So, what're you playing?

[Phildo]

I've been playing a lot of Divinity: Original Sin 2 as well.  I didn't like the original version, but the enhanced edition really put it all together.

[Cyrrex]

I've been playing a lot of Divinity: Original Sin 2 as well.  I didn't like the original version, but the enhanced edition really put it all together.

Do I understand correctly that you are saying the EE made the original worth playing?  I can't recall the reasons I didn't love the first and ultimately stopped playing it, but I occasionally get the itch to fire it up again.

[Phildo]

I was speaking specifically about DOS 2, where it was bundled into the same product in Steam.  It does nice things for the first one as well, but I don't think it was as big a difference there.  I find archers in both games to be incredibly satisfying to play, though.

[Khaldun]

Finally doing the DLC for AC Odyssey. It's ok--I see they got around to thinking about how your character ends up having a family and stepping pretty carefully around it if the character has previously done just same-sex romancing. I got so used to everything being ez mode that I tried attacking the level 90 mercenary and he instakilled me so that could be kind of fun to try and figure out (I think it would have to involve a lot of archery and running and a lot of careful bonus stacking).

[Reg]

I was speaking specifically about DOS 2, where it was bundled into the same product in Steam.  It does nice things for the first one as well, but I don't think it was as big a difference there.  I find archers in both games to be incredibly satisfying to play, though.

Oh yea archer guy is awesome. Throw in a little summoning and he's even more fun. I'm playing the Red Prince right now as my main. He's such a snot.

[Rasix]

I've never played an archer in either game. It's always fighter/thief/mage/other-mage (to cover the other elements).

Great game. It's just rather long. I probably did that intro part at least 5 times due to rerolls and missed quests, etc. Also, like the previous version, the early balance is a little wack. Still, it's probably a better overall experience than the first, even if I did encounter a major bug that completely tanked one of the character sidequests.

Mostly playing P5 Royal. Either my memory is a bit fuzzy or they really did add a decent chunk of new stuff to this.

[Goumindong]

I've been playing a lot of Divinity: Original Sin 2 as well.  I didn't like the original version, but the enhanced edition really put it all together.

Do I understand correctly that you are saying the EE made the original worth playing?  I can't recall the reasons I didn't love the first and ultimately stopped playing it, but I occasionally get the itch to fire it up again.

D:OS2 (EE at least) has shaved off a lot of the "RPG chores" that are present in D:OS 1. And a few handy mods(particularly those that give you all the skills at level appropriate time and those that level up all your equipment when you do) reduce that to a level that is actually tolerable in the long term.

[Rendakor]

I cannot STAND that kind of "here's a big boss fight, whoa wow something happened that you can't control and you lost the fight, you'll have to wait to fight the boss again I guess".

Never played ME3 but this is one of my most hated tropes ever. Maybe this is why running the acts in Path of Exile pisses me off so much... :thinking:

[Velorath]

Mass Effects overall plot has been shit right from the idea for a sequel. Mass Effect 2 starts with "you stopped the reapers but it didn't matter" and in Mass Effect 3 you start with "you stopped the reapers but it didn't matter". At least 2 had the decency to tell you that what you just did was pointless at the end of it. All the villains after ME1 were shit.

But the shooting and the character vignettes for your crew were pretty good.

The first two games both end with it being acknowledged that the Reapers have likely only been delayed and that everyone needs to keep preparing for their arrival  (well, acknowledged by everyone other than the council of course).

[Phildo]

I've never played an archer in either game. It's always fighter/thief/mage/other-mage (to cover the other elements).

Much more efficient to focus on either physical or magic damage.  I'm doing a lone-wolf mage duo right now, but when I beat the game the first time I did it with 2h fighter/rogue/archer/necromancer (physical damage spells).

The game has some built-in mods (gift bags) from the pause menu which make the game much more fun, IMO.  There's one that lets you replenish source points after resting with a sleeping bag, and another which lets all your characters automatically be able to talk to animals, saving one character from having to take Pet Pal.  Being able to unload source abilities on each fight in Lone Wolf is hilariously fun later on.

[Gimfain]

Playing bloodstained, got my arse handed to me so many times by blood boss.

[Reg]

Hah. I have to shamefully admit that I use both of the gift bags Phildo mentions above.

[NowhereMan]

My Rome 2 playthrough made it to the point where I've got all of Western and Central Europe and North Africa under control so there's not really likely to be any existential threat again and I got kind of bored. Warhammer II TW is proving fun. I'm semi-RPing a High Elf play and not declaring war on other elves. Which is annoying as shit because the fuckers will sneak in and grab territories I lose to raiders or rebels and getting them back is a massive pain.

[Druzil]

Finished Trails of Cold Steel 2.  Think I'm going to give the series a short break before I move on with it.  Really liked the second game but the ending dragged on far too long.  I appreciate all the story but they need to cut some of the fluff side missions out just to make the game shorter.  Between all the latest PC versions of the Final Fantasy and Trails games all supporting a 'turbo mode' it's made all these really long jRpgs much more playable.

Really want to play the FFVII remake but I'm kinda off-put by buying PS4 games lately.  I just prefer to sit at my desk an play things on my PC.  Not sure that I can hold out a year or w/e for the PC version though.  I'll probably cave eventually.  Have they confirmed PS5 backward compatibility with PS4 games yet? I'd rather retire the PS4 here in a few months than have yet anther console plugged in just to play some old games now and then.

So instead I'm back to Persona 4.  I lost my save, so I'm starting fresh.  Not too big of a deal since I was only past the first palace anyways.

[Goumindong]

Mass Effects overall plot has been shit right from the idea for a sequel. Mass Effect 2 starts with "you stopped the reapers but it didn't matter" and in Mass Effect 3 you start with "you stopped the reapers but it didn't matter". At least 2 had the decency to tell you that what you just did was pointless at the end of it. All the villains after ME1 were shit.

But the shooting and the character vignettes for your crew were pretty good.

The first two games both end with it being acknowledged that the Reapers have likely only been delayed and that everyone needs to keep preparing for their arrival  (well, acknowledged by everyone other than the council of course).

No... They don't. Because the purpose of the jump gates is that the reapers need them in order to get from where they're waiting into the milky way. If the reapers could just... fly there in 5 years and show up undetected then they wouldn't need the jump gates

[Mosesandstick]

I don't want to derail the thread further, but early on ME3 explicitly states that Shepherd has delayed the Reaper invasion by destroying Sovereign and the Collector Base. From memory the clearest example is talking to Javik.

[Cyrrex]

Finished off Trails from Zero.  About 57 hours.  Might be my favorite of the whole series so far.  Not sure if I will do Azure next, or do something else for a while.

[Falconeer]

Can't stop loving and complaining the Legend of Heroes games for their length at the same time. On one side I absolutely adore how much content and story and lore and characters are there. On another side, there are times when I want to kill whoever thought it was a good idea to put in another 2 hours of fluff between EndGame boss X, OhWaitTheresMoreFluff Y, EndingMaybe?Z, and ActualYesYouFinishedTheGameThisTimeForReal.

In spite of how much I love this series, I've only completed Trails of Cold Steel 1 yesterday and the play clock was at 120 hours. Certainly my bad, for wanting every snippet of dialogue from every NPC, but is it? I mean, even after all that I found out I missed enough pages of the stupid novel needed to get one of the three Zemurian Ores. I am not trying to be a completist, but I really wanted to get all the lore I could (more than achievements, or challenges, or gear) and yet 100+ hours weren't enough.

And yes, the ending drags for sooooooo long. And I have heard some of the others are even worse. Still, I can't think of many games with such a plot twist and a cliffhanger. It's hard to overstate how much I like that these 6 (or 9, depending how you count) games are all so interconnected to form possibly the most expansive tale in videogaming history?

Anyway, my next one is definitely Trails from Zero, to avoid messing up the timeline of events too much. But I might take a short break from the series and in fact I restarted both the original Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantaxy X-2. We'll see which ones will get priority.

[Cyrrex]

Lol, yeah, all that is pretty spot on.  Where every other game ever made cuts the action and instantly transports you from A to B to move the plot along, the Legend series has an hour long conversation, a few support quests and a 30 minute journey capped off when another 30 minutes of dialog.  Every single time.  It sometimes annoys, but it is what adds so much depth to it and makes it so unique.

[Jeff Kelly]

Picross S4 just came out so that’s what I’ll be doing for the next couple of days

[Riggswolfe]

I've been on an RPG kick and Covid has given me time to do it since I'm not seeing friends or family. Just finished Greedfall and am now starting Mount and Blade Bannerlord on my PC and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen on my Xbox.

[01101010]

Picked up Snowrunner because I am old. 

[Falconeer]

I want it too, because I am old and that was one of my dream jobs. I like to tell myself that I kind of did it for a while, in Colorado. Not entirely true, but not entirely false either.

[Khaldun]

Decided to get my young adult nieces and nephews and my siblings to play a family server of Conan Exiles. Remembered to turn off nudity first thankfully.

Some polish to the game since last I played--can't cheese the bosses, there's some weird corrupted monsters spawning even in n00b areas that add some spice to things, named NPCs in new places. Overall runs well. Folks seem to like the range of things to build--as I put it to them, it's Minecraft with human sacrifice and consumable human body parts. (But no dongs in this case.)

[schild]

that almost makes me want to turn our server back on.

[Sky]

The best review I can give to Days Gone is that I'm still playing after the story ends. And I'm only doing that to finish gearing up for New Game+.

The handful of long open world games I've continued to play after finishing the story is basically non-existant. I rarely make it to the end of the story because dicking around in the world is usually more fun than the story. Days Gone is FAR from perfect, but the story warms up quite a lot, I wish it didn't start out so clunky, as it doesn't do the later parts justice.

The previous open worlder I played was AC Origins, and I really enjoyed it. But even before I got to the DLC, I just finished the main plot and took a break that I never returned from. And it made me hesitant to start playing AC Odyssey. With Days Gone, not only am I still playing, I'm psyched for a sequel. Heck, I can barely remember any characters other than the wife in AC Origins.

[Raguel]

So I bought a ton of games recently and I'm playing SWTOR. 

In my defense, I'm an idiot.

Also, the game seems more fun. Definitely more streamlined (barely need to do more than just story sub 50 to level; travel is easier).

As always the worst thing about mmos are the people. There's no kill stealing but people will take your mission item while you are clearing mobs. 

I wanted to play the new content (well, new to me; I think I left after Hutt Cartel but before space pvp) so I sub'd for awhile.

I'm basically starting from scratch. I had access to two accts but I'm playing the one with hardly any legacy because I'm waiting for the user/pass for the other one (don't tell EA plz)

[01101010]

I want it too, because I am old and that was one of my dream jobs. I like to tell myself that I kind of did it for a while, in Colorado. Not entirely true, but not entirely false either.

It is quite engrossing for whatever reason. More like a puzzle game really... never thought myself a machine sim guy, but here we are. This and Farm Sim19 have taken me... and I gotta say, my blood pressure is thanking me.

[Hawkbit]

The best review I can give to Days Gone is that I'm still playing after the story ends. And I'm only doing that to finish gearing up for New Game+.

The handful of long open world games I've continued to play after finishing the story is basically non-existant. I rarely make it to the end of the story because dicking around in the world is usually more fun than the story. Days Gone is FAR from perfect, but the story warms up quite a lot, I wish it didn't start out so clunky, as it doesn't do the later parts justice.

The previous open worlder I played was AC Origins, and I really enjoyed it. But even before I got to the DLC, I just finished the main plot and took a break that I never returned from. And it made me hesitant to start playing AC Odyssey. With Days Gone, not only am I still playing, I'm psyched for a sequel. Heck, I can barely remember any characters other than the wife in AC Origins.

Did you like Horizon Zero Dawn? Wondering, because Days Gone didn't grab me in the first few hours so I never went back. Maybe I need to try again.

Regarding the newest AC games, I enjoyed the combat of Origins much more than Odyssey. I enjoy the open world of Odyssey more than Origins. Odyssey feels almost too big; I think my save is at 100+ hours and I still haven't finished the primary storyline. Working on that now though.

[Mosesandstick]

So I bought a ton of games recently and I'm playing SWTOR. 

I think I did a one-time sub a couple years back for a May 4th promotion. I was hoping they'd have something similar this year, the flashpoints were still some of the most fun I've had in a MMORPG. The game is definitely better and easier to get through than it was at launch.

[Sky]

Did you like Horizon Zero Dawn? Wondering, because Days Gone didn't grab me in the first few hours so I never went back. Maybe I need to try again.

Regarding the newest AC games, I enjoyed the combat of Origins much more than Odyssey. I enjoy the open world of Odyssey more than Origins. Odyssey feels almost too big; I think my save is at 100+ hours and I still haven't finished the primary storyline. Working on that now though.

I loved HZD and plowed through it way too fast, including the DLC. The primitive/sci-fi hook is one of my favorites. If you already have it, I feel it's worth another shot. While the gameplay grew on me steadily, the characters and story started to really pull me in once I started working the Lost Lake camp.

Pro-tip: don't grind camp favor with the 1st two camps early; Lost Lake will have the better guns (quality level matters, Tucker's guns are shabby) and also a decent selection of bike parts. Don't forget to upgrade gun clips, which can only be done at the vendor that sells that gun.

I used the M14 primary, lil stubby sidearm, and drifter crossbow for most of the early game. With stats and skills so low, I focused on stealth and sniping. The crossbow is easier to make ammo for early on and saves money on silencers (and for burning nests, the flaming bolt is more efficient than moltovs...1 kerosene = 3 bolts vs 1 moltov). The M14 is a decent ghetto sniper rifle (no scope, use focus) and the stubby is a great ghetto shotgun/close combat.

The story works, my only complaint are a few spots where you'd obviously not fall for the plot device, but most of those scenes set up something later, so as time went on I didn't mind them as much.

And my other pro-tip is to set up your aiming mechanics in options. I had to spend a while tweaking and testing, but the motion aiming is really amazing and I will miss it in any game that gives me a gun. It's not perfect, but it helps me enjoy a thumbstick shooter (that didn't have lock-on targeting), which is a first. Oh, and there is an option to automagically execute the QTE stuff, unless you somehow enjoy those.

[Goumindong]

I have been playing a LOT of battletech lately and it holds me pretty well. I think its the music.

[Sky]

Just wrapped up my first run of Days Gone. After the credits roll, there are several nice character wrap-ups and a setup for a sequel/dlc. I also decided to 100% the hordes and collect the IPCA Tech (I had missed one early on) to set up my NG+ with a few nice toys.

[Mosesandstick]

Just finished Mass Effect 3, and some thoughts (spoilers), insteading of reviving the old ME3 thread . I played with all the DLC so I got to experience the Extended Cut, the background to the Catalyst via Leviathan and the feel-good Citadel DLC. I also re-read the old ME3 thread after finishing the game

- ME3 follows Bioware's traditional strengths and weaknesses. It has strong characters, side-stories and self-contained arcs, while the main plot is much weaker. I found ME3's main plot weak from the get-go, and a lot of that is due to the use of the Crucible. I was surprised that there wasn't more feedback on ME3's overaching main "hook", but I think the characters and other stories overshadowed it for a lot of players.
- The ending is terrible, though I think a fair amount of that is due to the overall main arc for ME3 being bad. I think Bioware deserved the flack for making an ending that is out of sync with the rest of the trilogy and how they sold and advertised the games.
- Otherwise it's an amazing game, and I think probably my favourite trilogy of games ever. The series is one of the best examples I can think of for removing a lot of the drudgery, fluff and time-wasting from RPGs and leaving a less-is-more RPG. I just wish I didn't have to tour the whole damn Normandy every time to get 2 lines of feedback from my squad.
- It's also another RPG where DLC messes with the base game both mechanically and its flow. I nearly lost out on a squadmate because new travel options meant I side-stepped a 30 second cutscene.

[Cyrrex]

Just finished Mass Effect 3, and some thoughts (spoilers), insteading of reviving the old ME3 thread . I played with all the DLC so I got to experience the Extended Cut, the background to the Catalyst via Leviathan and the feel-good Citadel DLC. I also re-read the old ME3 thread after finishing the game

- ME3 follows Bioware's traditional strengths and weaknesses. It has strong characters, side-stories and self-contained arcs, while the main plot is much weaker. I found ME3's main plot weak from the get-go, and a lot of that is due to the use of the Crucible. I was surprised that there wasn't more feedback on ME3's overaching main "hook", but I think the characters and other stories overshadowed it for a lot of players.
- The ending is terrible, though I think a fair amount of that is due to the overall main arc for ME3 being bad. I think Bioware deserved the flack for making an ending that is out of sync with the rest of the trilogy and how they sold and advertised the games.
- Otherwise it's an amazing game, and I think probably my favourite trilogy of games ever. The series is one of the best examples I can think of for removing a lot of the drudgery, fluff and time-wasting from RPGs and leaving a less-is-more RPG. I just wish I didn't have to tour the whole damn Normandy every time to get 2 lines of feedback from my squad.
- It's also another RPG where DLC messes with the base game both mechanically and its flow. I nearly lost out on a squadmate because new travel options meant I side-stepped a 30 second cutscene.

The recent posts on this game have made me consider giving it all a replay....but isn't the first one full of dreary planet driving bullshit?  Or can you skip that stuff?