tolerable now.

[Yegolev]

Does it ever take less than 3000 bullets to kill a random mook? Because that was my big problem.

Depends all on what gun you have.  You always need better guns.  If your guns suck you can get by with some skill, but not really very much.

BL2 starts out pretty damn slowly, and it's actually a real pain getting to lv5 and your first skill, and it's sort of a slog during the next five or seven levels while you're stuck with weapons without good mods.  Later you'll find a revolver that you adore since it's a Jacobs and ALSO has a sight for best headshots, or a rifle that shoots three bullets at once, or a Maliwan SMG with usable accuracy.  Things really pick up later, so it's all the more a shame that you have to get past the shit in the newbie game.  Then you move up to TVH mode and start seeing some wacky shit.  At first, though, it's white trash weapons.

One of my big issues with this game is having to so carefully manage my ammo. I really don't like fighting the ammo mini-game while trying to enjoy the main game.

Plenty of solutions to the ammo problem, besides cheating.  Number one: When I ran out of ammo at low levels, my solution was to swap weapon types.  You don't gain weapon skill in BL2 so you really should carry one gun of each type.  Two: Loot more boxes.  One of the best things about BL2 is that when one person loots ammo, everyone gets it, so play co-op.  Also you are given ammo when you die, at least it sure seems like it.  Three: Buy storage from Earl when you get to that point.  Just FYI, I don't buy ammo.

Has anyone played the Psychobandit character? I'm itching to fire this up again, but I'm not sure if I want to use my 50 Sniper or roll a new guy.

I got one up to lv6, planning to go with the self-immolation stuff.  Might be fun.  Friend is doing the track where you power up from being hurt, and he says he mostly doesn't use guns at lv30.  Watching him re-learn Maya in TVH after rushing to melee with Krieg for 30 levels was fun fun fun.  I can't wait to co-op with his psycho and my mechro with friendly damage active, since my mechro explodes with a lightning nova every time she reloads.  I think "point-blank rocket" is the new "drive us off a cliff".

For me the big discovery on this play through is that the Tediore weapons that are thrown on reload do a fuckton of damage and they seem to ignore a lot of defenses.

I'm sure you also noticed that the explosions carry the element of the weapon.  Also there's a badass point for killing a rakk with a Tediore reload.  I actually don't like the Tediores because I'm stingy, I like a full clip, and I seem to miss the toss a lot due to unexpected reloads.

I think the story serves a purpose in bringing us great dialog, characters, and shit.  In the end it's not the next great novel, but it's far more entertaining than Diablo 1/2/3, Titan Quest, etc.  While the other DLC adds optional areas and characters, the Tina DLC builds on what you have already experienced in a creative and hilarious way.  Plus game-nerd jokes.  Plus spend eridium to roll dice when opening treasure chests.  Plus there are a shit-ton of enemies swarming the fuck out of you (lv43 TVH).  Plus Claptrap is a wizard.

I don't know if this avoids the unkillable superboss.  Haven't found one of those yet.  No, not even Bunker.  Fucking Bunker and his bullshit.

[Pennilenko]

I wasn't aware that it was possible to cheat. Everything I read said there was no console commands.