Video Games: Grinding To Oblivion

[KiDisaster]

Hmm...was the GTA5 thread deleted for some reason or am I just completely blind?

[Slurktan]

I had a 2-hour long argument with a couple of 20-year-olds at work about T:2... They said it sucked, I said they were stupid/spoiled. Fucking kids today.

I assume the 20 year olds pointed out how incredibly fucking stupid the plot in that in had Sarah Connor attempting to create a timeloop without somehow figuring that out? Anyone who thinks T2 is a good movie just doesn't think and likes explosions that go boom and rose petals being crushed by biker boots.

[Shryke]

I assume the 20 year olds pointed out how incredibly fucking stupid the plot in that in had Sarah Connor attempting to create a timeloop without somehow figuring that out? Anyone who thinks T2 is a good movie just doesn't think and likes explosions that go boom and rose petals being crushed by biker boots.

No, anyone who likes T2 is someone who knows what a good movie looks like and isn't endlessly distracted by stupid, irrelevant and often-non-existent nitpicks.

[Slurktan]

No, anyone who likes T2 is someone who knows what a good movie looks like and isn't endlessly distracted by stupid, irrelevant and often-non-existent nitpicks.

The actual plot of the movie and by extension series somehow isn't relevant to the movie in question?

[Durckad]

My Top 5 of this Generation, in no order, because that would be difficult. :)

Bioshock: Infinite

Civilization 5

Mass Effect 1

X-Com: Enemy Unknown

Legend of Grimrock

[Relic]

Hmm...was the GTA5 thread deleted for some reason or am I just completely blind?

Looks that way. No idea why that would be, maybe Wert got bored?

[Francis Buck]

The only games that instantly jump out to me as "games of the generation" are Dark Souls and The Last of Us. If I had to mention others, I'd probably add either Bioshock 1 or Infinite (tough to decide which), but more so because of storytelling/artistic innovations more than actual gameplay. The Mass Effect series, though not one of my all-time favorites, should probably be in there as well. It did a lot of really unique shit and is definitely in a category entirely its own.

I'm hesitant to rank GTAV in there, despite how much fun I'm having with it. While it is ridiculously ambitious (certainly one of the most ambitious games of all time), at the end of the day it still just kinda feels like...a new GTA game. Which I guess sounds like I'm being unfair, but that's pretty much how I feel. It still feels like it's a bit caught in the past, mechanically speaking, and I think the next real installment in the series should attempt some serious innovations. I don't know what they'd be, but I think it's gradually becoming necessary. Having three playable characters was an excellent step in the right direction.

[Sci-2]

Regarding games of this generation, I think if you're going to go with products that changed the playing field you have think about games like Angry Birds, Super Meatboy, and others that pushed app games and indie games.

Also Double Fine's first big Kickstarter success, even if the game isn't out yet, has that also helped shift how designers get funding.

[Kaldaur]

State of Decay has been pre-released on Steam for PC, you need a compatible controller right now to play it but keyboard support is on the way. It's a fun sandbox zombie game, worth a Let's Play watch to see if you'd be interested in giving it a go.

[Werthead]

Looks that way. No idea why that would be, maybe Wert got bored?

I don't have modpower on Ent. so, no. What the heck?

[Fiddler]

State of Decay has been pre-released on Steam for PC, you need a compatible controller right now to play it but keyboard support is on the way. It's a fun sandbox zombie game, worth a Let's Play watch to see if you'd be interested in giving it a go.

I got it on xbl and love it. It is tense, dangerous and vicious. Very good game.

[Muttering Bill]

Finihsed Diablo 3 on normal. I was a bit irritated that during the last 2 acts I got, maybe, 2 pieces of gear that was better than what I was already using. But overall it was very enjoyable. I'm going to give it a little rest though, so I can finish Bioshock: Infinite and Arkham Asylum.

And speaking of Bioshock: Infinite... is the whole city just one big carnival? I know I'm still pretty early into the game (at the Hall of Heroes), but so far that all the city has been. I like the game, but the setting is already getting tired.

[Merentha]

So, working through my Steam backlog, I started The Void. Its Russian gamey as hell, in that the rules of the gameworld are vague, I already suspect that my mentor has been giving me either false or misleading information, and I think one of the major mechanics just doesn't work. My Color leaking into the Void, which reportedly has effects, doesn't appear to actually have any, which I'm quite okay with. It reminds me a lot of EYE: The Divine Cybermancy, with a little less "what the fuuuuck" and a lot less cyberpunk explosiontime.

On the other hand, its a great game. Some very cool visuals, an awesome art design (mostly), and its also Russianly atmospheric. I wish the Sisters would stop taking their clothes off whenever I talk to them (seriously, on the normal view they're clothed, then whenever an interaction happens, their pretty cool design vanishes and they get shrouded in glowy shit) but they're suitably just-off-putting enough that it isn't actually titillating or porny, nor do I think its actually intended to be. I'm really curious as to where it goes, the Brothers just showed up to try to teach me.

All I know is, they did a great job of capturing the feeling of being a lost soul roaming through an endless Abyss that plays mostly by dreamworld rules.

[Ser Rodrigo Belmonte]

Anyone here would recommend Mirror's Edge and/or the upcoming prequel? ? I never played the first, bit curious about this game.

[Sad King Billy]

So, working through my Steam backlog, I started The Void. Its Russian gamey as hell, in that the rules of the gameworld are vague, I already suspect that my mentor has been giving me either false or misleading information, and I think one of the major mechanics just doesn't work. My Color leaking into the Void, which reportedly has effects, doesn't appear to actually have any, which I'm quite okay with. It reminds me a lot of EYE: The Divine Cybermancy, with a little less "what the fuuuuck" and a lot less cyberpunk explosiontime.

On the other hand, its a great game. Some very cool visuals, an awesome art design (mostly), and its also Russianly atmospheric. I wish the Sisters would stop taking their clothes off whenever I talk to them (seriously, on the normal view they're clothed, then whenever an interaction happens, their pretty cool design vanishes and they get shrouded in glowy shit) but they're suitably just-off-putting enough that it isn't actually titillating or porny, nor do I think its actually intended to be. I'm really curious as to where it goes, the Brothers just showed up to try to teach me.

All I know is, they did a great job of capturing the feeling of being a lost soul roaming through an endless Abyss that plays mostly by dreamworld rules.

Yes. The void is one of the best, weird games I've ever played.

Though one of the problems with discussing it is that, well, it deliberately obfuscates gameplay elements, and talking about them (and their gradual reveal) is probably spoilerific. I'm not entirely sure what you mean with the "leaking into the void" stuff though. Could it be that you have colour in your hearts while your nerva (? the "refined" colour, that you use for attacks and spells and stuff) reservoir for that colour is full? There is another thing it could be, but that would be a spoiler.

it's also the only video game I can think of that has female nudity that I would call artful nudity rather than titillating or porny. There is a certain innocence about the sisters that isn't present in other games with nudity. Also the player character is technically nude whenever you open the spirit menu or whatever it's called. It also pays to take note of how the Sisters animate in their chambers. Some of them are quite passive in their motions while others are very animated, and their motions somehow make a great deal of sense given their respective personalities.

All I know is, they did a great job of capturing the feeling of being a lost soul roaming through an endless Abyss that plays mostly by dreamworld rules.

QFT.

Could you do me a favour? When you get to the endgame, could you come back and give your opinion on the Sisters and the overall game?

P.S.: the devs, icepick lodge, had a kickstarter for a new game, knock-knock. The kickstarter is long past, but the video is suitably weird:

Anyone here would recommend Mirror's Edge and/or the upcoming prequel? ? I never played the first, bit curious about this game.

mirror's edge is a great first-person platformer - though some people got motion sickness from it. I really liked the jumping and running/parcouring everywhere.

The writing/plot is pretty terrible though.

[Werthead]

Anyone here would recommend Mirror's Edge and/or the upcoming prequel? ? I never played the first, bit curious about this game.

It's good. The running/parcour stuff is cool, the art design (both in-game and cut scene) is awesome and it doesn't outstay its welcome. On the downside, combat is atrocious. I really wish they hadn't bothered including it at all, as it dilutes what the game is about.

[Fez]

And speaking of Bioshock: Infinite... is the whole city just one big carnival? I know I'm still pretty early into the game (at the Hall of Heroes), but so far that all the city has been. I like the game, but the setting is already getting tired.

Sort of, although there's a pretty big tonal shift heading your way in a few hours. And even before that, there's never again anything quite as...whatever adjective describes the Hall of Heroes... as the Hall of Heroes.

[Merentha]

It's good. The running/parcour stuff is cool, the art design (both in-game and cut scene) is awesome and it doesn't outstay its welcome. On the downside, combat is atrocious. I really wish they hadn't bothered including it at all, as it dilutes what the game is about.

Then you'll be excited to know that marketing for Mirror's Edge 2 seems to be saying that they've improved it and made it far more essential to the game, rather than just stripping it out like pretty much everyone reasonable wanted! ME is a fun game. Not worth full price when it game out, but probably worth whatever its going for now. The timetrial section is also great fun, there's some insane stuff you can do in the game world.

Though one of the problems with discussing it is that, well, it deliberately obfuscates gameplay elements, and talking about them (and their gradual reveal) is probably spoilerific. I'm not entirely sure what you mean with the "leaking into the void" stuff though. Could it be that you have colour in your hearts while your nerva (? the "refined" colour, that you use for attacks and spells and stuff) reservoir for that colour is full? There is another thing it could be, but that would be a spoiler.

When I open my journal and look at the Void tab, it shows all the colors, with percentages that roughly seem to line up with how I've used them. If you hover over the text, it says stuff like "excess gold in the void makes the void jealous, and the brothers are more likely to rip out the hearts of sisters" or "excess crimson makes all attacks everywhere do more damage, and increases the predators. Basically the opposite of having Color in your Hearts. There's also a little thing if you're not hovering over them that basically seems to say that whenever you use Color, small, small amounts of it are lost to the Void, which is where I assume the Color in the Void is. The thing is, I don't notice these effects at all, so I can only assume that they either are so low effect as to only matter over a long game, or they're simply not in the game. None of the Sisters have said anything about it yet, and I only learned about it because I really like poking in journals for game rules and lore and flavor and stuff.

Could you do me a favour? When you get to the endgame, could you come back and give your opinion on the Sisters and the overall game?

Sure!

[Sad King Billy]

Then you'll be excited to know that marketing for Mirror's Edge 2 seems to be saying that they've improved it and made it far more essential to the game, rather than just stripping it out like pretty much everyone reasonable wanted! ME is a fun game. Not worth full price when it game out, but probably worth whatever its going for now. The timetrial section is also great fun, there's some insane stuff you can do in the game world.

When I open my journal and look at the Void tab, it shows all the colors, with percentages that roughly seem to line up with how I've used them. If you hover over the text, it says stuff like "excess gold in the void makes the void jealous, and the brothers are more likely to rip out the hearts of sisters" or "excess crimson makes all attacks everywhere do more damage, and increases the predators. Basically the opposite of having Color in your Hearts. There's also a little thing if you're not hovering over them that basically seems to say that whenever you use Color, small, small amounts of it are lost to the Void, which is where I assume the Color in the Void is. The thing is, I don't notice these effects at all, so I can only assume that they either are so low effect as to only matter over a long game, or they're simply not in the game. None of the Sisters have said anything about it yet, and I only learned about it because I really like poking in journals for game rules and lore and flavor and stuff.

Sure!

I'm not telling :devil: (well, ok. I will say that the percentages are relative to your use. Aka if you start the game and only use 25 azure to grow a tree, then it will show 100% azure. If you then use 30 silver to kill a predator, it will show 55% silver, 45% gold (or whatever, I'm making these numbers up as I go). Anything else is up to you to discover :)

[Horus Ex Machina]

Saints Row 4 and GTA 5 are both out and I'm torn on which I will buy. On one hand GTA is the masterclass, but Saints Row 2 was some of the most fun I've had sandbox gaming in years and some of what's come out on SR4 sounds pretty good. I love being able to create my own character too. On the other hand I still haven't even bought Tomb Raider and I've wanted that for months. And FIFA 14 comes out soon but I may be done with that franchise for the time being. Ahh decisions...