Videogames: Perfect homies for the great indoors.

[Werthead]

3 hours ago, Rhom said:

Sometimes I forget just how miserable some gamers are as human beings.  Even with small things they are never happy.  I was on the GameFaqs message board for FFVII Remake and seems like half the topics were bitching about the textures in the game as if the graphics were inexcusable somehow?!!?

To be fair, there is apparently an actual bug in the game that's preventing the proper near-LOD textures loading as they should. Apparently a patch is due to fix it.

[Rhom]

And now I have whacked boxes enough times to get enough Moogle Medals for all the skill books.  

On the plus side, I also used the game to learn the Disorder skill from the ugly Nail Bat.  So I won’t have to be seen walking around with it.  

I hit the top score after just four or five runs, so now I’m mainly just queueing up the box whacking and waiting for a minute and a half to get the medal.

Guess if you were patient enough, you could get unlimited Gil this way.  Moogle Emporium sells Ether for 2 medals.  So every three-ish minutes you could get an Ether and then sell it for a couple hundred.  Money has been pretty scarce here in the early game, but I’m guessing that opens up more later.

ETA:  Scratch that.  They only have 18 in stock.  Still, Ethers aren’t all that common.  A little patience would get a nice supply.  But I don’t think it’s worth it.

[Werthead]

Completed Sniper Elite 4. That was unexpectedly short (12 hours) but pretty good. There is three more DLC with a new mission each but at £5 each that's more than I paid for the base game so nope.

I started Alien: Isolation and am wondering if this was the best choice of game to be playing right now. Tremendous design and atmosphere.

[Maia]

I go through periods of a few weeks of playing obssessively and then go on hiatus from gaming for months or even years. And for some bizarre reason while I had "Skyrim" for half a decade, I didn't start it until a few days ago. And I am obssessed again! Playing a stealthy character and it was huge fun so far. I am playing "naturally" - i.e. no training strategies, in fact no training until now, discovering alchemy recipes strictly in-game, etc. I am really impressed by the improvements to archery, stealth and the Thieves' Guild missions. And the atmosphere, of course, is really great, though this last is nothing new for the Elder Scrolls. Too bad that this is likely their last single-player installment in the series, what with the MMO apparently flourishing.

[Werthead]

17 minutes ago, Maia said:

I go through periods of a few weeks of playing obssessively and then go on hiatus from gaming for months or even years. And for some bizarre reason while I had "Skyrim" for half a decade, I didn't start it until a few days ago. And I am obssessed again! Playing a stealthy character and it was huge fun so far. I am playing "naturally" - i.e. no training strategies, in fact no training until now, discovering alchemy recipes strictly in-game, etc. I am really impressed by the improvements to archery, stealth and the Thieves' Guild missions. And the atmosphere, of course, is really great, though this last is nothing new for the Elder Scrolls. Too bad that this is likely their last single-player installment in the series, what with the MMO apparently flourishing.

They're making Elder Scrolls VI right now, although we'll be lucky to see it this side of 2024.

[Werthead]

Crysis Remastered is a thing.

The question is if it will once again be so far ahead of modern computing power that no-one can run it on "maximum detail" until five years after release.

[Toth]

I'm not exactly sure what my opinion is on capital ships in No Man's Sky. Ever since I was gifted mine, I only ever got very sporadically back into the game. At first I was really liking... the opportunity to get more goddamn inventory space... But that got crammed full really fast as my frigates brought back all kinds of advanced crafting items I have no use for. I still liked the atmosphere though. It does feel a bit like I'm scouting ahead of a ragtag fleet, it even looks a bit like Battlestar Galactica when the fleet warps in. I also like the idea of being able to enter all the ships. But the way it is implemented... The science vessels' splendid interior design really overshadows the main freighter. Especially because the capital ship basically only consists of two rooms, the bridge and the hydroponic garden, while you can explore all kinds of rooms in the science ship. Unfortunately the other ships suck, given that you are not allowed to enter them, but instead have to climb around the outside like an idiot. Which is especially infuriating at the mining ship whose area you have to navigate is basically just ludicrously long ladders that cause you to try to skip climbs with highly dangerous jetpack jumps out of sheer frustration.

Speaking of frigates, I am very annoyed that they break down if you look at them too strongly and I am also very annoyed that you keep getting forced to repair them by hand every single bloody time. I would appreciate it very much if their invisible crews were able to fix them with enough time if you have no patience to climb around these stupid mining ships like an idiot.

And then there is the hydroponic bay, the aspect I find the strangest. It is a really neat money-making machine. I planted a row of glowing orbs and a few of the pearl thingies, both of very high value (the wiki says the only more valuable thing is the "GekNip Plant" that I haven't seen yet) and it is indeed an awesome and very simple alternative to building a mining base... something I couldn't try yet because I have absolutely no idea whatsoever where to get the crafting materials for the survey scanner. -.- However the hydroponics bay has the huge downside of feeling like one of those crappy mobile games that want you to log in every few hours to tap at your plants to harvest them. That... is the thing that makes me not want to visit my freighter ever again. Ugh...

[RumHam]

Going back to the discussion on game length, I finished Resident Evil 3 a couple times and then replayed RE4 (which supposedly they're re-making in addition to doing RE8.) Maybe it's cause I'm getting older, but at ~16 hours Resident Evil 4 was just too damn long. Really dragged by the end.

The remake of three could have been a little longer, especially cause they cut some parts out. But when it comes to survival horror/shooting games I much prefer a 5-7 hour game over a 16 hour one.

Love the mercenaries mode in 4 though. I with they'd do a sequel to that 3DS mercenaries game. 

Rimwold has some new DLC so I'm looking forward to trying that next. 

[Werthead]

5 hours into Alien Isolation and I'm just at the part where the xenomorph becomes a free-roaming threat. According to various websites, the lowest timeframe for finishing the game is around 13-14 hours but that's apparently with a really good knowledge of where you're going and what you're doing. 17-20 hours is more normal, and 25 if you're a completionist ransacking every single room for every single bit of junk, which in this game is rather obviously not always possible or desirable. Even at 14 hours there seem to be complaints that this is far too long and it actually makes the game weaker, as you get to the point where the alien stops being scary and becomes more of a nuisance, with people sighing and reloading the game when it spots you, long before it actually attacks.

I did see some speedrun stats that got it down to well under 10 hours...by removing the alien by adjusting game files. That seems to be missing the point.

I also finished Sniper Elite 4 which was splendid fun and at 12 hours didn't outstay its welcome. With the dramatically differing realism levels it also has a fair bit of replayability.

[Jace, Extat]

1 minute ago, Werthead said:

5 hours into Alien Isolation and I'm just at the part where the xenomorph becomes a free-roaming threat. According to various websites, the lowest timeframe for finishing the game is around 13-14 hours but that's apparently with a really good knowledge of where you're going and what you're doing. 17-20 hours is more normal, and 25 if you're a completionist ransacking every single room for every single bit of junk, which in this game is rather obviously not always possible or desirable. Even at 14 hours there seem to be complaints that this is far too long and it actually makes the game weaker, as you get to the point where the alien stops being scary and becomes more of a nuisance, with people sighing and reloading the game when it spots you, long before it actually attacks.

I did see some speedrun stats that got it down to well under 10 hours...by removing the alien by adjusting game files. That seems to be missing the point.

Someone spent ten hours playing an Alien game they had taken the Alien out of...

[RumHam]

There needs to be a whole modding genre of somehow putting the Isolation Alien into games he doesn't belong in. Like Animal Crossing. 

[Werthead]

2 minutes ago, RumHam said:

There needs to be a whole modding genre of somehow putting the Isolation Alien into games he doesn't belong in. Like Animal Crossing. 

He actually did get added to The Sims 4. He can play guitar.

[Argonath Diver]

I was pretty sad when Fallout 76 was such a colossal failure at release. Mostly forgot about it since. A big new free expansion, however, seems to have brought some hype back. Also, I've a load of time on my hands.

Have any of you lads and lasses played it (the expansion, that is)? Response seems quite positive.

[Werthead]

Just now, Argonath Diver said:

I was pretty sad when Fallout 76 was such a colossal failure at release. Mostly forgot about it since. A big new free expansion, however, seems to have brought some hype back. Also, I've a load of time on my hands.

Have any of you lads and lasses played it (the expansion, that is)? Response seems quite positive.

I've been tempted to pick it up, but not impressed you have to pay even extra to get a private server where you can keep the number of randos down.

[Argonath Diver]

33 minutes ago, Werthead said:

I've been tempted to pick it up, but not impressed you have to pay even extra to get a private server where you can keep the number of randos down.

I noticed that, yes. Seems like the major complaint about their real-money stuff isn't completely squashed. Also looks like an infinite stash costs real money as well? I know quite little about the game despite loving the Fallout setting, and MMOs in general. Going to watch some gameplay on Twitch after dinner. I do enjoy online interaction, so I am not interested in a private server, really. 

If I pass on it, maybe I'll just reinstall Fallout 2 again. Hell I should do that regardless.

[A True Kaniggit]

After this newest patch I’m starting a new Stellaris. I’m hoping they fixed all the problems introduced in the last big update.

The Union of Democratic Systems (UDS) is once again bringing freedom to the galaxy (whether the galaxy wants it or not)

Edit: I found a very strange planet. It is Bleak (Life struggles to survive here) while also being Lush (Life thrives here) I don’t think those two modifiers are supposed to be on the same planet.

[red snow]

On 4/15/2020 at 9:45 PM, Rhom said:

And now I have whacked boxes enough times to get enough Moogle Medals for all the skill books.  

On the plus side, I also used the game to learn the Disorder skill from the ugly Nail Bat.  So I won’t have to be seen walking around with it.  

I hit the top score after just four or five runs, so now I’m mainly just queueing up the box whacking and waiting for a minute and a half to get the medal.

Guess if you were patient enough, you could get unlimited Gil this way.  Moogle Emporium sells Ether for 2 medals.  So every three-ish minutes you could get an Ether and then sell it for a couple hundred.  Money has been pretty scarce here in the early game, but I’m guessing that opens up more later.

ETA:  Scratch that.  They only have 18 in stock.  Still, Ethers aren’t all that common.  A little patience would get a nice supply.  But I don’t think it’s worth it.

I've just done the whack a box marathon but lost interest before maxing out the medals. I'll go back and do it when i can multitask leaving the game to run down the timer.

I'm in wall town now and i get the impression there's a lot to do there with thugs guarding treasure and gyms etc

[Morpheus]

Just settling into the new indie release One Step from Eden, a roguelite which is Slay the Spire meets Mega Man Battle Network. You have a decks of cards which are your attacks and spells, but the combat is active across a grid which means you have to dodge and line up attacks. It can get a bit mindfloody at times tbh.

[Fez]

I've been playing Death and Taxes. It's a more whimsical (until it really, really isn't) Papers, Please type game. Your Death, deciding who lives and dies each day, via an office job setup.

[Gorn]

After a lot of fumbling, I've finally figured out the optimal way of managing navies in Hearts of Iron IV, after (checks Steam) 177 hours of playing time.

Great game, but it does a piss-poor job of explaining its mechanics.