So, what're you playing?

[Baldrake]

My new year's resolution is to play every unplayed game in my Steam library. Even 10 minutes is enough, as long as I have played it at all. I'm assuming there's some reason I bought these games years ago, so looking for games that catch my interest enough to play through.

This is game 2: Amnesia, a Machine for Pigs.

I'm not sure I gave this one a fair shake. The game wouldn't play well with my 4k display, and it took half an hour of futzing until I eventually found an incantation that overrode Windows' built-in DPI scaling. That didn't leave a lot of time for playing.

Very eerie atmosphere. Foreboding of something horrible that's happened, involving kids. Not my thing. Controls felt sluggish, maybe related to display issues. Finding the "hunt the pixel" gameplay annoying.

Did anyone else like this one?

[Viin]

Started Hitman 2. The only thing that bugs me a bit in both games is that I can't climb or jump down heights that an unobserved person on a sinister mission (or who needed to get the fuck out of Dodge) could do. If the engine was just a bit more open-ended, I'd be happier, because sometimes it really crosses into "puzzle-game territory" for me rather than "open-ended invention with interactable environments".

That is actually why I can't play that series - I feel like I have to solve the problem the way the mission makers intended. Sure, there might be several ways to do it, but they all feel scripted.

[HaemishM]

Think of the new Hitman games like highly scripted puzzle games more than shooter type games. They are fun that way but I can't see trying to 100% any of the missions or going back to a mission after I've solved it one way.

[Khaldun]

I just did one of the missions a new way the second time, and I'm just kind of annoyed that the ability to do it that way is essentially a scripted favor to me for having completed it once. I want all the options from the very beginning; I want the entire environment interactable. I love the clever ideas about indetectable deaths, but if that's what they want, I should really be able to infiltrate and take my time over weeks rather than minutes or an hour. It just feels like a complicated if extremely competent misfire in terms of a match between what the premise promises and what the mechanics deliver. It's not bad at all but it's not compelling either.

[Ironwood]

That annoyed me too ;  you only get some of the equipment after having done the mission a couple of times.  So, sure, you get the sniper rifle and can now shoot his eyes out from miles away, but you've killed him more times than Bill Murray at Punxsutawney so it doesn't really matter.

[Mandella]

That annoyed me too ;  you only get some of the equipment after having done the mission a couple of times.  So, sure, you get the sniper rifle and can now shoot his eyes out from miles away, but you've killed him more times than Bill Murray at Punxsutawney so it doesn't really matter.

Huh. On one hand I can see that as a good mechanism to give you a reason to replay the same scenario multiple times, since it changes the puzzle up. But yeah it totally kills any immersion and turns it completely into a puzzle game.

Which as others have said is the best way to approach the series, but I'm glad I read it here first for properly adjusted expectations...

[HaemishM]

Not having all the options open from the get-go is a definite drawback. I can see holding some of them until after completion but I'd rather they'd taken a Rainbow Six mission setup approach to the thing as opposed to sets of scripted paths that only unlock on completion of milestones.

It's still a fun game worth playing through but I won't get the "full experience" because I play it to go through the story, not just to solve puzzles.

[Sky]

I normally like multi-path trial-and-error sandboxes to play in, but Hitman has always left me feeling like I'm not playing it the right way and missing a lot of things, and my failure rate is probably commensurate with that feeling. I guess I can't really explain it other than in some games it seems like failure is just another chance to play around in a fun sandbox and with Hitman it just feels like failure.

[Samwise]

This is game 2: Amnesia, a Machine for Pigs.

I'm not sure I gave this one a fair shake. The game wouldn't play well with my 4k display, and it took half an hour of futzing until I eventually found an incantation that overrode Windows' built-in DPI scaling. That didn't leave a lot of time for playing.

Very eerie atmosphere. Foreboding of something horrible that's happened, involving kids. Not my thing. Controls felt sluggish, maybe related to display issues. Finding the "hunt the pixel" gameplay annoying.

Did anyone else like this one?

Didn't love it.  i finished it but it was out of stubbornness (and because I'd enjoyed the original) more than anything.

[Ironwood]

Never completed Amnesia.  Invisible footprints in the water were bad enough, but then totally dark prisons and I noped right the fuck out.

Things don't usually scare me ;  that game was terrifying.

[Samwise]

My recollection is that Machine for Pigs was less scary and more frustrating.

Man, I'd forgotten about the water monster in Dark Descent.  That was some brilliant stuff.  Nothing in Pigs came close to that.

[schild]

A machine for pigs was terrible.

[cmlancas]

DotA2 because I hate myself.

VR because I want my wife to love PC gaming.

Breath of the Wild because I can never pander to 12-year old me enough.

[Viin]

What are you playing in VR?

The kids seem to like Beat Saber a lot.

[Yegolev]

Still playing Okami. Just passed the point where I left off on PS2.

[Khaldun]

Went back to play Civ V and it's still fun and not totally broken. Played some VI and it's still broken and not fun.

[Rendakor]

Mostly playing Minecraft: Enigmatica 2. I mentioned it in the MC subforum, but if any F13er wants to join my buddy and I on our private server, just let me know and I'll give you the address. It's just the two of us and occasionally his son, so there's no dickheads blowing up your base or anything.

Also occasionally playing Smash Bros. on the Switch; my friends are much more into it than I am, and keep trying to set up tournaments and shit. While this one is pretty well crafted, I think I'm just over playing the same exact fighting game we've been playing since, checks notes, 2001.

[Rasix]

On the last bit of RDR 2. It's still fun, and this new area is set up well for post game content.

Not sure I want keep playing, however. I've been at this for a while, and I think it's time for something else.

[Hoax]

PoE, HC trying to clear content I've never seen in a group so extra screen madness and fun on weekends.

Warframe, just trying to sort myself out and get back into it. IGN = Hoax415

Chroma Squad, this is very fun and good and easy and relaxing in a way.

Banner Saga, I found out I have the 2nd game on Twitch somehow, so re-playing the excellent first one.

Hero Siege, probably not much while PoE is capturing attention but this is also fun and good.

BDO is shelved for now but want to get to L5X and then see what content is like esp for groups.

MHW, kinda want to get back to this and try some of the new stuff. Haven't yet though.

[Falconeer]

BDO is shelved for now but want to get to L5X and then see what content is like esp for groups.

No forget about it. It's exactly the same except the XP bar stops moving and it becomes a matter of how many million nagas you can kill in your daily XP boost hour and how quickly you can gain that 3.42% towrds the next level.

Simply put, group content does NOT exist. Granted, if you grind with friends your xp bar moves slightly less slow, but that's all. There are no dungeons, there are no elite mobs, there are no loot tables. Well it's more complicated than that and I still like all these things in a way, but it's important that you know that nothing changes when you get to 50. That's when the grind starts. The best part of Black Desert is the world if you ask me and exploring it for the sake of viewing everything is probably the biggest benefit of leveling. Everything else is either unattainable (this is a PvP game but getting into PvP is impossible due to the gear gap that takes about 6 months of dedication to begin to close) or an exercise in patience.
 
This is still one of my favourite MMORPGs ever. The best parts of BDO are the combat, the world, the tiny stories, the the sandbox part, the professions, the characters. Never before an online world felt so alive except for UO in the 90s.
But playing it solo for its PvE though smashes you against a wall of disappointment when you hit level 56.

[Setanta]

Destiny 2 on hiatus - Black Armory killed all the fun I was having with the Forsaken expansion. Fuck "grind > story because we are lazy developers" - all goodwill towards Bungie is gone.
Warframe - casually cracking relics for plat so that I can get Mesa Prime but I can't be arsed doing the MR25 test because I hate archwings. Fortuna didn't grab me but nor did Plains of Eidolon. I need to finish off the (archwing) map clears so that I can mess with the new content. Fuck archwing, stop tying shit to it DE.
Path of Exile has taken over my gaming for now - not having played it since 2013 I enjoy it now.
World of Warships (Asia server) is full of idiots but I still have fun. I'm currently working on my 7th T10.
Eternal CCG on mobile and PC for mindless fun jump in and enjoy CCG. Unfortunately Artifact was a letdown and MTG:A just didn't cut it for me. Eternal is my go to.
Forza 4/Battletech are slipping off the radar, I need to get back to them once I burn out on PoE.

[satael]

Dominions 5 - been playing this multiplayer a game or two at a time since Dominions 4.
RimWorld - Dwarf Fortress lite with mouse-control and mods that finally hit 1.0 late last year really hits my binge-playing habit at the moment.

[cmlancas]

What are you playing in VR?

The kids seem to like Beat Saber a lot.

I should have prefaced this with “in a month,” since the PC isn’t finished yet.  Oops.

[Sky]

For some reason I picked up Stardew Valley a couple weeks ago on the PS4 and binged it a little over the weekend. Not sure it will keep me after everything started getting too hectic, I like the slow pace of the early game (common for me amongst games like this, even minecraft). Menus/controls are wonky with a controller, but it works well enough for casual play.

Still digging The Golf Club 2, though some of the green designs are real ball-busters (ohoho). Not a great golf game, but a good enough (and cheap). Wrapping up my 4th franchise year as the Browns on Madden, 4th superb owl. I may need to bump up the difficulty a bit. It seems like I'm struggling and then I throw a couple 80+yd TDs, so I'll probably just pull fly routes from my call sheet for now. And of course good ol' Rocksmith.

[Ironwood]

So much Nioh.  Hardly had a change to look at Rimworld, PoE, Elite or even Arena, I'm so busy cutting up ninja demons.

Watching videos of chaps who know how to fight is breathtaking.  There's a lot of control and subtlety to the combat and I have to admit that I'll probably never get to that level due to Old Man Syndrome.  It's also got that built in frustration that comes with all Souls games, coupled with 'Just one more try'.

I also like the Visitor system, since there seems to be a vibrant community of Uber-levelled fucking nutters who will help you out enormously.

[Phildo]

Let me know when you beat the lightning lion-dog thing and how hard you thought it was.

[Rasix]

Finished RDR 2. Pretty good ending and the credit montage was near perfect. This is perhaps the best musical score and soundtrack in any game. It all worked together so well.

Onto a couple of new (to me) games. I'm finally giving PoE a shot. I figure I'll get to the point where I have an actual working build before passing final judgment. I miss D3's polish, but I can make due without. The cash shop is ridiculous and everything is grossly overpriced.

Also started The Forest, since I seem to like crafty/survival games that don't have other people trying to tea bag your corpse. I'm running into some odd bugs that are taking me out of the atmosphere and immersion. I think there's some sort of physics issue, because all of the sudden I'll see random items just launched across the screen. It looks to be small animals just sending thinks flying as they scurry about. It also won't let me turn on an aiming reticle.  It's OK. It feels pretty budget compared to Subnautica.

[Ironwood]

Let me know when you beat the lightning lion-dog thing and how hard you thought it was.

I beat him ages ago and he was very hard, fortunately so was the level 750 guy who showed up to fart at him once so I could watch him die.

[Phildo]

Hah, if only that had happened for me.  I wasted a few hours on it before I gave up.

[Draegan]

Finished RDR 2. Pretty good ending and the credit montage was near perfect. This is perhaps the best musical score and soundtrack in any game. It all worked together so well.

Onto a couple of new (to me) games. I'm finally giving PoE a shot. I figure I'll get to the point where I have an actual working build before passing final judgment. I miss D3's polish, but I can make due without. The cash shop is ridiculous and everything is grossly overpriced.

Also started The Forest, since I seem to like crafty/survival games that don't have other people trying to tea bag your corpse. I'm running into some odd bugs that are taking me out of the atmosphere and immersion. I think there's some sort of physics issue, because all of the sudden I'll see random items just launched across the screen. It looks to be small animals just sending thinks flying as they scurry about. It also won't let me turn on an aiming reticle.  It's OK. It feels pretty budget compared to Subnautica.

Cash shop is stupid expensive but it's all costmetic. Only thing worth is extra storage and they typically have sales a few times a month. Still not worth it unless you're u plan on playing a lot

[Rendakor]

I'll second what Draegan said: the only thing worth buying in POE are the stash tabs. Wait for them to go on sale, and consider getting a Currency Tab, a Map Tab (if you get to endgame), and a Premium Tab; the latter because it makes it very easy to sell things to other players.

Edit: What's your IGN? I can add you to our guild and you can grab some leveling uniques to help get started.

[Rasix]

Edit: What's your IGN? I can add you to our guild and you can grab some leveling uniques to help get started.

Asraix is the character I'm playing right now.

[Ironwood]

Please God grab some uniques.  Our Guildbank always fills up with shite.

On a related note, be wary of buying the Map Stash tabs.  I bought one and was so pleased and happy to have them organised, only to find out they don't delete once the league rolls over and they've been bugged with a new bug since Delve came out whereby they haven't rolled over to the 'new' map items yet so my Characters are all muling them.  Also, we lost a lot of maps when it rolled over and I've never really been convinced that I got them all back !

They're fantastic in principle, but it would be nice if they worked !

[Hoax]

currency tab is #1 must have.

essence tab is good.

quad tabs are nice.

premium tabs are a luxury.

[Ironwood]

Again, as mentioned, depends if you're selling things.  If you don't have public facing tabs, you're fucked.