Video Games: May the force of your wallet be with you

[Jace, Extat]

Yeah to both of you, I loved being a Chiss Agent. But parts of the story are off limits unless you're doing the raids or whatever and I have no interest in that stuff.

I got through most of the Sith Inquisitor except for the aforementioned restricted content, but I was really put off by missing chunks of the story.

And the further the expansions go the stupider the underlying plot becomes.

[Rhom]

I never did any raids, but the group finder for the regular instances always worked well for me.

I think it’s funny that all three of us say that Agent is the best storyline... but it’s likely the least Star Warsy of all eight possibilities.  

[Ferrum Aeternum]

1 hour ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Yeah to both of you, I loved being a Chiss Agent. But parts of the story are off limits unless you're doing the raids or whatever and I have no interest in that stuff.

I got through most of the Sith Inquisitor except for the aforementioned restricted content, but I was really put off by missing chunks of the story.

And the further the expansions go the stupider the underlying plot becomes.

The last couple of years they've made it to where you don't really miss any of the story anymore. The Operations (raids) are all standalone and unrelated to the class stories, and all of the Flashpoints have a solo mode if you don't want to bother with group finder. 

The latter expansions are a mixed bag. There's some great plot points, and some really stupid ones. And aside from a few tweaks here and there, all the expansions are one unified story so the uniqueness of the class stories is mostly gone. 

[Caligula_K3]

I've been thinking about going through SWTOR too. My friend and I played a bit of it as a coop game a while back (I was a smuggler, he a Jedi) but didn't get too far. If I can play it as essentially a single player game I'd be happy to put some time into it.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

20 minutes ago, Caligula_K3 said:

I've been thinking about going through SWTOR too. My friend and I played a bit of it as a coop game a while back (I was a smuggler, he a Jedi) but didn't get too far. If I can play it as essentially a single player game I'd be happy to put some time into it.

It's much easier to play through as a single player experience since the last few expansions boosted companions and added solo modes for Flashpoints. Plenty of folks play it like that. 

As someone who's played it off and on since launch, I would say it's worth a few months' subscription just to play through the class stories. Then if you decide you like it you can keep going. 

[Werthead]

This may shatter your worldview, but a new Tomb Raider game is coming. Almost certainly to be called Shadow of the Tomb Raider, as previously hinted (the first letter of every sentence in Square's official announcement spells SHADOW).

[Werthead]

The Laboratory DLC for Warhammer 2 looks very silly indeed, but possibly fun.

[Corvinus85]

12 hours ago, Werthead said:

The Laboratory DLC for Warhammer 2 looks very silly indeed, but possibly fun.

Really silly. I don't wish to overtax my PC, and I can more about a good campaign, not fooling around with custom battles.

[Corvinus85]

In my campaign for XCOM2: War of the Chosen, I had back-to-back an awesome mission, and a terrible one.

The awesome mission was that I manged to kill one of the Chosen, the Assassin, in her lair, without any casualties. I was quite pleased how I managed the mission, except for the final confrontation with the Assassin, where I got a bit desperate. I had 2 Reapers on the mission, the one you get initially, and one I managed to get with a covert action, and they were outstanding.

The terrible mission was a total clusterfuck. With my main guys wounded or tired following the Assassin battle, I sent another squad, not a bad one by any means on one of those missions to extract a VIP and additional operatives from a Lost-infested city. Besides there being a ton of Lost, I had to deal with plenty of Advent troops as well in the form of about half a dozen Codex creatures, and a couple of Andromedons + the fucking Berserker Queen; it turned into a running, three way battle. On the positive side, I managed to actually get the VIP out of there, who just ran like a boss through the battlefield, plus one of the two bonus operatives (the other one bled out, as I was unable to get anyone to him, and my medic had been knocked unconscious); and I was able to kill the Berserker Queen. On the negative side, my medic got captured, (luckily she is the secondary medic) and two other squadmates got killed, one of them the one Templar I had, and I ended up losing a bunch of useful gear; the two sharpshooters I had on the mission were the heroes, taking out both Advent and Lost with great efficiency. 

[Eggegg]

17 minutes ago, Corvinus said:

In my campaign for XCOM2: War of the Chosen, I had back-to-back an awesome mission, and a terrible one.

The awesome mission was that I manged to kill one of the Chosen, the Assassin, in her lair, without any casualties. I was quite pleased how I managed the mission, except for the final confrontation with the Assassin, where I got a bit desperate. I had 2 Reapers on the mission, the one you get initially, and one I managed to get with a covert action, and they were outstanding.

The terrible mission was a total clusterfuck. With my main guys wounded or tired following the Assassin battle, I sent another squad, not a bad one by any means on one of those missions to extract a VIP and additional operatives from a Lost-infested city. Besides there being a ton of Lost, I had to deal with plenty of Advent troops as well in the form of about half a dozen Codex creatures, and a couple of Andromedons + the fucking Berserker Queen; it turned into a running, three way battle. On the positive side, I managed to actually get the VIP out of there, who just ran like a boss through the battlefield, plus one of the two bonus operatives (the other one bled out, as I was unable to get anyone to him, and my medic had been knocked unconscious); and I was able to kill the Berserker Queen. On the negative side, my medic got captured, (luckily she is the secondary medic) and two other squadmates got killed, one of them the one Templar I had, and I ended up losing a bunch of useful gear; the two sharpshooters I had on the mission were the heroes, taking out both Advent and Lost with great efficiency. 

How is the game in general? I considered getting it as Xcom and Xcom2 are incredible games, but somehow I didn't see much in this that really made me think I should pay money for it.

[Werthead]

I've considered War of the Chosen and will probably get it when it's cheap. Any excuse to revisit the XCOM formula. But yeah, I'm far, far more excited about Phoenix Point (from the original creator of the first X-COM), which looks like a really fresh and interesting spin on the same paradigm. War of the Chosen is going a bit too far in the direction of adding to many new factors, mechanics and whackiness to the formula.

The XCOM franchise has always had this problem that the original UFO Defence/Enemy Unknown gameplay and time period is by the far most engrossing and interesting, and the more they move away from that the weaker the games seem to get.

[Corvinus85]

42 minutes ago, Eggegg said:

How is the game in general? I considered getting it as Xcom and Xcom2 are incredible games, but somehow I didn't see much in this that really made me think I should pay money for it.

The added mechanics have increased the length of the campaign, but there is also more welcomed variety. The game is a bit more challenging, but the Chosen are not ridiculously overpowered, so you can defeat them in missions. But they don't die until you attack them in their stronghold. Also, losing a developed squadmate isn't quite such a huge loss as before, because the game forces you this time to develop more soldiers than just a handful.

5 minutes ago, Werthead said:

I've considered War of the Chosen and will probably get it when it's cheap. Any excuse to revisit the XCOM formula. But yeah, I'm far, far more excited about Phoenix Point (from the original creator of the first X-COM), which looks like a really fresh and interesting spin on the same paradigm. War of the Chosen is going a bit too far in the direction of adding to many new factors, mechanics and whackiness to the formula.

I think they were certainly influenced by the Long War mod, but it's still more manageable. I tried that mod for the vanilla game, and it was too much.

Also, the Chosen have some fun dialogue. In missions, they not only tease you (the Commander), but also talk shit to any faction soldier present (Reaper, Skirmisher, Templar).

The only new feature I totally dislike is the photo op BS for your squads and dead soldiers.

[Rhom]

@Ferrum Aeternum @Pony Queen Jace

I am in the process of downloading the game.  Its far enough in progress that I can start a character on a starting planet if I want and I can see my characters.

6 of 7 characters need a rename.   

Several of those are characters that were renamed at least once already, so I'll just hope that when I can log in that the original name has now lapsed and I can take it back.  

Its also saying that I've only finished one storyline of the eight, but I know that I finished both the Trooper and the Agent, so will have to see what they aren't counting now.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

1 minute ago, Rhom said:

@Ferrum Aeternum @Pony Queen Jace

I am in the process of downloading the game.  Its far enough in progress that I can start a character on a starting planet if I want and I can see my characters.

6 of 7 characters need a rename.   

Several of those are characters that were renamed at least once already, so I'll just hope that when I can log in that the original name has now lapsed and I can take it back.  

Its also saying that I've only finished one storyline of the eight, but I know that I finished both the Trooper and the Agent, so will have to see what they aren't counting now.

FYI - naming conventions can now include a space, so you can give characters first and last names irrespective of Legacy. 

Is it down to just one megaserver now? I read about what they were doing with the servers a few months back but I've forgotten the details.

[Jace, Extat]

7 minutes ago, Rhom said:

@Ferrum Aeternum @Pony Queen Jace

I am in the process of downloading the game.  Its far enough in progress that I can start a character on a starting planet if I want and I can see my characters.

6 of 7 characters need a rename.   

Several of those are characters that were renamed at least once already, so I'll just hope that when I can log in that the original name has now lapsed and I can take it back.  

Its also saying that I've only finished one storyline of the eight, but I know that I finished both the Trooper and the Agent, so will have to see what they aren't counting now.

You're really making me pine for being a Chiss agent...

[Rhom]

32 minutes ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

FYI - naming conventions can now include a space, so you can give characters first and last names irrespective of Legacy. 

Is it down to just one megaserver now? I read about what they were doing with the servers a few months back but I've forgotten the details.

There seems to be two US servers.  One says "Standard" and the other says "Light."

While it continues to download, I thought I'd create a new character just to see what was different there.  You apparently choose your advanced class right there on the creation screen.  I made a Trooper on the other server and was prompted to choose Commando/Vanguard on the creation screen.  Also, when I got in game there was a toggle switch down near the lower right HUD and it said Dark/Light.  Don't know how that's used or if there is an alignment system at all.   

27 minutes ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

You're really making me pine for being a Chiss agent...

I'll let you know how she looks when I get in.  (And if I can give her a name... )

[Ferrum Aeternum]

17 minutes ago, Rhom said:

There seems to be two US servers.  One says "Standard" and the other says "Light."

While it continues to download, I thought I'd create a new character just to see what was different there.  You apparently choose your advanced class right there on the creation screen.  I made a Trooper on the other server and was prompted to choose Commando/Vanguard on the creation screen.  Also, when I got in game there was a toggle switch down near the lower right HUD and it said Dark/Light.  Don't know how that's used or if there is an alignment system at all.   

Hmm. I'll log in later and see if I can figure out what's going on with the servers. 

Yes, Advanced Classes are now chosen at creation, which I find to be a plus. The Dark/Light toggle is related to a game mechanic that was introduced in the last year. I can't say I fully understand it but...basically whichever one you toggle determines which way your character leans (and thus which alignment you gain points toward) regardless of which dialogue actions you choose. 

[Rhom]

8 minutes ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

Hmm. I'll log in later and see if I can figure out what's going on with the servers. 

Yes, Advanced Classes are now chosen at creation, which I find to be a plus. The Dark/Light toggle is related to a game mechanic that was introduced in the last year. I can't say I fully understand it but...basically whichever one you toggle determines which way your character leans (and thus which alignment you gain points toward) regardless of which dialogue actions you choose. 

So it lets you be a dick, but still be light side?  Doesn't make a lot of sense...

[Rhom]

Hmmmm... according to my account page, the last time I played the game looks to have been 2015.  That was before I switched to electronic health records here at the office.  They are cloud based and have a constant internet connection.

As I've been downloading the game back here in my office, my staff at the front desk asked me if my office software is running really slow too because they are having a lot of lag.    

 

[Rhom]

 

After feeling overwhelmed sorting out my level 50 characters.  I stepped back and got on the Sith Sorcerer at level 13.  Once I get the hang of that, I will continue the others.

@Ferrum Aeternum Do companions not have their own armor any more?  My big ugly guy could equip a weapon and a character customization, but didn’t seem to have armor slots.