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Author Topic: So, what're you playing?  (Read 2172757 times)
Teleku
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Reply #12355 on: February 01, 2018, 08:22:40 PM

I tried playing BG1 a while back (not even the EE version) and had to stop after 20 hours or so. The lack of some of the QOL stuff that RPG's have done since then is one thing, but D&D mechanics, especially 2e? Those are utter shit and were only cool because we didn't know any better. It's also where I discovered that I really don't like Bioware's pause-real-time combat/RPG engine. It worked fine with KotOR and Mass Effect, but for fantasy, it's been terrible.
BG2 was more enjoyable than BG1 because you started at level 10 and got to play with all the cool amazing mid to end game spells, abilities, and items.  So BG1 feels like a bit of a drag in comparison.

But I don't really get the complaints.  I love going back to playing AD&D rules.  The mechanics (while janky) were fun and it felt like you were doing unique things with your character, on top of having a pretty decent difficulty curve.  This is a great contrast to modern games which are all easy, with spells/abilities that generally feel very bland and boring (also, over balanced).  PoE had this problem.

Whats wrong with the pause/real-time mechanic?  How was it more terrible in BG vs Kotor?  I'm not sure there is any other way to do these games.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2018, 08:24:24 PM by Teleku »

"My great-grandfather did not travel across four thousand miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this nation overrun by immigrants.  He did it because he killed a man back in Ireland. That's the rumor."
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Phildo
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Reply #12356 on: February 01, 2018, 10:13:04 PM

Well crap, did someone else notice that I was also playing through Baldur's Gate on Steam or is this just a coincidence?  I'm about half-way through BG1 right now with the intention of running through both games with the same character.  As mentioned above, it's janky as hell but holds up really well for a 20 year-old game.

Also, writing that made me look up 1998 and there are some gems that came out around the same time!  Half-Life, Thief, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Grim Fandango, Starcraft, Final Fantasy Tactics... I want to be a kid again.
Zetor
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Reply #12357 on: February 01, 2018, 11:16:54 PM

I tried playing BG1 a while back (not even the EE version) and had to stop after 20 hours or so. The lack of some of the QOL stuff that RPG's have done since then is one thing, but D&D mechanics, especially 2e? Those are utter shit and were only cool because we didn't know any better. It's also where I discovered that I really don't like Bioware's pause-real-time combat/RPG engine. It worked fine with KotOR and Mass Effect, but for fantasy, it's been terrible.
BG2 was more enjoyable than BG1 because you started at level 10 and got to play with all the cool amazing mid to end game spells, abilities, and items.  So BG1 feels like a bit of a drag in comparison.

But I don't really get the complaints.  I love going back to playing AD&D rules.  The mechanics (while janky) were fun and it felt like you were doing unique things with your character, on top of having a pretty decent difficulty curve.  This is a great contrast to modern games which are all easy, with spells/abilities that generally feel very bland and boring (also, over balanced).  PoE had this problem.

Whats wrong with the pause/real-time mechanic?  How was it more terrible in BG vs Kotor?  I'm not sure there is any other way to do these games.
I don't really have a problem with AD&D rules... but real-time with pause is just clunky as hell for a party-based game*, especially since many mechanics force you to basically pause through an entire turn by autopausing repeatedly (and god help you if you play with rogues that need precise positioning for backstabs and want to actually make them work). The Dark Sun games from 1993 are a WAY better implementation of what Baldur's Gate was trying to do, imo, and turn-based combat has a lot to do with it.

The only advantage of RTWP in a party-based game with a lot of actions is that trivial combat encounters are resolved quickly by just letting the party AI take care of things. But if you take that too far, you get something like Dungeon Siege where the game plays itself... eh. I think a better solution to the "turn-based combat is boring" perception is to not have any boring encounters in the first place!


* There's one game that made RTWP work really well: Freedom Force! In that one you could split planning and execution, and only pause at critical moments...

Tebonas
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Reply #12358 on: February 01, 2018, 11:39:04 PM

The only way I could manage to endure the combat system in Baldurs Gate 1, after being used to Turn Based Combat for so long, was the overpoweredness of Ranged Combat. Give everybody the best Ranged Weapon they can use and pick off the enemies one by one. Casters buff beforehand, heal afterwards, and crowd control during difficult encounters.  Cast area damage spells only to known enemy groups before they aggro, otherwise getting them to stay in the blast area is like herding cats. Bonus points for using cloud spells that do continued damage to those offscreen enemies without aggroing (if I remember BG1 correctly).

Fuck Real Time combat in party based games. These are not cheats. The game started cheating when the enemies started running around during my turn.  awesome, for real
Zetor
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Reply #12359 on: February 02, 2018, 06:02:45 AM

Pretty much! The ~canon~ way of beating any of the 'difficult' BG1 (and expansion) encounters is loading up everyone who can use a bow with Arrows of Detonation and spam firing them at some squishie standing in the middle -- that's like 36d6 damage per turn to the entire enemy group. More advanced techniques may involve casting Web and having the party's fighter move in with the 2h sword that grants free action.  Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?
« Last Edit: February 02, 2018, 06:04:29 AM by Zetor »

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Reply #12360 on: February 02, 2018, 07:14:41 AM

2e AD&D is just painfully bad at the mechanical level, but again, it's not something I realized until literally decades of playing other, better, more streamlined systems. As the RTWP systems, they are just awful for melee/phased combat. AD&D was a turn-based system built on phased actions - I move, enemy moves, etc. The real-time aspect of that just blew ass, mainly because in AD&D (and most fantasy/party-based systems), the fun is in controlling every character's actions. Setting up AI responses is not a suitable substitute and it made me feel like the game was playing itself. Both Mass Effect and KotOR felt better - perhaps it was because it felt like I was playing a single character with companions that have character. Perhaps it was the more 3D perspective as opposed to the isometric "playing above a table with miniatures" feel of BG1. However, even with the more 3D perspective of Dragon Age, all the things that bugged me about BG1 bug me about the RWTP system there too. It's odd because at their core, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are the same engine and the same combat mechanics. DA just ground me down to the point where I put like 30-40 hours into with 2 separate restarts until I just couldn't stand to boot the game up anymore.

At some point, I'm going to try BG2 to see if I feel the same.

Ironwood
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Reply #12361 on: February 02, 2018, 01:36:02 PM

ToEE was still the best implementation of D&D combat.

Shame about it really.

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Druzil
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Reply #12362 on: February 05, 2018, 10:38:07 AM

So FFXII has never been in my top list of FF games but for some reason I'm having quite a bit more fun with it this time around.  I think the biggest reason is the 2x speed setting makes the battles and the grinding so much less tedious.  Even walking around town is WAY better at 2x speed.   I don't like the Zodiac changes they made to the license board as much, it feels limited compared to the original version.

I also started Monster Hunter World but after like 1.5 hours I still haven't hunted a monster (granted I was in the character creator for a long time).  The beginning of the game is pretty slow.  At least I have a weapon now, so hopefully things get moving along.
Khaldun
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Reply #12363 on: February 05, 2018, 05:18:36 PM

I am foolishly and unreasonably tempted by it.
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Reply #12364 on: February 05, 2018, 06:48:59 PM

I've also been tempted to pick up Monster Hunter World since the reviews have been pretty positive. PC version doesn't launch until the Fall though from the sound of it and even then I'd have to wait until I hear if it's a good port or not.
Ginaz
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Reply #12365 on: February 06, 2018, 12:01:10 AM

I've also been tempted to pick up Monster Hunter World since the reviews have been pretty positive. PC version doesn't launch until the Fall though from the sound of it and even then I'd have to wait until I hear if it's a good port or not.

I'm unable to use a controller for anything other than driving and fighting games, so I have to wait for the PC version.
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Reply #12366 on: February 06, 2018, 12:20:56 AM

I also started Monster Hunter World but after like 1.5 hours I still haven't hunted a monster (granted I was in the character creator for a long time).  The beginning of the game is pretty slow.  At least I have a weapon now, so hopefully things get moving along.
Even after you are in the game proper is still takes a while to get to your first boss battle.

I've also been tempted to pick up Monster Hunter World since the reviews have been pretty positive. PC version doesn't launch until the Fall though from the sound of it and even then I'd have to wait until I hear if it's a good port or not.
Yes, given Capcom's history of poor PC ports I went ahead and got a copy on the PS4 to play now rather than wait for the PC release and then wait some more for them to fix all the PC port issues.
Velorath
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Reply #12367 on: February 06, 2018, 06:53:03 PM

Thinking about just picking up the PS4 version. Most of the friends I play stuff online with play PC, not that most of them would get into something like Monster Hunter anyway. How you liking the game so far?
Trippy
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Reply #12368 on: February 06, 2018, 10:21:40 PM

I'm not very far (just killed the 2nd story boss tonight) and I'm not really a fan of boss killing games but I'm very much enjoying this one.
Druzil
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Reply #12369 on: February 07, 2018, 07:08:43 AM

I'm also not very far, but the more I play the more I like it.  The loop of going out for parts then coming back and crafting armor and weapons is pretty addicting.  Some of the monster interactions are well beyond what other games do and it adds kind of a hectic feel to the fights.

It does seem like the kind of game that needs a demo though.  I can definitely see this game not being for everyone.
Signe
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Reply #12370 on: February 07, 2018, 09:29:51 AM

I've stopped playing everything except early access survival games.  I now have several and I flit about from game to game.  I even get them confused.  Something is wrong with me.   ACK!

My Sig Image: hath rid itself of this mortal coil.
Trippy
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Reply #12371 on: February 07, 2018, 11:59:39 PM

Stuck already on Garroth awesome, for real Ohhhhh, I see.

Edit: joined somebody else's quest and completed it

« Last Edit: February 08, 2018, 01:09:19 AM by Trippy »
Hawkbit
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Reply #12372 on: February 08, 2018, 01:50:54 PM

I'm really glad I waited to dig into Subnautica after it launched, so much fun.
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Reply #12373 on: February 09, 2018, 08:29:49 AM

Your vile anti-capitalist and pro consumer attitude has been noted. please report to your local disintegration unit for re-education.

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Soulflame
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Reply #12374 on: February 09, 2018, 08:39:03 AM

Some Overwatch.  It's decent as a time waster.

Stardew Valley.  It's very calming.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2.  I had to read up on the mechanics to fully understand what the hell is happening, but now that I understand them, the combat is much more fun.  The story is decent as well.
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Reply #12375 on: February 09, 2018, 12:22:28 PM

Human Fall Flat is a delightful low-key couch co-op game.

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Shannow
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Reply #12376 on: February 09, 2018, 03:13:56 PM

So much PUBG

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Reply #12377 on: February 10, 2018, 12:28:18 AM

I'm enjoying Monster Hunter: World.  The hunt-creature get-items craft-gear loop works for me. 
Velorath
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Reply #12378 on: February 10, 2018, 10:27:49 PM

Picked up Monster Hunter World as well and have been enjoying it quite a bit.
Druzil
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Reply #12379 on: February 12, 2018, 06:56:09 AM

Stuck already on Garroth awesome, for real Ohhhhh, I see.

Edit: joined somebody else's quest and completed it

I assume you mean the Barroth?  I just did that one last night.  I spent a good chunk of time making a set of the Pukei-Pukei armor just because I liked the way it looked (the tails take forever to drop).  That probably helped me out a bit.  What weapon are you using?  I'm enjoying the hammer quite a bit, it seems a bit simpler than a few of the others I tried without being mindless.  I may switch around a little bit before I get too much further just to try other stuff out.
Trippy
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Reply #12380 on: February 12, 2018, 09:21:26 AM

Yeah it was Barroth. First time fighting something in shallow waters with mud and it really messed me up.

I started with the Insect Glaive and play that the most still. Tried Sword and Shield for a bit early on but didn’t like how weak the blocking is and how hard it is to position and how short the range is.

Bow is the next one I’ve been testing. It’s a bit less exciting than the melee weapons but I like bringing it when I join other people’s games cause I don’t have to worry about hitting other players or getting hit by them like with the Glaive. Also I feel bad fainting in other people’s missions so it’s a bit safer to stand back a bit and plink away. With other people around it’s also easy to fire off a full combo for max damage so I feel like I’m contributng. With the Glaive it sometimes feels like I’m not pulling my weight when I’m fighting with other people cause I’m not good with the Kinsect yet so I don’t always have my damage buff up.

Lance is the one I’m planning on trying next since that has the best blocking. After that I’ll probably try Dual Blades and see how that compares to S&S as the two short range fast attacks weapons.

Arinon
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Reply #12381 on: February 12, 2018, 03:44:10 PM

Having all sorts of fun with Monster Hunter.  Hooked up with a couple of old MMO folks so mostly playing in groups.  Insect Glaive is great but I also doubt my total damage contribution when using it.  The mounting take-downs do give the heavy hitters some insane damage sequences though which is very satisfying.  Still fighting a bit with the camera though.

My go-to with new monsters is the Bow for the same reasons you mention.  It also seems insanely mobile. 

I want to work in a heavy hitting weapon but have had only partial success with Charge Blade and Hammer.  Just hit high-rank last night and they keep opening up new systems/monsters.  I bet I'll easily cross 100+ hours with this.
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Reply #12382 on: February 12, 2018, 05:45:06 PM

The real end-game doesn't begin until you unlock HR 49.
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Reply #12383 on: February 12, 2018, 09:30:55 PM

I started off messing around with half the weapons before settling on bow for the time being. I had a bit of fun early on with the horn but like you guys, I felt that the bow was a good way to do ok in groups. The groups on the PS4 have been pretty solid with a lot of JP players on at most times. Co-worker playing on Xbox sounds like he runs into more inexperienced players there which makes sense. Maybe once I'm further along and have good armor I'll go back and start to try out the melee weapons more.
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Reply #12384 on: February 13, 2018, 01:52:48 AM

I've been playing Celeste, the new game by the maker of Towerfall. It's a precision platformer akin to Super Meatboy but with a story to frame the gameplay. Basically your goal is to ascend to the summit of a mountain called Celeste and on the way you meet all sorts of wacky characters and - as far as I've played - makes it seem like it's some sort of mystical mountain where the border between reality and the metaphysical start to blur a little.

Production values, sound and music are great. The story is cute and has a lot of weird Little "Twin Peaks" beats but in a cutesy anime way. It also quite adeptly feeds the try, die and restart loop you may know from Super Meatboy or all of the "I wanne be the X" sort of games.

That being said I don't like the controls very much. You have different buttons for jump, air dash and "grip". On an X Box controller jump is "A", air dash is either "B" or "X" and grip is left or right trigger (LZ or RZ). Basically if you want to climb you have to use the grip button to stick to a wall otherwise you fall down. You also have a grip meter meaning that you'll eventually fall down if you stick to the wall for too long. You can control your character mid air but only after a jump and not after an air dash. If you bump terrain your momentum is affected which means that you can fail a jump that would have been far enough just because you accidentally bump the ceiling. Also wall jumping is weird, it basically does the super metroid Thing where you have to push against the wall pre jump and away from the wall post jump. If you don't push towards the wall you just fall down, if you don't push away from the wall your next jump will be to short because the input is moving you back towards the wall you just jumped from.

It's also very finnicky with the directional inputs, to go straight your input has to be perfectly straight or you go up-right or up-left instead.

The game so far is not generating the same "flow" Meatboy does where a perfectly executed sequence makes it feel almost as if you're flowing and moving effortlessly through a level to a certain "rhythm". Especially the grip button ruins it for me because in a complicated sequence of air dashes and jumps you tend to forget that you have to grip a wall to stick to it to climb (and you need to climb to get past certain obstacles) and then you just fall to your death.

The game also does something I really despise in that sort of platformer. Chase sequences where somebody or something chases you through a set of complicated platforming challenges and you die if it touches you. About two hours in I've encountered such a section twice.

The game would be better if I didn't have the constant feeling that I need to wrestle the controls to do what I want because the game is beautifully designed and the challenges itself are creative.
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Reply #12385 on: February 13, 2018, 07:14:05 AM

Last time I played Subnautica was 2016. So now I went back in. Felt like a much smoother progression experience. Didn't read any walkthroughs, so I found a lot of new stuff just on my own. The story that develops is actually pretty involving too. Just got my little sub upgraded to go to 300, found a deep chunk of the Aurora and had to deal with one of those spooky tentacle things that throws you out of your vehicle. Still haven't found all the Cyclops pieces, so that my current ambition. Enjoying it. Must be a good VR experience.
Mandella
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Reply #12386 on: February 13, 2018, 10:07:09 AM

Last time I played Subnautica was 2016. So now I went back in. Felt like a much smoother progression experience. Didn't read any walkthroughs, so I found a lot of new stuff just on my own. The story that develops is actually pretty involving too. Just got my little sub upgraded to go to 300, found a deep chunk of the Aurora and had to deal with one of those spooky tentacle things that throws you out of your vehicle. Still haven't found all the Cyclops pieces, so that my current ambition. Enjoying it. Must be a good VR experience.


Same, except I'm a bit further along (down to 900 meters). Hate to use the phrase, but this is definitely "Early Access done right."

That said (and since we must bitch about something), it is disappointing to see many of the same UI and graphical bugs still existing from two years ago. Nothing game breaking, but it seems clear they stopped dev on their engine very early on and just concentrated on content.

Still I can't think of a more beautiful game experience right now, and just watching the simple but still amazing AI interaction of the animals with each other and their environment (including you) is fun in itself. Some have pointed out that the Subnautica ecology is what No Man's Sky touted they'd have, but didn't.
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Reply #12387 on: February 13, 2018, 11:42:53 PM

Holy crap the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter: World hits hard. I may have to rethink my normal preference for using faster attacking weapons and try out more of the slower weapons.
01101010
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Reply #12388 on: February 14, 2018, 09:25:52 AM

Holy crap the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter: World hits hard. I may have to rethink my normal preference for using faster attacking weapons and try out more of the slower weapons.

Just bought this game yesterday... hoping for the best.  awesome, for real

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Rasix
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Reply #12389 on: February 14, 2018, 03:10:20 PM

Last time I played Subnautica was 2016. So now I went back in. Felt like a much smoother progression experience. Didn't read any walkthroughs, so I found a lot of new stuff just on my own. The story that develops is actually pretty involving too. Just got my little sub upgraded to go to 300, found a deep chunk of the Aurora and had to deal with one of those spooky tentacle things that throws you out of your vehicle. Still haven't found all the Cyclops pieces, so that my current ambition. Enjoying it. Must be a good VR experience.


Same, except I'm a bit further along (down to 900 meters). Hate to use the phrase, but this is definitely "Early Access done right."

That said (and since we must bitch about something), it is disappointing to see many of the same UI and graphical bugs still existing from two years ago. Nothing game breaking, but it seems clear they stopped dev on their engine very early on and just concentrated on content.

Still I can't think of a more beautiful game experience right now, and just watching the simple but still amazing AI interaction of the animals with each other and their environment (including you) is fun in itself. Some have pointed out that the Subnautica ecology is what No Man's Sky touted they'd have, but didn't.

Just finished it. Lots of fun, although some of the end activities were a bit fetch questy.  I really enjoyed how the story pulled you through the different aspects of exploration. I wasn't sure when I played it back in early access that they'd be able to pull this off, but they did. Pretty game, great sound, and ran decently on my aging system. The texture pop was a bit annoying as you can go from clear water to mountain in your face in a 100m. I loved the vehicles and had some of my most memorable moments while in my least favorite, the cyclops. Nothing quite like pulling out all of the tricks to get away from a leviathan ultimately having to speed away until your engines burst into flame, you cut power, and have to repair in the dark 900m down.

I have some visual gripes as someone with partial color blindness and thus can't see shit for patterns. An opening denoted by slightly lighter, green doesn't really pop out at me. I had to go to spoilers because I often to couldn't see shit that was right in front of me.

Overall a great experience. I'd replay, but it's a static map and I'm not sure I'd do a lot different. I had some pretty diverse bases in the end and wouldn't look forward to trying to set up another attached moonpool.  awesome, for real

Oh, and don't release a hatched crab squid near your base.  Those assholes have no off switch. Facepalm

-Rasix
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