The Video Games Thread

[gyp casino]

Yeah, Bioware's really screwed the pooch when it comes to DLC. I never imagined that a company that is (usually) really good, could get it sooo wrong.

Can you be more specific? I read some good reviews of that new ME2 DLC and I was thinking of buying. Thanks.

[Jon AS]

Still totally not in to companies milking more money from already released titles via 'dlc'.

Also I particularly don't like that it seems that most of these companies use fucking ninja ways to disguise how much it costs. What the fuck is a bioware point other than some retarded currency that you need to buy if you want to buy their dlc? And of course you have to buy the points in bulk, so as well as disguising the actual cost of the things you are buying you end up spending more than you would have to anyway.

I added up the cost of all the current DLC for ME2, by the way. Excluding the obviously retarded alternate appearance pack.

-Shadow Broker: 800

-Firepower Pack: 160

-Aegis Pack: 160

-Equaliser Pack: 160

-Kasumi - Stolen Memory: 560

Totalling up to 2400 bioware points which by my calculations is something like £19. Roughly half the cost of ME2. You are telling me you get value for money on this stuff?

Nah, everything except LOTSB and possibly Overlord is overpriced. I was strictly referring to the former when I said that.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

I started playing fall from heaven for CIV a couple days ago. It's different--in a good way--and holy fuck the barbarians can be scary. I'm getting hit by stacks of four barbs every couple turns, and I'm only on chieftain. There's a barbarian city I'd very much like to take, except it's host to a str 21 dragon and a dozen fire elementals and warriors are still my most advanced unit.

I abandoned my first game when I couldn't figure out how elves were supposed to conquer cities, since they lack siege weapons (hint: magic. One spell allows you to ignore city fortifications. Another basically summons a cruise missile. Another defortifies a whole stack. Another can mind control). I abandoned my second game when the second horseman of the apocalypse spawned in my empire and started laying waste to everything. In my third game a clown from hell started flipping my newly created cities to his empire, and the only way to kill him was to literally surround him before attacking, as otherwise he would just retreat.

So yeah, FFH2, go play it.

[Fez]

Hooray another FFH convert!

About Barbarians: Easy way to deal with them is station warriors on all tiles you can find that have ancient towers on them, those increase visibility by 1, and Barbs can only spawn in fog of war, so that greatly cuts down on the number of Barbs coming at you. Also, The Red Dragon's city is crazy overpowered, even the Devs of the mod admit that, but he used to be very underpowered so they're not changing it just yet. When you see that message that he's about to claim his city, if it's near you try to destroy it beforehand, if you can't you're probably fucked long-term.

[Galactus]

Can you be more specific? I read some good reviews of that new ME2 DLC and I was thinking of buying. Thanks.

The content itself (at least for ME2, less so for DAO) is excellent. It's just that they've been plagued by technical issues basically every release.

It works now though.

[Crescent_Hawk0]

Anyone have any thoughts on a new game called Elemental: War of Magic? I haven't seen a review yet but it looks good, kind of like a Master of Magic for the 21st century update. :D

[Arthmail]

I usually play computer games, but i've dusted off the x-box 360 now that i have a 60' tv (which i got for free by the by, i don't watch enough tv to warrant such a large beast), and i've been playing me some Halo - the only reason i own the 360 to be honest. ODST was first, and now i'm going through another run through of Halo 3. Looking forward to Reach....

Other than that its Left4Dead 2, on the pc, were my downloadable content is free.

and yes, i'm a Halo fanboi.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

Anyone have any thoughts on a new game called Elemental: War of Magic? I haven't seen a review yet but it looks good, kind of like a Master of Magic for the 21st century update. :D

Sure. My thoughts are that the reviews are scathing, the word of mouth is worse, and the company's CEO has publicly called the game's launch an unmitigated disaster.

Give it a few months--or more than a few months--before buying it. In the meantime, play fall from heaven.

[Crescent_Hawk0]

Sure. My thoughts are that the reviews are scathing, the word of mouth is worse, and the company's CEO has publicly called the game's launch an unmitigated disaster.

Give it a few months--or more than a few months--before buying it. In the meantime, play fall from heaven.

Is fall from heaven really good? I love Civ in all of its forms.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

Yes. And it can scratch that MoM itch you seem to have.

[Lightning Lord]

Quick Steam question (I'm new):

Can I only play the games if I have an internet connection? The auto-created shortcut indicates it is a shortcut to the internet.

[Durckad]

Can you be more specific? I read some good reviews of that new ME2 DLC and I was thinking of buying. Thanks.

Well, the only two DLC's that I actually purchased for DAO I still cannot get to work. They just won't show up on my map. Apparently it's some issue with logging in or something.

That was a while ago though, that may have been fixed, but it sure peeved me off at the time.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

Quick Steam question (I'm new):

Can I only play the games if I have an internet connection? The auto-created shortcut indicates it is a shortcut to the internet.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555

[Lightning Lord]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555

Thanks. I didn't want to try to use their "support" to get the answer - trying to get useful information from them was fruitless for me. I spent two weeks trying to learn why I couldn't dl games, they kept giving me the same useless responses.

[Lord Mord]

Has this already been discussed? The game that's been banned on military bases?

I'm not fond of the reasoning behind the ban, but more than that, I'm irritated by the guys at work who were talking about it today, saying that EA are "idiots" -- not for expecting the game to not get banned, but for daring to make a game where you can play "that side."

I mean, okay, yeah, it'd have to be pretty idiotic to expect broad approval for the concept in this country, but what galls me is this: if you start going around slaughtering rendered American soldiers, you are disrespecting -- mocking, really -- all the true-blood patriots, soldiers and families, who've lost lives and loved ones, and their suffering ... but terrorists, well, after all, they're gibbering brown satan-worshipers ... they deserve to die, and people who feel sorry for them or loved them, well, ha, tough shit. And after all, those are just pixels. Oh, but stick an American flag on the uniform, and those pixels become a sacred fucking cow icon of True Love and Brotherhood.

[WrightOfWay]

I would say that the decision to have the Taliban playable was a deliberate attempt to stir up controversy and consequently get free press. See the No Russian level from Modern Warfare 2.

But yes, Americans have a tendency to be nationalistic patriotic to the point of jingoism at times.

[Weak With The Dawn]

I mean, okay, yeah, it'd have to be pretty idiotic to expect broad approval for the concept in this country, but what galls me is this: if you start going around slaughtering rendered American soldiers, you are disrespecting -- mocking, really -- all the true-blood patriots, soldiers and families, who've lost lives and loved ones, and their suffering ... but terrorists, well, after all, they're gibbering brown satan-worshipers ... they deserve to die, and people who feel sorry for them or loved them, well, ha, tough shit. And after all, those are just pixels. Oh, but stick an American flag on the uniform, and those pixels become a sacred fucking cow icon of True Love and Brotherhood.

Welcome to the United States of Hypocrisy. Between all the 9/11 info being shoved down our throats again this weekend as though we may have forgotten and the mosque controversy near Ground Zero I can't say I'm shocked it was banned, but I certainly don't agree.

If every video game about some major world even was an insult to Americans who died then we'd be hard pressed for many of our most engaging online FPS's, and honestly, when you spawn as one side or the other you're not thinking "I'm Taliban, so fuck Americans!" you're just thinking "Shoot the enemy".

For the first time ever I actually like a statement from EA, so I'll re quote it:

At EA we passionately believe games are an artform, and I don't know why films and books set in Afghanistan don't get flack, yet [games] do. Whether it's Red Badge of Courage or The Hurt Locker, the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories.

[Sad King Billy]

I just found this speech by Wil Wheaton on video games, and it's awesome. Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLDfAgbOh4

[Tyrellius]

I just found this speech by Wil Wheaton on video games, and it's awesome. Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLDfAgbOh4

That was a good laugh, I gotta see his 2007 talk now.

Found this in the related videos section

[Rhaco]

I mean, okay, yeah, it'd have to be pretty idiotic to expect broad approval for the concept in this country, but what galls me is this: if you start going around slaughtering rendered American soldiers, you are disrespecting -- mocking, really -- all the true-blood patriots, soldiers and families, who've lost lives and loved ones, and their suffering ... but terrorists, well, after all, they're gibbering brown satan-worshipers ... they deserve to die, and people who feel sorry for them or loved them, well, ha, tough shit. And after all, those are just pixels. Oh, but stick an American flag on the uniform, and those pixels become a sacred fucking cow icon of True Love and Brotherhood.

I'm guessing it's less a matter of who's dying than it is when they're dying. Current events and all.

Then again, the who might have something to do with it too. It might have been less of an issue if the opposition in MOH was, say, the Iraqi Army. I mean, being able to play as the Wehrmacht in a WW2 game like COD: World at War? Whatever. But playing as the Waffen-SS instead? That probably would've gotten a reaction -- as the publisher no doubt hoped.

Not that the people actually playing care which faction they happen to be playing as that round, as someone's already said. It's just about your team/their team. That and making sure to kill and teabag that douchebag sniper named something like xXxdEaThSnIpeZ420xXx as many times as possible. Of course, I'm not a vet, nor have I had anyone close to me killed over there.

Anyway, if the beta was any indication, MOH MP kinda sucks (get back to Battlefield, DICE), so I'm finding it hard to care very much that it will be available everywhere except US military bases.