Video Games Thread: For the Love of Zeus, Give Me One!

[Muttering Bill]

Play it for another 3.5 hours and if you still like Battlefront, you're legally braindead.

Games don't have to be technically good to be fun.

Yep, I'm enjoying it a lot too. I think the fact that I'm playing with a ps4 pad makes it a super casual experience for me. I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of FPS aiming with a gamepad instead of a mouse. I can't seem to control the ships to save my life. The game is a fun though, and sure is a looker.

I've never PC'd, so aiming is just...  normal, I guess.  I take it casually too though, because I'm not especially good at it.  I don't mind, as long as I feel like I had a chance (looking at you Destiny ).  There have been a few incidences - like just yesterday when I got spawned in front of an enemy droid 4 or 5 times in a row.  I'll just chock that up to bad luck and move on.  Overall it's been a much more enjoyable experience than other fps's.  But it does seem to have been designed with a more casual audience in mind.

I've been enjoying Fighter Squadron the most.  Even if it is rather basic.  It's probably the closest we're going to get to a new Rogue Squadron for a while.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I'm still enjoying Battlefront too. It's just goofy, mindless fun - I'll log on for a session or two of Walker Assault every night to blow off steam, zap some stormtroopers and laugh at the silliness of it. The only players who look braindead to me are the very few who take it seriously, swearing at others in map chat, etc. That's not the kind of game this is and virtually everyone else knows it.

[Pliskin]

That's... not a good sign. My big fear is that he was being pushed to make the game even more open-world and Bethesda-y than DA:I was and he didn't want that. On the other hand, his big mark before this was with Gears of War; so maybe he was focusing too much on the combat and the story was suffering. In which case this could maybe improve things.

Or maybe he thought like any sane person that a game scheduled for less than a year and no in-game glimpse whatsoever would be impossible without selling the whole game as a bunch of 60$ DLCs. And maybe he thought as any sane person that... enough is enough with that EA DLC and unfinished games bullshit.

[Alcibiades]

I am going to be wary of the new Mass Effect. I really love the series, but ME3 is the only game I've ever played where I thought essential bits were locked away in DLC. I could well end up waiting a year and getting some kind of complete or goty edition.

[Pliskin]

Well, the thing is... there are no complete editions of ME3. I had to buy the DLCs on sale, and it was still more expensive that the entire ME trilogy.

Bethesda and other editors at least have the decency to give you a complete edition (with a normal price for a game) once all the DLCs are available.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

Maybe that's why I didn't like the beta. I like multiplayer to be competitive. You can have fun and mess around, sure, but I want to be allowed to be competitive if I want.

[Guess who's back]

Maybe that's why I didn't like the beta. I like multiplayer to be competitive. You can have fun and mess around, sure, but I want to be allowed to be competitive if I want.

I've never played Battlefront 3, but how can an online fps NOT be competitive? 

[Fez]

Or maybe he thought like any sane person that a game scheduled for less than a year and no in-game glimpse whatsoever would be impossible without selling the whole game as a bunch of 60$ DLCs. And maybe he thought as any sane person that... enough is enough with that EA DLC and unfinished games bullshit.

For the all the reasons to be concerned about the new Mass Effect, I don't think that's one of them. We didn't see anything of Fallout 4 until four months before its release. We have no idea where in the development cycle the game is.  Considering how much time they've already had, I wouldn't be at all surprised if most of the heavy coding (e.g. the combat system, enemy design, etc.) is already done and that he left over a fight about more top-level stuff.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I've never played Battlefront 3, but how can an online fps NOT be competitive? 

It's not Battlefront 3 for a start.  The beta was very confused and unbalanced and felt quite clunky to me. I'm sure it can be fun for casual players, but I think it's too random for it to be competitive. Yes, 1 team has to win, but I don't really think I was making a difference.

Of course I only played the beta for a few hours, so what do I know?

[Pliskin]

For the all the reasons to be concerned about the new Mass Effect, I don't think that's one of them. We didn't see anything of Fallout 4 until four months before its release. We have no idea where in the development cycle the game is.  Considering how much time they've already had, I wouldn't be at all surprised if most of the heavy coding (e.g. the combat system, enemy design, etc.) is already done and that he left over a fight about more top-level stuff.

Bethesda is not Bioware/EA.

Bethesda's last game was Skyrim (2011). They had plenty of time to work on new stuff, even if they didn't announce anything. They announced the game a few months before its release.

Bioware's last game was DA:I last year (let's not count their still active involvement in Star Wars). For comparison, DA:I begun development in 2011 for a late 2014 release. ME:A begun development mid 2014.

I mean, how could you not be concerned when ME3 already proved the point (and ME2 to a lesser extent): they sold half the game if not more through DLC (sorry if I'm over-exaggerating). Haven't played DA:I so I can't say anything about that.

[Fez]

Bethesda is not Bioware/EA.

Bethesda's last game was Skyrim (2011). They had plenty of time to work on new stuff, even if they didn't announce anything. They announced the game a few months before its release.

Bioware's last game was DA:I last year (let's not count their still active involvement in Star Wars). For comparison, DA:I begun development in 2011 for a late 2014 release. ME:A begun development mid 2014.

I mean, how could you not be concerned when ME3 already proved the point (and ME2 to a lesser extent): they sold half the game if not more through DLC (sorry if I'm over-exaggerating). Haven't played DA:I so I can't say anything about that.

The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series have completely separate teams works on them. Bioware announced in November 2012 that they were starting work on a new Mass Effect project and according to Casey Hudson they had actually started early concept stuff even before then. The game is currently slated to come out Q4 2016. Its going have had at least 4 years development.

Again, I'm really concerned about the game, but this isn't the reason why.

[Pliskin]

The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series have completely separate teams works on them. Bioware announced in November 2012 that they were starting work on a new Mass Effect project and according to Casey Hudson they had actually started early concept stuff even before then. The game is currently slated to come out Q4 2016. Its going have had at least 4 years development.

My bad, for the wrong date. Don't know why I believed that (and even misread when I verified it). I stand corrected.

Still, given ME3, that's my main concern.

[Red Tiger]

Games don't have to be technically good to be fun.

This, the game I just finished is technically brilliant, but I would rather put a gun in my mouth than play it again, cause it's fucking torture.

[Alcibiades]

This, the game I just finished is technically brilliant, but I would rather put a gun in my mouth than play it again, cause it's fucking torture.

Why did you play it to completion then?

[Red Tiger]

Why did you play it to completion then?

Out of principle, I spent money on it and frustrating parts (the endless dungeon crawling) aside, it is a really good game.

I don't talk shit about a game unless A. It was unbearably bad for long stretches or B. I finished it, but it wasnt much fun IMO.

[MerenthaClone]

It's not Battlefront 3 for a start.  The beta was very confused and unbalanced and felt quite clunky to me. I'm sure it can be fun for casual players, but I think it's too random for it to be competitive. Yes, 1 team has to win, but I don't really think I was making a difference.

Of course I only played the beta for a few hours, so what do I know?

Well, yeah, you got dumped into an unbalanced beta for a few hours when everyone else was just as clueless.  I was a little put off by the beta and decided to go for it.  Not bad, and I don't feel like I'm lacking content or anything, except for my stormtrooper customization options!  Helmetless stormies are just abominations so I have no options whatsoever until I get Scout Trooper at 40.

Anyhow, part of how its hard to be competitive in the big Walker Assault or Supremacy modes is that there are really just so many ways to die beyond your control that its not actually maddening.  Oh, an AT-AT is looking in your general direction?  Dead, and there's nothing you can do.  Skygod A-Wing flying around?  You're going to die.  Any of the heroes glance in your general direction?  Dead.  Come around a corner and there's a guy with a charged bowcaster waiting?  Dead.  And its generally okay, because your respawn time is so low and there are so many sources of it and when you get to control the AT-AT you rack up twenty kills in seconds, so while it feels streakier than other MP games, its not really frustrating like getting rolled by someone in Battlefield is.  If you want to be more competitive, the smaller modes are much better for it, but even the big modes have opportunities for you to really feel like you did something while giving you a proper sense of scale.  There's fuck-all a basic trooper can do to an AT-AT, and they do a good job of showing that while also giving you opportunities to do something.   

[Fez]

So there actually is one more game I've been thinking of getting during the steam sale, even though probably I won't get a chance to play it for weeks/months; Metal Gear Solid V. Even though I haven't played an MGS game since the original one back on the Playstation (and I'm pretty sure I never got past Psycho Mantis). What I'm wondering though is, 1) what's the story like? I know its not the main focus of the game and I don't care about the overarching series plot, but are there good individual story beats in the game? and 2) How fun is it actually? I've heard that the regular gameplay is great, but that the online component really is not; and that the post-release patches now force you to play online to have enough resources for the single player.

[Tyrellius]

How someone, anyone can play Star Wars Battlefront and not be filled with rage at what could have been a great game is beyond me.  It is not fun, the brilliant visuals and sounds are swamping your brain with nostalgia.  Its crap, you'll be pissed when the novelty wears off.  Dont even bother trying to defend it.  If you've got more than 15 hours in that game and still defend it, please state so, so I can ignore your posts from now on.

[Reny of Storms End]

Well, yeah, you got dumped into an unbalanced beta for a few hours when everyone else was just as clueless.  I was a little put off by the beta and decided to go for it.  Not bad, and I don't feel like I'm lacking content or anything, except for my stormtrooper customization options!  Helmetless stormies are just abominations so I have no options whatsoever until I get Scout Trooper at 40.

Anyhow, part of how its hard to be competitive in the big Walker Assault or Supremacy modes is that there are really just so many ways to die beyond your control that its not actually maddening.  Oh, an AT-AT is looking in your general direction?  Dead, and there's nothing you can do.  Skygod A-Wing flying around?  You're going to die.  Any of the heroes glance in your general direction?  Dead.  Come around a corner and there's a guy with a charged bowcaster waiting?  Dead.  And its generally okay, because your respawn time is so low and there are so many sources of it and when you get to control the AT-AT you rack up twenty kills in seconds, so while it feels streakier than other MP games, its not really frustrating like getting rolled by someone in Battlefield is.  If you want to be more competitive, the smaller modes are much better for it, but even the big modes have opportunities for you to really feel like you did something while giving you a proper sense of scale.  There's fuck-all a basic trooper can do to an AT-AT, and they do a good job of showing that while also giving you opportunities to do something.   

I feel like after just a few games it is really easy to know how to be effective in any game mode. So that's the competitive side. Guard the control points, capture pods, control droids, its all very easy to understand, and doing these things are how you can be competitive. Last game of Supremacy I played with 20 seconds left I stumbled upon 3 stormtroopers taking over our outpost, to win the game, as time expired. I killed them and so won the game for my team. I guess I just don't get the complaints that the game isn't competitive.

[Reny of Storms End]

How someone, anyone can play Star Wars Battlefront and not be filled with rage at what could have been a great game is beyond me.  It is not fun, the brilliant visuals and sounds are swamping your brain with nostalgia.  Its crap, you'll be pissed when the novelty wears off.  Dont even bother trying to defend it.  If you've got more than 15 hours in that game and still defend it, please state so, so I can ignore your posts from now on.

After your amazing critique of the game, who would even try to defend it?